View source for Aleph

{{Infobox Character
|image=<gallery>
SMT2 SFC Aleph Artwork.png|SFC
SMT2 PS Aleph Artwork.png|PS
</gallery>
|seoimage=SMT2 PS Aleph Artwork.png
|jpname= アレフ 
|names=Hawk
|dob=
|age=
|height=
|weight=
|bloodtype=
|relative=
|school=
|occupation=
|affiliation=
|race= Replicant{{Exp App|Smt4a}}
|alignment=
|va=
}}
'''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a character in the [[Megami Tensei (Franchise)|''Megami Tensei'' franchise]] and is the protagonist of {{Link|game|SMT2}}.

Though Aleph is his default name in ''Shin Megami Tensei II'', which is subsequently used in his other appearances, the player is permitted to rename him should they wish in the beginning section of the game.

==Profile==
Aleph, initially referred to as "Hawk", is a gladiator and amnesiac man living in the [[Valhalla (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Valhalla]] district of [[Tokyo Millenium]]. He is praised and noticed for his exceptional fighting skills, and is equipped with a [[COMP]] with the [[Demon Summoning Program]] installed, enabling him to summon and command demons. He has long black hair, has two gun holsters, and wears yellow and black armor across all of his designs.

In his original design, he wears a white scarf and blue-tinted goggles that connect to his white COMP. In his Playstation redesign, his goggles are swapped with a visor. His COMP is now black and, along with his armor, has a sleeker look to it. His footwear is curled at the end, and he is noticeably wearing a lot less straps.  "Aleph" is named after the 1st letter in the Hebrew alphabet, whose name means "ox".

==Gameplay==
==={{link|game|smt2}}===
{| class="outer-table stat-table"
|style="width:108px"|
{| class="inner-table"
| style="width:100px; height:100px; padding:0;"|[[File:SMT2 {{{img|GBA {{{name|{{PAGENAME}}}}}}}} Sprite.png]]
|}
|
{| class="inner-table" style="width:100%;"
!Name
!Level
!HP
!MP
|-
|'''{{{name|{{PAGENAME}}}}}'''
|{{{level|6}}}
|{{{hp|35}}}
|{{{mp|—}}}
|}
|style="width:330px"|
{{Statbars
|n=40
|Strength
|Intelligence
|Magic
|Vitality 
|Agility
|Luck
|i1={{{st|6}}}
|i2={{{in|5}}}
|i3={{{ma|4}}}
|i4={{{vi|6}}}
|i5={{{ag|6}}}
|i6={{{lu|3}}}
}}
|-
|colspan=3|
{| class="inner-table" style="width:100%;"
!colspan=10|Base Stats
|-
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|sworda}} Atk
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|sworda}} Hit
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|guna}} Atk
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|guna}} Hit
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|Def
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|Eva
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|M. Pow
!style="width:calc(100%/8)"|M. Eff
|-

|{{{swordatk|0}}}
|{{{swordhit|0}}}
|{{{gunatk|0}}}
|{{{gunhit|0}}}
|{{{def|7}}}
|{{{eva|14}}}
|{{{mpower|5}}}
|{{{meffect|6}}}
|}
|-
|colspan=3|
{| class="inner-table" style="width:100%;"
!colspan=7|Starting Equipment
|-
!style="width:calc(100%/7)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|sworda}} Sword
!style="width:calc(100%/7)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|guna}} Gun
!style="width:calc(100%/7)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|ammoa}} Bullets
!style="width:calc(100%/7)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|heada}} Head
!style="width:calc(100%/7)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|torsoa}} Torso
!style="width:calc(100%/7)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|arma}} Arms
!style="width:calc(100%/7)"|{{Data/Icon/SMT1|lega}} Legs
|-
|<small>{{{sword|[[Attack Knife]]}}}</small>
|<small>{{{gun|—}}}</small>
|<small>{{{ammo|—}}}</small>
|<small>{{{head|[[Headgear]]}}}</small>
|<small>{{{torso|[[Survival Vest]]}}}</small>
|<small>{{{arm|[[Leather Gloves]]}}}</small>
|<small>{{{leg|[[Leather Boots]]}}}</small>
|-
|<small>{{{swordstat|+9 {{Data/Icon/SMT2|sworda}} Attack<br/>+4 {{Data/Icon/SMT2|sworda}} Accuracy<br/>1 {{Data/Icon/SMT2|sworda}} Hit}}}</small>
|<small>{{{gunstat|—}}}</small>
|<small>{{{ammostat|—}}}</small>
|<small>{{{headstat|+4 Defense<br/>+1 Evasion}}}</small>
|<small>{{{torsostat|+8 Defense<br/>+2 Evasion}}}</small>
|<small>{{{armstat|+2 Defense<br/>+1 Evasion}}}</small>
|<small>{{{legstat|+2 Defense<br/>+4 Evasion}}}</small>
|}
|}

==={{link|game|smt4a}}===
{{sectionstub}}

==Game Appearances==
==={{Link|Game|SMT2}}===
Before the start of the game, the Protagonist is wandering around Valhalla in a daze when a demon attacks him. A gladiator trainer named [[Okamoto]] stumbles upon him and saves him from the demon, though he is impressed with how he managed to fend the demon off. Seeing his potential and how he cannot remember anything, Okamoto names him Hawk and recruits him to his gym to make him a gladiator. Hawk further impresses him by going through a [[Virtual Battler]] unscathed and earning himself the high score. At the start of the game, Hawk is awoken from his sleep by Okamoto, who recalls the circumstances that led him to be a gladiator there and demands that he train for the upcoming tournament finals to be held at the [[Colosseum (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Colosseum]]. After getting some training done, Okamoto sends him off to use ome of the Virtual Battlers around town, and on the way, is told by a civilian that someone is looking for him, which prompts him into a flashback involving an unknown [[Mekata|man]] asking him to name someone. If Hawk chooses not to name the person, he will be told that their name is [[Zayin]], the same person the man says is looking for Hawk after the flashback ends. Hawk also comes across a [[Fortune Teller]], who searches his soul and finds the name of a woman who she describes as very important to him. He is asked to provide a name for the woman, and if he opts not to, he will be told her name is [[Hiroko]]. When he finally enters a Virtual Battler, he meets [[Stephen]] inside, who installs the Demon Summoning Program onto his COMP. When he enters it again, he receives another flashback where he is asked to name someone. If he refuses to name them, the unknown man will say their name is [[Gimel]].

When the day of the tournament finals comes, Hawk is set to fight [[Red Bear]] in a dungeon match, where both opponents must go through the dungeon to pick up items and fight off demons as they reach the ring in the middle. Right as Hawk enters the ring to commence his fight, he is hit with another naming flashback, where this time refusing to name them will have their name be [[Daleth]]. As their match begins, Hawk is snapped out of his reverie by Red Bear. Aleph wins the fight, and so becomes the newest champion of Valhalla, which finally allows Hawk to use shops around town and lets Okamoto take over [[Haneda]]'s gym. 

While celebrating with Okamoto in his new gym, Hawk is approached by a [[Holy Knight]] named Hiroko, who requests his help in finding a child she lost in the confusion of an explosion that occurred at the [[Center]] 6 months prior. Believing that the ones responsible for the explosion, the scientists [[Hanada]] and [[Mekata]], were also responsible for the child's disappearance, she tracked the former of them to [[Madam]]'s mansion in Valhalla, and as Madam usually invites new Champions to her mansion, she wishes for Hawk to take her with him as a guest, which he agrees on doing. Coincidentally, Hawk receives the invitation from Madam's [[Alfred|butler]] at that same moment, so the two head to the location immediately. There, Hawk receives another flashback featuring a person who, if he decides not to name, will be called [[Beth]]. When the flashback fades, Hawk is greeted by Madam, who requests that he find and bring in the same scientist that Hiroko was speaking about, Hanada, who had been recently working for her before fleeing. Madam offers them assistance in the form of her pet [[Cerberus]], after which they track Hanada down to the [[Slum (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Slum]]. When the party confronts him on the bottom floor, Hanada opens a portal to the [[Makai (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Makai]], the demon world, and tries to order the [[Mercurius|demon]] that comes out of it to attack them, but it quickly kills him before turning it's attention onto Hawk's group.

Hawk's party defeats the demon and returns to Madam, who while disappointed, brushes it off to inform him that a messenger from the Center arrived looking for him. The man looking for Hawk comes forward and tells him to remember his real name, prompting Hawk into a final naming flashback where the man vaguely wonders what path Hawk will choose to take before asking that he give himself a name. If Hawk chooses not to, then he will be told that his name is Aleph, the same name that the man says when the flashback ends. The man introduces himself as Zayin and tells the now-named Aleph that he was originally a resident of the Center, and tells him and Hiroko party to come with him. 

Arriving at the Center's HQ, Aleph is taken to the command room to meet the [[Center Bishop]], who firstly separates him from Hiroko to question her on why she left the Center on her own. He then welcomes Aleph back and tells him that because Mekata had kidnapped him and erased his memories, he does not remember his purpose; That he is meant to become the [[Messiah (Concept)|Messiah]] that will guide the people to create the [[Millennium Kingdom]]. He then introduces who he claims to be Aleph's destined partner, [[Beth]], who promises to never leave his side. The Bishop then gives out a set of tasks to Aleph involving defeating demons that are threatening the safety of Millennium, including defeating a [[Basilisk]] and [[King Frost]] in [[Holytown]] who have been spreading poisonous gas and freezing the area respectively, and then defeating a [[Betelgeuse]] and a herd of [[Demi-Nandi]] that have been causing havoc at the [[Factory (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Factory]]. When Aleph returns from these missions, he is greeted by Zayin who recommends that Aleph visit Gimel in [[Arcadia (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Arcadia]] in an attempt to jog his memory. 

{{startspoiler}}
After returning to the Center, however, Aleph finds out that demons have invaded the area, and according to the [[Center Bishop]], a false Messiah is running about disparaging Aleph's name, claiming that Aleph himself is the false Messiah. This false Messiah turns out to be Daleth, who publically challenges Aleph to a fight to the death at the Colosseum to prove who the real Messiah is. During the fight, Daleth momentarily gains the upper hand and is about to strike a fatal blow on Aleph, but Beth intervenes and jumps in the way, taking the blow for him. Aleph proceeds to win the fight and can try to either spare or kill Daleth, but if he tries to do the latter, Beth pleads for him not to and dies, allowing Daleth to escape with his life. 

After the Bishop comes forward to announce that Aleph is the Messiah to the crowd, Aleph is approached by a child who gives him a letter from [[Mekata]] asking for him to go to the Slum. There, Mekata vaguely hints that he knows the truth behind Aleph's past. Still, before he is willing to elaborate on it, he requests that Aleph rescue Hiroko, who was imprisoned at the [[Internment Camp]] after she was separated from Aleph. To get there, Aleph goes through the elevator in the [[Center Passage|Valhalla-Center Passage]], where he once again encounters Daleth, who he defeats and lets escape again. After, he goes through the [[Old Suidobashi|old aqueduct]], where he can optionally encounter a [[Nadja]] who, thinking he is cute, joins his party and teleports them to a locked door that allows them quick passage to the Internment Camp. If he doesn't recruit the Nadja, Aleph must fight the [[Janus|demon]] guarding the elevator leading to the camp.

When Aleph arrives at the Interment Camp, he is stopped by Zayin who maintains that the law is absolute, but after a brief fight, Zayin changes his mind about the law and allows Aleph to go through to Hiroko's cell. When he tries to free Hiroko however, she acts strangely uncooperative and refuses to leave her cell. If Aleph recruited Nadja in the old aqueduct, she will fuse with Hiroko so that she can be part of the one he cares for, which restores her mental state, allowing her to leave with Aleph. If Aleph never recruited Nadja however, he must force Hiroko to go with him, with her returning to her right state of mind once they leave the Factory's vicinity. When the two try to head back to see Mekata however, they are stopped by Zayin, who hurriedly informs them that the Center ordered [[Abaddon]] to swallow Valhalla. When they try to enter Valhalla, all that greets them is a black void, though once they leave, they find Madam's Cerberus who had managed to escape the district's destruction and joins Aleph's party. 

After witnessing Zayin announce his rebellion against the Center, Aleph heads to the [[Tokyo (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Underground]] under the assumption that Abaddon is there. On his way to the [[Grand Church]]'s elevator that leads there, he is ambushed by Daleth again, though the encounter ends the same as the last one, with Daleth fleeing once again. When Aleph gets to [[Old Shinjuku|Shinjuku]], Daleth blocks his way once again and orders a fairy named [[Puck]] to throw something at him. Hiroko gets hit with it instead however and becomes enamored with Daleth, chasing after him and leaving Aleph's party. Aleph is informed by [[Hanoun]], another fairy working with Daleth, that the item used on Hiroko was the Infidelity Sap, a love potion that Daleth had intended to be used on Aleph to make him fall in love with Hanoun as a way to get the better of him. Hanoun directs Aleph to the fairy king [[Oberon]] for assistance, who in turn asks that Aleph locate Puck and take the Infidelity Sap from him. Once Aleph finds him at [[Old Higashi-Shinjuku|Higashi-Shinjuku]], he chases him through the dungeon, enduring ailment-inflicting items thrown at him until he finally corners the fairy and gets the Infidelity Sap from him. Once Aleph returns to Oberon and gives him the Sap, the fairy king breaks the spell placed upon Hiroko, returning her to her right mind and making her rejoin Aleph. Aleph is also asked by Hanoun to give her the Infidelity Sap, which he does, allowing her to use it on Daleth to make him fall in love with her.

Making his way to [[Old Roppongi|Roppongi]], Aleph comes across some [[Mutants (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Mutants]] guarding someone from view. The person in question is [[Hiruko (Deity)|Hiruko]], who allows Aleph to approach him and asks that he gather up [[Masakado]]'s body parts scattered across shrines in the Underground. After freeing the [[Kunitsukami]] dwelling in the shrines and taking the body parts they held, Aleph assembles Masakado's body and brings it to Hiruko, who places Masakasdo's soul in the body, completely restoring him. Hiruko and Masakado then go to unseal the entrance of [[Sealed Iwato]]. Before he leaves, Masakado gives Aleph a pillar and [[Masakado's Katana|his Katana]], and Hiruko asks him to free all the [[Amatsukami]] imprisoned inside. If Aleph agrees, he proceeds to free each of the Amatsukami and will be thanked by [[Amaterasu]] before she leaves with Hiruko to go to the [[Diamond Realm]].

As Abaddon is nowhere to be found in the Underground, Aleph returns to Holytown to assist Zayin in his rebellion. They head to the Factory to liberate the people forced to work there, but when they try to free any of the prisoners at the Internment Camp, all of them refuse to leave and are content with being forced to work. Zayin suspects that the [[Watchtower]] is responsible for the people's odd behavior, so Aleph follows him to the Watchtower where he will be unable to enter unless he has 10 points in his intelligence stat. At the top of the tower, Aleph finds Zayin limping, having been defeated by the [[Belphegor|demon]] guarding the place, so he beats him in his stead. The demon's defeat unlocks the room [[Siren]] is imprisoned in, whose singing is the cause of the Factory workers' brainwashing. As her singing is due to the grief at being separated from her lover, [[Petersen]], Aleph manages to open a portal to the Makai to find him and bring him back to Siren, which stops her singing and liberates Factory workers.

Optionally, in the same area of the Makai where Aleph found Petersen, [[Tiferet Town|Tif'eret]], Aleph can find a spatial distortion that teleports him to a mysterious facility where multiple people with dilapidated appearances are tied to chairs and hooked up to small machines. Aleph discovers these are the true appearance of the residents of Arcadia, and reaching the top floor, he finds the real Gimel, who reveals that everything in Arcadia was just a virtual simulation and then attacks Aleph's party to keep the truth hidden. After defeating Gimel, Aleph is given a choice between inputting his name as the new administrator of Arcadia, destroying the console maintaining Arcadia, thereby destroying Arcadia and killing all the residents hooked up to the simulation, or simply leaving it be.

Returning to Holytown, the Center Bishop announces over the [[Millennium News Network]] that lest Zayin turn himself in, the air supply in Holytown will be cut off, forcing Zayin to comply and head to the Center HQ, making Aleph follow after him. There, Aleph is told by the Bishop that the [[Center Elders]] wish to speak directly to him, so he makes his way through the dungeon, along the way encountering a blue Elder who disproves of the other Elders' actions. Continuing through the HQ, Aleph is stopped by a talking wall that asks him questions that shift his alignment before allowing him to pass through. Along the way, Aleph can optionally stumble upon Mekata's lab, where in one of the rooms Aleph is hit with a flashback of him escaping from the Center with Mekata and Hanada. Mekata tells him he wiped the memories the Center had implanted in him, which is why he had trouble remembering his name, but is interrupted by Hanada alerting him that they have been found out. At this news, Mekata mentions that there are still 4 other individuals they need to get to before begrudgingly deciding they must escape with only Aleph in tow, and then gives Hanada the OK to turn on some sort of device, which ends the flashback. Just as Aleph makes it to the Elders' room, he finds Zayin encased in stone, a result of his encounter with the Elders, and then enters the room to confront them. There, the Elders angrily call him and Zayin traitors and then transform, revealing themselves to be the Archangels [[Raphael]] and [[Uriel]]. They both attack his party but are slain, enraging the final Elder who also drops his disguise, revealing himself as the Archangel [[Michael]]. He is killed just the same, however, and in his last breaths, he pleads to God to save them and deliver justice to the party. The blue Elder comes forward again to say what a shame it was that they were killed but then warns Aleph that his fight is not over as a being claiming to be [[YHVH]] attacks them. After Aleph defeats the perceived god, the blue Elder sheds her disguise to reveal she is the Archangel [[Gabriel]], and explains that the Elders, in their desperation for a Messiah to complete the Millennium Kingdom, tried to create their own Messiah, causing God to abandon them. She then directs Aleph to Zayin, who was cured of his petrification upon the Elders' defeat. He thanks Aleph for his help but then is interrupted by an alarm altering them to an emergency occurring in Holytown, so Zayin sends Aleph to assess the situation for him.

There, near the Grand Church, Aleph finds sprouting out of the ground the massive tail of a demon that is draining the [[Magnetite]] of the residents in the district. Zayin determines that the tail is coming from the Makai, so Aleph places the pillars he has gathered throughout the game at altars around the Underground to create a larger portal to the Makai. This portal sends him and his party to Yesod, where he can find the demon that the tail belongs to, which is [[Moloch]]. From there, Aleph explores the Makai, defeating demons guarding passageways and holding keys to progress further into the realm. Once he reaches the entrance of the [[Beriah Corridor]], Aleph is stopped by a demon named [[Gemori]], who forcibly takes him to [[Keter Castle]]. There, he is greeted by [[Louis Cyphre]], the man lounging around bars throughout the game, who reveals he is the demon lord [[Lucifer]]. Lucifer explains that as he knew the Elders were working in defiance of God's will, he simply waited for Him to enact His judgment on them, but was surprised to find out it was Aleph that defeated them instead. He goes on to reveal that the YHVH that Aleph defeated at the Center was not the real God and was simply an illusion created from the Elders' fervent belief, but even with that being the case, he is unsure how he could have defeated it and questions if he is actually [[Satan]], God's tool of judgment, with the reason he had ordered Aleph be brought to him being to determine this. After verifying that he is not, he still warns that Satan's return is imminent as his other half, [[Seth]], is beginning to awaken. Wishing to test Aleph's strength to see if he is capable of aiding him in his inevitable battle against Satan, Lucifer sends Aleph away and tells him that if he has the strength and will to defeat Satan, he will return to Keter Castle and join him.

Once Gemori drops him off, Aleph is approached by Gabriel who takes him to [[Eden (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Eden]], Zayin's new base at the top of the Center HQ where people who have heard the voice of God, regardless of age or status, have gathered. There, Zayin urges Aleph to reject Lucifer's plans, claiming that he intends to destroy Tokyo Millennium, and argues that despite the Elders' actions, the city is the only reason humanity has managed to survive through the apocalypse. He asks Aleph to join him in building a true Millennium Kingdom, an ideal world where everyone can live in peace, by killing Lucifer and rebuilding Tokyo Millennium. If Aleph accepts, he will be locked into the Law route. Here, Zayin offers his thanks to Aleph and sends him to Seth's temple in Tif'eret to spy on Lucifer's minions. If Aleph refuses, he is cast out of Eden.

From there, Aleph heads to Seth's Temple just in time for Seth to awaken and fly away. He then tries to go to the entrance of the Beriah Corridor again but is stopped by what seems to be Louis Cyphre this time. This is simply a trick, however, and Louis Cyphre unveils his disguise to reveal he is [[Astaroth]], who, not believing that Aleph could be either Satan or the Messiah, attacks him, assuming that Lucifer has overestimated Aleph's capabilities and wants to kill him to prove it. Aleph defeats him, however, making him realize he is wrong, and not caring who Aleph is, begs him to restore him to his true form as the goddess [[Ishtar]]. If Aleph is not on the Law route, the real Lucifer will appear after this and, greatly impressed with his strength, formally asks Aleph to join his cause. If Aleph accepts, he will be locked into the Chaos route, pleasing Lucifer as he returns to his castle to wait for Aleph's arrival as he tackles the challenges of besting his underlings situated across the Makai. If Aleph refuses Lucifer's offer, he will be locked into the Neutral route. Here, Lucifer finds it amusing that Aleph did not pick a side and says that the next time they meet will be his last. If Aleph was on the Law route, Lucifer will not appear at all after defeating Astaroth.

When Aleph attempts to enter the Beriah Corridor, he and his party are sucked into a black hole that transports them [[Inside Abaddon's Body|inside Abaddon's body]], where inside is the fading remains of Valhalla, which are slowly being absorbed into Abaddon's body. Exploring the fallen angel's body, Aleph can find Madam being absorbed into a flesh wall, lamenting about Valhalla's fate as she is fully absorbed. Venturing further inside, Aleph and Hiroko find that the Slum is still mostly intact, and entering it leads them to finally reunite with Mekata, who informs them that Valhalla was swallowed to prevent Aleph from finding out the truth from him. Now that both Aleph and Hiroko are before him, however, he proceeds to explain the truth of their lives to them; That in the Elders' attempts to create their own Messiah once they saw that God would not send one to Millennium Himself, they started the [[Messiah Project]]. Using advanced cloning techniques, they created Aleph, the one they had meant to make into the Messiah, and then 4 other artificial humans whose purpose was to support him. Beth was meant to be Aleph's partner. Gimel was meant to be the administrator of the Virtual World to conduct tests for what would become the Millennium Kingdom. Daleth was meant to be the false Messiah who would be defeated by Aleph to raise his public image and increase his popularity. The final member of the project was Zayin, who was meant to be Aleph's guardian. Mekata also reveals that Aleph's creation was unique in that he was originally a fertilized egg that was planted into a strong woman who carried him to term and gave birth to him. This woman turned out to be Hiroko, making her Aleph's surrogate mother and also making him the child she was searching for at the beginning of the game. After Aleph's birth, he was placed in a vat that accelerated his growth into adulthood within a matter of 3 days. Mekata admits that initially, he followed the Elders' orders unquestioningly, but eventually, he grew disgusted by what they were doing, and together with Hanada, wiped Aleph's false memories and escaped with him. Due to his time in Abaddon's body, Mekata is fading away, so he quickly hands the two the MAG Presser to give them the means to defeat Abaddon and bids them farewell, calling Aleph his greatest creation as he completely disappears. Aleph's party then makes their way to Abaddon's core, where the fallen angel taunts them, explaining that his body is a dimensional rift with no true form, making it impossible to kill him, a statement proved wrong when Aleph uses the MAG Presser to give him a form. After Abaddon's defeat, Aleph's party is spit back out to the entrance of the Beriah Corridor, now finally allowed to go through it unimpeded.

Through the Beriah Corridor, Aleph can optionally go to the [[Chesed Temple]], where various souls are waiting to be granted salvation by [[Vairocana]], including the souls of Red Bear and Beth. If Aleph attempts to speak to Red Bear's soul, the disgruntled gladiator will angrily blame him for his failure to become a citizen of the Center. If Aleph goes to Beth's soul, she decides to give him the last vestiges of her power to permanently increase each of his stats, wishing to be of use to him just one more time as she fades away. If Aleph goes to Variocana and is Law or Neutral-aligned, the deity will accuse him of being a servant of YHVH and attack him. If Aleph is Chaos-aligned, Vairocana will simply tell him never to justify the evils he has done and sends him on his way.

Arriving at [[Fort Gevurah]], Aleph's party fights their way through all of the [[Divine General]]s stationed there, and from there can optionally go to [[Binah Town|Binah]]. Due to Astaroth's connection with the temple, if Aleph has him in his party, going to a room at the center of Binah Town will have him beg Aleph to allow him to return to his original form. If Aleph allows it, then he will split into [[Ashtar]] and Ishtar, who thank him and offer their services through [[fusion]]. If Aleph is on the Law route, he must return to Eden, where he will witness Seth arriving to fuse with Zayin, his other half. From the fusion, Satan manifests and joins Aleph's party to help him defeat Lucifer. If Aleph is on the Neutral or Chaos routes though, he must find [[Houri]]'s robe, as it disguises one's true alignment, and uses it to sneak into Eden, where he will witness the same scene of Satan's fusion. This time, however, Satan casts Aleph out of Eden, sending him to the Underground, and then launches Eden out of orbit, revealing it 
to be a spaceship. If Aleph is on the Neutral route, Stephen will appear to him to advise him to destroy Lucifer's weapon, the [[Kuzuryu]], before he tries to tackle the problem of Satan.

Aleph's next destination is [[Chokmah Tower]], which is guarded by [[Mara]]. Unless Aleph is both on the Chaos route and has 15 points in intelligence, Mara will try to tempt and attack him. Once he finally arrives at Keter Castle, Aleph is blocked by the castle's doors. If Aleph is on the Law route, the doors will not open to him, forcing Satan to rip the doors open himself. If Aleph is on the Neutral route, Masakado's katana emits a bright light that destroys the doors. If Aleph is on the Chaos route, the doors will allow him through without a hassle. On the trek through the castle, Aleph can optionally find [[Beelzebub]]'s room, who will attack Aleph unless he is on the Chaos route, where he will simply offer his services through fusion. Getting to the top floor of the Castle, [[Lucifuge]] appears to analyze Aleph's level and then runs off to tell Lucifer of his arrival. 

Upon reaching Lucifer's room, if Aleph is on the Neutral route, Lucifer will decide that humans are weak for being unable to decide between joining him or joining Satan, and transforms into his demonic form to show Aleph true fear. Once he is defeated and dying, however, Lucifer decides to warn Aleph of the secret weapon in Eden, the [[Ark (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Megiddo Ark]], that will destroy everyone on the Earth aside from those in Eden itself. He also warns him of the Kuzuryu, which he had originally intended to use to destroy Tokyo Millennium, but now without him to control it, will go on an indiscriminate rampage that will destroy everything. Afterward, outside Keter Castle, Daleth appears to urge Aleph to go to the Underground to stop the Kuzuryu. Upon reaching the Underground, Aleph finds Stephen, who teleports him to where the Kuzuryu has already begun its rampage. After defeating it, Stephen teleports him aboard Eden to stop Satan from firing it.

If Aleph is on the Chaos route when he reaches Lucifer, he will greet him amicably and unleash the Kuzuryu on Tokyo Millennium. He then joins Aleph's party and teleports the group aboard the Ark to stop Satan from firing it.

If Aleph is on the Law route when he reaches Lucifer, the demon lord will briefly argue with Satan before he transforms to attack the party. Upon Lucifer's death, the Kuzuryu immediately awakens and starts to wreak havoc, forcing Satan to quickly teleport Aleph and the rest of the party aboard the Ark and launch Eden out of orbit. After they successfully activate the Ark's "Erase" function and cleanse the Earth, the group is then called to make an audience with YHVH Himself in His [[Higher Dimensional Space|realm]]. Despite His praise for them, Satan reveals that he still has one more person to judge, that being YHVH Himself, and so Aleph assists him in defeating the god. In the ending, after YHVH's death, the group goes back to Eden where Satan bids his farewell to his friends as he crumbles away to dust, leaving Hiroko to tell Aleph that for Satan, for Zayin, they must go and build an ideal world from what is left.

If Aleph is on the Neutral and Chaos routes, his party must trek through the Ark, along the way fighting YHVH's three avatars, [[Sabaoth]], [[Shaddai]], and [[Elohim]], until they reach the top, where Satan awaits. There, Satan's attitude towards Aleph changes depending on the route. If Aleph is on the Chaos route, Satan is enraged with him and Lucifer and tells them to burn in hell for all eternity.

If Aleph is on the Neutral route, Satan is a lot calmer and briefly assumes the appearance of his former self Zayin to explain why the situation escalated to this state. He expresses sadness that he has to judge Aleph, wishing that he would have been able to live in the new world, but notes that it is far too late for him to change his mind, giving him a final goodbye before transforming back into Satan. Regardless of whether Aleph is on the Chaos or Neutral routes, with their goals in opposition, Satan transforms into his demonic form and demands that Aleph accept his judgment and die. He is defeated, however, and as he dies, he questions what the one who escapes even God's judgment will do next. At Satan's death, YHVH angrily orders the ones who killed him to show themselves to Him. Once they appear before Him, YHVH denounces their actions and attacks them, but upon His defeat, Aleph's party is warped out of the Ark.

In the Chaos ending, Aleph's party reappears in Roppongi, whereupon going outside of it, are gifted with praise and admiration from Lucifer and the Underground's inhabitants for destroying Millennium and the Megiddo Ark, and Aleph is prompted by Hiroko to follow after Lucifer.

In the Neutral ending, Aleph and Hiroko reappear inside the building in Holytown. Upon exiting outside, Hiroko tells Aleph that now that God and Lucifer are dead, they have no one left to rely on or cling to, but Aleph has her, and she has Aleph, so they must go forth and rebuild the world with their own hands.
{{Endspoiler}}

==={{Link|Game|SMT4A}}===
{{Spoilers}}
During the [[Challenge Quest]] "[[Messiahs in the Diamond Realm]]", [[Stephen]] transported Aleph's soul to the [[Diamond Realm]] alongside the [[Hero (Shin Megami Tensei)|Hero]], the [[Demi-fiend]], and [[Flynn]]. Each of them met an unavoidable fate in their original worlds as a result of [[YHVH]]'s machinations; in Aleph's case, he was killed by the [[Ark (Shin Megami Tensei II)|Megiddo Ark]]. [[Nanashi]] would eventually restore the bodies and memories of the four messiahs, culminating in a fight against Stephen himself. Once the battle was over, a portal opened in the Diamond Realm, allowing Aleph and the other messiahs to return to their original worlds. Before he leaves, Aleph says he and his [[Hiroko|partner]] must defeat YHVH.

==Trivia==
* In the Super Famicom version of ''Shin Megami Tensei II'', when Nadja fuses with Hiroko at the Internment Camp, a message will pop up saying that each of Hiroko's stats have been raised by one point. However, this is bugged; Hiroko's stats will not actually increase. Additionally, if Aleph does not have Nadja with him when he rescues Hiroko, his stats will receive the stat increase instead. These bugs were fixed in future versions of the game. 
* Aleph received his COMP as a Colosseum tournament prize.<ref>{{Cite Game|quote=男：あんた　アームターミナル持ってるね
コロシアムで勝ちぬいて
手に入れたんだろ
それさえあれば　ターミナルが
使えるから　いいよなぁ……|translquote=|title=Shin Megami Tensei II|developer=|publisher=Atlus|platform=SFC|version=|lang=|transl=}}</ref>

==Nomenclature==
Aleph is named for the first letter in Semitic alphabets, ''aleph'', which represents a glottal stop.
{{Names
|ja=アレフ
|jaR=Arefu
|jaM=Aleph
|ja2=ホーク
|jaR2=Hōku
|jaM2=Hawk
|zhS= 
|zhSM=
|zhT= 
|zhTM=
|fr= 
|frM=
|de= 
|deM=
|it= 
|itM=
|ko= 
|koM=
|es= 
|esM=
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
SMT2 Hawk Initial Equipment Artwork.png|Artwork of Hawk wearing his starting equipment
SMT2 GBA Aleph Sprite.png|Sprite from the Game Boy Advance version of {{Link|Game|SMT2}}
SMT4A Aleph Portrait Graphic.png|Portrait from {{Link|Game|SMT4A}}
SMT4A Aleph Sprite.png|Sprite from {{Link|Game|SMT4A}}
SMT4A Aleph COMP Sprite.png|COMP sprite from {{Link|Game|SMT4A}}
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Playable Characters]]
[[Category:Protagonists]]
[[Category:Characters in Shin Megami Tensei II]]
[[Category:Characters in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse]]