Iconic SMT demon Jack Frost will be getting a minor makeover for its appearance in Shin Megami Tensei V. Atlus announced the change via its official Twitter account on August 11, 2021.
Doi-san's Demon Commentary: Jack Frost ❄️
It's the hee-homent you've been waiting for! Jack Frost is back, and has a cute "renewed" design for Shin Megami Tensei V! Doi-san shares a bit of insight on his special skill, too! pic.twitter.com/7BZZaJx1Dr— Official ATLUS West (@Atlus_West) August 10, 2021
The tweet included a sample of character art and commentary from character designer Masayuki Doi. Doi has been working on Atlus projects since 1999’s Persona 2: Innocent Sin and was lead character designer on Shin Megami Tensei IV. Doi noted that Jack Frost is an iconic design, so much so that Atlus itself uses the rotund snow demon as its mascot character. Therefore, rather than go for a full redesign, they opted for more of a renewal. They chose to update some smaller elements of the character’s visuals without losing the original look and feel. The result is mainly a bit shinier, with slightly rebalanced proportions, and new elements such as a silver border on the blue cap and collar. Atlus revealed the actual design itself as far back as 2019.
Doi also noted that Shin Megami Tensei V would give its version of Jack Frost a unique skill that was “fun and comical,” with a special effect that captures “unchanging adorable charm.” Other SMT V demons have unique skills, such as the Ainu-derived Chironnupu, having “Apto Foxfire.”
Jack Frost is derived from a mythological spirit thought to represent winter weather, not unlike “Old Man Winter” and other personifications of natural forces. The character has appeared in Atlus titles since Megami Tensei II on the Famicom, where it wore a red hat and scarf and carried an umbrella. When the series acquired its current Shin Megami Tensei title, Jack Frost took on the look that he currently holds today: a blue jester-like hat, blue-and-yellow boots, and a collar with golden bells.
Shin Megami Tensei V releases on the Nintendo Switch on November 11 and 12, 2021. To promote the game, Atlus is profiling its demon roster daily via its Japanese YouTube channel.
