A major concept in many religions worldwide,reincarnationis the belief that, after death, the soul or spirit of a being can be reborn in a new physical form. In addition to its presence in faiths like Hinduism and Buddhism, reincarnation is actually something that appears in surprisingly many video games.
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Whether it be in the shape of the protagonist or a minor side character, plenty of titles feature reincarnated beings in one form or another. Some of them are fairly popular titles, too. This list covers somevideo game characters with the power of reincarnation, as well as where to find them.
10Undertale: Asriel Dreemur
Undertaleis a deeply original entry in the RPG genre for many reasons, and its narrative’s inclusion of reincarnation as a central concept is just one of them. It’s also agreat title for anyone who loves pixel art.
Asriel Dreemurr, one of the game’s central characters, actually reincarnates in the form of a flower, known as Flowey. In this form, Asriel is devoid of the kind, loving nature he was known for as a child and instead operates in a cruel and malicious manner. It’s not until the end ofUndertale’scampaign that Asriel understands the error of his ways and begs for forgiveness.
9Okami: Amaterasu
Witha narrative based almost entirely on traditional Japanese folklore, it’s perhaps no surprise that reincarnation is a central theme inOkami.
Amaterasu, the sun goddess and game’s central protagonist, is reincarnated in the game’s narrative multiple times (though not chronologically) - first as the wolf Shiranui, and then, 100 years later, as another, weaker wolf, where she goes by Amaterasu. Cycles of birth and rebirth are major parts of the game, too, with many other protagonists/antagonists being direct descendants of the allies and enemies that Shiranui fought alongside or against 100 years prior.
8Assassin’s Creed: Basim Ibn Ishaq
It’s amazing to reflect on how much the lore and narrative of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise have evolved since the first game’s release way back in 2007. Who’d have thought things would get all metaphysical?
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Speaking of getting metaphysical,Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla’sBasim Ibn Ishaq is another example of a video game character capable of reincarnation. He’s the human reincarnation of Loki (the games areheavily inspired by ancient mythology) and was originally born sometime in the 9th century. As the franchise’s lore continues to get more and more complex and fleshed out, perhaps Ishaq’s backstory will continue to be explored, too.
7Morrowind: Indoril Nerevar
The founder of Morrowind’s House Indoril and one of the Dwemer People’s most important historical figures, Indoril Nerevar plays a key role in the narrative ofThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
A central part of the game’s campaign is the Nerevarine Prophecy, which states that a certain person will travel to Morrowind, undergo certain challenges and eventually unite the province. This person will also be the reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar, and… is the player character! Yes, players inMorrowindactually play as the reincarnation of Indoril Nerevar and fulfill the Nerevarine Prophecy themselves.
6Demon’s Souls: Phalanx
Found in the Boletarian Palace area, the gooey, gross Phalanx is probably one ofDemon’s Soulseasiest bosses… and is also capable of reincarnation (just one way in which the game wasway ahead of its time when it was first released).
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Yes, Phalanx appears in the later titleDark Soulsin the Painted World of Ariamis, which players can access by travelling through the massive painting on the far wall of the chapel in Anor Londo. While it may appear to be a tricky enemy to face at first, thanks to its huge number of spears and shields, players can easily take out Phalanx by staying behind it and focussing on attacking one blob at a time.
5Dragon’s Dogma: Seneschal
The Capcom actionRPG Dragon’s Dogmafeatures great gameplay and a pretty unique story, of which the Seneschal is an antagonist of sorts.
Doomed to a fate of what appears to be a kind of purgatory, the Seneschal rules over the world ofDragon’s Dogmaand creates the Dragons that plague it (the player’s battles with Gregori in the title are awe-inspiring and very underrated), but watches from afar, unable to have any interaction with the world they preside over. The purpose of the Dragons inDragon’s Dogmais to lure the Arisen into killing the Seneschal and then taking their place in a type of endless reincarnation cycle.
4Persona 3: Messiah
The highest-level Persona inPersona 3is Messiah, who can be obtained by players by fusing Thanatos and Orpheus in the Velvet Room once the player has reached level 90 or higher. Messiah appears to be a direct representation of the various messianic figures in various world religions, many of whom sacrifice themselves and are then reborn or reincarnated later.
And, unlike other Personas, Messiah is able to produce multiple kinds of item, some of which are the most powerful in Persona 3. These include the Armor and Shoes of Light, Aura Dog Suit, and, rarely, the Omnipotent Orb.
3Shadow Of The Colossus: Dormin
Shadow of the Colossusis often regarded as one of the most underrated cult-classic games of all time, as well as havingaged incredibly well. The melancholic, mysterious RPG sees players take on the role of Wander, a young man tasked with defeating the 16 Colossi that roam around the Forbidden Land.
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Once Wander has defeated the 16 Colossi, a strange, foreboding creature named Dormin is able to reincarnate through him, using Wander’s body as a physical vessel for his form. It’s also revealed that each of the 16 Colossi contained a piece of Dormin and, once they were defeated, Dormin was able to reclaim a physical form by uniting all of these pieces once again.
2SoulCalibur: Zasalamel
The mysterious warrior and magic-user Zasalamel is one of the playable characters in theSoulCaliburseries of fighting games (unfortunately,his fighting style is pretty niche and difficult to master, too).
Known for his powerful magical abilities and great strength, Zasalamel is also impossible to kill, as every time he dies, his soul reincarnates in a new physical form. Zasalamel’s ability to reincarnate comes from a spell that he cast on himself; however, it is said that he no longer sees the joy or purpose in living, but is unable to die due to the inevitable reincarnation he will experience as a result of his own magic.
1Persona: Attis
One of the demons who makes recurrent appearances in thePersonaseries, Attis' origins lie in the Kingdom of Phrygia. Attis was pursued romantically by Cybele, Zeus' daughter, who was angered when he rejected her advances, leading Attis to castrate himself. Cybele then proceeded to resurrect Attis in a type of reincarnation.
Following on from this, devotees of Attis in thePersonagames would do the same as he did and also castrated themselves in a type of celebration of his rebirth. He is also said to represent rebirth more generally in the games because of this.
