History Franchise / Drakengard

* JerkassGods: In the ''Drakengard'' world there is [[LostInTranslation one or several gods]] that created everything in it. Unfortunately they view humanity as a failure and a plight that needs to be purged, leading to the creation of creatures such as the dragons and the Watchers.

* RunningGag: "Thank you so, so much for playing"![[note]]In Japanese: "本当に、本当にありがとうございました！"[[/note]]. A sadistic parody of ThankingTheViewer, this phrase is spoken with utmost joy by [[BigBad Manah]] after clearing all the endings of the first game in a way that serves as the cherry on top of the [[GainaxEnding insanity sundae]] that is [[EarnYourBadEnding Ending E]]. The phrase reached meme status in Japan immediately after the game's release and has since become synonymous with the ending itself and other similarly-bleak endings in different media. It's since been used in every game in the series, often in a similar context, except for ''Drakengard 2'' where the sound byte from the first game is played [[SdrawkcabSpeech in reverse]] in the game's opening. ''Nier'''s "parting greeting" has the main cast come together to try and say the phrase.

* StableTimeLoop: Heavily implied that the setting is tied together through one. The background lore for the ''Drakengard'' setting reveals that its world was once our world, until a more modern city suddenly appeared on the European continent, causing fantasy elements to spawn from it and magic to come into existence. This was called the "Great Disaster" and completely reshaped the land into a more fantasy-like one named Midgard. The last ending of the first game ends with Caim and Angelus in roughly modern-day Tokyo, causing the events of ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'' after they defeat the FinalBoss and are shot down. It's implied that these two events are connected to each other in some way, and that both events created a loop of some kind, which is further strengthened by the setting's usage of words like "over and over again" and cycles being a recurring element of each game.

* TenuouslyConnectedFlavorText: All weapons in the games have their own FlavorText in the form of Weapon Stories, which are 4 short passages that are unlocked as you upgrade the weapons. Some of them are fairly straightforward backstories, others are ambiguous tales that only indirectly relate to the weapon at hand. Plot-related weapons will often reveal tidbits of lore or character motivations that are otherwise unmentioned.
* ThemeNaming: Most groups of characters in the games follow a theme of some sort:

* UltimateEvil: [[GodIsEvil God]] (or "the gods" in earlier English translations). It tends to serve as the central ''unseen'' antagonist for the whole series, and its influence is felt in ''every'' game, even ones where it is not outright stated to be connected to. What this God and its "angels" (the Watchers) exactly ''are'' is one of the series' most enduring mysteries.

** Later confirmed in the [[https://firesanctuary.com/2020/04/03/new-revelations-about-accord/ 10th Anniversary Livestream]] for ''VideoGame/NieR''. The skyscrapered Cathedral City of ''Drakengard'' came from the era of the Alien War]] in ''[=NieR=]: Automata'''s backstory, and was working on bio-engineered weapons prior to being yanked into the past of ''Drakengard'' -- the Dragons are confirmed, but presumably also all the other monsters of the ''Drakengard'' world that don't have another confirmed origin. [[spoiler:It's also where the recorder android Accord was created.]]

** Later confirmed in the [[https://firesanctuary.com/2020/04/03/new-revelations-about-accord/ 10th Anniversary Livestream for ''VideoGame/NieR''. The skyscrapered Cathedral City of ''Drakengard'' came from the era of the Alien War]] in ''[=NieR=]: Automata'''s backstory, and was working on bio-engineered weapons prior to being yanked into the past of ''Drakengard'' -- the Dragons are confirmed, but presumably also all the other monsters of the ''Drakengard'' world that don't have another confirmed origin. [[spoiler:It's also where the recorder android Accord was created.]]

** Later confirmed in the [[https://firesanctuary.com/2020/04/03/new-revelations-about-accord/ 10th Anniversary Livestream for ''VideoGame/Nier''. The skyscrapered Cathedral City of ''Drakengard'' came from the era of the Alien War]] in ''[=NieR=]: Automata'''s backstory, and was working on bio-engineered weapons prior to being yanked into the past of ''Drakengard'' -- the Dragons are confirmed, but presumably also all the other monsters of the ''Drakengard'' world that don't have another confirmed origin. [[spoiler:It's also where the recorder android Accord was created.]]

** Later confirmed in the 10th Anniversary Livestream for ''VideoGame/Nier''. The skyscrapered Cathedral City of ''Drakengard'' came from the era of the Alien War in ''[=NieR=]: Automata'''s backstory, and was working on bio-engineered weapons prior to being yanked into the past of ''Drakengard'' -- the Dragons are confirmed, but presumably also all the other monsters of the ''Drakengard'' world that don't have another confirmed origin. [[spoiler:It's also where the recorder android Accord was created.]]

** Later confirmed in the 10th Anniversary Livestream for Nier. The skyscrapered Cathedral City of ''Drakengard'' came from the era of the Alien War in ''[=NieR=]: Automata'''s backstory, and was working on bio-engineered weapons prior to being yanked into the past of ''Drakengard'' -- the Dragons are confirmed, but presumably also all the other monsters of the ''Drakengard'' world that don't have another confirmed origin. [[spoiler:It's also where the recorder android Accord was created.]]

%%** Later confirmed and expanded on in supplementary material. The skyscrapered Cathedral City of ''Drakengard'' came from the era of the Alien War in ''[=NieR=]: Automata'''s backstory, and was working on bio-engineered weapons prior to being yanked into the past of ''Drakengard'' -- most notably the dragons, but presumably also all the other monsters of the ''Drakengard'' world. [[spoiler:It's also where the recorder android Accord was created.]]

** In ''Drakengard 3'' the Intoners are named after English [[NumericalThemeNaming numbers]] ([[MyHeroZero Zero]], One, Two...) while their Disciples' names are named from Greco-Roman numbers (Dito, Octa, Cent...)

** In ''Drakengard 2'' the new characters are named after obscure early 00s computer viruses (Nowe = BAT.NOWE, Eris = VBS.Eris.A, Urick = W32/Urick, Gismor = W32/Gismor...).

** The first is "I hear a sound" or some variation of it. Most often it appears when the gods start to influence the world.
** The second is less a word and more of a chain of letters. They are hidden in the various magical incantations spread throughout the series written in the celestial script and spell out ACGT. Or in other words, Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine. The bases that make up part of the DNA molecule.

* {{Deconstruction}}: One of the core themes of the series can be summed up with, "Why do you kill?" This in turn often lead to deconstructions of the OneManArmy and Heroism tropes as well as the exploration to why a human being would kill hundreds if not thousands of people, all for something that may be more selfish than they intended.
* DivineConflict: The Gods and Dragons have been in a recurring one, though its unclear how long it has been going on for, and why it even occurred. All that is known is that Dragons were originally made by them but now are waiting for the chance to step in and take down the Gods, which becomes an important plot point in ''Drakengard 2''.

* MultipleEndings: Three-to-five endings in each game. ''Very'' rare to have an EarnYourHappyEnding. All endings are canon due to branching timelines (a concept explored most thoroughly in ''VideoGame/Drakengard3''), and ''VideoGame/Drakengard2'' and ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'' stem from different endings of ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}''.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Dragons are among the most powerful of magical creatures; often cynical and proud, they were originally created by the gods to guard the world and purge humanity. In times since, however, dragons turned against their creators and waged their own conflict to gain control of the world. They also possess EvolutionaryLevels, allowing them to adapt as needed.

* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Ever since ''VideoGame/NieR'', all protagonists have white hair, and nearly all of them usually get broken in their experiences, are unintentionally a VillainProtagonist in any part of their story, or started like that.

* TenuouslyConnectedFlavorText: The first two games have some for its weapons, which are connected, but takes levelling up the weapon a while, to reveal how:
** ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' has a short story for each of its 65 weapons, unlocked as they level up:
*** Apostate's Misery: Poleaxe:
---->Level 1: There was once a wind spirit who fell in love with a mortal man. Though it was against all the laws of her race, each day she allowed her love and passion to grow.
---->Level 2: The spirit was condemned to death for the betrayal of her race. The Lord of Spirits sent vassals to carry out the sentence, armed with a bardiche enchanted to slay spirits.
---->Level 3: Sensing that her life was in danger, the spirit made one last visit to the man she loved, then fled through the forests and seas and mountains, pursued all the while by her would-be executioners.
---->Level 4: Some years later, a healthy young boy was seen playing around the village. This remarkable boy could control the very winds. His father never told him who his mother was...
*** Butcher's Joy: Cleaver (Sword):
---->Level 1: Juices oozing from tender, succulent flesh, the sweet aroma of fine herbs... The master cook made dishes of meat that none in the city could resist.
---->Level 2: Every day, customers lined up outside his inn, waiting for their chance to partake. Even the king himself would sneak down from his castle to sample the master's art.
---->Level 3: But once he entered his kitchen, the smiling cook's face would grow stern. The meat he used was no ordinary meat...
---->Level 4: The years passed, and the cook and his inn disappeared from the town. But his cleaver remains as gleaming and sharp as ever, waiting for its next master.
** ''Drakengard 2'':
*** Apostate's Misery: Poleaxe:
---->Level 1: The young man was popular with everyone in the village. He had the ability to control the wind, and was often seen flying over rivers and valleys. He was a cheerful boy, though he always seemed be troubled by something.
---->Level 2: Several years later, his father passed away. Before he died, he told his son about the young man's mother, whom his son had learned never to mention in his presence.
---->Level 3: "Go to the place marked on the map." said his father. As if guided by a spirit, the young man took up his scythe and left, carried by the wind. How long had he been travelling? Over the forests, oceans and mountain Ranges he flew. Exhausted and frail, He came at last to a village.
---->Level 4: The chief of the village welcomed the young man and told him that the scythe he was carrying had once belonged to the village. Just then, a beautiful woman entered the room. The young man knew at once that she was his mother. From that day forth, he helped keep peace between humans and wind spirits. The scythe was never used again.
* UltimateEvil: The Gods. They tend to serve as the central ''unseen'' antagonists for the whole series, and their influence is felt in ''every'' game, even ones where it is not outright stated to have them in.

----

** ''[=NieR: Gestalt=]'' (2010, UsefulNotes/XBox360)[[index]] [[note]]Nier is Yonah's father. Released in Japan as ''[=NieR=]: Gestalt'' but localized in the West simply as ''[=NieR=]'', so more well known to Western players who don't speak Japanese until the ''Replicant'' remake was released in 2021. ''Gestalt'' received no equivalent remake.[[/note]]

* KillEmAll: A number of endings of the games will feature the entire cast being killed off.
* KudzuPlot[=/=]JigsawPuzzlePlot: While it did start somewhat confusingly, it was still relatively straightforward. Then numerous extra materials and installments added even more depth to the ''Drakengard'' world, and with the inclusion of numerous alternate timelines things start to get hard to keep track of. This is mitigated somewhat by the continuity between titles being rather vague (with the exception of ''Drakengard 2''). Therefore, knowledge of past entries or of the overarching universe is not necessary to play the games.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: In this series, red eyes are never a good sign since it signals the Watchers' influence, be it the Red Eye Disease of ''Drakengard'', the Legion of ''[=NieR=]'''s backstory, or the Logic Virus of ''[=NieR=]: Automata''. In fact, WordOfGod is that these are all linked somehow.

* ''[=NieR=] Replicant Drama CD: The Sealed Verses and the Red Sky'', a collection of Drama [=CDs=] that mostly focus on characters and events surrounding Project Gestalt. It also contains the story ''The Space War'', which delves into what happened after the aliens arrived after the end of ''[=NieR=]''.
* ''Drag-On Dragoon Shi ni Itaru Aka (Drakengard Fatal Crimson)'', a manga following Ending A to ''Drakengard 3'' which leads to ''Drag-On Dragoon 1.3'' below; it could be considered canon to ''Drakengard'' as well in BroadStrokes.

* ''Theatre/YoRHa'', a stage play series set thousands of years after ''[=NieR=]'', setting up the premise of ''Nier: Automata''.

** ''The Garden of Light'', a novella set after ending A of ''Drakengard 2''.

* ''Drakengard Judgement'', a canceled prequel manga that had two installments. Contradicted by later canon.

** The ''Nier'' setting takes place centuries after the modern world was devastated by White Chlorination Syndrome and most of the human race was killed by it. ''Nier:Automata'' takes place further down the road than even that.

** In 856 AD there happened something known only as The Cataclysm when a huge earthquake struck in the Iberian Peninsula and the Cathedral City suddenly appearing overnight. This released all kinds of mysterious creatures on the world and led to the current state of the setting of ''Drakengard''. It also led to the appearance of "Singularities", unique conditions that can cause the timeline to split.
** The ''Nier'' setting takes place after the world was devastated by white chlorination syndrome and most of the Human race was killed by it. ''Nier Automata'' takes place further down the road than even that.

** Events transpire to turn a young person into a psychopath with an insatiable grudge against a group and their followers, whether they deserve it or not. [[spoiler:Caim against anybody who isn't his friend in ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'', the younger smith brother against machines in ''VideoGame/NieR'', Zero against Intoners but with a ''very'' good reason in ''VideoGame/Drakengard3'', 9S against Machine Lifeforms]].

[[folder: Drakengard]]

'''''Drakengard''''', known as ''Drag-On Dragoon'' (Japanese: ドラッグ オン ドラグーン commonly abbreviated as ''DOD'') in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, is a series of action role playing video games published by Creator/SquareEnix. The eponymous first game in the series was released in 2003 on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, and has since been followed by a sequel and a [[VideoGame/{{Drakengard3}} prequel]]. It was conceived by Takamasa Shiba and Takuya Iwasaki as a gameplay hybrid between ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' and ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors 2'', with the ability to switch between on-foot hack-and-slash gameplay and riding a dragon for flight-sim fighting action. The story was created by Shiba, Iwasaki, Creator/TaroYoko, and Sawako Natori, who were influenced by European folklore and popular anime series and movies of the day. Shiba, Yoko, and Sawako have had involvement in an entry of the series since its debut.

A SpinOff series was created in 2010 named ''VideoGame/{{NieR}},'' set in an [[AlternateTimeline alternative reality]] and followed by a sequel called ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' developed by Creator/PlatinumGames with Creator/TaroYoko as director, same as the original series (not counting ''Drakengard 2'').

* ''Drakengard 2'' (2005,[[/index]] [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]]). [[note]]The only game in the series not directed by Creator/TaroYoko.[[/note]] A [[ContrastingSequelProtagonist conventionally heroic]] young man named Nowe fights to save the world from both his own corrupt knightly order and [[RogueProtagonist Caim himself]].[[index]]

[[caption-width-right:350: Our main "heroes." [[labelnote: From left to right]] [[SociopathicHero Caim]], [[HumansAreBastards Angelus]] (the red dragon), [[KnightInShiningArmor Nowe]], [[CheerfulChild Mikhail]] (the white dragon), [[GrumpyOldMan Legna]] (the black dragon), [[KnightTemplarBigBrother Nier]], [[DeadpanSnarker Grimoire Weiss]] (the book), and [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge Zero]]. Not pictured: [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots 2B, 9S, and A2]]; [[AGirlAndHerX Fio and Levania.]][[/labelnote]]]]

* ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'' (2010, [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 PS3]]/UsefulNotes/XBox360). Nier, a somewhat downtrodden older brother ([[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo or father, depending on the version]]) looks for a cure to save his sister (or daughter) from a mysterious disease.[[/index]]

* ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'' (2010, [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 PS3]]/UsefulNotes/XBox360). [[note]]Localization of the Gestalt version. [[/note]]Nier, a somewhat downtrodden older brother ([[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo or father, depending on the version]]) looks for a cure to save his sister (or daughter) from a mysterious disease.[[/index]]

* StableTimeLoop: Heavily implied that the setting is tied together through one. The background lore for the ''Drakengard'' setting reveals that it's world was once our world, until a more modern city suddenly appeared on the European continent, causing fantasy elements to spawn from it and magic to come into existence. This was called the "Great Disaster" and completely reshaped the land into a more fantasy-like one named Midgard. The last ending of the first game ends with Caim and Angelus in roughly modern-day Tokyo, causing the events of ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'' after they defeat the FinalBoss and are shot down. It's implied that these two events are connected to each other in some way, and that both events created a loop of some kind, which is further strengthened by the setting's usage of words like "over and over again" and cycles being a recurring element of each game.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', an MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame, features an Alliance Raid based around ''VideoGame/NierAutomata''. Written by Creator/YokoTaro, it follows the PlayerCharacter dealing with Androids, Machine Lifeforms, and other threats from ''Nier Automata''. Its unclear if it is canonical to the series, but the story is set after the events of said game, and contains references to the past games.

* ''[=NieR=] Replicant Drama CD: The Sealed Verses and the Red Sky'', a collection of Drama CDs that mostly focus on characters and events surrounding Project Gestalt. It also contains the story ''The Space War'', which delves into what happened after the aliens arrived after the end of ''[=NieR=]''.