Death Stranding takes Sam ‘Porter’ Bridges on a perilous journey through the wasteland of America, in an attempt to reconnect the world using the chiral network. As we travel with Sam, we gradually learn more about Sam’s former life, the tragedies that have turned him into who he is today and the true nature of Amelie, the mysterious person who sends Sam on his quest.
A lot of events occur at the end of Death Stranding, which might understandably make you a little confused. If you’re unsure exactly what was meant by the game’s extended climax, you’re not alone, especially as many of its biggest moments are intentionally ambiguous and open to thematic interpretation.
With that being said, the ending can be explained in factual terms by focusing on the three major events that make up the game’s dramatic final moments.
An Extinction Event Is Averted
At the climax of the game, Amelie explains the deceptive nature of both their existence and Sam’s quest to reconnect America using the chiral network.
To put it simply, Amelie is a being that exists only as ‘Ka’ (the game’s term for a ‘soul’). Although Sam and the rest of the world initially believe Amelie to be the deceased President Bridget’s daughter, their visual similarity is actually because Bridget and Amelie were two halves of one whole. Bridget Strand, who we see die at the beginning of the game, was the physical form or ‘Ha’ (the game’s term for the body, separate from the soul).
During Bridget’s struggle with cancer in their younger years, their soul became separated from the body, allowing them to live on as a separate entity. Bridget gave an elaborate cover story to this entity, describing her as her daughter.
In truth, Amelie - a.k.a the soul of Bridget - is what is known in Death Stranding’s universe as an Extinction Entity. As uncovered throughout the game’s third act, an Extinction Entity is a being designed to bring about the evolution of mankind through a mass extinction event.
Amelie has manipulated Sam into connecting much of America to the Chiral Network, which has the side effect of linking everyone to Amelie’s personal Beach. This will generate enough energy to trigger the next extinction event and wipe out all life, which is dubbed ‘The Last Stranding’.
The title ‘Death Stranding’ refers to the status quo of the game’s world which exists at the beginning of our story: dead people have become BTs (‘Beached Things’) as a result of their souls attempting to reunite with their bodies and The Beach has begun to affect the world of the living in a variety of ways. It’s theorized by the character Heartman that the Death Stranding is the result of previous extinction events, and that these have happened at least five times throughout Earth’s history. The ‘Last Stranding’ that Amelie is ‘fated’ to create would be the sixth and final extinction event.
Ultimately, Amelie proposes that Sam ‘pull the rope or cut the noose’, and the game presents you with the option to shoot Amelie. However, the only way to progress beyond this point is to put away the gun and choose to hug the extinction entity, instead.
The extinction entity explains that throughout their life they have longed for connection, and that witnessing Sam’s painful journey to connect humanity has shown them the value of such connections and the potential for humanity. They describe the previous extinction events as a kind of ‘choice’ — what this means isn’t entirely clear, but they ultimately decide to stay in their Beach and delay the ‘Last Stranding’. It’s implied and stated that the next extinction event is still coming, but for now, humanity lives another day.
Ultimately, the apocalypse is canceled: deferred to another day. But that’s not all the ending teaches us.
The Truth Behind Cliff & Sam
Throughout the game, we’re treated to two regular refrains featuring one of the game’s most popular actors: Mads Mikkelsen, who portrays the character of Clifford Unger. We see them in small cutscenes of them talking to a Bridge Baby (the babies in pods that help people detect BTs) in addition to boss fights with Cliff that take place in Cliff’s personal Beach.
The true identity of Cliff is something of a mystery throughout the game. By the end of the game, however, we learn that Cliff is Sam’s biological father, and the mysterious cutscenes of Cliff talking to a bridge baby are shown from a first person perspective as these are Sam’s memories.
To explain this in simple terms, it’s revealed that Sam, Cliff’s son, was one of the very first ‘Bridge Babies’. Both Cliff and Sam are killed by Die Hardman and Bridget in a dispute over ownership of the child.
After Sam dies as a baby, they arrive at The Beach. This is where they’re ‘put back together’ by Amelie, the extinction entity, who feels remorse for the actions of their ‘Ha’ (their body, Bridget). This action also triggers the Death Stranding by ‘upsetting the balance of life and death’. This event is also what grants Sam their ability to return to life after dying.
Sam Makes A Connection
In terms of the final events of the game, after the ‘Last Stranding’ is averted, Sam is given one final task by BRIDGES. Their bridge baby, Lou, has started to die, their body ‘necrotising’ inside the pod. They are asked to deliver the baby to incinerate it, so that it doesn’t trigger a voidout.
After an emotional walk to the incinerator, and the final flashback involving Cliff (see the above section), Sam ultimately makes the decision to not incinerate BB, switching the pod with their handcuffs at the last minute in an act of defiance.
At the start of their game, Sam has difficulty forming bonds in both a figurative and literal sense. They suffer from Aphenphosmphobia, a type of aversion to physical touch. They also carry a variety of emotional trauma that makes it difficult for them to open up to others.
The final moments of Death Stranding show Sam finally making the choice to embrace connection and love sincerely once again. After switching the pod with the cuff links (which are not only literally a means for the government to track him, but also serve as an important symbol for Sam’s absence of freedom) and taking the BB pod out, Sam recalls Deadman’s suggestion that the baby could be saved by removing it from the pod.
In a last ditch attempt to save Lou, who Sam (and the player) has grown attached to throughout the game, Sam removes them from the pod they've been in for all of their natural life. For a moment, it appears that the baby has died, but after a tense wait, they eventually open their eyes. Sam embraces the child, and walks off to begin life anew.