This article is about the Shadow. For the Arcana, see Hanged Man Arcana.
Arcana Hanged Man
The Arcana Hanged Man is a Shadow in Persona 3. It is the twelfth Shadow of the Arcana, which are shadows that are fragments of Death. It is fought at the Moonlight Bridge during the eighth Full Moon Operation on November 3rd, after the Takaya Sakaki and Jin Shirato boss fight.
It resembles a large, muscular human figure that is hung on a cross upside down, with the wires connected by rings resembling halos. The body of the shadow is suspended by piercing its skin. Like other Hanged Man Shadows, its mask is an upside down face.
A gimmick to the Arcana Hanged Man battle is that the shadow is floating in the air on a cross, and there are three statues on the ground. Since the Arcana Hanged Man is in the air, it cannot be attacked, so the party must destroy the three statues which will bring the shadow to the ground. It also knocks the shadow down, leaving it open for an All-Out Attack. While on the ground, the shadow may summon a Devious Maya. After a few turns, it will return to the air. Occasionally, before all three statues are destroyed, the shadow will restore the statues that have been defeated.
As with all shadows that appear during the Full Moon, it represents the inverse values of its respective tarot card. The Hanged Man Arcana can represent ultimate altruism and the self-sacrifice one must make in order to save or redeem another, all in the name of greater good. The shadow is in the air, for it refuses to help others, preferring to remain egotistical and selfish. Its self-serving attitude is also shown in its Armed & Ready attack, which sacrifices an ally, particularly A Devious Maya, to attack the Shadow's enemies. It has no compassion towards those who need it.
In Tarot readings, the upright Hanged Man can refer to a deep reflection over one's upcoming actions, to not rush towards them and thus to succeed in these actions. The reverse Hanged Man means that one cannot make any decision and go forward in life. This can be represented by the Shadow remaining in the air and not making any important decision if not taken down.
The number three is a sacred number. Its three statues might represent the attachment or detachment from idols and the physical world by the being, yet it might also be an allusion to messianic professions involving the number three and its symbolism. They also strongly resemble Mary, adding to the game's Biblical and Christian symbolism. Takaya Sakaki is often viewed as symbolic of Jesus, an anti-Jesus or a false messiah, and Takaya is thought to be "killed" just before the boss battle, so the statues resembling Mary may relate to this.
