Revision as of 16:51, 29 November 2014 by Primarch Dysley(Message Wall | contribs)(if that's what a human skeleton looks like, then the Replicant system screwed up somewhere)
Emil is a companion and major character in NieR RepliCant and NieR Gestalt (NIER). He is a young boy that joins Nier's party towards the end of the first half of NieR. Emil is cursed (or as otherwise reassured by the party: blessed) with the ability to turn anyone who sees his eyes to stone.
Within the first half of Part II, Emil reveals himself to be No. 7, an ancient weapon created by magical experimentation. He is transformed into a skeleton-like being, but retains his soul and gains new magical powers.
Emil is a young, kind hearted boy who lives in the old mansion on the southern plains, tended to by his butler, Sebastian. Despite his gentle demeanor, Emil possesses unimaginable power - everyone he looks at is turned to stone. Rather than abuse this power, Emil is burdened by a terrible guilt and wears a blindfold to avoid petrifying anyone. He brings a sense of youthful exuberance and takes to Nier and Kainé as if they were the older brother and sister he's wanted his entire life.
Eventually he is forced to petrify Kainé in an attempt to keep a monstrous Shade locked away, and five years later he requests for Nier to help him find a cure for reversing the effects in a laboratory in his mansion. While in the laboratory, Emil remembers that he was experimented upon by the National Weapons Laboratory in the search to create an "ultimate weapon". His sister Halua, labeled Number 6, became the ultimate weapon while he was known as Number 7 and kept in reserve, in case he was ever needed to keep her at bay. Their mission below the mansion is successful and Emil gains not only the ability to see without harm to others, but also the power to manipulate all forms of magic and and thus the power to reverse the effects of Kainé's petrification. There is a price, however: having gained this power through merging with his sister, Emil is granted a new form reminiscent of his sister's "weaponised" body; he becomes a skeletal creature that floats above the ground, wearing a ragged cloak and wielding an enchanted staff. At first he is ashamed of his new look, but learns to accept it once everyone assures him that they do not feel any differently towards him.
He accompanies Nier on his quest to defeat the Shadowlord, and is responsible for the destruction of The Aerie after losing control of his powers as the "ultimate weapon". He later tearfully sacrifices himself to save the others from Popola at the Shadowlord's Castle.
"You know...when I was young. I...I hated my eyes. And now that I'm older, I hate what my body has become. But there's something else there now. Something like...pride. You know? I mean, without all this... I couldn't have become your friend. Good-bye, my friends! Thank you for everything"
—Emil, before sacrificing himself.
However, Emil did not die, but is now a disembodied head. Emil expresses his relief as he lands somewhere in the desert and begins rolling along to locate the others.
To begin with, Emil's only power is the ability to turn anyone he looks at to stone. This is involuntary and Emil is forced to blindfold himself to ensure the safety of innocent people. He also seems to be able to sense Shades, as seen when he identified Kainé's possession when he touched her arm, and ran to warn Nier at his Village when a huge army of shades was in the process of invading. However, after merging with Halua, he gains the power of Number 6, the "ultimate weapon", in place of his own. This grants him his skeletal form, as well as the ability to hover in the air and use immensely powerful magic to various ends, such as to heal others (including from the effects of his own petrifying stare, as seen with Kainé) and cast strong offensive spells to aid in battle. He does not have total control over his magic however, as shown when he was required to use extreme force to defeat the Shade Wendy at the Aerie, only to go overboard, losing control of himself and obliterating the entire Aerie in a massive blast of magic.
Emil is named after Ludwig Emil Grimm, the younger sibling of the Brothers Grimm
Originally, his name was going to be "Snow" (as in Snow White.)
In an interview with Taro Yoko, he confirms Emil to be homosexual and is attracted to Nier.
Emil is good at dancing furiously with glow sticks in each hand like he's at a rave.
Emil makes an appearance in the arcade-based fantasy collectible card game Lord of Vermilion Re:2.
Emil's exact age is unknown; however, it has been theorized that the experiments have halted his aging process. For example: After the five year time skip, Emil's character model remains the same, while some character models (e.g Gideon) have matured and grown. To further prove the theory, Grimoire Nier details the use of Emil in the defense against the Legion, as well as his being kidnapped by the original Tyrann from 1000 years ago.
If the above theory is correct, Emil is in fact the only living human in the world of Nier.
