Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Eternaut.

After watching Netflix's most post-apocalyptic movies and shows, The Eternaut begins with a world-ending event where toxic snow suddenly starts falling from the sky. All humans who come in direct with the snow end up dead, while the survivors are left wondering what is happening around them. What begins as a fairly familiar post-apocalyptic thriller soon explores uncharted territory when it introduces several other layers of threats that humanity must encounter.

When the snowfall finally stops, humans in the The Eternaut's ending arc dabbles with several themes surrounding the loops of one's trauma and interdimensional travel, which leave viewers with more questions than answers. Even the show's title and its potential meaning remain a mystery. However, thankfully, The Eternaut drops enough clues to make room for many speculations and theories that can explain its title.

The Eternaut Is A Term Used To Describe A Traveler Through Dimensions

The Term Combines Two Words: "Eternity" & "Travel"

The term "eternaut" has been derived from two words: "eternity" and "astronaut." Eternity's origins can be traced back to the Latin word "aeternus," which means "everlasting" or "endless." Meanwhile, the "naut" in "eternaut" comes from "astronaut," which has been derived from the Greek words "astron" (which means "star") and nautes (which means "sailor"). Since Netflix's The Eternaut has little to do with outer space travel, its title seemingly refers to someone who endlessly travels through the dimensions of space and time.

In the show's early moments, the title does not seem to hold a lot of significance because the story seems fairly linear and unfolds like any other post-apocalyptic narrative. However, as The Eternaut progresses, it dabbles with many intriguing ideas surrounding simulations, time loops, and the cyclic nature of PTSD, which seems to offer new insights into what the title means. The Eternaut's ending eventually leaves viewers with many nagging questions but confirms who its titular character really is.

Who The Eternaut Is In The Netflix Show

Ricardo Darín's Juan Salvo Is The Titular Eternaut

Portrayed by Ricardo Darín, Juan Salvo is the main character in The Eternaut. In several scenes from the show, Juan almost zones out and suddenly finds himself reliving his memories of a war he was a part of decades before the show's present timeline. Scenes like these highlight how Juan's PTSD from war forces him to drift back to a past he hopes to forget, which makes him an "eternaut" who keeps traveling through the repetitive cycles of his trauma. The Eternaut later adds another layer to this by suggesting that Juan might actually be living in a time loop.

...The Eternaut seems reminiscent of Denis Villeneuve's Arrival, in which Amy Adams' character also becomes an "eternaut" when she experiences the past, present, and future simultaneously.

Before The Eternaut season 1's end credits start rolling, Juan finds himself experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu, where he cannot help but notice how his surroundings seem eerily familiar. The show never explains what is happening to Juan, but his experience aligns with the series' title because it suggests that he is eternally navigating the seemingly infinite corridors of time and the overarching invasion.

While only time will tell where these narrative threads will eventually go, The Eternaut seems reminiscent of Arrival, in which Amy Adams' character also becomes an "eternaut" when she experiences the past, present, and future simultaneously. The Eternaut could either head in the same direction as Arrival and become more mind-bending in its confirmed season 2. Or, it could adopt the widely familiar time loop trope, which has previously been seen in other alien invasion movies like The Edge of Tomorrow.