YHVH



YHVH, also known as Yehowah, is an important figure in the Shin Megami Tensei series. He is often seen as a firm and lawful, if not ruthless, figure who holds little empathy towards humanity.

History
YHVH is the most common transliteration of the Hebrew name of God. The name itself is a reference to the Tetragrammaton, which represents the four letters of the name of God: Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh (Or simply "YHVH"). Each of the letters corresponds to a world and a soul and stands for the four basic stages of the process of creation. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "היה" ("to be"), modified into a variant form with a masculine prefix. Its meaning and implications have been a source of contemplation and debate for thousands of years, which still continues today. By Hebrew tradition, it is not to be pronounced aloud, and is typically substituted with "Adonai" ("my Lord") in prayers. In speech, Hashem ("the name") is used in its place.

Appearances

 * Megami Tensei II: Yuiitsukami* Race, Final Boss
 * Kyūyaku Megami Tensei: Kami* Race, Final Boss
 * Shin Megami Tensei II: Godly Race, Final Boss
 * Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne: as Kagutsuchi (Created by "The Great Will")
 * Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey: Implied to be Demiurge and Metatron
 * Shin Megami Tensei IV Final: Godly Race, Final Boss (Anarchy Route, Peace Route)

Profile
Throughout the Megami Tensei franchise, YHVH is characterized as a vain dictator who has created the universe in such a way that it will be subjugated under him forever. Lucifer rejected YHVH's authority and took one-third of the heavenly host to revolt against YHVH; however, Lucifer was defeated and banished to the demon world, falling from grace and subsequently becoming the lord of the demon world. YHVH is commonly referred as the "true enemy" throughout the series by Lucifer.

YHVH detests any kind of freedom and will openly condemn those who choose to pursue that path. He desires worship of only Himself and threatens punishment upon any who defy His will.

Megami Tensei II
YHVH is encountered in an underground corridor in Ginza after defeating Satan. It is revealed that He ordered Satan to start the nuclear war that devastated the world and lead the demon invasion to wipe out humanity.

He speaks to the hero while he's walking through the final hallway, condemning him and Lucifer for their actions and telling them that the world will be destroyed if he falls, trying to coerce them into retreating. When the hero meets YHVH, he is offered a chance to betray Lucifer and become a divine being or battle YHVH, for a total of two possible endings.

If the hero chooses to fight against YHVH, He claims that the hero will burn in hellfire until the end of the world. After fighting against them and losing, however, YHVH starts disappearing, shocked at being destroyed by His own creations. Before vanishing completely, YHVH reveals that He is only a small part of the Great Will which oversees and controls infinite universes, and that His vast consciousness will allow Him to reform, warning the hero that he has chosen the harshest path for his future. All demons vanish with His death, granting humanity a reprieve.

If the hero chooses to side with YHVH, Lucifer is immediately struck down with the eternal flame, and the hero and his companion are invited to YHVH's Millennium Kingdom. The epilogue mentions that the world infested with malice disappears, while the hero and his companion are transformed into gods.

Shin Megami Tensei
The protagonist can choose to the Lawful alignment in Shin Megami Tensei, where he aligns with YHVH. YHVH's plan is to create the Thousand Year Kingdom of God, an Utopia consists of new angels and ruled by YHVH. To do so, however, YHVH decides to cleanse the world, and sent Thor as an agent to destroy Japan.

YHVH plays a minor role towards the end of the game. In the Law alignment, the protagonist destroys the demons and helps YHVH institute his Thousand Year Kingdom. In the Neutral alignment, the protagonist destroys both angels and demons, hoping to create a new, free world raised by mankind. In the Chaos alignment, the protagonist can choose to align with Lucifer, where the protagonist destroys the angels and restores the old gods. Lucifer thanks him for doing so, but warns him to be careful, as the "true enemy" still exists.

Shin Megami Tensei II
YHVH appears as a respected figure in Shin Megami Tensei II, he is worshiped by the peoples of Tokyo Millennium. They are foretold that a savior will descend from God, and show the citizens salvation. Since the Messians running Tokyo Millennium are angels, and because the aforementioned 'savior' has yet to arrive, they began fearing that YHVH has abandoned them. They believed that, if they carried out the plans as YHVH foretold, YHVH would once again appear before them. In order to do so, they need a savior they could control. That savior is Aleph.

In ancient times, YHVH created Lucifer and Satan respectively. Satan was used as an instrument to judge the world, humans, angels and demons alike. However, Lucifer's pride allowed him to revolt against God, and was banished from heaven.

In the Neutral and Chaos alignment paths, Satan is ordered by YHVH to use the Megiddo Arc (a powerful laser weapon within Eden) to destroy all life on the planet as his judgment. He is killed by Aleph before he can carry out his plans, and his death prompts the appearance of YHVH. In the Law alignment, Satan will turn on YHVH to punish Him for committing the sin of genocide, however he crumbles to dust after defeating his creator. Should Aleph choose to align with Lucifer, after defeating his creator, Lucifer will return to his angel form.

In the Chaos and Neutral alignments, prior to Aleph's battle with YHVH, he is forewarned that by defying God's Will, Aleph will suffer a never-ending cycle of punishment, as YHVH would torture Aleph, kill him, reincarnate him, and continue torturing him until the end of time for committing the 'Ultimate Sin' -- deicide. However, interestingly enough, in the Law alignment, YHVH never mentions sending Aleph to Hell, instead only mentioning punishing Satan.

After being defeated on the Neutral route, YHVH states that humanity is weak and needs someone to rely on, feeling that humans can't live on their own, and states that as long as people wish for His salvation, the Great Will of the universe will recreate Him. On the Chaos route, YHVH will state that He can't stand seeing a confused world not under His control, question who will rule the confused world, and asks if Aleph and Hiroko's names will be worshiped as saviors, before stating that He'll be recreated. On the Law route, YHVH will state that they have rejected His salvation by being judged and punished by His creations, question if humans can find their own paths without Him guiding them, before stating that the Great Will of the universe will recreate him.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
YHVH has an important role in the backstory, but his actual presence is only seen in a New Game+. In the distant past, God trampled the Mother Goddesses and subjugated humanity on Earth. Before the main events of the story, worship of God falters and causes him to weaken his seal on the Mother Goddesses. In that moment of weakness, God is attacked and shattered by the Mother Goddesses of the Schwarzwelt. The Goddesses attempt to restore the original state of the world and eliminate human civilization through the Schwarzwelt due to humanity having wasted the world away. Several of YHVH's fragments were sealed in the Schwarzwelt itself.

YHVH first appears as a human in a Demonica, and later, after being partially restored, as Metatron and requests the help of the protagonist to defeat Alilat and Demiurge. After the player defeats the Demiurge, YHVH attempts to absorb Demiurge's power and restore himself, but the player can shut him off and seal him by canceling the fusion midway through. A voice warns the protagonist not to release the "Arrogant God" - referring to YHVH. If the fusion is successful, YHVH takes the Demiurge's appearance, becomes known as "Refined Voice" and says that he's slowly returning to his true form "full of light". Refined Voice says that the true enemy is the Spirit of the Earth itself, and promises to help and protect humanity as long as humanity is obedient to the Holy Spirit. If the protagonist chooses to follow the celestial feminine voice, Metatron will be sealed away and the protagonist will gain the same reward from the mission.

Shin Megami Tensei IV
The unleashing of the demons from the Yamato Perpetual Reactor 25 years ago is used as a means to justify God's Wrath by the angels, who seek to unleash nukes that will devastate the earth and wipe out mankind. Should mankind not die out then Pluto will finish them off. This is avoided in Infernal Tokyo by killing the angels before their plans could be achieved.

The Ancient of Days DLC Challenge Quest reveals that God wishes to cleanse the remnants of humanity clinging to life in Blasted Tokyo so the innocents taken aboard the Cocoons can return to a new Earth. The Ancient of Days, an aspect of God that maintains the order of the universe, is sent to exterminate the few Blasted Tokyo survivors and herald the return of the Arks.

When Flynn comes close to beating the Ancient of Days, Kiyoharu will come speak to the Ancient of Days and desperately ask if He is here to save them. The Ancient of Days explains to Kiyoharu that he's here to cleanse the world of the remaining humans and begin a new generation of humanity because Kiyoharu and the other survivors are no longer necessary.

Kiyoharu becomes horrified and explains to God that his entire family and his friends have all died. He prayed to God in the ignorant hope that God would save them because it was all he had left. Kiyoharu raises his head towards the sky to reminisce on the fact Kenji was right in his desire to destroy the angels. Akira comes to take Kiyoharu back to shelter. Kiyoharu informs Akira of what God has told him. Akira urges Kiyoharu to come back home with him.

Upon defeating the Ancient of Days, God's voice reveals that Flynn has defeated only one form of many, that the next generation of humanity will still inhabit the world, and that Order will still continue. Despite this, Akira thanks Flynn and states that he's given them hope to co-exist with the new humanity of their world.

Flynn is taken back to the White world and the White ponder on why Flynn doesn't despair. Demiurge in "The Voice of Arrogant Evil" is an avatar of YHVH only pretending to be the creator and sought to rule a silent world.

The White mention that YHVH is able to return because humanity believes in God as they are too weak willed to live in the world otherwise. Humanity keeps making the mistakes of falling back and forth between Law or Chaos, falling into God's Scheme, Expectations, and resulting in the endless war between the two factions and giving into despair. This despair gives rise to the White who embody mans despair over the eternal conflict and being trapped in God's world.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Final
YHVH is revealed to be the true villain of the story of both Final and IV's universes. The Creator controlling both halves of Satan: Lucifer and Merkabah and the forces of Chaos and Law to perpetuate an eternal war that will never have a true winner. His madness had made him an enemy of the Great Will, who had been creating and incarnating messiahs to oppose him, with two messiahs needed to bring true freedom from YHVH's grasp.

On the Peace Route he is defeated by the two God Killers, but he will return one day. The Great Will, mankind, the two messiahs, and demons will live together until the day that they must all oppose him again comes. On the Anarchy Route he is slain using the God Killers and Dagda's powers, and with no followers and the creation of a new universe removing everything of the old universe, YHVH is permanently killed, freeing humanity from his tyranny forever.

Majin Tensei
Lucifer reveals if he is spared on the best ending's route that God had abandoned the world after mankind's rampant desires and fighting lead to a hole to the Expanse to open. His servant Satan continues to follow the final orders given to him to exterminate mankind with his legion of demons.

Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
The Infinite Abyss is a system set up by God to either punish or restore faith of Him in the world through fear of Him. Since humans despaired of the world and despairing over the world is the same as losing faith in God, a portal will open up to the Infinite Abyss. The Apollyon horde act as agents to bring humans back to His side. Shinado's Anger aspect uses this system set up by God as a means to bring what he considers salvation to mankind. Camael also mentions the Lord watching the events from afar.

In New Game Plus after doing a Chaos playthrough, Lucifer will reveal during the third bonus fight against him that the future is currently determined by God, and states that only Raidou can free the timeline's control from God.

Card Summoner
Yahveh is only referred to by Metatron before the Final Battle against him in the Demon Lord Route of the Final Battle episode.

Devil Survivor
While not actually appearing, it is heavily implied that "Yehowah" is responsible for the Tokyo lockdown, as Metatron was commanded to start it. Just before the fight with Belial, Loki explains the history of the King of Bel, saying that in 2500 BC, Bel ruled the world, until Yehowah defeated him in 600 BC. Yehowah is presented more amiably in this than in other Megami Tensei titles, as the angel Remiel is sent to aid the player and genuinely desires to help the player save humanity. In one of the game's endings, the player can side with Yehowah and become the new Messiah, bringing the world towards peace. Another route allows the player to become the King of Bel and challenge Yehowah for rulership of creation.

In Overclocked, both of these routes are extended into 8th Days. Yehowah can also choose to abandon humanity if the player takes Yuzu's route and plays through her 8th Day scenario, where humanity fails its ordeal and then rejects Yehowah, causing the deity to abandon mankind in return. Overclocked also puts a darker light on the motives of Yehowah in the game. As the general conclusion that comes from Amane's 8th Day by the characters is that he intentionally set up the Cain and Abel scenario for two reasons: To have a first murderer (Cain) and a first martyr (Abel).

Trivia

 * In Kyūyaku Megami Tensei, the ritual circle in the Cathedral of Shadows has a Star of David with "TE", "TRA", "GRA", "MA", and "TON" in 5 of its points. It also has the letters α and Ω.
 * In Shin Megami Tensei, the Security AI boss in the Ginza police station has a face that resembles YHVH's to an extent, and it is also law-aligned.
 * In Shin Megami Tensei II, YHVH's level is 108, a number used in the Buddhist Wheel of Samsara to represent the number of temptations humans face in their lifetime.
 * In Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis, multiple versions of YHVH's head appear when demons use the Extra skill Shibaboo.