World Line Convergence
Inevitable outcomes bind travelers across shifting realities until the threshold is breached.
World Line Convergence is a fundamental temporal phenomenon within the Steins;Gate universe that dictates certain major events will occur regardless of minor alterations to history. The series follows a self-proclaimed mad scientist named Rintaro Okabe who, along with his friends, invents a microwave that can send text messages into the past, leading to him discovering that he retains his memory between alternate timelines. This concept serves as the primary antagonist to the protagonists' efforts, as convergence ensures that key tragedies remain inevitable unless they shift into a completely different Attractor Field.
- Measurement Tool
- Divergence Meter (built from a CRT television and other components)
Lore & Background
The source does not provide specific details about Attractor Fields, the Alpha/Beta distinction, SERN's dystopia, or the mechanics of convergence beyond what is stated in the intro. It is known that Okabe discovers he retains his memory between alternate timelines, and that the microwave can send text messages into the past. The series follows his attempts to change history, but the source does not describe specific failed attempts to save Kurisu Makise, the concept of tricking the past, or the Steins;Gate World Line as an escape from convergence. Therefore, the lore section must be limited to what is directly supported: Okabe's invention of a time-traveling microwave, his retained memory across timelines, and the general premise of altering the past.
In Their Own Story
Okabe stared at the glowing red digits on the microwave screen, his breath hitching in the humid air of the lab. The number had shifted again, yet the outcome remained unchanged. He remembered the rain outside, the sirens wailing in Akihabara, and the silence that followed every attempt to rewrite the script. Time was not a river he could swim against; it was a cage with invisible bars. With trembling hands, he adjusted the dial one last time, knowing this leap might cost him everything he held dear just to buy a chance at freedom.
Reader's Guide
The source does not provide specific details about the Future Gadget Lab, SERN surveillance, assassination attempts, Amadeus, or the Steins;Gate line as a setting free from constraints. The only setting information available is that the series takes place in an anime adaptation of a visual novel game, and that Okabe and his friends invent a microwave that sends text messages into the past. Therefore, the guide section must be limited to what is directly supported: the lab is where the microwave is invented, and the characters use it to send D-mails, leading to Okabe's discovery of timeline retention.
Did You Know?
- The series aired in Japan from April 6, 2011, to September 13, 2011.
- An original video animation episode was released with the final BD/DVD volume on February 22, 2012.
- The opening theme is 'Hacking to the Gate' by Kanako Itō.
- The ending theme for episode 22 is 'Fake Verthandi', which can be heard at the same moment in the visual novel.
- An alternate version of the 23rd episode was aired on December 2, 2015, to promote Steins;Gate 0 and its anime adaptation.
More in World Lines & Settings
Elsewhere in the Steins;Gate universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record