The official discord link if you wish to join the discord: https://discord.gg/j5RKwCvAFu

The background art comes from Cherylann1960.

Support the wiki on our official Ko-Fi page or Patreon page!

Megami Tensei

From The Codex
Revision as of 16:48, 13 March 2022 by GiverOfThePeace (talk | contribs)

Background

The Megami Tensei franchise refers to the entire franchise of Megami Tensei games and spin-offs, primarily developed by Atlus and currently owned by Sega. The series began with a series of novels written by Aya Nishitani, the first of which is Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei. The franchise has crossed many consoles genres, and forms of media, and is the one of the most popular Japanese RPG franchises. Although less popular, Megami Tensei or simply called "Megaten" by fans, contains more games and spin-offs than almost any other franchise.

Ever since Shin Megami Tensei was released as a spinoff of the original Megami Tensei series of video games, the Megami Tensei franchise has made multiple spinoff series. Although they might deviate game-play wise, various recurring elements will show up, such as names of Elemental Spells, the various Demons that appear, the Moon Cycle system, and so on.

Currently, the two active series are the Shin Megami Tensei Series, considered to be the "main" series, and the Persona series, which has outsold the Shin Megami Tensei series. Recently however the the Soul Hackers series has been revived with a second game, implying more franchises from Megami Tensei could come back.

Multiverse

The Megami Tensei Multiverse collectively refers to the multiple worlds and universes included in the Megami Tensei series. Nearly all Megami Tensei games heavily feature connections to other worlds and universes which suggests that the games may not occur in the same "universe" but that they still take place in the same over-arching multiverse. However such games as Persona 3, Persona 4, & Persona 5 are in a separate multiverse, along with Last Bible being in it's own separate multiverse, apart of the overall collective Megami Tensei franchise but not in Shin Megami Tensei's multiverse.

A basic rundown of the multiverses' size at the moment shows us there are infinite universes, then the Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse, then we have Akarana Corridor a void that transcends time and space, with it requiring a special ritual to enter, where even the Herald of Yatagarasu cannot put Radiou into this place[1], putting it beyond even The Expanse. Then there is YHVH's Universe, a place that is more vague and more infinite then anything prior. Finally, there is The Axiom's realm, so far beyond everything that it even transcends the infinite Cycle of Transmigration[2], where one can catch a mere glimpse of The Axiom[3].

Terms

  • Observation: Observation is a concept in the main Megami Tensei multiverse, it was a power given to humans by The Axiom. Characters from the Persona 3-5 multiverse, have a similar ability known as Cognition. As described by Stephen, "observation" (sometimes described as "understanding") is the ability humans possess to give structure to the formless. In this instance, "observation" has nothing to do with sight, but rather human perception. It is an extension of the philosophical concept of "qualia," or individual, subjective experiences. For example, the sensation of seeing color is not easily communicated, yet something humanity possess a shared understanding of. Likewise, YHVH only exists because of this shared observation.
  • Cognition: Cognition refers to the concept of humans perceiving the world and viewing what they see as reality. When enough humans collectively perceive something that concept becomes "real," influencing both the world and themselves. This concept is strongly hinted to be related to previous situations seen in Persona games. It also refers to when a person is interpreted by other people or society, given form based on those perceptions. The apparent appearance may be identical, but the personality or the physical capabilities can be vastly different than the original. A cognition is not to be confused with a Shadow Self, though one's Shadow Self can also take on properties based on other people's interpretation of the person, and some cognitions such as Sphinx Wakaba and Doe take traits similar to their host's Shadow Selves. Furthermore, some cognitions can also be fused with Shadow Selves or are sometimes even Shadows themselves, such as the nobles in Shido's Palace or the carnivorous dinosaurs in Junessic Land.
  • Gods: Gods, also known as Deity, is a classification of races in the Megami Tensei series. It encompasses all races that are associated with other gods and deities, exclusively the most important. Megami Tensei is a composite pantheon due to all Gods being created from the observation of humanity thus every religion exists inShin Megami Tensei.
  • Demons: In the Megami Tensei franchise, "demon" refers to any supernatural entity that can bring harm to human beings or interfere with their lives in one way or another. This includes more conventional malevolent demons, folktale creatures, deities, urban legends, and Judeo-Christian angels. Although classified as demons, angels tend to differentiate themselves from demons, and likewise the demons view them as separate. Angels also includes demons that have submitted to God and have become His servants.
  • Shadows: Shadows are the monsters in the Persona series and share most of the enemy demons common in the Megami Tensei franchise. They are born from humans, and carry with them human emotions, which are mostly negative. Strong-willed Shadows attract lesser Shadows, which later create stronger Shadows.
  • Humans: Humans is a species in the Megami Tensei series. Out of all species they are the weakest, but the ones with the greatest potential to grow, and have the most powerful ability of observation in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. In the Persona franchise they have the power of Cognition.

Power of the Verse

Megami Tensei as a series, including its own spin-offs, is widely regarded by their potency and versatility of their abilities with it having plethora of thanks to the power of Observation and the existences of mythological, demonic entities. To start off, fodder demons such as Jack Frost are 8-C via having access to Bufu skills, which can completely freeze people, and other demons having access to Agi skills, which can vaporize people. Jack Frost specifically having the power to generate snow storms, making it 6-C via Environmental Destruction. In his stronger form, King Frost, he has the ability to freeze the entire earth, which is High 6-A. Lastly, Black Frost is considered to be a much bigger threat than Loki, who is 2-C via being able to sustain his own universe[4]. There does exist a Jack Frost who is Low 1-C+ via contending with the end game cast of DDS, who defeated Demi-fiend, along with defeating Beelzebub at the end of Jack Bros. Most protagonists (minus Persona) in their end game state are Low 1-C+ via either wielding Masakados equipment or defeating YHVH or entities affiliated with him. YHVH is a being who created infinite universes that are infinitesimal in size compared to him, and exists as an incomprehensible transcendent being overseeing everything in his creation. a few characters reach 1-C to 1-C+ level via fighting Stephen, who possessed The Axiom's powers, and Matter Lucifer who transcended into a higher plane of existence beyond even YHVH. They are no slouch in speed either, with essentially every enemy being Extra-Temporal through being a natural resident of the Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse, with protagonists usually scaling or using their important hax to keep up with them. Specifically this hax is Observation and it is the core catalyst to humans abilities in Shin Megami Tensei, it is what grants humans the ability to fight demons and even gods, allowing them to negate their physiologies, regeneration, immortalities, and even kill them, which even demons such as Lucifer notes only humans can truly kill a demon. It also allows humans normally of a far lower tier to be capable of fighting 2-C to Low 1-C+ threats such as the protagonists of Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei: IF.

Persona (minus 1 and 2), despite not fully scaling to the stats and abilities from SMT, are still considerably powerful in their own right as they are able to weaponize their own psyche; already granting abilities such as Mind Manipulation and Abstract Existence. Like SMT, they also wield Agi and Bufu skills, which would make their early-mid game selves 8-C. By end game, almost every Persona character reaches 2-C via scaling to Takuto Maruki, who was using Yaldaboath's powers to to rewrite all of reality.

Knowledgeable Members

Characters

Supreme Being

  • The Axiom

    The Axiom

Recurring Demons

  • Jack Frost

    Jack Frost

Concepts/Physiologies

  • Demons

    Demons

  • Observation

    Observation

Devil Summoner Series

Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha

Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army

  • Raidou Kuzunoha

    Raidou Kuzunoha

  • Goutou-Douji

    Goutou-Douji

  • Herald of Yatagarasu

    Herald of Yatagarasu

  • Grigori Rasputin

    Grigori Rasputin

  • Raidou Kuzunoha XL

    Raidou Kuzunoha XL

Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon

  • Raidou Kuzunoha

    Raidou Kuzunoha

  • Goutou-Douji

    Goutou-Douji

  • Dahn

    Dahn

  • Akane Narita

    Akane Narita

  • Geirin Kuzunoha the XVII

    Geirin Kuzunoha the XVII

  • Nagi

    Nagi

Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Lone Marebito

  • Raidou Kuzunoha

    Raidou Kuzunoha

  • Herald of Yatagarasu

    Herald of Yatagarasu

  • Abe Seimei

    Abe Seimei

  • Ayame

    Ayame

  • Kushinada

    Kushinada

  • Ouhan Kurabashi

    Ouhan Kurabashi

  • Clarion

    Clarion

Soul Hackers

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

  • Keiji Minegishi

    Keiji Minegishi

  • Hitomi Tono

    Hitomi Tono

  • Nemissa

    Nemissa

  • Zeed

    Zeed

  • Carol J

    Carol J

  • Mayōne

    Mayōne

  • Finnegan

    Finnegan

  • Nishi

    Nishi

  • Kadokura

    Kadokura

  • Raidou Kuzunoha

    Raidou Kuzunoha

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers 2

  • Ringo

    Ringo

  • Figue

    Figue

  • Arrow

    Arrow

  • Milady

    Milady

  • Saizo

    Saizo

  • Zenon

    Zenon

  • Iron Mask

    Iron Mask

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner

  • Kyouji Kuzunoha

    Kyouji Kuzunoha

  • Rei Reiho

    Rei Reiho

  • Sid Davis

    Sid Davis

  • Takashi

    Takashi

  • Tenzan Tendou

    Tenzan Tendou

  • Seichii Yamashiro

    Seichii Yamashiro

  • Atsushi Nakagome

    Atsushi Nakagome

Shin Megami Tensei

Shin Megami Tensei I

  • The Hero

    The Hero

  • Heroine

    Heroine

  • Chaos Hero

    Chaos Hero

  • Law Hero

    Law Hero

  • Pascal

    Pascal

  • Stephen

    Stephen

Shin Megami Tensei II

  • Aleph

    Aleph

  • Hiroko

    Hiroko

  • Beth

    Beth

  • Zayin

    Zayin

  • Daleth

    Daleth

  • Gimmel

    Gimmel

  • Stephen

    Stephen

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

  • Demi-Fiend

    Demi-Fiend

  • Chiaki Tachibana

    Chiaki Tachibana

  • Isamu Nitta

    Isamu Nitta

  • Hikawa

    Hikawa

  • Yuko Takao

    Yuko Takao

  • Jyoji Hijiri

    Jyoji Hijiri

  • Futomimi

    Futomimi

  • Sakahagi

    Sakahagi

  • Raidou Kuzunoha

    Raidou Kuzunoha

  • Dante

    Dante

  • Kagutsuchi

    Kagutsuchi

Shin Megami Tensei IV

  • Flynn

    Flynn

  • Isabeau

    Isabeau

  • Jonathan

    Jonathan

  • Walter

    Walter

  • Navarre

    Navarre

  • Hope

    Hope

  • Issachar

    Issachar

  • Stephen

    Stephen

Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse

  • Nanashi

    Nanashi

  • Dagda

    Dagda

  • Asahi

    Asahi

  • Navarre

    Navarre

  • Isabeau

    Isabeau

  • Nozomi

    Nozomi

  • Gaston

    Gaston

  • Hallelujah

    Hallelujah

  • Toki

    Toki

  • Stephen

    Stephen

  • YHVH

    YHVH

Shin Megami Tensei V

  • Nahobino

    Nahobino

  • Aogami

    Aogami

  • Tao Isonokami

    Tao Isonokami

  • Yuzuru Atsuta

    Yuzuru Atsuta

  • Ichiro Dazai

    Ichiro Dazai

  • Miyazu Atsuta

    Miyazu Atsuta

  • Hayao Koshimizu

    Hayao Koshimizu

  • Sahori Itsukishima

    Sahori Itsukishima

  • Amanozako

    Amanozako

  • Sophia

    Sophia

  • Shohei Yakumo

    Shohei Yakumo

  • Nuwa

    Nuwa

  • Abdiel

    Abdiel

  • Lahmu

    Lahmu

Shin Megami Tensei IF

  • Nobu Akiyama

    Nobu Akiyama

  • Reiko Akanezawa

    Reiko Akanezawa

  • Yumi Shirakawa

    Yumi Shirakawa

  • Shinji "Charlie" Kuroi

    Shinji "Charlie" Kuroi

  • Ideo Hazama

    Ideo Hazama

  • Akira Miyamoto

    Akira Miyamoto

Shin Megami Tensei NINE

  • Kei Azuma

    Kei Azuma

  • Stephen

    Stephen

Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey

  • Tadano Hitonari

    Tadano Hitonari

  • Commander Gore

    Commander Gore

  • Jimenez

    Jimenez

  • Zelenin

    Zelenin

  • Arthur

    Arthur

  • Alex

    Alex

Persona

Persona

Persona 2

Persona 2: Innocent Sin

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

Persona 3

Persona 4

  • Tohru Adachi

    Tohru Adachi

Persona 5

Gallery

  • Devil Summoner Series

    Devil Summoner Series

  • Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army

    Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army

  • Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon

    Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon

  • Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Lone Marebito

    Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Lone Marebito

  • Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

    Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

  • Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers 2

    Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers 2

  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Digital Collection

    Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Digital Collection

  • Shin Megami Tensei I

    Shin Megami Tensei I

  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoners

    Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoners

References

  1. ↑ The Herald of Yatagarsu is capable of teleporting Raidou into The Expanse, a place that transcends the past, present, and future of the multiverse but cannot even reach this realm, along with this she exists a plane not apart of the human world, further showing how out of reach this plane is, it requires one normally to discard their human form and transcribe themself otherwise they are threatened with being unstuck from time
  2. ↑ Yamai: When you reach the battle with VISHNUFLYNN, there is a reference point of the soul, where it either enters or departs from the circle of transmigration. Nanashi is in the middle of that circle, he is a human just like us. That is the reference. Beings like Stephen, Mido, or the Count of Saint Germain left the circle of transmigration, and I think that is why they could get in contact with the Great Reason.
    Shioda: In Buddhism, leaving the circle of transmigration equals reaching Nirvana and becoming a buddha.
    Yamai: That’s right. This time, in order for the Divine Powers to succeed, various currents of thought from all kinds of countries and religions come into play. The Buddhist view on reincarnation is one of them and our setting is not biased towards it, but the soul itself is something important for the gods. Shin Megami Tensei IV adopts a quantum theory approach according to which gods exist thanks to human perception, and religious beliefs are one part of that.
  3. ↑ Shioda: Professor Matsuda didn’t even have a character design in the preliminary stages.
    Miyata: It’s shocking that so few people realised professor Matsuda was actually Stephen.
    Shioda: That was shocking indeed, and they even had the same voice actor (laughs). What kind of device is the Shesha radar in Hibiya?
    Miyata: I saw news the other day about the success of the detection of gravitational waves and this radar works on the same principle. There is a huge empty lot underneath Hibiya named ‘multi-purpose underground utility conduit’ and it is presumed that that is where Stephen built his detector.
    Yamai: Because the device related to the elementary particles is extremely big.
    Miyata: He also needed a secure place, and the underground was much safer than the streets dominated by demons. It is explained in the beginning of SMT4A that the multi-purpose underground utility conduit has been abandoned because of the battle of gods and the underground empty space remained as it is. I figured it was just right, since the new headquarters of the Hunter Association in Kasumigaseki is close enough, but I didn’t think gravitational waves would be discovered so fast when I was writing the setting.
    Yamai: Stephen travels through various parallel worlds, so I believe it is possible for him to discover gravitational waves, since he makes contact with all kinds of technological developments.
    Miyata: Gravitational waves appear anywhere in the universe when stars reach the end of their lives and explode, but every time Shesha warped to a different universe and a different dimension, there were weak gravitational waves released possible to detect.
    Shioda: Since Stephen is also the creator of the terminals and the Demon Summoning Program, related to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, it’s easy to say he is the biggest mystery of the Megaten series.
    Yamai: What is clear is that Stephen is the same person across the series. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II are related, while Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV are each in their own universes, but we can argue that he is the only one to cross space and time and visit each universe. I think the beginning was the universe created in Shin Megami Tensei, but we have no intention to give a clear answer on such a personal matter. As for the details of his arrival in the Shin Megami Tensei IV world, when he was researching the Demon Summoning Program and the Matter Transfer System he got connected by coincidence to the Expanse, demons showed up and hurt him badly, which led to him being now dependent on a wheelchair.
    Shioda: This time he talks about the aim of the Great Reason in the end. Do you think he has met the Great Reason?
    *From Dijeh (Basically just a translators note): The term used here is NOT the Great Will. The Japanese for Great Will [of the Universe] is either “宇宙の大いなる意志” or just “大いなる意志” in previous games in the series, while in SMT4F and this interview, the term is 大いなる理; the kanji used are easily distinguishable: 意志 vs. 理. For more about the distinction, see Will and Li.
    Yamai: From the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei, the Stephen of Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the possibilities, but we can say it was possible for him to have met the Great Reason. Of course, from the perspective of Shin Megami Tensei IV’s Stephen, I think we can say Shin Megami Tensei is also a possibility.
    Miyata: Stephen’s position allows him to catch a glimpse of a small part of the Great Reason’s movement. When he passed through time and space and made contact with the Great Reason, he interpreted things in his own way.
  4. ↑ Digital Devil Story 2: Warrior of the Demon City Part 2, Chapter 4 "The last demon to appear called himself Set, correct?" "Yes, that's right." "While it's too dangerous to try and conjecture the state of affairs in the demon world based on our own knowledge of this one, my theory is that the demon world is like a colloidal conglomeration of countless mini-universes, each centered around a powerful demon. Most likely, with Loki's death, the mini-universe in contact with Japan or Tokyo vanished, and Set's mini-universe entered to take its place. Demon summoning is just opening a contact point between the two worlds at the same time."

Discussions (Link For Mobile Users):

Discussion threads involving Megami Tensei
Retrieved from "https://thecodex.wiki/index.php?title=Megami_Tensei&oldid=198401"