The Persona series is a spin-off series in the Megami Tensei family of games which began with the release of Megami Ibunroku Persona in 1996. There are currently six main titles in the Persona series. All the games take place in the same universe and share certain common elements.
The series is inspired by Jungian psychology, from which it takes its name. Some of the themes and characters (like Philemon) are based on this.
It is also the most commercially and critically successful branch of the Megami Tensei franchise.
Differences Between Megami Tensei and Persona
Unlike in Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei, the Persona series really does not involve the player recruiting demons to fight for them (if they do in Persona 2 and Persona 5, the demon technically becomes a Persona). Many of the "demons" are actually known as Shadows.
The player characters still carry a firearm and melee weapon like in Shin Megami Tensei, but magic comes from Personas as opposed from demons. Like demons, these Personas can be fused in order to create more powerful Personas. In addition, the lunar phases are important, which is a common theme in MegaTen games. Furthermore, while the Shin Megami Tensei series' currency are prominently identified with macca, the Persona series uses real-world currency, such as yen or dollars.
The first Persona features an angled third-person perspective outside of dungeons, but dungeons are still navigated using Megami Tensei's first person view. Since the release of Persona 2: Innocent Sin, the first-person dungeon exploration has been removed (with the exception of the spin-off titles Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth).
Titles
Main Games
- Megami Ibunroku Persona
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
- Persona 3
- Persona 4
- Persona 5
Enhanced ports & Rereleases
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (PSP)
- Persona 3 FES
- Persona 3 Portable
- Persona 4 Golden
- Persona 4: Dancing All Night
- Persona 5 Royal
Side Games
- Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight
- Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
- Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Mobile & Web Games
- Megami Ibunroku Persona: Ikuu no Tou Hen
- Persona 2 Tsumi: Lost Memories
- Persona 2 Batsu: Infinity Mask
- Persona 3: The Night Before
- Persona 3 Em
- Megami Tensei Chaining Soul: Persona 3
- Megami Tensei QIX: Persona 3
- Aegis: The First Mission
- Persona 3 Broken Shadow
- Persona 3 Illust Puzzle
- Persona 3 Escape
- Persona 3 Social
- Persona Ain Soph
- Persona 4 The Card Battle
- Persona Mobile Online
- Persona O.A.
Animation Series
- Persona -trinity soul-
- Persona 4 The Animation
- Persona 4 The Golden Animation
- Persona 5 The Animation The Day Breakers
- Persona 5 The Animation
Movie Adaptations
Soundtracks
- Megami Ibunroku Persona OST & Arrange Album
- Megami Ibunroku Persona Original Soundtracks (Complete Recording Edition)
- Persona Original Soundtrack
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin Original Soundtracks
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin ~ The Errors of Their Youth
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Original Sound Tracks
- Persona 2 Batsu Punitive Dance
- Persona 3 Original Soundtrack
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Original Soundtrack
- Burn My Dread -Reincarnation: Persona 3-
- Persona 3 FES Original Soundtrack
- Persona 3 Portable Original Soundtrack
- Persona 3 Bonus CD
- Persona -trinity soul- Original Soundtrack
- Persona -trinity soul- The Sound of Christmas
- Persona 4 Original Soundtrack
- Never More -Reincarnation: Persona 4-
- Persona 4 The GOLDEN Original Soundtrack
- Persona 4 The ULTIMATE in MAYONAKA ARENA Original Soundtrack
- Persona 4 The ULTIMATE in MAYONAKA ARENA Original Arrange Soundtrack
- Persona 5 Original Soundtrack
- PERSONA5 THE ROYAL STRAIGHT FLUSH EDITION Original Soundtrack
- Persona 5 Royal The Soundtrack
- PERSONA5 SCRAMBLE The Phantom Strikers ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth Original Soundtrack
- Persona Q: Sound of the Labyrinth
- Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Original Soundtrack
- Persona 20th Anniversary All Time Best Album
- Persora -The Golden Best-
Manga Series
- Megami Ibunroku Persona (Manga)
- Super Comic Gekijou: Megami Ibunroku Persona
- Persona: Tsumi to Batsu
- Persona 3 (Manga)
- Persona 3 Portable Dengeki Comic Anthology
- Persona 3 Portable Dear Girls Comic Anthology
- Persona 4 (Manga)
- Persona 4 The Magician
- Persona x Detective Naoto
- Persona 4 Arena (Manga)
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (Manga)
- Persona 4: Dancing All Night Comic Anthology (DNA Media Comics)
- Tartarus Theater
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth -Roundabout-
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - Side:P3
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - Side:P4
- Persona 5 (Manga)
- Persona 5 Dengeki Comic Anthology
- Persona 5 Comic à La Carte
- Persona 5 Comic Anthology (DNA Media Comics)
- Persona 5 the Animation Dengeki Comic Anthology
- Persona 5: Mementos Mission
Novels
- Megami Ibunroku Persona: Shadow Maze
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin Novel
- Persona 3: Shadow Cry
- Persona 3: Owari no Kakera
- Persona 3 FES: Alternative Heart
- Persona 3 Portable: Velvet Blue
- Persona -trinity soul- Novel
- Persona 4: Your Affection
- Persona 4: Kiri no Amnesia
- Persona x Detective Naoto
Live Action
- Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Ao no Kakusei-
- Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Gunjou no Meikyuu-
- Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Souen no Kesshou-
- Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade: Pledge of Indigo/Beyond the Blue Sky
- Persona 4 Visualive
- Persona 4 Visualive the Evolution
- Persona 4 The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena Stageplay
- Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold Stageplay
- Persona Stalker Club
- Persona 5 The Stage
Drama CDs
- A Certain Day of Summer
- Persona 3 Drama CD: Daylight
- Persona 3 Drama CD: Moonlight
- Persona 3 Character Drama CD Vol.1
- Persona 3 Character Drama CD Vol.2
- Persona 3 Character Drama CD Vol.3
- Persona 3 Character Drama CD Vol.4
- Persona 3 Character Drama CD Vol.5
- Persona 3 Drama CD: New Moon
- Persona 3 Drama CD: Full Moon
- Persona 3 Portable Drama CD Volume 1
- Persona 3 Portable Drama CD Volume 2
- Persona Radio
- Persona 4 Drama CD Vol.1
- Persona 4 Drama CD Vol.2
- Persona 4 Drama CD Vol.3
- Persona 4 The Animation Drama CD Vol.1
- Persona 4 The Animation Drama CD Vol.2
- Persona 4 Golden Drama CD Vol.1
- Persona 4 Golden Drama CD Vol.2
- Persona 5 The Night Breakers
Events & Concerts
- Persona Music Live 2008
- Persona Music Live 2009
- Persona Music Tour 2010
- Persona Music Live 2012
- Persona Music Fes 2013
- Persona Music Box 2014
- Persona Super Live 2015
- Persona Livehouse Tour 2015
- Persona Super Live 2017
- Persona Super Live 2019
- Persona 20th Anniversary Festival
Other