Atlus posted new demon design commentary on its official Twitter account, this time delving into Shin Megami Tensei V Abdiel. She leads Bethel’s law-aligned forces in the game proper, and is under the Herald classification. The archangel comes from Paradise Lost and is the only angel who didn’t betray God when the angels and Lucifer rebelled against him.
According to character and demon designer Masayuki Doi, he had to lean on original design choices for her, since the source material lacked physical appearance descriptions. He incorporated plenty of Christian symbolism into her design, such as the triangular-shaped armor to represent the Holy Trinity, as well as her head and facial decorations to represent the cross. Even the prison bar-shaped tattoos on her body are symbolic, as they represent her repentance for nearly siding with Lucifer in the rebellion.
Abdiel is a demon with strong plot importance, just like Nuwa, and will be faced with many conflicts and difficult decisions in the story. You can read up on the full commentary below:
Doi-san's Demon Commentary: Abdiel ⚔️
A high-ranking angel wholly devoted to God, Abdiel is the leader of Bethel's forces in #SMT5. Doi-san shares the motifs and meaning behind her design in today's commentary! pic.twitter.com/I6484Egy6z
— Official ATLUS West (@Atlus_West) September 7, 2021
The previously released commentary focused on newcomer demon Manananggal. In addition, every day Atlus has posted a new video promoting a brand new demon, with the latest demon reveal trailer introducing Attis.
Shin Megami Tensei V will be released for the Nintendo Switch in Japan on November 11, 2021 and worldwide on November 12, 2021.
