The Canonical Ending of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Explained

The canon ending for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 involves aiding Maxis, allowing him to take control of the Aether and trap Richtofen. This concluding beat for the TranZit story in Black Ops 2 Zombies was designated by Treyarch as the official canonical ending, though not without controversy among fans.

A Breakdown of Black Ops 2‘s Multiple Endings

Black Ops 2 features a branching narrative campaign with multiple possible endings. In the main story, there are two key variables: whether Menendez is killed or captured, and whether Harper or Farid is sacrificed. This leads to 4 possible endings.

In Zombies mode, players face a choice in the TranZit quests between aiding Maxis or Richtofen. Each has their own ending result if their side is chosen. So in total, Black Ops 2 has 8 possible endings between the two modes.

Why Aiding Maxis is Deemed the Canon Ending

Throughout the TranZit Easter eggs in Black Ops 2 Zombies, players are presented with a choice – follow Maxis‘ or Richtofen‘s instructions to determine the ultimate fate of the multiverse.

Aiding Maxis leads him to enter and take control of the Aether dimension. Maxis strips Richtofen of his powers and traps him in a zombie‘s body on Earth. Meanwhile, Maxis uses the Aether‘s energy to open portals and merge dimensions together, creating an apocalyptic world state.

Conversely, siding with Richtofen allows him to banish the Aether from physical reality forever, severing its influence. While less drastic, our beloved original characters remain trapped between dimensions.

Despite Maxis‘ ending bringing mass destruction and chaos, Treyarch still considers aiding him to be the canonical conclusion to Black Ops 2‘s Zombies saga.

The Implications of the Maxis Ending

At first glance, choosing Maxis as the canon path seems questionable. His ruthless assumption of power leads to a fractured, infected global wasteland. Meanwhile, Richtofen ultimately wants to set things right after his previous wrongdoings.

However, from a narrative perspective, the Maxis ending sets up a more extreme status quo for the Zombies universe moving forward. This apocalyptic backdrop allows for more high stakes stories and imaginative map settings as the Aether invades reality.

Richtofen‘s ending, while morally sound, essentially hits a reset button to restore order. For an epic work of fiction, Maxis‘ ending brings more chaos and conflict to fuel bold new chapters in the Zombies mythology.

Connections to the Wider Call of Duty Continuity

Recent Call of Duty titles like Black Ops Cold War and Warzone help validate Black Ops 2‘s relevance in the broader continuity.

For example, Black Ops Cold War contains archived footage of Raul Menendez, confirming he exists in that timeline. The game is also set in the window between Black Ops games, with shared characters like Woods and Hudson.

Warzone takes place after Black Ops 2 and includes Operator skins of Menendez and other characters. Its nuke event even opens portals around Verdansk, suggesting the worlds are merging as in Maxis‘ ending.

While the connections are loose, it‘s clear Treyarch wants to acknowledge Black Ops 2 within the same fictional universe as their latest titles. The canon Maxis ending likely remains intact.

My Take – Why Was Maxis‘ Ending Chosen?

As a passionate Call of Duty fan, my personal theory is that Treyarch chose the most dramatic ending to open up more exciting narrative potential. Like an awesome comic book crossover event, merging worlds and infecting dimensions sets the stage for over-the-top stories.

Richtofen‘s ending, while ethical, essentially concludes the Aether story. I think Treyarch wants to keep innovating within this beloved fictional universe. The Maxis ending gives them a reset button for unlimited possibilities, even if morally questionable.

I‘m eager to see where they take things next. Will the fractured multiverse of Maxis‘ creation allow for even bolder crossovers? What is Richtofen planning now in his diminished zombie form? The climax of Black Ops 2 blew open the doors of potential – I can‘t wait to walk through them into newly imagined spaces.

The Future of Black Ops

It remains to be seen whether future Black Ops plots will be directly impacted by the events of Black Ops 2. However, by canonizing such a twisted, genre-defying ending, Treyarch has signaled anything goes moving forward.

Between the merging dimensions, zombie virus outbreaks, and Maxis controlling the Aether, Black Ops storylines could head in literally any direction from here. It massively expanded the scope for what this fictional reality can hold.

I have no doubt Treyarch will continue to innovate, while keeping connections to the past. Black Ops 2‘s ending was a bold creative choice to ensure the series‘ future stays bright. For now, aiding Maxis remains the canonical conclusion…but in true Call of Duty fashion, expect the unexpected!