Death Arcana

Death Arcana is a recurring Arcana revolving the Persona franchise. While it is associated with portent of doom, Death Arcana also symbolizes the metamorphosis and deep change, regeneration and cycles. The Personae of the Death Arcana is commonly associated with an excel in Dark-based affinities, but weak towards light-based affinities.

Appearances

 * Persona 3
 * Persona 3: FES

Persona 3
The Death Arcana plays a major role in Persona 3. Years prior the events of Persona 3, the Kirijo Group founded an experiment hoping to study the nature and hope to convert the power of Shadows. During the experiment, the lead scientists learned about the prophecy to the Fall, and subsequently, the arcana that was never meant to be, the Death Arcana.

Accepting death as a deliverance, many scientists willingly embraces it, and began collecting more Shadows, to rejuvenate Death and summon it. However, during the last stages of the experiment, one of the lead scientists, Eiichirio Takeba objected the believe, interrupted. As a result, Death was forcefully separated into twelve respective arcana. In his incomplete state, Death tried to run away, however, his escape was stopped by the Anti-Shadow weapon, Aegis. In their battle in the Moonlit Bridge, Death was eventually sealed within a young boy. The young boy is the Protagonist.

Years later, the Protagonist is able to interact with an amnesiac young child named Pharos. He constantly speaks of the Fall, and gives the Protagonist vague hints regarding Death. At some point, Pharos would request the Protagonist to be his friend, allowing him to forge the Death Arcana Social Link. unique from other Social Links, the Death Arcana automatically upgraded from time to time, regardless of whether the Protagonist visits Tartarus or not (Pharos can only be interacted during the Dark Hour). By defeating the Hanged Man, the final ordeal of the Full Moon, the Death Social Link will automatically maximizes itself, bestowing the protagonist the Ultimate Persona of the Social Link, Thanatos.

Pharos would later regain his memories, and bids farewell to the Protagonist. A young man named Ryoji Mochizuki shows up as a transfer student a few days later, who Aegis is immediately hostile with. Eventually it is revealed that Ryoji Mochizuki harbors something more horrible: he is the manifestation of Pharos, which is also Death given form. He is given a human-like appearance and emotions via the Protagonist when he was assuming the form of Pharos, and his existence proves the unavoidable prophecy of the Fall. As Ryoji is the appriser of Nyx, he is destined to be the harbinger of Death and summon Nyx to destroy humanity.

In the end, Ryoji offers the Protagonist two choices: to kill him instead of facing Nyx. By killing Ryoji, however, would wipe the memories of the Dark Hour, and let the members of S.E.E.S to live their lives as a normal student until the arrival of Nyx. By declining Ryoji's offers of killing him would result him in telling the members of S.E.E.S regarding the information of Nyx. Nyx can only be found in the destined day January 31st, and in the highest plane of Tartarus.

In January 31st, Ryoji now serves as an avatar of Nyx, bearing the potential and skills the the twelve previous shadows. Throughout the battle, Nyx Avatar, after having went through 13 forms finally seams through a melancholic tone, revealing his true Arcana, Death. In S.E.E.S final confrontation and the Protagonist' creating The Universe Arcana with Igor's help, Igor state that fate has dealt the Protagonist Death, but it is the path of the Protagonist' choosing whether of avert or accept the fate. Hinting that Death maybe the Protagonist' true arcana.