Persona games
Summary of the game
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. The story revolves around a group of characters living in modern-day Japan who are able to summon another side of themselves (called Personas) to fight against enemies called Shadows. These Personas are normally allusions to mythological and historical characters, and they are divided into ranks according to the Tarot Major Arcana (Priestess, Emperor, Magician, etc.). (Megami Tensei Fandom)
Isis in Persona 3 and 4 (Source: https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Isis?file=P3-Isis.png#Persona_3)
Futaba’s Tomb Palace (left) and the surroundings of the Tomb Palace and the bandits (right) (https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/5/5d/FutabaPalace.png/revision/latest?cb=20170727215332 and https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/futaba_desert_town_result.jpg.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&fit=bounds&quality=70&format=jpg&auto=webp)
Shadow Futaba (left) and Wall relief at Futaba’s Tomb Palace (right) (Source: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/4/48/FutabaMural1.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20200607210422)
The final boss of the Tomb Palace: Wakaba Isshiki (Futaba’s mother) as a sphinx (Source: https://gameranx.com/features/id/104096/article/persona-5-how-to-beat-cognitive-wakaba-boss-guide/)
Egyptomania narratives or motifs
The Persona game series are a sub-saga belonging to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. In Persona, the protagonists can fight enemies by using another part of their egos (called Personas), which normally allude to mythological, literary, or historical characters. Due to the saga’s long history and the development of different sub-sagas (such as Persona), the appearance of Egyptian creatures have changed significantly throughout the games, but we find Egyptian mythological characters (such as Isis, Ammyt, Amon, Amon-Ra, Anubis, Apep, Bastet, Bennu, Bes, Hathor, Horus, Heqet, Isis, Khonsu, Osiris, Sekhmet, Selket, Seth, Sobek, Taweret, and Thoth) and historical characters (such as ‘Pharaoh’ or Cleopatra) as well as other Ancient Egyptian elements (Ankh, Ba, Obelisk, Wadjet, the Sphinx, etc.) .
Within the Persona games, many ancient Egyptian elements are found in Persona 3, 4, and, especially, 5.
In Persona 3, one of the main character's Persona, Yukari Takeba, evolves from Io (alluding to Greek mythology) to her strongest version, Isis, which is depicted as a flying creature with the face of a woman, wings, and the crown of the goddess Hathor (see screenshot). Furthermore, these Personas, are divided into different ranks according to the Tarot Major Arcana. Isis represents the strongest Persona as the Magician (Persona 2), Lovers (Persona 3), Empress (Persona 4) or Priestess (Persona 5) Arcana, depending on the game.
In Persona 5, one of its main characters, Futaba Sakura, a shut-in gamer and hacker, draws part of her background from many Egyptian elements. She belongs to a group of hackers who call themselves Medjed, alluding to the minor Egyptian god who became extraordinarily popular in Japan after the exposition of the ‘Greenfield Papyrus’ at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and the Fukuoka Museum of Art .
Furthermore, these games revolve around the idea of beating dungeons, known as ‘Palaces’, where an evil version of the main characters (known as Shadows) dwell. Personas are born out of the acceptance of the main characters’ negative versions of themselves. Futaba’s Palace (called Futaba’s Tomb Palace) is a pyramid based on Khafre’s pyramid (the gold cap can be seen at the peak of the pyramid, see screenshot), which is surrounded by a small village resembling modern Egyptian houses (see screenshot) and which is inhabited by an orientalised group of enemy bandits.
Inside the Tomb Palace, the main cast first meets Shadow Futaba, who is dressed in a Pseudo-Egyptian attire. She wears a golden tiara surmounted by a golden dragon (instead of an uraeus), golden bracelets, an Egyptian-like collar, and a schenti. Her body is covered by bandages, which undoubtedly recall a mummy. After this encounter, the main cast must keep fighting against enemies (or Shadows) and climbing up the pyramid to reach the top, where the final boss lies. The dungeon resembles an Egyptian tomb, as it is decorated with Egyptianising wall reliefs depicting Futaba’s life and the relationship with her mother. Its structure is divided into different chambers: the Chamber of the Sarcophagi, the Chamber of Guilt, the Chamber of Rejection, etc. Most Shadows found in this dungeon are related to ancient Egypt (the Personas Isis, Anubis, and Thoth), and the same can be applied to the treasure that can be obtained (Life Stone, Sarcophagus Bit, Turquoise ). The final boss found at the top of the pyramid is a sphinx version of Futaba’s mother, Wakaba Isshiki, who is depicted with wings, the body of a lion, and the face of a woman.
Within the Persona games, many ancient Egyptian elements are found in Persona 3, 4, and, especially, 5.
In Persona 3, one of the main character's Persona, Yukari Takeba, evolves from Io (alluding to Greek mythology) to her strongest version, Isis, which is depicted as a flying creature with the face of a woman, wings, and the crown of the goddess Hathor (see screenshot). Furthermore, these Personas, are divided into different ranks according to the Tarot Major Arcana. Isis represents the strongest Persona as the Magician (Persona 2), Lovers (Persona 3), Empress (Persona 4) or Priestess (Persona 5) Arcana, depending on the game.
In Persona 5, one of its main characters, Futaba Sakura, a shut-in gamer and hacker, draws part of her background from many Egyptian elements. She belongs to a group of hackers who call themselves Medjed, alluding to the minor Egyptian god who became extraordinarily popular in Japan after the exposition of the ‘Greenfield Papyrus’ at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and the Fukuoka Museum of Art .
Furthermore, these games revolve around the idea of beating dungeons, known as ‘Palaces’, where an evil version of the main characters (known as Shadows) dwell. Personas are born out of the acceptance of the main characters’ negative versions of themselves. Futaba’s Palace (called Futaba’s Tomb Palace) is a pyramid based on Khafre’s pyramid (the gold cap can be seen at the peak of the pyramid, see screenshot), which is surrounded by a small village resembling modern Egyptian houses (see screenshot) and which is inhabited by an orientalised group of enemy bandits.
Inside the Tomb Palace, the main cast first meets Shadow Futaba, who is dressed in a Pseudo-Egyptian attire. She wears a golden tiara surmounted by a golden dragon (instead of an uraeus), golden bracelets, an Egyptian-like collar, and a schenti. Her body is covered by bandages, which undoubtedly recall a mummy. After this encounter, the main cast must keep fighting against enemies (or Shadows) and climbing up the pyramid to reach the top, where the final boss lies. The dungeon resembles an Egyptian tomb, as it is decorated with Egyptianising wall reliefs depicting Futaba’s life and the relationship with her mother. Its structure is divided into different chambers: the Chamber of the Sarcophagi, the Chamber of Guilt, the Chamber of Rejection, etc. Most Shadows found in this dungeon are related to ancient Egypt (the Personas Isis, Anubis, and Thoth), and the same can be applied to the treasure that can be obtained (Life Stone, Sarcophagus Bit, Turquoise ). The final boss found at the top of the pyramid is a sphinx version of Futaba’s mother, Wakaba Isshiki, who is depicted with wings, the body of a lion, and the face of a woman.
Author: Esperanza Macarena Ródenas Perea
Other information
Brincalepe Salvador, R. 2015. Egyptian mythology in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona games. Journal of Geek Studies 2(2): 8–32. https://jgeekstudies.org/2015/07/20/egyptian-mythology-in-persona/.
Open access
Brincalepe Salvador, R. 2017. Medjed: from Ancient Egypt to Japanese Pop Culture. Journal of Geek Studies 4(2): 10–20
Open access
Cromwell, J. 2022. From Pyramids to Obscure Gods: The Creation of an Egyptian World in Persona 5. thersites 14: 1–40.
Open access
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