The 10 Best Characters In Shin Megami Tensei V

Shin Megami Tensei V is a mega-popular post-apocalyptic JRPG that follows a group of high school students tasked with raising and fusing yokai terrorizing Bethel Japan, a secret government area dedicated to keeping humans out of the eternal war between angels and demons. The game essentially continues the story of its predecessor, including similar characters, gameplay, and underlying story.

What makes the characters so memorable in Shin Megami Tensei V is a combination of their well-drawn backstory, importance to the plot, fighting ability, likable personality, and ability to elicit sympathy.

10 The Protagonist

Aptly titled, The Protagonist is the main character of the popular fantasy RPG whose regular existence as a third-year high school student at Jouin Academy is abruptly interrupted when a tunnel collapses on him. When he awakes in a mysterious area called Da’at, he’s quickly accosted by deadly demons.

The Protagonist fuses with a mysterious man and becomes his half-breed condemned being known as Nahobino, the all-important link between the human and demon world that informs the audience of the pros and cons of both existences. Nahobino uses his paranormal powers to fight the deadliest yokai in Tokyo on behalf of restoring order to the world.

9 Aogami

Aogami is a mysterious man who fuses with The Protagonist to become the condemned being Nahobino. As such, he comprises 50 percent of the half-human-half-demon hero, allowing The Protagonist to harness his greatest supernatural skills to defeat the evilest creatures terrorizing Tokyo.

However, Aogami only directs The Protagonist by voice, allowing him to make key decisions on his own. Yet, with lines like “young man, if you want to live, take my hand” and “I shall devote my strength to you so you may stave off your own death,” it becomes clear that Aogami is a supernatural savior of sorts that the Protagonist cannot survive without.

8 Tao Isonokami

Also known as The Saint, Tao Isonokami is a well-written character that is easy to root for in the game. As The Protagonist’s classmate and prominent lacrosse player, Tao channels the precocious sixth sense that she’s had since childhood to work on behalf of the Japanese branch Bethel. She’s kind, caring, and assists the Protagonist in helpful ways due to her extensive knowledge about demons.

Tao is made even more sympathetic by the harrowing nightmares she experiences, where a mysterious voice continues to beckon her for unknown reasons. Always putting the needs of others ahead of her own, Tao’s saintly demeanor is truly inspiring.

7 Yuzuru Atsuta

Yuzuru Atsuta is one of The Protagonist’s best friends, a supremely intellectual honor student and model citizen who is confident, capable, and highly responsible. He gets trapped beneath the collapsed tunnel alongside the Protagonist and wakes up in Da’at, and he becomes one of the most integral figures in helping Bethel. It’s allies like these that make the fun RPG best played with friends.

Yuzuru’s dogged attempt to protect his younger sister and only living relative, Miyazu, makes him an extremely likable figure that players root for every step of the way. Moreover, his vast intellect allows him to undergo the Demon Summoning Program, which in turn enables him to conjure his own demonic partner, Hayataro. This allows Yuzuru to gain an advantage over his foes in the end.

6 Ichiro Dazai

As a key inciting character, Ichiro Dazai is The Protagonist’s cool and carefree classmate who is dragged to Da’at on the way to school one day. This prompts the entire plot of the game, as The Protagonist and Yuzuru go on a desperate search to find their friend in the hellish underworld.

Although Ichiro is painted as a poor student and a cheerfully awkward teen, his unbending sense of justice makes him quick to join Bethel as a demon-fighting ally. His arc from being a useless student to a dependably actionable main character makes Ichiro a hugely redeemable figure.

5 Sophia

As the Lord of the World of Shadows, Sophia is another vital character in the beloved RPG. Sophia presides over the physical space where demonic fusion takes place, assuming monumental responsibility by ensuring the daily duties go smoothly. Without her doing her job properly, Tokyo would be turned into one giant abattoir.

Sophia also deliberately helps The Protagonist fuse demons in the game, which is instrumental for him and his cohorts to defeat the evil scourge for good. When fusion occurs, Sophia channels her energy and turns into a giant statue that The Protagonist and others worship.

4 Hayao Koshimizu

Hayao Koshimizu is the almighty Japanese Prime Minister who wields tremendous influence over the city of Tokyo in the game. Also serving as the leader of the Japanese branch of Bethel, an international organization dedicated to ridding demons, Koshimizu makes some of the most important decisions that directly affect his constituency.

Perhaps the biggest role Koshimizu plays, however, is presiding over the Demon Summoning Program, which he wisely recruits Yuzuru and Ichiro to participate in, bolstering The Protagonist’s team in the process.

3 Shohei Yakumo

Shohei Yakumo is a complex character who toes the line between a good guy and a bad guy. With a tall, foreboding presence adorned in a vintage policeman uniform, Shohei confronts The Protagonist and questions the practices of Bethel, setting him up as a rogue demon hunter who may or may not be trustworthy.

While ultimately vowing to rid Tokyo of all demons, Shohei strikes fear in the heart of his foes through the use of his trademark katana in one hand and revolver in the other. Shohei’s moral ambiguity makes him endlessly fascinating.

2 Nuwa

Nuwa is an enigmatic demon goddess who partners with Shohei, claiming she’s been at his side since childhood. In stark opposition to both Bethel and God’s will, Nuwa tries desperately to get Shohei to act on behalf of malefic demons intent on overtaking Tokyo and the world at large.

After slaughtering countless angels, Nuwa absorbed their spiritual energy and became an even more powerful entity as a result, calling to mind some of the best demon anime. As a chief antagonist in the game, The Protagonist works tirelessly to bring Nuwa and her kind down by whatever means necessary, including the use of fire, Nuwa’s weak spot.

1 Abdiel

As the crowning force of goodness in the game, Abdiel is an archangel who leads the Bethel branch in Japan in their determined quest to rid Tokyo of all demons. She is the guiding light of morality and heavenly virtue, serving as an ethical role model that The Protagonist and his team follow intently.

As the angels’ commander in the game, Abdiel is decorated with symbolic religious tattoos that provide insight into her backstory, in particular almost becoming a fallen angel after being decided by Lucifer. Without her guiding light leading the way, the other demon fighter would be lost.