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A page for the characters of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. For the characters concerning their appearance in Shin Megami Tensei IV, go to this Character Page.

Spoilers from Shin Megami Tensei IV will be unmarked. Major spoilers will also be unmarked. You Have Been Warned.

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Main Characters

The main cast of the game, consisting of Nanashi the protagonist and his seven friends, all of which can participate in battle as partners.

    Nanashi 

Nanashi / The Godslayer

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_nanashi.png
Voiced by: Hiro Shimono (JP), Phillip Reich (EN)

The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. A member of the Hunters, he is killed during a mission, only to be resurrected by a mysterious demon.


  • 11th-Hour Superpower: Learns an Awakened Power passive shortly after choosing between Bonds or Massacre, which amplifies the strength of all his attacks and allows them to bypass resistances.
  • Affably Evil: Can be kind and supportive of his allies up until murdering them on Massacre.
  • Armor-Piercing Attack: All of his attacks gain this property when he gains his Awakened Power in the neutral routes.
  • Ascended Extra: In the original Shin Megami Tensei IV, Akira was a minor character who you only hear about in the backstory of the main universe, and whose counterparts serve as Quest Givers in the Alternate Timelines you visit. In Apocalypse, his reincarnation has become the main character.
  • Came Back Strong: After being resurrected, he gains the power to negotiate with and summon demons and his race changes from Human to Godslayer.
  • Canon Name: Played with. In a noticeable aversion to tradition, Nanashi is his official name, to the point that it's in the voiced dialogue. However, "Nanashi" also means "nameless" in Japanese. Manabu even calls it a lazy name to give an orphan. Regardless, you can give an alternate codename for the Hunter board.
  • The Corrupter: During the Massacre route, does this to one of his partners when bringing them back.
  • Continuity Nod: After becoming a "Godslayer", he gains markings on his body similar to the Demi-fiend, who was himself empowered by a demon to kill a god in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Although Nanashi's markings only show up on his scar, left hand and forearm.
  • Contrasting Sequel Main Character:
    • Flynn is hailed as a Messiah, who everyone respects, with his closest allies constantly asking for his opinions, and is hailed as a great hero. Nanashi on the other hand is just some nobody at the game's start, constantly told (mostly by Dagda) that he's a puppet, who only exists for the purposes of others. Flynn hails from the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, while Nanashi was born in the demon-infested Tokyo.
    • More humorously, Flynn regards Japanese script as 'Mystic Script', and comes to some odd conclusions about Tokyo's Relics. Nanashi knows Japanese and what all the Relics actually are, even if living in the demonic Tokyo colors his perspective of everyday objects.
  • Crossdresser: He can purchase and equip women's lolita outfits if he unlocks them for purchase in Ginza. And yes, they show up on his 3D model.
  • Curtains Match the Windows: Before his death, his eyes and hair are both brown. After being empowered by Dagda, his eyes turned green to match his markings.
  • Dancing Is Serious Business: Just like Hawk/Aleph before him, Nanashi is also quite skilled at dancing. One of the best possible options in Demon Negotiations is to dance for the demon. If chosen, the action text: "[player] dances skillfully", will appear.
  • Deal with the Devil: Made a pact with Dagda to become a Living Weapon in return for being resurrected after he died.
  • Delinquent Hair: He has half of his head shaved, apart from a horn-like tuft.
  • Everything Trying to Kill You: With the exception of Dagda, Flynn, and his chosen Partner, everyone is out to stop him from killing YHVH and creating a new universe on Massacre, on the basis this would involve the deaths of pretty much every sentient being alive.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: On the Massacre route, his few voice lines (e.g. when accessing the menu) sound deeper than before.
  • Fashionable Asymmetry: Most obvious in his hair, but his outfit has mismatched sleeves and legs too.
  • First-Episode Resurrection: Gets killed off at the start of Apocalypse, only to be brought back by Dagda.
  • Foil: To Flynn, due to their respective roles in their stories. Both are the main silent protagonists in their respective games, both are reincarnations of important people in-story, and the starting demon for both of them is a Centaur, but Nanashi is a green-clad Delinquent Hunter that lives in a chaotic, war-torn Tokyo.
  • For the Evulz: While some of Nanashi's dialogue options that side with Dagda are purely pragmatic in nature, most make no practical sense why someone would do it other than being a jerk just for the sake of being a jerk.
  • From Nobody to Nightmare: Starts out as just another brat from the underground. On Massacre, slaughters a good percentage of Tokyo's population before destroying the world. And on Bonds, defeating YHVH with the help of his friends.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: Due to being the protagonist, the deep cut he received on his cheek upon dying has been replaced with a clean, attractive looking green tattoo rather than a scar.
  • Heavy Sleeper: Often starts each in-game day being awoken by someone, usually Asahi.
  • Hello, [Insert Name Here]: Downplayed. He does have a Canon Name, so the name you input at the start of the game is just a codename submitted to the Hunters' Association for official use. Asahi still explicitly calls him Nanashi (both in text and voiced dialogue) even if you give him a different name.
  • Heroic Build: Some equipment reveal that he's actually pretty ripped for a 15-year-old.
  • Heroic Mime: Wouldn't be SMT without one.
  • Invincible Hero: Manages to kill off pretty much everybody opposing him with little effort due to being The Plot Reaper in the Massacre ending, as well as the Bonds ending.
  • Jerkass: Can be a jerk if the dialogue options supporting Dagda are picked. This bites him in the ass if you go the Bonds Route.
  • Kid Hero: Starts the game at the young age of 15. Lampshaded by Dagda, who always calls him "kid". This makes him stand as among the youngest (if not the youngest) Shin Megami Tensei protagonist outside of the Devil Children games.
  • The Master: After Dagda resurrects Flynn as his unquestioning servant in Anarchy, Flynn exclusively calls him this.
  • Meaningful Name:
    • In Japanese "Nanashi" can be read as "no name", reflecting his past as an orphan.
    • His Canon Name is comprised of the words Nana and Shichi, both refer to number 7.
    • If you separate his name, you get "Nana", which means "Seven", and "Shi", which can mean "Death", referencing the seven partners and that fact that he died before accepting Dagda's offer to be a Godslayer. Or the seven deaths of the seven partners.
  • Nerves of Steel: This is one of the defining traits that Nanashi shares with Flynn.
  • Nice Guy: Can be a nice person if you pick the dialogue options supporting your allies. This will bite him in the ass if you go the Massacre Route.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Or rather: Nice job unsealing a bunch of omnicidal gods and jacking up Tokyo's death toll, hero! The Hunters of Tokyo are very much not pleased with this.
  • No-Sell: The Tokugawa Mandala seals everyone's demon summoning apps, except for Nanashi's, due to Nanashi summoning his demons through his Godslayer power rather than through the demon summoning app proper.
  • People Puppet: To Dagda. While he is free for the most part to speak to his friends and accomplish his quests any way he wishes, if he tries to do something that goes against Dagda's plans (such as refusing to free Krishna or attempting to side with him in mid-fight), Dagda will hijack Nanashi's body briefly to prevent that.
  • Power Tattoo: Has a green tattoo on his left hand and forearm, which matches markings on Dagda.
  • Psychotic Smirk: Seems to be his default expression since his resurrection. In the final scene of the Bonds ending this is replaced with a more happy and almost goofy smile, but in the Massacre ending it evolves to a full-on Slasher Smile after becoming the new God.
  • Reincarnation: He is the reincarnation of the neutral Akira, also known as Aquila, founder of Mikado.
  • Reincarnation-Identifying Trait: One with a good eye may notice that Nanashi has the same scar as the demonic and human Akira from the last game.
  • Resurrective Immortality: Effectively has this, courtesy of Dagda.
  • Seven Is Nana: Fittingly enough, Nanashi starts the game with 7 on all his stats, except for his HP and MP.
  • Second Hour Superpower: Since the smartphone he's given is damaged in such a way that he can't use the Demon Summoning Program, he can't summon demons during the tutorial. Only after a Hopeless Boss Fight and a First-Episode Resurrection by Dagda can he finally summon and command demons.
  • Supernatural Gold Eyes: He gets these in the Massacre Route ending, cementing his status as the new Creator.
  • Top God: After killing YHVH and using the Cosmic Egg, he becomes the new Creator God of the new universe.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In choosing to be revived by Dagda (rather than staying dead, allowing the events of SMTIV's Neutral route to continue as normal), he had no idea that his decision would lead to the Divine Powers entering the picture. This is sadly pointed out when he's put on the spot by Fujiwara and Skins, with the Hunters behind them jeering that Nanashi should've stayed dead. He makes up for it by slaying YHVH, which would not have been possible if he hadn't accepted Dagda's offer.
  • Villain Protagonist: He most certainly has the potential to be this, if he joins Merkabah or Lucifer (which he is not supposed to) or kills off his human friends to overthrow YHVH.
  • Virtual Paper Doll: Like Flynn in IV, he can be equipped with a variety of clothing that not only influence his stats, resistances, and weaknesses, but also his 3D model's appearance.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: In the Massacre ending, he comes to agree with Dagda that any extreme to stop the abuse of divine power as the Creator - such as the complete annihilation of every human currently alive - is acceptable.
  • When She Smiles: Rare Male Example. At the end of the Bonds Route, Nanashi genuinely lets out a more happy and almost goofy smile.

    Asahi 

Asahi

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/asahi_smtiv_final_0.png
"I wanna hurry and get my own smartphone so I can be a legit hunter."
Voiced by: Tomoko Seike (JP), Erica Lindbeck (EN)

Nanashi's childhood friend, and another member of the Hunters.


  • 11th-Hour Superpower: If the player picks the Bonds Route and she is restored, she gains her Awakened Power passive that dramatically increases the strength of her healing.
  • Back from the Dead: After being eaten by Shesha she is restored in the Cosmic Egg on the Bonds Route.
  • Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Toki's Veronica.
  • Break the Cutie: The poor girl does not take her dad's death well.
  • Brought Down to Normal: When the Tokugawa Mandala is activated she loses the ability to summon her demons, and with it, her in-game spells.
  • Catchphrase: "Let's go, Nanashi!" is practically one for her.
  • Character Development: Goes from being an impatient, reckless, wannabe hunter to a dependable and reliable one with good instincts to match.
  • Childhood Friend Romance: Has feelings for him as well.
  • Childhood Friends: With the protagonist.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: She gets angry any time Nanashi shows interest in another girl. This is especially shown once Toki arrives.
  • Crutch Character: As the first partner of the game, she's genuinely invaluable at a time when healing is scarce. But later on other characters can heal almost as well if not better and also do damage, not to mention the fact that players have access to more healing items and techniques, she quickly becomes a lot less useful, her only use being to grant free Smirks. She actually brings this up herself as it ties into her insecurities about not being as strong as your other partners. She regains some use eventually after her Awakening, but she spends the vast majority of the game as a bottom-tier partner.
  • Cuteness Proximity: She falls into this the first time she sees Chironnupu.
  • Determinator: She is the living personification of this trope. The fact that she lives in a post apocalyptic world where death is commonplace does not remotely dissuade her from being a hunter, nor does it stop her from constantly trying to constantly help the people around her. She's always ready to take on various obstacles, such as Divine Powers, Lucifer's Army, Shesha, etc. Not even her own father's death completely stops her, as she quickly resolves to keep fighting on for his sake. Heck, not even her OWN death stops her in her tracks. After she's revived, she resolves to be an even better hunter. And boy does it show.
  • Everyone Can See It: Multiple people tease about her feelings for Nanashi, every time she denies it and digs herself deeper.
  • Expy: To the heroine of Shin Megami Tensei I. Both are the best human healers, are the Light Feminine to another girl's Dark Feminine, make a Heroic Sacrifice for the main character, and are the only party members to never side against the main character.
  • Fashionable Asymmetry: Downplayed, but her right glove has a hole that exposes her index finger.
  • Fangirl: She fangirls a lot over Isabeau.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: Despite the story making it clear that Asahi fears that she's useless and that Gaston even tells her as such to her face, in gameplay, she's one of the most useful party members in the game due to her healing skills keeping you afloat during longer fights. Her healing skills are useful enough that the game has to force her out of your party twicenote  for plot reasons to prevent you from cheesing the Tokugawa Mandala quest and the Cosmic Egg.
  • Goggles Do Nothing: Especially if you wear them on your forehead.
  • Gory Discretion Shot: When she is killed by Shesha, the player is simply treated to a shot of her googles falling to the ground followed by them being covered in her blood alongside some crunching and tearing sounds.
  • Heroic BSoD: Her dad's death sends her into a big one.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: She takes an attack by Shesha intended for Nanashi, and gets eaten for it. She gets better later, though.
  • Jumped at the Call: Her defining trait, especially in the English version, is her enthusiasm.
  • Just a Kid: Her main reason for wanting to become a hunter is to avoid everyone, but especially her father, seeing her as this. Grows out of this after her father's death, when she realizes he simply wanted to keep her safe.
  • Leeroy Jenkins: She really wants to prove herself and takes on any threat that comes her way and recklessly charging into (often dangerous) situations. In an interesting subversion, her father tells Nanashi to stay by her side and prevent her from acting too reckless, rather than the other way around.
  • Little Miss Badass: She's a 15-year-old girl with limited combat ability, but is extremely gung ho about being a hunter (a notably dangerous profession) and insists on taking on pretty much anything that stands in her way.
  • Meaningful Name: In Japanese, her name usually means "morning day" or "rising sun", referring to the fact that Asahi is the one that usually wakes Nanashi, due to his Heavy Sleeper tendencies.
  • Not Blood Related: It's important to note that Nanashi is her adopted brother.
  • Patient Childhood Love Interest: She clearly has feelings for Nanashi, but is fine not pressuring him. However, Toki making a move on him does bother her.
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot: Downplayed, but she's more prone to using profanity than the other characters.
  • Status Buff: Her Cheer skill grants a free Smirk to a random party member, although she will only use it if nobody in the party needs healing.
  • Summon Magic: She relies on her demons for healing Nanashi, although there is a chance that they disobey her in combat.
  • Support Party Member: Only learns healing spells, plus a support buff as her very last skill.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Her entire character arc is this. Both in story and in gameplay, she starts out fairly unimpressive but develops into one of the most useful and reliable characters in the game. She even takes up running her dad's bar, effectively becoming the "new" boss. This culminates in her Awakened Power passive, earned when she's revived in the Bonds route, dramatically increasing her healing strength.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: She really hates Gaston's guts at first, for his arrogance. Then there's that brief team-up with Adramelech during the first fight with Shesha.
  • White Magician Girl: Is the "Healer" partner through her demons.

    Navarre 

Navarre

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/navarre_smtiv_final_1.png
"I shall be coming with you! No buts!"
Voiced by: Shintaro Ohata (JP), Sean Chiplock (EN)

A former Samurai from the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado. He carelessly blundered his own life away and has become a ghost.

For tropes concerning his appearance in Shin Megami Tensei IV, see that character page.


  • Ascended Extra: Goes from a bit player in Shin Megami Tensei IV to a major character here.
  • Badass Adorable: For someone who turned into a tiny green ghost, he's kinda cute and can still fight along with the rest of the team against Gods and Demons when needed.
  • Big "WHAT?!": His most common reaction to surprising developments.
  • Butt-Monkey: Oh so very much. He's the target of snark by practically every single character. In addition, viewing his profile in the database displays a picture of him while he was still alive. No, it's not when he still had some dignity as a Samurai. It displays his less flattering sprite from after he had gone mad in the previous game.
  • Catchphrase: "WHAAAAAT?!" which he says quite a few times throughout the story, mostly when someone reveals they can see them.
  • Driven to Suicide: Somewhat ambiguously. Contrary to what he says himself, the in-game notes state his cause of death was determined to have been suicide.
  • Epic Fail: He died while peeking on a female hunter bathing in a river, tripping and drowning when she saw him. General consensus is that he committed suicide.
  • Honorary True Companion: In the Bonds ending, to his fellow Samurai, as acknowledged by Walter.
  • Invisible to Normals: Due to being a ghost he can only be seen by those with some sort of supernatural ability. That leads to moments when Asahi wonders who Nanashi is talking to. This also ends up Foreshadowing Hallelujah's half demon nature since he can see him. It turns out his shame and internal guilt over his own death and actions in life is what causes him to subconsciously hide his presence from others. During the Bonds route, he overcomes his guilt, subconsciously becoming visible to everyone else.
  • Large Ham: Very pompous and over the top, both verbally and through his portraits. It seems to be something of a defense mechanism.
  • Our Ghosts Are Different: He has become a ghost after dying.
  • Shoot the Shaggy Dog: After everything Flynn went through to smuggle him from Mikado to Tokyo, Navarre went and accidentally drowned himself.
  • Status Buff: Learns various buff skills, culminating in Doping and Debilitate.
  • Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: He was still alive when we last saw him in Shin Megami Tensei IV. Now he's managed to get himself killed.
  • Super-Deformed: He now has a chibi-esque design.
  • Support Party Member: Exclusively learns buff spells. He can also use attack items, but his offensive potential drops off quickly due there not being any attack items beyond the strength of tier 2 spells.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Surprisingly, he is one of the more useful allies in the game. His main skill set involves supplying buffs to your party, which greatly helps out in tough fights, and on the rare occasion he DOES use one of your items to attack, he uses it when it will be both effective and when it will not be reflected. He is more useful dead than he was alive.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: He's still pretty damn arrogant, narcissistic and cowardly, but he is quite a bit friendlier than he was in the previous game. This is most prominent after Asahi's revival in the Bonds route, addressing her lacking self-confidence by praising her Heroic Sacrifice earlier in the game. Also, don't you dare side with Dagda if you've been otherwise nice at the alignment lock, or he'll punish you for going asshole at the last minute by taking all of your items away. Permanently.
  • Undignified Death: He tripped and drowned in a river while peeking on a bathing Hunter.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: He calls Nanashi out for casually betraying his own friends if he sides with Dagda, along with potentially destroying all his consumable items depending on how he acted throughout the story.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Gives one of these speeches in the Bonds route to Asahi, proving her inferiority complex wrong by pointing out that a Heroic Sacrifice for her best friend is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. He thinks she won't notice or hear him, but she finally does.

    Nozomi 

Nozomi

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nozomi.png
"I'm Nozomi, leader of the fairy folk."
Voiced by: Mie Sonozaki (JP), Karen Strassman (EN)

Was previously a Hunter, but with the assistance of Flynn she became a Fairy Queen to help the fairy-kind. She appears here as one of Nanashi's partners.

For tropes concerning her appearance in Shin Megami Tensei IV, see that character page.


  • 11th-Hour Superpower: After the defeat of Inanna, Danu seals her inside Nozomi, granting her Awakened Power passive that strengthens gun attacks and lets them bypass resistance.
  • Ascended Extra: Went from a minor optional Challenge Quests character in IV to a partner and major character in Apocalypse.
  • Combat Pragmatist:
    • One of her first in-battle skills involves her using her camera flash to disorient and even daze enemies.
    • When fighting Nanashi on Massacre, she takes advantage of Nanashi's hesitation to attack. She is the only party member to pull this.
  • Cool Big Sis: She serves as one to Nanashi and Asahi, and later Hallelujah and Toki. Invoked with the complementary "Cute Lil' Bro" title you can earn by having her as your partner for a certain number of battles.
  • Cool Shades: Wears a pair of custom safety glasses to protect her eyes when using her multiple firearms.
  • Expy: One to Yukino. Both are the Cool Big Sis to the rest of the team, is the most experienced member, and enjoys photography.
  • The Gunslinger: She uses guns and gun skills in combat.
  • Hotter and Sexier: As the Queen Fairy, she changed her outfit from a biker's outfit to short shorts that show off her thighs and a jacket that doesn't go down to her midriff.
  • "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Subverted. In the Massacre route she tries to call out to Nanashi should he stay his hand, but it is just a ruse to make him drop his guard so she could shoot him. Dagda even lampshades this if you refuse to stay your hand.
  • Land of Faerie: Rules over the Fairies Forest as its Queen.
  • Late-Arrival Spoiler: In the original SMTIV, Nozomi going from human to Fairy Queen was a late-game side plot development. In this game, she's immediately introduced as the Fairy Queen.
  • Meaningful Name: In Japanese, her name can be translated as "hope". This is quite fitting due to her status as a Fairy Queen.
  • Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can: After the Divine Powers drag out Inanna from Toki to use her for their Evil Plan, Danu seals her away in Nozomi with the Fairy Queen's consent.
  • Shipper on Deck: Ships Nanashi/Asahi and Flynn/Isabeau.
  • Status Effects: Most of her attacks deal status effects alongside either damage or stat debuffs.
  • Supporting Leader: Gives off those vibes for a time after she joins, as she is an experienced Hunter, as well as the most mature and level-headed member of the party.
  • Willing Channeler: For Danu, who supplies the power to her as the Faerie Queen. They share similar opinions as well.

    Hallelujah 

Hallelujah

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_hallelujah_smtiv_final.png
"Sorry... I know I wasn't much help."
Voiced by: Toshiki Masuda (JP), Max Mittelman (EN)

A young male member of the Ashura-kai.


  • 11th-Hour Superpower: Gains his Awakened Power passive just as Nanashi challenges Lucifer, which vastly amplifies his magic damage.
  • All There in the Manual: The artbook gives some extra information. His mother's name was Ayako and she was a prostitute, he befriended Chiro when he was around ten, he first awakened to his powers when he was four or five in defense of his mother, but he didn't know he was half-demon until he was ten. Hallelujah is also uncertain whether his mother died or abandoned him; the artbook implies that she was murdered.
  • Boring, but Practical: Before gaining his Awakened Power, Hallelujah only has 2 non-offensive moves with Chiro, Warding Shout (which prevents your party from being afflicted by status ailments for 1 turn) and Enduring Cheer (allows Nanashi or a party demon to survive a fatal attack once for 1 turn). Having only 2 moves at his disposal makes him look unimpressive at a glance, but Warding Shout is very helpful against enemies and bosses who specialize in status ailments while Enduring Cheer helps especially when fighting enemies that carry hard hitting moves. His small move pool also means his AI will reliably choose the appropriate move during a turn, such as almost always using Warding Shout against Krishna. Lastly, he prevents your demons from being blown out of battle and becoming "lost" while he's the active partner.
  • Brought Down to Normal: When the Tokugawa Mandala is activated he loses his ability to summon Chiro, and with it his ability to grant the player Endure and status protection.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Plays a counterbalance to Navarre and is always there to puncture the ghost's ego whenever he thinks it's getting too inflated.
  • Developer's Foresight: Astute players might notice that he has some unusual resistances: he resists light, fire, and ice at the same time. Humans are immune to light attacks by default, foreshadowing that he's not quite human.
  • Elemental Powers: Eventually learns True Agidyne and True Bufudyne.
  • Foil: Skill-wise, to Samyaza - Samyaza knows True Ziodyne and True Zandyne, while being weak to fire and ice, the elements of Hallelujah's True -dynes.
  • Good Old Fisticuffs: He fights with his fists in combat.
  • Half-Human Hybrid: He is half demon. Specifically his father is a Fallen Angel.
  • I Hate You, Vampire Dad: For a long time he secretly harbored hatred for his father for abandoning him and his mother. When he meets Samyaza in the Chaos Zone he finally goes all out on him, after which he expresses immense happiness over killing him.
  • Last Disc Magic: His final skill is not his Awakened Power passive, but an enhanced version of Concentrate that also allows him to pierce resistances. This is learned at Level 88, well after he's awakened.
  • Last Chance Hit Point: Enduring Cheer can prevent fatal damage from killing Nanashi and his demons.
  • Magikarp Power: When you first meet him, he's the weakest of the partners you can get, having no offensive potential whatsoever, and his only use being to prevent status ailments and KOs. Once he awakens to his half-demon nature however, he gains 3 offensive skills that deal massive damage, and learns two skills which ramp it up even further, making him one of the strongest partners ever.
  • Mystical White Hair: He has tanned skin, blue eyes, pointy ears, and gray hair. It helps give him a otherworldly appearance.
  • Never Got to Say Goodbye: His mother vanished on him, and even he isn't sure if she died or abandoned him. The arbook implies that she was murdered.
  • Non-Elemental: Eventually learns Megidolaon.
  • Nice Guy: He is quite supportive of Nanashi, Asahi and even Navarre at times. Doesn't stop him from snarking his ass off when he feels its necessary.
  • No-Sell: Warding Shout prevents all ailments from affecting the party for one turn. Lost Catcher prevents demons from getting Lost.
  • Occult Blue Eyes: He's a blue-eyed Japanese teenager who inherited powerful magic from his demon father.
  • Power Up Letdown: His Ascended state grants him access to very powerful offensive spells in addition to his previous skills with Chiro. Unfortunately, this means his AI will be prioritizing these offensive spells more than Warding Shout or Enduring Cheer, meaning he'll now be unreliable against bosses who specialize in ailments such as David.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Subverted. He's half-demon with demonic red eyes but he is benevolent.
  • Sharp-Dressed Man: He wears a suit beneath his jacket.
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot: Downplayed, but like Asahi, he is more likely to use profanity than the others.
    (when the Assist Gauge is at max) I've had enough of this shit...
  • Son of a Whore: The artbook all but states that his mother Ayako was a prostitute.
  • Support Party Member: As mentioned above, his skills are very useful, but he only has support skills. This changes after he reveals his half-demon nature, gaining powerful attack spells as well.
  • This Looks Like a Job for Aquaman: Before he becomes awesome as detailed under Magikarp Power, he's almost entirely useless in battle, having very few situations where he's genuinely more helpful than the other partners. One of those situations, however, is the fight against Krishna: his Warding Shout can block Status Ailments, meaning Krishna's Venomous and Dream Ragas are not nearly as devastating, and with how much Krishna loves to spam Zandyne, it's a nice little bonus to have Hallelujah keeping your demons from getting Lost.
  • Traumatic Superpower Awakening: The artbook shows that Hallelujah awakened his powers around the age of five, when his mother was beaten by a loan shark.
  • Yin-Yang Bomb: Of the Fire and Ice variant.
  • You Kill It, You Bought It: He reveals that he killed Abe and declares himself the new leader of the Ashura-kai, right before helping to take down Lucifer.

    Toki 

Toki

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_toki_smtiv_final.png
Click here to see her unmasked 
"This is merely a temporary alliance."
Voiced by: Misaki Kuno (JP), Cassandra Lee Morris (EN)

A young female member of the Ring of Gaea.


  • 11th-Hour Superpower: After the defeat of Mitra, Toki gains her Awakened Power passive that grants piercing to her physical attacks and greatly increases the chance of her using Sneak Attack during enemy turns.
  • Anguished Declaration of Love: After she is defeated at the start of the Massacre route, her last words before she is killed, should you give her the opportunity, is her declaration of love to Nanashi.
  • Armor-Piercing Attack: Many of her skills have this property. Obtaining her 11th-Hour Superpower greatly amplifies this.
  • Babies Ever After: Says she wants to have some with Nanashi at the Cosmic Egg.
  • Backstab: Her Sneak Attack skill, which lets her execute a piercing attack that can instantly kill during enemy turns.
  • Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Asahi’s betty.
  • Bond One-Liner: Lets out one if she succeeds in delivering a One-Hit Kill to an enemy:
    "Objective complete."
  • Clingy Jealous Girl: Not to the extent of Asahi, but she expresses discontent when other girls come close to Nanashi, shown when she yanked Asahi away from giving Nanashi a hug with both a reminder that the group was still in danger and with a statement that Nanashi was her's.
  • Cool Mask: She wears a purple demonic mask.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Toki is easily one of Nanashi's most underhanded partners.
  • Demonic Possession: Inanna takes control over her in the Cosmic Egg, using her body and prior exposure to the Aether to regain form.
  • Expy: Of the Oni Jourou enemies of Shin Megami Tensei I, which were female ninjas who worked for the Cult of Gaia and specialized in assassinations.
    • Also of Yuriko of the same game. Both show unfounded affections towards the main character while ignoring everyone else, are the Dark Feminine to the main heroine's Light Feminine, at one point were members of the Cult/Ring of Gaia/Gaea, and attempt to kill a main character while they are being crucified.
  • Fighting from the Inside: Struggles with Inanna while being possessed. This causes unique Boss Banter that opens up opportunities to interrupt and attack.
  • Hime Cut: She has the typical haircut with long black hair underneath her mask.
  • Hitman with a Heart: Her job is to hunt down and kill Flynn and Maitreya, but she actually does care about the others.
  • The Immodest Orgasm: Comes... scarily close when sealing the Lust vessel before she manages to compose herself.
  • Little Miss Badass: Toki is able to Backstab opponents at a tender age of 14.
  • Meaningful Name: The Japanese word Touki, meaning Battle Ogre/Oni, is pronounced identically to her name. Her mask looks a lot like an Oni, too.
  • Mysterious Waif: Happens when you're wearing a big creepy mask and still wish to have no conflict with others.
  • Not Herself: Undergoes an abrupt shift in personality after sealing the jars. In truth, this is because Inanna is possessing her and greatly amplifying her feelings.
  • One-Hit Kill: Her signature gimmick; several of her physical attacks can inflict instant death on enemies. This includes hordes.
  • Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Has unnaturally pale skin alongside her black hair and red eyes.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: She has red eyes that are noticeable without the mask. Averted. Besides trying to assassinate Flynn she's not villainous.
  • Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can: The Goddess Inanna is sealed inside her.
  • Tyke-Bomb: Raised from birth to be an assassin for the Ring of Gaea.
  • Wins by Doing Absolutely Nothing: If she jumps into a battle with a single random encounter or a horde and successfully kills it, congrats, you won without having to use a turn. Downplayed for hordes though, as you frequently will be challenged by 2-4 hordes in a row, although there's a chance she'll once again take the initiative to do another instant kill.
  • Yandere: Towards Nanashi who she comes to develop intense feelings towards. It's implied that the Aether and Inanna in her greatly amplified her attraction, after both are removed she's a bit less obsessive. Downplayed in that she's not psychotic to those who could be considered her rivals and is willing to oppose him if he chooses Massacre.

    Gaston 

Gaston

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gaston_smtiv_final.png
"Without a doubt. I am Gaston the Magnificent, after all"
Voiced by: Takeshi Maeda (JP), Todd Haberkorn (EN)

A young Samurai hailing from Mikado and Captain of a Samurai contingency named Merkabah's Crusaders. He is Navarre's younger brother.


  • 11th-Hour Superpower: He experiences two instances of this trope. First, his Awakened Power passive as Nanashi challenges Merkabah, which increases his physical damage output from impressive to 'holy crap'. Then, he gains Gungnir after defeating Odin outside the Cosmic Egg. He awakens to these strengths a little earlier than the rest of the party, but then again his character development starts and peaks before the rest of the cast.
  • Armor-Piercing Attack: After killing Odin, he gains Gungnir, which causes all his attacks to pierce resistances. Note that gaining Gungnir happens sometime AFTER getting his Awakened Power passive.
  • Awesome Ego: He's an insufferable braggart, but he does back up his bragging with genuine skill and became captain of the Mikado Samurai for a reason. Eventually he takes a lesson in humility, and ends up destroying Odin and taking his spear after winning. All while proclaiming his pride to fight for the people instead of his own glory.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: In a nutshell, Gaston is a high-risk high-reward partner. In terms of damage, he blows pretty much all the others out of the water, including Awakened Hallelujah with Magic Compression, but he has a few quirks that severely limit his effectiveness, like randomly stealing Press Turns and potentially wasting them. All his moves are Physical, and he doesn't gain Pierce until the last stretch of the game, meaning demons that resist/null/reflect/absorb Physical like Rangda are his bane. His lower-accuracy techniques like Gungnir Sever don't help him either.
  • Big Little Brother: A head taller than Navarre.
  • Break the Haughty: Completely breaks down upon his defeat at the hands of Odin. Later, he loses hope in Mikado after being demoted from his title as Captain. He manages to pick himself up just in time for the battle with Merkabah, and comes out of the whole ordeal a (mostly) better man.
  • Catchphrase: "I am Gaston the Magnificent." Later, "For the people."
  • Character Development: Goes through heaps of it, after his two major Break the Haughty moments culminating in him shedding his arrogant ways and even making peace with Navarre. He even rebels against his divine superiors, choosing to put the people over the selfish machinations of the Almighty.
  • Defector from Decadence: Loses hope in Mikado and helps Nanashi escape imprisonment after his demotion.
  • Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: When the Lucifer-Merkabah war comes to a head in the reactor chamber, Gaston snaps the Spear of Michael that he was given right in front of Merkabah, declaring that he'll be fighting for the people from now on.
  • Expy:
    • Of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, as his name would imply. Oversized ego and all, though this Gaston gets better.
    • His name could also be from the 1985's movie Ladyhawke. The hero is named Gaston and there's other characters named Aquila, Isabeau and Navarre.
    • His early concept design made him basically a male version of Satsuki Kiryuin.
  • Glory Hound: Comes off as this early on, with his insistence on defeating Shesha by himself. He gets really upset when you end up killing it yourself. It even carries over to his combat style while he's your main partner. He has a chance of stealing one of your Press Turns to attack, in addition to acting during the Partner turn. It's especially damning if the enemy in question nullifies physical damage, since 1) you lose the Press Turns as if you made the same action yourself and 2) his AI is smart enough to not attack during the Partner turn under that circumstance.
  • Insistent Terminology: That's Sir Gaston to you. He lets it go later, partly because of Character Development and partly because he was demoted from his rank of Captain.
  • Jerkass: Just like his brother.
  • Jerkass Has a Point:
    • Yes, he's a magnificent ass, but it's hard not to agree with him when he accuses Asahi of mooching off Nanashi's achievements.
    • It's completely unheard due to his tone and phrasing, but when Asahi returns after her father's death, he actually tries to tell her to recognize that life is fragile, the world they live in is very dangerous, and to stop risking death just to feel useful, as she has value as a person and to those who love her. Being Gaston, it comes out in the worst way possible.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He eventually does grow out of it and starts to respect his allies more.
  • Lethal Joke Character: Although his usage of your Press Turns for his attacks makes him unappealing as a partner, the damage for each hit of your partners' attacks during an Assist Rush is based on the strength of your selected partner, so entering boss fights with a full assist gauge and Gaston as your partner can allow for what are effectively one-turn kills.
  • Naming Your Attacks: Adds Michael to each attack he uses. After he expresses his disdain for Merkabah and Mikado as he snaps the Spear of Michael, his skills are instead prefaced with "Spearman's". When he takes up Gungnir, his skills are renamed accordingly.
  • Powerful, but Inaccurate: His Gungnir Sever inflicts several high-damage hits, but it's a low-accuracy attack. If even one strike misses, and he was using your turns to attack, you'll lose an extra turn!
  • The Proud Elite: Just one of the many things he has common with his big brother; an arrogant, elitist prick to the core. Until he gets better.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
    • He gives a scathing one to Asahi, accusing her of leeching off Nanashi's feats. You can agree with him.
    • He does it again to Asahi, this time telling her how much of The Load she is. Keep in mind, her dad just died, she's in the middle of a fully understandable Heroic BSoD, and is actually trying to get over it at the time. He gets a very well-deserved punch in the face by Hallelujah for it. It comes off as a Kick the Dog moment, but, in his inept and condescending way, telling her to stop risking her life because it had value. Even he seems to know he's screwed up, as when Hallelujah tries to apologize for punching him, Gaston pretends it never happened. (Of course, that could just be his pride, but given what happens immediately afterward, it's more likely a subtle bit of character development as his arc kicks into high gear.)
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Invoked. Hallelujah notes that he behaves the same way his brother Navarre does, but Gaston denies it by saying "no such blood runs in his veins".
  • Symbolic Weapon Discarding: After being disgraced by his leader, Gaston's disdain for Merkabah and Mikado comes to a head in the Merkabah-Lucifer conflict. As an act of defiance, he snaps the Spear of Michael that he once prized, and declares that he would fight for the people rather than for any divine will.
  • Unknown Rival: He becomes very interested with fighting and defeating Odin after he and the party were defeated by the latter, asking for him whenever the Divine Powers' leaders are brought up. Odin doesn't seem to particularly acknowledge him until he wagers Gungnir with Gaston upon noticing him not having his original spear.
  • Unskilled, but Strong: He has respectable damage output, but all his skills are capable of doing is physical damage and nothing else. In that respect, he's similar to Toki, who can't compete with him in damage output but is generally considered to be the best partner for random encounters after Awakening, as the odds of her wiping out multiple of hordes is high. He's also the best character to use if trying to maximize the damage of an assist rush, though whether the increased damage is worth forgoing the benefits of other supports depends on the fight and the player's strategy.
  • When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Learns nothing but physical skills using his spear, but makes up for it by sometimes getting a few hits in at the start of the player's turn. And oh man, his physical attacks hurt.
  • Wins by Doing Absolutely Nothing: Due to his random chance of hijacking your first two turns, it is possible for him to destroy a random encounter at the start of the battle without you having to do anything.
  • You Kill It, You Bought It: He obtains Gungnir after the party defeats Odin in the Cosmic Egg.

    Isabeau 

Isabeau

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_isabeau.png
"We believe in the power of the people."
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (JP), Eden Riegel (EN)

A samurai from Mikado who had been a comrade of Flynn. She seeks to join the Godslayer in order to save Flynn from the Divine Powers.


  • Badass Adorable: A pretty young Samurai with dorky tendencies who can nonetheless slaughter Demons left and right.
  • Brought Down to Normal: Averted with the Tokugawa Mandela. Story-wise it stops her from summoning demons, but in gameplay her magical skills remain intact.
  • Better to Die than Be Killed: In the Massacre Route, should you hesitate to kill her upon her defeat, she tells Nanashi that if he will not end her life, she'll do it for him. Regardless of your choices, Nanashi will finish her off.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Joins Flynn in saving Nanashi and Asahi from a level 71 Aniel early in the game.
  • Crutch Character: Far and away the best partner Nanashi gets, excelling at healing and offensive moves in equal regard, as well as learning Luster Candy. However, she has a bad habit of repeatedly leaving the party and returning later, meaning she won't be available for a lot of the game. In fact, you can't use her at all in the Bonds Route battle against YHVH, though she's still pulling her own weight on Team Flynn. That limitation aside, she's considered the absolute best partner for the majority of Twisted Tokyo. Her predictable AI means that while she may not be the highest damage dealer or strongest healer, she will always prioritize healing, buffing, and attacking in that order, which guarantees she'll cast Luster Candy on the first turn, then heal if needed, and contribute to damage if she has no better options. And unlike Asahi, she avoids being a Squishy Wizard while also being able to perform a basic party-wide heal and a full heal to one character.
  • Dying Declaration of Hate: If Nanashi refused to help the wounded when he first met her, and then follows the Massacre route, she reveals that she has hated him ever since that moment.
  • Everything's Better with Samurai: She and Flynn are Samurai.
  • He's Not My Boyfriend: Her reaction when Asahi assumes she and Flynn are lovers. But still...
  • Implied Love Interest: Once again to Flynn. To the point that much of her arc is essentially one big Ship Tease.
  • Jack of All Trades: With a touch of Red Mage — She starts with 4 elemental -dynes and Mediarama, and rounds off her skill set with Diarahan, Megidolaon, and eventually Luster Candy. She's also one of two partners that doesn't get an Awakened Power passive to double down on her powerset, but given how strong her skillset is, it's probably for the best.
  • Promoted to Playable: During the final battle of the Bonds Route.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Coming from IV, she trades in Mazionga and her status healing moves for the other 3 elemental -dynes, Diarahan, and Megidolaon, and she has upgraded Sukukaja to Luster Candy.
  • Yaoi Fangirl: Her profile reveals she developed a love for it.

Ally Demons

Demons/gods who align with the heroes depending on choices throughout the game.

    Dagda 

Dagda

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_dagda_smtiv_final.png
"If you want to right the wrong done to you, well... I am your last best hope."
Voiced by: Shūichi Ikeda (JP), Xander Mobus (EN)

A mysterious demon who forms a contract with the protagonist in the underworld Yomotsu Hirasaka, allowing the boy to return to the land of the living. In return, the protagonist becomes Dagda's "Godslayer", a living weapon who will destroy the angels, demons and gods that now threaten mankind.


  • Accomplice by Inaction: While he catches on to the truth much earlier than everyone, Dagda winds up causing more problems for the party by straight up not saying anything about Odin and Shesha's deception when they "fight" in the Ring of Gaea's temple. Though ultimately zigzagged as Stephen knew as well but likewise kept silent. Even erasing all memories of his human guise immediately after their fake defeat.
  • The Ace: His name means "the good god", good as in good at everything, rather than morally good. Shown immediately after the deal, where he fixes the smartphone and saying it's easy to do as a god of knowledge. He's also a master of life and death, easily able to bring Nanashi back from the brink of certain doom.
  • Anti-Hero: He isn't any different from Krishna and is ultimately self-serving and arrogant just like them, or ironically, the monotheist forces which are equally self-serving and condescending. He just happens to befriend you because you ran into him after being killed in your first mission.
  • Ascended Extra: To an even greater extent than characters like Navarre, Nozomi, and Odin. Dagda was only mentioned in a sidequest in IV before becoming a main character here.
  • Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: At the end of the Massacre route, he is finally able to shed his form as Dagda and becomes part of the new universe.
  • Berserk Button: Anything to do with The Power of Friendship will set him off on a rant about how bonds are just a shackle, and you can only rely on yourself. Betraying him causes Dagda to flip out and decide to take Nanashi's life force back as the boy learns the hard way on the Bonds route.
  • But Thou Must!: In-universe. If Nanashi attempts to do something that would derail his plans (refusing to free Krishna, for instance), Dagda will possess him and force him to do it anyway.
  • Broken Ace: Centuries of watching the pointless interplay and feuding of humanity and gods have left him a bitter misanthrope who wants to kill every demon, and every god, including himself, to let the misery Just. End.
  • Climax Boss: Locking in the Bonds route is capped off by a dramatic showdown with him in the Cosmic Egg.
  • Commander Contrarian: Spends a good chunk of the game finding flaws in everything and everyone around him and Nanashi in order to convince him that more extreme measures needs to be taken to free humanity from reliance on gods.
  • Concepts Are Cheap: Constantly preaches to Nanashi how human concepts such as friendship, love, compassion, and hope are just impediments to true freedom and liberation of the self and ultimately pointless.
  • Cool Helmet: He wears one to mimic skin on his head.
  • The Corrupter: Dagda seeks to be this to Nanashi through the story, teaching him how Humans Are Flawed and Bastards because of the flaws of the universe and a tyrannical God. Dagda succeeding depends on whether Nanashi picks the Massacre Route. If he does, Dadga also brings back Flynn, but as Nanashi's Godslayer.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Emphasis on Deadpan, the guy seems to have a sarcastic snipe ready for just about any situation.
  • Death is Cheap: He can bring Nanashi back to life for free every time he dies. Comes with being a god of life.
    "How quaint, concern for your life. Touching, but ultimately useless... You are my Godslayer. I will resurrect you again and again, every time you fall. So go ahead. Throw your life away with reckless abandon... Hahaha..."
  • Deal with the Devil: Forms a contract with the protagonist, giving said protagonist a new lease on life and the ability to summon demons.
    "You've accomplished nothing in the admittedly short span of your life, but together we could change that. You're now my own personal Godslayer."
  • Dem Bones: He's a skeleton wearing armor that mimics skin. Despite this, he's not a Fiend and is of the Deity race.
  • Disappears into Light: At the end of the Massacre Route, where he bears witness to the birth of a new universe with Nanashi as its ruler before disappearing and becoming part of the new universe, promising to watch over Nanashi.
  • Driven to Suicide: Countless ages of the endless cycle of fighting coupled with his own daughter getting turned against him ultimately left him a broken shell that just wants it all to end. Regardless if you pick the Bonds or Massacre route, he'll gladly accept his death.
  • Duel Boss: Should Nanashi pick the Bonds route while he has been acting like a jerk to his friends throughout the game, Dagda deletes all of Nanashi's demons, including the ones in his party. The player can regain them through the Compendium afterwards. Just be ready to shell out a lot of Macca.
  • Evil Laugh: Should Nanashi choose to side with him, he will belt out quite an impressive one.
  • Evil Mentor: It's quite clear he doesn't have the best of intentions.
  • Exact Words: Dagda's goal is to eliminate all gods. Including himself, since he too is a god. At the end of the Massacre ending, he's perfectly pleased to lose his godhood — or "this Dagda-shaped prison", as he puts it — and simply become just another part of the new universe.
  • Expy: His endgame is almost perfectly in line with Isamu Nitta, believing in a world of isolation and true freedom.
  • Fighting Irish: Unlike Danu, the English dub gives him an Irish accent, perhaps to underscore his more violent and confrontational attitude.
  • Friendship-Hating Antagonist: Dagda has nothing good to say about friendship and bonds during the story and even tries to get Nanashi to abandon and later turn on his friends. You can either agree with him or turn against him at the Cosmic Egg, and he does not take the latter option kindly.
  • Gadgeteer Genius: As the god of knowledge, he can repair a smartphone and create a space on it for him in five seconds.
  • Game-Over Man: If Nanashi is killed in action, Dagda appears before him and offers him the choice of either coming back to life or staying in the underworld for eternity.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: Despite Dagda's claims that your friends are useless, the gameplay itself contradicts his views and he himself isn't selectable as an ally and only settles with resurrecting you, giving you a weapon to fight Shesha, keeping track of quests and VR training. Your allies on the other hand are always helping you in battle and their skills each give you a niche to work with depending on your playstyle; their combined attack is also helpful with turning the tide of battle even during the postgame.
  • Graceful Loser: After losing on the Bonds route, he at least admits how strong Nanashi has become and that he wasn't really surprised with how things turned out instead. Of course, he was much less graceful about Nanashi not siding with him. Until the point he realized the battle was going against him.
  • Guilt-Free Extermination War: He has no qualms removing all gods; in particular, by creating a new universe where they don't exist. He'll also gladly order the mass murder of humans who believe in gods, as the power of humanity's observation of gods is what allows those gods to exist. If you pursue his ending, he too disappears as the new universe is created, happy to be just another aspect of nature.
  • Hates Everyone Equally: With only a few exceptions he hates both humanity and the Gods. Even then if those he favors end up opposing him he has no problem killing them. Subverted for humans though-he hates them in their present form, but it's shown he thinks the species is inherently superior to demons in its capacity for humility.
  • Heel–Face Brainwashing: Sort of. Dagda turns out to be so stubborn and convinced of his cause, on top of his powers effectively holding Nanashi in a choke-hold, that Danu is forced to create an alternate version of him that is on their side that can then support Nanashi as well as helping in killing the original.
  • Hey, You!: He never refers to Nanashi by name and instead always calls him "kid".
  • Hidden Heart of Gold: He's a jerk alright, but even then there are a few scattered moments in the game where he shows some surprising humility towards Nanashi. Even after he turns on and attempts to kill Nanashi if the latter rejects his plan, he hopes that Nanashi will be able to die a quick and painless death.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: On the Bonds route, Dagda ends up getting killed by his own Godslayer. While Nanashi does need a little help from Danu to do it, he's the one who made the choice to say "no" to Dagda's plans.
  • Humans Are Flawed: He's not very impressed by humans, pointing out how inefficient eating orally is or being amused by how humans use a machine to summon demons. Subverted, though, in that he still thinks they're superior to gods in every important way.
  • Humans Are the Real Monsters: Played with. He hates humans, but he doesn't blame them entirely for their faults, or even mostly. To him, the problem is that humans think gods have their best interests at heart, which is very much not the case, and from this comes a great deal of needless suffering and cruelty. In fact, in the Massacre ending, his whole scheme is to make it so that humans are the only species left, since he actually respects Nay Theists.
  • Hypocrite: Dagda constantly states that one should "walk his own path, free from others" and not let themselves be weighed down by the wills and ideologies of others, relying only on their own strength to get ahead. All of this rings rather hollow, however, as Dagda constantly refers to Nanashi as his "puppet" and is not above seizing control of his body to force him into action. In addition, there are many points in the story where Nanashi unambiguously would have died or otherwise failed had nobody else stepped in: prior to the beginning of the game; he was found and adopted as a baby, Dagda resurrects him after he's slain by Adramalech, Flynn and Isabeau rescue him from Aniel, Gaston helps Nanashi escape from Mikado and Hallelujah fights off Azrael with his demonic powers, etc. Dagda himself also relies on the efforts and plans of others in order to succeed in his own plan, as Nanashi has to cooperate with him willingly and Krishna needs to create the Cosmic Egg; what's more, during the Massacre Route he outright resurrects one of your partners and Flynn to aid you. Ultimately, Dagda fails to abide by the very philosophy he consistently espouses.
  • Informed Attribute: Dagda's topic entry states that his reason for wanting to take down the creator god was due to his daughter Brigid being used as a pawn by said god. This never comes up in the actual game.
  • It's All About Me: While he does show an occasional moment or two of kindness, and his plan does free humanity from tyrannical Gods and Demons, the undeniable fact is that Dagda is in it for himself. Humanity's reformation is ultimately a side effect of his desires to return to being a cosmic force, and his 'affection' toward Nanashi lasts only as long as Nanashi is willing to serve his ends without question. The instant Nanashi looks like he's going off the rails, Dagda won't hesitate to take control of his body and force him to do what he wants, and should Nanashi refuse to be his puppet Dagda will outright kill him in a huff. Even bringing Nanashi back to life had nothing to do with kindness and was just a matter of him wanting a Godslayer for his machinations.
  • Kill the God: He is the respective demon/lesser god that seeks Deicide.
  • Knight Templar: He is the representative of the Massacre route that seeks freedom no matter what. His goal is to kill all gods and all faiths, making a world where humans rely only on themselves. As noted above this would be really bad for everyone who worships or believes in them.
  • Leitmotif: A rather eerie theme simply titled Dagda's Theme.
  • Momma's Boy: At least early on, while he thinks Danu is hopelessly naive and idealistic, he still holds respect for her and listens to her whenever she calls him out. This dies entirely at the Cosmic Egg: he tells her to get stuffed and goes ahead with his plans.
  • No Place for Me There: In Dagda's new world he returns to being a vague animistic force of nature, since the point of the world itself was to free humanity from reliance on gods. Of course, he doesn't consider this a sacrifice, since it is what he wanted all along.
  • Revenge: According to the Celt mythology topic on Final's website he hates YHVH for using his daughter Brigid as a sacrificial pawn.
  • Scarf of Asskicking: Wears one that constantly is caught in an updraft.
  • Screw Destiny: One of his driving motivations is how gods such as himself are bound to an assigned role and have limited freedom as a result of it. He is fully intent on breaking that to allow himself to be free again, and for humanity to be their own gods to decide their own fate, free from the influence of gods or others.
  • Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: His general view is that idealism gets you nowhere and that you need to be more strong-willed than that to get anything done.
  • Slasher Smile: Pulls this off in the bumper menu for the game: despite being just a skull, a slight tilt of his head combines this with a Kubrick Stare for really creepy result.
  • So Proud of You:
    • In the Massacre route, he will be elated that Nanashi has become the Godslayer he envisioned and sings his praise for him.
    • After defeating him in the Bonds Route, he comments how strong Nanashi has become.
  • Straw Nihilist: He makes his opinions about the value of the universe they live in quite clear, stating that he finds the whole thing horrible and worthless.
    "The inescapable truth under all life's lies is that this universe... is worthless."
  • Token Evil Teammate: Of Nanashi's group. He's keeping Nanashi going and allowing him to control his demons, but it's all for his own benefit, and none of the others think very highly of his endgame, while he's disgusted by how chummy they are with each other. The second the opportunity presents itself to put his plans into action, he turns on the crew without a second thought.
  • True Sight: Sees through Odin and Shesha's deception almost instantly. He declines to warn the heroes about it, though, settling for betraying a small gasp, then a cruel little chuckle.
  • Übermensch: A malignant god version no less. He's a god himself but his goal is to kill all gods and all faiths, making a world where he can ascend past his mandated god status and where humans rely only on themselves and their own strength of will alone to become divine.
  • Villainous Breakdown: In the Bonds route when he's finally has had enough, he decides to label Nanashi a failure and tries to kill him in a boss battle. During the battle he goes from his usual deadpan, calm self to an angry, ranting mess of a god as he tries to kill Nanashi. Though not so much at the end when he apparently decides to Face Death with Dignity.

    Danu 

Danu

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_danu_smtiv_final.png
"What do you have planned for this boy, Dagda?"
Voiced by: Miki Itō (JP), Cindy Robinson (EN)

The mother goddess, progenitor of the Tuatha De Danann, and Dagda's mother. She serves as an adviser to the current queen Nozomi.


  • Ascended Extra: In the original, she was a background figure in one Challenge Quest, appearing through her Christianized counterpart Black Maria. She gets to be herself this time around and plays a major role in the plot.
  • Cool Mask: She wears a silver mask upon her face, framed with a floral wreath.
  • Humans Are Special: Danu believes in this, which is why she seeks to protect them alongside the Fairies.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: Her response to Dagda, when he tries to call her out for reincarnating him during the fight against him, essentially is this. He gave her no other option to protect Nanashi.
  • Kill and Replace: In the Bonds route she's forced to reincarnate Dagda when he refuses to back down on his plan and, if Nanashi stands against him, cuts off his link to him. The new Dagda is more or less the same, but he is generally more idealistic.
  • Kill the God: She also wishes to kill God like her son. Downplayed due to her prioritizing the fairy people and Nozomi over it.
  • No Transhumanism Allowed: She is strictly against Dagda's plan of turning humans into gods due her belief that doing so would change the meaning of being human. This is warranted of course, since gods exist due to group observations, and killing all gods would require turning people too individualistic to have group observations anymore, instead having personal ones of their inner values making themselves more like gods. There's also the fact that Dagda's plan would result in anyone who worships those Gods dead.
  • You're Insane!: Asks Dagda whether he has gone insane and calling him a horror after he reveals what he plans to do with the Cosmic Egg: use it to create a new universe at the expense of all the souls taken by the Divine Powers.

    Chironnupu 

Chironnupu

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

An Ainu Fox God. This little demon serves at Hallelujah's side. On New Game Plus he can be unlocked for fusion.








    Masakado 

Masakado

Voiced by: Joji Nakata (JP), Richard Epcar (EN)

The guardian deity of Tokyo that used his body and the earth to protect Tokyo 25 years ago. The stone slab that represents his head lays in Ginza.


  • Barrier Maiden: He became the firmament that prevented the nukes from destroying Tokyo.
  • But Now I Must Go: On the Bonds Route. When Flynn tries to restore him he denies his restoration, revealing that he passes his legacy as guardian to the two Godslayers and that he will leave Tokyo forevermore.
  • Demoted to Extra: Despite being the Big Good of IV's Neutral route who lifts the Firmament and a major part of the backstory, here in Apocalypse he not only gets fewer lines but soon after those lines he vanishes without doing anything else, not even coming out of his boulder-and-Firmament form.
  • Fusion Dance: Fuses with the past incarnation of Flynn to become powerful enough to stop the nukes.
  • Losing Your Head: As the first nuke hit it caused his head to fall off just as the dome finished.
  • Passing the Torch: On the Bonds Route he passes on the role of being both Tokyo and Mikado's protector to Nanashi and Flynn.

Monotheists

The demons who encompass the classical Law-versus-Chaos conflict.

    Lucifer 

Lucifer

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1lucifer_smtiv_final.png
"We have the same goal. Why not join hands?"
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (JP), Matthew Mercer (EN)

The champion of Chaos and leader of the fallen angels against the forces of YHVH and the old gods.


For tropes concerning his appearances in Shin Megami Tensei IV and this one, see his character page.

    Merkabah 

Merkabah

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_smtivfinal_merkabah.png
"Salvation is at hand for those who believe."
Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya (JP), Orion Acaba (EN)

The leader of the forces of Law under God that oppose the forces of Chaos and the old gods.

For tropes concerning his appearance in Shin Megami Tensei IV, see that character page.


  • Adaptational Wimp: Unlike his role as the Final Boss in the original game, he now suffers from a weakness to Dark skills, and lacks a second form.
  • Back from the Dead: He's brought back by YHVH to defend him in YHVH's Universe. He acts as the 2nd Brane's final enemy, fought immediately after Azrael and Aniel.
  • Big Bad Duumvirate: With Lucifer.
  • Dissonant Serenity: It's noted that even when he talks about wiping Tokyo out of existence, there isn't any malice in his words. The actual voices in game though don't convey this very well.
  • Enemy Mine: Merkabah has entered an alliance with Lucifer in order to oppose the Divine Powers.
  • Everyone Has Standards: In the middle of the fight with him, a mob of Hunters will attempt to assault Merkabah. If you take the option to stop the mob, they will get angry and accuse you of siding with the angels. This display will disgust Merkabah so much, it drops his defense.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: This time around, he has a more obviously masculine voice compared to his more androgynous voice in the original game, and he is portrayed much more villainous.
  • Fantastic Racism: Like the rest of the angels, he sees the people of Tokyo as mere "filth".
  • Fantastic Slur: He uses the word "Filth" to refer to the people of Tokyo — but in Armageddon, every other dialogue from him is him using the word to insult someone. No, not just the people of Tokyo, he uses this against basically anyone he doesn't like and even uses the word to refer to himself.
  • Final Boss: Of the Chaos Ending.
  • Flanderization: Since Apocalypse's plot is written to have Merkabah and Lucifer as outright villains instead of at least potentially sympathetic like they were in IV, any positive aspects of their personalities are downplayed, and the negatives emphasized heavily. Somewhat justified in Merkabah's case because of the Perspective Flip, however.
  • Fusion Dance: Like the previous game Merkabah is a fusion of the four archangels and Jonathan.
  • Late-Arrival Spoiler: In IV, his existence is a major spoiler, especially him being the fusion of the four Archangels and Jonathan. In this game, his warring with Lucifer is a major point revealed early on, and the official website spoils the fact that Jonathan is him.
  • Literal Split Personality: Merkabah and by proxy the Four Archangels in Apocalypse are revealed to be half of Satan, with the other half being Lucifer.
  • My Death Is Just the Beginning: Warns that YHVH will not stay silent with his death.
  • Nipple and Dimed: Unlike their artwork in IV, here Merkabah is essentially naked.
  • Other Worldly And Sexually Ambiguous: Merkabah has a feminine appearance, but most of its components are male, has a distorted masculine voice, and a male human form. It also originates from Satan, whose appearance is an angelic masculine dragon.
  • Out-Gambitted: The Divine Powers manages to play him for a fool by pretending to be destroyed, allowing them to send in Flynn to kill him.
  • Promoted to Playable: He can't be fused in SMTIV, but in this game, a New Game Plus allows you to fuse him.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He is very, very fond of those; when fighting you or just about any Tokyoites, he is constantly going on about how disgusting and filthy anyone who fights him is.
  • Recurring Boss: First fought at the end of Armageddon before Lucifer, and then an illusion attacks as the boss of the Second Brane of YHVH's Universe. The real Merkabah fuses with Lucifer at the end of the Fourth Brane to become Satan, the penultimate boss of the game.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Like Lucifer, he is depicted much more negatively here than in IV, despite it taking place at what was originally IV's ending. In this case, his usage of the word "filth" is no longer just limited to the intentional use against the people of Tokyo, he seemingly just uses it against anyone he doesn't like. Interestingly, this makes sense, as we're now seeing the story from the perspective of Tokyo, which he antagonizes (to say the least) instead of God's Eastern Kingdom of Mikado.
  • We Can Rule Together: Merkabah gives Nanashi a choice in siding with him and know peace. Rejecting his offer and Merkabah will fight the party, accepting his offer skips his boss fight and moves to Lucifer's, unlocking the Law Ending.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Tells this to the people of Tokyo and the Samurai on his side who remain upon defeating Lucifer in the Law end. Unlike in IV he trusts Nanashi to press the button and swallow Tokyo in the black hole.

    Abe 

Abe

Voiced by: Jun'ichi Suwabe (JP)

The new leader of the Ashura-kai who acts as Hallelujah's senior. He often has a Succubus and a Lilim close-by.


  • Co-Dragons: Acts as a right hand man of Lucifer and commanding his Ashura-kai demon and human lackeys alongside Belial and Lucifuge.
  • Dirty Coward: The moment Medusa shows up, he ditches Hallelujah and tells others to deal with her while he makes off with his flunkies.
  • Elemental Powers: As Samyaza, he learns True Ziodyne and True Zandyne, and is immune to those elements while weak to the other two.
  • Jerkass: Really not the most pleasant of guys. In his human form, that is. He's far more affable in his true form.
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: He is in reality Samyaza, Hallelujah's dad.
  • Parents as People: Demon in this case. Samyaza doesn't really know how to raise a human kid and did things the way he thought it would work, not even understanding how a child can develop issues or surpass their parent like a human would. Even the original reason he left was that he knew he couldn't raise a child and lead Lucifer's army.
  • Parental Substitute: Acts as a sort of parent to Hallelujah, not a very good one but still. Turns on its head later in the game when it turns out he actually is Hallelujah's father, Samyaza.
  • Pre-Final Boss: On the bad endings, you fight Samyaza almost immediately before the final battle with Merkabah or Lucifer.
  • Take That!: Possibly named in reference to Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan as of the game's release date, who is very controversial at home and abroad for his far-right political views, including defending Japan's actions in World War II.
  • We Can Rule Together: He tried to persuade Hallelujah to join Lucifer's side and be their Godslayer so that they could rule over the humans. Hallelujah reject his offer. Similarly, during the boss fight, he tried to persuade Nanashi to side with Lucifer and can reject his offer as well, granting the party boosted assist gauge but improves his attack as he became more determined to stop the party.
  • Yakuza: He's in charge of the Ashura-kai, which isn't explicitly labeled as yakuza but has many trappings of one (has a hand in the local economy, business attire, offers protection but in exchange its members are easily angered, etc.)

    Adramelech 

Adramelech

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_adramelech_smtivf.png
Voiced by: Derek Stephen Prince (EN)

A knight of Lucifer who kills Nanashi, Manabu and Nikkari at the beginning of the story.


  • Agent Peacock: Quite literally. He wipes out Nanashi, Nikkari, and Manabu without breaking a sweat and you don't get back at him until late in the game.
  • Camp Gay: Talks in a flamboyant manner and is the fashion designer in hell.
  • Catchphrase: Always introduces himself in the same manner:
    "I am Adramelech, loyal servant and sworn knight of the Demon Lord Lucifer."
  • Degraded Boss: He returns as a regular encounter in the 1st Brane of YHVH's Universe. Makes sense: he is a fallen angel in classic literature.
  • Enemy Mine: Convinced Power and Nanashi to work together against Shesha in the first fight.
  • I Lied: Promised he'd fight Nanashi and Asahi after the first fight against Shesha, but cheerfully revealed he had no intention of doing so.
  • Know When to Fold Them: Leaves after seeing Nanashi be revived for a second time or after half his forces are killed, knowing the newfound power comes from an angry god he can't beat.
  • Let's Get Dangerous!: Drops his affable nature to talk in a more serious manner once he's come to claim Flynn and kill Nanashi's group as the war between Law and Chaos resumes.
  • Playing with Fire: Uses fire magic in battle and to kill Manabu. Also reflected in his Signature Move, Hellish Brand.
  • Signature Move: Hellish Brand, a strong Fire skill that also acts as a Dekaja on the target.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Because he decided to kill Nanashi, Nikkari, and Manabu right then and there, Nanashi had to make his deal with Dagda in order to return, and ends up awakening the Divine Powers against his will, resulting in the Enemy Mine to bring them down. For someone who's supposed to be a "loyal servant and sworn knight" of Lucifer, he sure ended up putting a wrench in his master's plans.
  • The Social Darwinist: A Chaos-aligned individual who encourages the strong to eat the weak, so he believes it's okay for humans to eat demons just like it is for him to eat humans.
  • Token Evil Teammate: Adramelech manages to be a scummy Jerkass who isn't even portrayed tragically or as an Unwitting Pawn like the other high ranking demons as they are all prisoners in YHVH's tyrannical cycle.
  • Villain Forgot to Level Grind: Used as a plot point. In his first two appearances, he shows off his power and either traumatizes or messes with Asahi before leaving. When he actually gets serious, Nanashi and Asahi are on equal footing with him, causing him to break down. As he's dying, he's left stunned that Nanashi and Asahi became as powerful as he did and wishes he killed them earlier.
  • Villainous Breakdown: During the final fight against him where he loses his mind as he continues to take damage. Eventually he starts tossing around his flames with the intent of burning everyone there so that he won't die alone.
  • Villainous Rescue: Comes to Nanashi's aid alongside a Power in the first battle against Shesha.

Divine Powers

An alliance of polytheistic gods who oppose the warring of the Law and Chaos factions, and instead wish to create a new universe free from the oppression of the angels and Lucifer's forces, but not without a little involuntary help from humanity.

    In General 
  • Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: The Monotheistic demons and angels (the main villains of SMTIV) all draw from Biblical sources. In contrast, the Divine Powers are a mix of deities from different faiths from different cultures who have all banded together.
  • The Dreaded: They are enough of a threat to all of Tokyo — and the universe, for that matter — that Merkabah, Lucifer, and humans are willing to work together as much as strictly necessary to oppose him.
  • Enemy Mine: Despite coming from different faiths and mythologies (Krishna is from Hinduism, Maitreya is from Buddhism, Odin is Norse, Inanna is Mesopotamian, and that's just the leaders), they all band together with a common goal: overthrowing the Monotheists. The feeling is reciprocated, with humans, Law, and Chaos all putting their war with one another on hold to oppose the Divine Powers.
  • Jerkass Gods: The Divine Powers eventually prove themselves to be little better than Law or Chaos.
  • Leitmotif: They have their own cutscene theme and battle theme, with Shesha being the only member for which the latter doesn't play.
  • Multinational Team: The gods that make up the Powers come from various mythologies around the world, all with a common goal of kicking the Monotheists out of the big picture.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: They are contained within the Ark in the Kanda Shrine, then Nanashi comes along under orders from Dagda and unseals the thing, causing all hell to break loose.
  • Your Soul Is Mine!: They need the souls of humanity in order to hatch the Cosmic Egg and create a new universe.

    Krishna 

Krishna

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/smt_iv_final_krishna.png
"I am your light."
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (JP), Jalen Cassell (EN)

The representative of the Divine Powers, a coalition of old polytheistic gods opposing the forces of Law and Chaos.


  • Affably Evil: Up until the end, he is quite polite and pleasant-sounding, even in the wake of the atrocities caused by his troops.
  • Alien Blood: A yellow-greenish color, as shown when Flynn's attack leaves some dripping from his mouth.
  • Assimilation Plot: Part of his goal for the new universe. Since humans being born, dying, and reincarnating is part of the Axiom's natural order of things (and thus cannot be changed), he seeks to make a great singularity consisting of humans and himself as a temporary afterlife.
  • Ascended Extra: Originally a recruitable demon in a select few games (Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei if..., Last Bible III) with no plotline role, here he's the primary Big Bad for most of the game.
  • Barrier Change Boss: Like Inanna before him, his signature skills as Vishnu-Flynn pierce light and dark resistance but leave him weak to the opposing element.
  • Battle Theme Music: Vishnu-Flynn is one of two bosses who has Battle B6 - Deicide/Decisive Battle, the other being fellow Climax Boss and Big Bad Satan.
  • Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: According to the creator comments in the artbook, in this universe Krishna incarnated as a Japanese Buddhist god originating from Shiva and touched off the Warring States period of Japan, including the persecution of Christians therein. Flynn's incarnation in that time period was able to convince him to reconsider. Dagda also appeared back then and intentionally messed with his mind before Flynn stopped him.
  • Big Bad: Leader of the Divine Powers. He's also the most recurring antagonist in the game; Lucifer and Merkabah are still threats, but it's Krishna the game centers around. Ignoring the final dungeon, which mostly ties up loose ends, the main plot ends with Krishna's defeat in the Cosmic Egg.
  • Climax Boss:
    • The battle with him in Tsukiji Konganji marks the end of the Divine Powers arc, with humans, angels, and demons going back to warring with one another once he's taken out of the picture. Except he's not really defeated.
    • Played straight with the Vishnu-Flynn fight, the last time you fight any member of the Divine Powers. Afterwards, he's done opposing you for real and the Cosmic Egg either is neutralized (Bonds route) or hatches to make room for your new universe (Massacre route).
  • Condescending Compassion: His love towards humanity comes off as condescending towards humans in general, with most not wanting a part of his salvation as a result.
  • The Chessmaster: He's an endless tide of schemes and soft influence most of them successful.
  • The Corrupter: One of his goals is to convince Flynn to join his cause.
  • Dark Messiah: Villainous version. He presents himself as the much more agreeable third option compared to Lucifer and Merkabah, promising the people salvation. It quickly becomes clear that he's willing to kill countless people to get there, not to mention his salvation itself means everyone will die. He continues calling it salvation right to the very end, however, suggesting it wasn't just a façade and he had a messiah complex.
  • Deadly Euphemism: "Salvation" and "saving" are awfully nice things to call ripping out humans' souls whether they want it or not.
  • Disc-One Final Boss: The fight with his Vishnu-Flynn form and the cutscenes immediately following it seem to point at plot threads being wrapped up in the Bonds route. And then Stephen shows up in your dreams to point out that you have one more major enemy to defeat, YHVH.
  • Dissonant Serenity: He maintains a very calm and collected composure, even as he talks about "saving" humanity against their will and kicks ass in battle. The only times his demeanor cracks is when he's genuinely defeated or killed, at which point he lets a maniacal laugh.
  • Enemy Mine: If you return to the Ark and talk to him after he's been defeated and resealed, he'll grant you to ability to fuse and summon him, because while he may not like you for ruining his plans, he still hates YHVH even more.
  • Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: Unlike other Demons, Krishna is a flat-out pretty dark-skinned boy and can pass off as a normal human like Nanashi or Flynn. He's however still a vicious Jerkass God who only treats humans as sacrifices for his crusade against YHVH and will gleefully kill anyone who crosses his path.
  • A Form You Are Comfortable With: The art book notes that he was given an almost completely human appearance, including lacking his traditional blue skin, to make him seem more human and trustworthy.
  • Fusion Dance: He fuses with Flynn to become Vishnu-Flynn on the full routes.
  • Graceful Loser: He takes his defeat at Tsukiji Konganji well, stating that he'll be watching the remainder of the humans-angels-demons war "from the gallery." Because he's faking his own death. He takes his true defeat later on with far less grace.
  • Knight Templar: He genuinely believes in his Salvation, insisting he "will save the party no matter what", hoping they eventually will understand the virtue of his plan. In his final battle where he takes the form of Vishnu-Flynn, he proclaims his love will no longer reach them as he plans to slaughter them for getting in his way.
  • Lack of Empathy: Though he constantly goes on about loving and seeking to save humanity, he has little actual empathy for them. His love being condescending and forcing what he wants onto them all whether they want it or not, viewing their souls less like things he wants to save and more as a commodity to be used by him and the Divine Powers, and eventually forced into an unwilling Singularity. This is even reflected in the Divine Powers sales pitch of "All souls will be shared equally among all gods" and why mostly Jerkass Gods joined their cause.
  • Laughing Mad: At his ultimate defeat. As a recruitable demon, he also expresses this trope if killed.
  • Magic Music: His 'Raga' skills are always accompanied by him playing a note on his flute before they activate.
  • Manipulative Bastard: He plans on manipulating everyone to achieve his objectives. He manages to succeed in the first several phases, pretending his group was destroyed so that they would let their guard down and continue fighting each other, using Nanashi to kill Merkabah and Lucifer, having Shesha consume enough souls to become the Cosmic Egg, then plans on making a brand new universe free of YHVH with Flynn as their Godslayer.
  • Non-Standard Character Design: Compared to the more inhuman demon designs present in IV, Krishna is noticeable for how utterly normal he looks. He's also one of the very few demons without a distorted voice.
  • Not Quite Dead: After being bisected by Flynn or Nanashi, it seems as though Krishna is gone for good. If you visit the ark, however, you'll find that he was simply sealed away in it again.
  • Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: While he makes a good case for himself, his goals are ultimately self serving with zero regards to those around him. This makes him a sort of Foil to Dagda who makes it no secret that his goals are entirely selfish but also having an end goal that would benefit others in the end.
  • Oh, Crap!: Has this reaction to his predicament on the Massacre/Bonds Routes.
  • Omnicidal Neutral: Demands that humans give up their souls so that the Old Gods may defeat the armies of Lucifer and Merkabah.
  • Perpetual Smiler: Usually has a small smirk gracing his face.
  • Power Floats: Krishna is typically floating in the air. Only a few times such as unleashing Shesha does he walk on the ground. Vishnu-Flynn also floats in the air, though it's not noticeable unless you look on the stats screen for his sprite.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: Against YHVH for creating a universe twisted by his Covenant to bind all things in words and distort them to serve his needs. In his final confrontation he even mentions that Law and Chaos and even their potential conflict is not inherently bad by itself, but YHVH's Covenant distorts it all through the Order of Angels and the Chaos of Demons.
  • Recurring Boss: His normal form is fought in Tsukiji-Konganji during Half Moon, and then he fuses with Flynn to become Vishnu-Flynn, the last boss in the Cosmic Egg.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: Was locked away in an Ark until Nanashi frees him. Seems to be locked away again (or at least part of him), because the player can return to the Ark and Krishna, after a short conversation, will agree to help you against YHVH and become unlocked for fusion.
  • Slasher Smile: Lets out one when Flynn kills him on the Bonds route or when Nanashi kills him on the Massacre route.
  • Status Buff: Combat Tara, his own version of Luster Candy, which raises all his stats and is actually cheaper.
  • Status Effects: His Raga skills have a chance of inflicting various ailments while also applying an attack or defense penalty.
  • Support Party Member: His role when fused to become part of your party. He has two Raga skills severely debuff the enemy party's offense or defense and leave them with some status effects while he's at it, the Salvation spell which is a party-wide full heal with status curing if he does it while under Smirk status, and his Combat Tara skill which is simply a lower-MP version of Luster Candy.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: His playable incarnation completely replaces Vishnu in his usual slot as the top Deity.
  • Villain Has a Point: He may be the one orchestrating the destruction of humanity in the name of creating a new universe, but he's not wrong about Law and Chaos not being inherently bad, but rather the way YHVH orchestrated the entire conflict between the two sides.
    • When Dagda goes on a spiel to Nanashi about how friendship is bad after the party lose to Odin during his first fight, Krishna points that despite Nanashi being nothing more that Dagda's doll, Dagda himself seems awfully fond of Nanashi to the point of speaking to and for him. Dagda can only tell Krisnha to be quiet in response to having his hypocrisy exposed.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Upon his defeat at the Cosmic Egg. He holds it together somewhat at the beginning, but his attempts to keep his composure fall flat as his tone becomes undeniably crazed. Happens a bit sooner on the Massacre route, directly after Vishnu-Flynn is defeated, and Flynn's subsequent death.
    "How?! My Godslayer...! Flynn is dead! My plan..."
    "You were supposed to be no more than an illusion! How could you...defeat me? My new universe...my salvation...it was all just a feeble dream!"
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: He is right about YHVH being an asshole who orchestrated the Law/Chaos conflict for His benefit and overall he wants to create a new universe free of YHVH's oppression. It's how he goes about it that's wicked (it involves forcibly extracting souls and having anyone who gets in his way killed).

    Maitreya 

Maitreya

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_miroku_smtiv_final.png
Click here to see him as Mitra-Buddha 
Voiced by: Michiko Kaiden (JP), Evan Smith (EN)

One of the sub-leaders of the Divine Powers. He is a buddha who appears during the end of the world and a time when Buddhism is no longer practiced.


  • Amazing Technicolor Population: Appears as a golden figure.
  • Arc Villain: He's responsible for most of the action on 3/8 Moon, activating the Tokugawa Mandala that's active for most of it. He's also fought and killed as the boss of the day, though he's revived for the Cosmic Egg.
  • Big Fun: Appearance-wise, he fits. His wide grin and portly stature are, as confirmed in the art book, a nod to his incarnation as the Laughing Buddha in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, who was also taken into Shinto as Hotei, god of luck. As for his personality...heh, no.
  • Barrier Maiden: Seems to be the Powers' resident sealing expert, as he's the one behind the Tokugawa Mandala, which blocks demon summoning, and the barrier that keeps Dagda from reviving the dead in the Cosmic Egg.
  • The Brute: Inclined to simply act as Krishna's strongman, not even really saying anything more than he has to.
  • Co-Dragons: With Odin under Krishna.
  • Dark Messiah: To the Ring of Gaea Maitreya faction who see him as bringing them towards true salvation compared to Yuriko.
  • Dub Name Change: His original name is Miroku Bodhisattva.
  • Enlightenment Superpowers: He has gained numerous powers through his understanding of the universe as a Buddha, even having the skill Enlightenment that nullifies his own weaknesses.
  • Evil Genius: While he's Odin's equal, his role in the plot fits this better, mainly acting through manipulating the Ring of Gaea, activating the Tokugawa Mandala, and preventing Dagda from reviving anyone in the Cosmic Egg.
  • Fat Bastard: Very large, and is far and away the most obviously-douchey of the Divine Powers: whereas Krishna's a Knight Templar and Odin is pretty honorable, Maitreya's just a smug, holier-than-thou bastard.
  • Gold and White Are Divine: As Mitra-Buddha he trades his pink clothes for these to give himself a holy appearance.
  • Graceful Loser: His one positive trait, where he's more willing to accept his own faults for losing rather than blame others.
  • Holy Halo: He has a golden and green halo behind his head.
  • I Have Many Names: He's known as Miroku in Japan, but his original name (and the localized name) is Maitreya. He's also know as Metteyya, Matiri, Jampa, Di-lac, and Ajita.
  • Mythology Gag: Miroku (his Japanese name) has already been referenced in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, via the "Miroku Scriptures." In fact, Miroku is the Japanese incarnation of the Maitreya Buddha, who will appear during the end times.
  • One-Winged Angel: Reveals his true form as Mitra-Buddha in the Cosmic Egg.
  • Our Minotaurs Are Different: As Mitra-Buddha he gains bull traits such as horns, a beard, and The Un-Smile.
  • Real Men Wear Pink: Maitreya wears pink or pinkish clothes.
  • Recurring Boss: First fought after breaking the Tokugawa Mandala, then fought as Mitra-Buddha near the end of the Cosmic Egg.
  • Social Darwinist: Not to the same extent as the Yuriko Gaeans, but Maitreya very much believes in individual strength and that it determines what's right. His final words even being that Nanashi and his partners facing off against Krishna will determine who is right upon defeating the other.
  • Soft-Spoken Sadist: His disturbingly-calm, nauseatingly condescending attitude gives even Krishna and Merkabah a run for their money, treating his foes like unruly students as he takes kids hostage and schemes alongside his Divine Powers buddies to conquer the universe.
  • Smug Snake: Whie Maitreya's certainly a threat, he's nowhere near as badass as he presents himself. He's clearly the weakest of the three commanders, losing to Nanashi and co. even after they're exhausted from fighting two powerful demons in sequence before him (it's notable that this fight happens not long after the royal asskicking they got from Odin), and yet he's an even smarmier slimeball than Hugo, Krishna and Merkabah combined. Even his blathering about enlightenment comes off as a long, rambling Ice-Cream Koan.
  • The Combat Pragmatist He occasionally fights dirty, twice taking hostages to gain an advantage:
  • Would Hit a Girl: Takes Asahi hostage by the throat in order to make Flynn stop fighting back. He can do it again (or any Partner) if she's your main partner during your battle with him.

    Odin 

Odin

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_odin_smtiv_final.png
Voiced by: Atsushi Miyauchi (JP), D.C. Douglas (EN)

One of the sub-leaders of the Divine Powers. He is the leader of the Vanir and Aesir in Norse myth.


  • Amazing Technicolor Population: He's now a gold and blue humanoid.
  • Armor-Piercing Attack:
    • His Gungnir Signature Move pierces physical resistance, even damaging those who normally repel physical attacks.
    • He can make his already-powerful Thunder Reign skill bypass Thunder resistance, even including Makarakarn, with the Will of Thunder skill. While others can learn it, he makes the most prominent use of it, using it coupled with Thunder Reign to smite your party to the ground the first time you fight him.
  • Ascended Extra: Went from having a small role in a quest in IV where Flynn restores his memory to one of the major players of Apocalypse.
  • Blood Knight: He seem interested in fighting enemies "worthy of Valhalla", even trying to motivate Gaston into fighting by wagering his spear Gungnir. He's a subdued example of this trope, though, since he is still pragmatic about his goals.
  • Climax Boss: His fight at the Cosmic Egg marks the end of Gaston's Character Development arc, and upon his defeat Gaston takes Gungir for himself, giving his attacks an attack boost and a piercing property.
  • Co-Dragons: With Maitreya under Krishna.
  • Curbstomp Battle Hands Nanashi's group a pretty brutal one in their first fight with him.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: He may not believe mere humans can best him, but Odin does keep his word to leave Gungnir behind for Gaston after making the wager.
  • Familiar: He has one of his raven familiars sitting on his hand.
  • Go Through Me: His final battle against Nanashi and the group is in defense of the Cosmic Eggs entrance.
  • Hopeless Boss Fight: The first time you fight him, he easily fries your whole party with a Thunder Reign backed with Concentrate (multiplies the next magic attack's damage by 250%) and Will of Thunder (causes thunder-elemental attacks to pierce resistances until the end of his turn).
  • Manipulative Bastard: He convinced the Kunitsu to join their group as well as Nanashi and Asahi to free Krishna.
  • Not So Stoic: After remaining calm the entire game, he loses it after losing at the Cosmic Egg, being reduced to screaming Dagda's name as he dies.
  • Recurring Boss: Downplayed compared to the rest of the Divine Powers leaders. He gets two fights like the other non-Shesha members, but the first is a Hopeless Boss Fight that only lasts two turns. It's not until the end of the game when he gets a proper fight.
  • Say My Name: When defeated at the Cosmic Egg.
    Urgh...Dagda...DAGDAAAAAAAAAAA!!
  • Shock and Awe: Uses Zio spells and possesses the Will of Thunder skill, which allows his electric attacks to pierce through resistances.
  • Superhero Gods: His design is meant to be a hybrid between Marvel's alien (Norse) superheroes and Ultraman.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: If it weren't for Flynn, he'd still be stuck as an amnesiac old man. Whatever gratitude Odin may feel doesn't dissuade him in the slightest from toasting Flynn with lightning after the Samurai throws down his sword, and then working to brainwash him into becoming the Powers' Godslayer.
  • Villain Respect: He displays some of this towards Dagda, calling him "Lord" even when the latter wants nothing to do with the Divine Powers. It's noticeable because he never uses "Lord" for his actual leader, Krishna. This is later revealed because they used to be the same God. Specifically just as Danu originates from Inanna, Odin originates from Dagda; Such as Danu calls Inanna her mother as a result, that makes Dagda, by association, Odin's father.
  • Villain Takes an Interest: Him and the other gods want Flynn to join them. This might be related to Flynn restoring him in IV.

    Shesha 

Shesha

A giant serpentine dragon that serves Krishna, acting as a minion to distract or manipulate those Krishna needs to fool.


  • Achilles' Heel: He's incredibly tough and extremely resistant to most attacks save for weapons made to harm dragons.
  • Amazing Technicolor Population: Has green skin in his humanoid forms.
  • Art Shift: The game uses a one-time realistic art style when showing a portrait of him shedding his Flynn disguise.
  • Ascended Extra: You may know Shesha better as the fusable demon Ananta, one of many who can fight alongside you but otherwise doesn't get much plot relevance most of the time. This time, Shesha is The Dragon of Krishna.
  • Big Entrance: Shesha makes his first appearance over Ginza when Krishna summons him, appearing within the very top of the Dome and ripping a huge hole in it to reveal his presence and terrify the humans of what kind of power the Divine Powers has.
  • The Brute: In the grand scheme of the Divine Powers, Shesha exists solely to mindlessly eat people. While he does gain a mind of his own later and proves to be a master manipulator, his role in the plot is still roughly the same.
  • Came Back Strong: Evolves and strengthens each time he is defeated. This also allows him to consume the souls of all the attendants at the victory celebration without ever eating physical human bodies.
  • Death is Cheap: Krishna informs them that it's not possible to kill Shesha no matter how many times they kill him. Sure enough he returns several times. Only when he becomes the Cosmic Egg does killing him for good become possible by destroying his heart.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Uses Non-Elemental earth based physical attacks like Seismic Yawn and Earthquake.
  • Our Dragons Are Different: He first appears as a flower-like snake made of lava with a head meant to resemble a cows and later takes on a more naga-like form with green scales, multiples eyes, and a cobra hood on his head.
  • The Dragon: A literal dragon who serves as the personal pet and servant of Krishna, though Odin and Maitreya also fit the role.
  • The Dreaded: Whenever Shesha invades a given district, the Hunter's Association declares an evacuation order of the district, with the few survivors collectively crapping their pants and the equipment and item shops closing up temporarily, while the local Hunter's Association changes roles from "bar/hangout for Hunters" to "emergency Hunter clinic".
  • Fake Ultimate Hero: Deliberately done in his disguise as Flynn. It's Nanashi who defeats Merkabah and Lucifer, with, depending on your choices, a little help of Shesha (disguised as Flynn) against Lucifer. The people of Tokyo still hail Flynn as their Lord and Savior and only praise Nanashi for helping him. Of course, this is all part of Shesha's plan to devour their souls.
  • Foreshadowing: There are actually a few hints that the Flynn you saved from Tsukiji Konganji is not quite who he is...
    • He seems way too gung-ho about killing Merkabah and Lucifer. Considering those two used to be his closest friends, you'd think Flynn would be a bit more somber on the matter.
    • Lucifer and Merkabah constantly refer him as a false Messiah. Merkabah especially tends to put a lot of emphasis on the word That when referring to him.
    • He is way too inspirational in his words towards the people of Tokyo. In particular he places a lot of emphasis on the word "salvation", much like Krishna.
    • He promptly bails on everybody should you choose the Law or Chaos endings.
    • He refuses Masakado's Katana when Isabeau offers it back to him. For that matter he doesn't mention Masakado, the real Flynn's objective at the time of his capture, at all.
    • During the raid of Tsukiji Konganji, an unknown party goes through the trouble of destroying the Shesha Radar despite it serving no apparent purpose anymore since Shesha is regarded as Killed Off for Real. (Hence why it isn't repaired, which turns out to be a bad call in hindsight.)
    • The least subtle one is, when you fight Merkabah and Lucifer, he sports a creepy Psychotic Smirk.
  • The Heavy: While some generals are occasionally sent out, Shesha leads most of the Divine Powers' attacks. After Krishna's defeat on Half Moon, his disguised form is the only active member of the group until he's ready to become the Cosmic Egg.
  • I'm a Humanitarian: His original method of obtaining souls before his rebirths allow him to refine his methods. He then devours Asahi after revealing himself as the fake Flynn, leaving before they could kill him.
  • Leitmotif: His theme, played during his introduction and fights, utilizes Nothing Is Scarier to emphasize that he is a threat unlike any other demon. Notably, he is the only major member of the Divine Powers who doesn't use their shared battle theme.
  • Magma Man: His first form is made of lava.
  • Master of Disguise: He's the Flynn the party rescues from Tsukiji Konganji and later partakes in the destruction of Merkabah and Lucifer.
  • Mighty Glacier: Resists everything barring his weak points, possesses strong multi-hitting attacks, but always wastes at least one of his four Press Turns by moving slowly.
  • The Mole: Serves as this for the Divine Powers.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: By smashing a hole in the Firmament, he incidentally brings much-needed sunlight to Tokyo for the first time in 25 years.
  • Nigh-Invulnerable: He'll shrug off nearly any attack that hits him. He's only weak to two weapons in the whole game: the Ame-no-habakiri and its upgraded form, wielded by Nanashi, and Gaston's Spear of Michael. Even if you manage to weaken him, he'll rest and heal at a rapid pace unless interrupted; even if you manage to kill him, he'll resurrect in a stronger form. It takes allowing him to evolve into the Cosmic Egg, killing the Divine Powers leaders, sealing Krishna again, and destroying his heart at the core of the Cosmic Egg to put him down for good.
  • Nightmare Face: When revealing the Flynn they knew is a fake, his appearance is briefly changed to a real photo of a hideous reptilian Flynn.
  • Obliviously Evil: Shesha is initially a dragon with no more intelligence than a dog, following his masters orders and not knowing about the harm it causes. Once it gains intelligence and becomes as smart as humans it averts this trope, being cruel and sadistic because he likes what he does.
  • Playing with Fire: His Venomous Flare skill inflicts fire damage and inflicts poison.
  • Recurring Boss: You fight him three times over the course of the game. The fourth time you face him, as Flynn-disguised Shesha, he just walks away and turns into the Cosmic Egg.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Does this in the Law and Chaos endings, much to Isabeau's confusion.
  • Snake People: Resembles a naga in his second form.
  • Slasher Smile: Sports an insidious smirk during the fight against Merkabah and Lucifer, and reveals an outright sadistic smile filled with red teeth upon showing his true identity.
  • Suddenly Speaking: He starts speaking the third time you face him (when he's taken on his green-skinned form).
  • Token Evil Teammate: While the other Divine Powers leaders all either believe their goals are truly salvation or have something sympathetic going for them, Shesha has nothing. He eats people to help Krishna, and he loves the suffering it causes.
  • The Unfought: After killing his second form, he's never fought again. His third form simply acts as a mole so he can help dispose of Merkabah and Lucifer while gathering more souls, and when that's done, he turns into the Cosmic Egg, which is a dungeon rather than a boss.
  • Womb Level: He is the Cosmic Egg.

    Inanna 

Inanna

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

A Sumerian earth goddess with the power of creation. The Divine Powers need her for their plans.


  • Anti-Villain: The only member of the Divine Powers who joined because she just doesn't want to have her identity taken away from her.
  • Barrier Change Boss: Both as a fusable demon and an enemy. Her four unique elemental spells change her resistances when she uses them.
  • Big Beautiful Woman: Her massive belly that represents her fertility is meant to invoke this.
  • Boss Banter: Has significantly lengthy dialogue with Nozomi and Danu. There are multiple opportunities to interrupt the banter and attack right away, though there are some effects for watching everything play out.
  • Earth Mother: Her power as an earth mother and fertility goddess allow her bring back in ancient gods within the Cosmic Egg.
  • Eyeless Face: She has no eyes or even a nose.
  • It's Personal: She has a grudge against Danu for taking some of her power in the past.
  • Fighting a Shadow: The first time she is encountered it is a mere fragment of her spirit.
  • Loss of Identity: Her biggest fear. As her power as the Mother of All is the foundation of her identity, having some of it stolen in the past has caused her to become an overbearing mother to all her children, hoping desperately that such an act will let her remain as herself.
  • Mother of a Thousand Young: The reason she joins the Divine Powers is to give birth to the new humanity and new gods.
  • Multi Boobage: She has seven breasts.
  • My Beloved Smother: Inanna regards everyone, everything, as her children. According to Nozomi, her actions weren't malicious per se; she just saw the group as children trying to escape her influence.
  • Mythology Gag: Her role at the end of the game roughly equates to the Mothers from Strange Journey, particularly Tiamat.
  • Recurring Boss: Her Fragment is first fought in between the final Deva and Maitreya on 3/8 Moon, and her complete form is fought near the end of the game.
  • Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can: Done to her twice no less! First she was sealed inside Toki and later released, only to be sealed in the future Fairy Queen Nozomi by Danu.
  • Sixth Ranger: To the Divine Powers. She's the last major member of the group to join, and if Nanashi chooses a bad ending, the game ends before she even joins.
  • Summon Magic: Revives Maitreya and summons Beelzebub/Baal, Apsu, Seth to fight for her in the Cosmic Egg.
  • Villain Has a Point: Her overbearing nature due to the fear of her power being taken away is ultimately proven justified, as given the opportunity to steal it for the fairies Danu steals it.

Side Villains

Villains who appear as part of sidequests.

    Maruo 

Maruo

Voiced by: Ezra Weiss (EN)

A recurring sidequest character that causes various problems alongside his followers.


  • Beware the Silly Ones: Yeah, he's a goofball all right. When fought head-on, he resists everything and can take a beating, only relenting after getting exhausted. He's also the host of Mara, an incredibly powerful demon.
  • Church of Happyology: Runs one, called "Maruology."
  • Demonic Possession: The host of the Lord of Temptation himself, Mara.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • All those blatant double entendres that keep popping up during his scenes are there for a reason...
    • Plus, did you really think that a franchise that has a demon named Mara would dare to leave something so blatantly obvious out in the open?
  • Gag Penis: The guy is in actuality hosting Mara.
  • Gonk: Fat, short and ugly to kingdom come. In his final quest it's revealed he's actually quite slim and handsome, but became obese as a result of his possession.
  • The Hedonist: The cornerstone of Maruology, fitting with being the host of a demon of temptation.
  • Heel–Face Turn: He pulls one at the end of his final quest, resolving to find a genuine way to help others after being touched by Nanashi's words.
  • Hypocrite: When he's revealed to be possessed by Mara, who also altered his appearance. His followers see him as not being an honest person who's true to himself, going against his beliefs. To be fair, being under the control of a demon meant that he wouldn't have been able to do so if he really wanted to.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Genuinely believes the tenants of Maruology are the key to happiness, and is bound and determined to inspire others to be true to themselves. If the people he inspires end up being a nuisance to others...well, tough. He holds onto his good intentions after being freed from his possession, as detailed under Heel–Face Turn, and tries to find another way to help people without the 'Extremist' part of it.

    Tamagami 

Defense Minister Tamagami

"I made a vow then. I swore I would make Japan strong again."

Japan's Minister of Defense during the nuclear war twenty-five years ago. Now long deceased, his tortured ghost is fought during a sidequest, where it is revealed he played an important role in the game's backstory.


  • Body Surf: Transplanted his own consciousness into a young woman named Noa before he died.
  • Brain in a Jar: All that remains of his original body, carried around by his host Noa.
  • Dark Lord on Life Support: While "dark lord" is a bit much, all that's left of him is his carefully preserved brain and his personality remnants within Noa.
  • Expy: Of Kouetsu Kirijo from Persona 3. Both are elderly human Greater Scope Villains who are long dead in the present and not directly connected to the true antagonists, but whose experiments with the supernatural kicked off the conflict.
  • Genocide from the Inside: His ultimate plan, revealed in the final quest of his chain, was the summoning of Izanami herself to destroy Japan and rebuild it from scratch free of foreign influence.
  • Greater-Scope Villain: A more subtle example than the one listed below, but it was his sheer bigotry and nationalism that led to the creation of the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, and therefore the impetus for the entire plot. It gets a little complicated, however, when you learn Gabby/Gabriel was the one who gave him the ideas and resources to commit his varied atrocities in order to further her own plans, making him as much this as an Unwitting Pawn.
  • Human Resources: He created the National Defense Divinities by transplanting the souls of gods and saints into prisoners and others, and transferred his own mind into a total innocent's body who was manipulated into being a test subject.
  • Humans Are the Real Monsters: Following in the footsteps of Tayama from the first game, Tamagami's a human (well, relatively speaking) and the single foulest individual in a city of bloodthirsty demons and dogmatic angels.
  • Knight Templar: He trod all over his own people's rights to make Japan a superpower again.
  • Patriotic Fervor: Patriotism Is Bad. Tamagami is a nationalist who wants to purge Japan of foreign influences, and will dabble in human experimentation in order to do so, even attempting to destroy and rebuild the country if that's what it takes.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: He absolutely hated the Americans, Russians, and Chinese and would do anything to purge Japan of their influence.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: An easy boss of a single sidequest, but the quest in question is accompanied by an avalanche of juicy reveals about the setting.
  • Superboss: He possesses Noah in order to fight you in one sidequest.
  • Unwitting Pawn: To Gabriel, according to the artbook. She was the one who gave him ideas on how to 'save' Japan (the Yamato Reactor and Defense Divinities), knowing full well that he couldn't hope to control what he was about to unleash.

Other

    Flynn 

Flynn

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-flynn_render_9146.png
"Humanity has the power to change the future."
Voiced by: Yūki Kaji (JP), Keith Silverstein (EN)

The protagonist of IV. He returns as the savior of Tokyo slaying demons and angels alike. The Divine Powers seeks to bring him to their cause.


  • Alternate Self: The Flynn from the Diamond Realm DLC is revealed to be a version of Flynn who was ambushed by Merkabah while filling the chalice of hope, and swallowed by the Great Abaddon - the black hole from the Yamato Perpetual Reactor. Defeating Stephen earns him a second chance at life to alter his fate. He represents choosing the "Neutral" route of SMT, as in his incarnation in Apocalypse.
  • Badass in Distress: Despite being The Hero of the previous game as well as being The Hero alongside Nanashi in the climax of the Bonds route and slaughtering bad guys left and right, he still manages to become captured for a large portion of the game.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Shows up alongside Isabeau and saves Nanashi and Asahi from Aniel.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: On the Massacre route he's killed and brought back by Dagda, brainwashed to serve as Nanashi's Godslayer.
  • Combination Attack: Has one with Nanashi in the Very Definitely Final Dungeon of the game, dealing massive Almighty damage to all enemies for only 30 of Nanshi's MP, with the precondition that Nanashi has Smirk status.
    • On the Bonds route, it goes like this.
      Nanashi: Flynn!
      Flynn: We'll do this together!
    • On the Massacre route it becomes:
      Nanashi: Go.
      Flynn: Leave it to me, master.
  • Combat Medic: As an ally in the endgame, he has the best healing spells, able to either heal the entire party fully with Mediarahan or revive a fallen ally to full health with Samarecarm. During the fight against Stephen in the Diamond Realm DLC, this essentially forces him to act as the designated healer amongst the other 3 Messiahs from previous games who are more focused around offense though he can still be useful offensively on the rare occasion that the party doesn't need any heals.
  • Crucified Hero Shot: He's crucified by the Divine Powers and stays that way for a great deal of the game. It lasts until Krishna fuses with him to become Vishnu-Flynn.
  • Death of Personality: On Massacre. After Nanashi kills him, Dagda revives him with no other traits other than utter devotion to Nanashi. Driven in cruelly if Nanashi picked up the fishing hook from Issachar, Flynn's deceased friend; on Bonds, Flynn will fondly and sadly recall his fallen friend. On Massacre, Flynn doesn't even recognize it, and it gets thrown away.
  • Determinator: As a Guest-Star Party Member in-game, he has the passive Enduring Soul, which enables him to survive fatal blows once per battle.
  • Distressed Dude: Gets taken captive by the Divine Powers early into the game. Saving him is one of Nanashi's objectives.
  • The Dragon: Becomes this to Nanashi on the Massacre Route.
  • Everything's Better with Samurai: He, Gaston, and Isabeau are the only major characters to be Samurai. Until Jonathan/Walter's brief resurrection on the Bonds route.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: His voice noticeably dips in pitch quite a bit after he becomes Nanashi's Godslayer.
  • Famed In-Story: He has built up quite a reputation in Tokyo, causing the Divine Powers to try to recruit him.
  • Fighting from the Inside: On the Bonds Route, he starts to turn against Krishna in their Vishnu-Flynn form due to Isabeau and Nanashi calling out to them, ensuring his survival and separation. Sadly averted on the Massacre Route; Nanashi, at the time of the battle, had already killed Isabeau and his companions, resulting in Flynn actually dying when Vishnu-Flynn is bested. He's resurrected later, however.
  • Fusion Dance: His previous incarnation did this with Masakado to create the dome and save Tokyo. He unwillingly does this in the Massacre/Bonds Route with Krishna, becoming Vishnu-Flynn.
  • Hope Bringer: In correspondence to the first segment of the Neutral Route in IV, he has become one for the people of Tokyo to initiate Masakado's revival.
  • Immortal Hero: First former series protagonist who manages to come out relatively unscathed. Manages to survive in every route in the game, even going so far as to be revived on the Massacre route, albeit as Brainwashed and Crazy. Possibly averted on the Chaos/Law endings, due to being offscreen.
  • Legendary in the Sequel: At the start of the game, Asahi, a Hunter initiate, talks about Flynn with awe, establishing that he is well known to the people of Tokyo. Though played with, as the game technically takes place in an alternate canon RIGHT before the end of the Neutral route, between Flynn becoming the inspiration of Tokyo and him taking the fight to Merkabah and Lucifer.
  • Messianic Archetype: Viewed as a savior in Tokyo for fighting both Law and Chaos, inspiring hope to the people. The Divine Powers however plan on making him into their own Messiah.
  • Promoted to Playable: In the context of this game, due to being demoted to an NPC for much of the game. During the Bonds Route, he reappears for the final battle, leading a party of Mikado Samurai consisting of himself, Isabeau, Walter, and Jonathan. An alternate version appears in the Diamond Realm DLC, alongside the SMT I protagonist, Aleph, and the Demi-fiend.
  • Reforged into a Minion: Massacre Route only. After Nanashi is forced to kill him to kill Krishna, Dagda revives him as Nanashi's Godslayer.
  • Suddenly Speaking: Since he isn't the protagonist of this game, Flynn can now speak freely.

    Walter 

Walter

Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (JP), Matthew Mercer (EN)

Walter returns from IV, despite his fusion with Lucifer. His memories are retained by the Morningstar, who occasionally retakes his form.


  • 11th-Hour Ranger: Joins Flynn's party after Satan restores him back to a human before the battle against YHVH.
  • Back for the Finale: He rejoins Flynn for the final battle against YHVH.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Is resurrected alongside Jonathan to aid Flynn in the final battle of the Bonds route.
  • But Now I Must Go: After killing YHVH in the Bonds route, he and Jonathan return to the afterlife, but vow to meet the heroes again in another life.
  • I Regret Nothing: When his spirit departs from this world in the Bonds ending, he agrees with Jonathan that he doesn't regret his choices.
  • Not Quite Dead: Though he might have sacrificed himself under the belief that he would cease to be, Walter continues to live on as part of Lucifer.
  • Promoted to Playable: Walter is temporarily a playable party member in the battle against YHVH.
  • Walking Spoiler: Due to his role in the Bonds ending, where he returns as a playable character for one last battle alongside Flynn.

    Jonathan 

Jonathan

Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya (JP), Orion Acaba (EN)

A returning character from IV, despite his sacrifice to summon Merkabah. Jonathan aims to create a world with no impurities.


  • 11th-Hour Ranger: Joins Flynn's party after Satan restores him back to a human before the battle against YHVH.
  • Back for the Finale: He rejoins Flynn for the final battle against YHVH.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Is resurrected alongside Walter to aid Flynn in the final battle of the Bonds route.
  • But Now I Must Go: After killing YHVH in the Bonds route, he and Walter return to the afterlife, but vow to meet the heroes again in another life.
  • I Regret Nothing: When his spirit departs from this world in the Bonds ending, he states that he has no regrets.
  • Not Quite Dead: His spirit lives on inside Merkabah, who can assume his form at will.
  • Promoted to Playable: Jonathan is temporarily a playable party member in the battle against YHVH.
  • Walking Spoiler: Due to his role in the Bonds ending, where he returns as a playable character for one last battle alongside Flynn.

    Nikkari 

Nikkari

Voiced by: Kirk Thornton (EN)

A Hunter and former member of the Counter-Demon Force. He acts as a teacher to the younger apprentice hunters Nanashi and Asahi while keeping in line his partner Manabu. The narrator of a short story in Famitsu.


  • Killed Off for Real: He dies alongside Manabu against Adramelech.
  • Mr. Exposition: Tells the history of how the dome came up and the Counter-Demon Force going to the surface and being forced down to earth again.
  • Sacrificial Lion: Established as an experienced Hunter and mentor to Asahi and Nanashi. Effortlessly defeated and killed by Adramelech.
  • The Worf Effect: Him and Manabu are crushed by Adramelech and his Fallen Horde.

    Manabu 

Manabu

Voiced by: David Lodge (EN)

An easygoing Hunter who serves as a partner to the more serious Nikkari. He gets along well with Nanashi and Asahi.


    Boss 

Boss

Voiced by: Richard Epcar (EN)

A retired Hunter who now runs businesses for the Hunter's Association. He's the father of Asahi and the adoptive father of Nanashi.


    Fujiwara 

Fujiwara

Voiced by: Junpei Morita (JP), Kyle Hebert (EN)

An ally of Flynn from IV on the Neutral route. He acts as a powerful figure who backs the Hunter association.


  • Flunky Boss: Attacks you alongside a shit-ton of Hunters, Ashura-Kai, Gaeans, and Samurai in the Massacre route.
  • Mission Control: He's in charge of the Hunter association and later directly assigns missions to Nanashi and his friends.
  • Nice Guy: He never drops his polite demeanor, even when he goes over your actions that led to the Divine Powers being unsealed and even as he wages a Last Stand with Hunters, Gaeans, the Ashura-kai, and Samurai in tow on the Massacre path; he's simply disappointed that You Could Have Used Your Powers for Good!.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He and Skins are willing to give the main character and party a chance to show they are not traitors, even when the other hunters are not willing to try.
  • You Could Have Used Your Powers for Good!: In the Massacre route, Fujiwara laments over the power Nanashi possess which he could have used to create a future for humanity.

    Skins 

Skins

Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma, (JP) Jamieson Price (EN)

A Hunter and former member of the Counter-Demon Force in IV. He returns in Apocalypse without Masakado's Katana, as Flynn has already managed to draw it.


  • Actually Pretty Funny: After being called to Cafe Florida regarding you unsealing the Divine Powers, he and Fujiwara give you a chance to redeem yourself. You can answer either by going along with them, or telling them "Kiss my ass." This actually gets a hearty laugh from Skins who admires your Brutal Honesty after such a What the Hell, Hero? moment. Downplayed, in that he threatens to kill you if you betray the Hunters again.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Akira was the first to start calling him "Skins". Years later and it's the only name anyone knows him by.

    Stephen 

Stephen

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_steven_smtiv.png
Voiced by: Cho (JP), Dave B. Mitchell (EN)

The scientist returns from IV, attempting to guide Nanashi and Flynn to oppose the true enemy and restore the Goddess of Tokyo.


  • Absent-Minded Professor: In his role as Dr. Matsuda. He's amused you didn't realize it was him when he reveals it.
  • All-Powerful Bystander: The Diamond Realm DLC implies that Stephen may be stronger than YHVH.
  • Apologetic Attacker: He begins his Superboss fight by apologizing in advance, stating that this is the first time he's ever had to fight at his full power.
  • Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Stephen did this in the past, becoming a being outside the cycle of transmigration.
  • Big Good: A guiding force alongside Danu and Dagda to lead the people down the best paths available.
  • Combo Platter Powers: As a transcendant being, he's got a plethora of these: powerful piercing attacks of every element, numerous Almighty moves including one that's a One-Hit Kill, abilities that buff himself and weaken you to the maximum, and more.
  • Devil's Advocate: Stephen sticks to his True Neutral agenda through-and-through by being one of the few characters that provide Nanashi with any sort of moral support in the Massacre route.
  • Dissonant Serenity: He never, ever deviates from his formal and calm demeanor. Not even after he stands up and makes himself known as the game's ultimate Superboss.
    Stephen: (when using his skills) "Ready." "Hm." "Executing program."
  • I Am Not Left-Handed: He gets out of his wheelchair when you fight him, revealing he's never used his full power before.
  • Moveset Clone: In an odd example among non playable characters, all of his moves are either identical to or variants of YHVH's moves, and, with some deviations, the fights use very similar mechanics, most notably in the second part of the fight where resistance weakening and controlling two teams return.
  • Mr. Exposition: He reveals the true enemy that stands in the way of true freedom to Nanashi on the Massacre/Bonds Routes, as well as revealing the nature of the enemy and a cosmic force that influences things.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: As usual, he's a reference to Stephen Hawking; during the boss battle with him, most of his attacks reference black holes, singularities, Black Body Radiation, etc. in reference to Stephen Hawking's area of research.
  • One-Hit Kill: Singularity Wave, his version of YHVH's Mouth of God, though the two moves work a bit differently despite reaching the same end. While Mouth of God is randomly, but rarely, triggered and guarantees death if it connects, Singularity Wave "only" does an obscene amount of damage to someone and is only triggered in the second part of the fight if Stephen takes no damage during any turn after the first, and he will always open a turn with it if the conditions are met.
  • Ret-Gone: After rescuing the fake Flynn from the Divine Powers, said Dr. Matsuda persona undergoes this; no one knows who developed the Shesha Radar (which he did) and asking anyone who met him about him simply results in an answer along the lines of "who the heck are you talking about?"
  • Secret Test of Character: He gives these to the protagonists in the Diamond Realm DLC by fighting him. He does this to give these tragic Alternate Self a second chance at life to avert their deaths.
  • Sharp-Dressed Man: Wears a bright red suit.
  • Superboss: He's the boss of the Diamond Realm DLC, being basically the Final Boss YHVH on steroids.
  • Transhuman: He's ascended beyond the human realm due to the sequence of events that began with that fateful teleporter accident in SMT I. He now exists on such a high plane that he's outside the Vicious Cycle of Order and Chaos and can temporarily bend the laws of the universe set by Axiom if he so chooses. He is, by far, the most powerful entity in the game if not the entire franchise, though it's also hinted that Mido and Saint Germain are on his level. The artbook of Apocalypse explains Stephen, along with other franchise-wide recurring characters Mido and Saint Germain had transcended the cycle of death and rebirth which humans undergo due to being trapped in bodies of flesh and bone. Thus, transcending reincarnation gave him powers like teleportation and stands up without his wheelchair, unleashing powers comparable to YHVH. Though he apparently has trouble restraining himself when using his full powers.

    The Goddess of Tokyo 

The Goddess of Tokyo

Voiced by: Yuko Kaida (JP), Valerie Arem (EN)

The Goddess who embodies Tokyo returns, now standing by Stephen's side most of the time as they guide Nanashi and Flynn to restore Tokyo and oppose the forces that conspire against humanity.


  • Anthropomorphic Personification: She embodies Tokyo itself. The damage and harm to Tokyo by the nukes caused her to die, incarnating as a younger version of her true form.
  • I Shall Return: In the Massacre ending, Stephen implies that she will return to their universe after she finds a new Messiah to take Nanashi down, just like he had with YHVH.
  • Ms. Exposition: Alongside Stephen she reveals several facts previously unknown to the characters through the story. Though he tends to do the talking most of the time.
  • Take a Third Option: Rather a fourth option. In the previous game, Law/Neutral/Chaos always ensured that one kingdom was destroyed in some way in the ending. Nanashi and Flynn's actions on the Bonds Route allow her to be restored without destroying either and allowing coexistence between both nations.

Spoiler Characters (all spoilers unmarked)

    The Arbiter 

Satan

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_smtiva_satan.png
"I am Satan, the ancient angel... The arbiter."
Voiced by: David Forseth (EN)

A powerful angel created by the merging of Lucifer and Merkabah. Satan tests Nanashi's party in battle before facing YHVH.


  • 11th-Hour Ranger: Joins Flynn's party on the Massacre Route.
  • Anti-Villain: Law, Chaos, and neutrality don't matter to him, and in universe were only ever tools as part of the larger system. What matters is obeying the creator of the universe. In fact he only challenges Nanashi to test him whether he is worthy to move forward, and then proceeds to do the same test on YHVH (whom evidently failed a long time ago).
  • Barrier Change Boss: About halfway through the battle with him he will start changing his resistances back and forth.
  • Battle Theme Music: One of two bosses who has Battle B6 - Deicide/Decisive Battle, the other being fellow Climax Boss and Big Bad Vishnu-Flynn.
  • Boss Subtitles: Unlike pretty much every other demon in the series, his race, unique to him, serves this role: Original Angel.
  • Climax Boss: Though he's the penultimate boss, he serves as this with Vishnu-Flynn, given it comes right after the reveal that he even existed and has been there the whole time as the primary direct antagonist for both IV and Apocalypse. Notably, he even shares the same battle theme with Vishnu-Flynn.
  • The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: Inverted. Satan as a fusable demon breaks the level cap at 120, which means you can only fuse him by getting the Fusion Booster X app (which removes level restrictions for fusion), or get the DLC which breaks the level cap.
  • The Dragon: Is the direct subordinate of YHVH and as such, a major player in the whole conflict even though he only makes his presence directly known very late.
  • Evil Laugh: Surprisingly, he can pull off fairly terrifying ones, though refrains in the actual battle against him.
  • Fusion Dance: Satan is the true form of his halves Lucifer and Merkabah, with Merkabah itself being the combination of the Four Archangels.
  • Gameplay and Story Integration: He is the merged form of Lucifer and Merkabah. Appropriately enough, special fusing those two gives you Satan.
  • Heal Thyself: After the halfway mark in his battle he will heal himself to full in the second "trial" he poses.
  • The Heavy: This game reveals that Satan was in a way retroactively the true Big Bad of IV, as Merkabah and Lucifer are simply parts of him.
  • HP to One: When proceeding to the first dialogue choice, Satan will reduce either the protagonist or the entire party to 1 HP before asking his question.
  • Humans Are Cthulhu: If Nanashi picks the Nothing answer during his question about his motives on Massacre, Satan is just short of appearing as though he is visibly unnerved by it. That said, when Dagda/Flynn explains the meaning behind Nanashi's answer, he appears more fascinated than anything. He also seems genuinely surprised when Nanashi picks neither the path to save his friends or the path to save himself on Bonds.
    Satan: You desire... nothing? Then why go this far? You confound me.
    Satan: You refuse to move onward?
  • Humans Are Special: At the same time, understanding that human potential can make a human a better Creator than YHVH due to not being bound by agendas further inspires him to see more of Nanashi's potential and make him the new Creator God.
    (Massacre) Dagda: That's what separates gods from humans, Satan. This kid has become a god in every sense of the world: But, he chooses to retain his sense of humanity.
    Satan: Yes, I see now; he possesses the qualities of god and human alike... Very well.
    (Bonds) Flynn: No. He means he'll find another option.
    Satan: Could this be.. the power unique to humanity? Very well. Prove then, that you can indeed carve your own path, and show me what lies beyond it.
  • Impaled Palm: He has two nail-like spikes with chains sticking out of his hands.
  • Infinity +1 Sword: He has insanely powerful attacks, stupidly high stats across the board, and no elemental weaknesses. Appropriately, in order to get him, you have to fuse two of the most powerful New Game Plus demons, and you have to have the Fusion Booster X app or the DLC that removes the level cap since he is level 120, 21 levels higher than Nanashi can go.
  • Irony: Despite having separated into two beings who have constantly tried to trap humans into an Extreme Vicious Cycle of Law and Chaos, Satan is ultimately a neutral, but benevolent force concerned with the Axiom's Law over YHVH's Law.
  • Multiple Head Case: 7 of them; 4 skulls, 2 dragon-like heads, and his central head with No Mouth.
  • Noble Demon: He is far more polite and honorable than either of his halves, or even any other abrahamic figure in the game viewing his role as more of a job than anything else. His only goal is to serve the Creator, and to replace the Creator if they prove unfit for the role.
  • Not So Stoic: He has occasional moments where his stoic demeanor cracks, such as his confusion-turned-interest towards Nanashi's answer on his final question, or his more hammy battle dialogue.
  • Our Angels Are Different: A dragon angel with seven grotesque heads.
  • Our Dragons Are Different: A giant black dragon with seven red heads growing from his neck and nails stabbing his wings. The longer necks are more draconic while the shorter ones are more human like.
  • Player Personality Quiz: Each time he sustains enough damage, he'll request for Nanashi to show if he can prove himself in some form regarding a challenge of sorts he may have, reflected in what Satan follows it up with. The first time he does this, and on Apocalypse difficulty the fourth time (unique to both paths) he'll ask Nanashi first how he would handle it, which results in a different effect being applied.
  • Pre-Final Boss: As per franchise tradition, Satan is fought just before the final battle with YHVH.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Delivers a pretty good one against YHVH in the Massacre route:
    "You have denounced countless gods as false and dethroned them; you are in their position now. Man leaves faith, denying your divinity... This proves you are no different than other gods."
  • Recurring Element: Modeled after the Beast of Revelations in this game itself ala Mother Harlot's steed, albeit looking much more like a true demon by comparison.
  • Redemption Equals Death: Knowing that YHVH's death would result in his own, Satan helps the party to defeat him and dies in the process.
  • Redemption Promotion: Minor case, when he joins Flynn's party on the Massacre Route and as a fusible demon, he gains an Gun+6 skill affinity, something that his boss counterpart lacked.
  • Satan Is Good: In truth, he really is this, as an agent of the Axiom that openly doubts YHVH, opposing Nanashi primarily to see if he has what it takes to dethrone God, on top of genuinely being one of the most respectful and easily the most impartial character in the game. It's all an absolute far cry from either of his two halves or his boss.
  • Signature Move: "Megiddo Ark", a single target Almighty spell that deals tremendous damage.
  • Split-Personality Merge: The fusion of his halves Lucifer and Merkabah restores him. He undoes this in the Bonds route, this time as their hosts for the last battle against YHVH.
  • The Stoic: Satan hardly emotes strongly despite his commanding voice and presence.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: Compared to his condescending and manipulative halves and even his previous incarnations (which weren't too bad to deal with generally), Satan is surprisingly fair and straightforward when dealing with Nanashi and his group.
  • Turned Against Their Masters: He ends up helping Nanashi and Flynn by turning against YHVH. In the Bonds route, he does so by restoring Walter and Jonathan to a temporary life in the final battle. In the Massacre route, he stands up to YHVH directly.
  • Walking Spoiler: The very nature of his existence completely upends previous ideas about Merkabah and Lucifer, as those two beings are each one half of him. Additionally, he's never seen or mentioned until after said halves are defeated leading to what appears to be a neutral ending at first.
  • Yin-Yang Bomb: As the true combined form of both Lucifer and Merkabah, it's to be expected he's this. He even drains Dark and Light attacks on top of Fire as well.

    Lord of the Covenant 

YHVH

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yhvh_4.jpg
Click here to see Demonized YHVH 
"I am that I am. I am infinity. The Supreme Being. The embodiment of law and order."
Voiced by: Mugihito (JP), William Salyers (EN)

The God of Monotheism and the Final Boss of Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse.


See His page.

    The Axiom 

Axiom

Known as 大いなる理 (lit. Great Reason/Truth), localized as "The Axiom". It's an abstract entity mentioned by various characters to be a cosmic force which perpetuates the universes of IV and Apocalypse; with demons and gods being described as primal energies given shape and identity from humanity's Observation, an ability bestowed upon them by the Axiom.

It lacks a form humans can comprehend, with YHVH functioning as its primary means of interacting with mortals in this universe, but it has forsaken him due to his actions going against its intentions. In its attempt to remove YHVH from the position of the Creator God, the Axiom has created two "messiahs" to oppose him - Flynn, and the protagonist Nanashi.


  • Above the Gods: It isn't even referred to as a god, because demons and gods all originate from it.
  • All There in the Manual: Its connection with Stephen and part of its true nature are only explained in the game's artbook.
  • The Chooser of the One: The Axiom is responsible for birthing "messiahs", Flynn and Nanashi in the case of this universe, who are described to be special humans tasked to shape the future of their kind and the world. It is not clear if it has created the messiahs of other universes shown in the DLC "Messiahs in the Diamond Realm" however.
  • Enigmatic Empowering Entity: To Stephen, who gained his vast knowledge and transcendent powers due to coming into contact with the Axiom at some point in the past (specifically, in Shin Megami Tensei I). The game's artbook states Mido and Count of Saint Germain experienced similar events as well.
  • Fighting a Shadow: At one point in the past, YHVH could be considered its avatar and the primary vessel of its intentions. It's unclear when that changed, but it evidently happened a long time ago.
  • Genius Loci: Described as such. It is both the origin of and the summation of all things born within it. As such, trying to comprehend its intentions is extremely difficult, even for entities supposed to act on its behalf like YHVH and the messiahs.
  • The Ghost: Constantly mentioned over the endgame and plays a central role in the game's world building, but never actually shows up by itself. Justified, see You Cannot Grasp the True Form below.
  • Greater-Scope Paragon: Essentially, being the one responsible for Flynn and Nanashi's status as messiahs to purge YHVH from the universe, and the Enigmatic Empowering Entity responsible for Stephen, one of the Big Goods of the franchise as a whole.
  • The Lifestream: It's stated both in the game and in the artbook the Axiom is the origin of all humans, demons, and gods in this continuity, with demons and gods specifically being its "bunrei" or divided spirits born from the Axiom and shaped by human Observation. The goal of the Divine Powers and Dagda is to remove the forced existence given to them by Observation, with the Divine Powers conspiring to essentially become a singularity within the fabric of the Axiom via the Cosmic Egg while Dagda desires to completely return to being a formless essence in the Axiom.
  • The Maker: At least, of IV and Apocalypse continuities, as the artbook claims it made the humans as observers of the universe, which in turn led to the rise of demons and gods.
  • Powers That Be: The one constant in IV and Apocalypse universes, with everything from microscopic lifeforms to the greatest gods being a part of it, and affected by its laws.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: The Axiom shares a number of characteristics and roles with the Great Will mentioned in other Megami Tensei-titled games, being an abstract Cosmic Entity with influences over multiple universes across different continuities, allowing demons and gods to rise from humans, and having YHVH as avatars. However, the distinct concept used for its name, the limited amount of information available both in and out of universe for the Axiom, as well as Great Will's status as The Ghost in general makes it impossible to define a connection between the two or even if they are distinct entities.
  • You Cannot Grasp the True Form: Part of the reason why YHVH cannot properly function as its representative is because the Axiom exists on a vastly greater scale of existence that he cannot properly grasp its nature. Transcendent beings like Stephen are capable of grasping more of its nature and intentions, but even they are mentioned to simply have glimpsed a small part of the Axiom's cosmic movements.

DLC Characters

    Final Fiend 

En no Ozuno

"I am En no Ozuno. The people sometimes call me "Shinpen Dai-Bosatsu."

One of the final two DLC bosses and the last boss of Twisted Tokyo, as well as an ally in Messiahs in the Diamond Realm.


  • Big Good: For Messiahs in the Diamond Realm, along with Stephen.
  • The Bus Came Back: Ignoring re-releases, his last notable appearance was in Shin Megami Tensei if..., where he was also the strongest Fiend.
  • Co-Dragons: Zenki and Goki return as a positive example in Messiahs in the Diamons Realm.
  • The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: Ignoring later cycles of Twisted Tokyo, he's one of only three enemies to surpass Level 99, along with YHVH and Stephen. Notably, on the final cycle of Twisted Tokyo, he becomes the only enemy in the game to hit Level 999.
  • Mythology Gag: The fight in Twisted Tokyo refers primarily to if..., while his role in Messiahs in the Diamond Realm refers to I.
  • Puzzle Boss: Much like David and Black Rider, En no Ozuno's strategy lies more in making the fight go on longer and wasting your turns. The two key moves are Goki's Water Wall and Peacock Incantation:
    • Goki's Water Wall, introduced at the halfway point of the fight, maxes both Defense and Accuracy/Evasion, and trying to debuff him will just cause him to use it again next turn. The key is to negate the buffs, but not debuff his non-Attack stats any further.
    • Peacock Incantation is a defensive move that takes the first bit of damage dealt to him and hits the entire party for the same amount of damage.
  • Signature Move: In addition to the above mentioned Goki's Water Wall and Peacock Incantation, he also has Zenki's Axe, which does severe Physical damage twice.
  • Superboss: One of the strongest in the game, rivaled only by his fellow Fiends and Stephen.
  • Time-Limit Boss: Like with the other Twisted Tokyo Fiends, you get ejected out of the dungeon after 10 turns in combat with him. Downplayed, in that when you face him again, he'll have as much HP as he had when the previous round with him ended.
  • Weaksauce Weakness: He's weak to regular Physical skills. While this is there primarily as a reference to his stats in if..., it can be abused thanks to the Press Turn System. Downplayed, in that he can cast Peacock Incantation which means that if you make the mistake of firing off that big powerful charged up Physical skill, you will regret it.

    The Hero 

The Hero

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/artwork_of_smt1_protagonist.jpg
"I still don't know which is the correct path. Law, Chaos, or perhaps... Maybe there isn't a right path. But I need to know what the people desire the most."

The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei I. Having been killed by Thorman's ICBM strike, the goal of Messiahs in the Diamond Realm is to revive him and prove humanity's worth.


  • Alternate Self: An alternate version of the original protagonist killed during the Apocalypse.
  • Badass in Distress: Killed as a result of YHVH's actions and must be restored, at which point he fights to be revived.
  • Badass Normal: Primarily fights with Physical skills, similar to his successor's use of guns.
  • Late-Arrival Spoiler: This game assumes you've played SMT I, as he mentions Tokyo being nuked by Thorman which is a major Wham Episode in that game.
  • Implausible Fencing Powers: The names of his skills imply that he relies on some sort of bladed weapon even though he's not visibly hauling one around. With a move like "Lightspeed Slash" and the sort of damage he's dealing to Stephen, it's unlikely that he's using ordinary blade techniques.
  • Mythology Gag: In addition to the ICBM strike being mentioned, his nature as a Physical user nods to his inability to use magic.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: Shares "Inbetween" with Flynn. Justified somewhat in that he hasn't decided what kind of person he wants to be yet.
  • Order Versus Chaos: Represents the period before choosing, while the other three all represent the three alignments.
  • Previous Player-Character Cameo: Appears as a major character in the DLC, and you get to play as him along with the other protagonists for Stephen's second battle.

    Aleph 

Aleph

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/artwork_of_smt2_protagonist.jpg
"I thought I died, burned away by the Megiddo Ark..."

The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei II. Killed by a close ally thanks to YHVH's influence, he was sent to the Diamond Realm by Stephen and En no Ozuno to test his worth.


  • Alternate Self: Killed by Satan's Megiddo Ark in what appears to be an alternate version of the Law path of II.
  • Artificial Human: This plot point is referenced by his unique race: Replicant.
  • Badass in Distress: First seen fighting a horde of angels trying to kill him again, then fights Stephen to be revived.
  • Badass Normal: Uses only his guns and presence during the fight with Stephen, unlike the later heroes' magical abilities.
  • Continuity Snarl: Despite everything else, from his mannerisms to process of elimination, pointing to this being an Aleph from the Law path, Law is the least likely path where he'd be killed by the Megiddo Ark, as he helped in using it.
  • The Gunslinger: Carries around two guns on his full sprite and almost all of his skills are related to gun damage. May overlap with The Musketeer since he's clearly carrying around a sword on his back and his regular attack simply deals Physical damage.
  • Late-Arrival Spoiler: This game assumes you've played SMT II, as one of the key plot points of that game is that Aleph is an Artificial Human and this game casually shows it in his status page.
  • Mythology Gag: States that the Megiddo Ark killed him, and after Stephen's defeat, he mentions his partner and himself going to defeat YHVH, most likely referring to Hiroko.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: He is the "Nice" one of the messiahs. He is very considerate of others and is the only one to check in on the Hero right before the final battle with Stephen. Fitting as he is representing Law.
  • Order Versus Chaos: Represents Law, contrasting the Hero representing having to choose, the Demi-fiend representing Chaos, and Flynn representing Neutral.
  • Previous Player-Character Cameo: Appears as an ally and playable character in the final DLC.

    Demi-fiend 

The Demi-fiend

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_demi_fiend_smt_iv_a.png
"I won't go easy on anyone who gets in my way, not even the prime minister."

The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Having become a True Demon and beaten Kagutsuchi, he fell to Lucifer. Now he has YHVH trying to permanently kill him in the Diamond Realm.


  • Alternate Self: This Demi-fiend was killed by Lucifer, the True Final Boss of the remakes of Nocturne.
  • Badass in Distress: Killed by Lucifer and hunted by Demons sent by YHVH before showing his abilities to Stephen.
  • Blood Knight: Downplayed. Given how he's forfeited all traces of his humanity, the Demi-Fiend is naturally eager for a fight. When Nanashi finds him, he's sore that he lost to Lucifer and wants a rematch.
  • Irony: His stat distribution favors Magic, when in Nocturne, Strength and Physical attacks were generally far more potent. While this was likely done since the Hero and Aleph were both Badass Normals and limited to mostly non-magic attacks, it's still notable. Then again, this Demi-fiend did technically lose against Lucifer who is best fought with a Strength-focused Demi-fiend. With Lucifer's resistance to everything, he'll only take decent damage from Pierce damage which is reliant on Strength so naturally, a Demi-fiend with lower Strength is more likely to lose.
  • Late-Arrival Spoiler: This game assumes you've played the True Demon path of Nocturne, as the Demi-Fiend mentions blowing out Kagutsuchi but then losing to Lucifer.
  • Mythology Gag: Names both Final Bosses of Nocturne. In addition, his race is Chaos, which is used as an alternate translation of King, the last race of Nocturne. Due to this, he has the Masakados Magatama and nulls every non-Almighty element that was in Nocturne, which specifically excludes Gun as it is not an element in Nocturne.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: He is the "Mean", being rather curt and aggressive with those around him. He even taunts Stephen before the battle with him, everyone else taking the fight more seriously. Fitting as he represents the Chaos alignment.
  • No-Sell: He blocks everything other than Gun and Almighty, reflecting the elemental properties of the Masakados Magatama. Stephen, naturally, primarily uses Almighty attacks and elemental piercing moves, rendering those immunities moot. The only attacks Stephen has that the Demi-fiend can null are his Physical attacks, and other than his first attack, which is always Energy Compression on the Demi-fiend, the only time the Demi-fiend will ever get hit with one is if Stephen uses Convergence, which randomly targets.
  • Order Versus Chaos: Represents Chaos to Aleph's Order and Flynn's Neutral. He has aligned himself with Lucifer in order to completely destroy the order of his universe in the name of free will.
  • Previous Player-Character Cameo: Shows up in Messiahs in the Diamond Realm as a key character.
  • Signature Move: Most of his skills are his unique ones from Nocturne, such as Gaea Rage, Freikugel, and Magma Axis.
  • Token Non-Human: Downplayed. He's the only member of Flynn's party who isn't fully human, being half-demon. While Aleph is an Artificial Human, he's not demonic.
  • Voice of the Legion: Has the same vocal distortion as the average demon since he's dedicated himself to becoming one as well.
  • Supernatural Gold Eyes: Has these at all times presumably to further indicate his true demon nature.

Alternative Title(s): Shin Megami Tensei IV Final

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