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Episode 672: Attack & Dethrone God, Book 1:1
🕑 Added 2025-02-17 11:00:10 +0000 UTCJeremy: Not long ago—six episodes, if my math serves me correctly—we delved into the history of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and its impact on video games and pop culture. This time, we cast our net into the adjacent lake and, uh... actually, I'm not sure where this metaphor is going. Probably somewhere with loaves and fishes. Because this week, I've decided to tackle one of the questions I've had tumbling around my skull for more than a quarter-century: What's up with all those JRPGs where you kill God? And I don't just mean a god, I mean the specific capital-G, Pearly Gates, head of the Holy Trinity power trio God of the Judeo-Christianity tradition.
Yes, it's another Trends & Influences episode that focuses on the real-world history and culture behind the video games we love. This is actually the first part of this two-episode discussion, which primarily concerns the history parts, with the bulk of the game-focused conversation reserved for the upcoming Book 2:1.
As with the recent Bikini Warriors and Satanic Panic episodes, I've called in some legit ringers to lend some actual substance and credibility to the non-game stuff. Specifically, friend of the show Shivam Bhatt returns to team up with Benito Cereno to share their deep, exhaustive knowledge of religious history. (Chris Sims and I don't have quite as much intellectual grounding in this topic, but we did grow up going to church and play a lot of video games.)
Incidentally, the Trends & Influences theme will be showing up a lot less frequently from this point. I've had these topics in the can for a couple of years, so there's been a bit of a rush lately to tackle these pent-up conversations, but now that I've worked it out my system you expect more episodes where we just imitate Wario or whatever.
Art by Nick Wanserski, edits byt Greg Leahy
08:12 - Final Fantasy VI: Kefka
21:16 - Xenogears: Fangs Bared at God | Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Our Eternal Land
35:53 - Theme from The Mission (1986 Motion Picture OST)
47:55 - Bayonetta: Graveyard of Remembrance | Gladiator (2000): The Might of Rome
59:21 - Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia: Ecclesia
1:07:37 - Theme from Shōgun (1980 TV OST)
1:16:42 - Silence (2016 Motion Picture OST): Unravelling
1:29:55 - Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge: Agitated Calm
1:42:29 - Dragon Ball FighterZ: Frieza
Closing - Game of Thrones (TV OST, Season 6): Light of the Seven
Comments
Clue2025
One of my favorite episodes by far
Brian Pitt
I keep hearing Milton intended that as a depiction of how seductive the lies of Satan actually are, but if so, he definitely failed because everyone thinks Satan in Paradise Lost is super cool.
Nigel G
Hey hey. This was unexpected and great
Griffin
Holy shit, favorite episode ever!
CapNChris
Yes! More Phantasy Star IV!
CapNChris
Great episode! I never thought Retronauts would be the place to go for a respectful yet objectively critical perspective on the history of belief. I'm a huge fan of these conceptual/historical episodes.
Travers Travers
It's deep dives like this with a cultural/historical overtone that brought me back to being a patron -- loved the episode. Not sure whether it was Benito, Shivam or Chris, but I'm looking forward to your commentary on Phantasy Star IV and the profound darkness next time!
PosiVibez4evr
Wow what an amazing topic. Great convo. I didn’t realize Shivam is a Hindu priest, very cool. His perspective and breadth of knowledge was a huge addition to this episode. Appreciated the bit more charity he gave to the religious perspective. Invoking that Zen statement: “When you see the Buddha kill the Buddha” kinda blew my mind. I definitely see a direct through line there with this topic. Thanks. 🙏
Nuno Amaral
Yeah, infact tempura is derived from the Portuguese word temperar, meaning to season and I'm sure there's more than a few of Japanese origin foods in my grandma's cook book.
Diamond Feit
I have never set foot on the Iberian peninsula so if you recommend a dish to me I am going to listen! I suspect there is Portuguese food in Japan given their long history together but I have not investigated my options.
Nuno Amaral
Btw, Diamond, I love that you're looking into my people's food. If you're curious my family's take on Bacalhau com natas is one of my all-time favorite dishes. It's kinda like scalloped potatoes with salted cod.
Nuno Amaral
100% a typo, Diamond. I am a dork. Bacalhau is correct
Diamond Feit
is that a typo Nuno because I'm googling bacalauh and every source asks me "did you mean bacalhau?"
Nuno Amaral
Another great episode. As a Portuguese man, I have a lot to say about this subject. 1. Samurai Shodown is an excellent series 2. Give salted cod(bacalauh) a try. It's better than you think
Nuno Amaral
Me too!
Steven Guglielmi
Paradise Lost is an important source for depictions of the Christian God as an overweening tyrant. Satan justifies his rebellion by claiming that God is stifiling the freedom of heaven.
Wood Duck
What an absurd and wonderful preamble episode to set up talking about Christianity in Japanese digital interactive art. Surprised there was no Diamond or Nadia but they would have been too powerful and funny for such a topic!
Julian
I predict there will be Books 1-4
Patrick McClafferty
Good episode as usual. The only reason I knew of Shiro Amakusa was due to Ninja Ressurection which I'm sure was historically accurate.
Alexander Barrett
Nice work, amazing episode! Definitely going to check out the Apocrypals podcast now.
Billiam
I’m not defeating Giygas, I’m practicing gnosticism on my SNES.
Kormakur Gardarsson
I came for the Final Fantasy Tactics talk, I stayed for the Council of Nicaea lore.
Brooke Obscura
Breath of Fire II was my introduction to the idea of a corrupt religion and a quest to defeat its diety.
Retronauts
Yep, that's the cadence I'm aiming for! — JP
Quin Adams
I've really enjoyed all these T&I episodes and, while I get that you don't want to make a habit of them, I'd love to see 2 or 3 per year.
BlueWeaselBreath
This is the best non-religious, factually based summation of early Christianity I’ve ever heard. Really digging this episode!
