Android

Anemone, a typical combat android in NieR:Automata

Androids, also known as Puppets or Dolls, are mechanical, artificial beings resembling humans. They act as recurring characters in the NieR and Drakengard series.

Characteristics

Outer Appearance

Though mechanical, androids have a number of features that make them physically indistinguishable from humans. Android models come in a variety of physiques, eye colors, and hair colors that resemble the natural features of humans, though unnatural colors may also be utilized. The outer appearance of Androids was created based on the image of humanity, leading to the various characteristics models have, including the different gendered appearances.

Androids generate body heat and have artificial skin that is notably soft and warm to the touch. When injured, they also produce a red-colored liquid that, while fake, is still referred to as "blood." Similar to humans, android hair is soft and grows over time, although it smells like dust since they aren't biological creatures.

Since androids experience emotions and self-awareness, they may produce a clear liquid mimicking tears when in distress. Androids can be equipped with sensory devices to further mimic humans, including sensation nerves to feel temperature and contact from things like rain or wind. They can also have the ability to detect scents via smell.

By default, androids are not equipped with genitalia, though they can be installed with artificial parts to replicate certain structures, substances, and textures. Similarly, androids have the ability to change their gender and imitate natural processes such as pregnancy despite being unable to reproduce.

Internals

Androids are powered by small fist-sized fusion reactors located within the chest, observed to be on the left side similar to the human heart. Water is required for the reactors to generate energy and acts as a fuel source that must be ingested periodically. The special Black Box reactors used in YoRHa-model androids have a system to automatically replenish water, meaning they are rarely required to consume water.

During combat, energy is released from the reactors, and an android's reactor shuts down after death, both indicators that can be tracked. While most androids only have one reactor, certain special models such as Daisy can have more. Fusion reactors can be manually ejected by androids, a process allowing limited functionality for a short period of time before perishing. They can also be transplanted between different individuals or manually overloaded to lethally detonate.

Breathing is apparently an indicator of an active fusion reactor, though its exact purpose is unknown. However, oxygen is known to be used within an android's brain unit and is suggested to be related to the speed of their processing power, analogous to oxygen saturation relating to performance in the human brain. Androids have the ability to eat, drink, and sleep, though consuming food is not required and purely recreational.

Similar to humans, androids have a central nervous system and components such as a motor cortex responsible for movement. Logic circuits facilitate behaviors, but can be infected by a Logic Virus that quickly corrupts and overwrites one's own thoughts and desires. Combat androids are also installed with a pleasure-generating algorithm that releases chemicals into their circuits during battle, a means of continuing the desire to fight humanity's enemies.

Personality

Androids can be programmed with a range of personality types reflecting the diversity of humanity. They can also be instilled with certain feelings, orders, or directives. For example, androids could be implanted with endless feelings of guilt. Despite being artificial beings, androids are not except from developing undesirable traits such as abusive tendencies or having their own vices, as evident with Lily's commanding officer during the 8th Machine War.

Some androids were also implanted with "simulated" false memories in order to be more similar to humans. These memories helped form the basis of a model's personality, with further experiences accumulating to develop an android's individuality and bonds with others. Although androids recognized them as fake, false memories were still as vivid as actual memories. For example, Gerbera had the false memories of a bullied child, Rose had fond memories as a boy with his military father, and No.2 had memories of being a farmhand living with her grandmother.

The memories of androids could be reset to align with their default personality, resulting in the loss of all new memories and experiences. In the case of an existing backup, androids could also reset to a specific memory state, allowing one's memories to be restored up to a specific time in the past.

After the desertion of No.2 during the experimental Pearl Harbor Descent, future YoRHa-type android models were prohibited from displaying emotions to help prevent similar events from occurring. This naturally caused conflict within said YoRHa models, since their personalities, individualities, and bonds still persisted and continued to develop.

Background

The history of androids is relatively unknown, only that they were first created sometime near the mid-21st century as part of Project Gestalt. These androids were made to operate indefinitely and were placed at strategic points around the world to oversee and maintain the Replicant system. Since the androids looked and behaved exactly like humans themselves, their true nature either became a secret or forgotten by the remnants of humanity.

Some time after the events of NieR, android manufacturing and their population gradually decreased, with factions among them emerging in the aftermath. However, the machine lifeform invasion and the following 1st Machine War caused the androids to organize the Army of Humanity and produce more combat model androids to defend the planet. This centuries-long conflict continued on, eventually leading to the establishment of YoRHa.

Project Gestalt

Main article: Project Gestalt

Emil's butler Sebastian is revealed to be an android when Nier and Grimoire Weiss encounter multiple versions of him that have stopped working throughout the Manor, then encounter the real one making mechanical sounds.

Devola and Popola are revealed at the end of NieR to be androids, their purpose being to monitor the Replicants and facilitate Project Gestalt along with many other Devolas and Popolas around the world. Due to their defeat by Nier's party and the defeat of the Shadowlord, Project Gestalt is considered a failure, sealing the fate of humanity.

For Devola and Popola's part in the extinction of humanity, nearly all other models of Devola and Popola were destroyed, with the exception of the two that appear in NieR:Automata in 11945.

YoRHa

Main article: YoRHa

YoRHa is an organization that resulted in the production of a special type of android several years prior to the events of NieR:Automata. It's revealed that the true purpose of YoRHa is to perpetuate the lie that humanity is alive, despite having gone extinct thousands of years ago as a result of the failure of Project Gestalt. The announcements heard throughout the game are actually recordings made by YoRHa to make the androids think humanity is alive on the moon. After the machines leave earth in the ark in Ending D, this information is made public by the departing machine network.

It is also revealed towards the end of Automata that YoRHa android's Black Boxes are actually made from the cores of machines, as it was deemed inhumane to use traditional androids in the project—all YoRHa units were to be killed once the machines were defeated. This, along with humanity being extinct and 2B's death, causes 9S to fall into despair.

Notable Android Characters

NieR

Devola Devola
Popola Popola

NieR:Automata and Ver1.1a

2B 2B
9S 9S
A2 A2
Anemone Anemone
White White
Devola Devola
Popola Popola
6O 6O
21O 21O
Jackass Jackass
Lily Lily
No.4 No.4
No.16 No.16
No.21 No.21
Rose Rose

NieR Reincarnation

2B 2B
2P 2P
9S 9S
10H 10H
A2 A2
Dimos Dimos

Other Android Characters

NieR

• Sebastian — Emil's butler.

NieR:Automata

• YoRHa No.1 Type D (1D) — YoRHa captain from 2B's team. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.4 Type B (4B) — YoRHa unit from 2B's team. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.7 Type E (7E) — YoRHa unit from 2B's team. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.11 Type B (11B) — YoRHa unit from 2B's team. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.12 Type H (12H) — YoRHa unit from 2B's team. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.4 Type S (4S) — YoRHa unit that can be found in the Forest Kingdom. Unknown.
• YoRHa No.22 Type B (22B) — Deserter YoRHa unit found in the YoRHa Betrayers questline. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.64 Type B (64B) — Deserter YoRHa unit found in the YoRHa Betrayers questline. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.8 Type B (8B) — Leader of the deserter YoRHa units found in the YoRHa Betrayers questline. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.3 Type S (3S) — Server administrator of the Bunker. Unknown.
• YoRHa No.11 Type S (11S) — YoRHa unit assigned to attack the machine's defenses in Route C. Unknown.
• YoRHa No.32 Type S (32S) — YoRHa unit found in the Retrieve the Confidential Intel questline. Deceased.
• YoRHa No.42 Type S (42S) — YoRHa unit that served as a publicity agent at North 12C Defense HQ. Presumed deceased.
• YoRHa No.801 Type S (801S) — YoRHa unit in charge of the Bunker's maintenance shop. Unknown.
• YoRHa No.24 Type D (24D) — YoRHa unit found in Episode 3 of NieR:Automata Ver1.1a. Unknown.

YoRHa Girls

• Futaba — YoRHa operator unit. Deceased.
• Yotsuba — YoRHa operator unit. Deceased.
• Anemone — Member of the Resistance. Unknown.
• Margaret — Member of the Resistance. Deceased.
• Dahlia — Member of the Resistance. Deceased.
• Daisy — Member of the Resistance. Deceased.
• Gerbera — Member of the Resistance. Deceased.

YoRHa Boys

• Instructor Black — Male unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Deceased.
• YoRHa Type D No.2 (D2) — YoRHa male prototype unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Deceased.
• YoRHa Type H No.9 (H9) — YoRHa male prototype unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Unknown.
• YoRHa Type A No.3 (A3) — YoRHa male prototype unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Deceased.
• YoRHa Type G No.4 (G4) — YoRHa male prototype unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Deceased.
• YoRHa Type A No.6 (A6) — YoRHa male prototype unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Deceased.
• YoRHa Type S No.21 (S21) — YoRHa male prototype unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Deceased.
• YoRHa Type G No.22 (G22) — YoRHa male prototype unit from YoRHa Boys novel. Unknown.
• Cactus - Resistance member from YoRHa Boys novel. Unknown.
• Phlox - Resistance member from YoRHa Boys novel. Unknown.
• Lotus - Resistance member from YoRHa Boys novel. Unknown.

Drakengard

• Accord (Drakengard 3)
• Bartas (Drag-On Dragoon Utahime Five)