Megami Tensei Demons

Semitic religion paints Asherah as a mother goddess and queen consort. She was worshiped as a fertility deity in ancient times, but her Megami Tensei rendition is associated with destruction rather than creation. Imbued with the power of love and fury, Lady Asherah sees humans as destroyers of life and believes that their annihilation is necessary to restore the decaying Earth. Asherah was first seen in the PC-exclusive Giten Megami Tensei in 1997, but her design from 2008’s Strange Journey is more celebrated. In that game, Asheroth appeared as a violent, six-armed warrior named Asura before assuming the form of a giant yandere woman in a Zubaz bodysuit. (I can’t say that I saw that coming.) Asherah has only appeared in a handful of games thus far, but I’d like to see more of her in the future.

Taking inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Old One is an alien being who shared knowledge with humans in ancient times. Although its language is indecipherable, you can tell just by looking that the heinous creature has an insatiable appetite. If you find yourself face to face with Old One, you can likely make it go away by giving it some food. A lot of the Megami Tensei demons are horrifying, creepy, or downright disturbing, but there’s something about Old One that’s almost comical. He looks like something that was created in Jim Henson’s workshop. Old One has a small role in the Megami Tensei series and has only appeared in a few games thus far, but I’m not going to miss an opportunity to highlight a creature that looks like it wondered off the set of The Muppet Show.

The Megamei Tensei series is home to many fertility gods and nymphomaniacs, and a surprising number of them resemble genitalia. Rahu is a dickhead, Arioch is a total pussy, and Mishaguji’s “cursed emission” attack is anything but subtle. Mara is easily the most iconic figure from this specific category, however. Said to be the embodiment of evil itself, Mara controls people through lust and fear. Its attacks rely heavily on suggestive themes and innuendo, and its very name is derived from a Japanese slang for “penis.” It would be easy to write of Mara as a gag character, but the phallic demon lord frequently tops popularity polls and has even been immortalized as a $400 figure. My shelves are adorned with Amiibo and anime titty statues, but I just can’t seem to find room for a 16″ wang wagon.

Callisto is a beautiful nymph and a follower of the moon goddess, Artemis. In Greek mythology, Zeus – being the prankster that he is – disguised himself as Artemis and had his way with her. Callisto had taken a vow of celibacy, so she felt compelled to hide the resulting pregnancy. When Artemis eventually found out, she turned Callisto into a bear for some reason. Megami Tensei glosses over Callisto’s history, but the compendium indicates that she’s weary of love. (Gee, I wonder why.) Callisto has been MIA since Persona 2, and we’re not given a lot of information about her, but I appreciate the symbolism in her design. Do her shackled wrists reflect her history with men? Is the shoe in her face allegory to how she was treated by other women? I’m not sure, but I’m sure intrigued by her design.

Pixies are recurring, low-level demons who could be compared to the iconic Slimes from Dragon Quest. Although English folklore depicts the tiny faeries as pranksters, they’re generally harmless and will even offer assistance to humans. (In many cases, they help out by healing their allies.) Pixies who are especially charismatic can become High Pixies, but they’re evey bit as mischievous as their younger counterparts. In certain situations, Pixies can also take a page out of Magikarp’s playbook and evolve into powerful Super Pixies. Pixies aren’t especially imaginative or original, and they look like typical anime faerie companions. That said, few demons have made more appearances in the Megami Tensei universe. Pixies absence in one of the games would be noticeable to all, and the same rings true of this list.

The chief god of Norse mythology, Odin is associated with war, wisdom, and death. The one-eyed diety can pierce through defenses with powerful electric attacks, and he’s always looking for new warriors to smite. Although he has been a part of the Megami Tensei series since the very first entry, none of his early designs really resonated with me. At times, he looked like a generic purple alien who wore a towel in place of clothes. In other iterations, he was basically a cross between a viking and a hobo. I’m most partial to his design in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. His gold and blue armor might be a little too “superhero” for some people, but there’s no doubt that the get-up makes him look powerful. His flowing cape is majestic, and his emotionless expression is more terrifying than the spear he wields.

Lilith is a figure from Jewish mythology who is said to have been the first wife of Adam. After being cast from the Garden of Eden, she became a demonic consort and a plague to mankind. The salacious woman is known to seduce men and kill them in their sleep. She’s not especially nice to women, either, and she’ll take extreme measures to eliminate her competition. In her downtime, the wicked homewrecker apparently attacks infants and feast on their bones. I don’t want to sound judgmental, but this Lilith character sounds like a real jerk! She apparently wants to make hybrid babies as a means of fostering piece between humans and demons. Lilith is famed for her unfaithfulness, but she can completely alter her appearance when she needs to get close to someone. If nothing else, you have to admire her seductive prowess.

A high-ranking demon of Philistine origin, Beelzebub presides over gluttony as Lucifer’s second-in-command. He aims to cover the world with terror and corruption, and the swarms of flies that surround him can carry souls to the abyss. He often appears as a human and answers to the name Baal Zebul, but his true form is that of a giant fly not unlike Baxter Stockman from Ninja Turtles. The fabled Lord of the Flies routinely appears as an optional boss, and he’s typically one of the most challenging adversaries in any game he appears in. He was also the last boss in Jack Bros. – which was the first Megami Tensei game released outside of Japan. Beelzebub has the distinction of being the only one on this list who is referenced in Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. That’s gotta count for something, right?

Ishtar is the goddess of love, the embodiment of femininity, and the personification of the planet Venus. She was revered in ancient Mesopotamia, and I’m rather fond of her myself. Her seductive charms can enslave even the strongest of rivals, but she usually takes on a supporting role in battle. On that note, she’s an effective healer who’s smart enough to protect herself. After she learns how to absorb damage from wind elemental attacks, she basically eliminates her only weakness. It’s rare to see a demon with so much savvy. Ishtar has appeared in over a dozen games (in various states of undress), and her design has been consistently awesome. Outside of the Megami Tensei series, Ishtar also appeared in Catherine under the guise of a human named Trisha. Who doesn’t love a good anagram?

Jack Frost has been mentioned on several other lists already, but that’s indicative of his celebrity. He has appeared in over 40 games since his introduction in Shin Megami Tensei II, and he’s even had cameos in unrelated franchises like Etrian Odyssey and Snowboard Kids. The mischievous snow elf has a twisted sense of humor that can send chills down the spine, but his harmless facade gives him incredible range. On that note, Jack has appeared as an enemy, an ally, and a playable character. He’s also served as the basis for many other demons. (Black Frost is a darker version of Jack, Frost Ace is a superhero alter ego, and the Frost Five could be likened to the Power Rangers.) It wouldn’t seem right to rank Jack any lower on this list. He’s not merely the face of Megami Tensei, but the de facto mascot of Atlus itself.