Why Nier is a Perfect Flawed Protagonist

The protagonist of Yoko Yaro's NieR: Replicant, commonly known as Nier, is presented a kind, optimistic youth as he journeys to save his sister. Yet, is that really the case? Inside Nier lies something a bit sinister, which I believe creates one of the best flawed characters in video games. Let's dive into what makes Nier such an excellent character.

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
5:31 Drakengard and the Character of Nier
9:00 After the Time Skip
13:17 Nier is Not a Hero
17:19 The World Left Behind
18:51 Ending Notes
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Credits to:
Boss Fight Database (Various Boss Battle and Endings Footage)

Shirrako (Emil Boss Fight)

FightinCowboy (NieR Replicant Let's Play: Part 19)

Playstation (Drakengard 3 -- Philosophies of Violence)

ForX Gaming (Yoko Taro GDC 2014 Presenation)

DEFADE (Translation of Grimoire NieR's The Red and the Black)

TCGRyan (MGS3 The Boss Fight)

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The NieR series is owned and published by Square Enix! All rights are reserved under fair use!

#nier #nierreplicant #analysis

[TheAngryAsianAnimations]

Another thing I love is that...Nier isn't a bad person. Normally I hate cliche anime protagonist characters but it works to Nier's benefit. You can't accuse him of being bad. He is the cliche anime protagonist. He's as good as they come. But as Yoko Taro had said, you don't need to be insane to kill. You just need to think you're right.

In the history of humanity, a vast majority of evil is committed not by mustache twirling villains but people would swear on their soul that they're the good guy. And most of the time this 'you are actually the bad guy' twist the writing is quite clearly on the wall and they have a change of heart and switch. Nier is more reflective of how a real person would be.

They don't see that what they're doing is wrong. And even if they did, they'll cast aside the revelation. Fact is, every single person from myself to the people reading this, we could be doing something god awful right now and we wouldn't even realize it because, as far as we're concerned, we're just doing the right thing.

[steelawheel]

I think another example putting the player into the mindset like Nier’s with “cutting down everything in your path” is the very start of the game when you go to the Lost Shrine to find Yonah. As a new player - at least myself at the time - the Shades we’ve been shown up to this point are aggressive and a threat (the people in the home village say this and we’ve been exposed to them as such). So it’s highly unlikely a new player would even realise the smaller Shades don’t actually attack Nier, especially cause you’d need to pay attention to realise they don’t move to attack but just run around you as if curious, as well as following usual RPG mechanics of attacking immediately what the game has told us are our enemies when they show up.

I surely didn’t realise until I had to replay this part when working towards Ending E - I wasn’t attacking many Shades cause I didn’t really need exp, and having climbed this damned tower many times before, it’s easier to just walk past. I think I got curious when they were taking awhile to try and scratch me that I ended up just standing there, watching them run around me and that’s when I found out. Definitely wasn’t too keen on attacking them after that realisation, especially if the Shades are (or at least similar) to the ones Gretel would eventually become protective over.

[blackcitadel]

You see him shake his head, it's to clear his mind of any doubt, because at that one moment where the Shadowlord nodded as if giving the go ahead at his own execution, I think Nier wondered for the first time. "Am I actually doing the right thing?" and then dismissed it.

[Hyperversum]

My personal take on Nier as a character is really dependant on a simple fact: the poor boy was hit with a wall of facts in a very volatile and unstable emotional condition, he can't be expected to be logical and think about the bigger picture.

It's not so much about "being flawed" or "doing Evil when thinking you are in the right", it's about having your entire world revealed as a lie by people you trusted and being expected to just stand down a suffer.

That's not how humans act, that's not how anyone that has fought night and day for their entire life acts.

Nier grew up in an unforgiving, violent and cruel world. He had to be a caregiver since an early age. He sold himself. He challenged enormous monsters and travelled far away in search of a cure for a magical curse.
Sure, there Is text about him (as everyone else, ) realizing quite early that killing Shades feels like killing a normal living being, but that's just a fact of his reality.
Sure, he might have acted differently and spend more time with Yonah.
Nobody says that he is perfect, but his entire personality and behaviour are those or a strong one not accepting fate and giving his all to change It.

The humans that created the system of Gestalts are at fault after all. If they can't control a system that involved other human beings, they shouldn't give them minds, emotions and concepts like family and love.

All Nier does is taking what he learned from the world around And apply it to his life issues. He hacked and slashed because monsters did the same, he didn't give a fuck about some people because many didn't give a fuck about him.

The other side was ready to destroy his reality and life, so why shouldn't answer in kind? It's not about being morally right, it's about being a person raging against a world that does whatever to stop you.

[MissDerpina]

I think the tragedy of the events leading to Nier: Automata can't be blamed to one person only. Several factors brought the fate we see in Automata.

Also, Nier isn't the only one who went on a killing spree to annihilate a species. The King of Facade did the same thing though his target was not Shades, it was the wolves. Gideon too wished to annihilate a particular kind, the robots. Also that NPC at Northern Plains who wants to eliminate the sheeps to avenge his Yeah, there are a number of characters who want to completely destroy a group because they were wronged or hurt by one amongst them.

At its darkest core, Nier deals with the issue of anger, hatred, revenge and the psychology of what makes us become 'justified' murderers.

And I think it also teaches us a lesson, that holding onto to such anger will evidently bring ruin to many people. Including yourself.

[tradesmanhelix]

This is the type of game you finish playing but then can’t stop thinking about. Everything from the aesthetic to the music creates such a sense of place that it really feels like somewhere you’ve been. It’s a masterpiece and I’m glad it’s gained so much recognition.

[NoOtherNames]

The way characters are written in this franchise is something else. Nier and 9S are probably some of my favorite protagonists in fiction because they're just so damn real. I could see myself doing exactly what they did if I was in those situations and the way they respond to everything just hits so painfully close to home.

[Nautinthislifetime]

Nier is one of the best protagonists I have played in a long time. Red and Black was harrowing, beautifully written and showed the agony of trying to keep him and his sister afloat. When I read that, I immediately picked the game back up and yes, his hair never touches his shoulders...even when he is older, it is shorter, layered but still off his shoulders. That trauma of selling his body and everything he had to do stayed with him.

[arcangel]

So glad to see NieR being talked about, and the video was fantastic. Loving your content, so glad to have found your channel!!

[KayJulers]

Thanks for watching everyone! I'm glad I finally got around to talking about NieR since it's been one of my favorite series I've played in the last few years! I hope you enjoy and are looking forward to the projects I have planned to come out soon!

[ghostchuuu]

emil's line in automata god it kills me. it makes me tear up every time

[Dr.Farewell]

As a huge Nier series fan thank you! The series really needs more video analysis like this. I hope you make more in the future

[Fish-epcn]

Drakengard 1 is one of the most unique media experiences I've ever had the pleasure of going through and no one should ever play it

[GiubileiFernando]

6:15 they go to the place where the Watchers came from, and end up in Tokyo in 2004. That is because Nier and Nier Automata are prequels where we see the origins of the Watchers. They evolved from all the mess of magic and technology that became the Machine Lifeforms, Androids and ultimately the Ark. The machine cores look like seeds of resurection/destruction and they're compared to literal plant seeds. The copied city and all-white 3D-printed buildings are clearly how the Cathedral City that landed on Drakengard's world was created.
It's a never-ending cycle of death and rebirth where the world of Drakengard gets infected by future magitech, then infects the world of Nier with the seeds of the same magitech, and then Nier's world infects Drakengard.
It's not necesarily a closed circle. It could just be a multiverse full of alternate Drakengard and Nier worlds infecting other worlds.
I wonder if the aliens are even aliens at all.

[Justlildude]

I agree with all of the points made in this video except one- during those five years, Nier wasn't completely alone. Weiss was with him during that whole period. i would say that he mostly just tried to calm Nier down whenever he got too reckless but never completely stopped him from pursuing his vengeance against the Shades. Another thing I'd mention is how Nier's mindset was partially influenced by the people around him, who never really tried to stop him from what he was doing or thinking. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Otherwise, fantastic video! Nier is my personal favourite character in Replicant and I am happy to see more analysis on him as a character.

[Noah]

Great video as always Kay, but since we’re on Yoko Taro and his protagonists… maybe we get a video on Caim and how insane he is some time in the future?? Or maybe just how twisted the original Drakengard was. Love the branching out to other games bro!

[venepskeuten]

The Nier games are truly special. There are a lot of holes if you start looking closer, but a perfect game was never the focus I think. What Yoko taro created wasn't a game, but a way to convey an emotion. The gaming part was just a means to an end.

And boy does this game make you feel things. The narrative, the music, the worldbuilding, the atmosphere, the themes and even the gameplay all support this one goal. I think this is brilliant, because ultimately what sticks with us the most is emotion. Nier and automata carve a hole in your soul and leave it empty when you are finished. All it takes is a somber ost and it's like I am back 2 years ago when I first finished the games like no time has passed.

Thus the media we remember are the ones that leave a strong emotional impression on us. The way the media is constructed is simply a way to reach said goal.

[ripleyreaper]

"Nier's father died when he was a child, and his mother died when he was ten years old. Left with only his younger sister Yonah, who he loves and treasures more than anything in the world, Nier became her only caregiver."

It's devasting how you see life without parents and you gotta act as one to Yonah to make sure she doesn't experience what he went through. It might be a little selfish for him to destroy humankind just for her to come back, but I can't blame him for doing so, especially when his life depended on Yonah's future. It depends on how you see his perspective either man vs society or man vs fate despite the moral ambiguity it brings throughout the storyline.

You can look up more novellas on Nier Wiki for more in-depth character understanding. It's beautifully written.

[Poruasecas]

you know a game is good when just a video talking about it is enough to make you cry again(this is also a great way to know if a video is good btw)

[mediadetective]

I would also argue part of the reason he kills the Shadowlord even though he technically has most the information is he doesn’t want to believe it’s true as well as not believing Devola and Popola. I don’t know about you, but if two people I knew basically lied to me my entire life then suddenly came out with the “actual” truth, I don’t think I’d believe them.