In Blade Runner 2049, the new replicant model is called Nexus-9.
Nexus-9 replicants are bioengineered humanoids produced by the Wallace Corporation after Niander Wallace revives the replicant industry. They are designed with an open-ended lifespan and enhanced obedience programming: unlike earlier models, they are intended to be unable to disobey a human order. Officer K, the film’s protagonist, is a Nexus-9 who works as a blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department.
The model’s history follows earlier replicant generations. Nexus-6 replicants, featured prominently in the original Blade Runner, were limited to four-year lifespans. Nexus-8 units had longer or open-ended lifespans but were associated with rebellions and the 2022 Blackout. Nexus-9 represents Wallace’s attempt to make replicants more controllable and politically acceptable.
Rachael is a specific replicant character, not a model name for the new line. Nexus-8 and Nexus-6 are earlier generations. The 2017 film also introduces questions about replicant reproduction, identity, memory, and autonomy, making the model designation important to both its world-building and its central philosophical conflict.