Yonah

Lore & Background

Yonah lives with the protagonist in a village built within post-industrial ruins, over a thousand years after the events of the fifth ending of the first Drakengard game left Earth in ruin. She suffers from the Black Scrawl, a terminal illness that is later revealed to be a side effect of Gestalts' insanity degrading their Replicant counterparts. While rescuing Yonah from a temple after she wanders there looking for a rare flower, the protagonist meets Grimoire Weiss. After journeying for a time, Yonah is kidnapped by the Shadowlord, who is revealed to be the Gestalt of the prologue's protagonist, driven by the wish to save his Yonah by reuniting her Gestalt and Replicant. Though successfully rejoined, the Gestalt Yonah dissipates to save her Replicant version's life.

In Their Own Story

In the mid 21st century, amid a ruined city during a snowstorm in summer, the protagonist fends off ethereal black monsters to protect a sick young girl named Yonah. She touches a magical book and is covered in black markings, worsening her condition. Over a thousand years later, the protagonist and Yonah live in a village built within post-industrial ruins, with the protagonist taking odd jobs from village leaders Devola and Popola to support the sick Yonah. Yonah wanders into a temple looking for a rare flower, and while rescuing her, the protagonist meets Grimoire Weiss. After journeying for a time, the protagonist's village is attacked by a giant Shade, and Yonah is kidnapped by the Shadowlord. The game jumps forward five years, with the situation worsening. The party eventually defeats the Shadowlord, who is revealed to be the Gestalt of the prologue's protagonist. Though successfully rejoined, the Gestalt Yonah dissipates to save her Replicant version's life.

Reader's Guide

Yonah is the central figure the protagonist seeks to save throughout Nier Replicant. She is introduced in the prologue as a sick young girl protected by the protagonist during a snowstorm in a ruined city. After touching Grimoire Weiss, her condition worsens. Over a thousand years later, she lives with the protagonist in a village, suffering from the Black Scrawl. Her kidnapping by the Shadowlord after the village is attacked by a giant Shade drives the main plot. The player learns that Yonah is a Replicant, an artificial body, while her Gestalt (soul) is held by the Shadowlord. In the final confrontation, the Gestalt Yonah dissipates to save her Replicant version's life. In the second ending, the spirit of the Gestalt protagonist and Yonah reunite in the afterlife. In the fourth ending, the protagonist sacrifices his life for Kainé, erasing memory of him from Yonah and Kainé and deleting all of the player's save data. The updated version of Replicant adds a fifth ending where, after the fourth ending, Kainé's actions restore the protagonist in his young form, and all of the player's save data prior to the fourth ending is restored.

Did You Know?

• Yonah's condition worsens after she touches Grimoire Weiss, a magical book, covering her in black markings.
• Yonah is kidnapped by the Shadowlord, who is the Gestalt of the prologue's protagonist, driven by the wish to save his Yonah.
• The Black Scrawl that afflicts Yonah is a side effect of Gestalts' insanity degrading their Replicant counterparts.
• In the second ending, the spirit of the Gestalt protagonist and Yonah reunite in the afterlife.
• In the fifth ending added to the updated version of Replicant, the protagonist is restored in his young form, and all save data prior to the fourth ending is restored.