Replicant

Replicants are soulless artificial humans created as part of Project Gestalt.

Characteristics

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Route(s) A,B

Replicants have the same physical appearance and biological functions as humans, though they cannot reproduce.^[1][2] Replicants are created from the genetic data of their respective Gestalt, and their appearance is based on the Gestalt's original human body.^[3][1][4]

The purpose of Replicants was to separate the physical bodies of humanity from their Gestalt souls until White Chlorination Syndrome could be eradicated.^[5][3] While their Gestalts slept in hibernation, the empty Replicants were tasked with combating Legion and collecting Chlorination-causing maso particles.^[6] Due to their lack of souls, Replicants are not affected when exposed to White Chlorination Syndrome, as the damaging contract forced upon the infected requires an exchange of souls.^[7]

While they were originally created as mindless vessels, Replicants developed their own sentience and culture over time. The personality of a Replicant isn’t influenced by that of its Gestalt, instead developing independently based on the Replicant’s environment.^[8][1]

When a Replicant dies, a new body is eventually cultivated by androids in what are referred to as different "generations."^[9] As they have no concept of normal childbirth, Replicants are simply notified when they’re having a child by overseer androids such as Devola and Popola. The Replicant is summoned to a facility and put to sleep while the child is produced by the androids using a lab-like method.^[10]

After their corresponding Gestalt begins to relapse, the body of a Replicant begins to corrupt via the Black Scrawl. The corruption is irreversible and inevitably leads to the Replicant's death.^[11]

Background

In 2015, Project Gestalt research shifted to finding a solution for when a Gestalt's original human body is lost or destroyed. Ten years later, in January 2025, a Gestaltized soul was successfully inserted into a "Replicant" shell built using biological data from their human form.^[12][4]

In February 2032, the "Replicantization" process was revealed to the public. By March, Gestaltization began to occur globally alongside the creation of each individual’s Replicant. To continue the process, the "Replicant System" was established.^[6]

Upon creation, Replicants were implanted with the directive to combat Legion forces and maintain the Replicant System. The android overseers of the system assigned Replicants to collect Chlorination-causing maso particles to be banished.^[6]

In 2033, the Grimoire Project was initiated, intended to return all Gestalts to their respective Replicants once the Legion and White Chlorination Syndrome were eradicated.^[13] By 2049/2053, the effects of Gestalt relapse were discovered, causing the corruption of their respective Replicant via the Black Scrawl.^[14][15]

After centuries of maintaining the Replicant system, combating Legion, and collecting maso, Replicants began to gain sentience in 2764. While unsophisticated at first, the sentience soon grew to complex human-like thought patterns.^[16] By approximately 3000, most Replicants had acquired sentience. Various Replicant cultures began to emerge, primarily around ancient human structures and using medieval-level technology.^[8]

Despite their acquired sentience, Replicants continued to purify the world of Chlorination-causing maso. After the severe decline in Legion, a Replicant accidentally revives the final Red Eye in 3276, leading to the emergence of the Legion threat.^[17] In 3287, four Replicants and an android defeated the Red Eye. All remaining Legion are eradicated and maso particles banished, resulting in the purification of the world.^[18]

By 3288, the Gestalts began to awaken, but were seen by most Replicants as hostile creatures attempting to possess them. While some Replicants accepted their respective Gestalts, most other Replicants started conflicts.^[19]

In approximately 3300, certain Gestalts began to relapse and turn berserk despite being treated with purified maso harvested from the Shadowlord. Other Gestalts hoped to activate the "Revival Ceremony," the final stages of the Grimoire Project that would forcibly return all Gestalts to their Replicants.^[20]

With the death of the Original Gestalt in 3361/3465, the source of the relapse-preventing purified maso was lost.^[21] As the population of Replicants declined, information on the Old World began to be forgotten, leading to the creation of the Human Heritage Investigation Committee in 3627.^[22]

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Route(s) B

After the extinction of the Gestalts in 4198, the structural information of the remaining Replicants was recorded by androids.^[23] Along with the genes of various Gestalts, this data was sent to a storage facility built on the moon.^[24]

Notable Replicants Characters

• NieR

Nier

Yonah

Kainé

• King of Facade
• King's Advisor
• Fyra
• Gideon
• Jakob

Trivia

• The term "replicant" originally came from the sci-fi movie Blade Runner.^[25]
• In an interview with 4Gamer, director Yoko Taro stated that, "even if they can't reproduce, Replicants still have sex drive. Replicants don't realize that they can't have children since they have no concept of what normal childbirth looks like."^[10]

References