Line #4 Fridge/ShinMegamiTensei


1	[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
2	* Where's the series representative for the Neutral alignment? Various games have the role filled by Stephen or Masakado or the like, but there's no true, consistent representative in the vein of YHVH or Lucifer. YHVH and Lucifer are {{Tulpa}}s, representing humanity's primal desires for Law and Chaos respectively. They manifested due to humanity's desire for them. ''This means that NOBODY wants Neutrality, or those who do are so few and far between that a proper Tulpa representing Neutral can't manifest.''
3	* ''[[VideoGame/DevilChildren Demikids]]'' has your starter {{Mon}}. The very first monster you get, and your partner for the entire game, only gains levels by absorbing other monster's exp through fusion. Taking into account that you'll likely need most of your other monsters for fusion, you'll usually end up just mass fusing dozens of cheap monsters to get your starter to level up. To put it differently: This is like getting a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]] that has to devour its opponent every time it wins a battle. By the end of the game, your starter is essentially a walking mass of hundreds of souls.
4	* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'',[[spoiler: at the end of the the Law Route, [[MoralEventHorizon you commit the same crime of genocide as YHVH had you do]] in the same route in SMT 2!]] Let that sink for a moment... If that wasn't bad enough, get this; [[spoiler: by destroying Tokyo, you also kill the [[HopeBringer Goddess of Tokyo]] herself]]! Damn, [[spoiler:even the Archangels think that ''hope'' is nothing but filth...]] It doesn't matter how one sugarcoats it, [[spoiler: all this proves just how much of a depraved fuck [[GodIsEvil The God the Archangels serve]] is to [[ItsAllAboutMe get his way]] ]].
5	** [[spoiler:On the other hand, if Mastema is telling the truth in the Clipped Wings DLC, there is hope for God.]]
6	* A common goal of Chaos factions is a world where MightMakesRight, i.e. the strong rule over the weak. Now here's a frightening implication: What if you're handicapped/disabled, or worse, born as such? You are ''screwed to begin with.''
7	* GodIsEvil in a world where GodsNeedPrayerBadly and ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve are in effect, implying that YHVH is only a jerk because people believe he is.
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10	[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
11	* ''Plenty'' in the demon's designs. The monster design brings forth references to the mythological being it's based on, to [[MythologyGag other games in the series]] and sometimes to pop culture as well.
12	** Once you get over Mara's face, you should notice it riding a golden chariot with many sharp blades. Then you realise it's the embodiment of our dark desire - lust, greed and violence.
13	** At first, it's weird seeing how Angel - a ''Divine being'' - is dressed in the series. It makes sense once you notice that she also wears a leash. After all, they are guardian angels that are ''bound'' to a human being on birth. They are also blindfolded, possibly as an ironic reference to 'watchers'.
14	** Melchizedek. By far one of the most outlandish angel designs, but makes a whole lotta sense when you think of it.
15	*** First off, he looks and acts more like some kind of Super Sentai hero than an angel. Well, he's the King of Justice. Just try saying that out loud.
16	*** Second, he's faceless. In the Bible, Melchizedek is described as "without father, without mother and without genealogy".
17	** Inanna. Moreso in the original concept art, but there are a lot of details. According to the various versions of ''Literature/InannasDescentToTheNetherworld'', Inanna was wearing seven of the following: wig, crown, turban, ring, beads, lapis lazuli necklace and measuring rod, girdle, mascara, bangles, dress, and earrings. In the final version, while some are harder to see than others, she's wearing the wig, turban/crown, earrings, bangles, necklace, and her boobs might just be beads. Previous versions had even more of the above. The decorative piece on top looks a lot like a female sign, which is also a sign of Venus. Venus is not only a love goddess like Inanna, Inanna was also represented by the planet Venus.
18	* Many times in this franchise, Magnetite or Magatsuhi is a substance that gods, angels, and demons need to remain corporeal in the human realm, among other things. In most games in the franchise, characters use MP to cast spells, yet in other games like in ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'' or ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'', there is a separate Magnetite meter. That means in certain games, ''MP'' can actually refer to '''Magnetite''' or '''Magatsuhi''' Points instead of {{Mana}} Points.
19	* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' and ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', have you ever wonder why Centaur is the StarterMon both Flynn and Nanashi? In ''Myth/ClassicalMythology'', Centaurs are often depicted as wise and noble mentors of heroes. In some sources, Centaurs can wield a variety of weapons. Flynn has Burroughs as his A.I. Navigator while Nanashi has Dagda, and both of them can learn skills through Demon Whisper. [[RuleOfSymbolism Symbolic, isn't it?]]
20	* The series-wide interpretation of YHVH, patron of the Law path, actually makes a lot of sense if you look at it from a Japanese perspective. Unlike most Westerners, Japanese individuals have very little truck with Christianity; it is, and has always been, a tiny and easily ignored cult, rather than the huge society shaping element it is in the West. Consequently, a lot of things that Westerners look past due to subconscious indoctrination into the faith is highlit for Japanese due to the ValuesDissonance. Throughout the Old Testament, God demands repeatedly the respect, reverence and worship of humanity, and in it blind obedience to God and his desires is held up as the ideal to which humanity should adhere -- from the Ten Commandments, which place importance on obeying YHVH and doing what he says, to his own admission of being a jealous god. Take, for example, the infamous story of Abraham, one of the tales from the Old Testament that Christians often sweat over and which many atheists and antitheists are quick to call out. In this story, Abraham comes within a heartbeat of cutting his son Isaac's throat and making him a HumanSacrifice, only for YHVH to change his mind at the last second. And the story holds up Abraham's willingness to murder Isaac because that is what God told him as something to respect to admire, that his blind loyalty is a trait one should attempt to emulate in its fervor. In a later story in the Old Testament, YHVH fails to stop a father sacrificing his daughter in thanks for a God-granted victory, as he had promised to do. It's very easy to see why someone not culturally inclined to accept either parable as a holy tale would be able to extrapolate YHVH as the sort of monster who wishes to reduce all of creation to nothing but endless, unceasing, mindless praise of itself.
21	* One would think that YHVH would command his angles to leave any summoner that are using them against him, but there is a caveat here; YHVH is the ultimate entity of '''LAW''', and the demon summoning program has rules in place that keep the demon and summoner bound. Granted, the demons may not always listen, but only if the humans are weaker than the demon themselves. A weaker angel than the human has no choice, as their will is bound by the ''laws'' of the demon summoning program.
22	* The ending of the Law path throughout the series is also a very fitting; although people have been indoctrinated to think that ChaosIsEvil and thusly Order Is Good, the truth is that an extreme of ''either'' would be awful. A world of total order would pretty much require [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill the complete obliteration of independent thought, emotion and chance of all kinds]]. In fact, the Shin Megami Tensei version is actually a pretty ''optimistic'' depiction of what such a world would look like; an alternative interpretation of such a world would basically be a void. Absolute nothingness: no variation, no transformation, no creation, no destruction. Just infinite. Total. Unending. Emptiness.
23	* The ending of Persona 2: Innocent Sin, is similar to the plot of Nocturne. In Innocent Sin, [[spoiler: Maya's death triggers the end of the world, and then the four remaining heroes create a new world where everything went well for them.]] In Nocturne, the Conception requires someone with a powerful demonic sponsor, a lot of Magatsuhi, and a Reason. In Innocent Sin, [[spoiler: Philemon was the sponsor, the protagonists produced Magatsuhi from the pain of losing Maya, and their Reason was to make a better world]].
24	* After defeating Vishnu in SMT 1, he bemoans the fact that the one who defeated him wasn't an avatar or a demon, but a BadassNormal human. [[spoiler: The main character is implied to be the reincarnation of Adam. In comparison to Nakajima being the god Izanagi, Adam was just a human, and his name literally means man.]]
25	* According to a guidebook for the first game, demons that repel physical attacks do so by making an illusion that their opponent is attacking the demon when they're actually attacking themselves. This is why the Demi Fiend's Pierce ability doesn't let him attack physical repelling demons. Pierce gives all his physical attacks an ArmorPiercingAttack quality. It doesn't do anything about illusions.
26	* The Demi Fiend's Javelin Rain features him using a RoundhouseKick to throw lasers. This isn't without precedent; the Gae Bolg, of Celtic fame, was a spear that had to be thrown from the foot.
27	* Oshichi is a random encounter that appears on the overworld of ''Shin Megami Tensei I'', but only before the nukes. Oshichi is a demon that appears before fires start.
28	* The Demi Fiend, in his stint in ''Digital Devil Saga'', is not immune to earth magic. Part of that is because the Masokados Magatama only protects from elements that were in his game, but technically the earth can damage him in ''Nocturne''. The Demi Fiend takes damage if he jumps off of Mantra HQ, even if he's immune to physical damage. It's NotTheFallThatKillsYou; he takes damage from hitting ''the earth''.
29	* ''Nocturne'' is unusual in the series for not having Law/Neutral/Chaos based endings. But all of the Reasons can relate to Neutrality. They're deconstructions of why the player would pick Neutral in SMT 1.
30	** Shijima, the Reason of Silence: Hikawa's goal is the eradication of emotion, self, and passion, for the sake of a logical and harmonious world. In the context of SMT 1 Neutrality, Shijima is killing Law and Chaos because both sides are insane and illogical. Law and Chaos go to war with one another, kill innocents, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Hikawa initiating the Conception is similar to the Hero and Heroine killing the leaders of the Messians and Gaians; lots of people die in the process, everything is in upheaval, and those left have to fend for themselves. Hikawa is also a charismatic demon summoner with strong connections to computers, traits that the Hero needs to survive.
31	** Musubi, the Reason of Solitude: Isamu wants everyone to live isolated, with no interference from one another. He's also very hypocritical in this respect; he gains power from channeling spirits, uses the Amala Network (which is the most interconnected thing in the entire Vortex World), requires the Demi-Fiend's help in defeating the demons of the Amala Temple, and [[spoiler:sacrifices Hijiri to summon Noah]]. Musubi is Neutrality by rejecting the thoughts of others. Rather than disagreeing with the philosophy of Law or Chaos, which is Shijima's way, Musubi is about disagreeing with the characters themselves. In the context of SMT 1, it's rejecting the Law and Chaos heroes, or not feeling the PlayerPunch when the Hero kills them. However, if the Hero of SMT 1 embraced this philosophy, he would also be a hypocrite, because he fights with the Heroine and his power is summoning demons to his side.
32	** Yosuga, the Reason of Strength: Chiaki wants a world where the powerful can do what they want with the weak. It's also unusual within the series because survival of the fittest is a Chaotic ideal, and yet angels embrace it. With Law counterbalancing Chaos, it's OmnicidalNeutral at its finest. In the context of SMT 1, it's how the Hero and Heroine legitimize Neutrality: they killed everyone who opposed them.
33	* ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' and ''VideoGame/Persona3'' are Foils to one another.
34	** The Temple and Tartarus are prominent towers. The heroes discover the truth of the world after climbing to its top at the climax, although they need more explanation of what happened during the sequels. [[spoiler:Sera and the Embryon confronts Angel, SEES fights Nyx Avatar.]]
35	** Everyone in DDS, except for Sera and maybe Cielo, is an adult, [[spoiler:at least physically]]. SEES consists of teenagers, a child, a dog, and a robot.
36	** Aigis and Koromaru are the only nonhumans on the team. [[spoiler:Sera and Roland are the only non-AI party members]].
37	** Junpei and Yukari have similar attitudes towards their Persona powers as Heat and Argilla do towards their Atma. Junpei and Heat love their new powers, and they also have similar affinities (fire and physical attacks). Yukari doesn't hate her powers like Argilla, but she laments that the power to stay awake during the Dark Hour is like losing your innocence. Fittingly, they're both healers, but with opposing offensive magic (Yukari has wind, Argilla has earth).
38	** Fred and Ken are children who hang around the party, even though Ken is a fighter and Fred just tags along. [[spoiler:Some members of the party are responsible for the death of one parent, although arguably it's not their fault. Fred's father Greg/Lupa went insane and had to be put down by the party, and in a way he was already dead. Ken's mother was killed by Shinjiro in an accident]].
39	** Strega is Sera's ShadowArchetype. Both are [[spoiler:disposable lab experiments in a series of tests with a high death rate, starting when they were children. As a result of these experiments, none of them have long to live. However, Sera realizes this and chooses to fight to save the world no matter how ill she is. Jin and Takaya want the world to die with them, powers intact. Chidori tries to remain indifferent so that she won't be sad before she dies]].
40	** The people behind the abuse of Sera and Strega appear to be trustworthy, have similar goals, [[spoiler:and the same circumstances of death. Real Serph looks almost exactly like Serph, and Ikutsuki was thought to be a trusted adult. Real Serph wants godhood, and Ikutsuki wants salvation and power. They die outside of battle, long before the climax, in a cutscene where the person pointing a gun at them is shot, and that gun isn't the direct cause of death. Real Heat threatens Real Serph with a gun and is shot by Real Argilla, which upsets Sera so much that Brahman corrupts the data around the area, which turns Real Serph into Varuna, and his rampage forces the Karma Society to kill him. Mistsuru's father shoots Ikutsuki but is shot himself, and Ikutsuki falls off of Tartarus while injured]]. Their actions and manipulations leave behind a huge mess that the protagonists have to clean up.
41	** Someone betrays the party after being manipulated, but ultimately sides with the party. Coincidentally, they're both weak to electricity. [[spoiler:Heat betrayed the party after discovering what the real Serph did, and he's fought as Vritra. He loses his weakness to ice and gains one for electricity. Aigis is controlled with a remote control, and has a natural electricity weakness due to her mechanical body. Heat rejoins the party if enough conditions are met, and Aigis rejoins anyways]].
42	** The FinalBoss of ''Digital Devil Saga'' is [[spoiler:found on the Sun]], and the boss of ''Persona 3'' is [[spoiler:the Moon]].
43	** The protagonists [[spoiler:both die, but it's not really the end for them. Serph is reincarnated, and also journeys across the worlds as Seraph. Minato/Minako becomes the Great Seal, and there is hope of his/her release]].
44	* ''Nocturne'' is the only mainline game where the hero does not gain the power to summon demons from Stephen. But the Demi-Fiend gains the power to summon demons from another [[LouisCypher old man in a wheelchair]].
45	* ''Shin Megami Tensei 1'' starts in October. The inciting event is Stephen opening a portal between the human and demon worlds. What else is in October? Halloween, the night when the barrier between worlds is weakest.
46	* Stephen only gives the hero of ''Shin Megami Tensei 1'' one free stock upgrade; all others require hardware. Stephen wrote the Demon Summoning Program in an incredibly short range of time; of course it won't be the most efficient piece of code.
47	* The ritual to summon Mara in ''Nocturne'' will not be completed until the Demi-Fiend hurries it up. It looks like an excruciatingly long ritual, but it's only performed on Full Kagutsuchi phases; the room is empty the rest of the time. The ritual seems like it takes forever because the Baphomet can't complete it before Full Kagutsuchi ends, and has to start over again every time.
48	* Why do physical skills usually [[CastFromHitPoints cost HP]] to use? Probably to convey the idea of intense physical exertion that comes from using an advanced technique compared to a basic attack. In the ''Persona'' series in particular, a Persona user may be required to sacrifice some of their vitality in order to grant their Persona enough physical form to execute the attack. As for why bosses generally don't lose HP when using these skills, aside from [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard simply making the fight harder]], bosses can reasonably be expected to possess far more power than the player and their summonable demons (even those who were first encountered as bosses), so the cost of exertion is negligible to them.
49	* Shiva is almost always created by fusing Barong and Rangda. Why those two specifically? Because they're portrayed in ceremonial dances on the island of Bali (which is predominantly Hindu), and Shiva is the King of Dance. It also references one interpretation of Rangda as being an alternate form of Kali (who was one of Shiva's consorts) or in some traditions is another name for Kali.
50	* In most games, demon fusion is handled in a Cathedral, overseen by a Minister. Two demons coming together in a Cathedral, in a ceremony presided over by a Minister, creating a new demon. Sounds like marriage, doesn't it?

Context Fridge / ShinMegamiTensei