Emil, also known as No. 7 or the purest best boy, is a big part of Nier's main cast, a steadfast side character in Nier Automata, and of course, he's up-rezzed in Nier Replicant v.122. He’s kind, way too nervous, a bit naive, and a very interesting character overall.
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But, because the narrative in Yoko Taro games always gets pretty dark, something that tends to surprise new players, Emil also has a lot of tragic mysteries tied to his character. So, to clear things up and help players understand a bit more about the universe, here are some things to know about Emil.
10 He Has Trauma-Induced Amnesia
Right away, it's clear the guy has been through some of the most horrifying trauma imaginable. Yet, by the time Nier and Kaine meet him in Replicant, he isn’t really acting like someone currently suffering from trauma typically would. Why is this? Well, it’s because Emil unconsciously seemed to use amnesia as a coping mechanism. It’s not really talked about much in the story, but when Emil’s memories of Halua start coming back as he and Nier explore the lab under the mansion (and Emil fuses with Halua, unintentionally killing her) players are expected to put two and two together.
9 Emil Was Given His Petrification Powers ToPurely For Use In Stopping His Sisters Rampage
Emil may have been an experiment, but he wasn’t born with the petrification powers he has in the first half of Nier. No, rather, he was given these powers by the same adults who turned his sister, Halua, into the “Ultimate Weapon”. They hoped that Emil’s petrification would be enough to stop Halua’s rampage, freezing her in place.As it turns out, his petrification powers weren't strong enough to stop her, but she sort of let herself get petrified considering Emil was the one doing it.
8 He’s The Last Remaining Human In The Nier Universe
So, at the end of Nier, the Replicant Nier ends up killing the Shadowlord, who was the original Gestalt Nier, thereby ruining any chances of success Project Gestalt might've had, dooming the human race. By the time of Automata, it’s assumed that humanity is gone. But, technically, there is still one human alive, Emil! That’s right, the character who ends up looking the least human of all is actually the last one in existence. Thanks to the experiments performed on him, it seems like Emil is immortal, meaning his Replicant and Gestalt never needed to be separated. It’s a bit ironic that the last human is a genetic experiment and one of the most powerful existences alive, but, it still counts.
7 He's Canonically Gay & Has A Crush On Nier
Next up is a fact most players wouldn’t ever pick up on, but Emil is confirmed by Yoko Taro to be gay. He also has a pretty strong crush on both versions of Nier, though his feelings towards Papa Nier were, understandably, played down or almost entirely cut between the original Gestalt version of the game and Replicant due to the age difference.The conversation right before the wedding in Facade is the big giveaway, but even then it's still pretty subtle.
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It’s not something that Yoko Taro wanted to put on a pedestal or make the main focus of the story, but the creator has come out in multiple interviews as strictly saying Emil is gay, and that it’s an important part of his character.
6 Emil Is By Far The Most Pure Person In The Franchise
There’s a lot of characters in the Nier, Automata, and Drakengard games who act one way, but how they feel inside is completely different. Emil, typically, is not one of those characters. He's kind of an open book. The kid is genuinely positive (for the most part), pure, and caring. He’s not forced to be hateful and angry like Kaine is by the Shade inside her, and he doesn’t hide his violent and nihilistic nature like Nier seems to, Emil is just a good kid. It’s rare for someone in a Yoko Taro game to be so pure, as they’ve tried in it the past with Seere in Drakengard, and didn’t like the results.
5 He’s Also Likely The Most Powerful Character In The Franchise
Also, what people tend to forget, is that Emil is very likely the most powerful character in Nier, Automata, and possibly even Drakengard. Sure, characters like the Intoners from Drakengard 3 would put up a fight, but Emil has mastery over every type of magic, can wipe an entire village from existence with a temper tantrum, and is capable of just about anything. Too bad he never uses these powers to help players get through the slog that is the side-quests but to be fair, he still does quite a lot for the crew.
4 This Kid Fought Off An Entire Alien Invasion
Speaking of Emil’s power, how many people knew that he’s the one who fought off the aliens from Automata the first time they came around. There’s a lot of lore from Nier that surprisingly plays a part in the events of Automata, such as P-33 surviving the battle with Nier and becoming a hivemind of robots in space or how the events of Project Gestalt sort of spoil the twist in Automata. But, by far, the wackiest and best piece of connecting lore is that Emil and his many clones are actually the ones who fought off the aliens in the first place.
3 Emil's Head Sort Of Became Yoko Taro's Logo
For those wondering why Emil’s appearance in the second half of Nier Replicant looks so familiar, it’s probably thanks to Yoko Taro. After Nier first released in 2010, the creator, who has always hated interviews and never shows his face, had a custom mask made for him that looks just like Emil’s skeletal form.
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Then, in every single appearance leading up to the release of Nier Automata, Taro was always wearing this helmet/mask. So, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Emil’s horrifying head has sort of become the logo and/or mascot for the Yoko Taro games.
2 There Are Actually An Army Of Emils
Next up is a bit of lore on the character that primarily comes from Nier Automata. It turns out that Emil, being a master of all forms of magic, can actually clone himself. And not just once, it seems like the boy can create copies of himself in any shape or size as many times as he wants. To be fair, it would’ve been hard for him to fight off the alien invasion any other way. But, the clones reappear as a secret boss in Automata that players can fight. Most of them are gone, but the last few left seemingly combined to create this horrifying gigantic...centipede of Emil's heads, and let’s just say it’s a good thing no humans saw him like this.
1 He’s BeenThrough A Lot In His 1400+ Years Of Life
It’s clear now that Emil is seemingly immortal, and it’s clear he’s the last human. But, what exactly happened in his past 1400 years ago that was so traumatic? Well, other than all the horrors involving the experiments on him, his sister, the fact that the Earth stopped spinning, and what these siblings eventually became, there’s also the fact that he was forced to fight the Legion using his petrification powers. Not only that, but a man named Tyrann eventually worked his way towards running the facility in charge of Emil.
For those who remember the Gestalt/Shade form of Tyrann from ending B of Replicant, they’ll know that he’s not exactly a nice guy. While he was alive, Tyrann was known for torturing people for the fun of it, and Emil was sadly at the receiving end of this. And, as Nier seems to be the only other one that can hear Tyrann, Emil never gets to confront him about this, but it’s safe to say that Emil ended up a bit better off than Tyrann did.
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