Nei

Origin

Nei is the product of a mixture of human and biomonster cells.  Outcast from society, she befriends the protagonist Rolf seven months before the game story begins, and becomes his first loyal adventuring companion.

Abilities

Being genetically engineered accelerates Nei's growth and metabolism.  She is much younger in years than her appearance, and she gains levels and new abilities much faster than other party members.  This rapid growth is also by design as she is only present for the first half of the game. 

Her main weapons are long equippable claws, and she can only equip very light armor.  Her magic-like special techniques focus on healing and support for the party. 

Death

Nei is notable for being one of the first video game characters and heroines to die during the storyline.  Despite cloning technology used to restore fallen characters, it is not possible to revive her after completing a key event in the game.
 

Legacy in the Phantasy Star franchise

Nei is referenced in Phantasy Star Online and the game's sequels, Episode I & II and Blue Burst, in the form of a weapon called Nei's Claw. Players in all three versions can find the base weapon (replica) in the Photon Drop roulette game, while players of Episode I & II can find a much more powerful 'real' version of Nei's Claw as an extremely rare drop in Episode II.