Shin Megami Tensei II PlayStation manual art by Kazuma Kaneko and Megumi Shiraishi, 2001. Scanned at 800 DPI, 4898x4829.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kJiHHbLIkKuUhZGpi8au_0A-kDFxcnpO?usp=share_link
As already stated, this piece was drawn for SMT II’s PlayStation manual cover. It also predates the game’s release by a year, so it was probably done during the latter half of 2001. Onto the characters, this piece features bust-ups of Aleph, Beth, Hiroko, Gimmel, Daleth and Zayin. The brush used for them is quite thick, unlike the thin one used in this game’s individual character and demon artwork. Before anyone goes making Gorillaz comparisons, take note that this predates their Demon Days album by a whole four years, lol.
Since there isn’t any commentary for this piece, or anything interesting I can observe, I’ll be providing some general character and design information below. Take note that there’ll be some major spoilers for SMT II. All of the information is sourced from Kazuma Kaneko Works II and III, translated by myself, so apologies for any mistakes.
Aleph, meaning ‘one’ or ‘bull’ in Hebrew, is the amnesiac protagonist of SMT II. At the start of the game, he was the only warrior belonging to the Okamoto Gym, where he was given the name 'Hawk’. During training inside a virtual battle, he is given the demon summoning program by STEVEN.
After becoming champion of the colosseum, he is informed of his true name and purpose of being a messiah. He follows orders until he meets his creator, Dr Mekata, and learns that he is an artificial human created by the Centre. He then begins to follow his own path.
Aleph is actually very young, probably 8ish, but appears older. He is well-liked by women, possibly due to their innate maternal instincts, and is very attractive overall. However, the only person in Aleph’s heart is Hiroko. Notice the pretty significant COMP redesigns for the PS release. Aleph had a unique, goggled one in his SFC design, whereas Daleth had more of an SMT I one. Now they both have these visor ones.
Beth, meaning 'two’ or 'house’ in Hebrew, is one of SMT II’s main characters. She is a female Temple Knight belonging to the Centre and was artificially created as Aleph’s ideal partner. She wears white and blue, colours symbolic of Messianic faith, and is adorned with cross symbols. After Aleph is recognised as the true Messiah, she devotes herself to him and stands by his side with full support, but inevitably loses her life while shielding him from Daleth. Her actions go beyond the scope of command and were done purely out of love for Aleph. Her soul can later be found in the Chesed area of the Demon World.
Beth’s design is very similar to the Heroine from the first game, whom Beth is in fact a reincarnation of. Her death is what causes the SMT I Hero statue to weep.
Gimmel, meaning 'three’ or 'camel’ in Hebrew, is one of the main characters of SMT II. He is the most intelligent of the humans created in the Messiah Project, a trait which is reflected in his design. Both his lyre and laurel headpiece are inspired by Apollo, Greek god of poetry and art. Gimmel is the administrator of Arcadia, a virtual city in cyberspace that was modelled after the Millennium Kingdom. There he is worshipped as a saviour, but in reality, his actual appearance is a stark contrast to that of Gimmel’s perfect virtual body.
Daleth, meaning 'four’ or 'door’ in Hebrew, is one of the main characters and antagonists of SMT II. He was created as a counterpart to the Messiah, Aleph, and fights him for the title of true Messiah. However, during battle, he accidentally kills Beth, who defended Aleph at the cost of her own life. The 'door’ meaning of his name represents an ordeal through which Aleph must pass. Fleeing after his defeat, he meets the fairy Hanoun, who falls in love with him. Daleth also falls in love with her, after being afflicted with the Fidelity Sap. He then abandons his desire for vengeance and lives with Hanoun.
The way Kaneko Works describes it, neither Aleph nor Daleth were strictly destined to be Messiah, but they both had the potential. That is to say, it’s not as if there is a strictly true or false side between Daleth and Aleph’s battle. As such, Daleth’s design draws heavily from the Hero’s design from the first game, and as Daleth and Aleph are counterparts, they too are similar in design.
Zayin, meaning 'seven’ or 'weapon’ in Hebrew, is a law-abiding man and the final prototype of the Messiah Project. He is powerful Temple Knight and proudly displays a cross on his chest, under which he is wrapped in a sarashi (bleached cloth). He is characterized by his eyes, which show the strength of his will, and by his angular, long face and hair. He carries out his orders of monitoring Aleph, but begins to doubt the methods of the Center. After being defeated by Aleph, he acts on his convictions and exposes the atrocities of the Center while freeing citizens from concentration camps. However, he later turns himself in after the Center threatens the lives of innocent civilians. Later on in the game, he fuses with Seth to become Satan.
It might be a little confusing as to why the names jump from ‘four’ (Daleth) to ‘seven’ (Zayin), but there’s a few possible explanations. Firstly, God created the world in seven days, so seven is often seen a symbol of completeness. Zayin is the final and most complete prototype of the Messiah Project, so that could be why he was given seven. Secondly, five and six may have been left out because they are are heh and vav, as in Yod Heh Vav Heh, YHVH (thanks to Kid Capes for pointing this out to me). Finally, and most simply, Heh and Vav would suck as names, so ATLUS staff could have skipped over them since Zayin is (objectively) way cooler.
Last one. Hiroko is one of the major characters SMT II. Unlike the other characters, she was not born from the Messiah Project, so her name doesn’t come from the Hebrew alphabet. She does take part in the project, however, and is an elite Temple Knight and daughter of one of the project’s leaders, Dr Mekata. She is forced to undergo artificial insemination and becomes the surrogate mother of Aleph, but her memories were wiped once her fertilised egg was removed. She begins to remember her child and eventually comes to meet Aleph, not realising who he is until she reunites with her father, Mekata, and he tells them the truth. Hiroko is the only character to stick by Aleph’s side until the very end, no matter which ending you choose. Hiroko’s position, design and strong character suggest the image of Lilith, Adam’s first wife. The whip wrapped around her body is likely symbolic of a serpent.
P.S., all of the character art was seemingly drawn down to the waist, but cut off much higher for the final piece. Here’s a scan from the SMT II Official Perfect Guide.
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