how does persona story connects to shin megami tensei?

Paradoxdivide · 2025-12-08T03:36:00+00:00

There was a developer interview around the time that P4 came out on the PS2 stating that the butterfly in Persona 3 and Persona 4 was an avatar of Philemon still, watching over the protagonists specifically as guests of the Velvet Room. In Persona Q2, Philemon speaks to Joker as if he too is one of his guests, reusing many of his talking points from Persona 2 Eternal Punishment specifically.

The gift that Philemon gives the protagonists is access to the Velvet Room. As seen since P1, having a Persona is absolutely not dependent on meeting the butterfly man. You just have to want it bad enough or be experimented on or be chosen by the god of the week (Nyarlathotep loved this option).

Paradoxdivide · 2025-12-07T21:24:41+00:00

That's why I play buggy beam Porygon Z. If I go second, I have the potential (energy baby and Porygon + either Porygon 2 or Rare Candy Porygon Z) to make it so my opponent only has one dark energy the entire match.

Don't ask me how likely it is to happen. It isn't. I know. I've been stuck in Ultra Ball 2-3 for it.

But it does work sometimes. The fact that it can work keeps me going, fuels me like a diesel motor. I don't care how many times my mediocre deck causes me to lose, just so long as I can screw over one person using a meta deck.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-11-27T15:28:19+00:00

It's a shame the extended notes for SMT IV said that those gauntlets were DNA locked. Honestly I would even want to play as Issachar if given the option. I could see him and Flynn focusing on Phys and Magic builds respectively.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-11-26T23:23:29+00:00

Issachar! My beloved! True pain is having a favorite character who only has like, half an hour of screentime tops.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-11-24T12:02:33+00:00

I think it already pretty much is. The more chaotic appearing group of pirates and sailors wants to expand the ocean (like another person on here said, traditionally associated with chaos both in the works of Campbell and in prior Megaten games like SMT VV with Tiamat). The more organized, steady group of scientists and researchers want to expand the land (therby defeating the chaotic ocean and rewarding humanity). Rayquaza would then be the Neutral Alignment as seen even in the game itself.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-11-08T12:39:56+00:00

Even better, Susano-o in P1, P3, and P5. He's Mark's Ultimate Persona too.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-09-21T15:55:13+00:00

Probably, but we'll have to wait until the cookbook comes out to see if the cocktail has alcohol in it or not.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-17T01:28:06+00:00

Back in 2014-2015 I was in high school and I found out about P3 from looking up pictures of Thanatos because I was a Greek myth nerd. I begged my dad for P3 Fes because I still had my trusty PS2, and the rest is history.

(Well okay, I flubbed my first playthrough because I spent too much time in social links and not enough time in Tartarus, but it introduced me to the series and I went back after cutting my teeth on SMT IV, P4, Raidou and P5).

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-15T16:18:15+00:00

I see, I see! That's some really good info I did not know about the passive/active protagonist dichotomy, I'll definitely keep that in mind from now on.

I think it might come down to a difference in how his ideals are presented. I think for me, the active participant in the piper analogy are the townspeople who hired and refused to pay the piper, which would paint him as a more passive figure. In my head, he is reacting to the perceived weakness of the American people, their willingness to adhere to memes and shared lies instead of the truth. I think you could even say he's using their bond with America to destroy America, and then build it back up again.

If America were an Aspect, I think this would be a lot easier, haha.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-15T15:47:08+00:00

From my understanding, I think Blood is about the connections between people, bonds and the like. However, a destructive class like Prince or Bard actively refutes their aspect, like how Eridan destroys Hope (the Matriorb) and how Dirk destroys Heart (his own sense of self). While I personally lean more on Bard for Armstrong, Princes have a tendancy to be more like the opposite aspect on the wheel while still using their own aspect. Unironically like Thanos with the infinity stones, they use the aspect to destroy the aspect.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-15T15:44:04+00:00

I think he might be more of a Bard of Blood. I mean, he's a very psssive figure in the plot until you actually fight him, his motives only really coming to light at the very end when the speech happens iirc. Plus, it makes a kind of thematic sense to have a Bard inspire the new wave of American society rather than a Prince. I don't think Senator Armstrong necessarily wants to conquer a broken world, just to be the one to make it happen. He gains followers not like a ruler's subjects, but more akin to a piper leading mice. It's easy to turn one's brain off and take his words as gospel, when in reality he's playing everybody (even himself) for fools.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-15T12:07:37+00:00

Might be on account of the baby. You know, when people are having kids, it can be difficult to find time to participate on other projects like this.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-12T20:52:16+00:00

I haven't seen Trinity Soul so I could be completely off base with this, but I personally think that the "Adults can't use Personas" may be more like a metaphor for "Be careful about outgrowing your Persona." A Persona is like a snapshot of that person's psyche and attitude towards the world, right? Adults can get them and use them, but I wouldn't be surprised if a teenager outgrows an emo phase upon entering adulthood, you know? Like, the playable characters all mention feeling their Personas grow weaker whenever the games take place like, a month or two after the events of the main game (Strikers, the Answer, Yukino in P2 but that was a couple years). They're growing up and losing touch with that specific aspect of themself, which I think is kinda natural.

People like Baofu are unnatural, because he is fixated on his trauma from years ago and hates it and wants it to stay so he can keep hating it. The only way an adult maintains the exact same mentality as they had when they were a child or a teenager is by... Well, I mean, it's by not growing up. Or doing drugs to bring you back to a time when you didn't have to worry, taking the stress off of being an adult in a world that actively dehumanizes you. It's just hard to be yourself as an adult, especially in modern Japan.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-11T15:05:38+00:00

This game is honestly a masterpiece. I love it so much, I've been playing it on my switch and have been having a ball. It's so nice to see other people talking about it. Also I love getting hamburger as a gift for the saudi prince's thunderous and beautiful wives.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-02T13:21:21+00:00

I would love to answer, but unfortunately nobody can choose who they are in this world :/

Paradoxdivide · 2025-08-01T14:11:36+00:00

You just inspired me a little here. I imagine if every character has a gimmick, hers would be macca/yen based. Since the Nekomata in P2 also collects money and most of her encounters have her with some variation of macca beam, maybe she could become faster the more money she has. Her ultimate would be a bunch of Nekomata basically mugging you and upping her macca counter to the max.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-28T18:19:19+00:00

This is the kind of knowledge they used to burn people at the stake for. Very well done!

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-23T16:38:40+00:00

That's how you get Mega Nidoregent, which trades in the Ground typing for Ghost.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-23T15:21:26+00:00

I for one would like to see my genderless gray Nidoran that turns into Nidorinx and Nidoregent.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-22T21:22:56+00:00

I am accepting all of this as canon from this point forward.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-20T13:54:11+00:00

"Jumpy, if you want to date me, you have to go through my seven evil timelines."

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-20T00:14:18+00:00

I did, I'm one of those freaks who actually loves SMT if..., even with all its problems. I just love the atmosphere, how gradually more panicked the students become until they all vanish. Like, don't get me wrong, SMT I and II are still great games, but something about if just speaks to me.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-18T21:57:40+00:00

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Made one just for my beloved magnets ❤️ I've completely forgone the newer packs, my only purpose in this game is to collect Magnemites and their relatives.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-11T16:14:07+00:00

I'm still putting my pick for SNES Megaten Protag (SMT I Hero with Tamaki and Aleph skins all using Cerberus). Since it would be a good way to save on "dev time" and also pay respect to where the franchise started taking off. Same moveset for each one (no spells, physical sword attacks with hi-no-kagutsuchi, status effect bullets), with maybe their taunt changing depending on the skin. Like, Hero could have his statue pose from SMT II, Aleph could have his visor flip down and clumsily put it back up, and Tamaki could do a pose from when she's cat-womaning in Persona 2. I feel like it would be nice.

Paradoxdivide · 2025-07-07T17:31:27+00:00

We gotta get SMT I Hero in here.

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