VRAINS Mystery Masterpost (Part 1: Episodes 1-14). Note that each masterpost will be listed on my page here so that way people can find them easier later down the road.
So I was bored and I figured that I’d rewatch VRAINS and note anything of interest that has yet to be explained by the show itself. While I was doing that, I thought about putting together a master list of mysteries and questions I had with the show while we’re still in the early stages.
The reason for doing this is to try and see what the VRAINS plot solves and what gets missed out on. I want to see how in-depth the show goes with answering our questions as well as wanting to see, later on, when everything appeared and how it all connects.
Granted, I probably missed a few questions here and there so if there’s a question someone has that hasn’t been answered by the show yet, send me a message and I’ll add it here!
I’m going to organize these as best as I can on an episode by episode basis. I’ll also add in references to quotes or actions of the cast as well as the episode numbers that the question first arises from. Any evidence supporting a question will also be quoted. When a mystery is solved, it will be crossed out and have the episode number that it was solved in written alongside it in the masterpost assigned to it.
I will also make a masterpost of (new) questions every ten episodes (so, when the show hits episode 20, 30, etc. I’m including ep 1-14 bc that’s where we’re at currently) so as to keep up with any new mysteries that appear. Questions mentioned in previous masterposts will not be re-brought up due to the fact that there are already quite a lot of questions the fandom needs answered and I prefer to split up the different questions and mysteries by each section of masterposts.
Okay, now, moving on, for the mysteries we have so far they are:
Episode 1:
-Why doesn’t Yusaku like dueling? Why is he so against it?
-Why are the other five AIs trapped in a magic circle and why, exactly, was Ignis not trapped alongside them?
-Who are the six Ignis’s and what are their purpose (including Ai)?
-Why did Ai consider himself to be an outcast in comparison to the other Ignis’s?
-Is the Revolver of five years ago the same as the Revolver now?
-Who is the owner of the voice Yusaku hears? (Ep 1, 2, 12)
-Why does Yusaku speak in reasons of three? (Introduced in episode 1 and a continuous concept through later episodes. SOLVED in episode 12 when Yusaku’s mysterious friend tells him to find three reasons to live and thus gave Yusaku his penchant for speaking in groups of three)
-What is the Cyverse and, why, exactly, is it such a threat to Hanoi?
-What does the tower in the Cyverse signify and what purpose does it have to be presumably protected by five (six?) AIs?
-Why does Shoichi know about the Data Storms and how, exactly, does he know about them when the rest of the public seems to have never recognized Data Storms before? (“Some time ago there was a wind that blew inside of VRAINS called a Data Storm…there were rumors of countless monsters that lived amongst the wind…”. I go more in-depth about this here: LINK)
-What group of people is Shoichi referring to when he talks about the Data Storms? (“A certain group of people did something called Speed Duels on it…”)
-What do the six colorful birds and the one giant white one represent? What purpose do they serve for in the opening? Symbolism or…is it perhaps some sort of weird foreshadowing we’re seeing here?
-Why does Yusaku seem to have a connection to Link VRAINS and to Ai himself? (He seems to sense when something’s going wrong in the VRAINS after a knight of Hanoi appears as well as knows where Ai is. This is partially solved by episodes 9 and 11 when Ai gives it a name – Link Sense – but Yusaku does not specifically state where he got it or why, exactly, he has this ability. He does, however, state that, ever since he was young he had the capability to do so: “You can sense the presence of the network. Since when?” - Ai in a flashback from episode 8 - and Playmaker’s response: “Since I was young. That’s right. I could sense the pulse of the network since then.”)
-What is the Data Material? (We know it is used to maintain the VRAINS but why is it also the catalyst to calling up a Data Storm?)
-Why were we shown beautiful and lush city-like settings in the VRAINS world in this episode with Blue Angel’s and Go’s duels and, yet, every time since the characters have dueled in the VRAINS it’s basically been a desolate city? Is there a reason why the city ruins look seems to be the default and why we haven’t seen places like the below landscapes ever since episode 1? (This is minus, to some extent, Ema’s first duel on-screen bc the VRAINS still looks city-like but at least it changed color and added in a highway)
^ is the settings we were shown in episode 1 with the last two images being from Ema’s duel. Note that episode 14′s city still looks much the same as the below images just with a greener color scheme and a highway added in. v is the settings we’ve been shown so far from episodes 2-13. What happened to the beautiful landscapes here exactly?
-to that extent, why does the Link VRAINS default look seem to always look like an eerie and abandoned city? Does this serve as any specific purpose for foreshadowing or something along those lines or is there a reason why we’ve yet to see something akin to Blue Angel’s and Go’s duel match settings in the first episode again?
-how and when did Yusaku meet Shoichi? Why is Yusaku so concerned for Shoichi’s brother and is it possible Yusaku had past relations with said brother?
Episode 2:
-Why do people not remember what a Data Storm looks like if the Cyberse only disappeared five years ago? Shouldn’t people (other than Shoichi and Akira) have known what a Data Storm was beforehand if it was only five years ago? (ep 1, 2)
-What are the Cyverses that Yusaku has and why did they go ‘extinct’ by Hanoi’s hands? Why does Hanoi despise them so much and why then does Yusaku have the only remaining ones in existence? (episode 2)
-If Ai has no memories, why does he suggest that he does in the battle with the Knight of Hanoi? (He says “Has the enemy evolved too!?” when he realizes that the tactics Hanoi employs are different than before)
-To that extent, why does Ai know how to Speed Duel and why does Playmaker find it familiar as well? (Ai teaches Playmaker how to speed duel and he recognizes it as familiar even though he obviously doesn’t know what he’s doing)
-Blue Angel’s energy whip which has appeared in this episode only. Does it have a further purpose and, if so, is it possible that this creation of energy relates to the plot in some way? Will it ever reappear again or is it something we are only doomed to see ever once? (Nope, we get to see it again in episode 16 lol. Still not related to plot though past saving Yusaku)
-It is hinted at when Yusaku says his first reason in this episode for living that he is aware there are five other children who were rescued with him. If that’s the case and he wants to find out what happened in his past, why hasn’t he tried to find these kids and contact them for information? Is it possible that he can’t track them down and that’s why he doesn’t recognize Aoi or Go as possible keys to his past? (When Yusaku says: “In order to take back my time that was stolen from me!” he seems to suggest that he wants to find out what happened before he was rescued from the park woods. The logical connection would be to hook up with those who suffered the same fate as him and hope someone remembers enough to give him coherent answers)
-Actually, adding on to that, who are the six kids? We can assume Yusaku, Aoi, Go, and Revolver are four of the six kids but where are the other two right now?
-Who is Kusanagi’s brother and why does he need to be saved from darkness? What kind of darkness is Yusaku referring to, exactly? And, is the boy in the image provided Kusanagi’s brother or Kusanagi himself? (“…In order to save Kusanagi-san’s brother from darkness!” is what Yusaku says in reference to one of the three reasons he must live)
Episode 3:
-Why does Playmaker not know about who the Knights of Hanoi are if they’re the very people he’s been seeking out and studying for a long time? (“Knight of Hanoi! Who are all of you?!”)
-Who are Frog/Yamamoto-senpai and Pigeon really?
-Why can cards that came from a virtual world manifest in the physical world and why? (Decode Talker’s card manifested into a real one despite coming from a Data Storm in the VRAINS world)
-What is Ema’s and Akira’s relationship to each other and why are they familiar with each other to the point of using each other’s first names? (Ema knows that he’s going after Playmaker’s AI in order to regain the Cyberse and seems surprised when he doesn’t ask her to duel Playmaker like it’s ordinary for him to ask Ema to do such things for him)
-Also why the fuck does Ema have elf ears, again?
-Who is Go Onizuka’s manager, exactly? Does he play an important role in this show in any way considering he’s the guardian of Go?
-Is Yusaku connected to Revolver and, if so, in what way considering he seems to connect more to Revolver than with Aoi or Go, the supposed other two children mentioned in episode 3? (Yusaku can see Revolver in the other world despite being in the physical one)
-Why is Revolver’s father in a coma?
-What do the six red triangles on Revolver’s real life form mean and do the other kids have the same mark? If not, why does Revolver specifically have these marks?
-Bringing this back, an interesting quote from Yusaku is: “I knew how to Speed Duel…that wasn’t the first time I had felt something like that”. To what is Yusaku referring to here? (Yusaku seems to be referring to having the sensation of finding something familiar regarding another event before Speed Duels but has yet to bring up any other deja vu events he’s witnessed in his past)
-What kind of accident occurred to Kusanagi’s little brother? And did Yusaku witness it firsthand and not understand what occurred or did something happen behind the scenes that lead Yusaku to search for answers in the first place? (“I need to find out the truth behind the accident that happened to Kusanagi-san’s little brother…”)
What is inside this box that is inside Yusaku’s house? Surely there’s a reason that he has a box taped and shut inside his room? Maybe is it mementos from his childhood such as the clothes we see his younger self wearing?:
Episode 4:
-Who are the duelists on Akira’s screen? Will they ever appear or have relevance to the plot past somewhat cameo appearances?
Episode 5:
-Actually a background question I have is whether or not the distorted multi-colored space that Yusaku/Go/Aoi/Revolver enter into when Link Summoning will have relevance to the plot?
Episode 6:
-Why is Kusanagi researching Blue Angel/Aoi Zaizen? For what reason, exactly, did he choose her as a target and why just out of the blue? Does Shoichi know something more about Aoi and her possible connection to Yusaku as well?
-Does Aoi still suspect Yusaku is Playmaker or has her suspicions faded? (she notices his old type duel disk and seems to take note of Ai when he talks to the AI in her duel disk as well as asks to see his deck for further inspection. However, when she gives the cards back it seems like she alleviated any suspicions she had of him)
-Who is Specter exactly and why does he seem to have the power to distort the VRAINS and making people forget about him after having appeared before them?
Episode 7:
-Does Aoi share the same memories as Akira and, if so, why weren’t we introduced to them through her view alongside Akira’s own? It would have been nice to see what Aoi thinks of Akira’s hard work ethic as well as what Akira thought he was doing to create an interesting contrasts of perceptions for why Akira’s actions lead to Blue Angel’s demise.
-Why did a card have the ability to essentially shut down Blue Angel’s train of thought, make her dizzy, send her into a berserk mode and essentially take control of her mind and put her into a coma? How advanced is Hanoi “technology” to be able to do such a thing? (SOLVED in episode 8 as a computer virus of advanced capabilities that was likely created by Dr. Kogami to aid his plans)
Episode 8:
-Who is the red-haired doctor and what relevance will she have to the plot, if any?
-Did Ema know of Aoi’s existence beforehand or was the scene at the hospital the first time that Ema learned about Akira having a sister?
-Does Ema also now know that Blue Angel=Aoi Zaizen and will she use this information against Aoi if so? (As of ep 16 it’s implied that Ema does know that Blue Angel=Aoi Zaizen and uses Aoi’s situation to get her to fight as Blue Angel alongside Playmaker under the deal of “restoring her reputation”. Ema’s true intent behind doing this for Aoi is a mystery so far. Lol nope Ema just wanted to use her as distraction alongside Playmaker and that was all)
-To what type of favors does Ema refer to and how often does Akira ask for them? (“Oh my. Another favor? Wow. You know what I did right?)
-Why does Akira consider Ema as his only ally when she clearly has been shown to do things that jeopardize his job and hinder his progress with his personal issues on a constant basis?
-What are the Ignises to Dr. Kogami and why does he consider them akin to his own children?
-Who is Eagle irl?
-Why can Revolver control the Data Storms?
Episode 9:
-Who is Ema waving to the camera at and does she know that someone else other than Akira is watching through her cameras? (For clarification: it is suggested that she’s sending to Kusanagi because his feed shows her waving to him but, outside of this scene, Ema does not seem to interact with anyone inside the VRAINS aside from Akira despite later recognizing that someone is guiding her into the Data Storm. Furthermore, she has two screens opened which suggest two different people are watching but, again, doesn’t seem to recognize the fact that an outsider is paying attention to the battle as well)
-To that extent, why does Ema consider it no fun if Hanoi takes Ai? (“If Hanoi takes Ignis, that’s no fun” is what she says in this episode. Presumably solved in episode 14 where she suggests she wants to sell Ai for money.)
Episode 10:
-Is the place where Revolver and Playmaker battle (the center of the Data Storm) an actual place in the VRAINS or a program created by Dr. Kogami? Are there other “floating islands” in the ”eyes of the Data Storm”?
Episode 11:
-Where is Ai in the beginning of the episode when he’s in the water? Why, exactly, was he banished to this giant body of water and for what purpose does it serve? Will it be a reoccurring scenery or a one-time one?
-Okay, in episode 10, it was shown at the beginning that Ghost Girl’s cameras disconnected and neither Akira nor Shoichi could see inside Link VRAINS. However, here, the connection is restored. What occurred between then and now to have caused the re-transmission of the image feed to both adults watching?
(^ is episode 10. v is episode 11. There is no transition to explain why the camera visuals are suddenly working again)
-Why is Ema left unaware that it is her own video feed that is letting “Playmaker’s helper” able to watch over her and assist her in the VRAINS? (Relating back to episode 8, when Ema waves to the camera assumedly at Shoichi. If she had waved at Shoichi knowing he was watching, why does she say “…Playmaker has an ally who’s watching out for him…that person is telling me to go inside?”. If she purposely sent the feed to Shoichi in the first place, why was Ema confused about who created the path that helped her to enter the data storm?)
-Also, is Ema possibly transmitting this feed to other people? She has four cameras that are following her, presumably one for Akira, one for Shoichi and one to record for episode 13’s purposes, but what is the fouth one being used for? Or are all four cameras simultaneously recording every angle and sending it to both Shoichi and Akira at the same time (which is unlikely considering her camera feed doesn’t seem to flip angles of her perspective every few seconds or even show the other three cameras on screen)?
-What is the facility that Yusaku is located in and for what purpose does it serve? Is it the reason why Yusaku despises dueling?
-Is this special person of Yusaku’s an AI or a living person?
-What does Yusaku mean by “connect all the moments of my life”? (“#2: To learn the truth about then and connect all the moments of my life.”)
-Did the Knights of Hanoi possibly capture Yusaku’s special person? “If that person is still captured, I must rescue that person!”
Episode 12:
-What happened ten years ago and what does Dr. Kogami, Specter and SOL Technologies have to do with it? (SOON FOR SOL TECH)
-How much does Revolver know about this aforementioned event as well since he seems to recognize Playmaker? Does he know about Yusaku and who Yusaku actually is?
-What is Dr. Kogami’s final plan that he mentions in his last appearance this episode and what does it involve?
-Who are the chess pieces really and why do they exist? What, exactly, do they want and how are they involved with Yusaku and the other five children?
Episode 13:
-Why does the show imply here that Kusanagi and Ema know each other? (Their entire conversation in the beginning of the episode suggests that they are familiar with each other in some way and yet Ema talks about the hot dog stand like it’s the first time she’s been there. “I’ll come again if it’s delicious” is a line that suggests Ema has visited the stand for the first time considering she is unsure if the food is good or not. Episode 14 further cements that Shoichi knows neither Ema nor Ghost Girl and that Ema is unaware of Kusanagi being Playmaker’s helper which is odd considering how much the show has been implying they know each other.)
-Does Ema suspect who Playmaker actually is? (She appears coincidentally in front of the hot dog stand, talks about Charisma Duelists and then immediately directs the topic to Playmaker while she ‘s there. It’s suspicious foreshadowing, if nothing else)
-If Ema plans on a second special does that mean that, sometime in the future, we’ll get a second recap from her that is relevant to the plot itself?
Episode 14:
-Why does Ema have two different places she seems to live at/use? What purpose does it serve her to have two different areas of “operation”?
-Why is a Data Storm visible from a computer? Shouldn’t Data Storms…be more localized in the VRAINS only? Does SOL’s data bank being guarded by a Data Storm mean that SOL, to some extent, has control over Data Storms like Revolver does to guard their information?
-The fuck does Daddy Long Legs mean and why is it Shoichi’s seeming nickname? (Presumably solved in the assumption that “Daddy-Long-Legs” is a reference to the novel by the same name. The ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’ in question from this book is an unseen benefactor who helps the novel’s protagonist in secret. This is likely how Ema interprets “Playmaker’s helper’s” relationship to Playmaker and thus the reason for Kusanagi’s weird nickname. Thanks to @authoratmidnight for pointing this out)
-Also, what did Yusaku mean about Ema when he said: “#1: In her message, I sense Ghost Girl’s determination, despite her weaknesses?” To what kind of weaknesses is he referring to?
-Why do Ema and Shoichi both mention things about an unknown world if they show no signs of knowing anything about said world? (Episode 1, episode 14. Shoichi says (about the Data Storms): “And that (they) lead you to a brand new world”. Ema mentions during her link summoning sequence: “Open before me! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!”)
-Adding on, as according to Ema’s little speech, is it possible that Link summoning will be connected to going to aforementioned unknown world? (refer to above dialogue point; is this foreshadowing for something more, possibly?)
-What did Ema mean by “My dreams get larger?” at the end of this episode? What kind of dreams is she referring to that she needs an exotic amount of money just to presumably fulfill it? And, what kind of dreams did she set her eyes on if they are only now getting “larger”?