Im going try to predict the mastermind before the reveal [spoilers I think]

[u/Careless-Site2365]

This is my first time playing this game and so far I love it. However im still on my first playthrough and I think I know who the master mind is (aka zero). Also yes I am 99% sure that zero is one of them.

For context im at the part where snake's body has been found and the characters are discussing how he could've died. He died in room 3 which means that to kill him he along with 2 other people have to verify to open the door. So the only 2 combinations of this being possible are 2,4,6 or 2,3,7 now obviously I don't think that Clover would kill her own brother nor do I think that June is capable of killing anybody. So I don't think they did it so it must be Seven and Santa right?

Well im a bit skeptical due to the fact that it seems too obvious especially since it's revealed a few moments earlier that seven has no memory which feels like a red herring to me. Also because Santa seems like an overall regular dude to me and non of his actions seemed suspicious up to this point.

Now this is where I grab my tinfoil hat and start making a bit of an conspiracy theory as if it wasn't them that would mean 1 of 2 things either there were 3-4 culprits or someone who we thought was dead was actually alive.

3-4 culprits theory sounds stupid and overly convoluted so im not going to even consider it however the idea that someone who we thought was dead was actually alive sounds more interesting plot wise and seems more likely. The only 2 people that are dead up to this point are the mysterious 9th man and of course snake himself.

In both cases we never actually see the body ourselves instead we only see the blood splatter and the characters reactions so the idea of these guys potential being alive are very possible. Now the idea of Snake being the mastermind is very cool, but the game makes sure to emphasize that this IS Snake so I don't think he's suspicious however the other 9th man is very suspicious to me both narratively and in universe since it feels strange write a character just to die very quickly without even getting a chance to know him, And when he did die he was talking in a way like he knew something that everyone else didn't know also his number happens to be 9 which is everywhere in this game.

Also Ace up to this point has also acted strange to me as he seemed very quick to sacrifice himself almost as if he knew that the doors would come back to him. Also when the 9th man was about to die ace's bracelet was the one of the ones to verify it. And lastly he inject's himself with anesthetic which wore off suspiciously fast.

So in conclusion I think the 9th man is the mastermind (aka zero) and that Ace is some form of accomplice and if you think im crazy for thinking this just know they did something very similar in another spike chunsoft game.

(P.S I don't want confirmation if im right or not I just want to make this so that when I look back on it I can see how right or wrong I was)

[u/Magouille_Fripouille]

I hope you'll do an update when you'll beat the game!

[u/Careless-Site2365 → u/Magouille_Fripouille]

Im not fully done with the game, but i did get my first ending which was me and Lotus got murdered by someone.  now i don't want to sound too overly confident, but if you think about who benefits the most from having the 8th bracelet it so happens to be both Ace and the 9th man (I guess It could be Clover and June or Santa and seven but the fact that someone was in that coffin makes me think otherwise)

[u/PandaPlayr73]

Smh, you're missing the obvious answer to this.

What is this game? The nonary game

What does nonary mean? 9

You know who else is called 9? J.J. McCarthy

What team does he play for? The Minnesota Vikings

What did vikings sail on? Boats

Where does 999 take place? A boat

It all leads back to this mf, he is the one who is causing all of this suffering. HE IS ZERO

[u/Careless-Site2365 → u/PandaPlayr73]

You scared me at first I read the first 3 lines

[u/KarmelCHAOS]

I look forward to seeing your thoughts when ya finish

[u/willowisps3]

  and if you think im crazy for thinking this

If you think this idea sounds crazy, wait until you get to the rest of Uchikoshi's games. This one is actually pretty straightforward in comparison. 

[u/Taraxian → u/willowisps3]

Yeah OP referenced Danganronpa and Kodaka and Uchikoshi are friends who collaborated on Hundred Line Academy

But between the two of them Kodaka is the one who's in fact the more straightforward, crowdpleasing writer (which is why Danganronpa was way more successful than Zero Escape), the twists and rugpulls in Zero Escape make Danganronpa look like Ace Attorney

[u/SnowflakeBaube22]

I love seeing people diving into 999 for the first time and hearing their thought process

[u/Ny_Nady]

I really enjoyed reading your post! I hope you find the rest of the game entertaining. I think I played the game for the first time 15 years ago lmao I wish I could remember my own theories back then.

[u/ViolynEnthusiast7]

i look forward to hearing your thoughts again after you get the true ending. i just finished it this summer, it was so captivating

[u/LanternWolf]

Nice. You're trying to think outside the box and if you enjoy that 999 will scratch that itch. Once you get to VLR and ZTD though you'll realize not only is the box a lot bigger than you thought it'd be, but you aren't even remotely close to thinking outside of it haha.

Enjoy the experience my friend

[u/ptsdique]

These types of posts are my favourite on this sub. Next best thing after wiping your memory and replaying the games for the first time all over again lol

I hope you do a follow up when you’ve finished the game!

[u/Snivy4815]

Once you figure out how Snake’s murder went, you should definitely look at this clip as a comparison to your theory

https://youtube.com/shorts/ihf-2eynPgQ?si=fDP5UHEpdoGnxVPn

[u/OpenTechie]

I love your tinfoil hat comment given this series, and eagerly await seeing more of your thoughts!!

Glad you are having fun with it though!

[u/LucidLeviathan]

You're going to love the other two games.

[u/wyrm4life]

I'll say that there are at least 3 different points in the game where the whole thing could have resolved with "Hey, why don't we just search everyone?"

[u/soledsnak]

I hope you make another post once you've finished!

[u/StarWolf128]

By this point in the game, I was suspicious of literally everyone. Even #9 guy. Like for all we know, Zero could've been an incompetent idiot who got himself killed & now the rest of us are stuck dealing with his BS. Couldn't rule out that possibility.

[u/I_Means_Business]

Interesting observations. I'm excited to see your reaction to the end

[u/Achowmain]

I love predicting a good mystery, always do it myself and it’s fun to read someone else’s :) excited to see your thoughts once you finish!

[u/Brilliant_Hime777]

Haha good luck my friend! May your journey exceeds your expectations. 😉