Alice

History

Alice is a figure from the Megami Tensei franchise whose name and appearance are most likely a reference to the character Alice from Alice in Wonderland. In the Demon and Persona Compendiums found in several Megami Tensei games, Alice's profile avoids direct reference to the story. It instead describes her as "A ghost who appears as a young blonde girl. She seems young, but has formidable magic powers. Some say she's the ghost of a poor English girl who died an unfortunate death."

She first appears in Shin Megami Tensei as a ghost of a dead girl who was revived by Belial and Nebiros and is found in what remains of Roppongi, a city populated with ghosts and zombies. Belial and Nebiros have taken the roles of the Count in Red and the Baron in Black; figures whom Alice refer to as her uncles. Belial and Nebiros have also taken control of Roppongi and used their powers to prevent demons from invading, but at the same time killed all of the citizens of the city and trapped their souls within its borders so Alice that would never be alone.

When the party learns this, Alice asks them to die for her, which under normal circumstances would instantly kill those who heard her request. The player is given the option to respond with a yes or no, but in either case, the player must battle Belial and Nebiros. With their defeat, the power that brought Alice back to life dissipates, freeing her soul as well as the souls of the residents of Roppongi.

In Shin Megami Tensei II, Alice reappears if Aleph investigates a golden chest found in a factory and asks if she can keep its contents. If the player refuses Alice's request, she will engage Aleph's party in a fight. Upon her defeat, the player will earn one of the game's most powerful weapons. In this appearance, Alice is depicted holding a pair of dolls that resemble the Baron in Black and Count in Red.

In the Persona series

In the original Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, Alice appears as a rare demon encounter. If she is defeated, she drops an item called the Pagan King, which allows Reiji Kido to summon Beelzebub.

Alice makes appearances throughout the rest of the Persona series as one of the numerous Personae that the player may acquire. In Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, Alice appears as a normal Persona of the Lovers arcana. Later in the game, another more powerful version of Alice named Dark Alice appears and can be challenged to a fight. In Persona 3 and Persona 4, Alice appears as a mid-high level Persona of the Death arcana. In both games she is mudo-oriented and has a unique, high-probability instant kill skill of "Die For Me!"; a direct reference to her power in Shin Megami Tensei. In both games, she reflects Mudo and absorbs Hama.

In Persona 4, acquiring Alice requires a unique fusion of the Personae Belial and Nebiros. This is, of course, a reference to Alice's aforementioned relationship to the pair in Shin Megami Tensei. Further, during the "Miss" Yasogami Pageant, the character Teddie cross-dresses in a costume that makes him resemble Alice, though it is closer in appearance to the Disney version. He wins the contest by an overwhelming margin.

Other Appearances

Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha

In both Raidou Kuzunoha entries in the Devil Summoner series, Alice appears as a secret boss encounter. If Raidou defeats her, she will become available as a playable demon through fusion.

Strange Journey

Alice's appearance in Strange Journey offers a stronger allusion to Alice in Wonderland. If the player takes on a side-mission entitled "Catch that Rabbit," the protagonist will be tasked with chasing down the Hare of Inaba for her (in reference to Lewis Carroll's Alice and her pursuit of the White Rabbit). However, once the player catches the hare, Alice will begin abusing it until the player steps in and fights her in order to make her stop. After her defeat, she can be acquired through fusion as a demon of the Fiend family.