The "silent protagonist" has been a common occurrence in RPGs over the years - the general intention of this is that the character is a blank slate as far as an identity is concerned, allowing you to transfer your own thoughts onto the character. Few games succeed in exploiting this approach though, as their stories allow for little to no personal interpretation on the part of the player.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne differs in this respect. Though the story is linear in progression, it is open ended in the sense that you are free to choose your own standing amongst the philosophies expressed by the other characters in the game, leading to one of a number of different endings when you finish the game.

Silent Protagonist

Name: Definable

Reason: Definable
Philosophy: Definable

The lead character in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is, for all intents and purposes, you. He is completely devoid of any personality beyond that which you provide, based on your own decisions in the game.

During the Conception, this young man is implanted with a Magatama by a young blond haired boy, transforming him into a demon. He is left alone in the new Vortex World, awaiting it's eventual rebirth. He is a unique identity in the Vortex World, in that he is free to choose his own fate. He can choose to pursue one of the many philosophies that govern the other characters in the game. He can embrace the demon nature that has been infused inside him. Or even he chooses, he can let the world stay the way it is, forever.

The choices are yours to make.

Chiaki Hayasaka

Name: Chiaki Hayasaka

Reason: Yosuga
Philosophy: Survival of the Fittest

Chiaki is a classmate and childhood friend of the lead character, who has always lived a privileged life a prominent household. Used to getting her own way in matters, she is a demanding and overbearing young woman.

After the world becomes engulfed in the Conception, Chiaki, chooses the contradictory Reason of "Yosuga", embodying the "Survival of the Fittest" philosophy, a world with no lower class, where only the elite and best can surive, where she would be eternally strong, and eternally safe.

Having lived a life where her every whim is catered to, and everything she desired is given to her, nothing could be further than the truth for her, but her ego, her delusional belief of her own (given, not earned) superiority, puts her in a place where she believe she can judge the fate of others.

The greatest irony of her ideology lies within her own paranoia; fear of a non-existant threat that would disrupt her life of sheltered security. Having lived a life where her every whim is catered to, and everything she desired is given to her, the concept of personal strenght is one that is alien to her, but her ego, her delusional belief of her own (given, not earned) superiority, puts her in a place where she believe she can judge the fate of others.

Unable to bear her loneliness and vulnerability, she will see that she has her way.

Isamu Nitta

Name: Isamu Nitta

Reason: Musubi
Philosophy: Individuality

Isamu Nitta is another classmate of the lead character. Streetwise, confident, and extroverted, he is initially a well-meaning but overly cocky indivdual, and his friends are everything to him.

His fiery independence sees him choosing to search the deserted hospital for his missing teacher by himself, shortly before the Conception takes place. In the immediate aftermath, he struggles to adapt, and an overwhelming fear of isolation leads him to determinedtly seek out Yuko and the lead character, for support.

His failure to find Yuko, and the apparent unwillingness of his friends to help causes him to lose faith in other people, forcing him into a mindset of alien to him; drawing on himself for comfort and strength. He creates the Reason oF Musubi, the ideology of the self, and hopes for a world where the self is the absolute ideal, where one can define their own existance, and no-one can interfere with each other.

Isamu's Reason is ironic and ultimately flawed for one reason; indivuality can only be attained through experience and interaction with the world around us, and indivuality through isolation is inherently impossible.

Though he would never admit it, Isamu's Reason is nothing more than a cowardly excuse to live an existance without consequence or responsiblity.