Updated: November 23, 2022
General NieR Series
Has the “Final Secret” in Automata been found?
Short Answer: Yes. Please check out Lance’s video below.
Long Answer: According to an article in Famitsu magazine, it was stated there was a “last secret” hidden somewhere within Automata. Since then, people had been trying to discover what it was until Lance managed to discover it.
Why are there two endings to the concert recitation drama “Farewell”? Which is considered canon?
The following largely comes from a post I originally wrote here.
There were two script books from the “Memory of Puppets” concert:
- A script book of all five dramas – These were only available to those who purchased their concert tickets via the SQEX e-STORE. This book includes the “bad ending” to Farewell.
- An addendum script book – This was a bonus item from the SQEX e-STORE that was included with the Blu-ray release of the concert. It includes the drama “Lies,” which was performed at the Taiwan concert on August 28 and 29, the “announcement” scripts (the in between PA announcements by the characters), and the “good ending” script of “Farewell” as performed on the evening of May 5th. The final couple pages are in alternating black and white to help you compare the two versions. The white pages on the right are from the “fake” version that was originally printed in the first script book. The black pages on the left is how the actual drama played out on stage on the evening of May 5th.
As illustrated in the interview with Ishikawa Yui (2B) below, there are two reasons for the good & bad endings to Farewell:
- To avoid spoilers – Since the scripts were originally released at the first concert performance in Osaka on April 23, 2017, word of their contents quickly spread online. To offer some amount of surprise at the final concert performance, the script was planned to be somewhat different than printed in these script books.
- Hanae Natsuki (9S) was originally unable to participate – Due to a scheduling conflict, Hanae wasn’t able to book the date of the concert to perform life, so they were planning on recording his lines. Three days before the concert, however, his schedule changed and he was able to participate after all. Because of this, Yoko quickly edited the script further so Hanae could appear live on stage during the performance.
From Famitsu Issue No.1494:
ーNext, I’d like to ask you about the concert “Memory of Dolls”, which will be from April to May. It seems like the details about the recitation dramas have become a major hot topic among fans.
Ishikawa: That’s right. When I first received the script of all five of the dramas, I was told beforehand that “a section at the end will be different.” Originally, the performance by Hanae Natsuki who plays the role of 9S was supposed to just be a recording for the last show on the evening of May 5th, so he was never planned to appear on stage. Three days earlier, though, he was suddenly able to perform!! The moment I heard that, I was like “Oooooohh!” (haha)
Regarding which ending is more “canon,” that’s up to you to decide. Yoko’s never going to give a definite answer, but according to other surrounding resource material such as the overall Yokoverse timeline, it’s probably safe to say that the good ending is more canon.
I haven’t played [NieR Gestalt/Replicant] / [NieR:Automata].
Will I be spoiled at the NieR:Orchestra Concert re:12018?
Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: The concert is nearly identical to the NieR:Orchestra Concert 12018 that was held in Japan, September 2018. It is split into two halves:
- 1st Half: NieR Gestalt/Replicant
- Vocal: Emi Evans – Kaine
- 2nd Half: NieR:Automata
- Vocal: J’Nique Nicole – Weight of the World
Since this concert was mostly put together in celebration of the NieR:Orchestral Arrangement album, which gathered several critically acclaimed composers/arrangers together to work on the project, many well-known themes take a very different form in these arrangements. Additionally, this is mostly a symphony orchestra concert, so there are only two vocal songs. Please do not expect to hear more.
- Please note that J’Nique Nicole is not attending this concert, so Emi will sing both themes, with the Nouveau-FR version of Weight of the World rather than English.
Do I need to play NieR Gestalt/Replicant before Automata?
Do I need to play Drakengard to understand the story?
Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: It would be nice if you played the original NieR before Automata, but it is absolutely not a prerequisite. You may get more “feels” if you have played it. Drakengard is even less of a requirement for Automata, even though there are some fun call-backs.
I missed some quests in Automata.
Did I miss them for good?
Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: All besides Ending Y, which can be missed, you can complete all other quests even if you missed them the first time through the game. At some point you get access to Chapter Select and can go back to pick up any quests you may have missed.
What’s the difference between these two editions:
Become as Gods & Game of the YoRHa
The re-releases were mostly intended for those who haven’t purchased the game before, that’s why they’re bundled with more bonus material to entice new sales.
Released on June 26, 2018
Xbox One (Download only)
Comes with:
- Full Game
- 3C3C1D119440927 DLC
- Pod Skins:
- Grimoire Weiss
- Mail Cardboard Box
- Retro Red
- Retro Gray
- Machine Lifeform Head
Released on February 21, 2019
PS4 (Package & Download), Steam
Comes with:
- Full Game
- 3C3C1D119440927 DLC
- Pod Skins:
- Grimoire Weiss
- Mail Cardboard Box
- Retro Red
- Retro Gray
- Machine Lifeform Head
- Playstation Console
- PS4 Dynamic Theme
- Avatar set:
- 2B
- 9S
- A2
- Adam
- Eve
- Pascal
- Pod042/Pod153
- Emil
- Devola
- Popola
- Anemone
- Jackass
- Commander
- Operator
- Red Girls
The following is a FAQ regarding the STORY and CHARACTERS that appear in both NieR Gestalt / Replicant and NieR:Automata, mostly separated by title.
If you’re looking for more detailed information on how to get a specific item or what to do during a certain boss fight, this is not the place for you!
It may be important to point out that these are my own, personal answers. Although I try to give as many sources to support these answers, they are still my opinions according to the official source material.
This is also a work in progress, so if you’ve seen other questions asked multiple times that are not shown here, please feel free to let me know, and I’ll add it here.
** Please be careful of spoilers from this point on. **
NieR:Automata
What is Project YoRHa?
This is additional information we first learned from the “Project YoRHa” recitation drama that was performed at the NieR:Automata Memory of Puppets concert in April, May, and August 2018.
The YoRHa were initially designed like any other advanced next-gen battle android that came before. Please take note that by the time of the YoRHa stage plays and NieR:Automata, we are in the middle of the 14th Machine War, a cycle of android vs machine wars that stem from the initial alien invasion in 5012.
The YoRHa androids, however, were unique since they utilized the newly developed Black Box technology, which is comprised of multiple machine cores. The YoRHa were never meant to be “expendable”, but rather due to the interference of the prototype YoRHa No9＊ when he discovered this truth (as depicted in the concert recitation drama “Project YoRHa“), he implemented not only Zinnia’s originally rejected plan to use the YoRHa to give hope and purpose back to the regular population of androids by perpetuating the lie that humanity still survives on the Moon, but also setting up a so-called “Backdoor” on the Bunker to give the machines a way to exterminate the YoRHa in its entirety.
＊ There are multiple iterations of individual prototype YoRHa androids:
11937 – Project YoRHa: No2, No9, No21, etc.
11941 – Pearl Harbor Descent Mission: No2, No4, No16, No21, etc.
11942 – M Squad: No2, No3, No4, No6, No21, No22
tl;dr
1. The YoRHa were not originally meant to be expendable.
2. There is no “YoRHa Cycle” aka the project did not reoccur multiple times.
3. Individual YoRHa androids can die multiple times and be reinstated indefinitely as long as their Black Box remains intact and they have a valid backup of their data on the Bunker. Without the Bunker, however, connection to the server is severed, so they are no longer able to upload or download any data.
4. The number of Black Boxes is basically indefinite. It takes multiple machine cores to create a single Black Box, so the production cost to create a single YoRHa android is immense. This is why there are only a few hundred YoRHa in active duty at a time.
Who knew the truth behind Project YoRHa?
The YoRHa Commander did not know the YoRHa “end game”. As shown in the Intel Archives for the YoRHa Disposal, only those who have SS level access to this information, and it’s unclear who actually has this level of clearance.
The Commander’s clearance, Level S, includes the truth of humanity but does not extend any further beyond that regarding the true intention behind Project YoRHa, namely its inevitable disposal. The existence of the “Council of Humanity” is also related to No9’s facade of humanity’s survival on the moon.
What was the purpose of YoRHa?
The majority of people explain that the purpose of YoRHa was to singularity perpetuate the falsehood that Humanity still survived on the surface of the Moon. But this isn’t entirely accurate.
The initial development of the YoRHa proceeded no differently from any other advanced battle android that was developed in the past.
Merely, the Black Box technology, developed several years prior to the approval of the YoRHa, used multiple machine cores to create a massively powerful core unit that was later integrated into prototype YoRHa and later standardized YoRHa units.
The main thing to realize here is that… the purpose of the YoRHa changed over time.
Initially, they were merely the next-gen battle android to combat the ever-evolving machines. That’s it. There was nothing unique about their development to differentiate themselves from the previous thousand+ years of battle androids involved in the Machine Wars (5012-present day).
The problem arose when a prototype YoRHa unit No9 (see Project YoRHa) unfortunately discovered truth behind their central core system–the Black Box. Realizing that machine cores were used to create the Black Boxes, he couldn’t accept this and incessantly commandeered Zinnia’s scrapped plan to use the YoRHa to perpetuate the falsehood that Humanity still existed on the Moon, while also setting up the inevitable demise of the YoRHa, leaving no trace of their very existence behind. This would both benefit the overall population of androids and their fight against the machines as well as rectifying the sacrilegious atrocity made in creating the Black Boxes with machine cores.
YoRHa was designed to be destroyed, right?
This is a long-standing misconception.
The original design of YoRHa was no different from any other new advancement in android technology; simply this new series utilized experimental technology from the enemy in an attempt to match and/or beat the machine’s own advancements; however, they utilized enemy tech in the development of the Black Boxes as a last-ditch effort to win the war. The plan for the “Disposal of YoRHa” because of this cannot be confirmed until after No9’s involvement. We know that the original plan included using non-standard AI in the creation of the YoRHa, but there is nothing that unequivocally states that this also included their eventual disposal in the end.
The Prototype YoRHa No9 found out the truth behind the Black Boxes (that they use enemy tech), and he simply couldn’t deal with that realization. It was his intervention into Project YoRHa that dictated the complete destruction of YoRHa when the time came, it was not planned from the beginning.
A couple dates from the timeline to help illustrate this concept:
11810 – An experiment (pre-Black Box experiments) on the 6th orbital satellite “Kaguya” to extract a machine core goes wrong. The ensuing explosion causes the whole outpost to fall from orbit.
11932 – The development of the anti-machine weapons “YoRHa” approved.
July 7, 11937 – A large fire breaks out on the orbital satellite “Lab”. This is the fallout from No9’s actions that are depicted in the recitation drama “Project YoRHa“.
August 2, 11937 – The first YoRHa androids are constructed and set to the surface of the planet. These are likely still prototypes.
11940 – The Bunker is completed in November and begins operations with Commander White at the helm in December.
December 8, 11941 – The Pearl Harbor Descent Mission gets underway with several experimental YoRHa prototypes.
What is the YoRHa Cycle?
There is no such thing as a YoRHa Cycle in the sense that the project has occurred multiple times.
This is a common misconception given the multiple “lives” of the individual YoRHa androids. The opening line by 2B, “We are perpetually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death,” refers to the individual androids, how they have died over and over again only to be reinstalled in a new android body to continue their mission.
There is and has only been one YoRHa project, which encompasses the entirety of the 14th Machine War from 11939-11945; the development of which started in 11932 with the initial development of the Black Boxes in 11928.
[See also: The Yokoverse Timeline]
How did the machines in Pascal’s village get infected with the virus if they were disconnected from the network?
You don’t need to be connected to any network to become infected with the virus. A wide swath of units can become infected if they are actively connected to a compromised network, but being disconnected from a network does not make them immune to or have any sort of resistance to the virus.
That being said, I don’t believe we’re told specifically how the virus go to Pascal’s village, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Any one of them could have become infected while outside the village and brought it back home, which then flared up to infect the whole village. There are types of the virus that can infect a unit and lie dormant for a while before BAM!
What are the Red Girls / N2?
What are Adam & Eve?
They are merely the personification of the Machine network. They do not exist. They are merely a construct to represent the network itself. They even explain what they are in the game as well as in the YoRHa stage play.
Adam and Eve are the further product of machine evolution when enough selective pressure is applied by fighting the androids. At the moment 2B and 9S are destroying all of the machines, they used this pressure to trigger evolution in the form of Adam and Eve. They are basically the “next gen” machines, created in the image of humanity. Adam also discusses this moment in the novel “Long Story Short”. I translated a segment from this chapter here.
I know the Red Girls are called “N2”, so that should mean that the two Red Girls that appear in the stage play are N1 & N2, right?
No. There is actually no such character as N1.
That being said, the name “N2” has never really been explained in any detail. It likely stands for “Network 2”, which would then ask the question what was Network 1? This all depends on the actual origins of the Machine Network and how the aliens created it and the Machine Lifeforms, all of which have never been explained thus far.
My idea, however, is that long before the aliens ever arrived to the planet, the Terminals that stored the Gestalt Data that’s needed to create Replicants began to show signs of sentience (see the novella “The Lost World”). The aliens may have used already existing technology on the planet, namely the Gestalt Terminals and possibly Emil’s own clones, to create their Machine Lifeforms.
What is the difference between the Army of Humanity and the Council of Humanity?
These are two completely separate factions of androids fighting on the side of Humanity.
The Army of Humanity initially formed in 5013, a year after the alien invasion. They worked in tandem with Emil and his millions of copies to fight back the aliens and preserve the legacy of Humanity. Over the years, this organization grew beyond the confines of the planet itself and built 13 orbital stations in Earth orbit, the YoRHa Bunker was the final 13th satellite.
The Council of Humanity, however, was a construct initiated via Project YoRHa, which was the prototype YoRHa No9’s attempt to rectify the sacrilegious construction of the YoRHa Black Box core, which utilized multiple machine cores. The main purpose of this entity was to orchestrate the progression and demise of the YoRHa androids while promoting the notion that Humanity still survived on the Moon. This would not only give hope and purpose back to the standard population of androids on the surface of the planet, but it would also silently eradicate the entire existence of the YoRHa, essentially erasing the atrocity of their very creation.
Yoko Taro has also stated in previous reports that there is no real android hierarchy; that the Resistance, Council of Humanity, and YoRHa were all basically all on the same playing ground.
Why do the YoRHa androids cover their eyes?
How are they supposed to see if their eyes are covered?
The YoRHa blindfold or goggles as they are called in the original Japanese (hereafter referred to as visors) do not impede the androids’ vision in any way. Rather, it gives them better sight since it is a piece of tactical equipment that they are required to wear at all times. It is part of the regulated uniform for all YoRHa androids. This is illustrated through the HUD display in NieR:Automata.
Aside from the practical usage of the visors, there could be several symbolic metaphors as well. One could be that they are blind to the true workings of Project YoRHa. They only take orders and do what they’re told to do, blindly, even if they’re told to go against a fellow YoRHa android. It could also show that they need to block their vision from what they must do in order to protect their own sometimes fragile psyche.
It also may be part of an extended metaphor of mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru or “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. Those with visors covering their eyes stand for “mizaru” who are blind to the truth. Those with visors covering their mouths stand for “iwazaru” who shall not speak the truth. This reference was first depicted in the initial stage play through the choreography in one of the dances, which has remained a prominent feature until the most recent play, YoRHa Ver.1.3a.
The YoRHa androids deployed in battle have on occasion removed their visors or worn them a little different than regulated. In the YoRHa stage play, this was done during pivotal moments to further characterize the cast. It was especially used to show that the character is no longer blind to the lies all around them, and their path forward–their true mission–is now clear. This could also be seen as a shift in character. For example, a once timid, unsure character is forged by the horrors of war into a strong and purposeful individual.
Why do the Operators have their mouths covered?
Assuming the Operators’ veils that cover the lower half of their faces has a similar practical usage similar to the deployed YoRHa androids, the Operators must use them as a communication tool. The veils over their mouths may enhance their ability to communicate long distances; however, you could also say that other non-Operator units also use similar lines of communication with the YoRHa androids. Exactly what special purpose the veil could have has never been stated.
Again, symbolically, the veils could represent the “speak no evil” line since the Operators are stationed on the Bunker and have direct contact with Command. As was shown in the YoRHa stage play and even the KimiShini stage play, the Operators gradually learn that countless androids are suffering for no apparent purpose. They witness many YoRHa androids being deployed and slaughtered over and over again that they begin to ask questions: WHY. It could be that the veil represents their inability to ask these questions, that such questions are forbidden. In the play, we see one particular Operator who begins asking questions was told to get a “check up” which essentially resets her memory and reestablished her purpose to simply perform her job, essentially silencing her.
Does A2 share Kaine’s personal data or memories?
Short Answer: Yoko has never stated this is as fact, so it must remain speculation and not be stated as fact.
Long Answer: It is highly likely that this rumor or fan theory began with my speculation on the subject after I went to see the original YoRHa stage play in October 2014. A single line in the script felt like an odd coincidence at the time, but that’s all it was: a coincidence.
So, let’s take a closer look at what this theory is, how it came about, and why we cannot take it as fact.
The Theory: A2 has the personal data or memories of Kaine because of what she states in the original YoRHa stage play:
This is my translation directly from the YoRHa Ver.1.2 Musical script that was sold at the show. (See more here.)
No2: Our memories… are pseudo memories. In my memories, I lived in the country with my grandma. Everyday, grandma and I would tend to the farm and knit… …The cold of the rain, the ferocity of storms. The silence of the snow. The gentle warmth of spring… Since we lived in the country, I couldn’t have everything I wanted. But because the other villagers looked out for me, including my grandma… Strangely, it wasn’t so hard. ……My grandma taught me “kindness,” a gentle heart to cares for others. But they are also our precious memories.
People take the fact that No2 has memories of living on a small farm with her grandma as proof that she is somehow related to Kaine since she also lived with her grandma on a farm, but we have to be careful here. Is this theory referencing the human Kaine or Replicant Kaine? We know that human Kaine did NOT live on a far, although she did live with her grandmother. Replicant Kaine, on the other hand DID live on a farm with her grandmother.
Please note that this is the ONLY connection that I saw between the two characters. There is nothing else that even remotely suggests that this theory is accurate or even intended by Yoko.
Here’s why:
- The original YoRHa stage play (Ver.1.0 and Ver.1.1) was NOT intended to be related to the overall “Yokoverse” or have anything to do with Drakengard or NieR. We know this by the details told in the biographical manga “A Biography of Game Creators” arc featuring Yoko Taro (available only on the Japanese Cycomi app). It’s in Chapter 2, Part 15 in which it depicts Saito Yosuke going to see the stage play and initially getting the idea how the story could actually take place far into the future in the Drakengard/NieR world. This idea, however, was not shared by Yoko and he is shown rather against making a direct connection between the two.
- Yoko did not write the first several scripts of the YoRHa stage play, including Ver.1.0, Ver.1.1, and Ver.1.2 Musical. Asakusa Kaoru wrote the scripts. Of course, Yoko remained the creative director as far as the plot goes, but Asakusa wrote the script. It’s unknown whether or not the above line was his creation or originally part of the character’s setting from the beginning.
- SQEX took the copyright of the stage plays after Automata had already been released. The script for the YoRHa Ver.1.2 Musical, which debuted in February 2018, was still written by Asakusa Kaoru, but the copyright is clearly listed under SQEX. Square Enix did not own the copyright to the first two stage plays and were merely collaborators. Ver.1.2 is the first version of the stage play that was specifically tailored to seamlessly fit into the Automata narrative. They share the same design of the YoRHa characters and costumes, the specific round design of the machines, the inclusion of music and songs directly from the game, etc.. (See here for more information on the differences between the various stage plays.)
Personality is also a main topic of debate because although A2 can also be brash like Kaine, she never completely slips to Kaine’s level of vulgarity. Although the original Japanese bleeped out Kaine’s profanity as a joke, there were no such moments with A2. She never had such outbursts like that to begin with.
In conclusion, there is very little connecting No2 / A2 to Kaine; therefore, this theory must remain speculation.
As Yoko has reiterated in Grimoire NieR Ver.1.22… regarding his stance on unanswered aspects of the story and fan speculation, as a creator, he doesn’t want to give a definitive answer because he wants you to think and imagine things as you like. He doesn’t want to disturb or destroy the ideas of the fans. So, it’s absolutely okay to share and enjoy discussing this theory, but it remains speculation, not fact.
Why did A2 cut her hair after 2B’s death?
This is a common trope in many stories. In this particular one, however, it represents A2’s willingness to take on 2B’s cause after her death since they are pretty much one and the same. It is a gesture of respect and a sort of “rebirth” for A2 as well. Although it may not seem like much, A2 *did* change drastically after that moment. She helped Pascal in his endeavors and was obviously emotionally struck by those events. A2 has taken so much weight upon her shoulders, and yet she shows very little strain. She has but one mission: to avenge her fallen comrades and set things “right”… Throughout her seemingly cold interactions with other characters and her outward appearance and actions, she has a genuinely feeling heart.
See Also: Question #31 from Yoko’s 50 Questions from the NieR:Automata Strategy Guide.
Why is 9S kept around if he’s such a threat?
The first thing to understand here is the conflict between the androids and aliens/machines. The aliens first invaded the planet in 5012 and the androids first banded together to fight them and protect the planet for their human creators the following year. Since then, the aliens created machines that had the ability to “evolve”, to become stronger with every new generation. Therefore, the androids had to do the same in order to stay viable in their fight.
For centuries, the androids had been creating new, stronger androids to fight the machines, and to do this, they utilized “selective pressure” to effectively attack and destroy individual androids to force beneficial traits to arise that would help them survive. You can imagine the entire Pearl Harbor Descent Mission among others as one huge stress test.
All that being said, we know that YoRHa No9 (not just 9S, but the entire numbered series) has a very inquisitive personality. That is what makes him an exceptional Scanner model; however, it’s that same talent which makes him a danger to the whole project. If he were to discover the truth, he could very well unravel everything the androids were fighting for. That’s why he is merely kept around long enough (because he’s good at gathering data and helping other YoRHa to fight against the machines) until he becomes a threat, at which point 2E does her thing. It’s about using him for as long as possible until he’s no longer useful.
What does “YoRHa” stand for? What does it mean?
Yoko Taro has not stated exactly what “YoRHa” stands for (“that’s secret.”); however, he has said that there is kanji for it: 寄葉 yoruha near or passing leaf. This particular meaning may be somewhat related to how sakura blossoms are a symbol for samurai: they are exceptionally beautiful but only bloom / live for a short time.
Why is the “R” in “NieR” capitalized?
Why are the “R” & “H” in “YoRHa” capitalized?
Yoko Taro mentioned this in the April 25, 2016 issue of Famitsu magazine:
ーIn Roman letters, the R and H are capitalized. Is there any specific reason for this? Actually, the R in NieR is also capitalized. Perhaps there’s some meaning behind this?
Yoko: For NieR, it was just a design choice regarding the logo. I thought it felt a little light, which is why we decided to capitalize it. As for the YoRHa logo… that’s secret.
I got some weird Triangle ending. What is this?
This is the ending for the DLC story, which was a collaboration between Yoko Taro and the band amazarashi. The triangle is actually their logo since they were the ones who created the theme song “Inochi ni Fusawashii” that goes along with the music video. It was actually their idea to direct the video as they did.
The song was released on a standard single CD plus a special edition that paired the single with Yoko’s picture book that tells the story of Plato. You can read about that here.
I finished the DLC, but I don’t know what’s going on.
What is this music video!?
The DLC is a collaboration between NieR:Automata / Yoko Taro and the band amazarashi with their song “Inochi ni Fusawashii“. The song was released as a single and as a CD/DVD bundle which includes the music video and Yoko’s picture book.
Yes, Yoko made a picture book that goes along with the story of the DLC / song. You can find my translation of his picture book here.
The video depicts the disposal of dolls in a number of different ways: drilling, grinding, incineration, compaction, cutting, and implosion. The overall point being is that the dolls are supposed to represent the androids in the Automata/YoRHa story, whereas the emotionless machine is the one pressing the button to destroy the dolls.
Eventually though, just as Plato1728 did in the picture book, some machines develop emotions and find it difficult to continue… upon which the Patch 1728 (named after Plato) is forcefully installed into machines to remove all residual emotion so they can complete their assigned task to dispose of the androids.
Why did Eve have the symbol of the Church of Angels (Cult of Angels) on his chest?
There is no deeper meaning to this. The Machines have assimilated the entirety of Human history, which would also include the events that occurred in the previous Drakengard and NieR series of games and surrounding material. Basically, it only serves as a little Easter Egg for us long-time fans. Please don’t over-think it.
Is the Red Eye Disease from Drakengard related to the Logic Virus?
Question 39 in the 50 Questions for Yoko Taro that was printed in the NieR:Automata Strategy Guide states this (the following is my translation):
Q: Androids who have gone berserk [with the Logic Virus] as well as Machines have red eyes. Does this have any connection to the Red Eye Disease?
A: If I were to say whether it’s related or not, I would lean toward yes.
The thing you have to realize is that the Red Eye Disease has mutated throughout the centuries. Following the death of Brother One in 1099, the disease settles down for a while, but then resurges around 1347 in Asia. Its symptoms seem to have changed, so they rename it the Red Death Disease. It is again mentioned in Germany at the start of World War II in 1939. It’s not until 2008 with the appearance of Red-Eye that the disease could possibly be confirmed again. We are never blatantly told nor is it explained whether or not this has any relation to the previous Red Eye Disease.
NieR Gestalt/Replicant
Which is considered “canon,” Father or Brother Nier?
There is no significant difference between Gestalt or Replicant.
Looking at the Weapon Story for the Iron Pipe, the original Japanese text states “Brother” whereas the International releases (since Replicant was only released in Japan) states “Father”. Therefore, you can’t really say that one or the other is NOT canon.
Yoko Taro stated in an old Famitsu article (May 10, 2010) that both Father and Brother scenarios in fact occurred. How this could possibly happen, he didn’t go into detail, but he gave the explanation that the Replicants are in a sort repeating cycle. Sometimes Nier is younger (brother) and sometimes he’s older (father); and the same goes with Yonah. Depending on when Nier and Yonah are reconstructed, their familial relationship will change. I know many people prefer a father-daughter relationship over a brother-sister relationship, but I think Yoko Taro was trying to say that LOVE is LOVE and one isn’t stronger than another. It’s by implementing the user’s own experiences and opinions into the story that change this.
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Since this seems to be a hot topic, here’s some more for you to chew on:
The thing to understand about this franchise is that time is fluid, infinite. Any particular timeline can fracture and split off into any number of additional possibilities. That’s why it’s pointless to worry about what is or is not “canon” because the term loses all meaning in this regard.
The point that people want to know, however, is how various mediums connect. That’s very different from labeling something as “canon” since that would fundamentally nullify all other timelines. That’s not the case here. All timelines exist. All timelines are valid.
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AN ASIDE: A good example of this is the DOD Magnitude novel. It’s absolutely non-canon because it was not created by Yoko Taro or anyone remotely related to the surrounding members in the overall franchise; it’s essentially fan fiction. DOD2 is also a good contender for this as well, but this is a tricky subject for the creators involved because it would require stepping on other people’s feet to take a stance on it at all…
That is why Yoko has refused to really acknowledge it because it’s better that way than saying something finite about it and thusly commenting his personal view on other people’s work. If you know anything about Japanese culture, you’ll know that people will [generally] go out of their way not to comment negatively or otherwise on other people’s work as it relates to them. And as a stand-alone piece, DOD2 does just fine.
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What is different, on the other hand, is our perspective, which particular timeline we witness directly and how it connects with other entries into the franchise. That’s where things like the Timeline Flow Chart (please heed the spoiler warnings) that I worked many years to put together and continually update with new information as it comes into play. It basically gives you a visual representation of the Yokoverse as a whole, through its multiple divergent timelines so you can see what connects and what does not.
That does not mean there aren’t other timelines out there that haven’t been explored yet in any of the current titles– that’s why there’s a lot of ellipses throughout.
So, directly touching on your original question about “which is canon, bro or papa?”… Let’s, of course, do this to the word canon and mention the purpose for the two versions of the main character in the first place.
It was a marketing choice by Square Enix of America. They thought a big and burly, masculine main character would resonate better with a Western audience than the soft and gentle, yet handsome young main character. This disparity in the different designs was explained away by Yoko when he wrote it as fact into the overall timeline. (Ie. The two versions of Nier, papa and bro, existing at different points in time.) We know the overall timeline often illustrates multiple, separate timelines in a single, linear path, so things tend to get mashed up a bit here; hence the confusion.
But the fact that papa Nier (NieR Gestalt) and bro NieR (NieR Replicant) both are “canon” does not necessarily mean that they took place within the same timeline. This simply means that, depending on when Nier dies and is thusly reconstructed from the Gestalt data, that determines his familial relationship with Yonah. So, I believe the correct interpretation of the different years listed in the timeline does NOT depict the same, singular timeline, but separate branches that yielded basically the same outcome.
Simply, for the sake of continuity, the timeline that is highlighted or followed directly into future installments, such as NieR:Automata, is NieR Replicant. This does not, in anyway, negate what happened in NieR Gestalt, nor does it invalidate papa’s existence. That’s simply not part of this overarching construct. So please, anyone who wishes to argue papa over bro, or bro over papa, please give it a rest and take your arguments elsewhere. Both are valid; it simply matters which particular timeline is chosen to be connected into the next installment (ie. NieR Replicant directly ties into NieR:Automata).
So, I hope this answered your questions without spoiling anything for you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to add them here.