[Spoilers] The True Purpose of Project YoRHa

[af]

This is a thread to try and clarify the specific role of Project YoRHa in perpetrating the conspiracy in NieR:Automata. Although documents in the game claimed the destruction of the organization was used to complete the falsification that humanity resided on the moon, members of the community constantly had questions as to exactly how YoRHa contributed to this illusion. By examining in game and external sources such as concert scripts, the following document provides an argument for what YoRHa’s actual role in the conspiracy was.

For people who are not avid readers, a shortened explanation is provided below. However, it is highly suggested to read the document. Please be aware that if there are any questions you have about this explanation, to read the document attached to this thread. For the full explanation on YoRHa’s role in NieR:Automata, please refer to the following document. The document may be long, but the length of the explanation was required for the highest level of accuracy possible to provide clarity and determine the best conclusions.

The tl;dr explanation

Project YoRHa was a means for Command, the top echelons of the android forces, to control resource allocation for the war effort to prevent victory. By having everyone invest heavily in YoRHa and constantly destroying the elite military organization, YoRHa would be a resource vacuum. The potential of the android forces was repeatedly decreased as the investments were wasted right when YoRHa was about to win against the machines. This way, the war would continue forever through a cycle of remanufacturing the YoRHa units and preventing victory.

Eventually, even if the androids on Earth decided to fight the machines, it would be too late. Since they let YoRHa do most of the work, androids were never truly adjusted against the machines that evolved rapidly due to YoRHa’s engagements. If androids ever did go against such overpowered machines, they would be instantly obliterated. However, they would have died what they believed is an honorable death as martyrs for the glory of mankind. They would have died with purpose just as Command intended them to, even if it was based on a lie.

PDF: https://www.dropbox.com/s/aphfdx6bsdqxlfa/TheTruePurposeofProjectYoRHa.pdf?dl=00

Any constructive thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.
Link has been updated to include a table of contents to make navigation easier in the document.

Special Thanks

This project was coordinated between members of the Steam Community in the NieR:Automata discussion boards. I would like to express my gratitude to the members who participated in the discussion thread, “[Spoilers] The Girls of The Tower - The Unexplained Story of NieR:Automata.” I would like to extend a special thanks to Steam display names Aemony and Raith for their remarkable insight to contribute to this project.

[medavroog]

Escrito originalmente por AF:

Escrito originalmente por medavroog:

So, "nowhere in it does it state YoRHa units were created by humans" ... pal, you are not stating what the game storyline states - at least, NOT the "lie" YoRHa tells openly.

...but that wasn't the point of this thread at all.

Tell that to the one who asked me to answer, all I did was answer.

[Aemony]

But what god are you talking about here? 2B is talking about YoRHa's god, who is the Council of Humanity on the moon, which was created by No. 9 when he learned of Zinnia's draft to create the god on the face of the moon (aka Council of Humanity).

[af]

Escrito originalmente por Aemony:

But what god are you talking about here? 2B is talking about YoRHa's god, who is the Council of Humanity on the moon, which was created by No. 9 when he learned of Zinnia's draft to create the god on the face of the moon (aka Council of Humanity).

I hope he understands that the reference to god was used as a literary term...not a literal term...to represent whoever was in charge of the cycle in the story...

[medavroog]

Escrito originalmente por AF:

Escrito originalmente por Aemony:

But what god are you talking about here? 2B is talking about YoRHa's god, who is the Council of Humanity on the moon, which was created by No. 9 when he learned of Zinnia's draft to create the god on the face of the moon (aka Council of Humanity).

I hope he understands that the reference to god was used as a literary term...not a literal term...to represent whoever was in charge of the cycle in the story...

I hope you understand that there is another possibility.

[Aemony]

Escrito originalmente por medavroog:

Escrito originalmente por AF:

I hope he understands that the reference to god was used as a literary term...not a literal term...to represent whoever was in charge of the cycle in the story...

I hope you understand that there is another possibility.

Even if it were then she would be speaking about the moon server responsible for project YoRHa and her tormented existence.

Which was created by No. 9 which she can be argued kills the descendent of in her never-ending spiral of life and death.

[Aemony]

Nvm I just noticed you're the same guy in the previous thread that completely dismisses every evidence of humanity's existence from the lore of all games in the series.

[af]

Escrito originalmente por Aemony:

Nvm I just noticed you're the same guy in the previous thread that completely dismisses every evidence of humanity's existence from the lore of all games in the series.

He might have some personal relation to God and prefers to use it as a metaphysical argument for most things he comes across. If so, then that's his choice. Yet to preserve the integrity of this discussion, this is what we will do. The moment he's done talking about his God, he's done. He is drifting too far off topic. We are moving on.

For anyone who has any thought on this topic, feel free to provide any constructive insight.

[Aemony]

I just got home so I'm going to reread the document as well as some other stuff during the next few hours. :)

[af]

Escrito originalmente por Aemony:

I just got home so I'm going to reread the document as well as some other stuff during the next few hours. :)

Understood.

As for others reading this, please feel free to provide any constructive comments and thoughts on this idea. Again, if there is anything that seems incorrect from the shortened explanation, read the document.

[Aemony]

The role of Project YoRHa was to serve as a resource vacuum.

I mirror PapaCharlie9's comments on Reddit that this can't be the only factor.

The original YoRHa was probably one of many experimental projects that the original Command had ongoing in an attempt to win the war vs. the Machines. The original intent of YoRHa units (at that point there weren't even a "Project YoRHa" as shown in concert script 2) was probably to find a way to create exceptionally powerful units using the bodies of their enemies, something that would ensure that the cost of each unit would be cheaper and cheaper as more and more Machines were killed by the YoRHa units. It makes sense as the price of a new YoRHa units would scale inversely to the number of units the Android forces could field at once.

Zinna's draft for Project YoRHa was to give Androids something to believe in. I believe Zinna realized when he summarized his draft that for the project to work, it required the sacrifice of everyone "in the known" (probably including himself) to prevent the secret from leaking out.

No. 9 in his madness after having found out that YoRHa units aren't even real Androids but mere imitations created using the bodies of their "enemies" also stumbled upon the draft and rewrote it and even implemented it (probably able to using his exceptionally powerful hacking abilities), all so that he and his YoRHa brethren would "live" and "die" for a "cause worth dying for". He probably saw it in his madness as the only thing that would give reason for their existence.

It's highly possible that resource vaccum was simply necessary to maintain the status quo that No. 9 in his madness wanted to achieve, but then there wouldn't be a need to design better YoRHa units after each disposal of the previous generation, as they could just maintain it using the same models as previously.

Also, if you haven't I recommend you read this comment of mine as well. I utterly want that to be the truth, even though I had no evidence supporting it.

[af]

I saw the comment as well. I am in agreement that No. 9 likely used the documents to his advantage and framed Command for everything he constructed. YoRHa was also likely a project out of many Command had ordered.

I am still trying to piece together that loose link underneath all of what we have so far, especially about the need of newer, better models. Improved models was originally said to be required so that YoRHa can adjust to the evolution of the machines. The source may have been written with the assumption that models of a certain generation can only be upgraded so far and that a complete reform or overhaul of another generation was required to truly adjust to the next evolutionary stages of machine lifeforms.

It's hard to question No. 9's intentions. As you stated, he was insane, it's difficult to rationalize madness and its logic because it doesn't really have any. But if I am allowed to pose the question, so is it correct to say that No. 9 actually thought that his idea was a grand solution or sorts? Does it actually makes sense in any way?

[af]

An update from the reddit thread.

Yoko Taro has indicated in his 50 Questions that under the Council of Humanity, all androids are to be deemed as equal and do not have any right to call the shots in the war. However, in his concert script, Zinna is clearly referring to Command as a governing organization that has given orders to continue the plans of pre-Project YoRHa. What is this contradiction? What, or who exactly, is Command?

[Aemony]

I think some incorrect information is floating around the net. One of the timellines attributed the 8th Descent Mission to the Council of Humanity (200 years before their creation) while another translation attributed the mission to the "Army of Humanity".

I don't know what's due to mistranslations, changed to prevent spoilers or even written by the creators in a way to prevent the twist of the game (mankind being gone) to leak out long before the game was actually released.

[af]

Escrito originalmente por Aemony:

I think some incorrect information due to mistranslations, changed to prevent spoilers or even written by the creators in a way to prevent the twist of the game (mankind being gone) to leak out long before the game was actually released.

I felt the same. Some sort of error in translation could had distorted facts about the story. Makes me rethink the question we asked in the previous thread, "are the concert scripts canon?" Better question would be, "how canon is it?" So far, "Android Command" looks like a sort of place holder instead of some well thought out organization that has a specific role in the story.

[simonb]

The Story could be based on japanese history. The showa period and manipulation of society during ww2. "Glory to Mankind" could refer to the concept of Kokutai no Hongi.