Flynn

Flynn is the protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei IV.

Appearances

 * Shin Megami Tensei IV: Protagonist
 * Shin Megami Tensei IV -Prayers-: Minor Character
 * Shin Megami Tensei IV DEMONIC GENE: Minor Character
 * Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse: Major Character, Human Race
 * : Playable Unit

Design
Flynn has long dark hair in a ponytail, sharp green eyes, and slightly tanned skin. He wields a COMP, in the form of a gray gauntlet, a katana, and wears his samurai uniform, which consists of a dark navy blue jacket with white stripes, a light top, a brown belt, white pants with shin guards, and white boots. He also has a white scarf, the color possibly due to his neutrality. While his field model changes according to the equipment he is wearing, he appears in his samurai uniform during animated cutscenes.

Personality
Through the tradition of Shin Megami Tensei series, Flynn is a silent protagonist, where his personality is based upon players' actions and decisions. It is noted by other NPCs that he is very quiet and doesn't say much. Depending on Flynn's current alignment, the White will refer to him as one who chose preservation (Law), upheaval (Chaos), or neutrality (Neutral). This also ties on to the Cynical Man's opinion of him. If Flynn is Lawful, he will view Flynn as polite, if Chaotic, he will say that Flynn is hot-blooded. However, if Flynn is neutral, the man calls him a 'hard man to get a handle on', and notes that he once said the same thing to someone else, referring to Flynn's former self. Flynn also seems to be able to deal with many tough situations calmly according to his dialogue choices, and he also seems very flexible when he is scouting for demons, being able to be highly aloof or very mature.

In Apocalypse, Flynn is portrayed as very kind and strong-willed, taking it upon himself to defeat Merkabah and Lucifer for the sake of the people of Tokyo. This, of course, earns him the admiration and respect of the majority of people in Tokyo, who side with him.

Shin Megami Tensei IV
A young man living in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado. At the beginning he has a dream of beings speaking, but whom he cannot see. He then has a dream of a burning city and meets an apparition calling itself Walter after it takes shape, who requests that he join him to make a world where anything can be changed if they have the will. Then he appears in a desert wasteland, where he meets another specter, calling itself Jonathan that takes shape who wants him to join him so that the peace today will last forever. Then he meets a young girl whose words are barely understood until she asks him to revive her. He wakes up from the dream to be greeted by his childhood friend Issachar at Lake Mikado outside Mikado Castle.

A Casualry from Kiccigiorgi, both him and Issachar traveled from their hometown to the capital in order to participate in the Gauntlet Rite. He is chosen by the gauntlet to be a Samurai. He is greeted by Walter after joining the Samurai, and meets the other prentices and Hope alongside him. In Naraku he meets Burroughs and wins the exercises given to them by Hope. He also wins the Challenge Quests that K gives them and the challenge given by Navarre about who would complete them first. After succeeding, he is greeted by a Samurai who asks him to go rescue Navarre, but to keep it quiet so Navarre's dignity can remain intact.

It was a trap, however, and he is attacked by the Hooded man twice, being aided by Isabeau and Jonathan in the second battle against him. Joined by those two and Walter, he goes on to save Navarre, only to see the ghost girl from his dreams in Alraune's Domain. He then meets Stephen, who tells him that she is interested in him. On their day off the next day, he comes across Issachar at Lake Mikado, who leaves after seeing him.

In Kiccigiorgi Forest, he learns that his parents helped two villagers escape with their child, but their fate after that is unknown. He later meets Issachar deeper into the forest, and fights him after he is possessed by a demon. His friend's final words is to ask him to become a magnificent samurai and change the corrupt world. He is incapacitated by the Lilim Horde summoned by the Black Samurai, and sees Stephen once again, who lets him know the girl wants to see him once again. Meeting with the young girl again, she asks him to revive her for the sake of everyone. He is the last of the group to awaken.

After returning to the capital, he has another dream of meeting Walter in a burning city, where he tells him to hurry to the underground. In the desert wasteland, however, Jonathan tells him not to go to the underground. He acquires his first gun on the floor beneath the Hall of the Minotaur. After learning how Red Pills are made, he is influenced by Yaso Magatsuhi's gas, but is the last one to be affected and the last to wake up. Jonathan mentions he took off his pants and did something with his nose, but Isabeau cuts off the rest.

After leaving the Hills Building, Hugo tells them to go to Shene Duque, which according to Jonathan is known as a holy land. When they arrive, they encounter Gabby, who leads them inside the cocoon shaped object nearby. Once inside, they are greeted by three heavenly figures. Gabby's form changes completely, and the group introduce themselves as the four heralds Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael. They are the new leaders of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado; however, when Isabeau suggests they tell them about Fujiwara and Skins, Gabriel tells them that they will kill any resident of Tokyo who will try to enter the kingdom via Naraku. Gabriel reinforms them of their mission to kill the Black Samurai, or rather Lilith. However, after exiting the cocoon, Walter says that he wants to bring about the world Lilith spoke of, a world where the strong can shape the world as they see fit. Jonathan is angered by this, asking if he is siding with Lilith and abandoning his duties. Walter says nothing, but tells them that he will be waiting at the Barracks for anyone who wishes to come. After he leaves, Isabeau who is completely at a loss of what to do, takes her leave. Jonathan reaffirms Flynn of what their duty is, and tells him that he will be waiting at the entrance to Naraku for him.

If Flynn sides with Walter, they will make their way to Tsukiji Hongwanji, where they are greeted by a member of the Ring of Gaea. He tells them that Lilith has been expecting them, and tells them to take the main entrance. After entering, another member escorts them to Lilith, who greets them saying that they are indeed the humans she thought them to be. Walter tells her that they have decided to stake everything on the world that they desired. Lilith tells them to go to the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, which is the same generator in the hands of Tayama. According to Lilith, it's the door that opens the way to the Expanse, the home to demons. When Flynn and Walter arrive at the subway road leading to Camp Ichigaya, where the Yamato Reactor is located, Walter is surprised to see Koga Saburo alive. After he is defeated, Flynn and Walter encounter two other National Defense Divinities, Omoikane and Michizane. Once the other two are dealt with, they head into the dome-shaped room leading to the Yamato Reactor, where Tayama greets them. After some conversation, Tayama summons Yamato Takeru, who expresses some dismay when Flynn calls him Tayama's slave. Once he is defeated, Tayama, albeit being threatened by Walter, gives the remote that activates the Yamato Reactor over to Walter, who gives it to Flynn. Once Flynn presses the remote, Tayama is seen being drowned into the reactor, and his fate is later unknown, but is presumed dead. Flynn and Walter are sucked in as well, only to later awaken in the Counter-Demon Force's base alongside Jonathan in Blasted Tokyo.

If Flynn sides with Jonathan, they will make their way to Tsukiji Hogwanji, where they find a man from the Ashura-kai badly wounded at the entrance. He tells them to take the path beneath the bench, but leaves his sentence unfinished as he collapses. When they enter Lilith's room, they find that it is turned into a Domain, and encounter a man from the Ring of Gaea who becomes a demon. After its defeat, Jonathan wonders where Lilith is, and the two continue their way into the Domain until later encountering Lilith, who appears hostile between the two of them. Jonathan announces that they have come to kill her, and the battle begins shortly afterwards. She tries to make Flynn see that he does indeed bear the characteristics of one who follows the path of Chaos. However, she is defeated and eventually begins to crumble away, but not before informing the two that someone close to them is opening the gate to the Expanse. Disturbed by this, Jonathan and Flynn make their way to Camp Ichigaya, where they find a defeated Yamato-Takeru and a dead Tayama. Walter greets the two, with Jonathan in complete bewilderment. Walter states that he wants to bring about a world where humans can have true freedom, a world where people such as Issachar wouldn't have to suffer, and asks the protagonist if he understands. Regardless of decision, Walter activates the Yamato Perpetual Reactor, and the three are sucked in.

When they awaken, each has a different account of what happened. Walter states that they activated the Reactor together after meeting Lilith, while Jonathan states that they killed Lilith and went to the Reactor to see Walter activating it. Out of frustration, Walter leaves the base while Jonathan ponders about the white beings they encountered. When they leave, they see that Tokyo has been reduced to nothing but a desert, and the bedrock ceiling gone.

Flynn is the reincarnation of the youngest member of the Counter-Demon Force that defeated Masakado and fused with him to become the ceiling that prevented God's Wrath from destroying Tokyo, in other words, taking the neutral path. Blasted Tokyo is an alternate world where his past self sided with the Angels alongside his partner Kiyoharu and aided them in their goals, eventually dying thanks to Pluto's poison for being unclean. Infernal Tokyo is a world where he sided with demons and his partner Kenji, where he died protecting Kenji from demons that they sought to remove from Tokyo. In the White ending, it is mentioned that his current self that comes from Mikado is his fifth self.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
Flynn, at the beginning of the story, is very well-known among the people of Tokyo, referred as a ray of light to them, and seeking to liberate them from the threat of Angels and Demons. He works with Isabeau in his goal to defeat Merkabah and Lucifer, though he is unaware that he is the primary target of Krishna and his faction, the Divine Powers, who want him on their side. After Nanashi and Asahi unknowingly remove the seal binding him, Krishna tries to coerce him into becoming his "Kalki," though Flynn initially refuses. He reluctantly surrenders, however, when Maitreya threatens to kill Asahi. Afterwards, he is taken by the Divine Powers.

After the defeat of Maitreya, the party is tasked with saving Flynn, who they find to be battling Odin. In reality, however, this is Shesha, who has been reborn for the second time. Unlike previous times, he has learned how to assume a human form, and takes on Flynn's appearance, in order to gain the support of the people of Tokyo, and when their feelings for Flynn are at their peak, he will take their souls, and become the Cosmic Egg. The real Flynn is then found at the heart of the Cosmic Egg, still crucified.

At a crucial point in the game, Flynn is fused with Krishna, thus transforming into Vishnu-Flynn. Flynn's fate is dependent on the route Nanashi chooses. If he is aligned with Anarchy, Flynn perishes, though he is later revived to become Nanashi's own Godslayer, though he has become completely subservant, declaring any who oppose Nanashi as his enemy, and will do anything to protect him. If Nanashi is aligned with Peace, then Flynn survives the battle, and aids Nanashi in his journey.

At some point in time, both Flynn and Nanashi learn that they were created by the Axiom to defeat YHVH, who had grown overly arrogant and became tyrannical. The two were the reincarnations of members of the Counter Demon Force, with Flynn being the reincarnation of the man who saved Tokyo by fusing with Masakado, and Nanashi as the reincarnation of Akira, who would later become known as King Aquila to the people of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado.

In YHVH's Universe, Flynn wields Masakado's Katana, which allows use of the skill Messiah Blast. During the final battle, Flynn will split off into his own party with either Satan(if on the Anarchy route), or Walter, Jonathan(who are granted enough life to fight from Satan, who splits into them) and Isabeau. During the final battle, Flynn is capable of using the skill Godslayer's Sword, which does Weak Almighty damage. Flynn is also a Guest character in this universe, and will attack any demons near Nanashi. He can also give Nanashi items from the demons he has defeated.

In the DLC quest "Messiahs in the Diamond Realm," an alternate version of Flynn was killed during his attempt to restore the great spirit of hope, having been swallowed up by the "great Abaddon" - in other words, Merkabah unleashing the Yamato Perpetual Reactor to destroy Tokyo. In order for him to regain his lost strength, Stephen brought him into the Diamond Realm, an "echo" of the Expanse, alongside the Hero, Aleph, and the Demi-fiend, all of whom also perished in their respective worlds due to YHVH deeming them threats.

Brave Frontier
Flynn is a light element unit obtained on the third path of the SMTIV Final grand quest.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
Final Battle =

Flynn also has a cache of items that he and his teammates, with the exception of Satan, can use. He possesses 5 Beads, 3 Bead Chains, 5 Chakra Pots, 5 Revival Beads, 5 Me Patra Stones, 5 Amrita Sodas, and 1 Amrita Shower. Messiahs in the Diamond Realm =

Trivia

 * Even though both the official Japanese and English websites still name him as "Hero" and "Protagonist" respectively, his default name was revealed to be "Flynn" (フリン, Furin) in the second Japanese trailer. The name is probably a reference to the hero from Shin Megami Tensei, who was nicknamed Futsuo (translated as ordinary guy) in the Kaneko Works. The reference is strongly supported by the same naming pattern of Jonathan and Walter.
 * There is some controversy regarding his default name because "Furin" can be translated as "adultery" (不倫) in Japanese and there is no homonym for this particular phrase, therefore the kanji for adultery is always suggested to the user when using the Japanese computer input to type Furin/Hurin.
 * In the DLC quest, Clipped Wings, it is revealed that Flynn had aided Mastema in defeating the four archangels, then sealing three out of the four away at Kagome Tower, however when Flynn and the others are confronted by the four, they bare no hostility to him at all. However, a reason for staying their hand may be due to them admitting that Flynn is God's Chosen in Clipped Wings hence why they instead choose to use Flynn instead of striking him down despite how dangerous he potentially still is to them.
 * In a few DLC challenge quests, Flynn can obtain armor that will either grant him the appearance of Koga Saburo, Lucifer, and Asmodeus, while another, a headgear armor, will turn Flynn's hair blonde while changing his eye color, one colored red and the other blue, giving him a reminiscent appearance to Louis Cyphre.
 * Similar to Tatsuya Suou in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, due to the main character's role being shifted in the game's successor, Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse, Flynn has a speaking role like any other supporting characters, with Nanashi filling the silent protagonist role.
 * Flynn is a subversion of the Messiah trope. While SMTIV makes the player's choice feel meaningful and powerful, SMTIV Apocalypse heavily implies that Lucifer, Merkabah, The Divine Powers, and even Stephen simply viewed Flynn as a pawn to cater to their side. The Shesha-Flynn twist serves as an example of how easily Flynn's hope can be manipulated as the White warned him.
 * Flynn's journey in Shin Megami Tensei IV foreshadows the Anarchy Path and Ending of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and heavily foreshadow that Flynn was always Nanashi's pawn. While ostensibly getting a remote to return home. In Blasted Tokyo, Flynn reverses the course of the decimated, catastrophic Law world and makes it chaotic with Human Akira becoming King. In Infernal Tokyo, Flynn reverses the course of the world and makes the chaotic, gang warfare plagued world into a Lawful system of equality with Demonoid Akira as King. In the Ancient of Days and Sanat DLC, Flynn returns again to each world to save them from dire peril and serve to reinforce Akira's rulership. In IV Apocalypse's Anarchy Route, Nanashi and Dagda resurrect Flynn as their Godslayer -- the Godslayer Flynn proceeds to reverses the course of his own Neutral choice to create a world where humans transcend their limitations and God Nanashi rules the Universe.
 * 1) In Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse, Flynn represents the Hanged Man of the Fool's Journey.