What is the gender of the protagonist in Shin Megami Tensei 5?

With Shin Megami Tensei 5 officially launching for the Nintendo Switch on November 12, fans of the mainline series are quite elated with how well Atlus’ highly-anticipated title has turned out.

It’s by far one of the most ambitious projects for the mainline series, and Atlus had made sure to make it as accessible for players new to the franchise as possible.

With the game out for almost three days now, players have been quite curious about some aspects of Shin Megami Tensei 5, along with the protagonist's gender.

Today’s article will deal with some of the curiosities around Nahobino and what newer players can expect when it comes to the protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei 5.

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Shin Megami Tensei 5 protagonist gender

It’s important to mention here that while players will be able to pick a desired name for the protagonist, they will not be able to select the gender.

The gender of the protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei 5 is male. However, the overall design of Nahobino is decidedly androgynous.

When starting out, the protagonist is male, and throughout the narrative, in both the English and Japanese versions of the game, he is often referred to as “young man” by other side characters and Aogami.

When he transforms into Nahobino, his design changes drastically, and according to many players, he starts portraying more feminine traits. Nahobino is not considered human in Shin Megami Tensei 5, but he is still referred to as a “young man” even after the transformation.

So while he is inherently male, it isn’t easy to ascertain what he identifies himself as. As a side note, Jouin Academy, where the protagonist and other side characters of the game are from, has a culture that respects freedom.

Hence, while the school’s dress code has two types of uniforms, the sailor type that the protagonist wears and the pleather type worn by Yuzuro and Ichiro, girls are allowed to wear pants, and boys are allowed to wear skirts.

Even though essentially male, it’s difficult to pinpoint what the protagonist identifies himself as pre and post-transformation.