Nier Replicant, the prequel to Nier: Automata, recently released an upgraded version on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. As a result, many people got to experience this installment for the first time, instantly becoming fans of the main characters. One of which, Kainé, got to play an even greater role in a brand new ending to the title.
Throughout the game, this half-human, half-shade that constantly cursed and kept her distance from others became one of the best heroes in the Drakengard franchise and formed close connections with the other protagonists in the installment. Here are eight of her best quotes.
8 "He's Fighting For You! And For Fyra! Don't Let Him Die For Nothing."
Kainé became friends with the people of Facade after she saved Fyra, who would marry the King of Facade moments before she was killed. The King helped Kainé, Nier, Emil, and Grimoire Weiss in their fight against The Shadowlord as a way to thank them for everything the heroes had done to help Facade over half a decade.
However, when the King sacrificed himself and his people to protect their friends, Nier tried to stop him. Kainé was able to convince Nier to keep moving forward, allowing the King to die and reunite with the woman he loved, which is what he wanted.
7 "Start Making Sense, You Rotten Book, Or You're Gonna Be Sorry!"
Full quote:Â "Start Making Sense, You Rotten Book, Or You're Gonna Be Sorry! Maybe I'll Rip Your Pages Out, One-By-One! Or Maybe I'll Put You In The Godd*** Furnace! How Can Someone With Such A Big, Smart Brain Get Hypnotized Like A Little B***h? Huh? Oh, Shadowlord! I Love You, Shadowlord! Come Over Here And Give Weiss A Big Sloppy Kiss, Shadowlord! Now Pull Your Head Out Of Your Godd*** A** And Start F**king Helping Us!"
When Grimoire Noir was finally introduced, the book spoke with Grimoire Weiss, reminding him that their true purpose was to serve the Shadowlord. At first, Grimoire Weiss didn't want to believe it, but the book quickly started to listen to what his counterpart had to say. Luckily, Kainé, along with the other heroes, was able to snap him out of it, and he refused to betray his friends.
6 "Thanks, But I'll Pass. You Know How It Is. I Got My Own S**t To Take Care Of."
Towards the end of the game, Kainé knew that she was going to be taken over by the Black Scrawl. Because of this, when Nier offers to let her stay with him and Yonah, she declines and begins to leave the siblings, not wanting them to see her in her final moments of life.
However, this didn't work out as Kainé had hoped and she was forced to fight one of her closest friends, who had to make a tough decision that would change her fate. The players either had to kill Kainé or sacrifice Nier, which may be considered by some to be the hardest decision they had to make in the entire series.
5 "I Want You To Petrify Me."
Full quote:Â "I Want You To Petrify Me. You Can Use Me To Keep This Thing Locked Away Down There."
Moments after Kainé was able to stop Grimoire Weiss from joining forces with Grimoire Noir and the Shadowlord, she was forced to sacrifice herself in order to save her friends, along with everyone else in Nier's village from a shade they were fighting.
Kainé trapped the shade in the basement and had Emil use his powers to turn her into stone, locking the shade underneath the library for five years. Though Emil was able to save her half a decade later, that doesn't change the fact that Kainé was willing to die to protect her friends.
4 "You're Going To Stop Talking Now."
Full quote:Â "You're Going To Stop Talking Now. And Then I'm Going To Slowly Walk Over To You, Cram My Hand Inside Your Godd*** B***h-A** Chest, And Pull Out Your F**king Heart! My Grandmother Would Never Say That! She'd Never Tell Me To Give Up On Life! Never! I've Spent My Entire Life Searching For A Way To Avenge Her Death! She Gave Me The Strength To Deal With This Godd*** Mutant Body! Do You Know How Long I've Been Like This? How Much I Loathe Myself?"
Before players were introduced to Kainé, she was very close to her grandmother, who had passed away. The people in The Aerie treated Kainé horribly, and her grandmother was the one person she could count on.
When the shade that killed her grandmother attacked the Aerie, Kainé fought against it. However, in an attempt to get Kainé to stop, this shade spoke in her grandmother's voice, trying to convince her to end the fight. Kainé wasn't fooled though and, with the help of Nier and Grimoire Weiss, defeated the shade.
3 "I Already Made Up My Mind! Nobody Tells Me What To Do!"
Full quote: "I Already Made Up My Mind! Nobody Tells Me What To Do! I Swore I Would Be A Sword! I Swore That I Would Be Your Sword! Do You Hear Me? So I Am Going To Get You Back, And I Don't Care What It Takes! Who The F**k Do You Think You Are To Just Up And Disappear Like That, Huh? I'm The One Who Gets To Decide What My Life Means To Me! It's My Life, And I'll Do Whatever I Want With It! So Quit Wasting Time Like A Brainless F**kwit And Get Your A** Back Here Now!"
In Ending E, players control Kainé, who has lost her memories of Nier, as she fights against the shade that killed her grandmother once again. Throughout this battle, she begins to remember Nier and brings him back into existence, giving this new version of the installment a happier conclusion than the original game had.
2 "Your Eyes Are Not A Sin."
Full quote:Â "Your Eyes Are Not A Sin. Don't Ever Be Ashamed Of Them. They're A Vital Part Of You. Do You Understand?"
After meeting Emil, a boy who could not look at something without turning it to stone, Kainé said these words to him, letting him know that he should embrace who he is. Though he wore a blindfold when he was first introduced, Emil was able to sense things, so Kainé showed him how she is half-shade.
Emil was very surprised and confused by this, having many questions. She told him "This arm is an accursed weapon. I thought I would only need it until I had earned my revenge. Once that happened, I figured it was all over. But there's a reason I'm alive- that my arm is alive. And there's a reason for your eyes, too." This was the start of one of the best friendships in the game.
1 "This All Happened When I Was A Kid..."
Full quote: "This All Happened When I Was A Kid- Before The Whole 'Shade Possession' Thing. My Body Is Different. And When The Villagers Found Out About It, They Started Treating Me Like A Freak. But One Person- My Grandmother- Accepted Me Just As I Was. No Matter How Bad Things Got, She Gave Me The Strength To Keep Going."
After Emil saved Kainé five years after she was petrified and the two were forced out of Nier's village, he asked her to tell him more about herself. She was hesitant at first but he was able to convince her to talk about her childhood. It turns out that Kainé is intersex, which is, unfortunately, the original reason why the people in The Aerie mistreated her.
However, this only makes fans like her more as seeing that one of the best characters in the series is intersex is great. Along with the reveal of Emil being attracted to men, this shows how important it is for video games to represent members of the LGBTQIA+ community.