Race and species

Race or clan (種族^?) is the categorization to distribute the demons into different classes in the Megami Tensei traditional series (Shin Megami Tensei and Majin Tensei series), Devil Summoner (except for the Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha series which uses another demon categorization system) and Devil Survivor subseries. The race title is usually based on the mythological status often found in various legends or religions. Multiple races are grouped under species (大種族^?, lit. "greater race"). Demon race is closely related to the demon fusion in which generally fusing demons of races A and B will result in demon of race C of level slightly higher than the average of the ingredient demons. Although not always, demons of one race tend to share similar attributes or traits in gameplay, such as Kishin being physical powerhouses or Fairies having a collection of elemental and healing spells. Majin Tensei and Devil Survivor series emphasize this by giving demons of each race their unique attributes (such as flying) or racial skill which can never be shared across races.

"Species" initially received its official English localization only in Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE. Because in other localized games of the series, species is a hidden mechanics behind the more complex demon fusion rules (such as three-demon fusion) and only mentioned in the Japanese game manual. In the English version of the iOS port of Shin Megami Tensei, the species names can only be learned from the demon dictionary; the names used being mostly different from the IMAGINE versions.

In the Japanese version of Digital Devil Saga duology, the "race" that indicates before the generic enemy demons' name is actually the "species" succeeded from the SMT series. However these titles do not play much important role in the game system and only serve as the tip of the enemy's attributes.

List of species and races

Species (JP)	SMT	IMAGINE	DDS:AT	Races
神族?	Gods		Deity	Deity (魔神?), Megami (女神?), Amatsu (天津神?)*, Enigma (秘神?), Zealot (狂神?)*, Godly (神霊?), Chaos (混沌王?), Lady (地母神?)*, Nymph (天女?), Vile (邪神?)*, Reaper (死神?)*, Entity (威霊?)*, Meta (超人?)*, Soshin (祖神?)
鬼神族?	Kishin	Guardians	Evil / Icon	Tenma (天魔?), Fury (破壊神?), Kishin (鬼神?), Lady (地母神?)*, Femme (鬼女?)*, Vile (邪神?)*, Reaper (死神?)*, Wargod (軍神?), Kunitsu (国津神?), Zealot (狂神?)*, Entity (威霊?)*, Shinshou (十二神将?), Tenjin (天神?)*
魔族?	Demonic	Magica	Fiend / Nether	Tyrant (魔王?)*, Genma (幻魔?)*, Night (夜魔?)*, Yoma (妖魔?)*, Fairy (妖精?)*, Fiend (魔人?)*, Suiyou (水妖?), Shinoma (下魔?), Shin Akuma (新悪魔?)
悪魔族	-	-	-	Tyrant (魔王?)*, Night (夜魔?)*, Yoma (妖魔?)*, Fairy (妖精?)*
飛天族?	Flying	Aerials	Aerial	Herald (大天使?), Divine (天使?), Fallen (堕天使?), Futenshi (不天使?), Akuma (悪魔?)
鳥族?	Avian	Birds		Avian (霊鳥?), Flight (妖鳥?), Raptor (凶鳥?)
竜族?	Dragons		Dragon	Dragon (竜神?), Snake (竜王?), Drake (邪竜?), Hiryu (飛龍?)
鬼族?	Oni	Demoniacs	Demon / Brute	Touki (闘鬼?), Brute (妖鬼?), Femme (鬼女?)*, Jirae (地霊?)*, Jaki (邪鬼?), Haunt (幽鬼?)*, Henii (変異?)
獣族?	Beasts		Beast	Avatar (神獣?), Holy (聖獣?), Beast (魔獣?), Wilder (妖獣?), UMA (珍獣?), Food (フード?), Kaijuu (怪獣?)
樹霊族	-	-	-	Tree (神樹?), Wood (妖樹?)*, Jusei (樹精?)
精霊族?	Element	Elementals	-	Element (精霊?)*, Mitama (御魂?), Wood (妖樹?)*
妖精族	-	-	-	Fairy (妖精?)*, Jirae (地霊?)*, Element (精霊?)*, Genma (幻魔?)*
邪霊族?	Evil Spirits		-	Haunt / Ghost (幽鬼?)*, Spirit (悪霊?), Undead (屍鬼?)*, Rumor (怪異?)*
人/人間?	Humans		-	Human (人間?), Gaean (ガイアーズ?), Messian (メシア教徒?), Summoner (召喚士?), Meta (超人?)*, Ranger (戦士?), Hero (英雄?), General (猛将?), Famed (英傑?), Therian (獣人?)*, Fiend (魔人?)*, Kyojin (狂人?), Shinja (信者?),
魔人?	-	-	-	Therian (獣人?)*, Fiend (魔人?)*
外道?	Fouls		-	Foul (外道?)*, Vermin (妖虫?)*, Demonoid (デモノイド?), Rumor (怪異?)*, Karma (業魔?), Machine (マシン?)*
怨霊族	-	-	-	Foul (外道?)*, Undead (屍鬼?)*
虫族	-	-	-	Vermin (妖虫?)*
マシン? 無生物?	Machines		Device	Machine (マシン?)*, Virus (ウィルス?), Vaccine (ワクチン?), Kugutsu (傀儡?)
Unclassified				Zoma (造魔?), Fake (偽人?), Ghost (怨霊?), Foreigner (異邦人?), Horde (軍勢?)

* Race that has been put under different species throughout the series.

See also

• Enemy exclusive race
• Arcana

Race and species
Species	Races
Gods	Deity - Megami - Amatsu* - Enigma - Zealot* - Godly - Chaos - Lady* - Nymph - Vile* - Reaper* - Entity* - Meta* - Soshin
Kishin	Tenma - Fury - Kishin - Lady* - Femme* - Vile* - Reaper* - Wargod - Kunitsu - Zealot* - Entity* - Shinshou - Tenjin*
Demonics	Tyrant* - Genma* - Night* - Fairy* - Yoma* - Fiend* - Suiyou - Shinoma - Shin Akuma
Demons	Tyrant* - Night* - Yoma* - Fairy*
Flying	Herald - Divine - Fallen - Futenshi - Akuma
Avians	Avian - Flight - Raptor
Dragons	Dragon - Snake - Drake - Hiryu
Oni	Touki - Brute - Femme* - Jirae* - Jaki - Haunt* - Henii
Beasts	Avatar - Holy - Beast - Wilder - UMA - Food - Kaijuu
Vegetation	Tree - Wood* - Jusei
Elements	Element* - Mitama - Wood*
Fairies	Fairy* - Jirae* - Genma* - Element*
Evil Spirits	Haunt* - Spirit - Undead* - Rumor*
Humans	Human - Gaean - Messian - Summoner - Meta* - Ranger - Hero - General - Famed - Therian* - Fiend* - Kyojin - Shinja
Fiends	Fiend* - Therian*
Fouls	Foul* - Vermin - Demonoid - Rumor* - Karma - Machine*
Ghosts	Foul* - Undead*
Machines	Machine* - Virus - Vaccine - Kugutsu
Other	Zoma - Fake - Ghost - Foreigner - Horde - Primal - Enemy exclusive race Godslayer - Goddess - Player Character exclusive race
Type	Good - Evil - Holy - Ghost - Ogre - Fiend - Dragon - Alternate - Boss - Beast - Bird - Zombie - Myth
Order	Pyro - Frost - Volt - Wind - Fury - Pagan - Skill - Fiend - Evil - Element - Spirit
* Asterisk denotes race that has been put under different species throughout the series. Italic font denotes the race/species name (not in katakana for Western loanword) has not yet received any official English localization.