Why Do You Always Kill Gods in JRPGs?

See NordPass Business in action now with a 3-month free trial here: with code moonchannel --- Why Do You Always Kill Gods in JRPGs? If you’ve ever played a Japanese Role Playing Game, or JRPG, you’ve likely encountered this trope before -- why exactly is the final boss, or secret mastermind, always some kind of evil god? Is there a reason for this trope beyond the obvious? Why is the evil god often some kind of alien? Let’s take a very deep dive into Japanese history together, and figure out this mystery together. We will start with the roots of Japanese religion in Ancient China, move through the conflict-filled religious history of Japan, and then finally conceptualize a historical religious cycle now coming to a climax in the contemporary experiences of the Japanese people, as expressed through the medium of video games. This is the first video I’ve made over an hour, and so there are a few hiccups in audio here and there! Please excuse this first experiment: I will strive to improve the quality for you, as more videos of this nature are released. --- 10% of Moon Channel’s Revenue goes to charity: including our sponsorship income! We are currently supporting Doctors Without Borders (MCF). You can learn more about Doctors Without Borders at -- Please also consider supporting Moon Channel on Patreon! --- Chapters: 00:00 - Spoiler Alert 00:17 - Intro, God-Slaying in JRPGs 02:28 - Sponsored by NordPass Business 03:43 - Intro, Pt. 2, Western Games vs. Eastern Games 05:02 - Roots of Japanese Religion in Ancient China; Immortality 11:14 - Japanese Religious History Introduction 14:32 - The Historical Cycle of Religious Conflict, Buddhism vs. the State 21:18 - The West Reaches Japan, the Shogunate vs. Westernization 26:06 - Forced Westernization and the Rise of State Shinto 35:17 - Kokka Shinto and its Consequences for Japan 38:13 - Intermission: Summary of Japanese Cycle of Religious History 40:30 - Modern Perception of Religion in Japan, A New Deity Arises 43:40 - The Postwar Economic Miracle, Rise of Keiretsu 45:58 - What is a Keiretsu, the Mistubishi-Shinra Example, the Peak of the Bubble Era 53:51 - The Collapse of the Japanese Economy, Intro to the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan 56:21 - The China-LDP Example 58:45 - The Struggle of Japanese Life in a Stagnant Economy: A Cruel Angel Investor’s Thesis 01:06:15 - Intermission 2: The Miyazaki Transition, Summary of Japanese Experience as it Pertains to Cycle of Religious History 01:07:41 - Application of Context to Video Games, FF7 Case Study 01:10:13 - Other JRPGs as Case Studies 01:11:40 - Persona 5 as a Case Study (SERIOUS SPOILERS) 01:13:48 - Kirby as a Case Study, Reminder Not to Get Too Conspiracy-Minded 01:15:42 - Other Japanese Media as a Case Study, Godzilla, Dragon Ball Z, Transition into East v. West Discussion 01:18:20 - Eastern vs. Western Religious Context, With Regards to Trope; Cultivation vs. Apotheosis 01:21:52 - Why Do JRPGs Borrow From Some Western Religious Themes Then? Norse Religion, Jewish Mysticism, Christian Gnosticism 01:25:34 - Japan as a Canary in the Coal Mine for the West 01:27:34 - Conclusion 01:29:48 - Post-Credits Gag --- Additional Reading: To Be Added (The description is breaking the character limit and I need to work on it) All 63 Japanese Prime Ministers Sing Baka Mitai: World Bank Warns of ’Lost Decade’ for Global Economic Potential --- The Track List Intro - The Brink of Time, Chrono Trigger NordPass - Hip Shop, Deltarune Intro Pt. 2 - Yearnings of the Wind, Chrono Trigger [SILVA GUNNER] Ancient China - Medieval Mo Li Hua, Civilization 6 Ctnd. - Corridors of Time, Chrono Trigger Intro to Japanese History - Secret of the Forest (JP Mix), Chrono Trigger [SILVA GUNNER] Religious Conflict Cycle - Lufia 2 Battle Theme, Lufia 2 Ctnd. - To Far Away Times, Chrono Trigger West Reaches Japan - Wind Scene, Chrono Trigger Ctnd. - Zeal Palace, Chrono Trigger Forced Westernization - Rufus’s Welcoming Ceremony, Final Fantasy VII Ctnd. - The Promised Land Cycle of Souls, FFVII Remake Ctnd. - Battle Theme, Octopath Traveler Kokka Shinto - Singing Mountain, Chrono Trigger [SILVA GUNNER] Yes, that’s the Russian national anthem playing over the Russo-Japanese War! I can’t believe nobody discovered my silly joke! Intermission - The Trial, Chrono Trigger Modern Perception - Shining Beacon of Civilization, FFVII Remake Ctnd. - Lurking in the Darkness, FFVII Remake Postwar Economic Miracle - Anxiety, FFVII Remake Keiretsu Intro. - Shrina’s Theme, FFVII Remake [Out of Characters!] (The description is breaking the character limit and I need to work on it) --- Subtitles by: James Hugh (Thank you, James!)