Nier Automata's timeline can be quite a confusing thing. It makes a lot of sense when players put the time in to learn it at a deep level, but it comes off as almost nonsensical at a glance, especially for those just getting into the Nier Automata: The End of YoRHa edition.
But, for the devoted fans that followed or even researched the timeline and connections between Nier Automata and Drakengard, here are some things they likely noticed.
7 Accord Mention By Weapon Trader
The character named Accord is one that only appears in one Drakengard game, the third one. In this game, Accord pops up multiple times to talk to Zero and seems to have come from the future (somehow) to observe this timeline. At the end of Drakengard 3's A and D Endings, it's revealed that Accord is an Android with multiple "copies" of herself, and this was long before 2B and her mysterious exploding skirt were ever announced.
Then, in Automata, there's an actual NPC who mentions Accord. To be more specific, the Weapons Trader of the Resistance camp mentions her by name as "the proprietor of his business". Of course, only hardcore Drakengard fans would even notice this reference, and they still don't necessarily know what Accord's point was in helping the Resistance Camp or what she's been up to. Honestly, she's one of the best characters for the upcoming anime to take a deeper look into overall.
6 Cult Of The Watchers Tattoo On Eve's Body
Next up is another hyper-specific reference. To be more specific, it's Eve's Tattoos that appear when he's angrily mourning the death of Adam. Now, these tattoos are a blend of a bunch of different shapes and designs. But, at the center of it, right around the top of his right pectoral is one specific symbol, two conjoined heads that share one of their eyes.
To anyone else, this just looks like a neat bit of symbology referencing the fact that Adam and Eve are twins who are two parts of one whole, and it is. But, there's more to it than that, as this symbol is actually the logo of the Cult of the Watchers, the main antagonists across the entire Drakengard franchise. And, since the two leaders of this Cult are also twins, One and Brother One, the connection is obvious.
5 The References To The "Dragon" & "Giant" In Files That 9S Finds
As anyone who played the first Drakengard would know, its original name in Japan is Drag-On Dragoon. And, in this game, the player takes control of a warrior named Caim who ends up making a Pact with the red dragon Angelus. This game has five endings, the fifth of which has Caim and Angelus going through a portal while fighting the Queen Beast and ending up in 2003 Japan.
And, one of the early files 9S (the little scamp that he is) can find while hacking in Nier Automata is a log that mentions the "Dragon" (Angelus) and the "Giant" (the Queen) during these same events in 2003. This proves that Nier Automata takes place in the same world as both Drakengard's Ending E and Nier, just thousands of years in the future.
4 The Logic Virus & Its Connections To The Red-Eye Disease
The Red-Eye Disease plays a major role in the events of all of the Drakengard games as well as both Nier games. In Drakengard, it was the tell-tale sign that someone was possessed or under the control of the Watchers, as characters like Manah and Inuart show their Red-Eyes while exhibiting unusually violent behavior.
In Nier Replicant, this Disease is the result of the Queen Magic magic or "maso" being spread around on Earth and forcing anyone who ingested these particles into a "pact" with her that would turn them into pillars of salt if they refused. But, in Nier Automata there is no Red-Eye Disease, just the Logic Virus. This Virus is seen in both machines and Androids (which usually has them uncovering their eyes) and forces them to exhibit incredibly violent behavior as well that leads to some of the game's boss fights that made players very reluctant to continue onward. It's never confirmed, but any Drakengard fan would likely link the similarities between the two and assume that the Logic Virus is the next evolution of the Red-Eye Disease, as its origins are magical in nature and would assumably allow it to "adapt" to infecting mechanical Androids once humans are gone.
3 All The Weapons Shared Between The Games
Weapons in most of Yoko Taro's games tend to function the same. Players can switch between a few different types such as Greatswords, Short Swords, and Spears. And, as they upgrade and use these Weapons, more of the short stories tied to them will be unlocked. But, between all three Drakengards, Nier Replicant, and Nier Automata, there are a lot of different Weapons that are unique to each game.
Yet, for some reason, a few Weapons from Drakengard 1 also appear in Nier Automata. In particular, the Ancient Overlord, Iron Will, Faith, Fang of the Twins, Dragoon Lance, and Spear of the Usurper have all been seen in Nier Automata but originated from the first Drakengard.
2 Adam & Eve Vs One & Brother One
Twins come up pretty often in both Drakengard and Nier games and usually serve as being two parts of a greater whole or perfect opposites of one another. And, to name some of the most prominent examples there are:
- Manah and Seere in Drakengard 1
- One and Brother One in Drakengard 3
- Devola and Popola in both Nier Replicant and Nier Automata
- Adam and Eve in Nier Automata
- The Red Girls In Nier Automata
Now, all of these twins are similar to each other in certain ways both visually and in their character. But, the most easy-to-see comparison between twins has to be Adam and Eve in Automata being similar to One and Brother One in Drakengard 3. Both sets of twins have one of them who was "born" from the other (Eve from Adam and Brother One from One), both have connections to the Watchers, and both are viewed as "higher lifeforms" compared to those around them as either Intoners or the next stage of Machine Lifeforms.
1 The Red Girls Are Just Like Manah
Speaking of Twins, let's end things by talking about The Red Girls that appear in Nier Automata. These Red Girls are the "representation" of the Machine Network in the game and were the orchestrators behind the war between the Machines and Androids as well as being one of the main reasons the game feels so surreal.
Their end goal seems to be to wipe out the last remnants of "humanity" on the moon and to cause chaos overall. Now, what other Twins wearing all red were working towards human extinction? Oh yeah, Manah was in Drakengard 1 (though Seere was just a nice kid overall). This Watcher-possessed little kid has a lot of obvious similarities to The Red Girls and helps show that the Watchers are always trying to destroy humans as their main goal.