Warning! This article contains spoilers for Secret Level episode 11.
Secret Level episode 11 tells an emotional father-daughter story about interstellar travel that has an equally tragic, epic, and hopeful ending. With Secret Level looking to establish itself as one of the best animated video game adaptations, episode 11's story could certainly help. Secret Level episode 11's video game inspiration comes from Exodus, a franchise that will center around interstellar travel by the creators of iconic space-based series' like Mass Effect. In this episode, the stories of Mari and her father, Nik, are explored.
Mari and Nik are from the barren, frozen planet of Lidon. Nik works as a mechanic on starships while Mari dreams of more, eventually abandoning her home to search the stars alongside Rafe, who dubs himself a Traveler. Secret Level's Love, Death, & Robot's connection shines through in this episode, detailing the emotional journey that sees Nik follow Mari to reunite with his daughter, who is the only thing he has left. Secret Level's middling reviews certainly do not reflect episode 11, which tells an epic and tragic story by the time the credits roll.
Secret Level Episode 11’s Time Changes Explained: Why Mari Was Much Older Than Her Father
Exodus' Sci-Fi Story Shines Through
Before getting to the aspects of Secret Level episode 11's story that link to the characters, it is worth exploring the sci-fi elements surrounding them. Secret Level episode 11's interstellar travel storyline surrounds giant light-speed engines called Gates. These Gates allow space travelers to cross the galaxy, but akin to Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, time passes differently depending on the situation. When traveling through a Gate, time slows to a crawl, and what may only be one year for the Traveler can be decades for those living their lives as normal.
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The basis of Secret Level episode 11's plot centers around Mari, who travels through the Gate to explore the galaxy. She does this without telling her father Nik, prompting him to follow her. By the time of Secret Level episode 11's ending, Mari is well into her 60s while Nik is only a decade or so older than when the episode started. Mari ends the episode being older than her own father, due to the way the latter's years slowed down through the Gates while Mari was living her life as a Traveler.
Secret Level Episode 11 Ending: The Fate Of Mari & Nik Explained
What Becomes Of The Father-Daughter Duo?
After years, even decades, of searching, Secret Level episode 11's ending features the reunion of Mari and Nik. Interestingly, the time dilation aspects of Secret Level episode 11's story add a twist to their reunion. Upon finding Mari, Nik realizes she is much older than he is. Regardless of this fact, their reunion is exciting due to Nik saving Mari from a Celestial ship. After saving Mari's ship from destruction, Nik attaches his own to it as both are caught in the light-speed travel of a Gate.
The story of Nik and Mari is likely inspired by Exodus ' cinematic trailer, which had a similar plot only with a wife and husband rather than father and daughter.
On the other side, Mari and Nik reunite, yet the former has grave injuries. Nik cares for Mari for as long as possible, allowing the two to have some time together before she passes away. After this, Nik becomes a Traveler, inspired by the life his daughter had lived. Secret Ending episode 11's ending solidifies this, showing Nik helping planets, finding artifacts, and journeying the stars just as Mari did.
Secret Level Episode 11’s Story Is Unique To All Others In The Show
Secret Level episode 11 feels special in its own right, but its nature is incredibly unique in comparison to Secret Level episode 6's Pac-Man story or the others based on Warhammer 40k, Mega Man, or Dungeons and Dragons, to name only a few. The reason for this is that the game on which Secret Level episode 11 is based, Exodus, has not yet been released. Exodus was only announced in 2023 and is still in development, with a release date expected at some point in 2025.
"The Queen's Cradle" | Dungeons & Dragons |
"It Takes a Life" | Sifu |
"The Once and Future King" | New World |
"Xan" | Unreal Tournament |
"And They Shall Know No Fear" | Warhammer 40,000 |
"Circle" | PAC-MAN |
"Good Conflict" | Crossfire |
"Asset Management" | Armored Core |
"The Company We Keep" | The Outer Worlds |
"Start" | Mega Man |
"Odyssey" | Exodus |
"Tally" | Spelunky |
"Tales of the Implacable" | Concord |
"The Way of All Things" | Honor of Kings |
"Fulfillment" | PlayStation |
Secret Level episode 13 is based on a game called Concord that had its servers shut down only a month after its release in August 2024, but it was still released at one point for players to experience. For Exodus, however, the wait still goes on. This means that Secret Level episode 11 is one of the first ways audiences get to experience this world before the game is released in 2025.
Secret Level Episode 11’s Villains: Who Are The Celestials?
The Interstellar Enemies Of Humanity
The villains of Secret Level episode 11 are certainly interesting and are known as the Celestials. Little of note is provided about the Celestials in Secret Level episode 11, except for the fact that they once had a vast interstellar empire that inspired Mari. As a Traveler, Mari's goal was to find artifacts and former jewels of the Celestials' empire, but this caused them to hunt her down alongside any other Travelers she was working with.
It is also implied that the Celestials have human workers, with Nik surrendering to them and becoming part of an indentured human crew in order to find Mari. Beyond that, little is revealed about the Celestials beyond their advanced technology, weaponry, and vehicles. In the cinematic trailers for Exodus, the Celestials are dubbed humanity's greatest enemy, making their involvement in Secret Level episode 11 all that more important.
What Did Nik Leave On Lidon In Secret Level Episode 11’s Ending?
Nik Paid Off One Of Mari's Last Wishes
In the final scene of Secret Level episode 11's ending, Nik returns to his original planet of Lidon and leaves a strange package with the granddaughter of a woman he once knew. The package actually ties to the opening of the episode, in which Mari asks Rafe if he has an artifact that can turn Lidon into something other than a frozen hellscape. Nik says the package will "warm this place up," hinting that he did in fact find something to change the fortunes of Lidon during his time as a Traveler/
The Real Meaning Of Secret Level Episode 11’s Ending
Overall, the true meaning of Secret Level episode 11 is about living life to the fullest. Nik would have originally been content to waste away on Lidon fixing starships. Mari, however, dreamed of bigger things and eventually lived a life filled with adventure and wonder. This improved Lidon via her inspiration of Nik, who eventually became a Traveler after being inspired by his daughter. Striving for adventure and a full life is something that many wish for in the real world too, proving Secret Level episode 11's ending to have a deep thematic resonance.
Secret Level is an adult animated series exploring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. Each episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock captivating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the series celebrates gaming culture.
Release Date December 10, 2024
Creator(s) Tim Miller
English (US) ·