86: Eighty-Six finally wrapped up after a several-month long wait for the final two episodes of Season 1. Essentially, the action-packed part of the show ended with episode 22, making the finale a breather episode, full of feeling, that left fans incredibly satisfied and landed the anime on the top #50 of MyAnimeList. If you still have questions about the show, here's the 86 anime part 2 ending explained:
86 Anime Part 2 Explained: Where Are the Main Characters Now?
Shin and his friends return home to Ernest and they get to celebrate and indulge in their hobbies before choosing to return to the military. This time, Ernest doesn't stop them, having faith in their personal choice and believing they'll manage to protect each other.
Shin has become a different person, to an extent. His trauma is still acknowledged, as he is not sure if he has something worth living for, even a year later. He does, however, intend to keep living, even if he must initially do so for his friends, living and fallen. When he visits Eugene grave, he promises to return and tell him about something he has never seen. His abandonment of his brother's tag is symbolic of this decision, to move on, even when he can hardly find a purpose.
As Shin and his friends join a new force that will take specialized missions against the Legion, and wait for their foreign leader to arrive, the point of view shifts to Lena. Quite predictably, Lena is given a post in the Federacy, and her friend, Annette, who has been inspired by Lena's insistence on kindness, is going to join her as a technology expert.
Shin and Lena are introduced formally, and her surprised expression is priceless when she realizes who Shin is. Is the ending a bit too perfect? Perhaps, but, after all the characters have been through, it also feels totally deserved.
Related: 86 Anime Part 1 Ending Explained
86 Anime Part 2 Explained: What to Expect Now?
While 86 Season 3 hasn't been announced yet, the finale of part 2 sets the scene for a new adventure - one in which Shin and Lena stand together. There's plenty of 86 light novel material to back this up, so we have to wait and see. For now, seeing the main characters happy together makes for a hopeful, beautiful ending that stresses the themes of hope and survival as central for the world of 86.