White Hugo.
"Freedom and order, destruction and sustenance. Man is a pitiful creature who cannot escape that cycle."
The White (ホワイトメン, Howaitomen, lit. "Whitemen; White Men") are a group of characters in Shin Megami Tensei IV.
Appearances[]
- Shin Megami Tensei IV: Archaic Race, Boss (Law, Neutral, Chaos Route)
Profile[]
"The embodiment of the ancient races destroyed by the angels. They've appeared to humans four times now, sharing their memories and knowledge of the past. They claim that whether humans submit to angels or unite with demons against God, history is doomed to repeat itself and the future will never change. Therefore, they aim to obliterate all existence and return the cosmos to nothingness. They show the protagonist visions of two alternate futures - "Blasted Tokyo" and "Infernal Tokyo" - while taking on the appearance of Isabeau and Hugo in order to deceive the protagonist."
Beings who reside in the Expanse. They first appear after the Yamato Perpetual Reactor is activated by Flynn or Walter. Their goal is the complete and utter annihilation of all worlds in order to stop the eternal war between Law and Chaos. They appear within a white void and wish anyone they choose to make a decision and will show the chosen ones alternate worlds so they can make that choice. Jonathan had the same dream as the former two Samurai.
The second encounter is after leaving Blasted Tokyo using the Reactor, with Flynn returning to the white void. There they reveal a desire to show Flynn a world where they did not preserve. However, they tell him not to forget that what awaits mankind is a wasteland of despair for they are merely tools before sending him to that world.
The third encounter with them is after leaving Infernal Tokyo, where they tell of how preserving the world means nothing as God will destroy it if it does not mean his will, while choosing not to preserve will lead to self-destruction. They give Flynn the choice to turn everything to nothing or let it continue.
They are ecstatic when Flynn chooses to end it all and leave only nothingness. They reveal the true purpose of the Reactor and that they created it when choosing this path. The White are overjoyed as they finally have won with the damage done to the Reactor's control device as it becomes a black hole that swallows all, believing it as an end to meaningless suffering.
Should Flynn allow it to continue, they will curse his messianic tendencies and leaving the world intact, asking if he will preserve the status quo or destroy it. They abandon him within the Monochrome Forest after he makes his choice, wishing for him to die there. They are revealed to be the aggregate collective of human thought that reside in the Expanse and are the sentient embodiment of humanity's will throughout the multiverse that humans created by repressing their nihilism regarding life itself. The despair they express is the collective will of humanity's despair at being trapped under God's will. The four must be defeated to escape the forest. Although defeated, they will eventually revive so long as humanity exists because they are part of humanity's collective will.
The White reveal that humans are trapped in God's scheme with no way to escape because of their imperfections, and that they create God for the sake of their own convenience. The White explain that the reason that Law and Chaos constantly do battle is because the world eternally cycles through a loop of Law and Chaos as per God's will due to humanity endlessly repeating its mistakes. Demons and God will keep resurrecting because humanity is too weak to not rely on God's foundation or to keep their desires repressed. Any path to preserve that doesn't align to God's will shall be cast into destruction, any attempt at upheaval will lead inexorably to a path of self-destruction. The only solution, according to the White, is to end all of existence. The White view this solution as a mercy killing because the only alternative is to endlessly continue the cosmic war of Law and Chaos under God's rule. Gabriel tells Flynn in the challenge quest details after defeating several of them that they had gained knowledge beyond their ken concerning God as an aggregation of human thought, which lead them to this belief in order to continue her preaching of knowledge being evil. Stephen explains they are the aggregate sentience of human thought itself. Lucifer explains so long as the humanity created by God exists, then themselves, God and the White will never disappear.
The White also appear in "The Eternal Youth" and "Ancient One of the Sun" DLCs, intending to drive Flynn to nihilism and show him humanity's despair by sending him back to Infernal Tokyo and Blasted Tokyo to fight against Sanat and the Ancient of Days, respectively. They mention their existence is tied to Flynn's; as long as he exists, so will they, because they are humanity's collective will.
It is revealed in the Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse Hunter Memos DLC that their goal is not possible in the grand scheme of things, as every possibility observed becomes real and branches off into countless parallel universes, meaning that destroying all existence is impossible and futile from the beginning as their plan only destroys a single universe.
White (K)[]
"A world betrayed by its faith in God. A world that spurns God and drowns in anarchy. Now that you stand at the dead-end of possibility, what else greets you besides despair? Such hope is beyond redemption..."
The first of the group to appear. He tells Flynn that his atom has brushed across two possible worlds when he returns from a world where they chose to preserve, and a world where the status quo was destroyed. In the White ending, he says that they will be saved from suffering and sorrow before disappearing. The second White to be fought in the Monochrome Forest. White K desires to teach Flynn the splendor of nonexistence.
As he falls, he groans about a world betrayed by its faith in God and a world drowned in anarchy, asking Flynn what else is there beyond despair. His last words condemn Flynn's hope. On the Chaos Route, he remarks on how God cannot be opposed with mere brute force, and that the coming freedom will be short-lived, condemning Flynn's indulgence; whereas on the Law Route, he calls Flynn out for playing along with God, refusing to free mankind, condemning his obeisance.
When battling White K in Monochrome Forest, his attacks are mainly pierce (AKA gun) attacks.
When Flynn beats the Ancient of Days and Sanat, he questions why Flynn does not despair.
White (Issachar)[]
"Ah...where is our salvation? Why? Why wouldn't you save me even unto the very end? Why are you leaving us behind in the rift of God...demons...and man?"
The second of the group to appear. He asks the mitochondria within Flynn if he has ever thought about why humans are born or why the world exists. After returning from Blasted Tokyo, he states to Flynn that his desire to preserve was swallowed by a greater will's desire to preserve. He asks Flynn in their third encounter if he will use his power to turn the world to naught as the Messiah. White Issachar calls Flynn the true Messiah before vanishing in the White ending.
The fourth of the White faced in the Monochrome Forest. On the Neutral, Law or Chaos path, White Issachar comments the fate of humans is to endlessly repeat the same mistakes, thus justifying the White's omnicidal viewpoints. He also says he took on the form of Flynn's dearest friend because Issachar was torn by the way of the state of the world after reading the books given to him by Lilith, who was called the Black Samurai at the time, and the White tells Flynn he will show him how powerful one's suffering can be, using Issachar's form as an example. He will also try to guilt-trip Flynn by invoking Jonathan's viewpoints in the Chaos Path, Walter's in the Law Path, and both in the Neutral Path.
Upon his defeat, he asks why Flynn did not save him in the very end in an undistorted and emotional voice to further guilt-trip Flynn by reminding him of Issachar's brutal death. In the Neutral Path, White Issachar is denounced by Burroughs, along with the rest of the White, as an entity of unjustified resentment, rash self-denial and self-justification. In the Law Path, he is likewise denounced as a coward by Jonathan; in the Chaos Path, it is Walter who brushes aside his arguments. As he dies, he will also ask Flynn where is their salvation, and why he is leaving them in the rift of God, of demons and of man.
White Issachar attempts to guilt trip Flynn before his death, as he, unlike the others, spoke in Issachar's voice without distortion upon defeat. The real Issachar asked Flynn to give him a mercy killing so as not to prolong his suffering.
When Flynn beats the Ancient of Days and Sanat, he tells Flynn the only way to fundamentally save humanity is via siding with them and destroying the reactor. Alternatively, when he decides to instead return to his own world, he says that doing so will merely cause that future (Blasted/Infernal Tokyo) to crumble.
The White taking the form of Issachar will pose questions to Flynn which will affect the tide of the battle.
| Law Route | |
|---|---|
| "Do you recall those lands? That blasted world, tainted with poison... Those who depended on God were callously killed by Him. Has the possibility that you, too, may also be smote by God not crossed your mind?" | |
| "There IS that possibility..." | White +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja Flynn's party +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| "I won't be killed." | White +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| Continue fighting | No effect |
| "One who desires preservation... What would your fellow Samurai think? I refer to he who dreamt of changing this world, who is not here now... The one called Walter. Does it not give you pause to think what he might say, were he to learn of your choice?" | |
| Think about Walter | White +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja Flynn's party +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| Forget about Walter | White +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| Continue fighting | No effect |
| Chaos Route | |
|---|---|
| "Do you recall those lands? That infernal world, ruled by violence... Those who yearned for freedom ended up desiring order after all. Has the possibility that you, too, will long for order in time not crossed your mind?" | |
| "There IS that possibility..." | White +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja Flynn's party +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| "Freedom is everything." | White +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| Continue fighting | No effect |
| "One who desires upheaval... What would your fellow Samurai think? I refer to he who dreamt of a stable world, who is not here now... The one called Jonathan. Does it not give you pause to think what he might say, were he to learn of your choice?" | |
| Think about Jonathan | White +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja Flynn's party +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| Forget about Jonathan | White +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| Continue fighting | No effect |
| Neutral Route | |
|---|---|
| "Tell me this. What possibilities does this world hold that you feel secure walking the path of neutrality? As the one who embodies those possibilities, what comes to mind?" | |
| "God." | White +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja Flynn's party +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| "Demons." | White +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja Flynn's party +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| "People." | Flynn's party +Tarunda/Rakunda/Sukunda |
| "I don't know yet." | Flynn's party +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja |
| "What would your fellows think? Jonathan, who desired a stable world... Walter, who desired revolution... Does it not give you pause to think what they might say, were they to learn of your choice?" | |
| Think about the two | Flynn's party +Tarukaja/Rakukaja/Sukukaja |
| Forget about the two | Flynn: HP-> 1, SP->0 |
| Continue fighting | No effect |
White (Hugo)[]
"Humans...can never escape the karma of desire. Desires are no different then demons. Humans themselves are demons. Such desire is beyond redemption..."
The third of the group to appear. He proclaims that a single atom's revolt will only damage a single cell, while the cell will be healed by the other cells. In their second encounter he mentions that Flynn also has the choice to not preserve and that they shall show him that possibility. The third encounter has him inform Flynn that humans are prisoners of God's expectations and speaks of a way to escape his grasp by turning it all to nothing. In the White ending, he says mankind has finally won and then disappears. The first of the White to be faced in the Monochrome Forest, he calls Flynn the fifth son and tells him that he will unmake him since he did not choose nothingness.
When defeated on Neutral, he will mutter humans cannot escape the karma of desires, which are no different from demons. Thus, humans are exactly like demons. His last words condemn desire itself. In the Chaos Route, he condemns Flynn's thoughtlessness and his seemingly futile struggle to escape God. In the Law Route, he warns that God's plan has only led to ruin, and Flynn will surely follow the same path.
When Flynn beats the Ancient of Days and Sanat, he sends them back to his own world, except he tells him he has yet to save humanity from that which is to come (via doing the nihilism ending). When Flynn instead decides to return to his own world, he is the only one of the white to not say anything.
White (Isabeau)[]
"We humans with our demonic tendencies, who create a 'god' for the sake of our own convenience. Do you think that ones so weak can carry on living in this quagmire of order and chaos? Such neutrality is beyond redemption..."
The last of the group to appear. In the third encounter, she is the one to bring up the decision they wish for him to make. She mentions that they lack forms, which is why they must entrust Flynn with turning all to nothing. She asks him to free humanity of God's control and to become the true Messiah, thanking him for ending their long and painful journey in the White ending, telling him goodbye before dissipating. She is the third of the White to be faced in the Monochrome Forest.
Upon her end in the Neutral Route, she declares that humans are no different then demons who seek a power to rule over them. Her last words condemn the path of balance as a whole. On the Chaos Route, she condemns Flynn's desire to forge a path through force when it plays into God's hands anyway; whereas in the Law Route, she points out dissenters of God's plan will arise and the peace Flynn seeks will not last.
When Flynn beats the Ancient of Days and Sanat, she tells him even should he try to enkindle the hopes of the people of Tokyo, it would ultimately only result in their despair.
Stats[]
White (Hugo)[]
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White (K)[]
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White (Isabeau)[]
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White (Issachar)[]
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Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- The White are named after the Great White Brotherhood, a group of enlightened humans in Theosophy. Their views and beliefs are a distortion of the Brotherhoods, having become "enlightened" by learning the nature of God and view existence as something that must end. They also make references to the Root Race by calling Flynn the fifth son in reference to the fifth humanity. This is shared with their fellow Theosophy based being Sanat.
- The White are a reference to the Sanskrit term of "Mahatma" meaning "Great Soul" and popularized by the Great White Brotherhood.
- The White came into existence as a result of the previous four generations of humanity being led to ruin and eventually completely killed off by the angels. Flynn, representing the fifth humanity, is called their fifth son for this reason. The Fifth Son represents ignorance towards tradition; Flynn remains obstinate to the knowledge told by the White if he chooses Law, Chaos or Neutrality.
- According to an NPC in Ginza near the end of the game, he met "white shadows" that resembled his wife and daughter telling him to die with them only for him to dispel them by telling them "he will do his best", implying that the White who met Flynn merely took the forms of his loved ones to guilt trip him into advancing their own agenda.
- The White's plans are always doomed to end with failure if the Hunter's Memo's DLC in Apocalypse were to go by. Every possibility becomes real and branches off to countless parallel universes, meaning that they can only destroy one universe at most.