Top 5 BEST SMT Alignment Reps
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- Опубліковано 4 сер 2024
- Shin Megami Tensei alignment is always a hot button topic among fans, but this video will unify us all with a showcase of the best law, chaos, and neutral representatives the series has to offer. No matter your specific leaning you should be able to appreciate the characters in this list for their amazing representation of their given alignment. The charisma of these characters may be all you need to strive for one of the game's endings and each character on this list makes an amazing case. Persona may allow you to save the world, but only shin megami tensei will allow you to shape it, with the help of these characters. We'll be going somewhat into the lore of each shin megami tensei game covered so if you want to avoid learning about the endings feel free to use the timestamps below.
0:00 - Intro
0:56 - 5...
3:04 - 4...
4:38 - 3...
6:20 - 2...
9:12 - 1...
12:13 - Outro
Another smt top 5 list to add to the channel, I really enjoy making these countdown lists especially on shin megami tensei. Top 5 and top 10 videos are a great format to get as many points across as possible without it taking hours upon hours. These alignment reps do have a ton to talk about but they will have to do in this top 5. The list will cover a large number of shin megami tensei games throughout the series, even the early smt games. I feel bad talking about them in just a top 5 list so if you want to hear more about the earlier games in the franchise let me know too.If you have a preferred smt alignment let me know below. Also let me know your thoughts on my list as I'm sure it will have characters that strike a chord in every shin megami tensei fan. If you watched this video as say a persona fan even if all you played was persona 5, I hope you took something away from it as I try to justify my loving of each character. Maybe I could even sway you into trying out shin megami tensei with this smt top 5. This smt top 5 list should be a good representation of what I look for in an smt alignment rep and who I think are the best. Either way, thanks for watching and I hope to see you in the next Tony4You!
The alignment representatives in SMT games. Everyone argues over the best alignment, and if the joke I made in the first sentence wasn’t obvious enough, it’s LAW. Despite this in some games I may have been swayed to choose differently. The charisma and conviction behind some of these characters can not be understated and they alone make some of the endings worth going for. Not every SMT game’s endings have the same outcome just because it is of any given alignment so it’s important to shine a spotlight on the characters who are agents of change for the world, and need you to help them. Obviously there will be spoilers because we will be talking about the endings of each character's respective game. If you do not want spoilers for any given game, feel free to use the time stamps in the description. After the video let me know what your favorite alignment rep is in the comments and while you're down there leave a like and subscribe, it really helps me out. Well without any further ado, let’s start the list.
#smt #top5 #alignment
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Footage from Buffmaister - Ігри
Music used in order:
Kasugayama High School - Persona 2 IS
Exploration - Devil Survivor 2
Members Only Club - Shin Megami Tensei IV
Overcoming the Sadness - Raidou 2
Lucifer Palace - Shin Megami Tensei IV
Prayer - SMT Strange Journey
Everyday Detective Agency - Raidou 2
Damn, I forgot how Kasugayama's High School was such a bop
one of the endings that no one talk about but really stood out to me is the original demon ending from nocturne (not TDE). None of the other reasons seemed that great to me besides the teacher but I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't choose anything. The result of literally everyone, even Lucifer, just peace out from the vortex world because you destroyed everything and are just left completely alone. I found it pretty funny that you were such an agent of chaos that even the angel of darkness didn't want anything to do with you lol
Yeah it may be the most interesting ending, and I even talked about it a bit in the SMT endings video I did. A dead world is a fascinating concept
Tbf lucifer praises you for believing in your own freedom and forgoing others choices in favor of what you believe in.
What i really like about Isabeau is the fact that she's always conflicted, she sees both sides arguments, but she can't force herself to pick one or the other because none appeal to her as she desperately tries to find a third answer to the conflict, one that the Neutral ending gives you and she fully agrees to, because like you said, her caring nature won't let her forsake anyone on both Mikado and Tokio.
The most realistic reaction to the conflict, a fan favorite for a reason! Shame she is so hard to get in the game
While I can agree with Isabeau's compassion and indecisiveness to an extent, I felt that the writers made her indecisive for too long in the story.
She only decides to join Flynn after you come back from blasted and infernal Tokyo while in-between that period she tries searching for Walter, Flynn and Jonathan.
It didn't really feel like she was searching for another solution imo, it felt like she was just given one by Masakado and was like: "wait, this is the solution I've wanted and waited for".
It's only in the law/chaos routes where we see her get her act together and try to stop the law/chaos reps that made me like her character slightly more than in her own route.
I mean...if you can't even make your alignment rep likable in their own route, you pretty much fucked up somewhere.
Never thought I'd say I like lucifer
yeah honestly...
Seems like the only times Lucy isn't an asshole are in SMT II and SJR.
You had 66 likes before me)
Even in Christianity, I think Lucifer was separate from Satan, but in modern society, melded the two together. Lucifer is the Greek name for light bringer, for what we call the morning star, while Satan's name does have Herbrew roots and is never mention to be the morning star.
@@ltb1345Ohh what about lucifer nocturne?
daichi: i'm a big baby waaah
yamato: merit system
ronaldo: justice blah blah i love justice
alcor: ok i pull up hop out at the after party
Unironically the plot
Sigma Al Saiduq stare
Wait, do only those characters have routes (I haven't beat DS2 yet)? If so then that's pretty disappointing.
@@ltb1345 yeah, but each character splits off in to the groups they personally believe in. daichi's route has a few alterations depending on if you've gotten everyone (other than a few characters anyway) to fate rank 4 at the minimum and if you've watched the "Concepts" event that appears on day 7 i believe.
Well daichi towards the end is not anymore baby but actually belives in what he says and is willing to fight for it making him one of the 4 good desu 2 characters along with joe, alcor and sometimes airi
SMT2's law ending was one that really stuck with me long after completing it. At the end of your long journey, after judging humanity on god's behalf with Satan at your side, you would expect him to never betray his master. But even he realizes there is one final being yet to be judged. One that deserves it, even if his intentions were just. Judging YHVH alongside Satan was a very memorable moment, and the callback to it in SMTIV-A's slayer ending filled me with so much joy(even if Satan looks a little less cool in that game).
I love Dahn he is pretty underrated. But imo the best law representative is Amane, she never get in the classic law "kill everyone doesn't follow us" and she even joins you in the good chaos route.
Yeah I am a big fan of Amane. She for sure deserves to be in the top Law aligned characters ever. I tried to not use man devil survivor characters though since "alignment" isn't really a thing there. Except for Al Saiduq of course
The Raidou series are so underrated in general, so yeah.
Come on ATLUS remaster/remake the Raidou series.
Amane is Amabae.
I think changing alignments is a mark *against* a character as an alignment representative.
then again, I hate all the Eighth Days, so what do I know?
@@christopherbravo1813 Amane doesn't chane allignemnt so much as change plans.
Her ideals are always about _humanity,_ first and foremost. She just thinks Ramiel's explanation of God's plan is the most realistic option - putting her faith in you in Chaos if you keep the compassion for humanity she believes in.
Lucifer in SMTII: Advocates for peaceful anarchy free of tyranny and unnecessary violence
Lucifer in SMTIV: THE WEAK MUST MUST DIE SO ONLY THE STRONG MAY SURVIVE
There are some fan theories which say the Lucifer of each game might be different entities. It makes sense because, for example, SMT III's Lucifer seems much more powerful, ambitious and calculating than SMT IV's one (and it might be the same which appears in SMT V).
@@Sextus70 SMT4 Lucifer is a puppet, SMT3 Lucifer decidedly isn't
At all
He's like, a literal death trap for your hand.
Mastema and Zelenin is the only Law reps that actually made me want to join up with them. Actually everyone of the reps in Strange Journey are amazing
Zelenin is the best girl, good to see another person believing this
I should play that game one day.
Lucifer from SMT II is so well-written imo. His staunch adherence to freedom of choice and living by his own values signal a person who is exceptionally principled.
To give my own little grain of salt, when I first played Strange Journey, I viewed Zelenin as more of a tragic figure. To me, she was a good person who, after witnessing all the bad both humans and demons could do, decided to go for the alternative that could stop all those attrocities.
But, in this persue, she ended up losing herself, her humanity, and decided that the only way was to colectively lobotomize all of society. Ana attitude I saw tragically close to the things she went through in Sector B.
PD: sorry if there are some mistakes, I am not that good at writting in English.
One thing I love about Devil Survivor 2 is the closest endings it has to Law and Chaos are such unique spins on the idea.
Yamato desires a world where the only important thing is one's merit. Those who are superior rise to the top, much like Chaos.
Ronaldo desires a world where humanity is united in a common purpose, though rather than exhalting some god, that purpose is helping each other.
But their personalities are flipped from the series archetypes for their alignments.
Yamato is a cool, high and mighty government employee, and Ronaldo is a brash, emotional revolutionary.
Fittingly, the end screens for their endings invert the usual color scheme too - Blue for Yamato's world of merit, and Red for Ronaldo's egalitarian world.
Their methods and end goals are also polar opposites to traditional systems that usually end up set up with Law and Chaos Routes.
Yamato's Meritocracy allows room for personal growth, which is almost always stagnant in the Law ones, since they can basically be boiled down to 'stay where we want you and obey', and he's also technically a government employee: he doesn't want the same system he benefited from still in place, he wants one where if someone better then him comes after his job, they get it, which is pretty chaotic all things considered.
Ronaldo is essentially a Rebel fighting against the 'system' who wants everyone to be treated as equal, which would undoubtedly lead to societies that the angels would definitely want(everyone being content with where they are, and stagnant in personal growth).
At best they're inverted representations of the alignments. That or they're the opposite of what everyone labels them as
I always thought Zelenin was a wet blanket, but after hearing your reasoning...…
I still do, but she's aight I guess.
I'll take what I can get
Same. I guess we gotta get back into the journey
Jimenez is more based, IMO.
@@ltb1345 he has buga-boo that's an instant win
I do certainly respect Zelenin, but I find Jimenez far more appealing. At first he only thinks about himself, but when he meets bugaboo he finds someone he can relate to. When bugaboo is threatened, he gets angry and protective, and he sacrifices his humanity to save him. That’s what Chaos is to me, the freedom to take care of yourself and those you care about by making yourself strong, not looking for protection from an authority that can demand too much in return. Chaos ending does suck in SJ, but Jimenez will always be best boy
I think SJR new chaos ending was pretty good. I never got to the base chaos ending but from what I read that sounded like shite.
@@joao20able To be fair, all the endings in base Strange Journey are shite...
Chaos : Everyone is demon meat
Law : Everyone is brainwashed and spend their time praying.
Neutral : You beat back the Schwartzwerld and hope that mankind can get their shit together (unlikely seeing as the crew erases every trace of their journey).
SJR chaos ending is the best ending of all of them im my opinion
This was a fun enjoyable video. I'm newer to SMT but definitely more swayed to Chaos than Law naturally, however Neutral seems the most rational to me from the games i've played. When I finally jumped into SMT3 and saw how dumb all the reps aside from freedom ending were I almost dismissed the law v chaos theming of SMT entirely as a shallow politics 101 retelling of radical, hugely flawed perspectives. I didn't though and i'm glad. I'm currently streaming SMT4 on twitch blindly and yesterday just managed to get Neutral route with isabeau by chance. Can't wait to see how the rest of it plays out!
That's awesome, I hope you love the series as much as me! Nocturne is an interesting case as it was stated in an interview all of the reasons are a form of Law in some way, but it was not clearly stated and lead people to assume the usual 3 alignment system. While a lot boil down to the radical ideals as you said, many of the games take a more nuanced approach.
Heya hiding, hope you have a good day and welcome to the community
Yeah, Yuko is the only based character in Nocturne.
I feel like SMT 3 is less about general alignments and more about personal philosophies, which I greatly prefer.
also, I like how Kagutsuchi isn't a total asshole.
@@Tony4You I feel like Nocturne is a reflection of SMT II. SMT II was set in a world ruled by Law and all it's endings was about injecting some degree of Chaos into it. Even the Law ending had you rebel agsinst YHVH and substitute his ideal of Law with your own. Similarly the Reasons in Nocturne is about taking the raw potential of Chaos and forming something structured and Law-oriented out of it. Even the "survival of the fittest"-ideology, which usually is used as a Chaos character motivation, would in Nocturne ironically result in the world most like YHVH's strict power hirarchy. Now Nocturne did give you the option of going full Chaos all the way, while SMTII didn't give the choice of say becoming YHVH's willing slave while the world burned. But they already let you do that in MTII so they might have considered it a bit redundant.
My favorite Law rep- Best SMT girl Amane (also my favorite Law ending in the series).
My favorite Neutral rep- Isabeau (although SMT IV's Neutral ending probably isn't my favorite).
My favorite Chaos rep- Jimenez (and New Chaos from Redux is my favorite Chaos ending in the series).
My favorite Reason rep- Yuko.
My favorite "True Neutral" character- Atsuro.
You know I kinda like Walter and Jonathan. In a vaccume both of them have really good ideas on a small scale and you also see their flaws on again a small scale
Walter is cool but kinda reckless, Jonathan is a kind person but really bad about pointing out the person wasnt bad, the system was.
But then once powerful demons get into the mix, they take these basically good people with good ideas and pump it full of Stupid Juice.
I really hope SMT V has the alignment reps naturally develop and grow their ideas and not suddenly become full law or chaos or whatever alignment system there's gonna be. One of my biggest issues with IV Is how Jonathan and Walter go from light-law and light-chaos at most, to full on genocidal law and survival of the fittest chaos. Might be due to them turning into Lucifer and Merkabah, but it's still frustrating how these characters who weren't even that extreme in their beliefs have their ideologies get turned into shit
It looks to be one of the best games in the series from what we know. A big departure from SMT4 at least. Here's hoping for the best!
Thank goodness I’m not the only one who thought the alignment split was a little contrived.
I got roped into Law route, and I liked Jonathan enough, so I kept moving forward. But once he begrudgingly merged with the chariots and became Merkabah, it honestly didn’t feel like I was fighting for the world Jonathan would want. I was stuck with a genocidal deity, and it made me so uncomfortable that I reloaded back to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor and got to do the Isabeau/Masakado ending.
Everyone I see who talks about IV says that Walter & Jonathan become extremists, but you see how they got to that point ideologically. I honestly kinda didn’t.
@@Melphisto_ As someone who played smt4 mostly blind(some names merged in my head and wasn't able to know where I had to go sometimes) and having to kill everyone in Tokio because I was in the law route (you know, the route you usually go if you select the nice/selfless options) didn't felt right.
eh i mean kinda
Jonathan's makes enough sense. It's mostly the stress getting to him.
But why is Walter suddenly a fan of survival of the fittest? Why the FUCK does he LIKE Infernal Tokyo? Does he not see the writing on the wall of the Neurisher/Demonoid caste system? Does he just never see any of the Neurishers? His main reason for fighting is because of his struggles with the caste system, which is fair, but then the Angels go ahead and abolish it, and now he's arguing for a "might makes right" system, which is a guarantee at a rigid class system.
Walter you dumb fuck.
Dahn's story in Raidou 2 spoke to me so much that I actually cried as I learned about his motivation and what would happen to Akane unless he did everything he could. Maybe it's being an older brother too, but his whole thing really made me want to join him at every step of the journey.
Dahn deserved better, his heart was in the right place
I would say Zayin from SMT II. He is just such a well done character, how he journeys and challenges his beliefs before becoming a Law representative is just a joy to watch.
Another SMT 2 enjoyer. I went with him my first playthrough and liked him a lot too yeah
Devil Survivor Overclocked has my favourites. Whether it be going as the benevolent King of Demons or the redeeming New Messiah of Law. So many good options
Best Smt story(DeSu) i would say It tops P2 duology and P3 afther *a certain Guy*'s death
I wish the mainline was like spin offs in terms of story
My motto in SMT has always been:
"Never be swayed by the sweet temptations of Chaos, nor be blinded by the false hope of Law. To be human is to embrace both and walk the Neutral path."
So I always try to remain Neutral but I will admit, two of your choices actually would have swayed me to go down the chaotic route as they do seem more like they would lead to a much happier ending.
As it should be. I would also think the majority of players think that way too. I'm kind of a Law fanboy though lol
I usually feel like Law is the coward's option, refusing to risk any major possibility of change in the future, just to ensure humans survive. It's not just living in a cage, it's having your wings clipped and beak tied shut.
On the other hand, Chaos is the bloodiest option, with many Chaos routes all but guaranteeing a majority of humanity dies or withers away, without any real guarantee of successful growth or improvement. It's the 'bet it all on one hand of blackjack' choice, which is irresponsible at best and psychotic at worst.
If one forced me to choose, despite valuing Law personally, I'd have to pick Chaos, only because a chance of a better future is more than you can hope for in a dull grey Law world. Play that hand of blackjack instead of leaving the casino with only a few chips. Maybe we'd get lucky.
I finished Smt 5 by saving Tokyo not realizing it was the chaos route. Tsukuyomi is imo the best chaos rep because of how RIGHT it felt in that game. The other endings are generic law no freedom but peaceful, destroy the throne and just rebuild and fight (this sounded more like chaos than the chaos ending), or genocide all your demon buddies.
@@ChargeQM Yeah it really depends on the game
Sometimes chaos is liberation like in smt2 and devil survivor. Sometimes it s a scam and Darwin's meme like smt IV
Sometimes law is actually a well reasoned option like in devil survivor or strange journey. Or it's completely bonkers like smt IV(i swear i love smt IV and part of it is how the alignment are but you gotta admit they really feel like picking the least worse plague)
I side with whatever gives me the most content, which is normally Neutral
I can explain the discrepancy between the point system for the alignments, at least from the Law side. Law is largely founded on Utilitarianism and thus it not just weighs the lives currently in the world but those that will exist in the future to maximize happiness. The everlasting, actual utopia Law seeks to create will benefit everyone in the future, as well as their current followers and thus the mass loss of life in the present is seen as a regrettable but necessary sacrifice. However, the severity of their actions is not loss on them, which is why SMT4!Flynn and SMT4!Flynn die to atone for the deaths of the people in Tokyo.
While I agree Zelenin is a great alignment rep for Law, my personal favorite is Amane, with her route also being the best Law route in all of SMT IMO.
Ah that makes sense. Sacrifice for Utopia seems to be the whole vibe
Agreed about Amane and her route.
I was *NOT* expecting Zelenin as your number one. She was always one of my less favored reps. You gave very good reasoning as to your choice, though. Not enough to change my mind on Jimenez being the superior charater, but certainly enough that I respect your opinion, lel. If anything, it goes to show just how fleshed out this series is -- everyone's favorite SMT character seems to be different.
Maybe it's the waifu enjoyer in me, but I do think she is amazing. Glad you liked the video and appreciate the input!
@@Tony4YouIf I may ask, why didn't you put Amane from DS on this list?
I am going to try to give my 2 cents on both the rep themselves, and the ending they lead to. I might end up taking more about one over the other.
Alcor/Al Saiduq: This is actually the first route I picked when I played the original version of Devil Survivor 2. And I do admit that I was satisfied with the way his route ended. I absolutely loved his vocal performance in Record Breaker. I could totally fall asleep listening to his sweet voice!
Isabeau: While I haven't played SMT IV as of now, I like the idea of a kinda Love Interest-ish heroine serving as the Neutral rep. Plus, her manga obsession is fun to watch. And I am genuinely angry when Merkabah calls her "Unclean" just because she likes manga.
Dahn: I would love to comment on a Chaos rep that isn't a "Only the strong must survive!" asshole but I have barely started Raidou VS The Soulless Army!
SMT 2 Lucifer: I find incredibly strange how Chaos is a downright Good Ending here, the only other Megaten titles to have an unambiguously good incarnation of The Morning Star are some of the Devil Children games. Not gonna lie, I like when you have Chaos and Law endings that are not the stereotypes that you often associate with (Those being "Every man for himself" and "Submit to god or face punishment")
Zelenin: I don't know how to feel about the alternate/plus endings in Redux, they give me this strange (pun not intended) bittersweet feeling that I just can't shake off. Specially the new Law ending.
On Zelenin herself, while I can understand her distaste for demons and refusal to use them. I didn't like that she always just sticked to that single Power Mastema gave her. Not even using any other angels or Law aligned demons. Though that feeling of wanting to remove all of the negative emotions of humans to see a world full of evil... Not gonna lie, there are times when I have that samw thought...
Good takes. I see we agree on a lot of things
@@Tony4You If I were to mention some characters that werent in the video I would mention Amane from Devil Survivor 1. Which I think a few people already mentioned.
I think the alignment reps of NINE are pretty interesting, but I dont know enough about them to make a full opinion on them.
Devil Children doesn't really have alignments per-say, but it does have a pretty tragic Law character. Nagahisa Kai. The half brother of the protagonist Setsuna Kai.
Its pretty depressing to see this kid be brainwashed by the angels, and end up fighting his bro.
Walter is the best Chaos-aligned hero because he chaotically ends your run against Minotaur when he feels like it.
Narrative in mechanics, he brings chaos to the battles. Best rep
"I'll end it thus!"
"Wait, for me or the Minotaur?"
"I'LL. END. IT. THUS."
@@mastemathedank4043 I don't care. I'm bored. Someone's gonna die.
@@mastemathedank4043Trully a precious chaos boy
my fav alignment rep is Yuji/Law Hero from SMT 1, I got the impression that in 1 Law values self sacrifice for the greater good and from beginning to end he fully represents that, and it makes total sense that he was revived to become the Law Hero because he was chosen as someone who represents their beliefs. He is selfless from the start of the game looking for his girlfriend until the very end. His sacrifice in Ginza shocked me when I first played and he was the only alignment rep (so far) to break me away from neutral.
I kinda interpret that he was kidna mind wiped on his revival. seemed like the sorta thing the higher up law agents would do. make the perfect puppet.
I like the chaos hero from that game more tbh. Yeah he's got school shooter vibes but he becomes a cool half demon samurai man with a goth gf
In SMT 1, Law people literally had people working till death in slavery to build the cathedral. Wtf man
@@PedroDragonNest i never said as a person i agree with the things that they do. I just was drawn to that alignment because of the character. Frankly it is pretty hard to actually agree with any alignment in most SMT games because they all have downsides or are rooted in extremism of some kind. People in the megaten community need to realise that liking an ending does not mean you agree with it. I like the "true" ending in V that doesnt mean i agree with genocide, I just like what it represents from a metaphorical standpoint and find it really interesting
@@louish5068 I see your point, it just wasn't clear to me, i apologize. This is one thing that i hate in SMT. There's not even an actual choice between alignments if you really put your heart in it, you know? Unless you're some kind of "strange person", neutral is always the less worse
This video was pretty swag. I had to skip out on watching the number 1 spot because I don't want to be spoiled on Strange Journey. Keep up the good work!
You got most of it. Come back when you finish the game king
Same, but for number 5. I'll come back to this when I beat Devil Survivor 2.
Personally, for me it's a tossup between Amane and Ramiel, both from Devil Survivor, and both the best Law Reps in the series.
It helps that Devil Survivor has one of the kindest depictions of YHVH in the series, and that Overclocked's Law 8th Day goes hard on themes of forgiveness from sin and even outright _appealing_ God's decisions - which feels very Jewish in a way the series really should explore more.
(I'm personally agnostic, I just really respect the jewish tendancy to argue.)
Yeah same
Personally i went more from chaos or Atsuro neutral, but i liked that every option actually felt like real solutions and not a desesperate scheme you would only take because that's the best you can come up with
come on my man Jimenez
isn't here
Sorry brother his character is fun but he isn't that interesting
Isabeau best girl
Best neutral gal in the series!
5: Walter
4: Chaos hero SMT IV
3: Al Saiduq
2: Isamu Nitta
1: Naoya
Yes, I am a chaos enthusiast
Isamu is more Neutral Law tho.
Ha very good information friend, much love from mexico 🙂
Thanks, viva Mexico
I really enjoy your content dude, some of the best smt vids in youtube!
Also I like how you this video shows some of the best ways to interpret each alignment. Chaos sure can be survival of the fittest, as Law can be pure fanatism, but I like when a character uses their alignment to try and do the best they can. Gotta respect them!
Thanks a ton! I absolutely agree that every alignment has merit depending on how it's applied, and sticking to one no matter what is a detriment to the games. Every scenario is different
Can't believe I haven't discovered your channel before. This is a fantastic video and I find your reasoning for your choices really compelling- I love to see more Megaten channels that focus on the narrative of the games and the characters within. Excited to see what you do next!
Thanks so much! It really means a lot to hear people enjoy the general content I do. I think the next one will be just as informative
Dropping my algorithm booster! Love the videos and can't wait to see more!
Personally, I find the "bad ending" reps of some of the games quite interesting as well. For example:
Yuzu on Devil survivor 1 represents the desire to run away, but she is the most relatable character in the critical situation of the plot. She's just a girl, she's scared and dragged into a position she never chose.
Miyako from Devil Survivor 2 is someone who is solely based on doing things without thinking for herself.
And The White from SMT IV are my favorite. Their posture on ending it all to stop all suffering actually rings true when you think about it.
Yeah often times the most relatable characters are "bad ending" types. Yuzu is a great example of an extremely understandable character
Not to be judgmental, but you're cracked if you think there's anything good about the law path and zelenin in SJ. She may have been good-natured at the start, but Mastema's manipulation made her nothing short of evil. The total removal of a person's free will is one of the most horrific things you can do to somebody. There is nothing that justifies it.
When I wanted to kill Jack's crew for revenge, I never realized that I would actually be granting them a mercy.
THANK YOU! AND TONY LEFT OUT THE FACT THAT SHE STRIPS FREE WILL FROM MAN IN THE OG SJ ENDING BECAUSE SHE DEEMS FREE WILL THE SOURCE OF MANS EVIL.
LIKE BRUH THATS THE MAIN REASON GOD MADE HUMANS BECAUSE FREE WILL ALLOWS US TO CHOSE HE WANTS US TO CHOOSE GOOD OF OUR OWN VOLITION AND THOUGHT NOT TO BE FORCED.
BRUH SHE LITERALLY IN UNO-REVERSING YHVH AND TONY LIKES THAT?
BRUH
WHAT????
ZELENIN IS LITERALLY THE WORST LAW REP IN ALL OF SJ. GOOD GOD.
@@eW91dHViZSBpcyBjZW5zb3JzaGlw I'm glad somebody agrees with me, I was worried that I'd misinterpreted something about the Law route. Rewatching it now, Tony is 100% lying about pretty much everything to do with Zelenin.
What about Mr.Thriller, the head of the Disco alignment?
hmmm good point. Let's say honorable mention
Can we get some love for best boy Atsuro from Devil Survivor 1?!? He is so damn good at his job, he basically gives Humanity the best trump card they could have ever gotten without losing much to boot.
Plus, he will follow you in EVERY POSSIBLE ROUTE which itself shows how loyal a friend he is to you. Absolutely best boy.
I remember when I played strange journey on the ds back in the day I chose the law route, but after getting it's ending I never stuck with law in any other SMT game.
I have watched like 3/4 videos of your channel in a row and before looking to the subscribers number I really thought your channel had like thousands andthousands of subscribers because of the quality of the videos. Keep the hard work, I'm sure it will pay off
Thanks, that means a lot. Here's hoping I reach it someday. In the mean time I'll try to keep up the good work!
Redux new neutral was my favorite. Alex was a good addition and mc becoming the protector of humanity was endearing.
My first route in sjr was law and i loved zelennin, every changes in the story gave me goosebumps like in apocalypse more times than og 4 gave me. But man convincing zelennin of a better future was so satisfying and great to do, she s definitely my favorite smt girl
Praise be to Zelenin!
I'm so proud of myself for getting the Record Breaker ending in Devil Survivor 2 the first time I played it. I didn't even know it was the hardest, I just really wanted it.
That is impressive yeah! If that's the world you wanted first, you deserved it after all you have to go through
I've always been sympathetic to chaos. What can I say, the desire to destroy oppressive and unjust systems just seems especially attractive these days.
It's definitely enticing for most people's desire for freedom
@@Tony4You Especially given how mild SMTV chaos was, meanwhile, the "neutral" endings seemed more like extreme chaos and extreme law.
Nice choosing Isabeau for best Neutral alignment! She's a genuinely selfless character to her core. Even just thinking about her fate in the Chaos and Law alignments makes me emotional 😢
Isabeau deserved better, all anyone talks about is her obsession with manga lol. Genuinely a good person
The Prentices are some of my favourite, and I really hate the Archangels for deleting and replacing Jonathan.
Walter kind of falls too quickly into Chaos for my liking, but he is a character I love.
Replaying SMT4 has given me a new appreciation on the story and characters of it. I love that game so much
This might be a touchy subject, but I like Yuzu's neutral route. It teaches there are consequences to every action and in Overclocked that you can make up for that. I get that it's a run away route, but if that's how it goes.
Honestly you just made me wish for a devil surviver 3
We can dream man
To be fair i still have to catch on Redux, that's why I still can't say Zelenin is at all my fav, but this new ending seems promising. For base game, Mastema sounds much more convincing. Also this video helped me understand funny paradox i have with those games. While my ideology bouncess me back from most SMT Law endings, as for me they look mostly like making earth heavenly panopticon, or being controlled, they usually make more sense in games and i must admit that.
That being said my top 4 representatives would be (without particular order)
1. Alcor as neutral rep (Devil Survivor 2)
2. Naoya for personal aspect of this war with god (Devil Survivor) and Louisa Ferre as chaos rep (Strange Journey)
3. Mastema as law rep.
Of course I'm gonna be the stereotypical P5 fan butting my nose in, but I find it interesting that it could be viewed as a heavily Chaos-lopsided run with basically all major antagonists (and "bad endings") being Law-aligned.
In particular, Maruki's totalitarian/hedonistic utilitarian perspectives on warping reality to achieve everyone's happiness is stupidly tempting in-game, and something I would probably end up agreeing to IRL if given the chance.
Honourable Lawful mentions go to Akira Konoe and EMMA from P5S; one painfully human and the other painfully inhuman, but both trying to save humanity from its worst habits any way they know how. Thanks for the food for thought about SMT's alignment system!
Yeah in general Persona when viewed under an SMT lens is a chaos aligned series as a whole
The fact that the true final boss of the game is essentially the YHVH equivalent of that universe and Joker's final Persona looks pretty much like a Chaos aligned demon kind of reinforces your point.
I feel like Yamato would still be law in my understanding. Yes, his merit system does have what would be “chaotic values”, but it nonetheless an ideology meant to run a society. Ronaldo’s route seems to preach more anarchic values and his vision seems to be that more of the average hippy commune.
Yeah There's more nuance to the characters than the alignment system might imply. I agree with this take
Yamato: I want to create a world where corruption can no longer smother humanity's potential, and people are free to carve their own place in the world
Ronaldo: Let's try REAL communism!
Number 5 basically leads to the Secondary Storyline in DS2
Wow, I really want to play SMTII because of your glowing review of Lucifer.
You gotta admit, Strange Journey had really good reps in general. They’re all really charismatic and it’s hard to pick one to side with. Jimenez is a hardened soldier who doesn’t take well to authority. But he also has a kindness and trust of his comrades, and is one of the only people to see demons as living beings with their own thoughts and desires. Gore is a natural leader and is extremely selfless. One of the best humanity has to offer. It’s tough seeing him battle with himself after he dies, but it’s satisfying when he eventually comes back to his senses. He recognizes the flaws of humanity, but sees the potential we have. He sacrifices himself to give humanity an opportunity to change.
Honestly i like new chaos a lot better than both Zelenin routes and comparing characters in a series that specifically doesn't try to develop alignment reps so that the choice wouldn't come from character love is just
I felt so validated when he started with Al Saiduq. I love, love extremely love his character and route in the OG arc. Hhh thank you!
Al Saiduq for life!
@@Tony4You Al Saiduq for life! (2)
I'm so going Chaos for SMT 5. I do love Walter in SMT 4. He really challenges the system and thinks about what is going on though.
This is amazing.
Hey thanks!
not just a banger vid.......... this is a legendarily based vid bro
also not sure if you noticed but at 0:58 you said devil survivor 1, instead of 2
Thanks king.We keep it real in these vids. Also thanks for pointing out the mistake
Arthur's my favorite, just for being an AI who doesn't go nuts and a real one.
While I would hesitate to call him an alignment rep, people do seem to like his character lol
@@Tony4You towards the end? probably. Commander gore is still up there, though!
Number 1: Me. I am based and epic
Chaos...
I feel a lot of people sleep on Zayim of smt 2, one of the most unique alignment reps of the entire franchise, for he as a law rep present themes that completely clash versus modern smt law alignment, showing us a law rep that does not follow order just for the sake of it, ignoring completely the value and meaning of human life and will riot against an institution of order if he deems that the former is an oppresive and violent state that drains the blood of the people for no good reason SPOILER even YHVH is not excepted of this rule.
That amount of depth is nowhere to be found in the next numerical smt plus sj (I can't talk about 3 bc I have'nt played yet)
Absolutely agree, while the route itself is hard to swallow for some people. Zayin completely stand by his beliefs to much so that individuals including God and himself are subject to judgement. Very unique and interesting concept
I always have been more of a Neutral route follower (even if I unfortunately end up most of the time in law alignment because I cannot help myself to be so damn nice) because most alignment rep for chaos and law in SMT look so damn extreme, between the bland "survival to the fittest" chaos dude who will then complains that you beat them up when by their principles they should now shut up and comply and the law rep who look a lot of time like "give your brain a brainwash or I give him a bullet" than most of the time i can't follow them in their logic. Nice video nonetheless and I will go look into Raidou 2 because it looks extremely interesting.
Very nice video :p
Hey thanks!
For SMT V, I was imagining this very basic twist for law and chaos characters.
It would be with the archetypes of what you would expect from each representative, with law being the neat guy with eyeglasses, typical good grades elite with bright future, and for chaos the rowdy, going at his own pace attention (power) seeker.
Glasses would be ok following order to keep his sister safe in some shelter guarded by angels, but their failure to protect her/the shelter would push him to stop depending on "the authority" (because his parents would push him into this lifestyle) and would start progressive and aggressively seeking power to protect her himself.
Rowdy would be excited at first at the prospect of being stronger like a hero everyone admires/respects. But since he ginds out he's useless compared to MC, and then finally be close to dying, he would become fearful and accept anything coming from the angel side for protection, with the hope of at dome point grtting some sort of authority over the rest of humanity as an Order representative. Just so it doesn't seem like one-sidedly pathetic/antagonistic compared to glasses, he would seem to legit think giving up to Order is hid actual last hope, and by extension humanity's, becoming convinced he is actually becoming a hero by "not being self-centered and wanting power for himself"
Anyway, that was my SMT V fanfic. Cheers.
Yeah SMTII Lucifer was the most sane and noble version of him out their, like it's almost surprising how different SMTII Lucifer is from all his later incarnations
I'm surprised Amane is on here as she's often considered the best Lawful rep
Yeah, there is a reason most people praise SMT 2 for being one of the best narratives in SMT to this day
its never was about your background but your intent that is the most important.
Wogh late to party but hey thanks to P5R coming to XBox Pass, i run into and subscribe to the Channel
I play most of English Translated SMT/Persona game but Strange Journey probably have a special place in my heart due to the fact i play it in 2010 when i was idk... 5 grader maybe haha
While the ending is somehow heavy especially for me who's a brat at that time
Zelenin, Gore and Jimenez really grow on me especially Zelenin who really want the world to be a better place
But if i really have to choose the best Law ending, it's either Kingdom of Saints from Devil Survivor 1 or Law Ending from SMT II
Anyway if you ever read it thanks for making this kind of video
I already binge watching 2/3 of it
And yeah... keep up the good work man
Hey that means a lot, I appreciate it. Always nice to see a new fan to the series enjoy the videos I put out. Hope you stick around!
Hey im sure this question has been answered a buncha times, but what’s the reason you say that strange journey redux isnt as good as the original? Im tryna see which version i wanna play
Never got to play any of the Raidou games but I feel like when I think chaos reasons, Dahn's reasons come to mind first (that traditions are meant to be broken; what is the "law" and rules now may not always be right) instead of what we usually get in SMT.
Isabeau was the reason I forced myself to get Neutral ending first in SMTIV cause she was the only one I fully agreed with lol. I love smtiv but I just don't like either law or chaos's endings.
I do think any future games that do the law vs chaos would benefit from a good and bad endings for both of them perhaps the good endings could take a yin and yang approach having a bit chaos in law and a bit of law in chaos while the bad endings are the extreme ends that we're used to.
That would be very interesting, especially when taking into the light and dark variants of each alignment. It would be a lot of work, but very cool
I thought the SMT V Law route arguments completely annihilated all the other ones (except for the hidden ending, I haven’t gone through that yet). It was actually funny whenever you meet with all the alignment reps in that heavenly place and they all argue amongst each other and Dazai just bulldozes over the other ones to the point where their only argument left is, “Uhhh, yeah… but…. BUT YOU’RE EVIL.” Like, LOL.
SMTV has it's fair share of problems but the Law ending really is the best
Out of curiosity what are your thoughts of other Lucifer appearances like in Nocturne?
🤨 erm
Dan is a good dude. i always liked him.
Bless Dahn, he deserved better
Jimenez(redux) is my favourite smt character outside of Persona(P3P, to be exact). I love the way he values compassion.
I'm an avid chaos follower, but Zelenin is probably the only Law Rep that could sway me
Isabeau is definitely one of my *FAVORITE* characters in all of SMT! Good shit! Plus, Flynn is a pretty badass MC.
Also, I will *NEVER* abide the loss of free wull and I can't really side with Law alignments.
I dunno.
It's just that taking the way the choice, intentions aside, seems beyond wtong... even if that choice kills us all in the end.
That said, doing whatever the hell you want, consequences be damned, ain't exactly okay either.
I dunno.
I think I'm something of a chaotic neutral person by nature, so that's prolly why.
SMT 4 was my first true game in the series and my first play through I got neutral and I wasnt even trying to. Was just an accident but Im glad I did as that ending was worth it.
Real talk? I can almost never get behind law due to the big guy behind Law. and teh fact that depend on it, they like to uhhh.. Get rid of everyone they don't like, no chance.
Tony: has interesting and good arguments for why he likes each rep
Me: haha Walter funny man hoy hoy
Good a reason as any lol
Agreed, he is a pretty decent character up until the last quarter of the game.
Probably because he is a bro and relates to most players because the majority of players of SMT aren't rich or has a high status of power.
tbh I got the alternative natural ending in devil survivor 2 on accident bc I thought I can talk to him about what path to take
You really turned me around on zelenin haha. I feel like I understand her alot better now whereas in my playthrough she felt uncompromising and uncooperative with the reality we faced in the schwarzvalt.
Really glad to hear that! I really felt she was underappreciated and am happy I could turn at least a few people around. Hope you liked the video
Nah, the joke still made sense. Yes, there were two Neutral and two Chaos reps here, but the sole Law rep was the one who ultimately got the Gold. Who cares about Silver and Bronze :P
Isabeul is a easy character to get behind tbh lol. She's got a good head on her shoulders and has cute traits like the manga thing. Especially compared to "I'm the chaos guy" and "I'm the law guy"
Absolutely, if her route wasn't so difficult to get I think everyone would side with her first playthrough
@@Tony4You my first was the whites, mostly just to hit ng+ quicker. though I have trouble going through stuff I already did without getting bored so it my only ending I have. really need to get back to these games.
She is the most lame one
While Walter and Jonathan have charisma and reasons to believe in what they believe Isabeau is a blank piece of paper with anime waifu traits so more people choose their perfect super epic neutral route(like always)
@@neoonewingedren1836 Hot take, hot take. Walter's decision to go off the deep end is hasty AF, and Jonathan is more or less the same
@@kichiroumitsurugi4363 Walter is a little rushed but Jonathan since the start thought that following "God" was the right thing to do
Agree both man of law
Tony4You: Dahn Tsukigata--
Me: *_Agneyastras the Like button_*
But seriously though, Dahn is so, so underrated, and deserved much better
Raidou fans rise up! Thanks for the support
Ngl, one problem of smt 4 is that it really feels like it pushes for neutral route being the only good choice lol.
Yeah SMT4 has alignments be very extreme on either side. Shame neutral is so hard to get lol
Al saiduq is from devil survivor 2 and the remake,
Please make more video about devil survivor
I love Lucifer ❤
Couldn't see myself saying it ever, but here I am. I love Lucifer!
Depends on which lucifer you're on about.
In imagine lucifer was dark neutral. Didn't really feel like a world of chaos.
Same with smt 2.
In noucturn he's.. Both light and dark neutral somehow
@@jackour8167 Lucifer is a dick in Nocturne and the SMT IV games, lol.
#5 - When I dropped Devil Survivor 2 for some unknown reason, I think I was on his route. I guess it was too hard for me to complete?
But what if Redux is one of the best ways I can even play Strange Journey now? Legally, I might add.
That said, I never looked further beyond how I thought of the alignments and Neutral being the way to go. The devil is in the details as they always say. Too bad I just suck in general at these types of games, cause I hit a harsh grind wall in SMTIV. Neutral path, which is what I wanted. But I have big Law tendencies apparently.
My favourite it would be stephen hawkins. I mean in SMT ends up in a weelchar after fighting against a demon mano a mano.
Ronaldo is a stagnant law where humanty slows progression to aid the weak, Yamato is Law if it had Chaos philosiphies on the strong and gifted being the ones to control man.
Interesting way of looking at it. Devil Survivor's characters never cease to amaze me
I see Ronaldo more as a law where humanity lifts everyone up and destroys oppressive hierarchy, and Yamato as a Law where a few at the top hoard everything leaving the unfortunate to fend for themselves.
A very important point to keep in mind is that a "meritocracy" does not take into account the unjust benefits some people have over others due to the circumstances of their birth, although a little sloppy, DeSu 2 brings that point to light with Ronaldo's and Makoto's stories.
I see Ronaldo as Chaos if Chaos was open and honest.
Good list. Now I'm interested in your least favorite.
Maybe I will make that one lol
@@Tony4You All of the reps in SMT4A.
Start from desu2 i dont think they represent traditional aligment. They are more akin to reason in smt 3 as polaris acting as kagutsuchi. Even mantra in smt 3 is not chaos aligment due to it follow the law of great will of world reincarnation.
Yeah plenty of SMT games have more nuance to the alignment in their scale, which is something I love to see explored
I typically do what the most beautiful women in the game tell me to do.
Zelenin my queen, I'll reshape the world for her 😳
In DeSu 1, **spoilers** btw, I like to go for the King of Bel ending, because ultimately it means that your character after waging war with YHVH will be in control, and from there you can essentially exert your will into the world, which while incredibly selfish feels like the most "you can still be a benevolent dictator" sort of idea LOL. I like to imagine it like becoming Doctor Doom.
I haven't finished Strange Journey yet so I didn't watch your reasoning for Zelenin, but so far she hasn't convinced me to go her direction, that could change of course, but so far her aggro against the demons while justified feels just the slightest bit irrational on a survival angle. I have heard good things about the law ending in SJ though, and how it isn't completely fucked up. My characters alignment is still somehow neutral even though I'm I think 14 hours into the game, but yeah. Still not sure what ending I'm going to go for.
well in SJ(original) the law ending was F up. I didn't knew the new version had the endings changed. Guess I need to play both to see them all.