Highlights

  • Stellar Blade draws from Nier: Automata but sets itself apart with unique character revelations and plot twists.
  • EVE and Adam mirror 2B and 9S, but hold darker secrets and add new levels of depth to the narrative.
  • Protagonists in both games confront inner turmoil and face unexpected challenges in their missions to save humanity.

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Stellar Blade. Proceed at your own risk.

It's no secret that Stellar Blade draws heavy inspiration from Nier: Automata, with Nier: Automata director Yoko Taro even offering high praise for the game. While the combat of Stellar Blade takes more cues from the Soulslike genre, players will likely notice some clear similarities between the main characters of Stellar Blade and those of Nier: Automata. Stellar Blade's EVE and Adam are not one-to-one copies of Nier: Automata's 2B and 9S, and the differences between these duos show how Stellar Blade subverts the expectations of Nier: Automata fans.

Aside from the similar character archetypes, Stellar Blade and Nier: Automata share similar premises that make it obvious to the player that Stellar Blade is an homage to Nier: 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 of Stellar Blade and the machines in the case of Nier: Automata. However, the two games deviate quite a bit from one another, despite their shared tropes and similar storylines.

EVE and the Drone in Stellar Blade-1
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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 similar Stellar Blade's EVE feels to Nier: 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 in Stellar Blade and 9S supporting 2B in Nier: 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, with Stellar Blade players eventually having to face Adam as a boss, and Nier: Automata players facing 9S as a boss during A2's Route C ending.

How Stellar Blade and Nier: Automata’s Main Duos Differ

stellar blade eve adam and emily

There are some definite similarities between the parallel characters that help give them a unique identity within the context of their respective games. Although both EVE 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 in Stellar Blade. This difference in revelations helps distinguish EVE from 2B and aids in the overall growth of her character throughout Stellar Blade.

Adam and 9S have perhaps the biggest differences between the character duos in these games, as 9S is a playable protagonist on several of Nier: Automata's routes, while Adam is not playable in Stellar 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 with Stellar Blade's Adam. However, Adam holds a much darker secret than 9S with the late-game revelation that he is really Raphael Marks and is the Elder Naytiba himself, which leads to a battle between him and EVE as he mutates into a Naytiba within The Nest in the game's finale.