A mythological analysis of the Asuras - some spoilers

[MOSQUITO BURGERS]

I wanted to note down some of the meaning behind the symbology/etymology of the Asuras in Ghostrunner 2, since I like how the characters mimic their mythological counterparts and thought it was interestingly done. Here are my findings. Feel free to add any more or correct me anywhere you see fit:

"Asura" - the name of the demonic deities of Hinduism/Buddhism who seek power and are similar to the Titans of Greek mythology. They are one among the Devas -the gods - that predate humanity and the world we know.

"Gyges" - the name of a Lydian king from 650BC who is famous for the "invisibility ring" parable (just like how Gyges/Mitra can turn invisible). According to legend, Gyges rose to power as a bodyguard of Candaules - the king of Lydia. One day Gyges sees Candaules' wife naked and she offers him a choice - either kill Candaules and take the throne or be killed for seeing something he should not have. This is paralleled by the game's Gyges who manages to see "Architect's wife" naked (this could be seen as both Dharma Tower's secrets and Mara's secrets). For his deeds, he is banished to live in limbo forever - like the titans after the titanomachy - and is turned into Mitra through cyberaugmentation (who eventually seeks to steal Adam's throne).

"Mitra" - the name of an Iranian deity famous for creating the Mithraic cults of Rome. Mithra/Ahura Mazda/Ohrmuzd was one of two gods that existed before creation. The other was Angra Mainyu/Ahriman. Mithra was the "benevolent" deity while Ahriman was the "destructive" deity. The myth of Mithra slaying the cosmic bull and creating the world was originally flipped in the Zoroastrian myth - Mithra created the cosmic bull which was then killed by Ahriman. By the time it reached the Roman empire the myth had changed to Mithra slaying the cosmic bull. Either way, Mithra's sacrifice leads to the creation of the world - similar to Mitra wanting to slay Dharma Tower (the cosmic bull) to recreate a new world (or perhaps the cosmic bull represented the humanity Mitra sacrificed/lost). Mithra was also the god of knowledge and justice something we know Mitra is obsessed with.

"Ahriman" - I touched on this already. Ahriman represented a destructive force and the counterpart to Mithra. In the game, Ahriman is a strong follower of Mitra and is a member of the Asuras. He leads the Hammers and uses his strength to try to take over the tower.

"Rahu" - one of the Asura in Hindu myth; he was a deity that drank the nectar of immortality (soma) and was eventually beheaded by Vishnu for being a deceiver (Rahu is physically just a head in the game). Rahu is also the name of a non-tangible phase of the moon which leads to solar eclipses. Although it is considered a celestial body it is more like a "shadow body" symbolising a specific point in orbit rather than the object itself. In this sense, Rahu the Avatar of the game also symbolises not a tangible body but something that lives in cybervoid without the need for a body - perhaps a new state of being. We also see Rahu the Avatar's penchant for illusions and tricks in the mindgames he plays with Jack and the people of Dharma, which parallels the Rahu of mythology.

"Madhu" - another powerful Asura in Hindu myth originally created from Vishnu's earwax. He was so powerful that even Vishnu, a god of preservation/destruction, had trouble destroying him. Madhu was said to have had a pact with the Devas that allowed him to only die when he chose to - which made him extra tough to kill (Madhu's last words in the game - "Not until I say so!"). Eventually Vishnu is able to slay Madhu through trickery by getting him to choose his own death when he grants Vishnu the ability to slay him. Madhu is chopped up into bits and eventually becomes the continents of the Earth. This is very similar to the ideas behind the Dismantler - to be repurposed and to be reborn from destruction as well as the fact that the world outside Dharma Tower is largely composed of Madhu's works. Madhu the Dismantler was also betrayed by trickery by both Mitra and Rahu. Additionally, I liked how Madhu the Dismantler looks like the grim reaper - representing death but also rebirth, which seems fitting for his ultimate goal of repurposing Dharma Tower for his scions (who were also beings that were created from "the waste of gods").

"Bushido" - the code of conduct of the Samurai in Japan during the Edo period (17-19th century). It was a guiding principle for attaining honor and peace within the self and the community. It was meant to retain the law of the land and avoid unecessary bloodshed. Similar to the Bushido code which physically stops the Asura GRs from murdering freely.

[Overman]

When Jack ask Rahu was he the one who beheaded him, Rahu said Jack weren't fast enough. I hope maybe we'll play a Vishnu like unique GR in the future expansion

[MOSQUITO BURGERS]

Originally posted by cdfp:

When Jack ask Rahu was he the one who beheaded him, Rahu said Jack weren't fast enough. I hope maybe we'll play a Vishnu like unique GR in the future expansion

That would be cool. It could end with that Vishnu character bringing Rahu's head to Architect's desk after the Asura rebellion was quashed.

[MOSQUITO BURGERS]

Forgot to mention "Naga" - even though it's a minor "character". "Naga" itself means snake in Sanskrit, but in Hindu/Buddhist myth Nagas are giant snake like beings akin to dragons that navigate the underworld, dwell within mountains, and spew poison (sound familiar?). They are said to be a bridge between the mortal realm and the divine realm of the devas - something the Naga within the game also mimics by taking you to the Asura's hiding place after it swallows you. It's worth mentioning that in actual myths they take on a more benevolent protector role, though.