1. Law Route
3 Alignment Ending + True / Secret Ending - Shin Megami Tensei V
Start at 1:39
This ending is keeping God’s order and original plans for the world. You essentially side with Bethel and assume the role of the one true god. Choosing this ending means that Abdiel and Dazai will die.
Out of all the endings, this one is probably the least exciting. You have the chance to change the world completely, but keep it exactly as it was before. Throughout the story, you keep hearing about how the God of Law’s methodology was no longer working.
While having some form of order is probably necessary, using the same structure the world had before may not be the best way to go. Oh, and free will is taken from humanity too. That really isn’t great.
How to get this ending:
- When you get to the top of the Temple of Eternity, Lucifer will ask you which side you are on. Select the “I will uphold God’s order” dialogue option.
2. Myriad Gods Route
3 Alignment Ending + True / Secret Ending - Shin Megami Tensei V
Start at 5:17
The lore in this game states that the God of Law took knowledge from all other gods, turning them into demons and asserting himself on the throne. Sharing is caring, and this ending is essentially giving all that knowledge back so all gods get their rightful worship. If you pick this ending, Koshimizu and Atsuta will die.
This ending completely changes everything and what makes it interesting is that there are so many options. Every god has a place again, which sounds great in theory. Since there are so many gods, the different ideologies just cause even more fighting and wars.
However, humans have the choice to decide who to worship and what to do. So that’s better than having no free will, right?
How to get this ending:
- At the top of the Temple of Eternity, select “I will recreate the world and save Tokyo” when Lucifer asks his question.
3. Neutral Route
3 Alignment Ending + True / Secret Ending - Shin Megami Tensei V
Start at 11:51
In this ending, you destroy the throne with the intention that humanity will take their future into their own hands. Choosing this ending means that Yakumo will die and Nuwa will disappear.
This ending shows a lot more promise than the other two, giving humans the chance to live without the meddling of gods. However, it is equally as chaotic as the Myriad Gods route. Demons still exist and prey upon mankind, making humanity suffer heavy losses.
The upside is that humanity finds its own way to defend themselves rather than relying on gods. The downside is that humanity still suffers a lot, if not more. We basically just deny godhood and attempt to level the playing field between gods, demons, and humans.
How to get this ending:
- Select “I will destroy the throne” when Lucifer talks to you at the top of the Temple of Eternity.
4. True Ending
3 Alignment Ending + True / Secret Ending - Shin Megami Tensei V
Start at 15:12
When you go for this ending, you erase all gods and demons alike. The purpose is to allow humanity to determine their fate and stand on their own. Yakumo will still die, but Nuwa will return to speak with you one more time before you make your decision. That’s how you know if you got the secret ending or not.
This route takes the most work. Besides doing a bunch of side quests, you have to face one of if not the hardest bosses in the game, Shiva. You might want to rip your hair out after that fight, but it’s worth it!
What makes this ending more interesting than the others is that things aren’t set in stone. It doesn’t feel like a true ending, which is ironic given the name. Your choice doesn’t allow for the future to be predicted, unlike the other endings. It’s almost like the start of a new story.
Plus, in this ending, Atsuta, Dazai, Tao, and Itsukishima are all alive. It’s as if all the grief and horrible things that happened throughout the game never happened at all.
While this ending is the best, it’s also the most bittersweet. The first and foremost reason is that we lose Aogami if this ending is chosen. The guy who helped us get here in the first place and wanted nothing more than to aid humanity.
The other reason is that it is mentioned in this ending that demons and gods may still return at some point in the future. Even after you defeat Lucifer, the ending narration implies that the world you created may not last. So all that extra work you did could honestly be for nothing. You don’t know for sure what the future holds.
How to get this ending:
- Spare Khonsu and complete his questline: The Falcon’s Head, The Egyptians’ Fate, The Winged Sun, and the Succession of Ra
- Complete Fionn’s questline: A Goddess Stolen, The Root of the Problem, An Unusual Forecast, and Fionn’s Resolve
- Complete Amanazako’s questline: A Power Beyond Control and The Destined Leader
- Complete A Universe in Peril and defeat Shiva.
- At the top of the Temple of Eternity, select “I will destroy the throne.”
- When the goddess returns to you and poses her question, select “Create a world for humanity alone.”
- Defeat Lucifer.
