Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance daily demon vol. 24 – Cerberus

Another Daily Demon video for Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance has been released by Atlus. The focus of today’s video is Cerberus.

A demon of the Beast race, Cerberus is a name that most people will recognize, being the famed hound of Hades who guards the gates of the Underworld in Greek mythology. Cerberus has appeared extensively in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise in the past, and makes a return in the Vengeance re-release. The Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE compendium gives us the most detailed lore of the creature in the series:

The Hound of Hell in Greek mythology. Its name means “Demon of the Pit”. It is known as the loyal servant of Hades, the king of the Underworld. Cerberus was born from the union of the half-serpent Echidna and the storm giant Typhon. The two-headed beast Orthrus is his brother. Cerberus appears as a three-headed dog with with snakes all over his body and a dragon’s tail. The three heads are said to represent the past, the present and the times yet to come.

Cerberus guards the gates of the Underworld, the realm of the dead, welcoming souls of the dead from the outside world, but ferociously attacking all those who attempt to leave.
It was traditional in ancient Greece to place a copper coin and a honeycake in coffins. This was so that the departed souls could pay Charon, the boatman of the river Styx, to ferry them across the river, and feed Cerberus, who favored sweets.

Check out the trailer below:

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance launches for Switch on June 14, 2024.