Re-L Mayer

Re-L Mayer is the female titular protagonist of Ergo Proxy. As an investigator for the Intelligence Bureau in Romdo, she is attacked by two monsters and drawn into the mystery of the Proxies. She eventually joins Vincent Law and Pino on their quest for answers.

She is voiced in Japanese by Rie Saito and in English by Megan Hollingshead.

History
At the start of the show, Re-L Mayer is shown as not quite a rebel but more so an oddball of Romdo society; she has less of a regard for rules and regulations than the ideal fellow citizen who "always [obeys]" and believes that "questioning the system is bad." In the first episode, Re-L reveals that she finds Romdo and its perfect fellow citizen "boring." She expresses disdain for Vincent at first because of his servile willingness to fit in as the ideal fellow citizen, but wonders whether it is herself that is the unnecessary element in a society like Romdo, indicating the fact that Re-L is aware that she is different. However, it is her "intense encounter" with Ergo Proxy that marks the major turning point in her while, as it fills her with a burning need to solve the mystery of the Proxies, driving her to disregard even more rules of society than ever before, and it was then she began to demonstrate selfish tendencies. She was willing to do whatever necessary to discover more information on the Proxies despite many of the consequences not involving her own state of health. Often times she would come to regret her decisions after her curiosity is satisfied. Not necessarily because of the effect it had on the people around her, so much as herself. It is implied that Re-L's natural ability to bend rules and disregard regulations is partly due to the fact that she was genetically engineered to have the maximum amount of curiosity that a fellow citizen could have. She is hinted to "take after" someone, which could refer to Donov Mayer, her grandfather and Regent of Romdo. However, her probing gets her in constant trouble with Donov, particularly when Re-L begins to make too much headway into the mystery of the Proxy.

Re-L's position in Romdo seems to be one of some privilege. It is suggested that Re-L projects an image of a "career woman" in the Intelligence Bureau. Her Entourage, Iggy, teasingly refers to her as the "Princess" of Romdo, while others below her station, such as the immigrant district's head, Petro Seller, refer to her as "your excellency" out of profound respect. Re-L also seems to have some political clout because of her grandfather. In episode 3, she believes that she can intercede on Vincent's behalf to clear him from all charges.

Concerning Re-L's childhood, not much is known about her early life, except through clips of her at a young age that Daedalus owns. As a child, Re-L seemed to be much less aloof than her current serious persona.

Personality
Re-l, in truth, is an ordinary girl; being a clone of a Proxy does not make her any less of a human. While her youth is extremely short, she goes through the various and stationary emotional stages of life. She's a happy child and grows up privileged, but because her life goes by so quickly, it's easy to see how she becomes the cruel, selfish, and arrogant woman that is seen in the series.

Re-l's character is that of a cool and collected young woman, selfish and emotionally disturbed beneath the surface. With the exception of Daedalus and Iggy, she's had no real kindness or care from her grandfather, mostly in part to her true nature. And so, being given such disregard by her family, she's treated others the same way. Daedalus as her confidant and Iggy as her Entourage, she's free to use and leave them as she sees fit. She doesn't even seem to realize how cruel she's being to others until they come out and give her their real opinion of her.

In Romdeau, emotions must always be under control. AutoReivs keep the citizens under constant surveillance and control, and can monitor a person's vital signs and heart rate to predict when their emotions are about to unhinge. Because of this, Re-l has been put under just as much stress as every other person there, including being the Regent's granddaughter and being treated with both contempt and distrust. Her reputation precedes herself; many people already know of her controlled, regal, and selfish behavior.

But when she eventually leaves the dome and becomes disillusioned as to its effectiveness, she shows a great deal more of care and concern to those she cares for, to those close to her, and those she meets and finds like minds with. Her loneliness and acceptance of lifestyles far beneath her out in the wilderness has grounded her to understanding the plights of others. Her cold exterior has been replaced by a desire to know the truth, to understand the lives of others, and to make sense of the world around her. Her raison d'être is the truth, and that is what rules her life. She will know the truth no matter what, sacrificing her life, her sanity, and everything else to find it.

Trivia

 * Although unconfirmed, Re-L has a uncanny resemblance to Amy Lee from Evanescence.