With its apocalyptic setting, abundance of horrifying demons and frequently existential endings, Shin Megami Tensei might not seem like a franchise with much room for cuteness. However, for all its nightmarish content, it's hard to deny that its monsters can be surprisingly sweet. For all its gigantic devils and world-breaking abominations, SMT also has a lot of fluffy friends and charming companions.
Given that the series draws inspiration from various religions, mythologies and folktales, it's only natural that SMT would have some cuter creatures to counterbalance the cruel ones. From loyal sidekicks to good-natured fools and even big fluffy dogs, Atlus' RPGs have arguably the best-designed monsters of any RPG to date. However, of the many entities one can call forth from the Cathedral of Shadows, these five are by far the most adorable of all.
Mothman Is Unconventionally Adorable
It's hard to explain what makes Mothman so weirdly likable. Maybe it's how his helplessly vacant expression always makes him look like he forgot what he was doing. Perhaps it's the cute little chirps he makes while flapping those colorful wings. It could even be the fact that he looks so unbelievably happy whenever he smiles. Whatever it is, Mothman has consistently been both a reliable ally and one of the most weirdly endearing demons in the series.
Mothman debuted in the classic Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne as a surprisingly high-level ailment-based demon. While subsequent appearances have downgraded his power, Mothman's power to bind, distress and even petrify foes still makes him a surprisingly effective addition to any party. His numerous resistances also help him laugh off plenty of enemy curses, resulting in a strong defensive demon that will likely bring more than just a winning smile to Shin Megami Tensei V.
Cerberus Is a Good Boy
Anyone worth knowing loves dogs, and Cerberus is the biggest, fluffiest, most loyal dog of them all. While certainly the largest demon on this list, the hound of Hades is by no means less lovable than his competitors. In fact, with a consistent track record of helping the series' different protagonists face off against mad gods and demon lords, he might just be the most faithful friend a summoner could ask for.
Cerberus is a demon with a long and respectable history. He's has been a part of Megami Tensei since the original novels that inspired the games, where he helped the hero Akemi rescue his love interest Yumiko from the clutches of Loki. Since then, the demon dog has built up the impressive track record of appearing in almost every game in the series. Better yet, he often takes the spotlight as a plot-relevant character. Brave, strong and full of potential, Cerberus is the perfect proof that dogs really are humanity's best friends.
Bugaboo's Loyalty Is Endearing in Strange Journey
Bugaboo isn't as conventionally cute as other SMT demons, but there's just something incredibly adorable about this hybrid sidekick. After being rescued by the player's ally Jiminez in Strange Journey, Bugaboo became utterly devoted to his summoner. In fact, he even tried learning human speech so they could better communicate. It's a bond that works both ways, as the cynical soldier has a pretty big soft spot for the little guy.
While Bugaboo has gone through various redesigns, it was his appearance in Strange Journey that codified the character. Despite (or perhaps due to) behaving more like a Pokémon than a demon at times, Bugaboo wound up being one of the few genuinely kind and lovable characters in one of the darkest SMT games to date. With that in mind, it's no wonder Jiminez was willing to put so much on the line for his bestial buddy.
Pixie Is Refreshingly Kind
Together with Jack Frost and Lucifer, Pixie is one of the most recognizable demons in the entire Shin Megami Tensei franchise. First appearing in Megami Tensei II, she's frequently one of the first demons a player can recruit and often an early source of healing. This makes her incredibly useful for enduring each game's brutal first act. However, what really helps Pixie stand out among her infernal allies is that she's often a genuinely decent soul.
While most demons in SMT have to be summoned or beaten into submission, Pixie often joins the player quite willingly. It's not uncommon for her to be the demon that teaches players about recruiting her kind, the most famous of these appearances being in Nocturne. Furthermore, if you keep her in your team by the time you reach the lower levels of the Labyrinth of Amala, she can reincarnate into a form that packs some of the best attacks in the entire game. Sometimes, the best things really do come in small packages.
Jack Frost Is Atlus' Mascot for a Good Reason
Atlus' mascot may be an obvious choice, but that's because he's the perfect embodiment of Shin Megami Tensei's anarchic originality. His simple design is instantly memorable, but his absurd personality and "hee-ho!" catchphrase really help him stick in players' minds. While he has plenty of variants, from Black Frost to Demonhee-ho, it's hard to top the original.
That said, despite his adorable aesthetic, Jack Frost has a pitch-black sense of humor. He's constantly threatening to destroy plucky parties or even commit suicide if they don't buy his goods. It's hard to think of any other mascot being able to get away with such morbid dialogue, but Jack Frost pulls it off because, frankly, he's all talk.
As a consistently low-level demon, even the weakest players will have no problem bulldozing Jack Frost, and his inability to back up his boasts gives him the quality of a lovable fool -- which is fittingly his Arcana in the Persona games. He may be an idiot who's always getting tangled up in situations far above his power level, but his hopeless ineptitude makes it entertaining to see what silly shenanigans he'll get up to in each new game.