Yamato Hotsuin

Yamato Hotsuin
Shin Megami Tensei character
First game	Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 (2011)
Created by	Suzuhito Yasuda
Designed by	Suzuhito Yasuda
Voiced by (English)	John Gremillion (Anime)
Voiced by (Japanese)	Junichi Suwabe (Teen), Megumi Ogata (Child)

Yamato Hotsuin (峰津院 大和, Hotsuin Yamato) is a character introduced in the 2011 role-playing game Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 by Atlus. He is an ambitious and calculating 17 years old bureau chief of a secret organisation that protecting Japan, JP's. Yamato plans to use the leader of the enemies Septentrione and the administrator of the world, Polaris, to recreate the world into hierarchy where people's worth is based from the individual's achievements rather than money or bloodline. As a result, Yamato might become an antagonist from the game depending on the player's decisions. He has also appeared in the animated and manga adaptations of the game and has been the protagonist of a light novel detailing his backstory. He is voiced by Junichi Suwabe and Megumi Ogata as a child. In the English dub of the anime, he is voiced by John Gremillion.

Yamato was created by Suzuhito Yasuda who wanted to create a strong character that would not stand out much despite his control on people. Suwabe noted difficulties in voicing him due to his stoic personality. Critical reception to the character has been positive based on his development across the anime and his role as an anti-hero.

Character creation and traits

Character designer Suzuhito Yasuda made Yamato with image of a coercive person that has tremendous control of people. He at first has difficulty designing Yamato since he wanted to make him unique from other characters but not too stand out. He eventually came up to add a gaudy clothes with a pose of Yamato fixing his white gloves to fit his character. This pose is eventually used as his in-game render.^[1] Initially, he intended to have Yamato's coat shorter and the buttons opened with yellow JP's uniform underneath it, but changed his mind because it made him looks rough, opposite from the image of chief that Yasuda has imagined.^[2]

Yamato's last name came from the word "tsuin", the pronunciation of "twin" in Japanese, while his first name is referring to his family's role to protect Japan since ancient times. His last name also referring to his gemini zodiac and a hint of the existence of Miyako Hotsuin, who appears in the new scenario in Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker.^[3]

Yamato's voice actor, Junichi Suwabe jokingly admitted in Otomedia interview that when he was first given the role as Yamato, he thought that Yamato gives off a cool felling but later was surprised to know that Yamato is still 17 years old as he had initially thought he would be older.^[4] He also stated that when he was playing as Yamato, he had to give small hints as to how far he let his emotions show, and how far he restrained them instead, through observation of his actions and speech. He tried to play him while keeping that point in mind.^[5]

Appearances

In Devil Survivor 2

Yamato is the sole heir for the Hotsuin family. In order to succeed JP's, he has been treated as an adult since he was a child, never attending school and was already at the college level education. ^[6] Growing up surrounded by power-hungry but profoundly incompetent people, Yamato comes to view the world has lost its worth for letting such people claim higher position in society. This resulted him to come across as arrogant, sarcastic, and condescending young man. He treats others in a very callous manner, throwing in his opinion no matter how cold-hearted it is and not caring for whatever the response is.^[7] Although his actions are seen as cruel by most people, he is not completely heartless, as Yamato only wishes the best for the world.^[8] As the heir of the Hotsuin, Yamato is capable to control the energy source that has been passed down in his family for generations called the Dragon Stream.

Yamato is introduced when Makoto takes the Protagonist, Io, and Daichi to JP's to treat Io's wound. He orders Makoto to have them imprisoned out of suspicion they will abuse the Demon Summoning App,^[9] until the Protagonist and his friends defeat the first Septentrione providing them shelter in JP's^[10] and convinced them to join his organisation to protect Japan from Septentrione invasion. Throughout the game, Yamato mostly give orders to the Protagonist and his party, but he can be playable in his route or Daichi's route or if some characters died, he'll be replacing their position that required in certain missions.

As the game progress, he grows to respect and admire the Protagonist for all of his achievements despite being a civilian with no experience prior the disaster. In his route, he even admit that he considers him as his first and only friend. Throughout Yamato's Fate Route, Yamato expresses his discontent and disgust of the weak.^[11][12] Through his interaction with the Protagonist, Yamato comes to understand that there is a lot of potential and strength that exist in the world beyond his purview and open to discovering it.^[13][14]

In Thursday's Shock, Yamato reveals that he knew from the very beginning the truth behind the Septentrione invasion and hid it from everyone, including his own subordinates.^[15] Yamato plans to use the leader of the Septentrione and the administrator of the world, Polaris, to recreate the world into hierarchy where people's worth is based from the individual's achievements rather than money or bloodline.^[16] In Friday's Partings, when the characters are divided into different factions, Yamato is joined by Makoto, Fumi, and Keita, creating Osaka Faction. Yamato's fate depends on the route that the player choose.

In the Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker expansion, the player can access a new scenario called Triangulum Arc, set after the event of Septentrione Arc. During the arc, Yamato's existence in the world is replaced by a girl named Miyako Hotsuin and he only appears in dreams, causing the entire party to worry that he has ceased to exist. However, it's later revealed that Yamato is alive at Akasha Stratum. The reason for his absence in the world is because when he and Anguished One decided to reset the world once more after everyone is killed during the battle against Arcturus in the second world, Yamato decided to stay at Akasha Stratum to salvage the Protagonist's data that has been damaged so he can exist in the third world. Yamato's absence is considered as an error in the third world, resulting with the leader of Triangulum, Canopus, to create Miyako in Yamato's place, temporarily fixing the error. After saving Yamato from his impending death, he rejoins the party and this time will follow whichever choices the player make out of respect for the Protagonist.

Other appearances

In Devil Survivor 2: The Animation, Yamato is one of the key characters and can be considered as the main antagonist of the series. While Yamato's goal is still the same, the way his character is depicted differs greatly from his game counterpart. In the anime, Yamato is depicted colder and more serious that talks little unless important. This cold attitude also completely replaced the sarcasm that he has in the game. His relationship with the protagonist is also antagonistic. However, he slowly changed through his interaction with Hibiki. His past with the Anguished One is expanded further, revealing that he was able to summon demon since he was five years old and the first Shining One that the Anguished One had chosen before Hibiki^[17]. Yamato's main demon is Cerberus, the demon that he first summoned and had been accompanying him since he was a child. He later also gains Ba'al, Nebiros, Zaou-Gongen, and Satan. He is one of the only two survivors that survived Polaris' trial. He and Hibiki fights for the audience with Polaris, in which he lost. When the world is restored, he, Hibiki, and Anguished One are the only ones who remembered the entire events of the Purge of Polaris with Yamato now accepting the concept of friendship that Hibiki has taught him with his own way.^[18]

He also appears in Devil Survivor 2 The Animation: Cetus's Prequel,^[19][20] a light novel that focused on his times before the Purge of Polaris.

Reception

Critical reception to Yamato's character has been positive based on his role in the anime adaptation of Devil Survivor 2. Richard Eisenbeis from Kotaku praised the development of the series' main villain (or antihero) Yamato Hotsuin, who "gets a ton of development" and credited the character as being an "excellent villain."^[21] Voice actor behind the character in his teen appearances, Junichi Suwabe, noted that the charm of his character is his strength.^[22] He was third in a Danny Choo poll asking people which characters did they fancy the most.^[23] In Character Archive message, Suwabe also said that Yamato's stoic personality attracts him.^[5] Siliconera sees joining Yamato as one of the most important decisions from the video game based on the impact it could make.^[24]

Additionally, reviewers focused on his fights across the series. Chris Beveridge from the Fandom Post enjoyed Yamato's fight against Alcor and Hibiki from the animated adaptation and stated that Yamato "is definitely shifting more to the fanatic side here."^[25][26] Bambo Dong from Anime News Network noted how in Yamato's final fight against Hibiki they kept "they're really pulling out the big guns" due to the use of demons the two characters make. He added "it's no surprise that the final showdown had a serious trump card up its sleeve."^[27]

References