Stephen
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| Stephen | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese Name | STEVEN |
| First Appearance | Shin Megami Tensei |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| Japanese VA | Kenjirou Tsuda |
- "Hi. I'm not a demon."
- —Stephen, Shin Megami Tensei II
Stephen, known as STEVEN in the Japanese versions, is a non-player character, first appearing in Shin Megami Tensei.
Contents |
History
Stephen is loosely based on the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Hawking is famous for developing theorems based on black hole singularity and the transfer of items entering a black hole to another universe. He has since developed a new theorem which discounts the transfer to another universe, instead opting for the idea that information would be spit back out of the black hole in a garbled state.
Appearances
- Shin Megami Tensei: Computer Programmer
- Shin Megami Tensei II: Computer Programmer
- Shin Megami Tensei: if...: Cameo
- Shin Megami Tensei NINE
- Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE: Cameo
- Shin Megami Tensei IV
Profile
Shin Megami Tensei
Stephen is a brilliant computer programmer who is the main architect of the Terminal System project, a revolutionary technology which allowed instantaneous travel through computer networks. However, during one of those experiments, a terminal accidentally connected to Makai, causing a demon to travel through. The supernatural being tried to communicate with Stephen, but as Stephen wasn't able to comprehend its language, it eventually got hostile and attacked, resulting in the crippling of Stephen.
This event ended up motivating Stephen in developing the Demon Summoning Program, a computer file that, once downloaded in a COMP, will allow its user to translate the demon language, allowing for proper communication. It also possesses an auto-map and stores demons on its memory plate function, as Stephen hoped that someone would one day be able to use it to ally himself with demons to avert the obliteration of Tokyo by the upcoming war of the rising Messian and Gaea factions.
Thus, he sent the Demon Summoning Program through e-mail to as many people as possible, before being captured by Gotou's forces and imprisoned in Echo Building; where he would meet the protagonist for the very first time. After this, he only makes minor appearances through the game, mostly to upgrade the protagonist's computer as well as the Demon Summoning Program, allowing the hero to store and summon more demons at the same time.
Shin Megami Tensei II
Stephen is first mentioned when some drinkers at a bar inform Hawk that a "guy in a wheelchair" has been seen by numerous fighters while Virtual Battling, and that this phenomenon was not supposed to be part of the program. While training in the virtual world, Aleph himself is approached by the mysterious man who, after introducing himself, predicts that great calamities are about to befall Tokyo Millennium, saying that he has been waiting for strong warriors to appear at the various public Virtual Battlers scattered through town as to be able to give them what he calls a "Demon Summoning Program"; stating that if humanity doesn't learn how to use the power of the demons as their own, they will be destroyed by it. It is mainly through this technology, uploaded into Hawk's Arm Terminal, that he can communicate, recruit, and summon different demons.
Through the remainder of the game, Stephen can been seen on various other optional appearances, all in Virtual Battlers of different districts of both Tokyo Millennium and the Underworld. It is over these meetings that Stephen is able to grant Aleph with different improvements and upgrades to his Demon Summoning Program, giving him the ability to stock more and more minions (to the maximum capability of twelve) through the use of a compression algorithm that, according to him, reduces the size of demon data that is able to be simultaneously stored inside a computer. The Devil Analyze program and the Identification System (used to show information about specific demons and certain items, respectively) were both also engineered by Steven.
He appears much later, this time in Yesod, one of the multiple districts of the Abyss. There, he activates for Aleph the Terminal technology used in the Abyss, so that he can save the game and teleport himself whenever he likes. In the Neutral Route he teleports Aleph to Eden after you defeat the dragon Kuzuryu.
Shin Megami Tensei: if...
"Stephen" is only mentioned briefly in the story's introduction as the user who uploaded the Demon Summoning Program to the school's computers via a "suspicious network".
Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE
Stephen appears in silhouette during a cutscene that describes the events of Shin Megami Tensei. His Demon Summoning Program has been adopted as the main weapon of the Demon Busters, granting them the ability to summon and store demons. The Snakeman alludes to Steven often, even mentioning he received a COMP from him.
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Stephen returns as a guide to the protagonist, giving hints throughout the game. His appearance is said to be mere references to previous games in the series.
Gallery
Trivia
- The reason why Stephen is alive many years after the first Shin Megami Tensei is unknown. It should also be noted he survived the events of the Great Destruction, despite his crippled state.
- In Shin Megami Tensei II, Stephen reveals that he created a virtual space inside the network, so it can be inferred that he was able to escape the events of the Great Destruction by traveling inside the network. This can also explain as to why he is able to appear in the virtual battler early on in the game.
- Though not appearing in person, one of the software installations for the COMP in Soul Hackers is named "Steven", likely after him. It removes the level limit during COMP Fusion in a New Game Plus.
| Playable Characters | Protagonist - Heroine - Law Hero - Chaos Hero - Pascal |
| Non-Playable Characters | STEVEN - Ozawa - Yuriko - Old Man - Gotou - Ambassador Thorman - Louis Cyphre |
| Locations | Tokyo - Kichijoji - Shinjuku - Kongokai - Shibuya - Roppongi - Ginza Underpass - Ginza - Tokyo Tower - Shinagawa - Ikebukuro - Ueno - Tokyo Destiny Land - Great Cathedral |
| Terminology | Cult of Gaia - Order of Messiah |
| Soundtracks | Shin Megami Tensei Sound Collection |
| Archives | Demons - Bosses |
| Playable Characters | Aleph/Hawk - Hiroko - Beth - Cerberus - Lucifer - Satan |
| Non-Playable Characters | Okamoto - Gimmel - Zayin - STEVEN - Haneda - Daleth - Red Bear - Madam - Hanada - The Center's Bishop - Mekata - Puck - Hanoun - Mutant Elder - Hiruko - Taira no Masakado - Siren - Petersen - Michael - Raphael - Uriel - Gabriel - Fake YHVH - Seth - Virocana - Ozawa - Gotou - Gemori - Astaroth/Ishtar and Ashtar - Kuzuryu - YHVH |
| Terms | Tokyo Millennium - Underworld - Makai - Virtual Battle - Teleportation Terminals - Demon Summoning Program - Order of Messiah - Millennium Kingdom - Demon Analyzer - Identification Program - The Five Dolls of the Abyss - Seven Pillars of Solomon - Sabbath - Lamed Key - Ayin Key - Abaddon's Innards - Eden - Megiddo Arc |
| Content | Demons - Items |
| Playable Characters | Protagonist |
| Non-Playable Characters | Isabeau - Jonathan - Walter - Navarre - Hope - Issachar - Gaby - Hugo - K - Burroughs - Tayama - Kaga - Hikaru - Fujiwara - Tsugihagi - Stephen - Black Samurai - Charon |
| Locations | Eastern Kingdom of Mikado - Tokyo - Naraku |
| Terminology | COMP - Samurai - Gauntlet Rite - Ashura-kai - Ring of Gaea - Turn Press Battle - Challenge Quests |
| Archives | Demons - Bosses - Items - Skills |
