Summary
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Stellar Blade. Proceed at your own risk.
It’s no secret thatStellar Bladedraws heavy inspiration fromNier: Automata, withNier: Automatadirector Yoko Taro even offering high praise for the game. While the combat ofStellar Bladetakes more cues from the Soulslike genre, players will likely notice some clear similarities between the main characters ofStellar Bladeand those ofNier: Automata.Stellar Blade’s EVE and Adam are not one-to-one copies ofNier: Automata’s 2B and 9S, and the differences between these duos show howStellar Bladesubverts the expectations ofNier: Automatafans.
Aside from the similar character archetypes,Stellar BladeandNier: Automatashare similar premisesthat make it obvious to the player thatStellar Bladeis an homage toNier: Automata. Both games follow protagonists who are sent to Earth to save the remnants of humanity from a threat that has destroyed the majority of the planet along with human civilization, with this threat being the Naytiba in the case ofStellar Bladeand the machines in the case ofNier: Automata. However, the two games deviate quite a bit from one another, despite their shared tropes and similar storylines.
The Similarities between Stellar Blade’s EVE and Adam and Nier: Automata’s 2B and 9S
Right from the game’s start, players will notice how similarStellar Blade’s EVE feels toNier: Automata’s 2B, with both characters acting as the main protagonists of their respective games. EVE and 2B are both very serious individuals who know the stakes of their mission and prioritize accomplishing their goals no matter the risks. However, both of these characters have their serious facades broken as the events of the game unfold, with EVE growing to show concern for the people of Xion who see her as an Angel, and 2B questioning the purpose of her mission after witnessing the machines' capacity for human emotion.
These protagonists also share the commonality of having a secondary character that supports them, with Adam supporting EVE inStellar Bladeand 9S supporting 2B inNier: Automata. In contrast to the serious nature of EVE and 2B, Adam and 9S tend to be somewhat more lighthearted and even awkward, while still doing all they can to aid the player. Both characters also end up playing far more important roles in the story than it initially seems, withStellar Bladeplayers eventually having to face Adam as a boss, andNier: Automataplayers facing 9S as a boss duringA2’s Route C ending.
How Stellar Blade and Nier: Automata’s Main Duos Differ
There are some definite similarities between the parallel characters that help give them a unique identity within the context of their respective games. Although bothEVE and 2B are androids, 2B is aware of her nature from the start, while EVE’s reaction to learning that she is not the human she thought she was and is actually an Andro-Eidos created by Mother Sphere is a groundbreaking moment inStellar Blade. This difference in revelations helps distinguish EVE from 2B and aids in the overall growth of her character throughoutStellar Blade.
Adam and 9S have perhaps the biggest differences between the character duos in these games, as 9S is a playable protagonist on several ofNier: Automata’s routes, while Adam is not playable inStellar Blade. The nature of a playable 9S means players are able to get a better understanding of the world from his perspective, something that they lack withStellar Blade’s Adam. However, Adam holds a much darker secret than 9S with the late-game revelation that he is reallyRaphael Marks and is the Elder Naytibahimself, which leads to a battle between him and EVE as he mutates into a Naytiba within The Nest in the game’s finale.
