20 Things You Didn't Know About Blade Runner 2049
14. The Importance Of Eyes
Eyes are everywhere in the Blade Runner universe, both thematically and literally. Both films open with an eye, mirroring the world and raising philosophical questions of perception. Do humans and Replicants see the world differently?
Elon Tyrell is killed when Roy Batty pushes both thumbs into his eye balls; the Voight-Kampff test measures "fluctuation of the pupil," and even the eyes of Replicants glow, distinguishing them from humans. The eye theme carries over to 2049:
Niander Wallace is blind and like Tyrell, they are both heralded as 'visionaries.' When Wallace offers Deckard a new model of Rachael, her authenticity is questioned because of the colour of her eyes, suggesting that her soul isn't the same.
Conclusion? The eyes are literally the windows of the soul.