Sophia (demon)

Sophia is a recurring entity in the series.
==History==
In Gnosticism, Sophia (Σoφíα, Greek for wisdom) is an aeon of wisdom and knowledge. In most if not all versions of the Gnostic creation, Sophia births Yaldabaoth, who in turn brings about the creation of materiality and the material world (though in some versions, she also gave birth to Satanael) However, when it creates mortal humans she (or God) grants them souls and grants them the secret knowledge of the true spiritual universe so they can be freed of the Demiurge's influence.
She is considered to be the central idea in Hellenistic philosophy and religion, Platonism, Gnosticism and Christian theology. Sophia is a major theme, along with knowledge, among many of the early Christian knowledge-theologies grouped by the heresiologist Irenaeus as gnostikos, "learned." In Gnosticism, Sophia is a feminine figure, analogous to the human soul but also simultaneously one of the feminine aspects of God. Gnostics held that she was the syzygy of Jesus, and the holy spirit of the trinity. Originally carrying a meaning of "cleverness/skill," the later meaning of the term, close to the meaning of Phronesis, was significantly shaped by the term philosophy as used by Plato.
Almost all Gnostic systems taught that the universe began with an original, unknowable God. From this initial unitary beginning, the one spontaneously emanated further aeons, being pairs of progressively "lesser" beings in sequence. Together with the source from which they emanate, they form the pleroma, or fullness, of God, and thus should be seen as symbolic abstractions of divine nature. The transition from the immaterial to the material is brought about by a flaw, or a passion, or a sin, in one of the aeons. In most versions of the Gnostic mythos, it is Sophia who brings about this instability in the pleroma, in turn bringing about the creation of materiality.
According to some Gnostic texts, the crisis occurs as a result of Sophia trying to emanate without her syzygy or, in another tradition, because she tries to breach the barrier between herself and the unknowable Bythos. After cataclysmically falling from the pleroma, Sophia's fear and anguish of losing her life causes confusion and longing to return to it. Because of these longings, matter and soul accidentally come into existence. The creation of the Demiurge, known as Yaldabaoth, is also a mistake made during this exile. In the Pistis Sophia, Jesus Christ is sent from the godhead in order to bring Sophia back into the pleroma.
The positive or negative depiction of materiality thus resides a great deal on mythic depictions of Sophia's actions. She is occasionally referred to by the Hebrew equivalent of Achamoth or as Prunikos.
==Appearances==
*Shin Megami Tensei NINE: Major Character
*Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne: Magatama
*Shin Megami Tensei IV: Weapon
*Shin Megami Tensei V: Major Character
==Profile==
===Shin Megami Tensei NINE===
Sophia appears as a flower shop NPC that is seen during the game. In the Dark and Light-Neutral routes, she heals and helps the protagonist while in her human form. In the Neutral-Neutral route, she is able to take her true form, the Gnostic Goddess Sophia. She had been reincarnated as a human as punishment for her sin of giving birth to Yaldabaoth and had to wait until the hero who could slay him and bestow Gnosis on humanity appeared. She sends the protagonist to Paradise in order to defeat him, and afterwords tells the protagonist she will be waiting for them, and all of humanity, in the Pleroma.
===Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne===
*Focuses on learning healing magic.
*It can be bought at the Collector Manikin's Junk Shop in Asakusa Tunnels for 120000 Macca (360000 in Hard mode).
===Shin Megami Tensei IV===
The Reward for completing the Challenge quest The Voice of Arrogant "Evil" is the weapon Sword of Sophia, which is one of the strongest weapons in the game.
===Shin Megami Tensei V===
Once the protagonist has reached at least 75% completion of their Demonic Compendium then returns to the World of Shadows, Sophia will refer herself as the actual Sophia, then give the protagonist the Seed of Life as a reward, a key item that is tied to a battle Side Quest that will reward the means to fuse either Maria, Inanna or Danu, depending on what the protagonist plans to do once he reaches the Empyrean. 
In New Game Plus runs, Sophia will provide the Seed of Life upon reentry into the World of Shadows after unlocking entry to it upon reaching the Mita leyline fount, as long as the 75% compendium milestone has already been reached.
==Stats==
===Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne===
*Focuses on learning healing magic.
Category:Gnostic Mythology
Category:Abrahamic Mythology
Category:Shin Megami Tensei NINE Characters
Category:Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Demons