In 2017, the first season of Made in Abyss set the anime world on fire. While it isn't the "be-all and end-all" of indicators, Made in Abyss beat out Season 2 of My Hero Academia at the Crunchyroll Awards that year, which is essentially Krillin beating Goku in a fistfight.
It's been over two years since season one ended, and 2020 looks especially bright for fans of the series. If theater listings are to be trusted, the sequel movie, Dawn of the Deep Soul, will premiere stateside on April 13. Additionally, there's an outside chance the second season could drop at the end of the year. With so much to look forward to, it's worth getting a quick refresher on what made the first season so compelling. Hopefully, the upcoming sequels will be able to shine the light on the following questions.
10 Why And How Is Reg a Cyborg?
Reg is pretty much one-of-a-kind and uniquely suited for the Abyss because he's a cyborg. But because of his amnesia, we know very little about him. While his memories have been flooding in slowly, there's hope the show will uncover more in these sequels.
Honestly, this question leads to six or seven others. So far, the show has not explained who Reg was and how he became a cyborg. How did he get so far into the Abyss? Was he made in the Abyss and who made him? Is he somehow one of Lyza's children?
9 How Does Nanachi Know Everything They Know?
Nanachi has proven to be an invaluable ally for Riko and Reg during their short time together. Nanachi is extremely wise and it begs a question of how they acquired that knowledge. For instance, Nanachi knows that Orb Piercers are able to see the future, knows how to defeat them by grabbing the organ on their face, and knows that grabbing it hinders the Orb Piercer's abilities.
Nanachi also knows exactly how the Curse of the Abyss works and appears to be able to manipulate it thanks to an old relic they found. A bit of backstory next season would help bring these answers to light.
8 Who Is The Man In The Iron Mask?
The question on the minds of Made in Abyss fans since the end of the first season is the same one Alexandre Dumas posed in 1847—who is the man in the iron mask? What little we do know is that his name is Bondrewd, and he's the stranger your parents warned you about as a child. What is unknown is his backstory and what turned him into such an evil person.
The trailer for Dawn of the Deep Soul appears to have him at the main antagonist. And if you remember what he did to Nanachi and Mitty (and scores of other children), we can only hope a very, very painful death is coming his way.
7 Will The Star Compass Return?
While searching for the source of whatever saved her from the Crimson Splitjaw in Episode 1, Riko stumbles across the Star Compass—a relic that always points down, or as Riko believes, to the bottom of the Abyss. But in the fourth episode, Riko loses it over a waterfall while testing its magnetic properties.
The Star Compass seems like too important of an object to just disappear and never be seen again. If it is not to return in the show, then what was the point of Riko finding it shortly before finding Reg?
6 What Was That Link Between Riko and Mitty?
While Riko was unconscious and healing from the Orb Piercer attack, she and Mitty appeared to have some psychic link allowing Riko to see Mitty—a creature she had never seen before. Not only did she see Mitty, but she also saw her clearly in human form.
Reg posits a guess about Riko being connected to the Abyss since she once died as a baby and was brought back with a relic. While that could be the explanation, it would be nice to hear how Riko was able to see Mitty.
5 Why Did Reg Climb Out Of The Abyss?
Reg was apparently found by Lyza all the way in the seventh layer of the Abyss (15,501+ meters down). And we know that the very least that Lyza's pickaxe found it's way up to the Garden of Flowers of Resilience on the 4th layer (9,000 meters down). But what made Reg continue climbing when he has seemingly no reason to do so?
It's possible that Reg was meant to deliver a message to Riko for Lyza, but we'll have to hope this question is addressed in one of the upcoming sequels.
4 What Is The Bottom Of The Abyss Like?
As Riko and Reg have descended each layer of the Abyss, the worlds they've uncovered have been beautiful and terrifying. At the moment, they're only four levels deep and the creatures have only become more dangerous as they've journeyed downwards. What monsters lie below the fourth level and what threats do they impose?
But putting the creatures aside, the 7th layer should be certain death according to the Seeker's records. Is the atmosphere going to be habitable and what is the ring people claim to have seen while looking down from the 6th layer?
3 Is Lyza Still Human?
There's another question that will be asked soon, but this needs also needs addressing. Everyone saw what happened to Nanachi and Mitty when they were forced to ascend the 6th layer. Lyza was all the way in the 7th layer when she found Reg. If she ascended at any point, there's a chance that she's undergone a serious mutation and is no longer a person.
Plus, the effects of the 7th layer and below are completely unknown. There's no telling what kind of effects the Abyss has on the human body that far down.
2 Is Lyza Alive?
It's the question that led everyone on this journey into the Abyss. Riko is traveling deep into the Abyss because of the note her mom sent to her. And it's known due to a flashback that Reg saw what appeared to be a gravestone for Lyza, but it's not 100% that the grave indicates that she's dead.
Considering the stakes of this trip, one can only hope for a happy reunion when this is all said and done.
But if this question isn't answered by the end of season two...
1 Will There Be More?
Even late last year, a second season seemed preposterous, and the announcement of a sequel shocked the voice actors of the show to the point of tears. So, if the story doesn't conclude with the second season, what should fans expect?
As readers of the Made in Abyss can tell you, the manga is still ongoing. Dawn of the Deep Soul reportedly takes fans through the end of Chapter 38 out of the 53 available manga chapters. One would hope that if the manga continues past the end of the second season, then the series will follow. Only time can tell, but let's take that journey together!