Following the release of the original versions of Nier Replicant and Gestalt to lukewarm responses, very few JRPG fans would’ve expected that the series would spawn a sequel that’s regarded as one of the best in the genre. Fewer still would expect that there’d be enough interest in that game to warrant a re-release of the original one console generation later, but surprise, that re-release happened.
Love it or hate it, few can deny that Nier Replicant hit the bullseye in designing unique characters and levels. One of the game’s first, and most audibly recognizable, levels is the town of The Aerie. This uninviting mountain hamlet is packed to the brim with references and subtle foreshadowing, so scroll on for all of the things you missed in The Aerie.
9 Flew The Coop
The most obvious detail to be found in The Aerie is also the one that’s explored the least: its name. “Aerie” is defined as a nesting place for birds of prey, particularly those dwelling on cliff sides. With that definition in mind the inspiration for the village’s name becomes apparent.
The hidden details don’t stop there, the village’s name also holds thematic significance for a host of reasons. Kaine is unfairly made a pariah twice over; ostracized once for being intersex, and again for being possessed by a shade kept mostly under her control. Though she detests those who rejected her she still chooses to camp just outside the village. It seems Kaine still feels connected to her nest and the memories of her grandmother, Kali.
For a more abstract interpretation, “The Aerie” can also mean the home, or center, of the “DrakenNier” universe. Like Nier (the player character) and all other replicants, Kaine and her grandmother are essentially clones of people who lived ~1300 years ago. Unlike original-Nier, however, original-Kaine’s family was actively involved in the crises of that era. Original-Kali was a highly respected military officer in the years immediately following the plot of Drakengard. Nier Automata’s late-game protagonist A2 was modeled after Kaine. Though no one would mistake Kaine for the main character of Nier Replicant, her ancestors and successors significantly influenced other series entries.
8 Critters Unite
By the time you reach The Aerie you’ve already been introduced to Grimoire Weiss, whose derisive exchanges with the foul-mouthed Kaine give rise to the game’s most quotable lines. Arrival at The Aerie marks the beginning of Weiss’ and Kaine’s scornful friendship. Followers of the hit Dungeons & Dragons web series “Critical Role” will recognize the voices of real-life best friends and actors Liam O’Brien and Laura Bailey.
Other Critical Role alumni appearing in Nier include Sam Riegal (whose sister, Eden, plays Devola and Popola) as Jakob, and Matthew Mercer as “additional voices.”
7 Grandmother’s Wish
The first time the player exits The Aerie, and the second time they enter, they’re met by a colossal shade known as Hook. During the latter confrontation Hook mimics the voice of Kaine’s deceased grandmother in an attempt at emotionally disarming the vengeful swordswoman.
Once Nier Replicant’s plot twist is revealed one has to wonder if Hook terrorized Kaine and Kali not because it was motivated by some indifferent blood lust, but because Hook is the corrupted gestalt of original-Kali.
6 Empty-Nesters
Kaine mirrors her robotic likeness, A2, in ways other than her physical appearance. Just as Kaine was exiled from The Aerie, and made the target of hurtful rumors spread by its inhabitants, so too was unit A2 decommissioned by YoRHa, disconnected from The Bunker, and falsely labelled a traitor by Command.
Automata’s complementary plays reveal that A2 retains false memories belonging to Kaine. This fact may be part of what motivates A2 to strike out on her own and fight for justice on her own terms. Unlike The Aerie, however, The Bunker doesn’t just want A2 cast out — Command actively hunts A2 with the ultimate goal of destroying her.
5 A Shadow Over The Aerie
It is foreshadowed early on that the townsfolk of The Aerie may not be townsfolk at all, and are in fact shades. On your first expedition you know too little about shades to make predictions about The Aerie’s enigmatic inhabitants. After repeated visits, however, the insults hurled by the reclusive villagers seem pointed.
“If you’re not a shade then prove it!” another woman shouts from within her home. What a silly demand, right? She need only open her window and see that you’re a person, not a shade. But what if she already knows that the other “people” in the village are shades in disguise? Do the villagers hate Kaine because she’s possessed, or because she overcame her possession, unlike them?
4 Born For Battle
Original-Kali used her immense wealth and influence within the military to have a child engineered by military scientists — this daughter would later give birth to original-Kaine. It’s said that original-Kali was as affectionate as she was tough, and she wanted her granddaughter to behave similarly.
Considering the lengths original-Kali went to in order to engineer her own offspring, it seems likely that both Kaines’ toughness is a trait they’re specifically designed to carry.
3 The Aerie’s Elegy
Before its re-release Nier Replicant was a divisive title. Detractors lampooned the game for its myriad technical failings and even fans had to admit that it only got by on unique storytelling. One element of the game that’s universally praised, however, is its music.
No composition on the soundtrack deserves such praise more than The Aerie’s theme. The aptly named “Cold Steel Coffin” is a chilling choral chant that feels as anxious and hateful as the villagers it represents. Think “Carol Of The Bells” but sapped of any yuletide joy. The title of the track also carries a dual meaning. On one hand it suggests that the life the villagers live while stuck inside their metal huts is barely a life at all. On the other hand it reveals that the villagers are already shades, which is to say… dead.
2 Unwavering Devotion
The scant details that are known about Kali suggest that, despite her confidence and brashness, she spent a great deal of time worried about Kaine. In the final encounter with Hook, Kaine screams that her grandmother taught her to be proud of herself. Complementary texts also indicate that it was Kali who encouraged Kaine to wear flowers in her hair and wear feminine clothes, as if to hide her intersex identity from the world.
This relationship reflects the real-world struggle faced by parents who want to encourage their queer children to express themselves honestly and without fear, but also feel the need to help their child fit in.
1 Art Imitates Life
As the people of The Aerie take on their shade forms, a giant eyeball-shaped shade coalesces from a dark cloud hanging in the middle of the canyon. The entity, known as Wendy, is named after the leading lady in Peter Pan. A longstanding urban legend holds that Peter Pan is secretly about dead children, and though this reading can explain why the shade is called Wendy, an even better explanation exists.
Peter Pan’s Wendy is simultaneously responsible for introducing her siblings to the titular hero, and bringing them to Neverland, while also being the one to offer Peter the chance to return to her world permanently. You could say that Shade Wendy empowers the shades to fully possess the villagers, encouraging its siblings to act on their untamed, base impulses. You could also say that, just as Wendy wants Peter to return to the real world, the giant shade forces the replicant villagers to return to their intended state as vessels for the decaying gestalts.
Shade Wendy also has an indirect cameo in Nier Automata. Bosses So-Shi, Boku-Shi, Ko-Shi and Ro-Shi are all machines built in the shape of giant eyes. Their roles in Automata aren’t as significant as Wendy’s role in Replicant, but in much the same way, they have great influence over the lesser machines and are named after historical/literary figures.
