This article is about all appearances of Thanatos in the Megami Tensei series. For the specific personification that takes the form of Thanatos in Persona 3, see Death (Persona 3).
Thanatos is the personification and god of death and mortality in Greek mythology. He is commonly known as a harbinger of peaceful death, bringing the eternal sleep of death to the world while more violent gods were responsible for harsher death. He did not play a major part in Greek mythology and rarely appeared in any stories, as he was mostly displaced by Hades, the god of the underworld.
In the Greek poem, Theogony, Thanatos (Greek: θάνατος, Death) is one of the sons of Nyx and Erebus and is the elder twin brother of Hypnos. In the earliest mythological accounts, Thanatos is the harbinger of peaceful death, bringing eternal sleep to the world. Characterized as indiscriminate and merciless, Thanatos is detested by all and he hates them in return, all too happy to bring mortals to their fated end. Thanatos is perceived by Greek poets as a fearsome, sword-wielding, shaggy bearded specter and fierce of countenance. He is a harbinger of suffering and grief, and his coming was marked by pain.
In later eras, Thanatos is portrayed again as an angel of death, associated more with a gentle passing than a woeful demise, guiding mortals after their death. Many Roman sarcophagi depict him as a winged boy, very much akin to Eros. His Roman counterpart is Mors, who was known through his later gentler depiction.
Thanatos can be found in the central area of the Ingress in the Womb of Grief, but due to the layout of the level, he can only be reached after the protagonist as explored a vast majority of the Sixth Sphere, while requiring the assistance of several apps along the way, including Floor Search. Like other demons sealed in the Womb of Grief, freeing Thanatos will unlock him for fusion.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner[]
"Origin: Greece
The god of death in Greek mythology, also known as the Grim Reaper. He is the son of the night goddess Nyx, and the twin brother of the sleep god Hypnos.
When it's somebody's time to die, Thanatos first dedicates their life to Hades, king of the Underworld, by cutting their hair with his blade. When he is finished, he takes them.
He is said to walk amongst men, clothed in a black robe and carrying a blade."
—Akuma Zensho
Megami Ibunroku Persona[]
Thanatos appears as the boss of the Thanatos Tower in the Snow Queen arc, as the Persona of Yuriko Yamamoto. Yuriko takes Thanatos' form when the party refuses her offer to give them eternal youth by killing them.
In battle, Thanatos is aided by six tentacles. These tentacles are the only enemies in the game not classified under an Order. Once Thanatos has been defeated, it will assume the form of an eyeball which can only cast the Hell Eyes skill.
Thanatos is the sole member of the Reaper Order in the PlayStation version of the game. His Order was changed to Tyrant in both the Japanese and English versions of the PSP port.
Persona 3 / Portable[]
"The Greek god of death, he is the son of Nyx and the brother of Hypnos. He is depicted as a young man with an inverted torch and wreath or butterfly in his hands."
—Persona 3 compendium
Thanatos is the ultimate Persona of the Death Arcana in Persona 3. It first appears near the beginning of the game, when the male or female protagonist first attempts to summon Orpheus. Thanatos emerges from Orpheus' head, ripping Orpheus apart and mercilessly slicing apart the Arcana Magician looming ahead. Later, the protagonist can gain access to Thanatos after the Social Link with Pharos is completed.
Thanatos' fusion prerequisite requires all the other Personas of the Death Arcana, namely Loa, Pale Rider, Samael, Mot and Alice to perform a pentagon-spread fusion in the Velvet Room. Thanatos also grants the equipment Ring of Darkness, which repels Darkness-based attacks, as his Heart Item.
Ryoji Mochizuki's true form as Death looks identical to Thanatos, seeing that Thanatos can be the manifestation of Ryoji's friendship with the protagonist during his form as Pharos.
FES[]
Thanatos' role and attribute remains relatively the same from the original game. However, the fusion prerequisite now requires an additional Persona, namely Ghoul, an exclusive Persona of the Death Arcana in Persona 3 FES to perform a hexagon-spread fusion in the Velvet Room.
In the playable epilogue of Persona 3 FES, titled the Answer, Thanatos can also be summoned in the Velvet Room by Aigis through normal fusion.
The Movie[]
Thanatos' first appearance was almost the same as in the game, but in the movie, Thanatos only emerged after Oprheus' own attacks failed to do any damage on the Arcana Magician.
Next time, Makoto summoned Thanatos to battle Nyx Avatar, which had changed into its true Arcana, Death. Thanatos is defeated, but Makoto gains a chance to deal the final blow with his sword. When Nyx's true form emerges from the Moon, Makoto fuses Thanatos with Orpheus to create Messiah.
Persona 4 Arena / Ultimax[]
Thanatos now serves as Elizabeth's Persona. He is the only Persona in the game that is capable of using all the Elemental Spells.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth[]
Thanatos is one of the DLC Sub-Personas, which can be downloaded for $2. His unique skill is Door of Hades, which hits all enemies with a heavy Almighty attack, with a high chance to instantly kill, once per turn for three turns.
Persona 5[]
"A Persona of another story. The Greek god of death, he is the son of Nyx and the twin brother of Hypnos. He is known to provide mortals with a peaceful death."
Thanatos can be obtained via the Legacy DLC bundle and has the Iron Heart trait, which halves the SP cost of all magic skills during a Baton Pass. Also, by transferring Alice's trait "Just Die!", the game recognizes Door of Hades as an insta-kill skill, reducing it to 0 every time. During a fusion alarm, Thatanos will yield the Darkness Ring R accessory, which gives the wearer the skill Evade Curse as well as +8 in their Magic, while the Picaro variant yields a Demonic Decree Skill Card.
Thanatos is aided by three tentacles of each type. After being defeated, Thanatos becomes Thanatos (Eyeball) and all remaining tentacles are destroyed.
Heavy Almighty attack each turn for 3 turns. (All enemies)
Innate
Megidola
32 SP
Heavy Almighty attack. (All enemies)
Innate
Death Counter
32 HP
Counter whenever user's row is attacked for 3 turns.
Innate
Runic Shield
Passive
High chance to null Fire/Ice/Elec/Wind/Psy/Nuke damage to user's row.
49
Broadshot
68 HP
Heavy Phys attack that pierces to the back row. (1 enemy) Stronger in Boost.
50
Megidolaon
48 SP
Severe Almighty attack. (All enemies)
51
Gallery[]
Devil Summoner[]
Thanatos artwork from the Devil Summoner series
Thanatos as it appears in Card Summoner
Persona series[]
Concept artwork of Thanatos
Thanatos in Gekkoukan High School.
The protagonist and Thanatos
Thanatos as he appears in Persona 3
Thanatos as he appears in Persona 3
Thanatos slaying the Arcana Magician Shadow
Thanatos in-game
Thanatos in Persona 3 Reload
Thanatos from P3P
Thanatos in Persona 3 Manga
Thanatos in Persona 3 Manga
Concept artwork of Thanatos in Persona 3 The Movie
Thanatos's Persona 3 The Movie concept design
Thanatos in Persona 3 The Movie
Thanatos artwork from Persona 4 Arena
Thanatos in-game
Thanatos in-game (2)
Thanatos as he appears in Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Thanatos in Persona O.A.
Thanatos in Persona 5
Thanatos in Persona 5 Royal
Thanatos Picaro in Persona 5 Royal
Thanatos Picaro in Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Persona 25th Anniversary[]
Artwork of Thanatos and the protagonist concluding the 25th Anniversary event.
In Other Languages[]
Language
Name
English
Thanatos Thanatos Picaro
Japanese
タナトス (Tanatosu) タナトス・賊神 (Tanatosu Pikaro)
French
Thanatos Thanatos Picaro
Italian
Thanatos Thanatos Picaro
German
Thanatos Thanatos Picaro
Spanish
Tánatos Tánatos Pícaro
Trivia[]
The depiction of Thanatos in Persona 3 seems to be derived more from the earliest mythological accounts, being characterized as a grim warrior surrounded by a mantle of metal coffins.
Thanatos appears alongside Pallas Athena, Izanagi and Messiah as one of the Personas featured in Lord of Vermilion Re: 2, once again serving as Elizabeth's Persona. Thanatos enables Elizabeth to use Megidolaon, which is considered a Physical Ability in the game.