Rachael

A being of artificial memory who proves that the soul is defined by experience, not origin.

Rachael, sometimes referred to as Rachael Tyrell, was the latest experiment of Eldon Tyrell, and the sole Nexus-7 replicant. Tyrell believed that since replicants had such a limited lifespan, they had little time to develop control of their emotions, causing difficulty in managing these emotions. He believed implanting the replicants with memories would create a cushion that would allow for emotional development, and make them more controllable. Rachael has the implanted memories of Tyrell's niece, leading her to believe that she is human. It is not revealed in the film how long she has been living, but Tyrell admits that he thinks she is beginning to suspect the truth of her nature.

Quick Facts

First appears: Blade Runner (1982 film)
Creator: Dr. Eldon Tyrell

Lore & Background

Rachael was designed as the sole Nexus-7 replicant, a step beyond the Nexus-6 models that had rebelled. Tyrell's theory was that a replicant's limited lifespan prevented emotional control, so he implanted her with the memories of his niece to create a cushion for emotional development. This conditioning was so thorough that Rachael believed herself human, only beginning to suspect the truth on her own. When Deckard administered the Voight-Kampff test, the test took much longer than normal, confirming she was a replicant. Deckard explained that her childhood photo was a fabrication, that her memories were implants. Rachael left in tears. Later, she fell in love with Deckard, and he with her. At the end of the first film, they boarded an elevator and fled Los Angeles together.

Reader's Guide

Introduced as Eldon Tyrell's assistant, she is revealed to be a replicant whose stability rests on her implanted past. Deckard's meetings with Rachael, an advanced experimental replicant, cause him to question his attitude towards replicants and what it means to be human, and he falls in love with her.

Did You Know?

Rachael died in childbirth after a caesarean section, as revealed in Blade Runner 2049.
Niander Wallace created a physically near-identical copy of Rachael to try to extract information from Deckard.