Moloch

Moloch
Other Name(s)	Sacrificial PyrekeeperPersona 5 Persona 5 Royal MolechRonde
Origin	Semitic culture Christianity
Race(s)	TyrantDigital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II Kyūyaku Megami Tensei Shin Megami Tensei II Shin Megami Tensei: Nine Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Shin Megami Tensei V Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 Majin Tensei Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Devil Survivor 2 Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker VileGiten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Revelation
Alignment(s)	Dark-ChaosShin Megami Tensei V Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Arcana(s)	Hanged ManPersona 5 Persona 5 Royal Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth

Moloch is a Demon in the Megami Tensei franchise.

Profile

Origin

Molech, also known as Moloch, is a term in the Bible that has traditionally been interpreted as a Canaanite god to whom children were sacrificed. In the Hebrew text of the Bible, the term always has a definite article except for in 1 Kings 11:7.

Following Abraham Geiger (1857), historically the majority of scholars had believed that the instances of מֹלֶךְ Mōleḵ were originally the word for king, מֶלֶךְ meleḵ, which was a common epithet for deities in West Semitic, and the Masoretic Text's vocalization of Mōleḵ would be an intentional distortion to resemble the word בֹּשֶׁת bōšeṯ ("shame"). Tsevat (1975), however, says that this explanation for the vowel pointings cannot be reconciled with the Septuagint's spelling Μόλοχ Móloch, and that there is cuneiform evidence of a word muluk (also possibly read molok). If Mōleḵ indeed refers to a deity, it is likely Baal, or, in some instances, YHWH.

In a departure from the consensus at the time, Eissfeldt (1935), proposed that the word Mōleḵ actually refers to the type of sacrifice rather than to a deity, comparing the term to the Punic word molk, and many scholars have followed him in this; said sacrifices would be offered specifically to YHWH. Schmidt (2021) says that some suggest that the lone instance of Mōleḵ without the definite article in 1 Kings 11:7 may be referring to the type of sacrifice, but that the instances with the definite article are references to a deity.

Design

Moloch's design in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey and Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 is taken from the design of Chemosh from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, which itself is based on certain illustrations of Moloch.

Gameplay

Shin Megami Tensei V

	Name Level HP MP Moloch 51 297 212	Strength 42 Vitality 36 Magic 42 Agility 28 Luck 25
Race Speech C. CostCompendium Summoning Cost Gift Type Tyrant — — —
Resistances — NulNull WkWeak StrStrong — — StrStrong ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances — — — — — — — — ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Skill Potential +2 +4 -5 — — — +2 — — — —
Basic Attack Element Hit(s) Target Physical 1 1 enemy
Skills Skill Cost Description Level Crusher Onslaught 20 MP Medium Physical attack to all foes. Low accuracy. Agidyne 35 MP Heavy Fire attack to 1 foe. Masukunda 30 MP Lowers Accuracy/Evasion of all foes by 1 rank for 3 turns. Black Dracostrike 30 MP Medium Dark Strength-based attack to 1 foe. Chance of instakill when striking weakness. 52 Rampage 35 MP 2~5 medium Physical attacks to random foes. Low accuracy. 53 Maragion 30 MP Medium Fire attack to all foes. 54
Magatsuhi Skills Skill Description Omagatoki: Critical All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn. Omagatoki: ChargeRequires Tyrant Talisman All skills of all allies will cost twice the MP but deal double the damage for 1 turn.

Persona 5

Name Level Moloch 60	Strength 32 Magic 45 Endurance 42 Agility 31 Luck 37
Arcana C. CostCompendium Summoning Cost Inheritance Electric Chair Item Hanged Man — Psy Nuke Amp
Resistances — — RplRepel WkWeak StrStrong StrStrong DrDrain — — NulNull — ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances Dizzy Confuse Fear Forget Hunger Sleep ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 Rage Despair Brainwash Burn Freeze Shock ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Skills Skill Cost Description Level Psiodyne 12 SP Heavy Psy dmg to one foe. Stagnant Air 5 SP Increases chance of inflicting ailments to all. Evil Smile 12 SP Medium chance of Fear to all foes. Agidyne 12 SP Heavy Fire dmg to one foe. Chance of inflicting Burn. 62 Ghastly Wail 28 SP Insta-kills foes inflicted with Fear. 63 Drain Fire — Absorb damage from Fire attacks. 64 Nuke Amp — Strengthens Nuke attack damage by 50%. Can stack. 65

Persona 5 Royal

	This section is in need of research.
	Reason: Shadow's Battle Stats and Exp/Yen earned

When encountered as a Disaster Shadow, Negotiation cannot occur but the common negotiation items frequently drop after defeat.

Name Level Moloch 60	Strength 32 Magic 45 Endurance 42 Agility 31 Luck 37
Arcana C. CostCompendium Summoning Cost Inheritance Electric Chair Items Hanged Man — Fire Inferno Ring — (FAFusion Alarm)
Resistances — — DrDrain WkWeak StrStrong StrStrong DrDrain — — NulNull — ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances Dizzy Confuse Fear Forget Hunger Sleep ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 Rage Despair Brainwash Burn Freeze Shock ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Trait Immunity Prevents being inflicted by ailments.
Skills Skill Cost Description Level Agidyne 12 SP Heavy Fire dmg to one foe. Chance of inflicting Burn. Stagnant Air 5 SP Increases chance of inflicting ailments to all. Evil Smile 8 SP Medium chance of Fear to all foes. Maragidyne 22 SP Heavy Fire dmg to all foes. Chance of inflicting Burn. 62 Ghastly Wail 28 SP Insta-kills foes inflicted with Fear. 63 Drain Fire — Absorb damage from Fire attacks. 64 Fire Amp — Strengthens Fire attack damage by 50%. Can stack. 65

Name Level HP SP Sacrificial Pyrekeeper 60 751 402	Strength ? Magic ? Endurance ? Agility ? Luck ?
Location Mementos Depths; Path of Da'at: 1-4F, 6-8F
Arcana Recruit Beg Type RERandom Encounter Hanged Man — — Gloomy —
EXP Yen Drop Disaster Drop Negotiation Yen ? ? — (%) Black Robe (%) — - —
Negotiation Items — — — —
Resistances — — DrDrain WkWeak StrStrong StrStrong DrDrain — — NulNull — ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances Dizzy Confuse Fear Forget Hunger Sleep Rage ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 Despair Brainwash Burn Freeze Shock Down Critical ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ✔ ✔
Basic Attack Element Hit(s) Target B. PowerBase Power Accuracy Physical 1 1 enemy 13 95%
Skills Skill Cost Description Maragidyne 22 SP Heavy Fire dmg to all foes. Chance of inflicting Burn. Agidyne 12 SP Heavy Fire dmg to one foe. Chance of inflicting Burn. Burn Boost — Increases chance of inflicting Burn. Fire Boost — Strengthens Fire attack damage by 25%. Shock Boost — Increases chance of inflicting Shock.

Compendium

Compendium Entries
Shin Megami Tensei V	A Canaanite god of fire. Tradition states that a bronze statue of a human with the head of a female ox would be placed at the altar as its vessel. It is said that the statue would first be heated with fire, then children would be put inside as a sacrifice. The Bible mentions its name as a cruel pagan god.
Persona 5	A Caanite god of fire. A bronze statue of a man with a bull's head stands at his alter. The statue was heated and sacrificial children were thrown inside.

Game Appearances

Shin Megami Tensei II

After Zayin detects a strange signal in Holytown, Aleph investigates the area and finds the massive tail of a demon sticking out of the ground. Residents of the district also describe being drained of energy and later have had all the power sapped from their bodies. In Roppongi, Aleph hears from the Mutant Elder that this tail most likely belongs to Moloch, who resides in the Expanse. He can be directly found by the Yesod-Yetzirah Corridor, and according to residents of the Expanse, Moloch is absorbing Magnetite to burn it as fuel. Later, Lucifer reveals that he had Moloch gather Magnetite on the orders of YHVH, in order to funnel that energy into Kuzuryu.

Ronde

Molech is awakened at the start of the game and is the first boss.

Trivia

• Moloch (モーロック) is the name of a band in Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner whose concert at the Yahigashi Building was canceled after the death of the band member Mikiya.

Nomenclature

Moloch's name comes from Greek: Μολόχ, romanized Molóch, which is a transliteration of Molech or Molek, from Hebrew מֹלֶךְ, romanized mōleḵ.

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	モロク Moroku モレクRonde Moreku モーロックDevil Children White Book Mōrokku 贄を焼く牛面鬼Persona 5 Royal (Shadow) Nie o Yaku Gyūmenki	Moloch Molech Moloch Ox-Faced Demon Who Burns Sacrifices
Simplified Chinese	摩洛 Móluò 焚烧活祭品的牛头鬼Persona 5 Royal (Shadow) Fénshāo Huójìpǐn de Niútóuguǐ	Moloch Ox-Headed Demon Who Burns Living Sacrifices
Traditional Chinese	摩洛 Móluò 焚燒活祭品的牛頭鬼Persona 5 Royal (Shadow) Fénshāo Huójìpǐn de Niútóuguǐ	Moloch Ox-Headed Demon Who Burns Living Sacrifices
French	Moloch Gardien du bûcherPersona 5 Royal (Shadow)	Moloch Guardian of the Pyre
German	Moloch ScheiterhaufenwächterPersona 5 Royal (Shadow)	Moloch Pyre Guardian
Italian	Moloch Custode rogo sacrificalePersona 5 Royal (Shadow)	Moloch Keeper of the Sacrificial Pyre
Korean	몰록 Mollok 제물祭物을 태우는 우면귀牛面鬼Persona 5 Royal (Shadow) Jemur-eul Tae'uneun Umyeon'gwi	Moloch Ox-Faced Demon Who Burns Sacrifices
Polish	Moloch
Brazilian Portuguese	Moloch
Russian	Молох Molokh	Moloch
Spanish	Moloch Guarda del fuego tributoPersona 5 Royal (Shadow)	Moloch Guardian of the Tribute Fire
Turkish	Molek	Moloch

Gallery

• 

  Render for Persona 5

• 

  Sprite of Moloch from Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II.

• 

  Animated sprite of Moloch from Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II.

• 

  Sprite of Moloch from Shin Megami Tensei II (Playstation).

• 

  Moloch's sprite in Majin Tensei

• 

  Moloch's dialogue portrait sprite from Majin Tensei.

Videos

Moloch's Daily Demon Showcase for Shin Megami Tensei V