[Spoilers] What would you say is the central theme(s) to the story of Nier Automata

[Blackmore]

Discuss. No need to mark spoilers.

[Blackmore]

I’ll go first. I think one of the main themes is existential nihilism. Most of the machines and android characters are trying to find a meaning to their existence (often by imitating human behaviours) only for it to go horribly wrong for all involved, to the point that the game questions if there is even a point to existing. But there is some hope, as shown by ending e which you could interpret as saying that even if there is no point to life, we’re all in the same boat so we might as well stick through it together.

[Gotama]

I'm terrible at this kind of stuff, but I'll give it a try. I think one of the major themes in Nier is blindness and ignorance. The game demonstrates how we can willingly, blindly, unquestioningly enter a "pact", a sort of reverse Faustian bargain, a meaningless and vicious cycle of our own choosing. This is made obvious by the lines spoken by 2B at the very beginning of the game (the same lines are also repeated at the beginning of every Nier concert/recital as well).

I think a partially symbolic meaning can be attributed to the YoRHa visors (we intentionally blindfold ourselves and deny the truth). While 9S is able to absorb the truth of humanity's disappearance, 2B readily rejects it when she fights Adam.

We also see machines blindly following an infant king, a cult-like religion, and ancient human customs without understanding 'why'.

There are some Biblical themes strewn throughout the game. Mention of Adam, Eve, the crucifixion of 9S, etc. When (biblical) Adam eats the apple, he gains knowledge of right and wrong, and is then thrust into the reality of things - he now carries a terrible responsibility and is thrown out of paradise.

Thus androids live in a made-up "paradise" of believing that their beloved humans will one day return. To eat the apple, and know the "truth" and bear responsibility for the future will require courage and sacrifice. But will the children ever grow up to take the place of their parents? We shall see.

[Centur1on01]

Ok, ...

It's a game about the Stephen's family => As in James Fitzjames Stephen

Brother and Sister, main character is a female representation of Mr. Stephen => Soren Kierkegaard => Existentialism

WW1

Colonial Africa

Game was paid for with Africa money

NeiR => Nathan Rothchild

Rothchild => Principle banker investing the profits of the British Empire

---

Wut, I'll stick with what you guys think...

[myhr2]

Nier : Automata has many strong themes, but if I had to pick one as central, it would be the nature of the human condition : what is it to be human?

For me, all the other themes, emotions and rationalism, existential nihilism, fate versus free will, machines/androids/humans, the place and responsibility of the player in a video-game, everything comes from this question.

I mean, for a game that has machines, IA, androids, and even aliens in its universe, it never tries to depict a inhuman mind, never. Machines are either really robotic or either fully humanized, like the androids are. And all the nihilist thoughts are purely human in nature. To me, all these variations are a pretext to depict humanity in all its diversity, and there is even the idea that humanity is somehow viral, that if you begin to study and consider what it is to be human, then it is in itself the way to humanity.

The place of the aliens fits this theme : they're dead, their psyche is not what is interesting, we know almost nothing of their motives, we have no recordings, nothing. Because it doesn't fit the theme, aka, it's not important. They could have been replaced by a human organization, and it would have been almost the same. Their only use is to reinforce the fact that even machines of alien conception will become human when in contact with human concepts.

Also, all the twists kinda revolves around the human nature. 2B does love 9S despite her mission. All the humans are dead (biological ones at the least). All the aliens are dead (there is nothing to control the machines). Yorha androids are made with machine technology (and yet are still very human-minded), and so on, and so on...

[lPaladinl]

It's a Sins of the Fathers scenario.

The Androids were Humanity's only chance to survive beyond their extinction. They were created in the image of their creators, designed in some ways to act like them, and ultimately carry on a facade of "humanity" well beyond the existence of any humans. Unfortunately as time goes on between their hardware and software being dated and exploring thoughts on their own, they end up repeating mistakes that Humans did, especially violence and war, and ultimately letting their hubris get out of control. The checks and balances system they have in place becomes corrupt, and the entire system as a whole collapses as individuals can't agree and can't find any compromise with each other.

Worse still, the Machines repeat the same cycle, but more erratically. They literally adopt specific carnal pleasures, emotions, or flaws and process them to extremes, making them all appear as manically insane representations of humanity. Again, adopting the "Sins" of the Androids, who had resulted in the creation of the Machines.

Ultimately history repeats it's self, even if altered in deranged ways. The people of NieR:Automata's age still go to war, threatening the existence of the entire planet, their Societies/Governments still grow corrupt and eventually fall under the weight of their own corruption and secrets. Everyone is still trying to figure out what it means to be "alive", the meaning of life, and what it means to be "human", despite Humans being extinct.

I mean you even have Robots forming religion for similar core reasons that religions were likely formed in real life, for lack of an answer about what happens after death, wanting security within community, and on some level a form of tribalism.

There's also a layer of "War is Hell" in there, as a lot of the robots you kill turn out to be innocent, or if not innocent, are reacting to actions the protagonists or their kind have done in the past. At least half of the robots you kill are just afraid for their lives and the lives of their "families", and take up arms in defense because they've experienced Androids committing genocide in the past. You're following orders to kill "monsters" but the reality is that the Androids are the "Monsters" as they're the ones who started the conflict and are the invaders.

No one learns, everyone dies (or will likely die at some point.). The world goes on.

I don't believe it Nihilistic in nature. It's not that life doesn't matter, it's that humanity, and those emulating humanity, don't learn from their mistakes enough to prevent history from repeating. They adopt the faults and problems of the generations before them and don't find solutions to absolve those problems and prevent them from reoccuring.

And it's not that they can't, it's that they don't know how, or the neccesity of doing so.

[Exarch_Alpha]

The machines learn if you let them go. Only nihilistic ending would be A2´s.

[Centur1on01]

There are only two kinds of machines. Machines that are hostile and machines that are yet to be hostile.

[Exarch_Alpha]

Same could be said for androids.

Until it is revealed if humanity can be ressurected androids don´t have purpose anymore, and are FAR less likely to find one than the machines. YoRHa was just a fascist thing created to fight the machines while the Resistance is far more apathetic than the machines that disconnected.