"You know, I understand now why we're twins. It's because...because we were born without souls. This world is too lonely for one without a soul. There's too much...emptiness. Our souls are missing, but our tears still work. That's kinda weird. Sorry, Sis. I love you."

— Devola's last words to Popola

Devola, also known as Debol in the Japanese release, is a major character in NieR, its remake, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139..., and a minor character in NieR:Automata and NieR:Automata Ver1.1a. She is the older twin sister of Popola and a friend of Nier.

Appearance

The Devola in NieR is a female android with wavy red hair and blue-gray eyes. She wears red clothing underneath a white cloak with loose black sleeves, and wears black shoes, identical to Popola in terms of apparel.

The Devola that appears in NieR:Automata looks nearly identical to the Devola from NieR, though her hair is a darker shade of red, and her eyes are green. Additionally, she wears a white flower in her hair on the left side. She wears red pants with a white belt and knee guards, black boots, a puffy black wristlet on her left wrist, and a white top with short black sleeves that is split on the left side, exposing some of her abdomen, invoking the appearance of her predecessor. Her clothing mirrors that of her sister's.

Story

NieR

"Those two have watched the world wither for time immemorial. The cruelness of such a fate is difficult to imagine."

— Weiss after the twins are revealed to be androids

Devola and Popola's origins are explored in the Two of Us novella. Their thoughts and feelings throughout the game are also expressed in reports covered in Project Gestalt Recollections File 01 and Project Gestalt Recollections File 02.

In Nier's village, Devola is a bard and regular performer at the tavern. She is often seen performing an acoustic rendition of Song of the Ancients at the village fountain. Popola, her twin sister, is the librarian in charge of the village library. Both sisters are considered leaders and look out for Yonah during Nier's frequent absences. Devola is responsible for giving out most side quests.

When the player reaches the Shadowlord's Castle, it is revealed that both Devola and Popola are android observers for Project Gestalt. They are revealed to have lived for thousands of years as a result of the project's initial experiments, and have thus been charged with keeping eye on others: namely over the members of the party, including Yonah. They were made to provide support for when Gestalts were to return to the Replicants' vessels. They are tasked with extracting data from Gestalt souls, making new Replicant bodies, and returning a dead Replicant's data to its Gestalt. This also includes "delivering children" in a "birthing room" in the deepest chamber of Popola's library, where they put Replicant women into a week-long slumber and travel back and forth between the village and a Replicant factory located near the Lost Shrine via vehicle in an underground cavern. This information is kept confidential from all other villagers.^[4]

It is also revealed that the Sealed Verses originated from experimentation on them both, stating that they only loaned Grimoire Weiss a "fraction of their power," thus implying that their magic and capabilities are far superior to that of his.

Devola dies in her sister's arms after being defeated by Nier.

NieR:Automata

New models of Devola and Popola appear in the Resistance Camp thousands of years after the events of NieR, serving as medics. They can initially be seen in the background of the camp but can't be interacted with.

After the destruction of Grün, the twins give 2B a Scanner to help her find the missing 9S. They also function as vendors, selling high-level chips and the Type-3 Sword and Type-3 Blade.

In Route C, the twins help repair 9S as he awakens and after he leaves the Soul Box. They also offer various side quests.

It is later revealed that after the death of the Shadowlord, the Devola and Popola models were blamed for the failure of Project Gestalt, and in turn the remaining models were reprogrammed to harbor constant feelings of guilt, without the memory of humanity's extinction. The twins were treated as pariahs in the Resistance Camp and were often given the most grueling tasks.

Devola and Popola aid 9S in getting inside the Tower by serving as distractions to the machine enemies. After 9S fails at hacking his way inside, Popola makes an attempt at the cost of being perpetually electrocuted. Devola defends 9S and Popola from the machines until Popola manages to open the Tower's gate.

Devola annihilates the machine she's fighting and drags 9S through the gate Popola opened, saying her goodbyes to 9S as the gate begins sealing itself again. As soon as the gate fully closes, Popola receives a presumably fatal shock, which brings about a static screen.

A heavily wounded Popola is later seen with Devola by A2 at the Tower's entrance. They ask A2 if they managed to do some good, with A2 mentioning they had. The pair reveal to her that they have opened the Tower for 9S. Devola and Popola are later shown to have succumbed to their wounds and die together after the arc is launched from the Tower in Ending D.

NieR:Automata Ver1.1a

In the anime, when the Resistance Camp is infected with the Logic Virus, Devola and Popola are finally forgiven and thanked by the them, who has them evacuate in their final moments. Unlike the game, Devola and Popola are infected with a Logic Virus after helping 9S defeat the machine lifeforms at the entrance to The Tower. After Popola succumbs to her wounds, Devola asked A2 if they managed to do some good. A2 reassures her by saying yes, then kills her out of mercy.

Appearances

Devola appears in the following episodes of NieR:Automata Ver1.1a:

• Episode 2, city e[S]cape (appears)
• Episode 3, break ti[M]e (appears)
• Episode 5, mave[R]ick (appears)
• Episode 8, aji wo [K]utta? (appears)
• Episode 11, head[Y] battle (appears)
• Episode 14, mission [F]ailed (appears)
• Episode 18, chil[D]hood's end (appears)
• Episode 21, [N]o man's village (appears)
• Episode 22, just y[O]u and me (appears, flashback)
• Episode 23, meaningless [C]ode (appears)

NieR Reincarnation

Though she and her sister do not play a role in the main story of this game, they appear unconscious or dead, lying next to each other in the entrance to the Cage's Library.

[U]ndecided Option

In an unspecified branch recorded in the memories of the Divine Tree, on the eve of Yonah's 15th birthday after the Shadowlord's death, Devola and Popola units from all over the world exterminate the rest of the Replicants, sparing only Nier and his sister til the end so that Nier sees the consequences of his actions.

Other Appearances

SINoALICE

The NieR Replicant x SINoALICE collaboration has both twins available as a potential character through the collaboration gacha. Their staff can be unlocked through a payment of 300 crystals. When the player uses the job class in battle, only one twin is randomly selected to fight. They do not appear as a team.

Devola and Popola Cleric job story is a third-person narration of the twins' thoughts in NieR Replicant that is told in a fairy tale like fashion. Neither one of them understands why they were created to be sisters until they are forced to bid farewell to one another. To live in such a cruel world, family would have been the only remedy for the loneliness they would have had to endure.

Devola & Popola Cleric

Twin sisters lived in a certain remote village. Reading books and singing, they got along peacefully every day. So well that they doubted that they were even twins. Until one day, they started to question their relationship.

The elder sister contemplated. If only it was just me, I wouldn't have to take time for my little sister's errands. Why were we born as twins?

The younger sister thought. If only it was just me, I wouldn't have to take the time to look after a drunk older sister. Why were we born as twins?

When the time to say goodbye came, the sisters finally realized. For the sake of living in this cold world... We need a "family" to share our loneliness and time with.

Devola and Popola Paladin job story is a first-person narration of the twin's thoughts in monitoring the Shadowlord and Nier, particularly their conflicting feelings of wanting to care for Nier and their devotion to Project Gestalt.

Devola & Popola Paladin

He's awake. Now we're to monitor him for the rest of his life. That is our duty for us sisters. We were created for the sole purpose of completing the project.

He had a gentle nature. Each day he would slave away at work for his little sister's sake. We tried to support him as much as we could.

He became lonely. After his sister was unjustly taken away from him, his mind has become desolate. What we should be focusing on is the project. Not feeling pity for him.

He pointed his sword at us. Only by killing him with our own hands can we complete the project. Our feelings mustn't get in the way. It's for the sake of the project...

The twins' weapon story is a series of letters addressed to Popola. The last level has Devola writing to her sister that she will be late coming home, telling her twin to not stay up waiting for her. Her twin happily accepts her concern.

Devola & Popola Staff

Dear Popola,
Thanks for that soup recipe! My mom loved it!
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
A note received from a child in the village. Does this mean they are developing a sense of self?
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
Dear Popola,
Thanks to the medicine you gave me, I'm feeling a lot better, though I can't leave home yet. Just sending a note to say thanks.
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
According to our records, humans wrote their feelings down on pieces of paper, and sent them to others. Where did they learn to do such a thing?
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
Dear Popola,
I like you a lot. Will you be my girlfriend? Waiting to hear back.
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
I simply cannot understand the things they have written on these scraps of paper. I feel an unfamiliar feeling, my heart saying "no"...
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
Dear Popola,
Sorry I couldn't tell you in person, but I'm coming home late tonight. Go ahead and sleep if you're tired.
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
Ah, Devola. No need to worry about me this way. Tee-hee.

The twins' spear weapon story is told from Popola's perspective, in how she and Devola must do everything they could to take care of the people in their village, claiming it's for Project Gestalt.

Devola & Popola Spear

Upon hearing an old lady from the village caught a cold, I immediately collected my medicinal herbs with some boiled water, and rushed out from the library. I nursed her and remained by her side until her symptoms calmed down. She was extremely grateful for it.

I read a picture book to a group of children from the village. It was an old tale about a brave, courageous man who triumphs over evil. I watched their expressions alternated between joy to sorrow to the story's pacing. I'm glad they enjoyed it.

Devola and I performed a song for the people at the village tavern. In addition to the regulars who drank there, elders and children were part of the audience. At the end of our song, the entire crowd smiled and cheered.
Every day Devola and I have been staying late at the library thinking of a plan to make life easier for the villagers. They're indispensable "vessels" for the project, so we need to do what we can for them.

Their event story, Lies and Atonement, takes place twelve hours before the execution of the Devola and Popola model line in the year 3567.

"Ancient Song" is the first answer for the collaboration's Twitter quiz.

Hon Hikidashi POPUP SHOP

Devola

"Reading something interesting in secret, huh, Devola?"

"Popola...! This is... well, just a little thing..."

Devola quickly hides the book she was reading behind her back. Popola's lingering gaze is uncomfortable.

If she finds out she has a book Popola hasn't read yet, she will definitely say, "Let me read it first." That is why she intended to finish it before being discovered, but the plan failed.

"...Alright. Let's read it together."

Saying so, Devola resigns herself, and the two sisters resume reading together.

Trivia

• Like Popola, Devola's name is a reference to the weapon Devolapopola (Skald's Song) in Drakengard. According to a Drakengard guidebook, Yoko Taro liked the weapon story and wished to someday make them characters in one of his projects. The names were taken from two dogs owned by an acquaintance.
  • According to the Twitter account of NieR character designer, D.K, Devola in particular was designed with Angelus in mind.^[5] She was also designed before Popola.^[6]
• Devola was created by the World Purification Commission second in the novella story, Two of Us, after Popola.
• According to Nier, when Devola drinks alcohol she becomes "very friendly." This is further demonstrated in the drama CD.
• Devola is good at tying a cherry stem with her tongue.^[7]
• Saito conducted a Niconico livestream to promote Automata which included a character popularity poll for Replicant. Users voted the twins to fifth place.^[8]
• Devola is shown to be right-handed, while Popola appears to be left-handed.

• Devola dies first in NieR Replicant, while she dies second in NieR:Automata.
  • In NieR:Automata Ver1.1a episode 22, their deaths visually mirror their counterparts.
• Devola & Popola's Memories state that the twins established the first iteration of the lunar server centuries prior to Project YoRHa's creation and further development of the server.
• Devola and Popola seem to know the android Accord, with Project Gestalt Recollections File 02 mentioning them knowing a female traveling merchant they could rely on for collecting information in dangerous environments, but never being able to locate her when needed.^[9] Devola also directly mentions Accord in NieR:Automata Ver1.1a in an episode omake promoting the weapon Beastlord.^[10]

Gallery

References

Navigation

Characters   NieR Main Other Blue Carlo Defense System: Geppetto Dimo Fisherman Gideon Goose Grimoire Rubrum Halua Hans Hansel & Gretel Hook Jack Jakob Kainé (Gestalt) Kainé's Grandfather Kali Kali (Gestalt) Kalil King's Advisor Nier's Mother Nier's Wife P-33 Red-Bag Couple Roc Sebastian Shadowlord (Father) Shahriyar The Dragon The Giant Tyrann Ursula Wendy Yonah (Gestalt)   Automata Main YoRHa YoRHa Boys Other Accord Auguste Big Sister Machine Boku-Shi Council of Humanity Engels Erica Ernst Grün Hegel Immanuel Jean-Paul Juliet Kierkegaard Ko-Shi Little Sister Machine Marx No.2 (Prototype) No.9 (Prototype) Pod-24 Ro-Shi Romeo Seed Shion Simone So-Shi Sonia SS YoRHa No.4 Type S YoRHa No.8 Type B YoRHa No.22 Type B YoRHa No.64 Type B YoRHa Type A No.1 YoRHa Type P No.2 Zinnia   Reincarnation Main Memory Collab Other Eleanor Him Hina (Divergent Reality) Mourning Mother Old Man Yuzuki (Divergent Reality)