Mr. Robot season 4 ending explained: What is the mystery behind two versions of Elliot?

Mr. Robot is a thriller drama series that premiered on USA Network in 2015 and wrapped up in late 2019. Created by Sam Esmail, the final season is the longest one among the four installments.

Written and directed by Esmail, the last two episodes titled whoami and Hello, Elliot, were released back-to-back on USA Network on December 22, 2019. After four seasons of technological revolution and mind-bending twists, these two episodes not only redefined what the show is truly about, but also turned everything viewers thought they knew.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for Mr. Robot. Readers' discretion is advised.

All four seasons of Mr. Robot are now streaming on Netflix, starting from July 3, 2025. According to Flix Patrol, as of July 7, the show is at spot five among Netflix's top 10 shows in the US. Fans wondering about the mystery behind two versions of the protagonist Elliot (Rami Malek), the answer is that he suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder due to the pain and abuse he experienced as a child.

Episode 12, whoami, opens with Elliot waking up to find himself in an abandoned lot and is relieved to know that the Washington Township plant is not there. Soon, he realizes that he is an alternate timeline where he has the perfect life — his parents are kind to him, he is the CEO of AllSafe and Angela is alive. In fact, he is supposed to get married to Angela the next day.

However, there is something amiss; Darlene does not exist in this universe. Elliot hacks into the alternate Elliot's iMac and finds the sketches of himself, Darlene, and other members of the fsociety. Elliot kills the alternate version of himself who belongs to this universe, thinking that he can finally have the perfect life.

Soon, Elliot realizes that nothing in this universe is real. Mr. Robot then explains to him that all of this is not the parallel universe Whiterose spoke of nor is it an alternate timeline. Instead, this is an illusion to protect the real Elliot.

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Elliot turns to Krista for help in Mr. Robot finale

Even after not finding Angela at Coney Island for their supposed wedding and Mr. Robot's explanation about the truth, Elliot is confused and wakes up in Krista's office looking for an answer to this bizarre situation. Krista, who is a fragment of his own imagination, reveals that the Elliot the audience has known all along is The Mastermind version of him.

Krista explains that at least five different personalities exist in Elliot's brain, namely, The Mastermind, Mr. Robot, The Persecutor (Elliot’s mother/Magda Alderson), Elliot's younger self, and The Voyeurs (the viewers). Krista continues:

"I know why you did it. Your heart was in the right place. You wanted to shelter him, which is why you changed his past… but it was his future you really wanted to protect. That's why you went through such great lengths to take out all of the evil that surrounded him in the real world."

The 'him' Krista is talking about is the real Elliot, the one that The Mastermind has locked away safely.

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Darlene reunites with the real Elliot in Mr. Robot

The Mastermind accepts the truth and wakes up in the real Elliot's body in the real world. The real Elliot is in a hospital bed, with his sister Darlene close by. Darlene tells The Mastermind that everything that happened was real—from starting the fsociety to bringing down E Corp.

Then, it's The Mastermind's turn to reveal that he is not the real Elliot, which Darlene already knows. The reason behind Darlene's absence in The Mastermind's illusionary universe is that she shares a unique bond with her brother. They have faced all those awful things together and she knows him better than anyone else.

When Darlene asks if the real Elliot is alright, The Mastermind replies:

"I made a safe place for him. He got everything he ever wanted."

That is not completely true because the real Elliot does not have Darlene. Now that The Mastermind has succeeded in creating a world where the real Elliot will be safe, it is time for him to let the latter come back.

Mr. Robot's finale concludes with The Mastermind, Mr. Robot, Young Elliot, Magda Alderson, and The Voyeurs taking a seat in a theater. The projector grows brighter as M83’s song Outtro plays. The projection becomes an iris, which is Elliot Alderson's.

Darlene says, "Hello Elliot," to the real Elliot, who has gained back control on his body. Now, he can live safely in this world The Mastermind helped create for him.

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Mr. Robot is available to stream on Netflix.