The protagonist in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (SMT V) is a blank slate in both personality and name, as you’re to one who gets to choose how he’ll be called, but is there any canon name for SMT V’s protagonist?
Is There a Canon Protagonist Name in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance?
Although not officialized, the name Kei Amemura can be considered his canon name. This name comes from the first SMT V version, where the protagonist would be automatically named as such if you managed to load a save file that skipped the naming process. As this is the name the game “defaults” to, it can be considered the Protagonist’s canon name.
This could only be done by modding the game, so it took a while before fans discovered this detail. X (formerly Twitter) users Faz and Wiredfeelings were the ones to bring this to light after Vengeance was announced in early 2024, almost three years after the original game was released. It’s still unconfirmed if the same happens in Vengeance. But there is also evidence against this name.
Related: Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Revives the Game As a Glorious and Arduous Journey (Review)
The name “Kei Amemura” only shows up in the North American version, as the Japanese version defaults to “Main Character”. The name isn’t used in any other material either, so this is the only instance where it shows up. And the re-release doesn’t help this case much more.
The most recent versions of Persona games always default the protagonist’s names to their “canon” version whenever you change languages. The same doesn’t happen in Vengeance, so there’s no “canon” name included in the game. Trailers also displayed the Nahobino sporting the name “Protag” as an obvious placeholder. No actual names are mentioned anywhere else.
Kei Amemura might’ve been a potential name at some point in development, so it’s still valid to see it as a canon name. But all signs point to Atlus signaling to players to go with whichever name they want. Be it your own name, the name of your favorite characters or just “Naho Bino”, the final choice is up to you.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is available for Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC.
