Wild Card



The Wild Card is an ability in the Persona universe. Specifically, the ability appears in Persona 3 and Persona 3: FES, however, theoretically, as all five current Persona games take place in the same universe, it would suggest that the ability has always existed. Those who possess the Wild Card can summon and carry multiple Personae and switch them in battle. Wild Card is also associated with the capabilities of Fusion Spells, or Fusion Raids in the Jpn. version, where multiple Personae are summoned at once in the same time to execute a powerful attack.

Early Persona titles
In Megami Ibunroku Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, all playable characters were able to switch Personae in combat. As mentioned above, all playable characters are able to access the Fusion Spell system, which requires two respective characters with the appropriate Personae to execute.

It should be noted that the fact that most non-playable characters were not able to switch Personae supports the theory that the concept of the Wild Card is not exclusive to Persona 3. All those who possessed this ability had encountered Philemon and had access to The Velvet Room, rules that have remains somewhat consistent through the series.

Persona 3
The Protagonist is the only character in Persona 3 to possess the Wild Card. While he has never shown to have a direct interaction with Philemon, he is visited by a blue butterfly. Philemon often took the guise of a butterfly in the waking world, so it is suggested to be him. It should be noted that the Protagonist is also visited by a child that is not visible to others, who prompts him to sign a contract, which later reveals to be an important source behind the Protagonist' Wild Card.

Following after that encounter, the Protagonist is allowed into The Velvet Room, in which the contract mentioned earlier was an invitation to the Velvet Room. Thus, the Protagonist is allowed to fuse and create new Personae.

The Protagonist's Wild Card ability appears to be significantly superior to that of all other known users. Unlike prior users, he is compatible with all known Arcana, with the exception of The World Arcana, and as such, suffers no stat drops with any Persona. Further more, he is also the only known Persona-user capable of using Fusion Spells on his own, without the assistance of others.

In events of Persona 3, it is later revealed that the reason behind the Protagonist' superior Wild Card ability are tied to his past. During his childhood, Death was sealed within his body, in which Death's powers are eventually imbued to the Protagonist, amplifying his talents in summoning Personae, and thus his Wild Card as well, though the Protagonist was exceptionally talented to begin with.

Persona 3: FES
In the playable epilogue of Persona 3: FES, titled The Answer, Aegis is the only character in FES to gain the ability of Wild Card. Like the Protagonist before her, she was approached by a blue butterfly before being allowed into The Velvet Room.

Similar the Protagonist before her, she too is compatible with all Arcana, with the exception of The World. However, unlike the Protagonist, her Wild Card is not boosted by Death's powers, and such, she does not gain the ability to use Fusion Spells like her predecessor.

Persona 4
The Protagonist of Persona 4 stands unique in contrast to the characters in the previous installments as he was automatically welcomed to the Velvet Room. Furthermore, the Protagonist was not shown to have any encounter with Philemon nor the butterfly prior his appearance in the Velvet Room (save points appear as the butterfly, but only appear afterwards). It is hinted that when Izanami gave him the power to enter the midnight channel she also gave him the wild card ability. but that doesm't explain how he was able to enter the velvet room without it.

Similar to it's predecessor, the Protagonist of Persona 4 too has the accessibility to all of the Arcana, although unlike his predecessors, the Protagonist has access to The World Arcana. However, the Protagonist of Persona 4 cannot gain access to Fusion Spells.