Personality: From his introduction, when he’s still a human, Naoki presents himself as easy to boss around. He goes along with what Isamu or Chiaki want him to do, whether it is going to look around the hospital or venturing down into the basement with no real argument. Though Isamu makes it clear he’s foisting the duty off on him, Naoki seems to be a person who is good-natured enough to just go along with it. He’ll also take odd occult magazines from strangers without batting an eye (one of his choices when asked where he’s gotten the magazine is “some guy gave it to me”), which Chiaki rebukes him for. It’s difficult to say it is naivety so much as general lack of suspicion.
This trait of being easily directed and taken advantage of prevails throughout the majority of the game. Hijiri makes use of him and his strength in order to investigate various things around the Vortex World. Isamu later mocks him for having this trait: he calls him too helpful and too gullible. Isamu reveals that Hijiri had been using Naoki all along, which implies that Naoki hadn’t even thought about it before that time. Naoki is inherently trusting of other people and wants to help, which is why he would do what Isamu said, if it meant that he could do something in order to save Hijiri. He also followed Lucifer’s plan in gathering the candelabrum from the Fiends and exploring the Labyrinth of Amala without having a clear idea of what was actually going on—as Beelzebub notes and mocks him for. His strategy is irrational, but he was presumably driven by a need to understand the Vortex World.
What is obvious about him is his constant need to be acting. No matter the things that happen in the ruined world, he has to be doing something. Following the neutral/human route, he is acting on his own (despite being told he isn’t able to make his own Reason) to restore the world back to the way it had been, to a world with no set future. It’s clear that he has an attachment to it and, more than that, a desire for freedom.
Judging by the choices that are able to be made throughout the game, he’s not completely serious all the time. He jokes around, just like any other high-school kid. At one point if Hijiri tries to ask him if he can’t hear him, he goes ahead and says “no, I can’t”, or Naoki will intentionally bait some of the demons whom he comes across. Though he is eager to help others and easily used (without realising it), that doesn’t mean he’s just a doormat.
Another important trait that is referred to throughout the game is how he keeps his human heart. All of the feelings of caring about his friends, about not partaking in the brutal slaughter of the Manikins, his attachment to freedom and his constant denial that he is a demon is part of these. Futomimi says it best: “You would never partake in such a brutal act, would you? Your heart is unlike any demon’s… Is it not?” And it isn’t. He doesn’t glean the same pleasure from killing and throughout the neutral route will constantly reaffirm that he is human.
There’s also no doubt that he is brave, as one has to be when living in the Vortex World. When he meets Aradia, the god who possesses Yuko Takao (his teacher), she asks him if he is afraid of the humiliation, the deceit, the torment or suffering and he’s given the option to say that he is or isn’t. For this route, we will go with that he said he wasn’t afraid. Though he is prone to trusting, he also does not give up so easily. He carries on after the death of all of those humans left in the Vortex World, in order to face Kagutsuchi by himself with just his demons to fight alongside him (and Dante/Raidou). He has both the physical strength and the strength of will.
With the responses that can be chosen for him, it’s evident that he acts in a straightforward and decided way. He admits when he can’t understand one of the others, or tells when he can understand but still can’t agree with what they’re doing (such as in the case of Chiaki) and he apologises to Isamu in one choice. As well as not giving up where it comes to situations, he doesn’t seem eager to give in where his friends are concerned, especially when it comes to their Reasons. Numerous times he chases after rumours to try and find them or tries to convince them to stop what they’re doing.
One of the key mechanics in Nocturne is also the ability to negotiate with demons. It implies that Naoki is quite perceptive and is able to roughly anticipate what certain things will do for certain demons in order to bring them over to his side. He’s not unintelligent despite his gullibility, and he makes a clear effort to understand the Reasons of his friends, though he is such a person that he can’t agree with what they advocate.
Abilities/Powers: By ingesting the various magatama (parasitic entities) that are obtainable throughout the course of the game, Naoki is able to get skills from them as he levels up. As well, depending on which magatama he has ingested, he will have certain strengths and weaknesses. He’ll have the Masakados magatama, which usually voids any and all types of attacks, but any of its effects will be removed so as not to render him invincible.
In the Nocturne universe, he’s considered one of the most powerful beings, as any Reason (to recreate the world) backed by his strength is more or less guaranteed to win. He’s able to fight Kagutsuchi (similar to an avatar of YHVH or god) as well as the generals and powerful demons of Lucifer’s army and Lucifer himself in the path that Naoki doesn’t go on. So needless to say, he’s a very strong force. Being able to sense Fiends and other entities in the game, it can also be assumed that his senses are above a human’s as well.
If his MP runs out during a battle, he can’t use his skills besides physical ones, which slowly drain his HP. He can learn 8 skills in the course of the game, which will be the following upon arriving in Haven:
Tornado: Heavy force damage to random enemies. Mana Refill: Gradually restores MP with every step taken. Freikugel: Mega almighty damage to a single enemy. Gaea Rage: Mega physical damage to all enemies. High critical odds. Diarahan: Heals HP fully to a single ally. Fog Breath: Drastically decreases all enemies' Agility. Pierce: Physical attacks bypass most kinds of protective properties except for Repel. Hellfire: Medium fire damage to random enemies.
He’s also able to fuse and summon numerous demons. If it’s all right, I’d like for him to be able to summon Samael and Yurlungur.
Naoki Kashima (Demi-fiend) | Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne | Reserved | 2/3
This trait of being easily directed and taken advantage of prevails throughout the majority of the game. Hijiri makes use of him and his strength in order to investigate various things around the Vortex World. Isamu later mocks him for having this trait: he calls him too helpful and too gullible. Isamu reveals that Hijiri had been using Naoki all along, which implies that Naoki hadn’t even thought about it before that time. Naoki is inherently trusting of other people and wants to help, which is why he would do what Isamu said, if it meant that he could do something in order to save Hijiri. He also followed Lucifer’s plan in gathering the candelabrum from the Fiends and exploring the Labyrinth of Amala without having a clear idea of what was actually going on—as Beelzebub notes and mocks him for. His strategy is irrational, but he was presumably driven by a need to understand the Vortex World.
What is obvious about him is his constant need to be acting. No matter the things that happen in the ruined world, he has to be doing something. Following the neutral/human route, he is acting on his own (despite being told he isn’t able to make his own Reason) to restore the world back to the way it had been, to a world with no set future. It’s clear that he has an attachment to it and, more than that, a desire for freedom.
Judging by the choices that are able to be made throughout the game, he’s not completely serious all the time. He jokes around, just like any other high-school kid. At one point if Hijiri tries to ask him if he can’t hear him, he goes ahead and says “no, I can’t”, or Naoki will intentionally bait some of the demons whom he comes across. Though he is eager to help others and easily used (without realising it), that doesn’t mean he’s just a doormat.
Another important trait that is referred to throughout the game is how he keeps his human heart. All of the feelings of caring about his friends, about not partaking in the brutal slaughter of the Manikins, his attachment to freedom and his constant denial that he is a demon is part of these. Futomimi says it best: “You would never partake in such a brutal act, would you? Your heart is unlike any demon’s… Is it not?” And it isn’t. He doesn’t glean the same pleasure from killing and throughout the neutral route will constantly reaffirm that he is human.
There’s also no doubt that he is brave, as one has to be when living in the Vortex World. When he meets Aradia, the god who possesses Yuko Takao (his teacher), she asks him if he is afraid of the humiliation, the deceit, the torment or suffering and he’s given the option to say that he is or isn’t. For this route, we will go with that he said he wasn’t afraid. Though he is prone to trusting, he also does not give up so easily. He carries on after the death of all of those humans left in the Vortex World, in order to face Kagutsuchi by himself with just his demons to fight alongside him (and Dante/Raidou). He has both the physical strength and the strength of will.
With the responses that can be chosen for him, it’s evident that he acts in a straightforward and decided way. He admits when he can’t understand one of the others, or tells when he can understand but still can’t agree with what they’re doing (such as in the case of Chiaki) and he apologises to Isamu in one choice. As well as not giving up where it comes to situations, he doesn’t seem eager to give in where his friends are concerned, especially when it comes to their Reasons. Numerous times he chases after rumours to try and find them or tries to convince them to stop what they’re doing.
One of the key mechanics in Nocturne is also the ability to negotiate with demons. It implies that Naoki is quite perceptive and is able to roughly anticipate what certain things will do for certain demons in order to bring them over to his side. He’s not unintelligent despite his gullibility, and he makes a clear effort to understand the Reasons of his friends, though he is such a person that he can’t agree with what they advocate.
Abilities/Powers: By ingesting the various magatama (parasitic entities) that are obtainable throughout the course of the game, Naoki is able to get skills from them as he levels up. As well, depending on which magatama he has ingested, he will have certain strengths and weaknesses. He’ll have the Masakados magatama, which usually voids any and all types of attacks, but any of its effects will be removed so as not to render him invincible.
In the Nocturne universe, he’s considered one of the most powerful beings, as any Reason (to recreate the world) backed by his strength is more or less guaranteed to win. He’s able to fight Kagutsuchi (similar to an avatar of YHVH or god) as well as the generals and powerful demons of Lucifer’s army and Lucifer himself in the path that Naoki doesn’t go on. So needless to say, he’s a very strong force. Being able to sense Fiends and other entities in the game, it can also be assumed that his senses are above a human’s as well.
If his MP runs out during a battle, he can’t use his skills besides physical ones, which slowly drain his HP. He can learn 8 skills in the course of the game, which will be the following upon arriving in Haven:
He’s also able to fuse and summon numerous demons. If it’s all right, I’d like for him to be able to summon Samael and Yurlungur.
Oh, and he glows in the dark.
Items/Weapons: Just his Masakados magatama