The first-season finale of The Promised Neverland saw Emma and Ray successfully escaping Isabella's clutches, along with the older orphans of Grace Field House — but that doesn't mean they're out of the woods yet. Not only will they have to navigate an outside world they know nothing about in season two, but they'll likely be hunted by the very demons who'd planned to eat them before they escaped.
Where the group will go from here remains a mystery, but fans have plenty of interesting theories about where the anime could take this story in its sophomore season. Here are five theories about The Promised Neverland season two that are perfect (and five that are hilariously bad).
10 Perfect: Norman's Still Alive
The Promised Neverland killed off one of its main characters halfway through its first season, something that shook Emma and Ray to their very cores. Norman was the voice of reason among them, and his willingness to sacrifice himself so the other orphans had a chance to escape was noble -- but many fans don't believe he's actually dead.
Norman's supposed final moments show him stepping into a doorway with a mesmerized expression on his face. What he's seeing here is never revealed, and viewers never actually witness him dying. Without a body... well, there's a good chance he's alive and there's a twist coming fans' way, right?
9 Bad: Norman Becomes The Villain
Assuming Norman is still alive, there are a number of theories about how this could have happened. Most of them focus on Norman escaping or being chosen for some greater purpose, but one in particular stands out: that Norman may have joined the villains' side.
Given how much Norman cares about Emma, Ray, and the rest of the orphans at Grace Field House, it seems unlikely he'd turn his back on them so easily. Even if he was working with the demons, it would likely be a ploy to gather intel and help other kids. Thinking about him actually betraying the group seems laughable -- especially after he sacrificed himself for them.
8 Perfect: They'll Find William Minerva
William Minerva is a name that's tossed around a lot in the anime's first season, but, unfortunately, the kids at Grace Field House don't have much time to dig into the man's history. What we do know about Minerva is that he's written many of the books in Grace Field's library -- and that he's left messages in morse code for the orphans there, supposedly in order to help them.
Many predict that Minerva will play a larger role in the anime going forward, and it does seem unlikely the series would leave this particular plot point hanging. There are still so many questions surrounding this character that need to be answered, and his appearance in season two feels like a promising way to deliver on that.
7 Bad: Minerva's A Demon
One fan theory posits that William Minerva may actually be one of the demons, and it's right about one thing: That would be a crazy twist. It's hard to see what his motivation would be, however, if he's a demon attempting to help kids at Grace Field House escape.
Sure, there are humans on the monsters' side, so there could theoretically be demons on the humans' side. It seems more likely, however, that Minerva was a human who spent time at Grace Field House.
6 Perfect: Phil Has A Secret
A video from Mother's Basement on YouTube suggests that Phil may have a bigger role to play in the anime's future -- and the first-season finale certainly does leave the younger boy with a ton of responsibility while Emma is away. But it's possible Phil has always known he'd have to take on this role. The clues that he's been aware of what's happening at Grace Field House are scattered throughout season one.
Phil's comment to Emma that he figured something like this was happening seems like a throwaway, but a closer look reveals that Phil is frequently in the right place to help Emma and Ray with their plan. Whether Phil's observance is a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but it will no doubt come back at some point.
5 Bad: Isabella Switches Sides
The final episode of The Promised Neverland's first season sees Isabella redeeming herself somewhat by sharing her own backstory and making the decision to let Emma escape. She returns to Grace Field House, likely to receive a scolding from her superiors, and some fans believe this could be a turning point for her.
Unfortunately, even if Isabella once had the same aspirations Emma did, it seems unlikely she'll actually change sides during season two. She's got too much to lose by defying the demons.
4 Perfect: Isabella Dies
Judging by their willingness to devour children, fans have to assume that Isabella's superiors show little to no mercy when dealing with failure. Isabella messed up big time in letting so many orphans escape, and that's not likely to be forgotten.
Although it's unlikely Isabella will shift sides, there's definitely weight to the theory that she'll die in season two. The monsters in charge can't be happy with her -- and even if they give her another chance, one more failure will surely do her in.
3 Bad: The Demons Were Once Humans
Despite the major role the demons play in The Promised Neverland, fans don't know much about the series' villains. One Reddit user suggests that they might have once been human -- and that the kids are actually being turned into these monsters instead of being eaten.
That would make for an amazing twist, but the motivation just doesn't add up. Why would demons who were once humans want to kill their fellow humans? Unless there's some major world building being hidden from viewers, this theory doesn't make much sense overall.
2 Perfect: It Deviates From The Manga
Following comments from The Promised Neverland producer Kenta Suzuki, some fans believe the anime could deviate from the manga's story -- potentially drastically. Of course, creatives have claimed anime series would deviate before, only to follow the story religiously, so there's nothing definite here, even if Suzuki is in favor of switching things up.
Still, given that the manga has officially ended, taking a new path would enable the anime to continue surprising fans -- something beneficial to a story so steeped in horror and mystery.
1 Bad: The Kids Are Clones
Listen, nothing is off the table for The Promised Neverland season two, but the theory that Emma, Norman, and Ray are all clones of high-quality humans feels like a stretch. A competition between orphanages would make for an unexpected twist, but it doesn't seem like where the story is going.
The anime would have to jump through quite a few hoops to make sense of this storyline -- and even then, it'd be hard to explain what, exactly, the demons would gain from cloning these humans.