The protagonists' masks.
Masks (仮面, Kamen)? are recurring items in the Persona series. As Persona literally means "mask" in Latin, it has been used throughout the series in a symbolic and literal way both in-game and in official artwork.
Appearances[]
- Megami Ibunroku Persona / Persona
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
- Persona 3 / FES / Portable
- Persona 4 / Golden
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
- Persona 5 / Royal
- Persona 5 Strikers
- Persona 5 Tactica
- Persona 5: The Phantom X
- Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Profile[]
Megami Ibunroku Persona[]
Philemon uses masks as a metaphor when explaining the concept of a Persona to the protagonist. Many other important masks appear throughout the game, such as the Snow Queen Mask and the Totems used to fuse Vishnu and Nyarlathotep: the Avatar and the Faceless Mask.
Persona 2[]
Masks play an important role in the game. The members of the original Masked Circle used Phoenix Ranger Featherman masks in order to hide their identities when playing "Masked Circle" together. For some of them, like Eikichi Mishina and Lisa Silverman, who were bullied by their peers due to their weight and ethnicity, respectively, it was a way to hide their insecurities. Joker and his four executives also hide their identities using masks as a nod to the original Masked Circle. In Innocent Sin, those masks are also used as means to summon the characters' Ultimate Personas. Masks were also used for draining Ideal Energy.
All character-exclusive Personas are also humanoid in design, as if their hosts were wearing a costume. This is evidenced by a piece of official artwork showing that Artemis looks like a yellow-eyed Maya Amano under her helmet. In the PSP ports, the icon used to represent the Velvet Room in shopping malls is a mask.
Persona: Tsumi to Batsu[]
Kazumi Kiba and Rihito Shimizu first encounter Igor in a mask shop, where he explains how they've been used throughout the ages by humans in symbolic ways.
Persona 3 / Persona 4[]
All enemy Shadows have masks whose color and design change depending on their Arcana. The "Change Persona" icon in the battle interface of Persona 3 is also represented by a mask.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth[]
The Velvet Room is represented by a mask icon.
Persona 5[]
Phantom Thieves holding their masks.
Masks function as a summoning medium for the protagonist and the other members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. It appears to be symbolic of their Personas, as captured Personas are shown taking the form of masks, rather than the Tarot Cards they were previously contained in.
Example:
- The protagonist has an opera mask
- Ryuji has a skull mask
- Ann has a panther mask
- Yusuke has a fox mask
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts realize that society forces people to wear masks to protect their inner vulnerabilities, and by literally ripping off their protective mask and confronting their inner selves do the heroes awaken their inner power, and using it to help those in need.
To acquire a mask, a potential Persona user must be in the Metaverse. Although they need to confront true fiends, they shall acknowledge their ignorance and errors or rather filter them away from their true selves in order to liberate their will. Their Shadow Selves will speak to them, asking if they are willing to rebel against these wrongdoings. Should they accept, their eyes turn yellow and a Mask appears on their face, requiring that they rip it off and bleed. Once they do so, their Shadow Self manifests into a Persona, granting them the power to fight Shadows.
The protagonist unmasking in pain.
The mask permanently appears on them whenever they enter the Metaverse and becomes their medium to summon their Persona. While removing them to manifest the Persona for the first time inflicts them with great pain, they can remove it freely on subsequent attempts without inflicting any pain on themselves. Morgana also describes the masks, and by extension, their appearances when traversing the Palace, as representations of their rebellious wills. Each member of the Phantom Thieves has a unique mask that is manifested from their sense of rebellion.
Shadows in Palaces appear as masked humanoids that take a form based on their owner's cognition. However, breaking them reveals Shadows resembling mythical figures, which can be battled or negotiated with much like their Shin Megami Tensei counterparts.
Futaba Sakura is an exception to this rule. When she awakened to her Persona Necronomicon within her own Palace, it initially manifested in the form of Shadow Futaba before becoming Necronomicon, thus when she awakened to her power, Shadow Futaba merely transformed from Shadow to Persona instead of becoming a mask she has to tear off. It is most likely because she was a shut-in and hasn't been exposed to the world that she requires a mask, which eventually developed when she was acclimatized to outside interaction with other people by the other Phantom Thieves.
Morgana himself is another exception, as he never actually takes off his mask to summon his Persona.
When Sumire Yoshizawa first awakens to her Persona, she does not manifest any blood when she tears off her mask: instead, a pink screening forms her Phantom Thief attire, more reminiscent of magical girl anime tropes seen in various media like Sailor Moon. This is because the awakening was fake; as she took the identity of "Kasumi," a cognitive overlay placed on top of her true self. During Sumire's real awakening, blood gushes out when she tears off her mask, just like the rest of the Phantom Thieves.
Persona 5 Tactica[]
The Phantom Thieves (Ryuji, Haru, Yusuke, Makoto) brainwashed by Marie
Marie, the Ruler of the Marie Kingdom, has the ability to brainwash people through neck shackles, though this is less "true" brainwashing, and more her subverting the captured person's will with her own, as the brainwashed Phantom Thieves react very much like Marie would. These shackles slightly alter the masks of the captured Phantom Thieves, which is shown off by the lipstick kiss-looking mark anywhere on their mask, though the majority encircle one of the eyes.
Persona 5: The Phantom X[]
Masks function practically identically to Persona 5. Lufel, much like Morgana, never actually takes off his mask to summon his Persona, rather he taps the goggles on his chest. The Phantom Idols, despite merely being cognitions, also summon their Persona Duos through their masks, with the exception of the Summer variations, which don't sport masks at all and therefore summon their Persona Duos without it.
Metaphor: ReFantazio[]
Masks in Metaphor are a special series of accessories that become available to be made once Juani Cygnus awakens to the Masked Dancer Archetype on the night of Louis Guiabern's soiree in Port Brilehaven, with Junah's Masked Dancer being equipped with a Seeker's Mask automatically. To create new copies of masks, the protagonist must collect White Masks (白面, Hakumen)?, crafting ingredients named after the Arcana (e.g. Tower White Mask, Devil White Mask, etc.), then bring them to Akademeia, of which More can create Archetype-themed masks via his Special Experiment service. While creating a mask, the Persona 3 and 4 tarot card mask emblem overlaps the protagonist's face.
Once crafted, any playable unit that has the Masked Dancer Archetype equipped can then equip the Archetype Mask in their accessory slot. These masks alter the Masked Dancer's elemental affinity and allow the Masked Dancer three additional skills from that specific Archetype.
While primarily obtained from defeating various enemies or bosses in combat or in treasure chests, White Masks can also be purchased from a specialty shop in Port Brilehaven, but only after purchasing the "Secret of the Eugief's Stall" secret from the Informant on Virga Island. The Eugief sells masks based on Arcana numbers from Flamesday to Metalsday but is not open on Idlesday.
Quotes[]
"Are you aware that there are many "selves" you harbor within you? The "self" suffused with divine love... the "self" capable of demonic cruelty... People live by wearing different masks. Your current self may be only one of those innumerable masks."
"Regardless of race or culture, masks exist in every nation around the world. The intention of the powerless people was probably due to the compelling desire to disguise or incarnate oneself as a different person. Humans and masks are connected in this way. The many aspects that people have, the self suffused with divine love and the self capable of demonic cruelty, are also masks. Masks are indisputably not for concealing one's appearance, but probably for human beings to express the various characteristics they are made of."
Gallery[]
General[]
Persona 5[]
Persona 5 Royal[]
Persona 5 Strikers[]
Persona 5: The Phantom X[]
Icon[]
Portrait[]
Metaphor: ReFantazio[]
See also[]