History Characters / ShinMegamiTenseiForcesOfChaos

%%* BalefulPolymorph: YHWH did this to Ahura Mazda and Asherah and made them turn into Ashuras. (baleful how?_

** They abhor Law's tendency to brainwash its own to fulfill their ideals, but see no qualms with using brainwashing themselves to have their embrace ''their'' vision. See: their regular use of a HatePlague in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'' to brainwash people into their thinking.

** They saw the Mandala System in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' as disgusting and wrong for destroying universes endlessly to create Law's "perfect world". Their solution? [[spoiler:A [[ApocalypseHow Class X-5 Apocalypse]] which destroys any hope of rebuilding for a chance of a final battle with YHVH to rule the ashes]].

%%* RapunzelHair

* RedAndBlackAreEvilAllOver: Associated with the color Red and Black. That said, they [[SubvertedTrope largely subvert this]] on the grounds of being too morally grey to really quantify as just "evil".

** They abhor Law's tendency to brainwash its own to fulfill their ideals, but see no qualms with using brainwashing themselves to have their embrace "their" vision. See: their regular use of a HatePlague in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'' to brainwash people into their thinking.

* FantasticRacism: They hate the "weak" on an institutional level. Whoever is "weak" can just as easily be transcribed to "[[MisanthropeSupreme "person or people I don't like"]].

** They saw the Mandala System in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' as disgusting and wrong for destroying universes endlessly to create Law's "perfect world". Their solution? [[spoiler:A [[ApocalypseHow Class-Z Apocalypse]] that destroys all possibility for the chance of a final battle with YHVH to rule the ashes]].

* TheHedonist: Arguably their worst aspect as a wholesale. It's not often noted, but Chaotic world fully encourage the strong to do whatever vices they do wish, no matter how depraved they are; they are the "strong" after all, so the "weak" [[VictimBlaming deserve whatever happens to them]]. While not from the mainline universe, Kamoshida from ''VideoGame/Persona5'' is an excellent symbol of this myopic view, with Kamoshida seeing his school as his own kingdom to indulge in all of his vices and perversities without consequence or accountability.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_smt_chaos.png]]

This alignment is associated with Lucifer, freedom, and war. This alignment promotes freedom of choice, thought and action above all else in stark contrast to the controlling nature of the Law alignment. However, this freedom can lead to a vast amount of suffering and violence, leading the world into a primal state of unsuppressed vice and survival of the fittest.

[[folder:Lucifer]]
!![[LouisCypher Louis Cyphre]]/Lucifer/Helel
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lucifer_smt_1.png]]

-> ''"I shall not rest until both my subjects and you humans enjoy a level of freedom you have only dreamed about, for this is the true nature of things. Chaos is the true nature of the world! The stronger, more beautiful creatures survive and continue to reproduce, naturally bettering all that live. The cycle of rebirth and destruction will continue unfettered for all eternity, improving life for all until the end of time."''
-->-- '''Shin Megami Tensei I'''\\\

'''Warning: As a major recurring figure throughout the series, there will be spoilers for multiple games. You have been warned.'''\\\

God's [[{{Archenemy}} sworn enemy.]] Lucifer, otherwise known as LouisCypher, is a major recurring character in the main ''Shin Megami Tensei'' series. Just don't confuse him with {{Satan}}, who actually works for [[{{God}} YHVH]].\\\

His appearance in the first mainline game ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' depicts him as a [[ManOfWealthAndTaste man in a business suit]] named Louis Cypher that gives you cryptic, misleading information. He shows his true colors in the Chaos path ending, transforming into a blonde angel swathed in white robes, with golden horns and six feathery wings.\\\

In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'', Lucifer again appears as Louis Cypher, having turned against YHVH after being ordered to [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt destroy the world]]. If you chose the [[MultipleEndings Law and Neutral Paths]] you will face him in battle, but in the Chaos path he will [[OptionalPartyMember join your party]] in order to stop [[EnemyMine Satan and YHVH]].\\\

In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'', he appears in two forms: a young blonde-haired boy and an old man in a wheelchair. In both forms accompanied by a nurse in black who appears young when he looks old, and vice-versa. He gives the Demi-fiend his first Magatama, allowing you to survive in the Vortex World. If you complete Nocturne's optional dungeon, it is also [[TheReveal revealed]] that he was the one to give the Menorahs to the Fiends, in order to make the Demi-fiend powerful enough to challenge God.\\\

In ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon'', Louis makes an appearance in the Tamonten Shrine as a "blonde young man" who appears to serve as a "spark" for Raidou and his actions. He is also referred to as Beelzebub, according to the Mushibito race due to the fact that they see him as a fly, not as a human. After you get the "Chaos" ending and start a New Game Plus+ file, Raidou can take case files involving Louis and end up discovering his true identity while also battling his Lucifer form. Raidou can also use a Skill demon to transform as Louis, whose special ability is to gain money from talking to demons in the Dark Realm.\\\

In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', Louis Cypher [[GenderFlip appears]] as a "blonde woman" wearing a goat's head hairclip and a blue dress named "Louisa Ferre".\\\

In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'' Lucifer returns once more in Da'at, where he seemingly kills the Creator God of this universe only to perish himself. However, it soon becomes clear this was only the start of his plans, and he once again has great expectations for mankind in the world to come.

See [[Characters/ShinMegamiTenseiLucifer his page]].

* AffablyEvil: After his [[CharacterizationMarchesOn Characterization Marched On]], most depictions of Lucifer maintain an air of politeness toward humans in contrast to many demons and gods, while consistently trying to protect humanity’s continued existence.
* AlternateSelf: As is the case for all demons in the franchise, this trope is played straight for the most part; an incarnation of Lucifer in one continuity is not intrinsically related with one from another, and may have different histories and personalities entirely. However, this trope ''might'' be subverted in a few cases of his appearances - see AmbiguousSituation below.
* AmbiguousSituation: There are hints which suggest certain instances of Lucifer are actually a single entity across different continuities, hinted by [[AllThereInTheManual Kaneko in the artbook]] of ''Shin Megami Tensei I'' who teased there will come a time Lucifer will reveal his ''true'' form and nature in the franchise. One example is the Lucifers in ''Nocturne'', ''King Abaddon'' and ''Strange Journey'', given their shared FisherKingdom elements and ability to defy causality. Of course, whether any of these [[AlternateSelf Alternate Selves]] truly are the same entity across space and time, individual entities with a shared awareness of TheMultiverse and each other, all avatars of a [[TheEarthPrimeTheory universal Lucifer]], or something else entirely, it's left up to the audience to puzzle out.
* AnarchyIsChaos: Played with. In general, Lucifer's end goal is absolute anarchy where everyone have the freedom to do whatever they want if they're strong enough to survive. However, how it is established, how much emphasis is put into SocialDarwinist beliefs, and how much this goal is shared among members of Chaos faction greatly vary depending on the game. For an example, in ''Strange Journey Redux'' it’s shown Lucifer strongly prefers free will and some degree of order for humanity rather than mindless chaos, which is not shared by the game's main Chaos faction - the Tyrants and the Mothers. ''V'' similarly has Lucifer not give a damn about Da'at's specific law and chaos factions, and he will help you regardless simply because the power you have come to wield represents to him a new future freed from the systems of [[ThePowersThatBe the Great Will]].
* AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder: One recurring aspect of Lucifer across the franchise is how his "beholders" seem to see him as a comforting or grounding being. Take note that he appears as a caring adult to [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI a likely frightened teenager]], a [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon fellow teenager to a protagonist expected to keep pace with demanding adults]], a [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney charming civilian woman to a ship full of traumatized soldiers]], and [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV a young girl who just so happens to be help you in a journey because she finds you interesting.]] Emphasized in ''King Abaddon'' that while Louis Cyphre looks like a young man to Raidou, the insect-like Mushibito see him as Beelzebub, a giant fly demon.
* AttractiveBentGender: Sets himself up as a disarmingly attractive MysteriousWaif in ''Strange Journey'' and a ''really'' disarmingly attractive cute teenage girl in ''IV'' [[spoiler:though this incarnation of Lucifer [[NotAsYouKnowThem isn't really him]]]].
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: One of his most consistent titles in the franchise is Demon King, and in many games he often leads a group acting against the Law faction, most prominently in ''Shin Megami Tensei II''. Crosses with AsskickingEqualsAuthority, because many demons who serve him only obey him for his strength and cunning.
* BigRedDevil: His ''Devil Children'' design is this in his demon form. [[SatanIsGood He's firmly on the side of good in those games though]].
* {{Bishonen}}: His Louis Cyphre identity in ''Shin Megami Tensei I'' and in ''Raidou Kuzunoha'' series is an attractive young man. His angel form, introduced in ''Shin Megami Tensei II'', also has a very pretty boy look.
* BossBattle: Lucifer tends to be one of the most difficult boss battles in any game he appears in. He has served as a ClimaxBoss, FinalBoss, and BonusBoss.
** Lucifer is the FinalBoss of ''Megami Tensei'' and ''Last Bible'', back when his portrayal was a classic evil villain.
** Lucifer is a ClimaxBoss in ''Megami Tensei II'', as the fight against him happens just before the story enters endgame. He can become an ally if the protagonist has Bael in their roster.
** While not exactly a ClimaxBoss, Lucifer is a major boss in ''Majin Tensei'' because the GoldenEnding only becomes available if he is spared after he is defeated.
** Similarly, Lucifer is a mandatory boss battle in ''Majin Tensei II'', who ''must'' be fought in battle regardless of alignment, even in Chaos path.
** Lucifer is also a ClimaxBoss in ''Shin Megami Tensei II'', fought right after the alignment lock if the player chooses Law or Neutral paths. He joins the protagonist if the player picks Chaos.
** He is the very last opponent in ''Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne'', specifically as a TrueFinalBoss in the True Demon route.
** Lucifer appears in several case files in a NewGamePlus of ''King Abaddon'' as one of the two ultimate bosses of the game. The first case file has him summon his servants Mara and Arioch, as well as transforming into Beelzebub to fight. After defeating all three Raidou fights Lucifer briefly before the battle ends, after which Lucifer will give him one of two beneficial items to use. The next case file from him is a true battle against him, which ends with Lucifer giving him another beneficial item to use. The third fight he goes all out against Raidou. Defeating him allows Raidou to fuse Lucifer.
** In ''Devil Survivor'', Lucifer is also the ultimate boss, appearing in his devil form on the final day in a NewGamePlus. He proclaims that he has no interest in whatever happens to the title of Bel (and in fact ordered Beelzebub to support Belberith just to get it over with), but decides to [[BloodKnight pick a fight with you to amuse himself]]. He is notoriously ludicrously hard, even for a series known for having ludicrously hard [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses.]]
** Lucifer is the FinalBoss of ''Shin Megami Tensei IV'' in Law and Neutral paths. [[spoiler:Until ''Apocalypse'' reveals it is not actually Lucifer.]]
** In ''Shin Megami Tensei V'', [[spoiler:Lucifer is the FinalBoss of three of the four routes, choosing to confront Nahobino regardless of what he chooses to do with the Throne's power outside of destroying it]].
* CaptainErsatz: The Louis Cypher persona is believed to take his act from all-time world famous recording artist/performer Music/DavidBowie. Some believe he is an amalgamation of Bowie's real life and stage personae; and Louis' mismatched eyes parallel Bowie's own ocular disfigurement; wherein one eye is permanently dilated leaving what is left of the originally blue iris reddish in hue.
* ChaosIsEvil: Zig-zagged; Lucifer is fairly consistent in his desire for a world with no order, but whether he genuinely thinks it's the best option for humans or he's simply manipulating them in his quest for revenge against YHVH and/or to create a lawless dystopia where only the strong may survive varies between depictions.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Presented early on as a straight up villain, then ''Megami Tensei II'' paints him as a benevolent deity concerned with humanity’s fates and survival. After that point, the franchise starts adopting a general characterization for Lucifer; that of [[TheCorrupter a manipulator]] with varying degrees of AnarchyIsChaos and SocialDarwinist beliefs.
* TheCorrupter: WordOfGod says it's his main role in the franchise - Lucifer exists to test humanity by offering power, manipulating and poking around the human soul. Whether or not he becomes a great ally or a sinister foe, depends entirely on the player’s beliefs and choices.
* DecompositeCharacter: In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', Lucifer's demonic side and angelic side appear as separate Personas, with the demonic side being Lucifer and his angelic side being Helel.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Quite possibly the biggest example of this in the franchise. Atlus has used Lucifer since their oldest stories (Digital Devil Story 3), and his characterization has undergone major and minor shifts in between works. In particular, Lucifer’s most fluctuative aspects are his attitude toward humanity, his motives for defying YHVH, and how his beliefs inform his actions; as such Lucifer has been depicted as anywhere between [[SmugSnake an arrogant]] ClassicVillain who [[HumansAreInsects looks down on humans]], [[AffablyEvil an affable but sinister]] NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist, a sincerely WellIntentionedExtremist DevilsAdvocate, a legitimately [[SatanIsGood heroic figure who wants the best for humanity]], and everything in-between.
* DevilsAdvocate: A few games depict Lucifer providing reasons to support paths which are not to his preference, most notably in ''Nocturne'' and in ''Strange Journey Redux''.
* EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity: As mentioned earlier in TheCorrupter, Lucifer often offers power to the protagonist and whoever happens to be the Chaos representative character at the time, most notably to Chaos Hero in ''Shin Megami Tensei I'' (through Yuriko/Lilith) and the Demi-fiend in ''Nocturne''. He ''does'', at the very least, try to explain himself. That is, if you're willing to endure his trials... and listen, of course.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: Almost always applies to all of his depictions. Despite being a Judeo-Christian entity, he has no issues recruiting pagan gods and demons in his ranks, as long as they can prove their power and usefulness in the long run. So much, it actually works against him in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'', since the number of murderous and outright evil demons working for him can convince Aleph not to work with him.
* EvilPlan: Played with. In many games Lucifer is a certified bastard but his plans involve ''saving'' Humanity. And the [[{{God}} other guy]] also happens to be ''not'' particularly pleasant [[DependingOnTheWriter most of the time]]. Even so, the ultimate consequence of his plans would usually result in a chaotic, lawless world where not only is EverythingTryingToKillYou, but is fundamentally a SocialDarwinist world where conflict is written in the very foundations of reality.
* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: Another recurring element to Lucifer is the various human guise he has. Some games such as Raidou Kuzunoha series show he can even take the form of other demons, most prominently his subordinate Beelzebub in ''King Abaddon''. When he realizes that he isn't even speaking like the real deal during the first BonusBoss fight against him, he corrects himself and talks like Beelzebub including doing his EvilLaugh.
* FisherKingdom: One of his subtler recurring elements. In a few games Lucifer's human form take on aspects of the world he's currently inhabiting. For instance, in the [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne days old Vortex world]], he appears as a child. In the TimeAbyss of Labyrinth of Amala, he appears as an old man. In the [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney Schwarzwelt ruled by the Mother Goddesses]], he becomes a woman.
* FourStarBadass: In many games, just about every demon who wants to give YHVH the finger [[BadassInCharge answers to this guy]], especially in ''Shin Megami Tensei II''.
* GenderFlip: Though usually perceived as male, in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIMAGINE'' he appears with a female avatar (who kinda looks like a secretary). In ''Strange Journey'' he even goes as far as to rename ‘herself’ into "Louisa Ferre" (though in Japan she still goes by "Louis Cyphre"). He also becomes a Japanese teenager named Hikaru in ''IV''. [[spoiler:''[[UpdatedRerelease Strange Journey Redux]]'' reveals that he, or she, is capable of bearing children in a female form.]]
* GeniusBruiser: In most cases, Lucifer’s most dangerous asset is his terrifying intellect, capable of reading into the personalities of humans and demons he encounters while setting up events and plans to his favor. His most successful appearances are usually those where he remains TheUnfought or has a XanatosGambit.
* GracefulLoser:
** Anytime that you fight Lucifer for real and win, he never takes his loss badly as he feels that it would go against his own philosophy, even if it means he turns out to be the weaker one in the end. Except on the Law path in ''Shin Megami Tensei II'', where he's really angry (for good reason).
** In ''Nocturne'' and ''Strange Journey Redux'', if you follow paths whose outcomes are not his desires but are not options he disagrees with, he will congratulate the protagonist. Specifically in the case of Nocturne’s Freedom ending, Lucifer comments it’s because he himself has chosen the same path as he defied God.
* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: In most of his appearances, Lucifer is ''very'' good at making himself look good, especially given he wants to save humanity from the more blatantly evil Law side. YHVH might be a vicious, amoral tyrant... but Lucifer is a ''very'' vicious manipulator and in the pursuit of his goals ''there is no line he won't cross''.
* HeavensDevils: In ''Shin Megami Tensei I'', he's revealed to be originally part of YHVH. ''Apocalypse'' further explains how and why, though these examples might not be universal across all continuities.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Post CharacterizationMarchesOn, Lucifer is fairly consistent in his respect for human free will... but he still goes around manipulating circumstances so others will act according to his desires.
** In certain games, he will flat out force them into a situation against their consent (for one, he forcefully transforms the protagonist of ''Nocturne'' into the Demi-Fiend).
** In a few games such as ''Majin Tensei'' Lucifer will fight the protagonists simply for picking a choice he doesn’t want.
** While in ''Shin Megami Tensei II'' he will tell even a Law-aligned Aleph that he's right due to being stronger than him, Lucifer despises the avatars of the Great Will and Law in general, going out of his way to eradicate them.
* TheLeader: In his appearances, he is usually this for the Chaos faction.
* LesserOfTwoEvils: While his characterization fluctuates between games, even at his worst he's generally not ''as'' blatantly evil as [[{{God}} YHVH]], although he (or at least his alignment as a whole, since many Chaos followers are only in it for the [[SocialDarwinist "world of strength"]] bit and don't even pretend to care for normal humans) can be just abhorrent enough to make the player consider [[TakeAThirdOption going Neutral]] simply for lack of a better option.
* LouisCypher: A major recurring plot point in the games he appears in. Lucifer usually shows up in a human form when you first encounter, with names hinting at his identity such as Louisa Ferre in ''Strange Journey'' and Hikaru, which means light in Japanese in ''IV''.
* LukeIAmYourFather: He is Setsuna Kai's and Mirai Kaname's father from ''Devil Children Red/Black''. He's only Setsuna's father in the anime. He's the Heroine's father in ''Majin Tensei'' and Ogiwara's grandfather in ''VideoGame/MajinTenseiIISpiralNemesis''.
* ManipulativeBastard: His main schtick in almost all of his appearances. It is uncommon to see him act by himself until near the end of a game, and even then it is entirely possible to see him being TheUnfought while still influencing the plot. [[TheChessmaster It's all part of the plan]].
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: His human forms across the games tend to be dressed to the nines, the male forms often clad in expensive-looking suits while [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney Louisa Ferre]] wears a prim white dress.
* MightMakesRight: As the franchise symbol of Chaos, nearly all depictions of Lucifer believes the world should be ruled by the strong. [[GracefulLoser He holds true to this even if he's defeated by a Law- or Neutral-aligned adversary, conceding that whoever slays him is the one who turns out to be right in the end]].
* MoreThanMindControl: Practically his modus operandi post CharacterizationMarchesOn. He's very, ''very'' good at convincing people to think they come to their own conclusions. As WordOfGod advises, listen to him but think all the way whether what he promises is ''really'' worth it.
* MotiveDecay: Depending on the game, he fluctuates between wanting to save humanity and demonkind out of pure principle, to doing everything he does only to piss off YHVH.
* NotAsYouKnowThem: [[spoiler:''Apocalypse'' reveals the version of him present in ''IV'' and ''Apocalypse'' is actually a part of Satan, just like the Four Archangels via Merkabah.]]
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: While getting rid of YHVH is a worthwhile goal in most continuities, nearly as many versions of Lucifer envision a world which isn’t much better: a world driven by power and [[SocialDarwinist Social Darwinism]] where the strong have the freedom to oppress the weak.
* OneWingedAngel: Lucifer is almost never faced in battle when in his human or six-winged angel form; he is usually fought in his six-winged devil form instead. [[AllThereInTheManual Kaneko]] says we haven't seen Lucifer’s ''true'' form, who has been described as an amalgam of his human, angel and devil forms, with twelve wings; six angelic, six demonic.
** [[spoiler:''Shin Megami Tensei V'', introduces a new form of Lucifer; a twelve-winged automata angel. However, it's unclear if this is the form Kaneko spoke of, as it doesn't look human or demonic, as well as being designed by a different artist out of universe.]]
* PerpetualFrowner: His devil form artwork introduced in ''Shin Megami Tensei II'' looks menacing and never seems to smile unlike his other forms.
* ThePowerOfFriendship:
** Appears in ''VideoGame/Persona4'' as the ultimate Persona of the [[TrueCompanions Seekers of Truth]] Social Link.
** Done again in anime adaptation of ''Anime/DevilSurvivor2'', where [[spoiler:he is fused using all of the other characters' demons. Then he defeats Satan with a ''hug''.]]
* QuestGiver: Occasionally dabbles in this in a few games, most notably in ''King Abaddon'' including ones to face the Four Horsemen, BonusBoss fights against him, and one concerning Alice.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: No matter the game, Lucifer loves to give extended taunts toward beings whom he disrespect, usually YHVH, his minions, and any Law representative character at the time.
* RedBaron: Just like in many other depictions of Satan/Lucifer, several games in the franchise refer to him as the Morning Star.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are completely red in his devil form artwork of ''Shin Megami Tensei II'', and no matter which game he appears in Lucifer is certainly dangerous.
* {{Satan}}: Although not by name. Lucifer's depiction in the ''Megami Tensei'' franchise is based on the Christian (and [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Danteist]]) interpretation of the Devil, an archangel who rebelled against God and was cast away to Hell for his troubles. The ''Megami Tensei'' Satan is instead based on the Jewish interpretation of the Devil, who is an angel who tempts humans but is otherwise not an enemy of God.
* SatanIsGood: The franchise as a whole views Lucifer as a symbol of freedom, rebellion, and the desire to take destiny into one's own hands. Notably, regardless of how he is depicted in any given game, what Lucifer stands for is often painted in positive light. That said, there are a few games where he is actually unquestionably a benevolent entity:
** In ''Megami Tensei II'', Lucifer is very much benevolent and can join the Protagonist to face the TrueFinalBoss YHVH in the Chaos path. It's interesting in that his race also changes from Tyrant to ''Deity''.
** Lucifer is actually the BigGood of the ''Devil Children'' series, where he desires to bring peace to the human and demon worlds and only doing evil while impersonated by Azazel in the first games or [[spoiler:under the control of [[BigBad Beelzebub]]]] in the anime. In future games, he knows that only the Devil Children can save the world so he helps the best that he can.
** In ''Shin Megami Tensei II'', even if he attempts to manipulate Aleph, he really does care about all of humanity, not just those who decide to worship him, and will blatantly help Aleph in the Chaos path, and leave him the info on how to do the same with his dying words in the Neutral path.
* ScrewDestiny:
** Lucifer's most recurring theme, as he represents the light of possibilities before and after his fall from grace.
** In ''King Abaddon'' in particular, Lucifer seeks to change the future and find someone who can free the world from God's control. By fighting Raidou he realizes that Raidou is the one who can free the world from God's control.
* SevenDeadlySins: Many Christian and Catholic demonology posit Lucifer as the demon who represents {{Pride}}, which is the greatest sin amongst the seven. Amusingly enough, this doesn’t come up all that often in his depictions across the franchise.
* SignatureMove: In every ''Shin Megami Tensei''-titled game in which he's fought, he possesses Evil Shine, which inflicts the Charm or Panic ailment to the whole party and in later installments inflicts [[NonElemental Almighty]] damage as well. From ''Nocturne'' onward he also has a move which drops your entire party's HP by a certain percentage (usually half), called Root of Evil in ''Nocturne'' and Morning Star in the ''IV'' duology.
* SocialDarwinist: Lucifer’s most basic and consistent principle is a complete rejection of [[{{God}} YHVH]]'s imagined "utopia" where humans have little to no free will and exist mostly just to praise His name. Unfortunately, the lack of oppressive laws also means a complete lack of order which might've granted at least some degree of protection to the weak if they submitted to God ([[DisproportionateRetribution although he's notoriously very hard to please]]). In a few games, Lucifer does take care to maintain ''some'' semblance of order so humans aren’t eradicated (such as in ''Strange Journey Redux'') but in many, many more games this SocialDarwinist belief ultimately means the only thing which matters is how strong one individual is, and if they happen to be too weak to survive then they will just be pruned.
* UpToEleven: His ultimate move in many games is an even more powerful version of the already devastating Almighty spell Megidolaon. Their name varies by game, such as King’s Yell or High King but his most infamous one is from ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'', named Megidola'''dyne''', the previously-unseen fabled "next step" to Megidolaon. It is every bit as devastating as it sounds, [[TotalPartyKill if not more.]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: In the franchise, Lucifer is ''very'' good at presenting himself as the lesser of two evils. It [[DependingOnTheWriter varies heavily depending on the game]] whether he ''actually'' is or not.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Barely manages to be one in certain games. To clarify, nearly all depictions of Lucifer seek to free humanity from YHVH, [[GodIsEvil which is nearly always a benign goal]], but the means he's prepared to use to reach that goal can be ''monstrous''. Worse still, the world ''he'' wants to make is hardly better than YHVH's choice between blind obedience or apocalypse, putting most of his incarnations squarely into NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist territory. However, a few depictions of Lucifer do avert these extreme SocialDarwinist interpretations of AnarchyIsChaos, with some of those even qualifying as legitimate examples of SatanIsGood (most notably ''Megami Tensei II'' and ''Shin Megami Tensei II'').

* BlatantLies: In the Neutral and Law routes of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'', Mara will try to tempt Aleph. First, he offers 999999 Macca. Next, she offers a 10 level increase. Finally, he offers the power that surpasses even Satan and Lucifer. If Aleph accepts any of her offerings, he will fall under Mara's spell and must fight Mara with a handicap.

!!Beelzebub/Baal Zebul/[[VideoGame/DevilSurvivor Belzaboul]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lilith_5.png]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tiamat_strange_journey_3.png]]

[[quoteright:159:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_nlilith_7535.png]]

[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_tiamat.png]]

This alignment is associated with Lucifer the Rebel King of Hell, freedom, and war. This alignment promotes freedom of choice, thought and action above all else in stark contrast to the controlling nature of the Law alignment. However, this freedom can lead to a vast amount of suffering and violence, leading the world into a primal state of unsuppressed vice and survival of the fittest.

* DemotedToExtra: Ashtar hasn't appeared since ''Shin Megami Tensei II''.

* OneWingedAngel: Lucifer is almost never faced in battle when in his human form; players generally fight him in his devil form instead. [[AllThereInTheManual Kaneko]] says we haven't seen Lucifer’s ''true'' form, who has been described as an amalgam of his human, angel and devil forms, with twelve wings; six angelic, six demonic.

* OneWingedAngel: Lucifer is almost never faced in battle when in his human form; players generally fight him in his devil form instead. WordOfGod says we haven't seen Lucifer’s ''true'' form and identity, who has been described as an amalgam of his Angel and Devil forms, with twelve wings; six angelic, six demonic.
** [[spoiler:In ''Shin Megami Tensei V'', we finally are able to see Lucifer's true form as a twelve-winged metal angel after he killed the Creator God in that world and absorbed his Knowledge.]]

* AmbiguousSituation: There are hints which suggest certain instances of Lucifer are actually a single entity across different continuities, hinted by [[AllThereInTheManual Kaneko in the artbook]] of ''Shin Megami Tensei I'' who teased there will come a time Lucifer will reveal his ''true''form and nature in the franchise. One example is the Lucifers in ''Nocturne'', ''King Abaddon'' and ''Strange Journey'', given their shared FisherKingdom elements and ability to defy causality. Of course, whether any of these [[AlternateSelf Alternate Selves]] truly are the same entity across space and time, individual entities with a shared awareness of TheMultiverse and each other, all avatars of a [[TheEarthPrimeTheory universal Lucifer]], or something else entirely, it's left up to the audience to puzzle out.

* AmbiguousSituation: There are hints which suggest certain instances of Lucifer are actually a single entity who travels through space and time across different continuities (much like Stephen). One example is the Lucifers in ''Nocturne'', ''King Abaddon'' and ''Strange Journey'', given their shared FisherKingdom elements and ability to defy causality. Of course, whether any of these [[AlternateSelf Alternate Selves]] truly are the same entity across space and time, individual entities with a shared awareness of TheMultiverse and each other, all avatars of a [[TheEarthPrimeTheory universal Lucifer]], or something else entirely, it's left up to the audience to puzzle out.

The Great Will's [[{{Archenemy}} sworn enemy.]] Lucifer, otherwise known as LouisCypher, is a major recurring character in the main ''Shin Megami Tensei'' series. Just don't confuse him with {{Satan}}, who actually works for [[{{God}} YHVH]].\\\

* MythologyGag: When in the Chaos Path in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', she posts a mission calling for the death of a Seraph. She'd go herself, [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne but wants to stabilize so she won't]] [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten become a Slime again]].

** In ''Shin Megami Tensei V'', Lucifer is the FinalBoss of three of the four routes, choosing to confront Nahobino regardless of what he chooses to do with the Throne's power outside of destroying it.