"I wish I could've done something before it got so bad..."
Tao Isonokami is a character in Shin Megami Tensei V.
Appearances
- Shin Megami Tensei V: Major Character, Panagia Race (as a Demon), Guest Party Member (as a Demon)
Profile
Shin Megami Tensei V
"Once cherished as the Saint of Bethel, Tao Isonokami was forced to watch helplessly as a close friend perished before her eyes. At that moment, the voice of a higher being spoke unto her, awakening the goddess within.
Even after her divine transfiguration, she appears to have retained her memories. However, she has cast off her former personality, and no longer acts as she once did as a human."
Tao Isonokami is a friend of the protagonist at school of same year. She is a member of the school lacrosse club. She is friendly and caring. She possessed a sixth sense ever since she was little, and since then has worked for the Japanese branch of Bethel; everyone there calls her "the Saint." She supports the protagonist and his friends when they join Bethel.
According to Tao, she had strange dreams recently, where she keeps hearing a distant voice, as if they're calling out to her, but she wakes up once they get close. These are implied to be higher beings, attempting to reveal the truth of her role and have her become a goddess.
Tao is close friends with Sahori Itsukishima, a former lacrosse club member like her, but had to leave after an accident, leaving some girls with a grudge for her strictness, causing them to constantly bully her. This causes her to make a deal with the demon Lahmu, as she wished her two bullies would disappear. Tao attempts to dissuade Sahori from hurting others, but she doesn’t listen to reason and has Lahmu murder her two bullies. However, he decides to kidnap Sahori because she was in his debt. So Tao accompanies the protagonist to Shinagawa to locate her.
Almost instantly after Bethel's rescue mission on Jouin Academy's kidnapped students, Tao will heal the protagonist's party each time after battle. This is only temporary, as after Lahmu is defeated, she will no longer be available for automatic healing.
After encountering her and Lahmu in Da'at, Tao attempts to reach out to her to no avail. Following Lahmu's defeat at the hands of the protagonist, Tao tries once more to approach Sahori, only for her faith to be betrayed, as Lahmu has possessed her body. In his attempts to kill Tao, the protagonist and Aogami shield her from the tentacles but are fatally stabbed, undoing their fusion as a Nahobino, laying on the floor drenched in Magatsuhi. Lahmu then stabs Tao who falls to the ground, lamenting how powerless she was to save Sahori and the two girls that were bullying her. Just then, Tao hears a mysterious voice and finds herself in a higher plane of reality, awakening her mysterious latent power. She offers her life to revive the protagonist and Aogami, but fades away afterwards and is presumed dead. The protagonist puts Lahmu's plans to a close by slaying him and Sahori.
However, after Bethel disbands, Tao calls out to the protagonist, who is astonished to hear her familiar voice. She tells him to meet her at the rooftop of the dorm. The protagonist exclaims surprise at her survival as she was assumed to have died. She explains that while she did in fact die as a human, she had awoken to her power as a Saint and was reborn as a goddess, now following her role to guide the Nahobino to the Throne of Creation. She decides to assist the protagonist in reclaiming the throne and teleports him to Da'at to accomplish their mission.
Tao then can be used as a party member up until a certain point in the game, depending on the circumstances. Upon arriving at the Empyrean, Tao will transform into her goddess state, although she is still retained in the protagonist's team for the time being. Tao will leave once the protagonist takes out his competition to the throne, right before the prompt for the final confrontation against Lucifer. However, if the protagonist chooses to destroy the Throne of Creation, Tao will immediately leave him, as the goddess has no intention to aid one who's against creation. Tao will reappear once more if the protagonist was informed by Nuwa of another alternative, in which she asks him to reconsider his option. If he chooses to create a world for humanity only, Tao will gladly assist in the task despite being aware that she would no longer exist. In the new world created by the protagonist, the human Tao can be seen conversing with her friends.
Due to her plot relevance, Tao can never be carried over to New Game Plus. While her information can be recorded in the Compendium, she can never be re-summoned. She will only be regained in a repeat run by reaching the Taito area of Da'at, but her stats will be reset when she joins the protagonist then. While she travels with the protagonist, she will occupy a slot in his roster, and cannot be fused off or dismissed (but can be customized with Essence Fusion, Sutras, and Incense). Tao also does not have an Essence unlike the other playable demons.
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Gallery
Etymology
Isonokami (磯野上*)? means "above the rocky seashore." It is also the name of the Isonokami Shrine (石上神宮*)? where enshrines the godly swords Ame no Ohabari (Aramasa) and Futsu-no-Mitama. Tao (多緒*)? means "many cords."
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
 English
|
Tao Isonokami |
 Japanese
|
磯野上 タオ |
 Korean
|
이소노카미 타오 |
  Traditional Chinese
|
磯野上 多緒 |
