2B

2B, also known as YoRHa No. 2 Type B, is a combat android from NieR: Automata, designed for battle. She belongs to the YoRHa unit and is tasked with fighting alien machines to protect humanity. Her calm and composed demeanor contrasts with her deeply conflicted emotions, as she struggles with the nature of her existence and her assigned role. Beneath her stoic exterior, 2B harbors a strong sense of duty and an inner conflict about her emotions towards 9S, a fellow android.

In some instances, she’s referred to as 2E (YoRHa No. 2 Type E), signifying her hidden role as an executioner, tasked with eliminating rogue YoRHa units if they stray from their mission. This dual identity adds a layer of complexity to her character, as it involves personal loss and moral dilemmas about her true purpose and the cycles of destruction and rebirth the androids endure.

2B’s iconic design features a black dress, high heels, and a blindfold-like visor, which adds to her mysterious and stoic persona. Her combat style is elegant yet brutal, reflecting her efficiency as a warrior.

YoRHa Unit and Creation

2B (YoRHa No. 2 Type B) was created as part of the YoRHa project, a specialized unit of androids designed to fight a long-running war against machine lifeforms, who were sent to Earth by alien invaders. YoRHa units, including 2B, were made to protect the remnants of humanity, who are believed to be hiding on the moon. However, this premise is later revealed to be a fabricated narrative, as the humans are long extinct, and the war between androids and machines is essentially a fight with no true victor. Despite this, 2B and her fellow YoRHa units continue to fight in service to what they believe is the last hope for humanity.

Role as a Combat Android

As a Type B (Battler) model, 2B was designed primarily for close-quarters combat and excels in using a variety of weapons, including swords and spears. Her combat efficiency and cold, detached demeanor make her an effective soldier, focusing on completing missions with little room for emotion. However, her true designation is not just as a soldier; she’s also secretly a Type E (Executioner). Her real mission is to execute other YoRHa androids, specifically 9S models, if they discover dangerous secrets about the nature of YoRHa and the truth of their existence.

The 2B and 9S Connection

One of the most important relationships in 2B’s life is with 9S, a scanner-type android who is curious and emotionally open. Though 2B often acts distant and professional around 9S, their relationship is deeply tragic. Due to her secret role as an Executioner, 2B has been forced to kill 9S countless times, as he repeatedly uncovers truths about the YoRHa project. These repeated cycles of death and rebirth have led 2B to develop deep but repressed feelings of sorrow and guilt. Despite their contrasting personalities, the bond between them grows stronger throughout the game, with 2B struggling between her duty and her emotions.

The Hidden Truth and Existential Crisis

As the game progresses, it’s revealed that the entire YoRHa project, including 2B, is based on deception. The androids’ battle against the machines is a cyclical and purposeless conflict, created by their leaders to maintain control. The revelation that humanity has been extinct for millennia, and that both the androids and machines are essentially continuing a war without meaning, pushes 2B and others into an existential crisis. This underlying theme of the futility of their struggle adds weight to 2B’s actions and her internal conflict, as she fights to understand her place in a universe where everything seems predetermined and hopeless.

Multiple Endings and the Tragedy of 2B

Due to the cyclical nature of the story, players experience multiple endings, and in some of them, 2B faces her inevitable death. At one point, 2B is infected by a machine virus, leading to her tragic end, which forces 9S to confront his feelings of loss and anger. Her death sets off a series of events that dramatically alters the course of the story, particularly for 9S, whose grief and anger push him towards madness. Despite her death, 2B’s presence lingers throughout the story, as her memory drives much of 9S’s actions and the fate of the world itself.

A Tragic Heroine

In essence, 2B is a tragic heroine trapped in a cycle of war, death, and rebirth, constantly grappling with her duty as a soldier and her suppressed emotions. Her stoic demeanor masks a deep well of guilt, pain, and love, particularly towards 9S, whom she’s been forced to kill repeatedly. Her background is tied to themes of existentialism, questioning the meaning of life, and the struggle for identity in a world where everything seems futile. Ultimately, 2B’s journey is one of uncovering the truth about herself, the world she lives in, and what it means to fight for something greater than herself—even if that something is a lie.