Yoko Taro's 2016 action RPG, Nier: Automata, continues to pass new sales milestones with its spectacular open world and dynamic combat. While the gameplay is varied and exciting enough to prevent any player from getting bored, it's the game's engaging characters that hold the story together and make Nier: Automata the philosophical epic that it is.
Of all the colorful characters in this game, A2 is possibly the most enigmatic and mysterious. Initially, she is presented as an enemy, a dangerous rogue android who 2B is ordered to destroy on sight. However, to A2 it is YoRHa who are the betrayers and throughout the game, the player learns that there is more to her defection than first meets the eye.
10 She Has A Unique Dash Move
A2 has a number of unique abilities that differentiate her from 2B and 9S, including a taunt move and a berserker mode that reduces her health but greatly increases her attack damage.
A2's dash move is also slightly different from the other androids and fits in well with her role as an attacker type, (which is what the A in her name stands for). Holding R2 will not only increase the length of her dash but also her attack damage. A2 also has an inbuilt camouflage mechanic that makes her briefly invisible during her dash, which makes her much better at dodging projectiles and leaping into melee.
9 How Does A2 Avoid Contracting The Logic Virus
By the end of the game, both of the story's main protagonists have been irreversibly corrupted by the logic virus. Although A2 lost her whole squad to this same virus, she alone somehow survived.
It is never made clear whether A2 is actually immune to the logic virus that killed her comrades. However, the reason for her protection from the virus later in the game could be due to her disconnection from YoRHa (who introduced the virus as part of a standard update). It is also possible that since she is an older model than 2B, the newer version of the virus would have no effect on her.
8 There Is A Stage Play About A2's Last Mission
Nier: Automata is a very story-driven game with the kind of deep lore many fans expect of JRPGs. Yoko Taro further expanded the back story for many characters, especially A2, in a stage play he wrote as a prequel to the game.
The stage play mainly covers the events of the Pearl Harbor Drop, A2's last mission before her defection from YoRHa. This mission was where A2 learned certain things about YoRHa's true nature and lost many of her former squadmates, leading her to become the embittered individual encountered in the game. A2 was played by famous the Japanese idol Ruka Endo.
7 She Was Created As Part Of An Experiment
YoRHa never intended for A2 and her companions to survive the Pearl Harbor drop. What seemed a regular mission against the machines was actually a secret experiment designed to test the androids' performance on the battlefield.
While YoRHa knew its androids were more than capable of killing machines, A2 and the rest of her squad were sent on this mission to monitor how they would emotionally respond to the trials of combat. The squad displayed amazing emotional resilience and efficient pragmatism in their attack on the machines and this data would later be used to improve future generations of android.
6 Her Name Is Based Off A Quote From Julius Caesar
Many of the names in Nier: Automata come from famous philosophers or references to classic literature. For instance, one of the many interesting facts about 2B is that her name comes from the Hamlet quote "to be or not to be."
Similarly, A2's name is a reference to the apocryphal last words of Roman emperor Julius Caesar "et tu Brute." This line also has Shakespearean connotations as its first written appearance was in the historical play, Julius Caesar. The name is most likely an allusion to A2's betrayal at the hands of YoRHa and her subsequent defection.
5 A2 Is A Prototype
Like the game's protagonist 2B, who has many of her own hidden details, A2's name is actually a code for her designation within YoRHa. A2 stands for Attacker type Number 2 but this is not all she shares with 2B.
A data file found in the library reveals that A2 and the rest of her unit were designed as prototypes. Her squad was sent to their deaths as part of the Pearl Harbor Drop in order to test how well YoRHa androids would perform in combat. 2B and 9S inherited their emotionally detached pragmatism and tactical efficiency from combat data that was collected from A2 and the rest of her unit.
4 A2 Cut Her Hair To Prevent Spoiler In The Game's Trailer...
Nier: Automatacan be beaten surprisingly quickly compared to other JRPGs and it's no wonder its developers wanted to avoid spoilers as much as possible. At a crucial junction in the game's story, A2 cuts her hair after killing 2B to save her from the fatal logic virus.
The decision to shorten A2's hair was actually made to mislead fans who watched the game's release trailers. This way promotional footage taken from A2's section of the game would simply look like an extremely battle-damaged 2B (who also has short hair). This prevented 2B's death from being revealed during the game's marketing.
3 ...But She Can Get Her Long Hair Back
Players who wish to restore A2's original hairstyle can do so by acquiring an item called simply A2's wig. Like many special items in Nier: Automata, the player will have to fulfill certain requirements in-game to unlock this stylish accessory.
There are numerous branching paths in Nier: Automata and it can be very easy to mess up getting the best ending. Thankfully, it isn't hard to get A2's hair back to its old length. Simply choose to play as her when the choice is provided and complete Route C entirely. Upon finishing A2's storyline, the wig will be added to the player's inventory allowing them to use it in future playthroughs.
2 A2 Can Unlock A Unique Outfit From The Original Nier
There are dozens of hidden details and cosmetics for players to find in Nier: Automata and its best-kept secret has only recently been discovered. The game's DLC added even more content and unlockable items some of which are hidden references to the previous Nier game.
Completing the sand trials from DLC 3C3C1D119440927 will unlock a new attire for A2 called the destroyer's outfit. This outfit consists of a loose-fitting baggy shirt and ruffled trousers. It is the same outfit worn by the main protagonist of the Japanese version of the original Nier.
1 A2 Has Fake Memories From A Human
Little is said about A2's backstory in-game, but she is a major character in the YoRHa stage play written by Yoko Taro as a prequel to Nier: Automata.
In this play, it is mentioned that A2 has fake memories of a human life, one that she could not have possibly lived. In the memories, she is a little girl living happily on a farm with her grandmother. Many fans speculate that this is actually an allusion to Kaine from the first Nier game (which is getting a much-anticipated remake), which raises the question of how her memories came to be possessed by A2.