Mara

Mara is a Demon in the Megami Tensei franchise.

Profile

Origin

Māra (Sanskrit: मारdeath; killing; obstacle, romanized māra, Japanese: 魔羅, Hepburn mara) is a malignant figure in Buddhist lore. He is the embodiment of the forces that oppose enlightenment: greed, hatred, earthly desires, and the cycle of rebirth.

Design

Mara is a giant green phallus with tentacles that, in most games, sits in a yellow chariot. The phallic design is based on how Mara's name is used in Japanese as a word for "penis."^[1]

Gameplay

For complete gameplay information, see Gameplay:Mara.

Compendium

Compendium Entries
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse	A Hindu demon that represents fear of death. She tempted the Buddha during his meditations. She gave birth to the Mares and Mora, powerful demons of darkness.
Shin Megami Tensei V	A Buddhist demon that represents the fear of death. Also known as "The Evil One," he sent his daughters to tempt Buddha during his meditations.
Persona 3 Reload	A Buddhist demon that represents the fear of death. Also known as "The Evil One," he sent his daughters to tempt Buddha during his meditations.
Persona 4	An Eastern demon lord who tempted Buddha during his training. He is a master of fear, and his immense power reaches to every part of the globe. His distant offspring includes Mare and Mora.
Persona 5	A Buddhist demon that represents the fear of death. Also known as "The Evil One," he sent his daughters to tempt Buddha during his meditations.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth	An Eastern demon lord who tempted Buddha during his training. He is the master of fear, and his immense power reaches to every part of the globe. His distant offspring includes Mare and Mora.

Game Appearances

Shin Megami Tensei II

Mara is the master of Chokmah Tower. At the end of the tower he will test Aleph, offering him 999,999 Macca, then offering him ten free levels, then finally offering to give him the world. Should Aleph accept any of these offers, he will be inflicted with paralysis, and then be attacked. If Aleph refuses all three, Mara will call him wise for not giving in to desire, then attack him regardless. If Aleph is on the Chaos path, and has 15 or more points in his intelligence stat, Mara will let him through without a fight.

Trivia

Not counting the Treasure Demons, Mara is one of only two Personas in Persona 5 not to appear in Persona 5 Tactica. The other is Legion.

Nomenclature

Names in Other Languages
Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	マーラ Māra そびえる煩悩大王Persona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Sobieru Bonnō Daiō ちぎれた煩悩大王Persona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow) Chigireta Bonnō Daiō	Mara Towering King of Kleshas Torn King of Kleshas
Simplified Chinese	魔罗 Móluó 挺立的烦恼大王Persona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Tǐnglì de Fánnǎo Dàwáng 断裂的烦恼大王Persona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow) Duànliè de Fánnǎo Dàwáng	Mara King of Kleshas Standing Erect Ruptured King of Kleshas
Traditional Chinese	魔羅 Móluó 挺立的煩惱大王Persona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Tǐnglì de Fánnǎo Dàwáng 斷裂的煩惱大王Persona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow) Duànliè de Fánnǎo Dàwáng	Mara King of Kleshas Standing Erect Ruptured King of Kleshas
French	Mara Roi du Désir lancinantPersona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Roi du Désir déchiréPersona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow)	Mara Painful King of Desire Torn King of Desire
German	Mara Pulsierender LustkönigPersona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Schwabbeliger LustkönigPersona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow)	Mara Throbbing King of Desire Flabby King of Desire
Italian	Mara Svettante re dei desideriPersona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Straziato re dei desideriPersona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow)	Mara Towering King of Desires Tormented King of Desires
Korean	마라 Mara 우뚝 솟은 번뇌煩惱의 대왕大王Persona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Uttuk Soseun Beonnoe-ui Daewang 갈갈이 찢긴 번뇌煩惱의 대왕大王Persona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow) Galgari Jjitgin Beonnoe-ui Daewang	Mara Towering King of Kleshas Torn King of Kleshas
Polish	Mara
Brazilian Portuguese	Mara
Russian	Мара Mara	Mara
Spanish	Mara Rey palpitante del deseoPersona 5 Royal ("Throbbing" Shadow) Rey indeciso del deseoPersona 5 Royal ("Torn" Shadow)	Mara Throbbing King of Desire Indecisive King of Desire
Turkish	Mara

Gallery

Censored artwork of Mara from the Chinese version of Persona 5: The Phantom X
Render for Persona 5
Render from Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Model of Mara from Persona 4 Golden
Model of Mara from Persona 3 Reload
Model of Mara's slime form from Persona 5 Royal
A Sprite of Mara from the PlayStation version of Shin Megami Tensei
A Sprite of Mara from the Mega-CD version of Shin Megami Tensei

Videos

Mara's Daily Demon Showcase for Shin Megami Tensei V

Mara's Daily Demon Showcase for Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

References

↑ "玉茎房内經云玉茎男陰名也 [...] 一云麻良 [...]" Translation: "Penis: The Classic of the Bedchamber calls it 'jade stalk', it is a name for the male sex organ [...] One name [is] mara" Wamyō Ruijushō, volume 2, Minamoto no Shitagō. p. 45.

[1] "玉茎房内經云玉茎男陰名也 [...] 一云麻良 [...]" Translation: "Penis: The Classic of the Bedchamber calls it 'jade stalk', it is a name for the male sex organ [...] One name [is] mara" Wamyō Ruijushō, volume 2, Minamoto no Shitagō. p. 45.

[1]