Digital Devil Saga / Characters

The cast of the Digital Devil Saga games. Beware of UNMARKED SPOILERS. The Ultimate Bosses' folder will have no marked spoilers at all, and will also spoil main series titles. You have been warned.

open/close all folders

The Embryon

Serph

Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (JP), Yuri Lowenthal (EN)

The Silent Protagonist of the game, Serph is the leader of the Embryon. Even with his emotions awakened, he remains a calm and composed leader for his Tribe. Over the course of the game, he forms a bond with Sera and soon becomes determined to protect her.

His Atma is the Water Crown, and his demon form is Varna.

Amnesiac Dissonance: In the second game, Serph realizes that the person whom he is based on was a Manipulative Bastard and the one directly responsible for angering God.
An Ice Person: His primary element.
Bag of Spilling: From the first to the second game. Justified because they were overwritten when making the transition from the Junkyard to the real world.
Became Their Own Antithesis: Played With. The original Serph Sheffield was a coldhearted, manipulative monster, whereas this version of him is an honorable, benevolent man. It's played with in that Serph remembers nothing about his former self.
Blade Below the Shoulder: His main form of attack when in demon form.
Color-Coded Eyes: Everyone in the Junkyard gets eyes that match their hair colour, but Serph's grey eyes is a special case because they show how Sera had no real grasp of the original Serph's personality.
Covert Pervert: Implied in the second game. When Argilla takes an item from her demon mouths - which are her breasts - the narration states that Serph is "happy for some reason".
Decoy Protagonist: In Digital Devil Saga 2 he falls in the EGG, then Gale and Sera take over, and then he returns as Seraph, after he and Sera died.
Everyone Has Pistols: His weapon in human form is a pistol.
Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The realist, he makes all of the tough calls and makes sure the Embryon stay focused on reaching Nirvana.
Foreshadowing: several instances.
- When first entering the Karma Temple, Varin and Angel are enraged upon seeing him.
- A conversation with Sera has her asking Serph what colour he thinks the sky is. One of the answers is "a harsh yellow".
- A random scientist in the second game seems to recognise him for some reason, thought him to be dead and expected him to know everything about the Cyber Shaman project.
Fusion Dance: With Sera in the second game.
Gameplay-Guided Amnesia: Mostly used to make the NPCs explain the game's mechanics.
The Gunslinger: It takes second place to his demon powers, but it's shown in cut-scenes that Serph has a deadly aim (to borderline Trick Shot levels), and in game he rarely misses a shot.
Heroic BSoD: Learning that his original human self was a rotten, heartless Mad Scientist did not sit well with poor Serph.
Heroic Mime: Justified in-game as Serph's lack of personality reflects Sera's lack of understanding of who the real Serph Sheffield really was. Once he becomes Seraph, he averts this trope, though with Sera's voice. Unlike many Shin Megami Tensei and Persona protagonists, he fully averts this trope in the novel adaptation.
The Hero: Makes the tough decisions, leads the team and keeps them together.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: His Disney Death halfway through the second game.
Informed Ability: He is praised for his level-headed thinking and extraordinary leadership skills, but we don't see any of that.
Meaningful Name: Serph -> Serf, given the original purpose of the Junkyard and Sera's Dream Serph.
- Also, whether intentional or not, Serph -> Surf, and his elemental alignment is water.
Ninja Run: In his Varna form during Field Hunts, in the exact same fashion as in Naruto.
Not So Stoic: Twice in the second game. First when he found out the truth about his and Sera's pasts, and then again when Cielo dies.
Only Mostly Dead: The wound he suffered at the hands of Heat should have been lethal, but the nutritious fluids in the E.G.G. and his own Atma powers kept him alive and healed him.
Personality Powers: His stat distribution is the most flexible, fitting for a guy who's element is water.
Protagonist Without a Past: Him and everyone in the Junkyard. It turns out to be a massive plot point.
Punny Name: Serph -> surf -> water -> ice.
The Quiet One: Interestingly, Serph's lack of expression is commented on by the rest of his team.
Rei Ayanami Expy: A rare male example. He has silver hair and eyes, which upon closer inspection are unique even by Junkyard standards, and even after awakening to his emotions at the opening cutscene of the game, he still comes off as emotionless and only starts showing clear emotion towards the end of the sequel. Finally, he is an artificial intelligence based on a Mad Scientist. His haircut also fits the standards.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Heat's Red. Whereas Heat is rough and quick to anger, Serph has the equanimity of cold tea.
Silent Protagonist: Serph never speaks in the first game. Lampshaded by Heat after the fight with Beck, who says he should speak up a bit more. He does speak more at the end of DDS 2, once he fuses with Sera to become Seraph.
Together in Death: With Sera in the second game.
Tomato in the Mirror: He is based on Sera's perception of who Serph Sheffield was, but his lack of personality reflects how little she knew of the real thing. He grows as a character and becomes distinct from both the original Serph Sheffield and Sera's false perception of him.
What Have I Become?: Inverted. When he finds out about Sheffield, his reaction is more along the lines "What was I?".

Heat

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (JP), Crispin Freeman (EN)

"C'mon, your ass is mine."

Serph's second-in-command in the Embryon, and their strongest physical fighter. Heat quickly grows to enjoy his newfound powers and has no qualms with devouring others to survive. Despite his abrasive behaviour, he has a strong, maddening affinity towards Sera which he struggles to cope with.

His Atma is Fireball, and his demon form is Agni.

11th-Hour Ranger: In the last dungeon of the second game, he can be recruited in the final dungeon if you made certain dialogue choices throughout the two games.
Anger Born of Worry: This causes many of his teammates to misunderstand his intentions.
All Love Is Unrequited: Heat is enamored with Sera and throughout the first game tries to win her over by one-upping Serph to prove he's stronger. Sera is aware of Heat's feelings, but she doesn't view him as anything more than a friend and comrade.
Badass Cape: He wears a cape as part of his outfit with a cross on the back that's in the colors of the Embryon.
The Big Guy: Doubles as The Lancer. He is the first jump into battle and has the most hostile personality. He also has the greatest physical strength and that is also the stat that he favors.
Blood Knight: Clearly looks forward to his fights.
Bring It: His response to everything, from enemy encounters to his arguments with the pther tribe members. He is convinced that he is the strongest man in the Junkyard.
- He says those exact words to the Final Boss right before the fight kicks in.
Cutscene Power to the Max: In the second game, he is shown using magic to create small explosions while in human form, which nobody can do in-game, as well as teleporting to the inside the control room in the corrupted EGG Installation.
Evil Tastes Good: Downplayed, but he enjoys eating people a tad bit too much.
Heat: Sweet fluid dripping from a torn throat... splattering as I sink my teeth into rich flesh... This is a good sensation.
- Horribly averted as Vritra, as he tries to get the party to kill him out of his guilt for killing Serph.
Face–Heel Turn: In the second game.
Fiery Red Head: Red hair, and one of the most aggressive characters in the game.
Fiery Stoic: In contrast to his attitude 90% of the time, when is in Berserk mode in the second game he displays Dissonant Serenity.
Forceful Kiss: He forces a kiss on Sera out of jealously towards her feelings for Serph, which upsets her greatly.
Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The cynic, easily. He considers pretty much everything a threat and is suspicious of everybody.
Glass Cannon: He has great physical attack power, but he doesn't fare well against magic attacks.
Grenade Launcher: Wields single-shot, break-action launcher in human form.
Hot-Blooded: In keeping with his fire powers.
I Am a Humanitarian: This can be said for everyone in the Junkyard but Heat stands out because he outright enjoys the sensation of eating people and can't understand why Argilla has problems with it.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice:
- In the first game, he gets stabbed by Bat in a cutscene.
- A variant occurs in the second game, where Serph cuts his way through Heat's insides.
Irony: The violent guy who is the most eager to kill and eat his enemies? He was based on a doctor.
- He is the most aggressive and angry member of the team, yet his real life counterpart was actually a generally calm, collected, and kind man. He was only ever really angry when dealing with Serph Sheffield, who he despised for his cruelty. Unfortunately, Sera only ever got to see this side of Heat (which scared her), so the version of him she creates is a far cry from his true self.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can be pretty insensitive and bloodthirsty, but he always puts Sera and his tribe's well-being before his carnivorous instincts.
The Lancer: In the first game.
Love Makes You Crazy: He becomes increasingly dissatisfied by the attraction between Sera and Serph, which leads to his Face–Heel Turn in the second game. It's not entirely unjustified, considering what the real Serph did to Sera.
Meaningful Name: His name is Heat, and he's a Hot-Blooded man with an affinity for fire.
Mighty Glacier: Weak magic, low agility, high vitality and hits like a truck physically.
Mutually Exclusive Party Members: In the second game, Heat and Roland cannot be in the same party together; Heat will simply inherit all of Roland's skills if he is chosen for The Very Definitely Final Dungeon.
Neck Lift: To Harley.
One-Winged Angel: Vritra in the second game.
Optional Party Member: If you make certain choices throughout both games it is possible to recruit him in The Very Definitely Final Dungeon of the second one.
Personality Powers: The hotheaded brawler of the bunch turns into a fire-elemental, muscular monster.
Playing with Fire: His primary element is fire.
Recurring Boss: In the second game he is fought twice - if you discount the mock duel in the first.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Played with. He's brash and violent when his emotions awaken, but he's not a bad person. When he turns into Vritra, his eyes become Glowing Eyes of Doom, and he attacks the party.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Serph's Blue. He is hotheaded, impulsive, abrasive and can't deal with his emotions. Lampshaded in the story with the "good prince" and the "evil prince".
Secret Character: He can be welcomed back into the party at the cost of Roland in Digital Devil Saga 2 if the correct dialogue choices were made throughout both games.
Single-Target Sexuality: He is deeply in love with Sera, but his harsh attitude and jealousy towards Serph drove her away from him. During the final dungeon of the second game it's implied he still has feelings for Sera even after she fuses with Serph, as well as having feelings for their fused form Seraph, as he refers to the latter as "cute" if the correct choices are made in both games.
Social Darwinist: He's the first to embrace the idea of strength and eating the weak.
Sudden Sequel Heel Syndrome: In the second game he's working for the Karma Society. Subverted in that he only does that to ensure Sera's wellbeing.
Suicide by Cop: After killing Serph, he's so overcome with guilt that he fights the remaining members of the Embryon. He yells at them to fight him harder, encourages them to keep looking for his weakness, and tries to get them to hate him.
Super-Strength: Even in human form, he can throw a fully grown adult a few yards.
Tomato in the Mirror: He is based on Sera's perception of Heat O'Brien, a scientist who worked alongside Serph Sheffield on the God Project. Despite his hostile exterior, O'Brien genuinely cared for Sera and became horrified at how callously Sheffield treated her. When O'Brien attempted to stop him and save Sera's life, he was shot in the back by Argilla (under Sheffield's manipulations). O'Brien's data then became trapped in the E.G.G. and watched over Sera while his counterpart in the Junkyard developed to become his own person.
Tragic Monster: As Vritra. He killed Serph, but he regrets it so much that he wants the party to kill him.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Twice, and both times it was in his attempt to kill Serph in order to protect Sera. Her reaction to that destroyed the world.
Varying Tactics Boss: Exploited. In the second game, Heat has undergone the Sudden Sequel Heel Syndrome and is a Recurring Boss. While in both his fights he takes advantage of the Press Turn system, how he does that is completely different.
- To reach his first fight, you first have to fight three Karma Soldiers before he appears, accompanied by two Gdons, which he uses to cover his ice weakness by having them set up barriers. He also uses his typical physical attacks and constantly targets Serph with Agidyne because he knows that's his weakness.
- In the second fight, Heat obtains a completely different Atma form, namely Vritra. His old weaknesses are completely disregarded - he now drains fire, reflects ice and is weak to electricity - gains an ice attack that has a good chance of freezing characters, which gives him free rein to pile up on Critical Hits (which also give him extra turns). He also gains an Almighty attack, as well as a Panic inducing skill to make you waste your turns. You also have to destroy his two arms to even deal any damage to him this time around. He even lampshades this trope when you attempt to hit him with ice attacks.
  Vritra: No, y'dumb bastard! That won't do a damn thing!
Warm Bloodbags Are Everywhere: He acts like this at the very beginning of the game.
Heat: There is food all around us...
What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Heat in particular struggles with this since he doesn't quite understand his feelings for Sera and can only express himself through force and anger. This reflects Sera's inability to get past the real Heat O'Brien's scary exterior and see the side of him that truly cared for her.

Argilla

Voiced by: Yumi Touma (JP), Amanda Winn-Lee (EN)

"I'm sorry, I'll make this quick."

Argilla is the Embyron's main sniper, and is often paired with Serph on the most high-priority missions. She shows the most reluctance and horror towards her demonic transformation, even refusing to eat for a time. Over time she grows to accept the reality of her situation, becoming the most compassionate of the Embryon yet also doing what it takes to reach Nirvana and be rid of her powers.

Her Atma is Seismic Wave, which lets her transform into Prithivi.

11th-Hour Superpower: If the right decisions are made in the first game and then save data is imported to the second, Argilla will obtain Seraph Lore in The Very Definitely Final Dungeon.
Bag of Spilling: Discussed by her. She mentions that she feels as if she were "overwritten" during the transition to the real world.
Blade Below the Shoulder: Well, whip below the shoulder at any rate, but Prithivi's right arm is a long, distended tendril that Argilla can lash her opponents with.
Cold Sniper: Before the events of the game, since everyone in the Junkyard is emotionless.
Combat Medic: Starts off with support spells.
Combat Tentacles: Prithivi's arms can extend out, which allows her to use them as whips.
Dishing Out Dirt: Her specialty and the element she resists.
Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The Optimist, she tries to see the good in people and wants to get to know them.
Friendly Sniper: The sniper of the group, and easily the nicest member of the Embryon.
Gameplay and Story Integration: She refuses to devour her opponents in the first dungeon and thus does not gain any Atma points. In New Game Plus, if she has any Hunt skills, she will refuse to use them for that dungeon.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: A small, thin one over her eye.
The Heart: Along with Sera, she is the conscience in the party.
Heroic Sacrifice: In the second game she sacrifices herself alongside Roland to stop the nigh-invincible Meganada.
I Just Want to Be Normal: Says these exact words after receiving her powers.
Intimate Marks: On her left breast.
Leotard of Power: If one looks really closely at the slit of her skirt when she moves.
Light 'em Up: If you refuse to betray Jinana in the first game and import the save data to the second, she will inherit Seraph Lore in the Sun.
My Eyes Are Leaking: Her reaction in the face of Jinana's death is to cry; however, as she has only recently awakened to her emotions, she is not quite so sure what crying is.
Jinana: Your eyes... Those must be... tears...
Argilla: I don't know why... They won't stop, Jinana.
Nice Girl: Out of the entire cast, she's easily the friendliest and most compassionate.
Paper-Thin Disguise: Disguises herself as Sera to trick the Dragon. Lampshaded by Cielo.
Cielo: Okay... Dis seriously won't work.
Gale: Why is that?
Cielo: Obviously! Sera isn't dis tall, her hair is way different and her arms ain't dat thick!
Personality Powers: Learns support and Tera spells, reflecting both her wish to be normal and her friendly nature. Even more fitting is that she used to be a nurse.
Punny Name: It's Italian for "clay".
Rose-Haired Sweetie: Although you can't tell from her page image, she has a compassionate personality.
Squishy Wizard: Her stat growth favors Magic, making her vulnerable, but leaving her with spells that will leave enemies that are weak to them helpless.
Team Mom: The caring one of the team, also doubles as somewhat of a mother-figure to Sera.
Technicolor Eyes: Pink.
Tomato in the Mirror: Argilla was based upon a nurse who took care of Sera during her time in the God Project. Although caring and flirtatious, the real Argilla fell prey to Serph Sheffield's manipulations and killed Heat O'Brien when he threatened Serph with a gun. Ironically, even though Argilla is fond of Sera, the nurse she was based on didn't like her.
Too Many Mouths: The trademark giant mouths are on her breasts.
What Have I Become?: Her initial reaction to the demonic transformations.
Argilla: What's... What's happening to us?
Whip of Dominance: Argilla's Avatar Prithivi has a BDSM-esque motif with its skintight spike-covered outfit and high-heeled feet and further complemented by the fact it has extendable arms that are used as whips during combat.

Gale

Voiced by: Hideyuki Hori (JP), Steve Blum (EN)

"We have the advantage, proceed."

Gale is the main tactical advisor for the Embryon, whose analytical and intelligent mind has led the Embryon to multiple victories. Gale values logic and rationality above all else, and finds himself increasingly isolated from his comrades as they develop their emotions.

His Atma is Twister, which transforms him into Vayu.

11th-Hour Superpower: If save data is imported from the first game, he will obtain Pyriphlegethon from Lupa in The Very Definitely Final Dungeon.
Ambiguously Bi / Single-Target Sexuality: He was in a romantic relationship with the Hermaphrodite Jenna Angel, but does not show interest to anyone else. When he briefly takes over as the protagonist and Argilla presents him with an item from her demonic mouths, the narration states that he's unmoved.
Armed Legs: In his human form, his boots have daggers built in them. In his demon form, he can extend blades from his feet.
Badass Boast: Gets an awesome one at the beginning of DDS2, combined with Pre-Asskicking One-Liner.
Gale: I would not advise fighting against the Embryon with such a small number. We know only the ways of the Junkyard. In order to live, we kill, devour and destroy. If you do not wish to die, I suggest that you leave.
Badass Bookworm: The analytical member of the team. Doesn't look like much of a bruiser, but he is a Magic Knight who can kick all kinds of all.
Bag of Spilling: Just like the other Embryon members in the second game.
Blow You Away: His specialty and the element he resists.
Catchphrase: "I do not comprehend."
Character Development: After meeting Lupa, he starts to take the concept of honor VERY seriously.
Character Tics: He has a habit of touching the bridge of his nose reminiscent of the way a person might adjust their glasses. It's implied to be a habit that he inherited from his past life as David, who wore glasses.
The Comically Serious: He is literally unable to emote in the first game even in the funniest scenes, but in the second...
Gale (declining a challenge to a Shoot 'Em Up game): You will fear my elite skills.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: How he dies both as David Gale and data Gale, and both times with Angel.
Emotion Suppression: You can see his eyes flicker green whenever he has visions of Angel crying. It takes Lupa's death for him to properly awaken.
Extremity Extremist: Primarily uses kicks to attack.
Face Death with Dignity: Both times he dies, he tries to reassure Angel, even though the second time it was her who killed him.
Flashback Cut: The images of the crying woman that he frequently sees. It turns out to be the memory of his death.
Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Is the guy who makes the plans, but his inability to care about emotion or consequences places him in the Apathethic category.
Heroic Sacrifice: In the second game to stop Angel.
Hurricane Kick: Uses an upside down variation when using a multi-hitting physical attack.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: His death.
Irony: Is the only member of the Embryon to view Sera with suspicion and general apathy towards her well-being after meeting her. As the lover of Angel, her parent, he's one ring away from being Sera's stepfather.
The Lancer: Takes on this role in the second game, since Heat is M.I.A.
The Lost Lenore: He is this to Angel: they were lovers in his past life.
Magic Knight: Has balanced stat-growth, but his two dominant stats are strength and magic (75 each at level 99).
Mutual Kill: With Angel in the second game.
Not So Stoic: The very first thing he does after awakening is declare his Rage Against the Heavens. Loudly.
Playing with Fire: Inherits Pyrithegethon from Lupa in the Sun should save data from the first game be imported.
Precision F-Strike: His quote during Berserk Mode is him saying "damn it". Not really strong, but extremely out of character for him.
Punny Name: His element is force, which is basically just the wind element. A gale is a storm.
Rage Against the Heavens: Right upon awakening.
Gale: Be you angel or demon... you will surely regret giving me this cursed power!
The Rest Shall Pass: He chooses to face off with Angel at the airport in the second game in order to allow the rest of the Embryon to seize a plane. It ends with both Gale and Angel dead.
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: He adopts this attitude after Lupa's death.
Cielo: Gale was such a sticker for de rules... Lupa must've been quite de guy to turn dat around.
The Smart Guy: He's the main technical advisor and strategist of Embryon.
The Spock: He outright calls emotions "unreasonable" throughout the first game, and it's obvious he tries to study them from a strategic perspective. He grows out of this.
The Stoic: He takes the longest to awaken to his emotions, and even after awakening he's the least likely to act on them of all of Embryon.
The Strategist: Serve this role for the Embryon.
Star-Crossed Lovers: With Jenna Angel. He died in her arms twice. Thankfully, the ending implies that it won't happen a third time.
Straw Vulcan: The last of the Embryon to truly awaken to emotions; before then, he's prone to suggesting extremely ruthless courses of action due to his lack of empathy or compassion. After awakening, he subverts this, as while he's still The Stoic, he's no longer sociopathic and lacks the utter coldness that distanced him from the others.
Taken for Granite: As David, his right hand was turned into stone due to Cuvier's Syndrome. It's unknown how far it spreaded.
Taking You with Me: After Angel stabs him in the gut in a fit of rage, he does the same with her, through much more calmly.
Tomato in the Mirror: His past self was David Gale, a researcher in love with Jenna Angel. Unfortunately, he caught Curvier Syndrome and died when his isolation ward was attacked by terrorists. Although he spent his dying moments trying to put Jenna's mind at ease, his death acted as the catalyst for many of her machinations.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When as David he asked Jenna to find the cure for the Cuvier Syndrome, he probably didn't mean to cause her Face–Heel Turn which resulted in a cannibalism-inducing virus.
Wham Line: Some very easily missable examples come right after the party meets Lupa but before completing the following dungeon.
Gale: (...)I am singing Sera's song, even though I don't know it... to a woman whose name I don't know...
Gale: I can imagine a different sky... dark and burning crimson.
What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Finds emotions hard to understand. Ironically enough, he had a girlfriend in his past life.

Cielo

Voiced by: Hiroaki Miura (JP), Dave Wittenberg (EN)

"Okay, you asked for it."

Cielo is a capable fighter in the Embryon, though he lacks any particular speciality. After he awakens his Atma, he gains a thick Jamaican accent and becomes the most playful and vibrant member of the group.

His Atma is Rainbow Arch, and his demon form is Dyaus.

An Arm and a Leg: He loses one wing during his Heroic Sacrifice.
Bag of Spilling: Second game.
Beware the Silly Ones: He may be the comic relief character, but when provoked he will kick your ass as one of the Tribhvana found out.
The Big Guy: In the second game. Not so much in the first. He shares this role with Roland.
Blessed with Suck: He is based on one of the Cyber Shamans, which means that he did at least have a fraction of Sera's power. The experiments that followed caused his death.
Cutscene Power to the Max: His "plot lasers".
Defeat Equals Explosion: His Dying Moment of Awesome had a lot of them. It was also how he was taken out in the end.
Dreadlock Warrior: A soldier with eight braids, though how the ones at the sides of his head are supposed to work is a mystery for the ages.
Dying Moment of Awesome: Look Heroic Sacrifice bellow. Even lampshaded.
Cielo's Solar Data: Man, did you see my awesome death scene?
Forgot About His Powers: The first time we see Cielo's demon form in a cutscene, he uses some sort of mouth laser beam. He never uses it again, and in The Very Definitely Final Dungeon he even lampshades it.
Cielo's Solar Data: Maybe if I had fired dat laser from my mouth like before, I could've survived a bit longer...
Four-Philosophy Ensemble: The Conflicted. He really just seems to be along for the ride, and doesn't make a lot of decisions on his own. It makes sense when you learn that his basis in the real world was only a child when he died, and thus didn't have much in the way of autonomy.
Fragile Speedster: In the first game, his stat distribution is geared towards agility.
Funetik Aksent: Whenever he says anything too Rastafarian. Justified because he is based on a child, and thus probably doesn't know how to correctly write these words.
Funny Foreigner: After gaining a Jamaican accent.
Hair Color Dissonance: His hair is meant to be blue, but looks more lilac sometimes.
Heroic Sacrifice: Second game, in order to save Serph and Sera from a bunch of missiles.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: He was killed by a piece of airplane wreckage.
Kindhearted Cat Lover: He is the friendliest and most optimistic character in the game, and even before he gained emotions he made sure to pet the cat.
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: If a trope is Lampshaded, nine out of ten chances it'll be Cielo who did it.
Lethal Joke Character: For most of the first game, his strange stat distribution (favoring Luck and Agility) and his weakness to Ailments made him The Load. What most players did not pick up was that they are supposed to combine his weakness with the "Null -insert Ailment here-" skills to trick the enemies into targeting him and get their turns stolen in return. This trope shows much more clearly in the fight with the Demi-Fiend, when his weakness combined with "Null Sleep" is the only way to avoid his total party kill attacks.
The Load: Fixed in the sequel.
On a Scale from One to Ten: He brings this up when Argilla asks him his thoughts on Heat's "comrades" speech.
Argilla: Thoughts?
Cielo: On a scale from one to ten, I'll give it a tree. But all in all, pretty good for a hotheaded jerk.
The Power of Friendship: He truly believes in this.
Cielo: You gotta follow de love!
Punny Name: It's Spanish for "sky".
Shock and Awe: His primary element.
Tomato in the Mirror: He was based on one of the other children involved in the preliminary stages of the God Project, where he struck up a lasting friendship with Sera. Unfortunately, he would end up dying in the experiments along with every other child except for Sera.
Took a Level in Badass: Again, in the sequel.

Sera

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (JP), Wendee Lee (EN)

A mysterious black-haired girl who appears in the Junkyard along with the Atma. Unlike the other inhabitants of the Junkyard, she bears no identifying Tag Ring. Sera has no memory of her past, but claims to have come to the Junkyard to help everyone. Her song can pacify the demonic inhabitants of the world, preventing them from going berserk.

Sera is actually the creator of the Junkyard, using a psychic power that allows her to manipulate data. In the real world, her power was used in a series of experiments designed to communicate with the superbeing known as "God". Because of the stress of these experiments, Sera created the Junkyard as a private paradise and haven for her own mind. When the existence of the Junkyard was discovered, the scientists forced her to re-purpose it into a military simulator for the development of combat A.Is.

When Jenna Angel attempted to use the Junkyard as a testing ground for her plan to unleash the Demon Virus on a worldwide scale, Sera forcibly inserted her consciousness into the program at the cost of her memories. Her real body rests in the real world, hooked into an incubator that sustains her frail life.

During the events of Digital Devil Saga 2 she inherits the Water Crown Atma from Serph, which lets her transform into Varnani.

All-Loving Hero: She shows compassion for all of her enemies and great torment over the things everyone suffers for her sake.
An Ice Person: After obtaining an Atma and being able to turn into a demon, her primary element is ice.
Apologizes a Lot: In the first game, she doesn't stop saying she's sorry for her amnesia and all the trouble she is causing.
Badass Adorable: After she obtains Atma powers. She is still a sweet girl; however, now she can turn into a pink demon to kick your ass.
Blessed with Suck: Her mysterious powers have made her a target for everyone in the Junkyard, and on top of that the machine she's plugged into forces her to rapidly age to the point she needs a sustaining fluid to remain young.
Because You Were Nice to Me: Deconstructed. She risked her life for the Bitch in Sheep's Clothing because he was nice to her, and was scared of the Jerk with a Heart of Gold despite him being the only one who cared about her.
Boyish Short Hair: It's never brought up, but her hairdo becomes pretty convenient when she fuses with Serph. No need to worry about hair length!
Bubble Boy: Downplayed, but she needs the nutritious fluids from the EGG in order to slow her Rapid Aging.
Cute Monster Girl: Her demon form is actually quite adorable.
Convenient Replacement Character: After she inherits the Water Crown Atma from Serph, Sera inherits his exact stats and Mantras.
Damsel in Distress: In the first game, she is nothing but this.
Distaff Counterpart: Her demon form is this to Serph's.
Everyone Has Pistols: Her human form uses a pistol like Serph.
Expy: Of Maya Amano. Both of them are cheerful and optimistic gunslingers with unusual appearance for their setting (Maya has purple eyes which help to indentify her in certain situations, while Sera is the only one with black hair), they occasionally fall into the Damsel in Distress trope, they have ship-tease with the protagonist of their respective games, their element is ice and both of them end up indirectly bring the end of their respective worlds and both of them eventually reincarnate in the new world they help create.
Fusion Dance: In the second game, her Solar Data fuses with Serph's on their way to the Sun and becomes the entity known as Seraph.
Hairstyle Inertia: Flashbacks of her as a kid show that she had the exact same hair as now. In fact, this example is pretty weird because from what we learn of her backstory it's pretty obvious that she had no access to a hairdresser.
Holy Child: All the tribes are after her, knowing they need her to get to Nirvana.
Innocent Prodigy: She has incredible psychic powers, but is still a seven year old girl on the inside. She created Disneyland in her virtual world, and described her situation like a fairy tale. It's implied that she made the beautifully crafted buildings in the Junkyard as well.
Late-Arrival Spoiler: Her inheriting the Water Crown is spoiled on the second game's box art.
Magic Music: Her singing can calm berserk demons.
Messianic Archetype: Literally sacrifices herself to talk to God in behalf of humanity. Even more so when she merges with Serph to become Seraph.
Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds: Her powers led to the destruction of the Earth by accident.
Morphic Resonance: The bone plates covering Varnani's body are shaped like the uniform Sera wears in human form.
Mysterious Waif: Amnesiac, pure-hearted, has mysterious Psychic Powers and everyone in the Junkyard is after her.
Naked on Arrival: Twice. She emerges into the Junkyard completely naked, and leaves the EGG naked as well.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Her full name is Seraphita. Only Angel actually calls her that.
Override Command: If it exists and it's electronic, she can command it. Lampshaded in the first game by the Temple Guards, who namedrop this trope.
Temple Guard: Override command acknowledged.
Promoted to Playable: In 2, she gains Serph's Atma after he is seemingly killed, essentially taking his place as the lead protagonist and leader of the party. When it turns out Serph is still alive, she is no longer mandatory in the party but remains useable as a party member. And then she and Serph fuse...
Purity Personified: Reason being is that she is actually still a child, she just suffers from Rapid Aging.
Rapid Aging: A side effect of her Cyber Shaman powers. While she physically looks like an adult, she is actually seven years old.
Swiss-Army Superpower: Her vaguely defined Psychic Powers allow her to do anything, from essentially brainwashing various people in the Junkyard, to blocking Atma transformations.
Took a Level in Badass: In the sequel she stops being a Damsel in Distress and inherits Serph's Water Crown Atma so she can fight alongside Embryon.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Twice. Her connection with God means that he reacts to anything that upsets her. The first time, the result was turning the Earth into a wasteland. The second time, he started absorbing the planet.
Younger Than They Look: Sera suffers from Rapid Aging as a result of the repeated use of her "Cyber Shaman" powers. This gets to the point she cannot survive for too long without the sustaining fluids from the EGG.

Rival Tribes

Harley Q

Voiced by: Masaya Onosaka (JP), Lex Lang (EN)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Harley185_5858.jpg

"I see now... There is one thing I finally understand... In this world, it's eat... or be EATEN!"

The leader of the Vanguards, the closest rivals to the Embryon. Harley is present at Ground Zero when the Atma is unleashed upon the Junkyard, and is driven insane with fear by the bloodbath that ensues.

His Atma is Burning Stake, and his demon form is Hayagriva.

He finally snaps after being cornered by the Embryon, who just wanted to exchange information on what happened at Ground Zero. He attacks them in a desperate rage and is killed.

Anti-Villain: Before gaining emotions, he only fought the Embryon because he was supposed to. After gaining emotions, he just ordered attacks on them out of sheer terror.
Automatic Crossbows: Uses them in cutscenes, but is never fought in human form.
Crippling Overspecialization: All his damaging moves are Fire-element, so Heat's Void Fire renders him completely harmless.
Freak Out: He reacts poorly to the Atma.
Go Mad from the Revelation: The advent of the demon virus and sight of his men going berserk smashes Harley's sanity into little bloody pieces.
Hellish Horse: His demon form Hayagriva is a demonic Zebra.
Playing with Fire: He uses fire magic.
Sacrificial Lion: He exists to show just how devastating the Atma can be upon the Junkyard and how much it can change things. The Vanguards collapse in a day, and Harley goes from a competent leader to a frightened child.
Trauma Conga Line: Within the span of a day, he was turned into a demon, ate his soldiers, watched an enemy tribe eat his soldiers, had one of said soldiers transform into freaking Beelzebub and then the tribe from before invaded his base. Needless to say, the poor guy did not deserve all this.
Warmup Boss: His battle mainly serves to show how useful elemental shields are; he's incapable of even damaging the party if Heat's Void Fire is active. (He'll also cover his own weakness with Void Ice occasionally, but it's not like that makes him a threat).

Jinana

Voiced by: Kazue Ikura (JP), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (EN)

"Many of us have died due to this unexplained power. If my reaction is "sad," then yes, I am sad."

The leader of the Maribel. After the tribes gain the power of Atma, Gale proposes an alliance with her in order to defeat the Solids, with Argilla becoming quite fond of her.

Her Atma is Aurora, and her demon form is Usas.

The party are eventually required to kill her after she succumbs to the madness of the Demon Virus, having refused to devour a single person.

Died in Your Arms Tonight: To Argilla.
Fashionable Asymmetry: It's subtle but one of her leggings is red whilst the other is grey, her tear drop marking is on her right cheek and her hair is combed over her left eye.
Flunky Boss: Summons Unicorns to aid her.
Fusion Dance: If you choose not to betray her in the first game, her data is absorbed by Argilla in the sequel, granting her Seraph Lore.
Honor Before Reason: She refused to devour anyone because she did not like needless killing. This results in her going insane from the hunger after being defeated by Mick.
Intimate Marks: She has a Power Tattoo on her right buttock.
Light 'em Up: Uses Hama and her special combo attack Seraph Lore.
The Quincy Punk: The aesthetic of her tribe.
Signature Move: The combo skill Seraph Lore.
Status Effects: Uses Marin Karin to charm her foes.
Stripperific: Her outfit basically amounts to a bikini, an open jacket, and boots. Not like the rest of her tribe is much better.
Tragic Monster: Due to not eating others she eventually goes berserk and has to be put down by the Embryon.
Tron Lines: Her body is covered in green lines after going berserk due to the Virus, but they're gone when she's fought.

Bat

Voiced by: Ryōtarō Okiayu (JP), Dave Wittenberg (EN)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bat185_5153.jpg

Originally The Dragon to Jinana, Bat's emotions awaken after he is defeated by Serph and he gains a severe case of Chronic Backstabbing Disorder, becoming a recurring antagonist to the Embryon.

His Atma is Sonic Wave, and his demon form is Camazotz.

After switching sides to the Solids and then the Brutes, Bat ultimately dies after a final rematch with Serph when the ship he is on explodes as part of a plan to weaken the Brutes]

An Arm and a Leg: Cielo blasts one of his wings off in a cutscene. He's back to normal next time he's seen.
Badass Boast: His introduction.
Bat: The name's Bat. Remember that. I'll carve it in your corpse.
Bat Out of Hell: His demon form is a giant bat.
Blow You Away: Eventually learns wind spells by the third encounter and gets his own skill Winds of Hell.
Breaking Speech: He delivers one to Argilla about how they're not so different, as she also devours her enemies. In the following cutscene it's clear that it worked.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Betrays every one he works with save for Varin, but only because he gets killed before he could possibly try.
Defeat Equals Explosion: Enforced by the Embryon, as they blow up the ship he was in to kill him after they defeated him.
The Dragon: First to Jinana, then to Mick, and tries to be another one to Varin.
Failed a Spot Check: He managed to mistake a pile of clothes for Sera.
Flunky Boss: During his second boss fight where he'll summon Baphomets.
Forced Transformation: He can transform your party into bats.
Hate Sink: He is a treacherous coward who speaks ill of the dead to provoke people.
Irony: His "Guard" skill, which reduces the damage of all attacks that would damage him while unguarded, but not only does it remove his immunity to Earth attacks, it also makes him weak to them.
- He also keeps on wearing Maribel's colours even though that was the first tribe he betrayed, and even ate his former leader.
Jerkass: Petty and cruel to the bone: Bat's loyalties lie only to himself and he delights in taunting Argilla to get a rise out of her.
Meaningful Name: A rather self-explanatory one, seeing as his demon form, Camazotz, is a giant bat.
"Not So Different" Remark: He invokes this in his attempt to break Argilla by saying that she also eats her enemies in spite of supposedly being against it.
Psycho Knife Nut: He doesn't use it in combat, but he stabs Heat with one as a way of persuading him.
Punny Name: He transforms into a bat.
Recurring Boss: Fought three times through the first game and once again in the second, as Solar Data.
Signature Move: Winds of Hell. He warns the party - albeit mockingly - before he uses it for the first time.
Slasher Smile: Gives one of these smug, sadistic smiles all the time.
Smug Snake: A traitorous bastard, cunning and awfully smug about how everyone falls for his trickery.
Social Darwinist: He is one of those who embrace eating those weaker than themselves.
Super-Senses: Smell, in particular. He is able to track and identify the scents of people from great distance, even in human form.

Mick The Slug

Voiced by: Hisao Egawa (JP), Joe Romersa (EN)

The leader of the Solids. After gaining the power of Atma, Mick becomes a cruel and sadistic leader who takes great pleasure in devouring others.

His Atma is Solar Eclipse, and his demon form is Rahu.

He captures Sera from the Embryon as per the Karma Temple's orders. However, he is betrayed by Bat and cornered by the Embryon, who kill him.

Arc Villain: He's the Embryon's main target after the meeting in the Karma Temple and the first proper villain introduced, covering the first half of the game.
Bad Boss: Enjoyed eating his men who went berserk because they didn't eat other humans.
Big Eater: Takes to the new rules of devouring opponents with no problems at all. While most Tuners see devouring as a means to get stronger or stave off the virus, Mick seems to like gorging himself for its own sake.
Climax Boss: His defeat marks the end of the game's first main arc, with Varin and massive plot developments shortly following.
Dreadlock Warrior: He's still a soldier, and his hair is arranged in braids.
Dub Name Change: From Mick the Nick to Mick the Slug.
Fat Bastard: Fat, and one of the leaders with very few redeeming qualities.
Human Resources: He especially loves eating people.
Me's a Crowd: The head and the body of his demon form can act independently, and gameplay-wise they are considered different targets.
Our Dragons Are Different: His Atma Avatar is a dragon whose head can detach from the main body. Rahu even means Dragon's Head.
Scary Black Man: A cannibal, though that's not strange in the setting, but the cruelty he demonstrates and sheer glee he finds in eating people puts him firmly in this category.
Stout Strength: Fat, but also incredibly strong.
Warm Bloodbags Are Everywhere: And to him, this is a good thing!
Would Hit a Girl: As seen after the Embryon make it out of the Citadel, he has no problem beating the crap out of Jinana.

Lupa

Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa (JP), Jamieson Price (EN)

The honourable and powerful leader of the Wolves. His tribe takes heavy casualties against the Brutes, and he approaches the Embryon for support.

His Atma is Lava Flow, and his demon form is Cerberus.

His belief in honour ultimately leads to his downfall when he refuses to eat the corpses of his fallen opponents. He succumbs to the madness of the Demon Virus and is put down by the Embryon.

He is the reincarnation of Greg, former leader of the Lokapola and the father of Fred, who died after he tested the Atma Virus on himself.

Canis Major: Cerberus, natch.
Dreadlock Warrior: As part of the general aesthetic.
Facial Markings: Comes with the Magical Native American theme.
A Father to His Men: He'll gladly sacrifice himself to protect them.
Foreshadowing: Him going berserk is hinted at in the Samsara Tunnels as the Embryon check the bodies of Brute tribesmen and talking to Wolves tribesmen. He starts off sparing as many people as he can and not eating them, but eventually he stops recognizing his own men and begins to butcher both Brutes and Wolves alike, while chewing on entrails.
Fiery Stoic: He is one of the calmest characters in the series, maintaining a poker face even when Gale almost slits his throat, as well as one of the friendliest ones. He also has the strongest fire attacks in the duology.
Fusion Dance: His data can do this in the sequel, where he'll pass on Pyriphlegethon to Gale in the process.
Honor Before Reason: Refused to devour anyone. As seen with Jinana, it doesn't end well for him.His honor does trigger a ton of Character Development for Gale, as he starts taking over this habit from Lupa.
Light 'em Up: As Cerberus, one of his heads is able to cast Mahama.
Magical Native American: The entire aesthetic of his tribe.
Meaningful Name: Lupus means "wolf".
One-Man Army: Rips a page from Varin's book and takes on most Brutes completely by himself with absolutely no difficulty.
Past-Life Memories: He has them of his son and the fact that there are no children in the Junkyard helped him to understand that there is something up with the world.
Playing with Fire: Knows the Agi spells and his unique Phlegethon and combo Pyriphlegethon fire skills.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted, he's a friendly guy if you're his ally.
Shoot the Medic First: During his boss fight, the left head provides healing to the center head almost every turn, making hurting the center head pointless unless you can somehow outpace the healing. Similarly, the right head will buff itself and the other heads while debuffing your party and setting up an ice-reflecting shield as well, making it nearly impossible to even inflict lasting damage on the center head unless you can neutralize the buffs and debuffs.
Signature Move: Pyriphlegethon.
Strong Family Resemblance: Played with. Cielo notes that Fred and Lupa don't really look alike - however, the appearance of all those reincarnated in the Junkyard is different from their original, and there's a Freeze-Frame Bonus picture that indicates they looked very similar back when he was still in the real world.
Tomato in the Mirror: In his past life as Greg, he was the founder and leader of the Lokapala. Additionally, a Freeze-Frame Bonus early in the second game suggests that he worked in the Environmental Stabilization Committee before it was turned into the Karma Society.
Tragic Monster: Due to not eating anyone he ends up going berserk.
Tron Lines: Red ones cover his body after going berserk. They're gone when he's fought as a boss, though.
Undying Loyalty: The Wolves express this towards him; even after he dies they maintain their colors. Likewise, the game never refers to them as "ex-members of the Wolves" like it does with the other defeated tribes, even after the Brutes are conquered.
Wham Line: He delivers a magnificent one.
Lupa: Have you ever seen a child here in the Junkyard?

Varin Omega

Voiced by: Banjo Ginga (JP), Bob Papenbrook (EN)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Varin185_3679.jpg

The ruthless leader of the Brutes. After gaining emotions, he refers to himself as "Colonel Beck" and seems to know more about the Junkyard than anyone else. He carries a powerful grudge against Serph.

His Atma is Turbulence, and his demon form is Ravana.

His past self was Colonel Terence E. Beck (William van Beck in the novels), the military commander who ultimately approved the project that led to the current state of events in the world.

Armies Are Evil: He quickly turns the Brutes into a proper military, calling himself a Colonel, and was pretty amoral as the original Colonel Beck.
Arc Villain: Succeeds Mick the Slug as this for the next three dungeons, ultimately falling right before the final dungeon.
Berserk Button: Do not call him Varin! He is a colonel! Colonel Beck!
Beware the Silly Ones: He's not silly, but his demon form, especially once it's encased in the suit, is one of the goofiest looking things you will ever face in the game. He seems aware of this, and warns you not to underestimate him.
Blade Below the Shoulder: His Atma Avatar has serrated daggers concealed in its hands.
Do Not Call Me "Paul": He reacts violently when someone calls him "Varin". He is Colonel Beck.
Doppelgänger Spin: A variation; in his first form, he's invisible and can appear in one of six spots. There's no indication of which one he's actually in other than vague hints from Sera.
The Dragon: To Angel.
Foreshadowing: He is the only one to recognize Angel when she first appears. Not only that, but according to Angel he is the one who requested this world to be locked down and he reveals to the party that Serph gad once devoured them all. The whole story is pieced together in the second game.
Highly-Conspicuous Uniform: Has bright blue face paint and armor. Not that he really needs it, because he can turn completely invisible.
Horror Hunger: Has the ability to invoke this in others.
Instant Armor: His tail can split in two and encase his whole body in a suit of armor.
Invisibility: The unique ability of his Atma Avatar. He can also use while in human form.
I Just Want to Be Free: All of the Tribes want to get to Nirvana, but since Varin actually remembers it perfectly, it's become his obsession. Given how the Junkyard is even more of a Crapsack World than the Death World of Nirvana, it's hard to blame him.
Multi-Armed and Dangerous: His demon form has four arms.
Mighty Glacier: Once he shifts to his second form, his movements slow down considerably, but he still remains powerful. His basic attack is little more than slowly extending his arm blade to the opponent, and yet it still does heavy damage.
Mr. Exposition: He is the one who reveals to the Embryon that they are reincarnation of people who lived in Nirvana.
One-Man Army: He defeated most of the Wolves, the second largest tribe in the Junk Yard, on his own.
Past-Life Memories: All the Junkyard people have them, but Varin is unique in that all of them came back at once, causing him to identify himself as Colonel Beck.
Sequential Boss: Starts off as an insectoid creature that turns invisible, forcing the party to play a guessing game as to where he is while Sera tries to narrow it down. Once he takes enough damage, Varin encases himself in an exoskeleton and engages the party head-on.
Super-Strength: Throws people around like rag dolls and effortlessly catches one of Heat's stonewall shattering punches.
Thoroughly Mistaken Identity: An interesting example. Despite all his belief to the contrary, he's actually not Colonel Beck, but rather an AI construct in his likeness. On top of that, he's unaware that the Embryon aren't actually the people he thinks they are, either. Angel actually points this out to Varin, telling him that if he really was Colonel Beck, he'd know that leaving the Junkyard is impossible.
Wham Line: Which reveals that he is literally the only guy in the Junkyard who knows what's going on.
Varin: I am a Colonel. Colonel Beck. (switches to flashback) That's right. And I know who YOU really are, Angel!

Other Characters

Angel

Voiced by: Michie Tomizawa (JP), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (EN)

"Rend...Slaughter...Devour your enemies! There is no other way to survive. You cannot escape your hunger, Warriors of Purgatory!"

A mysterious being who grants the Junkyard the power of Atma, and commands them to bring Sera to Nirvana.

Her Atma is Maelstrom, and her demon form is Harihara.

Her true identity is Jenna Angel, the creator of the Demon Virus and Sera's sole parent. Her goal is to retrieve Sera's consciousness from the Junkyard so she can be used in her grand plan to spread the Demon Virus worldwide, reducing the world to a primal state of being.

Alto Villainess: Sports a deep voice and is the big bad of the first game.
The Atoner: Towards the end of the second game, she offers support to the Embryon and can even give Seraph a special attack after she dies. Like the rest of the Embryon, she is reincarnated.
Authority Equals Asskicking: She had the authority to create and use the Demon Virus. She uses it.
Bavarian Fire Drill: She hacks into the Karma Temple and takes command of the Junkyard, telling the tribe leaders that "I'm the one you invoke as you gaze at the Heavens". Nobody ever questions this.
Big Bad: She is the final boss of the first game.
Chewing the Scenery:
Angel: At last we shall see the maturation of the seed I HAVE SOWN IN YOU!
Death Equals Redemption: She appears to have let go of all her hatred after her death.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: With Gale.
Dragon with an Agenda: She works for Margot Cuvier, but ultimately works to subvert her and all she has planned.
Final Boss: Of the first game.
Flunky Boss: In the second phase of her fight, she summons orbs that protect her from damage of each orb's corresponding element.
Fusion Dance: If you told Cuvier to go fuck herself, Jenna's data will later on be absorbed by Seraph and unlock the Reincarnate ability.
Hermaphrodite: Has both male and female genitalia. She supplied both the sperm and the egg for Sera.
Heartbroken Badass: The Freudian Excuse for most of her actions is due to terrorists killing David in an attack.
Horror Hunger: Is responsible for the Atma Virus and can actually bestow it during battle.
Just a Machine: Her final words to Gale.
Angel: Is this what you wanted? You're just... data...
Large Ham: Her Chewing the Scenery moments.
Leitmotif: "Maelstrom", a very distinct theme driven by powerful strings.
The Lost Lenore: Her former lover David, who was reincarnated as Gale.
Mutual Kill: With Gale in the sequel.
Names to Trust Immediately: Subverted.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: A bunch of mooks tried to arrest her in her office. It didn't end too well for them. Unfortunately, all that is shown of this scene was the aftermath of the carnage.
One-Winged Angel: She's got an Atma.
Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: "Who do you think created the demon virus?"
Signature Move: Reincarnation. Unlike what the name indicates, it's actually an offensive move.
Social Darwinist: Her plan for humanity's survival boils down to turning everyone into a demon and many the strongest one win.
Star-Crossed Lovers: With David. He died in her arms after a terrorist strike, and then she died in the arms of his reincarnation.
To Create a Playground for Evil: Her plans in the second game where to pretty much turn the world into one huge slaughter fest.
Truly Single Parent: She's both Sera's mother and father.
The Unfought: In the second game.
Villainous Breakdown: When Gale reveals that he is the reincarnation of her lover and that she is betraying his ideals, she completely loses all her confident demeanor and starts sobbing, trying to justify her actions.

Schrodinger

Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (JP), Yuri Lowenthal (EN)

A cat seen at various points throughout the two games.

Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: It's an enlightened being who has escaped the cycle of death and rebirth and seeks to help others on their path to escaping from the cycle of Samsara.
The Cameo: Appears in a halfway through the prequel novel That's Catch-22, watching O'Brien and Sheffield.
Cats Are Magic: Appears in utterly random places filled with monsters throughout the games with no explanation.
Chekhov's Gunman: Originally just some cat that popped up in random places in the Junkyard. It later turns out to have been the Big Good trying to help Seraph along the path to enlightenment.
Game-Over Man: Shows up and looks disappointed or sad during the game over screen in the second game.
Me's a Crowd: Its human form looks exactly like Seraph, a nod to Seraph's eventual enlightenment that we are all a part of one another.
Physical God: It's an enlightened being who got to Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence above even gods like Brahman. As an ascended being, Schrodinger exists beyond time and space and can therefore appear in the digital world of the Junkyard, the corrupted Earth, and the Sun itself to help guide others towards enlightenment. In this case, it's been working to help Seraph escape Samsara like it once did.
Significant Double Casting: It uses the same voice as Sera and Serph, as their fused form is destined to become a higher being like it.

Introduced in DDS 2

Roland

Voiced by: Nobutoshi Canna (JP), Kirk Thornton (EN)

The leader of the Lokapala resistance group that opposes the Karma Society. The stress of his position has driven him to drink, and he distrusts all demons. However, after meeting Serph he decides to sober up and join his cause, using the Demon Virus on himself so he can be an asset to the team.

Depending on the player's choices he will rejoin the team for the final dungeon instead of Heat.

His Atma is Lightning Bolt, and his demon form is Indra.

The Alcoholic: At the start. He sobers up to help out the team.
Badass Longcoat: To add to the coolness.
The Big Guy: With Cielo.
Convenient Replacement Character: As Heat is absent for the majority of the second game, Roland fills the physical niche he left behind.
Drowning My Sorrows: The short version is that he doesn't think himself capable of salvaging the Lokapola's situation and raise a kid.
Dub Name Change: From "Roald" to "Roland".
Genre Savvy: He is a classically trained author. He knows how each situation will go when he sees it.
Heroic Sacrifice: Gives his life to stop Meganada.
Jack of All Stats: While he does slightly veer into a physical specialist, he otherwise has a very equally distributed statline.
La Résistance: He is the leader of the Lokapola.
Meaningful Name: His name can mean "Great Country", which he is fighting to protect.
Mr. Exposition: When the party first meets with him.
Mutually Exclusive Party Members: Roland and Heat cannot be in the same party together, Heat will simply inherit all of Roland's skills if he is chosen for The Very Definitely Final Dungeon.
Mythology Gag: Not the first resistance leader who had lightning and healing powers, was the last to join the party, and made a Heroic Sacrifice after provoking one of the two initial antagonists into the Godzilla Threshold.
Odd Name Out: Fittingly, his name is the only name of the party members to not be directly linked to his abilities, much like how he isn't initially a member of the Embryon.
Shock and Awe: His primary element.
- Mundane Utility: He uses it to open electronically locked doors.
Shotguns Are Just Better: Wields a shotgun in human form.
Sixth Ranger: He's the only party member not to be present in the first game.
The Smart Guy: He's the second brain of the Embryon thanks to his knowledge of the world and experience. Fittingly, he takes up Gale's role during the Power Plant dungeon since Gale is temporarily a Silent Protagonist.
Took a Level in Badass: He deliberately infected himself with Atma so he could fight alongside the Embryon.

Fred

Voiced by: Naomi Shindo (JP)

A young boy who Argilla saves not long after leaving the Junkyard. He is revealed to be a member of Lokapala, the son of the previous leader. He acts as an enthusiastic support to the Embryon and their cause.

A Child Shall Lead Them: Implied at the end of the game. When Cielo stops him from following the team after the Point of No Return, he tells him that sonebody has to lead the Lokapola. Given that all the authority figures of the group are dead by that point, that's probably what happened. Roland even lampshades it.
Bratty Half-Pint: At times.
Irony: He becomes the Parental Substitute of the reincarnated Embryon, plus Jenna.
He's All Grown Up: He's the adult seen at the beginning of the second game.
Mr. Exposition: His opening narration and the following cutscene reveal several things about the game's setting.
Narrator All Along: Of the second game.
Parental Abandonment: His father died and reincarnated as Lupa.
Parental Substitute: For the reincarnated Embryon.
Sole Survivor: He's the only named character to survive the games.
Tagalong Kid: Follows the Embryon everywhere until Cielo stops him from entering the Point of No Return.
Tragic Keepsake: The olive leaf in his journal, and later his friend's bloodied hat.
Trust Password: Fred and his friends have devised a secret signal to identify each other. It becomes useful when Fred has to bring the Embryon members through a gate that had been locked to fend off Tuners.
You Killed My Father: Subverted. When Gale eventually confesses to Fred that he killed Lupa, Fred replies that he had already been told by Roland and that he couldn't bring himself to hate him.

Adil

Roland's right hand man. Because of fellow Lokapala and leader Roland's alcoholism, Adil is the de facto leader of the Lokapala until Roland sobers up. Is very distrustful towards tuners but remains loyal to Roland even after he gains an Atma.

The Lancer: He appears to be this to Roland, as he is the second in command.
Religious Bruiser: Implied during one of his lines, as he still prays to God and refuses to accept that He would harm them.
Adil: The black ball in the sky is no God of mine!
Scream Discretion Shot: When Adil is killed by Meganada, the Embryon hear his dying screams through the walkie-talkie Roland was using.

The Tribhvana

The Karma Society's elite guard. They consist of three Tuners, known only by their codenames. Earth is the apparent leader of the trio, and can transform into Ubelluris. Heaven is the one female member, and can transform into Ganga. Air has the appearance of a mime, but is ironically the chattiest of the three, as becoming a Tuner seems to have taken a toll on his sanity. He can transform into Cu Sith.

They are fought twice in the Karma Society. By the time the party reaches the E.G.G., Earth has devoured Air and Heaven, out of frustration and to gain even more strength. As a result, his Yaksa form becomes Abaddon. This angers Cielo, who is disgusted that Earth would forsake his comrades so easily.

When defeated, Earth is spared by Cielo so that he can live to bear his karma.

Axe-Crazy: All of them to some degree. Air's a cackling, bug-eyed lunatic, while Heaven has a sadistic Baroness vibe to her. Earth is far and away the most stoic and level-headed of the trio, making it all the more shocking when he snaps worse than either of them and devours them both.
Barrier Change Boss: Abaddon's resistances and skills change around to match those of Ubelluris, Ganga, and Cu Sith, in that order.
Barrier Warrior: Air can throw up shields to cover his and his comrades' weaknesses.
Boss Remix: Abaddon introduces Hunting - Betrayal, a remix of the first game's normal battle theme. In addition to being the main Superboss theme, it's also used twice more in the story for Vritra and Meganada.
Climax Boss: Abaddon's fight is far darker than anything in the second game up to that point and introduces the Hunting - Betrayal theme, used only two more times in the story. He is immediately followed by Serph and Heat nearly killing each other and dropping out of the plot for two dungeons.
Evil Counterpart: To the Embryon. Their team of three tuners mirrors you having three active party members at once, and they have their own specialties. While the Embryon cooperate to get stronger together and typically dislike the devouring aspect of their powers, Earth embraces it and eats his own "comrades" to become more powerful than they were separately. To rub it in, Abaddon's boss theme is a Boss Remix of the first game's battle theme.
Glass Cannon: Heaven has the lowest HP of the trio, but throws around Ma-Dyne spells like candy while transformed.
Goldfish Poop Gang: They are fought trice, and mostly treated as a joke the first two. The third however...
I'm a Humanitarian: While every character with the demon virus has shades of this, Earth is the only one to both kill and eat another named character for strength rather than food or survival.
Item Caddy: Air and Heaven can use items on you in their first fight while untransformed.
Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Earth carries the same shield that all Karma Society soldiers do. He doesn't use it while tuning, of course.
Mighty Glacier: Earth.
Quirky Miniboss Squad: Until Earth eats the others, at least.
Sanity Slippage: Air is implied to have gone through this after taking the demon virus. It's reflected in his voice somewhat. Earth goes through it too: two defeats by 'mere programs' drives him to devour Heaven and Air, and he's clearly snapped when the group finds him.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: And they do it by jumping from the roof.
Shock and Awe: In their second encounter, they have a powerful electric fusion spell.
Super-Strength: Earth; after eating his comrades, he is strong enough to crush rocks with his bare hands.
Terrible Trio: In spite of their somewhat comical nature, they are all noted to be particularly violent and cruel.
Varying Tactics Boss: The first two times they're fought, Air focuses on setting up shield, Heaven spams all the Ma-dynes and Earth uses purely physicals. The third time, Earth devours the other two and turns into the Barrier Change Boss Abaddon, complete with a move that lets him swallow your teammates.
What Happened to the Mouse?: We never find out what happened to Earth after his final defeat.

Margot Cuvier

Voiced by: Hiroko Emori (JP)

The woman in charge of the Karma Society. She hopes to preserve the last remnants of humanity by transforming the people of the Karma Society into demons and then keeping them fed with the ground-up remains of those who oppose her.

Anti-Villain: Her goal is to preserve the human race when they're on the brink of destruction.
The Atoner: After dying and going to the Sun she regrets her actions after she lost her way. Her wish is for Seraph and comrades to stop God from destroying mankind.
Boom, Headshot!: Jenna shoots Cuvier in the back of her head, which both instantly kills her and snaps her glasses in half.
Heel–Face Turn: After her death. She even joins Seraph and friends as they go to the Sun.
Sinister Shades: Her shades never come off and mixed with the rest of her attire and stiff manners surrounds her with a rather uncanny air.
The Unfought: Jenna gets to her before Serph's party does.
Villainous Breakdown: After seeing her actions caused God to start absorbing the planet.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Everything she does is to ensure the survival of the human race.

Meganada/Indrajit

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meganada_dds2.jpg

"In...dra..."

One of the first to have been turned into a demon during the Black Sun incident. It was captured by the Karma Society and sealed inside the research center. Angel was able to extract enzymes from it and in turn create the demon virus, and later orders for it to be released.

Belly Mouth: Five of them.
The Dragon: To Angel. An interesting case, considering it's nothing but an extremely powerful monster obsessed with Indra instead of some very clever agent as is more usual for this trope.
Feral Villain: One of the first that had been turned into a demon and has long since been reduced to a mere beast, now solely driven by an urge to feed.
Hero Killer: Responsible for the death's of a huge chunk of the Lokapala as well as Adil, Argilla and Roland.
The Juggernaut: Roland and Argilla have to blow up a reactor to take him out.
Knight of Cerebus: Everything really starts going to hell in Digital Devil Saga 2 when he becomes active.
Sealed Evil in a Can: You first meet it trapped in some sort of prison/cryo chamber. According to the scientists there it's the only way to control it.
Shock and Awe: His element is electricity, but he also has a ton of immunities and resistances.
Stance System: In the boss-fight against it, it switches back and forth between a magic focused stance and a physical based stance.
The Unfought: Subverted. Argilla and Roland kill it in a cutscene-only suicide attack, but its Solar Data ascends to the Sun and guards the Final Boss.
Too Many Mouths: Sports a total of 11 mouths.

Walking Spoilers

Serph Sheffield

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sheffield185_3494.jpg

Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (JP), Yuri Lowenthal (EN)

"Since when did people start expecting science to be humane? To study the body, you cut it open. To study the mind, you isolate it by crushing the heart. Historically, that's how science has advanced."

A charismatic scientist working on a series of experiments called "The God Project". He has a strong bond with Sera.

His true self is a manipulative, power-hungry megalomaniac who seeks to use Sera's powers to become a god. He sees Sera and the people around him as mere tools to be used in his pursuit of this goal, and pushes the young girl to painful extremes while pretending to care about her.

His downfall comes after he indirectly murders Heat O'Brien for trying to stop him, and Sera witnesses his true nature. He is transformed into a demon, but instead of being reincarnated in the Junkyard his soul is trapped in the E.G.G.

A God Am I: He proclaims his success in attaining the power of a god right before his boss fight.
All There in the Manual: His backstory is revealed in the That's Catch-22 novel.
Alliterative Name: Serph Sheffield.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Portrayed himself as a caring figure to Sera, but only saw her as a tool to further his ambitions.
Call-Forward: He calls the different colleges in Yale "tribes" and mentions that his name is very similar to "Seraph".
Child Prodigy: The prequel novel That's Catch-22 reveals that he skipped so many classes that he got to college at the age of 16, thus making him the youngest student in the institution.
Dark Is Evil: His demon form is black, to highlight his evil nature and contrast with Serph.
For Science!: Nope. Science is simply a means to an end: another tool to secure him the power of God.
Godhood Seeker: His goal is to attain the power of God.
Greater-Scope Villain: He set the events of the game into place through his experiments and murder of Heat O'Brien, which led to Brahman's anger and the Black Sun. His lying to Colonel Beck led to the creation of the Junkyard, as well.
Hate Sink: The limited screentime he has shows no redeeming qualities and is only shown to be a cruel manipulative bastard that only cares about himself and his research ... to say that he is nothing like the Serph we’ve been playing as is a massive understatement.
Hoist by His Own Petard: He wanted godly power. Sure enough, God gave him Atma which transformed him into Varna and soon he died.
Improbable Age: He was the doctor in charge of Sera's mental health when he was around 22 years old.
Lack of Empathy: Says in no uncertain terms that people are just tools to him.
Lonely Rich Kid: Implied in the prequel, as O'Brien believes that Serph comes from a pretty rich family.
Manipulative Bastard:
- Talked all sweet to Sera in order to win her trust and convince her to endure the experiments, but in reality he cared nothing for her beyond what she had to offer him, and even then he saw her as disposable if it came down to it. He managed to get his hooks into the original Argilla, and she jumped to his rescue when Heat O'Brien threatened him.
- In the prequel, he manipulated the police by using a psychological technique called "power play" to get them to obey him and divert their suspicions off O'Brien. O'Brien calls him out on this.
  O'Brien: God, I knew there was something off about you. Who the hell can willingly trust someone who treats other people like that?
Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: He's a genius with no moral standards.
Posthumous Character: By the time the games begin, he's long dead.
Punny Name: Lampshaded. Not only he tells O'Brien that his name is not "surf", he even mentions that he has considered changing it into "Seraph".
Sheffield: I'd be Seraph of New Haven - not bad, huh?
Signature Move: Dark Impulse.
Small Role, Big Impact: He appears for at most ten minutes yet his actions is what puts the whole story in motion, and is the closest this series gets to a true Big Bad.
Smug Snake: Incredibly smug, evidenced by his gloating after having the real-world Argilla shoot Heat O'Brien dead. Unfortunately, he didn't realize Sera was listening in; the reveal of his true nature breaks her heart, and the whole world goes in the crapper.
The Social Expert: A given, considering his field of study is psychology, but the prequel novel has entire sections with him analyzing things such as personal space and power play, cementing this trope.
Spell My Name With An S: In the prequel, he tells to O'Brien that his name is not written as "surf", and then spells it out to him.
Villainous Breakdown: In the E.G.G., when confronted with the reality that he has died.
Walking Spoiler: It is very hard to discuss him without spoiling pretty much the entire duology.
Wham Line: His reveal.
Sheffield: Since when did people start expecting science to be humane?
White Hair, Black Heart: Inverted. Sheffield's hair was just as black as his heart. His white-haired digital counterpart was a much better person.

Heat O'Brien

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (JP), Crispin Freeman (EN)

A somewhat hot tempered scientist working on "The God Project". His temper often intimidates Sera.

In contrast to Serph he genuinely cared about Sera and was furious of his treatment of her. Finally after Serph takes one step too far, Heat snaps, threatening to kill him if the experiments weren't stopped but is shot dead by a nurse Serph had manipulated. His soul, like Serph's, ends up trapped in the E.G.G. and helps Asura Serph to discard his past self.

All There in the Manual: His backstory is revealed in the prequel novel That's Catch-22.
Anger Born of Worry: A trait that the AI Heat inherited from him. It caused Sera to misunderstand his intentions.
Better Manhandle the Murder Weapon: The professor still had the surgery knife embedded on his chest when Heat found him, and he ended up touching it in shock, accidently wiping the fingerprints of the real killer and leaving behind his own.
Big Brother Instinct: He lost his sister to a disease and thus started projecting her on Sera.
Characterization Marches On: In Sera's flashbacks, he is aggressive and hot-tempered, largely due to his Anger Born of Worry. When Seroh meets him in the EGG a few years later, he has significantly cooled down and keeps calm even when fighting Sheffield. Then again, dying probably does lead to an attitude shift.
Child Prodigy: Downplayed, but the prequel novel reveals that he skipped a grade.
Clear My Name: He is accused of the murder of one of his college professors, as he was the only one seen near the crime scene, holding a scalpel.
Combat Medic: He specialises in physical and healing skills. The prequel novel also mentions that he had taken up boxing in his spare time.
The Corpse Stops Here: He found the body of his dead professor, this making him a suspect for the man's murder.
Crutch Character: Serph is severely underlevelled in the boss fight against his Sheffield and AI Serph, so O'Brien's job is to keep him alive, healthy, and deliver the most damage.
Death-Activated Superpower: He's still a ghost, but he gained Agni's power after dying.
Face Death with Dignity: Accepts his death, unlike Sheffield.
Fiery Stoic: He has the Agni Atma like regular Heat does, but he is much calmer than his red-handed counterpart.
Guest-Star Party Member: He's playable when Serph fights against Sheffield and the original AI Serph, and it's more than likely that he will carry you through the fight.
Hero of Another Story: The prequel novel is written entirely from his point of view.
Improbable Age: He was the doctor in charge of Sera's physical health when he was around 24 years old, with his own subordinates.
Irony:
- His name is "Heat", but he's The Stoic.
- He also states that he would never willingly trust Sheffield, but he ends up doing so anyway.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He was temperamental, but much of his anger stemmed from the other scientists' treatment of Sera.
Nom de Mom: He prefers using his mother's surname for some reason; his father's line is actually completely British, and it's from his mother that he has the Irish roots.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Unlike the Junkyard Heat and his depiction in the flashbacks, he accepts his death rather calmly.
Posthumous Character: Sheffield manipulated Argilla's real world counterpart into killing him.
Rage Against the Heavens: He blames God for the death of his sister.
Token Minority: He is partially Irish, and actually faces some discrimination by the older police officers because of this.
The Stoic: He mentions that he is referred as such by other people in the prequel.
O'Brien: I've only ever had people tell me I have an ice-cold demeanor.
Walking Spoiler: For the same reasons as Sheffield.

Seraph

Voiced by: Wendee Lee (EN)

The entity created when Serph and Sera's data merges on their path to the Sun. Seraph is a powerful being who has the potential to communicate directly with God and reach enlightenment.

Their Atma is Clarion, and their demon form is Ardha.

11th-Hour Superpower: Only becomes available during the final dungeon. Furthermore, if the right choices are made, she can obtain Angel's Reincarnation skill.
Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence: Seraph achieves enlightenment at the end of the story and thus escapes the cycle of reincarnation permanently. The rest of the party all reincarnate into new lives. Interestingly, this includes the dividual Serph and Sera, as they separately did not achieve enlightenment, only the fused version of their data did.
Ki Manipulation: Though technically it's prana, Seraph's "gun" attacks use these instead of conventional gunfire.
Meaningful Name:
- Zig-zagged in regards to their elemental association. Seraph is not associated with Expel-elemental attacks as their name would imply, though they can learn them.
- Their demon form, Ardha, is named after the hermaphroditic result of a fusion between Shiva and Parvati, much like how Seraph is a Romantic Fusion between Serph and Sera.
Non-Elemental: Seraph has no elemental alignment and is the only playable character without a weakness.
Power Floats: When idling or moving, they float along instead of standing or walking. They stand normally when talking to others and in some cutscenes.
Punny Name: A seraph is a type of angel in Christian mythology. Seraph is also a combination of Serph and Sera's names.
Walking Spoiler: Discussing their existence spoils the entire final act of the second game.

Brahman

The God of the Digital Devil Saga universe. Along with Serph Sheffield, he's the one responsible for everything that happened, particularly in the second game. After Sheffield angered Brahman, he turned the Sun black, causing Cuvier Syndrome. Most of the second game after Sera's saved is spent trying to communicate with him, which results in everyone dying. After fighting through the Solar Data of the antagonistic Junkyard rivals and Meganada, the party meets Brahman, who tests them as the Final Boss.

Battle Theme Music: "Divine Identity", which is widely considered one of the greatest Playstation 2 SMT boss themes.
Eldritch Abomination: It's basically a gigantic, infinite train.
Final Boss: He's the last opponent of the second game.
God Is Evil: Not really, actually. He's responsible for Cuvier Syndrome, but this is only because Serph Sheffield was so evil that he gave up on humanity, and he's more than willing to stop it if he is defeated.
Greater-Scope Villain: Along with Sheffield. He doesn't do much and the plot is driven by Angel and Cuvier, yet the Black Sun causes most of the problems in the second game.
Humans Are Bastards: The whole debacle with Sheffield and Sera convinced him of this, so now he's trying to wipe them out.
Misplaced Retribution: Did Sheffield deserve the punishment God dealt him? Abso-freaking-lutely. Did the rest of humanity deserve to suffer for it? Probably not.
Physical God: It's a divine entity whose power is seemingly near infinite, which is represented by its "body" stretching infinitely.
Sequential Boss: The final boss fight is played out by fighting the "faces" on his body, all of which have a separate healthbar and different elemental affinities/attacks. Once the healthbar of one of the faces goes down, the world and Brahman itself, not the characters, move to reveal another face.
Walking Spoiler: His identity as Brahman is kept hidden until you fight him, though he's mentioned as "God" quite a bit in the second game.

The Ultimate Bosses

The Demi-fiend

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/demifiend.png

The ultimate opponent of the first game, only fightable on a New Game Plus. He is the protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, a young man empowered by Lucifer as part of a test. Due to having the body of a demon, he is able to command other demons. He sets out to see who he will side with in the post-apocalyptic Vortex World - his friends, the instigator of the apocalypse, the demons, his teacher, or even Lucifer himself. He is the only enemy in either game with no race.

Artificial Stupidity: His biggest weakness - it is possible to lock two of his minions into trying to use Dekaja and Dekunda, only to fail due to a lack of MP via draining and a bit of a trick. This also prevents them from using Recarmdra, breaking the minion cycle and locking out Gaea Rage. Causing it to happen requires luck and even if it does Demi-fiend is still a luck based fight, but it does make the fight quite a bit easier.
Badass Boast: "Death's vastness holds no peace. I come at the end of the long road. Neither human, nor devil... all bends to my will."
Battle Theme Music: Notably, the BGM used is the standard random encounter theme from Nocturne, rather than any of its boss themes.
Berserk Button: Do not come into battle with any immunities, or do anything that will cause immunities, other than Null Sleep (which causes attacks to miss the user when they're asleep) and Null Critical (which the Demi-Fiend ignores for some reason and is vital for dealing with his physical attacks). Otherwise, he'll paint the floor with your innards.
Bragging Rights Reward: Beating the Demi-fiend gives no reward... within the first game. The trope gets subverted with a touch of Old Save Bonus as his defeat triggers the unlocking of the Karma Ring in the second game.
But for Me, It Was Tuesday: His battle theme, the random encounter theme from Nocturne, implies that the Embryon is just another group of small-fries to him. Just to rub it in further, most of the skills he uses are only mid-level skills; if he really thought you were worth caring about he would be using endgame skills instead. Indeed, the above mentioned Berserk Button is the only thing that causes him to pull out an end-game skill, Gaea Rage (albeit a version upgraded to inflict One-Hit Kill levels of Almighty damage). It can be read as him really not liking this particular random encounter.
Critical Hit: His attacks have an extremely high critical chance, which, as per the mechanics of this game, give him an extra turn when he lands one. However, he does not consider Null Critical an "immunity" for purposes of Gaea Rage, making it absolutely vital to have equipped on all party members.
Flunky Boss: He's flanked by two demons, and can replace them as they are killed.
Guide Dang It!: Simply reaching him is very unintuitive. First, you have to beat the game. Then, you have to beat Ananta on a New Game Plus and deny Gale's request of passing the Point of No Return. Then, you have to return to the Anahata basement and enter a very specific room.
I Am Not Left-Handed: He could simply give you absolutely no chance at victory by dropping a Gaea Rage at the start of battle, if he really wanted to. He only does it if you violate his rule of "no elemental immunities". Apart from that, his physical attacks also don't pierce resistances, meaning he is not even using Pierce, the very skill he awakened as a true demon.
Marathon Boss: Far longer than standard Marathon Bosses in the franchise. How long? With capped stats on your party, an optimal setup, and using the "cheese strategy", successful attempts still require at least 40 minutes.
My Rules Are Not Your Rules: He can re-summon any previously slain demon without needing to use an extra turn to revive them during battle, which is something players can't do in Digital Devil Saga or even Nocturne.
Mythology Gag:
- Heavily implied to have the Masakados Magatama equipped due to only being able to be hit by Gun and Earth, which didn't exist in Nocturne, and Almighty, which Masakados does not protect against.
- His team has four Press Turns per round instead of three, either implying that he completed Nocturne's Grave Run, which awards an extra Press Turn, or just being a nod to being able to have more demons in battle in Nocturne compared to this game.
- It's more obvious in the original Japanese texts as the general translations differ, but his last words are a reference to the Game Over text from his own game, where it is said that "death's comfort will come to everyone by the guidance of the Great Will, neither human nor demon". Demi-fiend's version is the exact opposite, proclaiming that such comfort will never come, and substitutes "the Great Will" with "my will".
- The Pixie he summons knows endgame spells such as Maziodyne and Megidolaon, implied to be the same Pixie he kept from the beginning of the game and upgraded in the Labyrinth of Amala.
New Game Plus: It's the only way to fight him.
No-Sell: He's immune to everything except for Gun, Earth, and Almighty attacks.
One-Hit Kill: Gaea Rage, which can potentially deal over 10,000 damage. Since it's an Almighty-elemental damage numbers skill rather than a traditional instant-kill skill, the only way to resist death is to either have a skill that provides a Last Chance Hit Point (which will just prompt him to use Gaea Rage again) or the aforementioned Null Sleep.
Or Was It a Dream?: The basic premise of the fight.
Press Start to Game Over: He will end the fight before you've even taken your first turn with an instant Gaea Rage if you come in with any nullifying, repelling, or draining passives equipped in your party, except for Null Sleep and Null Critical.
Previous Player-Character Cameo: As the protagonist of Nocturne.
SNK Boss: Always fights with two minions, his 18,000 HP is the highest amount of health in the first game (and one of his demons will fully heal him once when it hits half, effectively boosting his total to 27,000), gets a total of four turns between him and his minions, will one hit kill the party if they have moves he doesn't like and launches said one hit kill any time two of his minions are dead (and they will kill themselves to fully heal their master if left alive for too long). To top it off, the only way to survive the one hit kill attack requires a specific skill and a lot of luck to get hit by a specific status ailment.
Superboss: The last one of the first game.
There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Gaea Rage. Inflicts four or even five digits of damage to the whole party in a game where playable characters have a cap of 999 HP.
Unblockable Attack: Gaea Rage is impossible to block, on account of it being Almighty-elemental and inflicting damage numbers rather than being designated as an instant-kill attack. The one way to negate it, Null Sleep, technically causes the user to dodge rather than to block it.
Willfully Weak:
- All of his demons and most of his skills are mid-level ones from his game of origin. This, combined with the fight theme being the normal encounter theme, adds to the implication that you're not even worth using his high-level demons and skills on (seeing as the only end-game skill he uses, Gaea Rage, is a guaranteed Total Party Kill without exploiting a specific skill and being lucky, it's perfectly understandable). Given that Gaea Rage is already a tenfold overkill, he doesn't even need his famous Focus + Freikugel combo to win.
- You need to invoke this in order to start the fight with him. If anyone in your active party or reserves has a nullifying-or-higher passive equipped other than Null Sleep or Null Critical, he'll instant-kill the party before you even take your first turn. Casting anything that will grant Null, Repel, or Drain anything will also make him do the same when his next turn comes.

Satan

The ultimate opponent of the second game's Hard Mode and one of the main antagonists or allies of the endgame of Shin Megami Tensei II. Widely known as YHVH's ultimate weapon, Satan was once divided into two halves: the Egyptian god Seth and a human named Zayin. When they fused to become Satan, Satan set out to eradicate all life on Earth under the orders of YHVH. Depending on Aleph's actions, he could become the penultimate opponent Aleph faced or Aleph's greatest ally in defeating Lucifer and, ultimately, YHVH. The Satan encountered as Solar Data in the Sun seems to be the Solar Data of a human infected with the Demon Virus who became the Satan from II. He seeks to judge Seraph for disagreeing with Brahman, who Satan believes to be YHVH, hinting that this Satan comes from either the Neutral or Chaos routes of II.

Barrier Change Boss: He has four sets of affinities which switch between turns.
Bragging Rights Reward: Subverted and justified. You get absolutely nothing for beating him, unlike the Demi-fiend, who triggers the flag for a Karma Ring in the second game upon defeat. Justified because he is by far the strongest boss in DDS2 and there is really nothing coming after him, so there's also no reason to keep transferring data.
The Dragon: A self-styled one to Brahman, who he believes to be YHVH.
Foreshadowing: The penultimate Bonus Boss is Seth, who makes vague allusions to the events of II. Further beyond him awaits Satan.
Hard Mode Perks: The entire fight is one.
Legacy Boss Battle: Represents II along with the Archangels and the previously unfought Seth. His fight is filled with references to the game, from his pre and post-boss speeches to a predictable single target one hit kill.
Marathon Boss: Most successful attempts take half an hour. Using Executioner and Divine Light will take off about 10 minutes.
No Fair Cheating: Unlike the Demi-Fiend, who kills you outright if you dare to come into the fight with a nullifiying-or-higher passive ability, Satan simply starts the battle with an ability called "Futility", which renders such abilities useless.
One-Hit Kill: God's Breath, which he uses every four turns if the party isn't fully buffed, and Retribution, which he uses in later phases to the party member with the lowest Magic stat.
Puzzle Boss: This is the main difference between the Demi-fiend and Satan. While the Demi-fiend attempts to use brute force, Satan is much more calculating, having two types of form shifts (one based on turn number and one based on HP), only one-shotting the party if they're not fully buffed by the end of every four turns, requiring one party member to have a lower Magic stat than the other two members for his other One Hit Kill, and using Diarahan if he falls under 1,500 HP.
SNK Boss: His 30,000 HP is the highest in either game, he's a massive puzzle, uses every element, can eliminate any unnatural elemental resistances, can inflict Charm without fail, has two types of One Hit Kills, and can use Diarahan to fully heal himself.
Superboss: The last one of the second game.

Characters / Digital Devil Saga

Serph

Heat

Argilla

Gale

Cielo

Sera

Harley Q

Jinana

Bat

Mick The Slug

Lupa

Varin Omega

Angel

Schrodinger

Roland

Fred

Adil

The Tribhvana

Margot Cuvier

Meganada/Indrajit

Serph Sheffield

Heat O'Brien

Seraph

Brahman

The Demi-fiend

Satan

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / Digital Devil Saga

Edit Locked

Serph

Heat

Argilla

Gale

Cielo

Sera

Harley Q

Jinana

Bat

Mick The Slug

Lupa

Varin Omega

Angel

Schrodinger

Roland

Fred

Adil

The Tribhvana

Margot Cuvier

Meganada/Indrajit

Serph Sheffield

Heat O'Brien

Seraph

Brahman

The Demi-fiend

Satan

Previous

Index

Next