""Hate the crime, not the criminal," as they say. But the platitude rings quite hollow when the criminal has no desire, no capacity for redemption. If violence and evil are all they know, all they will ever be, then what can a man of justice do but strike them down? Pretty words have never been enough to save the world."
Nuwa is a demon in the series. In Shin Megami Tensei V, she is Shohei Yakumo's partner and a major character.
History[]
Nüwa (女媧) is a creation goddess in Chinese mythology, responsible for the creation of humanity. She is also associated with marriages. She is commonly depicted as being half serpent or dragon. Some sources identify her as a daughter of the Jade Emperor.[1]
It is said that the humans that she created out of yellow clay became nobles, while these made from other materials, commoners. In some sources, Nuwa decides to create humans out of loneliness after seeing her own reflection in the water of Huang He. In Classic of Mountains and Seas, she isn't the creator of humans but simply the first human being alongside her husband and brother Fuxi (伏羲), who in some versions of the creation myth also partakes in the creation of humans. In art from the reign of the Han dynasty, they were often depicted with their tails intertwined, sometimes alongside solar (Fuxi) and lunar (Nuwa) symbols.[2] Beliefs related to Nuwa and Fuxi are particularly popular in southern China.
In Huainanzi, she is aided in the creation of humans by Huang Di, who forms their organs. Another mythical emperor, Yu the Great, was associated with her in the area near Mount Zhonghuang.[3]
In another myth, Nuwa repairs the heaven after it had been damaged when Gonggong attacked a pillar holding it up, located at the mythical Mount Buzhou. In another version, the damage is instead the result of a battle between Gongong and Zhuanxu (a mythical emperor regarded as the grandson of Huang Di). Many sources state that Nuwa used five-colored stones representing the five elements from traditional Chinese beliefs as materials. She also cut off the legs of a giant turtle to make pillars meant to hold heaven in place, and devised a number of ways to save humans from natural disasters which plagued them while the heavens were broken. The "Nuwa forges stones and mends the heavens" motif (女媧煉石補天) derived from this myth is common in Chinese art, and many famous statues of Nuwa depict her during this act. The plot of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber also references this myth, with the main character, Jia Baoyu, being originally a stone left behind by Nuwa after she used 36,500 other ones to repair heaven.
According to Records of the Grand Historian, Nuwa was one of the Three Sovereigns, mythical figures credited with introducing civilization to mankind before the reign of the Five Emperors. However, the list of these figures varies between various classical sources and she isn't always included. One of Nuwa's inventions is said to be a type of Chinese wind organs.
Nuwa is also a character in the Ming dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods (封神演義), in which she sends her servants Daji, Jiutou Zhiji Jing and Pipa Jing to punish King Zhou of Shang, who left lustful messages in her temple.
Appearances[]
- Shin Megami Tensei V / Vengeance: Lady Race, Nahobino Race, Major Character, Boss
- Last Bible III
- Ronde: Dragon Race
Profile[]
Shin Megami Tensei V[]
"A goddess that appears in Chinese mythology.
Recognized as one of the sovereigns, she is said to have the head of a human and a body of a serpent. She is also known to be responsible for the creation of humanity, having created them from mud. Legend tells that when one of the four pillars said to hold up the world broke, she repaired it. Furthermore, her colleague Fuxi is typically labeled as either her brother or her husband, depending on what version of her story is told."
Nuwa is a frivolous mother goddess appearing by Shohei Yakumo's side. She worked alongside him since he was young to fulfill his worldview of a world devoid of demonic influences. The two share their Knowledge, making them qualify to fuse as Nahobino. She even says Yakumo is her "other half" and that they are inseparable. Amanozako theorizes that Nuwa is actually in love with Yakumo, but can never pinpoint whether it is because she loves him specifically, or if she loves all of humanity and he is just a symbol of it, as the subject of love is complicated. But it is ultimately confirmed that Shohei's feelings for her are returned.
In terms of their ideologies, the two would initially strive for a world where gods and demons do not exist, shaping a world for humanity only. That would even be their goal with the throne, but as it would mean that Nuwa would disappear, the two never actually pursued that option in the name of their love. Instead, they would rely on a substitute, where they will instead destroy the throne altogether, ridding creation of godhood and instead entrusting humanity to create their own fate in the chaos.
She and Yakumo oppose Bethel, believing that neither angels nor demons have a place in human affairs: she refers to their supporters as "zealots," but condemns the side of chaos as well, finding them to be "opportunistic cretins" for the most part. As such, they oppose godhood as a whole, and as such, are determined to destroy the throne, in opposition to the rest of the ideals that present a variant of how godhood will govern.
Nuwa and the Nahobino first cross paths in Minato, Da'at, after her massacre on the angel followers of Bethel stationed in the National Diet Building, with their decomposing corpses scattered upon his arrival. Assuming the Nahobino is backup sent by Bethel that arrived too late, she absorbs the Magatsuhi of the slain demons and assumes a snake-like form. The Nahobino manages to gain an upper hand over her by knocking her health down to half, but the fight is axed with Yakumo's arrival, although she asks him to spare the Nahobino on a whim.
Having developed interest in the protagonist, referring to his courage upon his confrontation against her, she would observe the protagonist's actions in secret, making her witness to any important events he gets dragged in.
The second time, Nuwa meets the protagonist in Chiyoda, with Shohei raising his blade to the Nahobino, viewing him with undisguised contempt and critical of Nuwa's choice to spare the Nahobino. Nuwa asks the protagonist to beat Yakumo and show him what she sees in him.
If the protagonist chooses to destroy the throne, Yakumo will be killed in Abdiel and Dazai's fusion as Nahobino, and Nuwa will mourn for him before leaving. If certain subquests are completed (at least a single time through-out multiple connected NG+ playthroughs), the scenario will be different. Only one of these subquests is required to unlock that possibility:
- Amanozako's "The Destined Leader," which requires "A Power Beyond Control" to be unlock.
- Fionn mac Cumhaill's "Fionn's Resolve," which requires 30 total quests (normal and subquests included), "An Unusual Forecast" and likely "The Root of the Problem," "The One I Love" and "The Goddess Stolen" to unlock.
- Khonsu's "The Succession of Ra," which requires the completion of the other Egyptian Subquests ("The Falcon's Head," "The Egyptian's Fate," and "The Winged Sun,") to be unlocked, as well as that Khonsu is spared during the events of "The Egyptian's Fate" and that Miyazu Atsuta is talked to in the Fairy Village until her lines are exhausted.
- Shiva's "A Universe in Peril," which requires the protagonist be at Level 80 or higher to unlock.
However, if certain circumstances are met, as Nuwa has observed the protagonist during his journey, she will later reappear, telling him the truth about their goals and revealing the hidden possibility she and Yakumo were never able to pursue: ridding the world of gods and demons alike, making a world for humanity only. Although it would mean that Nuwa would disappear, with Yakumo dead, she had no choice but to help the protagonist in following what is right.
On the other hand, if the protagonist decides to uphold Abdiel or Tsukuyomi's ideals, she will act as the penultimate boss next to the throne, having been fused with Yakumo into a Nahobino resembling a massive, human-faced dragon in a last ditch attempt to stop the protagonist from claiming the throne. This is always followed by Lucifer, since he cannot fight the protagonist if he destroys the throne.
Both human and snake forms of Nuwa can be fused in a New Game Plus file alongside both the Herald and Fallen versions of Abdiel. Nuwa's human form requires a special fusion of Huang Long, Arahabaki and Quetzalcoatl, while the snake form requires a special fusion of her human form, Hydra, Ananta and Yamata no Orochi.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance[]
Nuwa is roughly the same in the initial parts of the Canon of Vengeance as she is in the Canon of Creation. The second time Nuwa shows up is a lot sooner, as Yakumo and Nuwa show up after the Nahobino kills Glasya-Labolas and drives off Naamah at Shinagawa Station when they attacked for magatsuhi gathering reasons, slaughtering any human to get caught in their claws.
After that, Nuwa shows up during the first part of the Shinjuku Arc, where upon reaching Yoyogi, the Nahobino, Yoko Hiromine and Tao Isonokami run into Yakumo and Nuwa, with some decaying Power corpses at their feet, having slain them in presumed self-defense, as the two times Powers attacked the Nahobino and crew for trespassing with little warning. They have come to Shinjuku to hunt the Qadištu, a quartet of female demons that have ties with the deaths of Yakumo's parents, making this a deeply personal mission for both him and Nuwa, the two teleporting away after they help point the Nahobino towards the culprit of whoever is behind turning humans into salt.
In the second part of the Shinjuku Arc, the Nahobino and friends are called back to the human world's Tokyo due to a seeming plague infecting the masses centered around Jozoji Temple, which turned out to be a plot by the Qadištu, where they used an orb-like device to drain Magatsuhi from everywhere within its radius. Before Yuzuru Atsuta could summon a demon to try and destroy it, Yakumo announced their presence, with Nuwa warning the young man of the dangers destroying the device, which is filled with volatile Magatsuhi, would accomplish a lot more harm. Yakumo and Nuwa intend to use the device as a form of honeyed trap for the Qadištu, though all it did was anger Yuzuru and rallied his friends against Yakumo and Nuwa. Upon their defeat, Yoko Hiromine began needling Yakumo over his hypocritical stance regarding demon/human alliance, which prompts Yakumo to turn around and thrust his blade through Nuwa, seemingly killing Nuwa as he used her Magatsuhi to heal himself, as his right shoulder was turning into Magatsuhi, though Nuwa in turn simply healed the wound off, the two vanishing afterwards.
Stats[]
Shin Megami Tensei V[]
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During this fight, Nuwa can summon Thunder Bits to aid her.
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Last Bible III[]
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Ronde[]
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Strategy[]
Shin Megami Tensei V[]
During the battle at the Diet Building, Nuwa will frequently use Zanma to target allies with the rare use of Mazio and will broadcast her use of Sacrifice of Clay by using Omagatoki: Critical the turn before. The party will want to prioritize resisting Force damage and have Fire skills available. There is a Jack-o'-Lantern's Essence on the roof of the Diet Building that can be used to learn Agilao. Feng Huang both resists Force and has access to Agilao. Buying Force Dampeners to use on the turns before she uses Sacrifice of Clay can negate the damage altogether and Fire Shards and Fire Gems can be used to keep up the damage. Nuwa's health only needs to be reduced by half to win the fight.
In Other Languages[]
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
 Japanese
|
ジョカ |
 Korean
|
여와 |
  Traditional Chinese
|
女媧 |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In an interview with Masayuki Doi on Shin Megami Tensei V, he stated that Nuwa was the "most popular demon in the office," as well as that people there love her demeanor and behavior, with some saying she's "almost like a protagonist herself."[4]
- Doi states that the clothes she wears are based on a different period of Chinese history. Her dress and headdress resemble those depicted in Court Ladies Wearing Flowered Headdresses (簪花仕女圖), a work of art attributed to Zhou Fang, an artist who worked during the reign of the Tang dynasty (618-907).
- While Nuwa was usually described and depicted as partially serpentine in classical sources, she is often depicted with human legs in modern art, for example in the Ping Sien Si temple in Malaysia and in many works of contemporary Chinese popular culture.
- Although in the first boss battle against Nuwa, it is technically possible to deplete all of Nuwa's HP, she will never actually die, skipping straight to the end of the battle as usual.
- If Frolic was used by Cleopatra on the first Nuwa encounter, her body will not be blackened. Against Nahobino Nuwa, her body will not be fully blackened.
References[]
- ↑ The Jade Emperor and his Family by K. Stevens, p. 29
- ↑ Nü Wa (女媧) by U. Theobald
- ↑ Divinity and Salvation: The Great Goddesses of China by L. Irwin, p. 56
- ↑ Doi-san's Demon Commentary: Nuwa
Nuwa's true form isn't exactly what she seems... Today, Doi-san goes in depth on how they adapted Nuwa's mythological origins into her design for #SMT5!, Twitter (@Atlus_West, September 2, 2021)