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Zayin is one of the major characters in Shin Megami Tensei II.

Appearance[]

Personality[]

Zayin is a devoted member of the Temple Knights, he will not hesitate to strike down anyone who opposes Millennium's law until seeing first-hand the atrocities committed by the Center's quest to establish the Millennium Kingdom on Earth, which finally manages to opens his eyes for the truth: that the path of corruption they follow is not the one with the wishes of the true God.

Profile[]

Shin Megami Tensei II[]

A commanding officer in the Messian Temple Knights for Aleph, Zayin is first shown searching for Aleph, who was better known as Hawk at the time due to his amnesia. Upon finding Aleph, Zayin informs him of his past, and coerced Aleph back into the Center. Throughout the story, Zayin serves as a mentor-figure towards Aleph, following the events of the appearance of Betelgeuse, Zayin orders Aleph to the colony of Arcadia. In there, Zayin helped Aleph in retrieving the entrance password, which is needed to unlock the gates of Arcadia.

However, while they were in Arcadia, the demons managed to enter the Center, led by a "False Messiah." Zayin hurried back to the Center, hoping to defend it. Thanks to the efforts of Zayin, Aleph and the Temple Knights, the demons were suppressed. Zayin would later arrest Hiroko for breaking the law of the Center: leaving the city without permission. Regardless of Aleph's alignments, he will have to battle Zayin to free Hiroko. Later, when Valhalla was devoured and destroyed by Abaddon under the orders of the Center, Zayin became suspicious of his superiors, and began harboring a sense of distrust towards them.

Zayin began investigating the Messian Senate, and rumors regarding Zayin's betrayal of the Center began to spread. In a hijacked news broadcasting, Zayin delivers the truth behind the Center's true motives: they are planning to create the Thousand Year Kingdom, a place in which only a handful of chosen people will live. Millennium was originally constructed as a tool for selecting the people who would be permitted to live in the Thousand Year Kingdom. When that was done, Millennium was to be obliterated. Zayin also revealed the reason that Valhalla was destroyed was simply because the Center no longer needed it, and eventually all of Millennium was to suffer the same fate.

Zayin would later question whether Aleph had heard his broadcast, and told Aleph that he no longer worked for the Center. Zayin would then rebel and dedicate himself to spreading the truth about the Center's machinations. Zayin would later reappear in the Factory area, where he planned to liberate the people locked inside. He asked for Aleph's assistance, and continued venturing into the Factory. Upon reaching the people, however, Zayin was confused as to why the people wouldn't leave. Suspicious, he went up to the watchtower, and encountered its guardian, Belphegor, who soundly defeated Zayin. When Aleph found Zayin, he was injured but alive. Zayin told him to be careful of Belphegor. Aleph then defeated the guardian, freeing the Siren who had been manipulated into brainwashing the workers of the Factory. Disgusted, Zayin wondered what the Center could be planning.

Later, the Center demanded that Zayin report back to the main area, threatening to suffocate the entire population of Holytown should he refuse. Realizing the Senate had finally made its move to initiate the Thousand Year Kingdom, Zayin decided to fight the Senate alone, and bid farewell to the party. His attack, however, failed, and he was turned into a statue by the Senate. The Senate Elders themselves would later reveal their identities as the archangels Raphael, Uriel and Michael. Once Aleph defeated them, Zayin was restored. He thanked Aleph, and by defeating Micheal, he was truly liberated.

Zayin's true nature was later revealed to be something far more horrible than expected. He was an incarnation of Satan, an instrument of YHWH's will sent to judge all creatures on Earth; both men and demons alike. Revealing his true identity to Aleph, he fused with his second half, Set, and transformed himself into Satan.

In the Neutral and Chaos alignment paths, he attempts to use the Megiddo Arc (a powerful laser weapon within Eden) to destroy all life on the planet as his judgement. He is killed by Aleph before he can carry out his plans, and his death prompts the appearance of YHVH. In the Law alignment path, he joins forces with Aleph and Hiroko to defeat YHVH after the Megiddo Arc wipes out humanity on Earth. Afterwards, having killed his creator, he crumbles to dust and hails Aleph as the true Savior and Hiroko as the true Holy Mother.

Stats[]

Shin Megami Tensei II[]

Zayin SMT2
Race Alignment Level HP MP
Ranger Neutral-Law 25 360 236
MAG NOA ATK ACC DEF EVA M.ATK M.EFC
- 2 78 53 68 52 10 13
St 14
In 11
Ma 8
Vi 9
Ag 11
Lu 8
Drop None Moon Aff K
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Roundhouse Kick Medium Kick attack to one foe.
Jump Kick Medium Kick attack to 1-3 foes.
Backfist Medium Punch attack to one foe.
Bodhisattva's Palm Heavy Punch attack to one foe. Damage increases with user's HP.
Thunder Kick Heavy Kick attack to 2 foes. Damage increases with user's HP.


Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Zayin is the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the equivalent of the Greek letter of "Zeta" and Latin letter "Z."
    • According to Kazuma Kaneko Works III, the reference to the alphabet is to denote that Zayin is the "final" prototype (as "Z" is the last letter in Latin alphabet) of Center's Messiah Project, making him the strongest warrior of all prototypes. His original task assigned by Center was to monitor Aleph.
  • When Zayin is turned into stone by the Four Elders for inciting rebellion, his petrified self is reminiscent of when Han Solo from Star Wars was frozen in carbonite in The Empire Strikes Back.
  • In Megami Tensei II, there's a child named Zayin in a Devil Busters sidequest. A Demon has kidnapped the child and impersonated him.


Playable Characters Aleph/Hawk - Hiroko - Beth - Cerberus - Lucifer - Satan
Non-Playable Characters Okamoto - Gimmel - Zayin - Stephen - Haneda - Daleth - Red Bear - Madam - Hanada - The Center's Bishop - The Four Elders - Mekata - Puck - Hanoun - Mutant Elder - Hiruko - Taira no Masakado - Siren - Petersen - Michael - Raphael - Uriel - Gabriel - Fake YHVH - Seth - Virocana - Ozawa - Gotou - Gemori - Astaroth (Ishtar / Ashtar) - Kuzuryu - YHVH
Locations Tokyo Millennium - Underworld - Expanse - Eden - Diamond Realm - River Styx
Terminology Millennium Kingdom - Great Cataclysm - Order of Messiah - Ring of Gaea - Terminal - Sword fusion - Identification Program - Summon Doll - Seven Pillars of Solomon - Sabbath - Abaddon's Innards - Megiddo Arc
Content Demons - Bosses - Skills - Items
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