Philemon

Philemon (フィレモン, Firemon) is a recurring important figure in the Persona series. He is shown as a person wearing a butterfly mask.

History
Philemon comes from the writings of Carl Jung, specifically that of a "wise spirit guide".

Appearances

 * Megami Ibunroku Persona: Deity
 * Persona 2: Innocent Sin: Deity
 * Persona 2: Eternal Punishment: Deity
 * Devil Children: Book of Dark: Battlenet Opponent

Profile
Philemon is a man, or deity, who wears a butterfly mask. He lives within the realm of the subconscious and he awakens within people the ability to use Personae. Philemon serves as a neutral observer and he watches as things unfold. He cannot directly interfere, however, the party is aided by The Velvet Room, which is filled with his servants. Philemon is conducting an experiment with Nyarlathotep to see if humans can become enlightened beings, or if they will destroy themselves. While Philemon continues to play by the rule, Nyarlathotep directly manipulates events to insure the destruction of mankind. Interestingly, Philemon actually looks older in Megami Ibunroku Persona.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin
If the player decides to strike Philemon rather than thank him for actions at the end of the game, Tatsuya Suou's punch knocks away Philemon's mask; revealing none other than Tatsuya's own face beneath it. This may suggest that Philemon's appearance changes depending on the protagonist of the story.

Persona 3
Philemon may have appeared in Persona 3 in his butterfly guise. Only the playable characters who met Philemon could summon multiple Personae, but others, who had not encountered him, could only summon a single Persona. In Persona 3, this is explained to be due to one possessing the Wild Card. The only two characters to possess this ability in Persona 3 and its epilogue, both had an encounter with a glowing blue butterfly, which may be Philemon. The name "PHIL" which welcomes to main character in the online game "Innocent Sin", may also be a reference to Philemon.

Persona 4
The save points throughout the game are blue butterflies flying in small circles. This, as well as the appearance of the butterfly in various animations in Persona 3, are stated by Atlus in an interview in the DoubleJump guide to be a sign that Philemon is still watching over the player.