So the overarching themes of the Persona
series are based off of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and his followers' ideas, including
those such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, and the use of the tarot to
symbolize a person’s path to “wholeness.” This last part was essentially coined “The Fool’s
Journey” by Jung’s proteges, and is something especially relevant to Persona 3, what with
Hashino revamping the series with the introduction of a protagonist representing the Fool arcana.
I mean, the main story is literally called “the Journey.” Not to mention P3 heavily emphasizes
the arcana when it comes to the major bosses as well… Anyone who’s played Persona 3 knows “the
arcana is the means by which all is revealed.” However, something I don’t think is very well
known is that every arcana from 0 to 13 is represented by one of the main characters–aka
one of the Persona users–in this game. This more hidden detail actually adds a ton to
Persona 3’s success as a story. By the way, some quick disclaimers: 1) since I’m
thematically focused on the protag’s, aka “The Fool’s,” journey, there won’t be
anything from the Answer in this video; 2) The other male route’s social links, as well as
the FemC’s new SLs will be their own videos later. But before we can dive into the actual arcana
analyses, I’d like to lay some more Jungian groundwork first. Something I didn’t do as
well as I’d liked to last time; since this video is actually a revision and compilation of
the first series I’ve ever done on this channel, which was over 4 years ago now… which
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for 83% off, as well as 3-extra months free! So Jung proposed that we are all
born with the collective unconscious, an entity that contains the shared memories and
ideas across all of humanity. Just as there are similar myths and legends across all cultures,
there exist the archetypes that manifest as the Persona we use in the game. Archetypes are
certain idealized images of a person or role that transcends cultures and time periods.
Jung’s followers went on to further connect these ideas to the tarot, where each of the Major
Arcana promotes this concept of an individual, who begins as The Fool card, gaining wisdom,
experience, and essentially what is a soul, through the process of encountering
each one of the tarot archetypes. Now looking at the original Rider Waite deck, the
Fool’s naiveté and inexperience is symbolized by the white rose held in their hand. In the Hashino
Personas, this is very much the case for all the protagonists, who find themselves in an entirely
new situation at the beginning of each game, where they start off with abysmal personal stats
in knowledge, kindness, and so on. Much like in real life, these traits take time to work on. I
mean, none of us are born knowing everything, and we all need to start from somewhere! As for the
cliff that The Fool is about to step off of: this indicates that they will soon be called to take a
“leap of faith,” and represents the changes that are about to happen—even when they’re not looking
for them. Now if picking up Yukari’s evoker and burning our dread for the first time doesn’t count
as such a leap, then I don’t know what would guys. Additionally, the tarot has a possibility of both
an upright and reverse reading, so in regards to the upright Fool arcana, it symbolizes that
anything can happen and that everything is possible. So… the exact situation all Hashino
protags find themselves in at the beginning! But with this little preface on The
Fool covered, I’d like to return to that topic I brought up earlier–of how each
arcana up to the Death is represented by each of the main persona users in Persona 3.
I base this on what arcana each character’s persona is assigned to, not necessarily the social
link they have (or not) in vanilla P3 and FES, or aka the original creative vision Atlus had
for this cast and narrative. So for example, even though male MC doesn’t have a social link with
Akihiko, Aki’s personas fall under the Emperor category. This similarly goes for Strega—as in, we
clearly don’t have social links with them either, yet when looking at the gameplay, we can find
that Chidori’s Medea belongs to the Hanged Man. Now the fact that these first 13 arcana
are represented in the main story, and not just optionally, is significant for
two big reasons–the first being how these first 13 are normally viewed in context
of the overall Fool’s Journey concept. So after encountering #13, the Death
tarot, the Fool experiences an “ego death” and emerges metaphorically as a whole
new person when moving on to the Temperance. So in other words, the Death arcana serves as
this sort of… divider, between the more grounded 0-13 arcana, and the more celestial concepts of 14
onwards. This is symbolized in the original tarot imagery and how the Magician to Hanged Man feature
mostly human figures, meanwhile the Temperance onwards are characterized by more esoteric things.
This leads me to the second reason as to why I find this all so significant: the following
characters that will feature in this video are all ones we’ll encounter no matter what in
the game. According to this official interview back in late 2012, the programmers thought it’d
be impossible to max all the social links (though some gigachads figured it out). So it only
makes sense to me that the devs would want to make sure the relevant arcana are at least
included in the main story… regardless of which social links the player chooses.
And in regards to the Fool’s Journey, actually encountering these different tarot is
vital to attaining the World arcana. But Lady, if all the arcana are important, why not include
all of them in the main story? Well… for one I definitely think it was a good call to stick only
to the first half of the Fool’s Journey, since there are already so many characters in P3 and
trying to cover anything more from the Temperance onwards just wouldn’t be feasible without making
the main narrative way too convoluted… especially since there are already complaints that some
characters were underutilized. These first 13 arcana do enough to get the meaning of the Fool’s
Journey across, all while still avoiding bloating the cast too much if the latter arcana were also
to be represented by one character each… plus the biggest boon to ending on Death is that,
given the overarching thematic of Persona 3, it makes perfect sense for the culminating
arcana to be exactly this in the main narrative. I’ll return with more analysis on this stuff
right before we get to the World arcana later in the video, but hopefully I haven’t lost you
guys yet! I know this was one big, chonky opening, but with it out of the way, we can finally
move on to the actual analyses of these arcana. Starting with the first archetype
of the Fool’s Journey, the Magician. In brief words, the Magician teaches the Fool the
value of one’s inner potential and how to manifest the destiny he or she so chooses. This figure
is a great communicator and possesses immense creativity, as seen in moments like Junpei’s
“believe it or don’t” ghost story telling, or in his early conversations with Chidori.
The Magician is also known as the originator of ideas. Notice how Junpei is the “idea man” when
it comes to SEES’s fun activities. Ikutsuki only brings up the possibility of a trip to Yakushima
after Junpei shares his dream summer plans. The latter is also the first to suggest a sushi party
in celebration of taking down the final Full Moon boss. Plus in January, he reminds Akihiko of
a lost bet so that Sempai would have to treat SEES to ramen during the final month of the
game. So you see, the Magician is known for his ability to see the joyful and playful side
of life. All of these things showcasing that, when the Magician is on your team’s side, they
can be an incredible source of morale and spirit. But on that note, this brings us to how the
Magician is the one other arcana that’s closely associated with the trickster archetype. The
Trickster is normally used in reference to the Fool… but the tarot of the Magician can
also encompass such an image. This means the same communication skills, creativity, and
charisma that aids the Magician, can also become incredibly manipulative and deceitful.
Essentially, it can be difficult to tell who’s side the Magician is really on… since he
can have the tendency to simply do what pleases him in the moment. This is perfectly
encompassed in Junpei’s initial sabotage of, and resentment towards, the protag during the
Fool Moon operations of earlier months. Junpei also lies to Chidori at first about his position
in SEES… and even after she’s revealed to be a part of SEES’s “enemy” Strega, he still remains
close to her while she’s kept at the hospital. This topic leads us to the reverse reading of the
Magician arcana, which is the paradox of their arrogance and deep-seated self-confidence issues.
The once energetic Magician gets stuck in personal passivity and a lack of originality, as shown via
Junpei’s monologues to himself and the low mood he has for the latter half of the summer break.
…And so, when the Magician’s deep insecurity is coupled with his natural amounts of energy, it
often results in brash and reckless action, as we see when Junpei runs off on his own during the
second Full Moon Operation. You could even argue that his initial interactions with Chidori, which
really just started on a whim, ended up somewhat sabotaging another SEES Operation due to his
kidnapping and resulting inability to join them. However, Junpei eventually comes around and
reveals how much he’s changed, in large part thanks to his relationship with Chidori. His
reasons to challenge Nyx reflects how he’s carefully ruminated over his ideas this time…
that he’s done some actual introspection before choosing to act upon them, demonstrating the
growth from his prior rash nature. What’s more, his heartfelt one-to-one with the MC in January
shows his progression from deep insecurity, to greater self-confidence. This also confirms
that he truly is on the protag and SEES’s side. You see, when in peak form, the Magician
symbolizes the ability to translate one’s inner potential into action, and is described
as the ultimate miracle worker in the tarot deck. Junpei’s love for Chidori and his refusal
to give up on her prompted a genuine miracle in which she sacrificed what remained of her
own life to revive him from certain death. So in conclusion, the upright Magician
teaches The Fool how to use all the creative energy within and around himself
to realize his ideas and achieve success. Now before we move on to the Priestess arcana,
I’d like to go over the Jungian concept of the anima and animus first. In the most simplified
terms, the animus refers to traits traditionally associated with masculinity, while the anima
refers to those associated with femininity. Traditional gender norms aside, the main takeaway
of this concept is that any one person can become a more fulfilled version of themselves if
they find a balance between the anima and animus. With this concept in mind, the first two
arcana are closely tied to each other, and both are necessary to becoming a more well-rounded
person. So while the Magician utilizes the energies around him in the material world, the
High Priestess is the feminine side of this intuitive energy, and calls for introspection.
You see, the Priestess is skilled at moving past appearances, the superficial so-to-speak. Persona
3 explores this arcana in an incredibly tangible way via Fuuka and her navigator role–since shadows
are known as the repressed or unwanted parts of ourselves, her ability to sense the unnatural
and generally unknown attributes of the shadows during gameplay reflects her role of translating
these things in a way The Fool can understand. What’s more, right after she officially joins,
her ability to immediately grasp Ikutsuki’s research… as in, the arcana implications of the
Shadow bosses… just further goes to show her keen intuition for the otherworldly. Plus she’s
actually able to locate all said bosses, even the ones that try to deceive her, such as the Hermit…
Since in peak form, the Priestess possesses great personal intuition and ability to get in touch
with our inner selves–a realm we often neglect. But that also leads us to the reverse Priestess.
The reverse reading is characterized by repressed feelings and an excessive trust in others’
opinions as opposed to one’s own gut feelings. Now Fuuka’s insecurities perfectly encompass
these things, like when she accepts the offer to join SEES without any hesitation… though this
is in large part due to the outside validation she receives for her skills as Navigator. Then
later after Shinji’s death, she blames herself for not trusting her own intuition when he
told her he’d be late to the Operation the night prior. And during her talk with Natsuki on
the school rooftop, she says that “she used to try and please everyone,” revealing just how much
weight she put on what others thought of her. Her social link further expands on this concept.
For example, she wishes to make something nice for SEES to express her gratitude… though the subtext
implies she’s actually just trying to prove her worth to them. She consistently doubts her own
skills and berates herself before she even begins tasks as is shown when she tries to buy spices
to use in her cooking… Yet she goes on to tell herself that these wouldn’t make a difference
anyway before she’s even tried them out! However, after Yukari tries the rice balls
that Fuuka made, she reassures her that friends don’t owe each other anything. These
encouraging words lead to Fuuka truly coming out of her shell for the remaining ranks.
But even regardless of the social link, Fuuka’s growing confidence is shown
as Persona 3’s main plot progresses. Her friendship with Natsuki showcases the
Priestess’ natural gift in seeing past the superficial in particular. Fuuka ended up getting
to know her former bully, the real Natsuki that said person hides from everyone else, which
ultimately led to them becoming genuine friends. So recall that the Priestess is the mediator
between the unknown, and that which is already plainly known. Fuuka is able to connect Yukari to
the truth of her father’s research via restoring the footage of the original, true video. She
further demonstrates the upright Priestess in December when she says her main reason for
fighting Nyx is wanting to be true to herself… So in other words, not for anyone else’s reasons but
her own. So in conclusion, the Priestess teaches the Fool to look past first appearances
and, instead, to value his own intuition. But now we’ve arrived at the other two arcana
that are closely tied to each other–the Empress representing the feminine, and the Emperor the
masculine. Mitsuru Kirijo, Persona 3’s Empress, is the archetypal motherly role and teaches us the
joys of nurturing and supporting those around us. Just one example is the care she shows for
all the students at Gekkoukan High via her role as Student Council President. Plus
she’s also clearly the team mom of SEES, something especially showcased when she enrolls
all of them into summer classes–as she’ll definitely “see to it” that they all graduate.
Mitsuru also serves as a prominent contrast to Akihiko, the Emperor, especially during earlier
parts of Persona 3. A slight example occurs during the second Full Moon where Akihiko is
bummed that he won’t be able to join the newbie trio that night… but Mitsuru vouches for their
younger teammates, believing they are ready. She further demonstrates this motherly care when
she praises SEES not only for their individual talents, but for their overall group achievements
after each major operation’s success. But her contrast to Emperor Akihiko is most noticeable
during the Fuuka rescue attempt. Aki is prepared to risk everything and storm right into Tartarus
himself if it means rescuing the missing girl, but in contrast, Mitsuru is concerned not just for
Fuuka’s safety, but the entire team’s as well… and that obviously includes Akihiko. It can also be
argued that her motherly instinct to defend loved ones first demonstrated itself via her initial
persona awakening in order to protect her father. However, Mitsuru also demonstrates the reverse
aspects of the Empress. You see, while it’s true that the reverse reading can come off as
too overbearing and stifling (so like a mama bird refusing to let her kids leave the nest), the
negative aspects can also manifest as spending too much energy on meeting the needs of others, all
while neglecting one’s own. Like the sacrifices so many mothers make for their families.
In Mitsuru’s case, she’s spent her entire adolescence fighting the shadows and attempting
to redeem the Kirijo Group for the horrible accident they caused 10 years prior. Something
that occurred when she was just a young girl. Perhaps most notable of all is how she puts her
own life on the line to protect her father for all these years… though granted this is of her
own volition… But her overwhelming commitment to please the Kirijo Company over her own best
wishes are expanded upon in her social link. So much so that she’s willing to go through with an
arranged marriage she’s definitely not excited about solely for the sake of the company’s
future. Thankfully though, Mitsuru realizes her worth before it’s too late when she thinks of
her own desires for once and tells her fiance off. On another note, the Empress has the gift of
diplomacy and creates a welcoming space for others to share their feelings. You know, like
how mothers are often viewed as the mediators of their households. One example in Mitsuru’s case
is right after Ryoji reveals the truth about Nyx’s inevitable arrival. Team mom invites all of SEES
to share and discuss their thoughts about this impending doom… and there’s no doubt that members
are honest with each other during this meeting… So overall, the Empress shows what
unconditional love looks like. Even though she had a rough relationship with
Yukari at first, she doesn’t hold anything, including the initial wariness and accusations
the junior had, against her. They even become great friends after the Kyoto trip (mostly
thanks to Yukari herself to be fair). The upright Empress further demonstrates
the joys we experience in connecting with our loved ones… as is shown when Mitsuru, who
otherwise kept more distance from other party members earlier in the story, visits
Yukari of her own accord in December, where they affirm their decisions to fight Nyx.
So in conclusion, the Empress teaches the Fool the joys we can have from nurturing our loved
ones and supporting them in all their endeavors. Now I’m sure you’ve all “been waiting for this!”
The fourth archetype the Fool encounters is the Emperor–our very own “star-in-the-ring,”
Akihiko Sanada. This is the archetypal fatherly role in the tarot and, in brief
words, teaches the Fool about power and order. So on one hand, he imposes structure
and discipline, all in an effort to develop the necessary strength to obtain his desires.
An obvious example of this is Akihiko’s constant need to train and practice for the battles in
Tartarus, as well as his boxing matches. In fact, he’s so into training that Junpei can’t help but
call him out on it during the Yakushima trip. You know, the short few days where everyone else is
taking a break but him. Akihiko also provides structure to the rest of SEES via his texts
and calls to the protag about the next step forward at various points in the game. Like
hooking us up with Officer Kurosawa’s shop. The Emperor is also assertive, as shown with
Akihiko being the one most responsible for nearly every new addition to SEES’s numbers. All
in all, Akihiko does all these things to assist in his quest to become stronger, explore Tartarus,
and ultimately, destroy the Dark Hour… but this leads us to the Emperor’s tendency towards
one-track mindedness. Since Aki obsesses so much over becoming stronger and fighting, he
kinda struggles to find more time to work on any other skills, especially more social ones.
His surprising timidity and struggle to speak about anything that doesn’t have to do with
physical training is revealed in moments like the recorded scene of him in his room, or during
Operation Babe Hunt and his first time talking to Aigis. I think now is also a good time
to bring up some of the specific contrast between Akihiko and the Empress, aka Mitsuru
and the motherly archetype. Mitsuru takes the time to nurture the younger members of SEES
via her encouraging words, meanwhile Akihiko is more concerned about the practical needs of an
Operation… so being more straight-to-the-point. For example, during the Fuuka rescue mission,
he’s the one who butts in, saying there’s no time to waste, when Mitsuru begins complimenting
Junpei on a job well done. If you want more on the contrasts in this particular scene, you can
check out the previous section on the Empress. But returning back to the reverse Emperor,
it rears its ugly head through Akihiko’s inflexible mindset and impatience. You
see, Akihiko’s obsession over building his physical strength stems from a feeling of
powerlessness that has taken root due to his inability to save his sister many years prior…
Of course strength is needed to protect people from the shadows… but it’s this same assertiveness
that can come off as too pushy and can rub others, like his very own teammates, the wrong way.
Mitsuru’s frustration over this side of Akihiko is just one example that’s shown across
various points in the story. But most notably, Aki’s consistent insistence and nagging of Shinji
to rejoin SEES ultimately seems to emotionally push him away more and more. Not only that, you
could argue Aki’s pushiness and impatience ended up being an indirect cause of Shinji’s death…
even if it was the latter’s own decision to rejoin SEES after learning about Ken joining from Aki…
But Akihiko does learn from his mistakes in the end. He eventually overcomes the negative Emperor
traits and goes from overbearing assertiveness, to the more hands-off encouragement that
characterizes the most respected of fatherly figures. This is particularly highlighted in Aki’s
interactions with Ken after Shinji’s passing. Akihiko no longer asserts what he thinks is
best, but instead encourages Ken to draw on his own strength in order to reach his own
conclusions. Plus Aki finally overcomes his unhealthy obsession with pure strength in
his very own persona’s evolution into Caesar. So for the rest of the game, he still
showcases his triumphs over adversity, except this time without an over reliance
on sheer power. So in conclusion, the Emperor teaches the Fool valuable
lessons on leadership and order–basically how to inspire others without becoming
too controlling or domineering over them. Following the Emperor is the Hierophant.
Shinji Aragaki definitely makes his mark as the representative of this archetype, even if he
doesn’t stick with us for long. But first, you may be wondering… what exactly is a hierophant? Well,
this term stems from ancient Greek, and referred to a well-respected holy figure who offered
guidance on society’s moral or spiritual matters. So you see, the hierophant arcana in general
encompasses this guiding figure who has already tread a certain path… and thus, can impart their
knowledge to others. It may be hard to spot at first, but Shinji offers this in spades to both
SEES and Strega. So dipping into Strega’s side first, Jin knows exactly who to go to for valuable
intel on SEES’s overall motivation and end goal. Shinji is also there to save Chidori when her
persona is about to strangle her in the hospital. Then when it comes to SEES, Shinji
is there to bail the protag, Yukari, and Junpei out of a sticky situation when
they make the unwise decision to visit the sketchy part of town. And not only does he
save them, he also enlightens them to the truth behind this “ghost story” rumor that’s been
spreading around regarding Fuuka’s disappearance. Shinji also consistently warns Akihiko
about his obsession with power–one such example occurring on June 23rd when he tells Aki
that “he’s no different than himself…” As in, someone who focuses too much on the past
(i.e. Shinji and Ken’s mom is to Aki and his sister Miki). Shinji also explains
the true nature of Strega’s personas, and is sadly even taking those pills himself... On that note, let’s get into how Shinji
demonstrates the reverse aspects of the Hierophant. The reverse of this archetype can find
themselves suffocated by rigid social, and moral, order. You see, the Hierophant upholds and
respects the systems in our society. Shinji just can’t let go of what happened in the past… the
fact that his persona killed an innocent person. And not to take away from the tragedy of
that, but it was never Shinji’s intent to kill Ken’s mom… it was out of his control, and
yet, he can’t stop blaming himself for what is (understandably) despicable to society’s moral
compass–taking the life of another individual. But sadly, Shinji’s judgment of himself doesn’t
stop there... Enter those fatal pills that Strega also takes… Shinji’s refusal to let go of his
guilt leads him to begin self-sabotaging in this way. What’s more, this shows his own reluctance
to rely on others for advice, even though the Hierophant does this for others... This is best
seen in the heated confrontation that Akihiko initiates in September… Shinji’s biting response
reveals just how adamant he is to go at it on his own… all in an attempt to avoid troubling
SEES. The hierophant is a compassionate figure, and one who tries to do the right thing–as seen in
how Shinji tries to make it up to Ken. This leads us to the ultimate tragedy of Shinji’s character
though… he’s fully self-aware of all the harm he’s doing to himself… Nevertheless, he continues
along this path until it leads to his demise. However, though the circumstances are more
than unfortunate, Shinji’s final moments act as a core guiding light for both Ken and
Akihiko. The Hierophant archetype represents someone who has more life experience
than the person in need of guidance… and so, Shinji’s final words to
Ken, and the finality of his death, acts as a major driving force for both Ken
and Aki going forward. So in conclusion, the Hierophant teaches the Fool that it’s okay
to reach out to others in our time of need. That it’s to our benefit to learn from people
who are further along the path of life as us. Now the sixth archetype the Fool encounters is the
Lovers. This arcana deals in the realm of love, intimacy, and relationships. In the simplest
terms, the lesson of the Lovers is to be mindful of what kinds of relationships
and values we invite into our lives. So as the name implies, the upright Lovers
symbolizes the fulfilling relationship one can enjoy with a lover… though that’s not
the only kind. It could be a close soulmate, or just any close relationship with another
person. You see, the Lovers archetype is skilled at forming close bonds with others
when they actually put their mind to it. So although Yukari spends the first part of the
game purposefully keeping her distance from the other party members, there are quite a number
of instances where you can tell that, deep down, she actually craves more. For example, when
the protag finally wakes up after his initial persona awakening, Yukari can sort of relate
to his background and so, shares about her own dad. But most notable is how she’s wanted to
talk about this aspect of her life with someone else for a long time. Then later during the 3rd
Full Moon, she attempts to make conversation with Mitsuru when the two are alone together… all in
spite of her still lingering misgivings about the Kirijo heir. And as I mentioned back in the Fuuka
section, Yukari plays an important but off-screen role in the former’s social link when she
reassures Fuuka that their friendship is genuine. On a related note, the upright Lovers also
represents what it means to stay true to one’s own ideals and/or personal beliefs. In other
words, committing to oneself like how we do with our loved ones and our relationships. For Yukari,
this is most easily seen in the faith she has in her father despite all the red herrings that pop
up during the game. But before we can dive any further into this, I think it’s important
to cover the reverse Lovers traits first. For a large part of the game, Yukari struggles
to trust her inner voice–the one that wants to believe in the value of friendship and placing
trust in other people. As I brought up earlier, Yukari “wants to be close” with others, but
she deliberately distances herself due to the hurt she’s experienced in the past.
She tells us how she and her mom had to move around a lot after her dad died due to
the major Kirijo accident and the resulting public backlash. Not to mention the shaky
relationship she’s had with her mom since then… You see, Yukari’s tendency to lash out
at her… as well as Mitsuru, and even the protag at various points in Persona 3 definitely
reflects another reverse trait of the Lovers–one that looks to blame the other party first. Yukari
is quite abrasive in situations that are actually caused by her own misunderstandings, such as
when she blames Mitsuru for hiding the truth and “pitying her” supposedly… or when
she assumes the MC was thinking she’s “weak” during one of her social link ranks.
She also becomes frustrated at her mom, blaming her and assuming she doesn’t care about the death
of her husband (i.e. Yukari’s late father). So overall, her tendency to do this is a double-edged
sword that hurts both the people she accuses, and herself since it pushes people away. In turn,
this results in the difficulty she has with truly believing in “trust and friends,” as she even says
herself in an inner monologue during the summer.
But ultimately Yukari does learn to take
responsibility, and realizes when the fault lies with her. She’s actually the
first one to apologize across multiple instances involving Mitsuru, the protag, and
even her mom via her social link. Her initially shaky relationships eventually mend and even
end up becoming incredibly close as can be seen in the one she forms with Mitsuru.
Finally, despite her occasional doubts throughout Persona 3, her decision to keep
believing in her father ultimately pays off, since his true intentions eventually come
to light thanks to Fuuka. Or in other words, Yukari was right to believe in the true nature of
it all, despite the initial deception by Ikutsuki. So in conclusion, the Lovers teaches the Fool
to evaluate how he engages in his relationships, to understand what he wants from them, and
to value his own personal beliefs and ideals. Now the seventh archetype along the Journey is
the Chariot. In brief words, this arcana teaches the importance of stability, self-confidence,
and courage in spite of change. The upright Chariot is a disciplined person who prevails
through sheer willpower. They do not hesitate and basically rush forward to conquer their world.
In these ways, this archetype is similar to the Emperor, since they both teach about strength and
overcoming adversity. However, the Chariot focuses more on who is inspiring this personal drive.
Or in other words, who is driving the chariot? When we first meet Aigis, we find that she’s
escaped confinement in the Lab on her own, without any orders or permission from those
who created her. Again, the Chariot is an “action-first” kind of figure.
And for lack of a better word, Aigis is assertive with how she communicates and
makes her wishes known to SEES during her first few months with them… like how protecting the
protag is such a priority that she just barges into his room without knocking or asking. Or
her firm accusations that Ryoji is dangerous after only just meeting him. Also notice
how most of her early questions are asked for one purpose only–to fulfill her life’s
mission as an Anti-shadow weapon and defeat the shadows. Plus her focus on the efficiency of
all activities, even something like recreation, just further demonstrates the Chariot’s
disciplined and methodological nature. However, Aigis’ struggles also align with
the reverse Chariot… These negative traits can manifest when this archetype allows others to
steer the chariot of one’s own life… For example, Ikutsuki takes control of Aigis immediately
after SEES recovers her from her initial breakout. And later, Aigis’ inner fight
between her own desires and those that were pre-programmed within her are on
full display during Ikutsuki’s attempts to usher in the Fall. And then comes her
confrontation with Ryoji in November… Since the very moment of her creation, Aigis
has been instilled with the purpose and duty of an anti-shadow weapon. Her very foundation
for living has always been in the hands of the Kirijo researchers and the resulting goals
they’ve programmed into her. "A machine is created for a purpose. Mine is to
defeat you. I exist for nothing else." Now when it comes to Ryoji… on one hand, yes…
There’s a part of her that does wish to fight him, all of her own accord, in order to protect
SEES… the people she’s come to cherish. But, Aigis also has this nagging need to fulfill
the order she failed ten years prior. Due to all these conflicting feelings, it
shouldn’t be any surprise why she feels so lost after her inability to defeat Ryoji on
her own once again. Which also leads us to another negative aspect of the Chariot, and that’s
their instinctive fear of change. Especially when faced with the uncertainty that comes from losing
one’s initial purpose or sense of direction. Or in other words, losing control of one’s chariot…
Aigis’s social link just further explores these concepts where she begins to ignore her own
feelings. Doing this essentially steers this archetype onto an unrewarding path–one
that is characterized by indecisiveness, which is a far cry from the assertive upright
Chariot… Any kind of change can be frightening… and depending on the circumstances, even shameful
for someone who was once so self-assured, but is now in a position of vulnerability…
Though thankfully in the end, Aigis comes around and accepts that defeating Ryoji on her own is
outside her capabilities. This allows her to begin the process of finding a new reason for living.
One that is based solely on her own decisions… such is highlighted in her persona’s evolution
scene, where she truly comes to believe that she, a machine, can change. So in conclusion, the
Chariot teaches the Fool that change is inevitable and natural, and how, in the face of all
this, he can take control of his own life. The next archetype is the Strength. Now don’t
be fooled–just because Koromaru is a dog doesn’t mean he can’t be a great representation of an
arcana. In general, the Strength explores how gaining mastery over our animalistic instincts or
“base” natures can actually be a great source of emotional wellbeing. Now Koro plays into this
archetype so well because he quite literally represents an animalistic nature.. .and what
do we normally associate with that? Probably something like “survival of the fittest,” or
“it’s a dog-eat-dog world,” or in other words, utilizing violence to get what we want. With
that said, the reverse Strength normally refers to someone who is prone to anger and
who generally relies on physical strength. But Koro consistently shows how he channels
this animalistic nature of his into something actually productive. When we first encounter him
in the Dark Hour, we find that he’s been severely injured by a rogue shadow that was trying
to attack the grave of his master. However, it's what Aigis translates that really stands
out: Koro “protected the shrine because it was a place of peace.” His reasons aren’t
just based on blind emotion for his master, or pure rage at the shadow, but for
something actually thoughtful. Or in other words, something akin to human reason.
You see, when it comes to the Strength arcana, it’s more than just simply suppressing our base
tendencies, but instead coming to an actual understanding of them so that we can then turn
them into our strengths. An instinctual nature people usually attribute to dogs is loyalty right?
Well, Koromaru turns this inherent quality into his reason for fighting the shadows… to
protect not just the Shrine from earlier, but also to protect all his new friends. As I
already mentioned in my P3 and mythology video, Koro truly represents the upright Strength tarot.
The game mechanics support this via his persona’s stats being already up to par with the
other human SEES members’ ultimate personas! Cerberus didn’t need to evolve because Koro
already embodied the upright Strength all along. This also makes him such a great foil to
Shinji’s Castor, who also never evolves… but for the opposite reason. Shinji dwells for
too long in the reverse traits of the Hierophant… which all play a big role in his early death.
But back to Koro-chan, let’s go over other moments that reflect his already-existing
maturity. For example, when he’s told he can’t join SEES in school, he doesn’t lash out,
or become violent, or even try to disobey and run there anyway… He also knows exactly when his
best traits of being a dog are actually needed, like when he comforts Ken after the young kid
is reminded of Shinji’s passing. Meanwhile, Koro can also turn on that aggressive switch when
necessary, becoming the firm and stalwart defender of SEES against the enemies of the Dark Hour.
And just when it seemed like Atlus forgot all about Koromaru during Ikutsuki’s crazy attempt
to sacrifice everyone, good ol’ doggo really does swoop in for the biggest of saves! Showing
us exactly what makes Koro man’s best friend! So in conclusion, the Strength teaches the
Fool to refine his most basic desires… to turn these impulses into the rational
assets that can guide him through life. Well, now we’ve officially reached the
first of the Strega representatives, starting with the Hermit. Jin Shirato
deeply adheres to this archetype, but mostly in its reverse traits. Interestingly
enough, he and Takaya are unlike Chidori in that they both never fulfill the upright reading
of their respective arcana. With that said, the Hermit is supposed to teach the Fool
the value of solitude and self-reflection, since introspection only aids us
on our path to self-discovery. This figure seeks out alone time in order
to develop their knowledge and skills… so when it comes to Jin, he does reflect some of
these traits, seeing how his skill with tech, computers, and the internet are all things that
are normally developed in solitude. And this is just an observation of mine, but Jin is the only
one of the three Strega members who SEES never encounters solely on his own… well aside from our
final battle with him… So I guess that could imply he was preparing or working on stuff all on his
own in some hermit cave offscreen potentially…? Because he’s the stereotypical “smart guy” or
“brains” of Strega. The strategist so-to-speak who essentially keeps Takaya on track when the latter
gets too worked up. He also pieces together the coming of Nyx from Ikutsuki’s research alone. On
this note, the Hermit is actually similar to the Hierophant in how they both possess an inner
wisdom that’s meant to be shared with others. So the upright Hermit should be sharing the
knowledge he obtained during his solitary journey with people once he returns to their
company. But conversely, Jin never shows any inkling of thinking about the larger group.
Even though he amasses plenty of followers on his internet accounts as he grows Takaya’s cult,
he shows no indication that he actually cares for any of these people. It’s actually Takaya who
believes he’s helping others via the promise of Nyx’s salvation. Meanwhile Jin’s only in
this to help Takaya become the true “hero.” Now we learn as the game progresses that Takaya’s
motto is to “live for the moment,” which is kinda the opposite of one of the Hermit archetype’s
greatest strengths. Remember, they’re supposed to gain wisdom through self-reflection, which
includes taking a good hard look at their past. But Jin never takes a moment to take a good
hard look at himself… Everything he does is only focused on the present and what he must
do to help Takaya achieve his final goals. Yes, it’s true Takaya saved him in the past… but
Jin only focuses on this debt of gratitude, and refuses to waste any time unpacking whatever
past trauma he might have with the Kirijo Group… I think it can be argued that the first time
Jin does any true self-reflection is when he’s recounting those experiments to SEES after
we’ve already defeated him for the final time. Not only that, but the reverse Hermit is a warning
that we may be exceeding our current capabilities. You see, the Hermit is knowledgeable and,
therefore, is quite the capable person. Yet that doesn’t mean they’re infallible. Now
whether it was Takaya’s or Jin’s original idea, it’s clear the latter thought he could
defeat SEES on his own in that final battle… which was a definite overestimation
by Jin unfortunately. Strategically, he and Takaya probably would’ve stood a better chance
if they stuck as a tag-team like the last time. The final nail in the coffin is that Jin claims
Takaya has shown him what “freedom” truly is, yet Takaya’s very motto stifled any growth
Jin could’ve had in the end. Jin never seems to figure out his own purpose outside of Takaya…
he never strays from under the Strega leader’s wing and simply works tirelessly to help the
young man achieve his own goals, and yet, the ultimate irony is that Takaya never got to
achieve his final wish. So I hope it’s clear how Jin showcases all the shortcomings of the Hermit
archetype, and that on the contrary, it’s meant to remind us that it’s time to turn inwards and
determine if our current path is truly healthy. I find it quite fitting how the inseparable
Strega duo ended up being back-to-back arcana representatives. That’s right, we’ve now
arrived at the 10th archetype: the Fortune, or aka Revolver Jesus. This arcana focuses on
the ups and downs of life–the cyclical nature of it–and how we can proceed despite
such uncertainties. But just like Jin, Takaya twists this lesson, and only sticks to the
reverse aspects of this arcana… the belief that “everything that happens is tied to fate, and
therefore, completely outside of our control.” His motto of “living in the moment” certainly
sounds admirable on the surface. Hell, I’m a big fan of the concept “be here now.” But the way
Takaya actually carries this out reveals just how defeatist his attitude really is... First, let’s
take a look at how he never takes responsibility for his own actions. The very first time we
lay eyes on Strega is when they’re fulfilling a request sent to their “revenge website.” The man
begs for his life, but Takaya simply responds that its none of his concern and proceeds to shoot him.
And later in the cases of Shinji and Junpei/Chidori, Takaya may appear and "say"
he’s sad over such “meaningless deaths,” yet his true response to all these murders reveal
something much more apathetic. That these people’s deaths, at these exact moments, were determined
solely by fate, and that even if he wasn’t here right now to pull the trigger, they would’ve died
eventually anyway. In other words he completely removes himself of any responsibility
even though he’s the one who killed them. Not only that, but Takaya doubles down on
his belief in fate in order to add meaning to his life and his limited amount of time on
Earth. In his mind, the existence of Tartarus and the Dark Hour was fated, and developing
a persona was the fate of the chosen (it’s heavily implied he especially believes this
when it comes to Strega, as they’re the only ones who’ve survived the Kirijo experiments).
…All of which explains his earlier frustration over SEES’s attempts to eliminate the Dark Hour…
And so, even though he and Jin fail in stopping SEES prior to the Hanged Man boss, and take a
suicidal leap off the bridge afterwards… the Dark Hour continues to exist, which only
adds fuel to Takaya’s faith in destiny… Something especially noticeable when he says
“he was given a power that he never asked for, and yet fate permitted him to live,
even though he wasn’t attached to life…” Now you see, finding meaning in pain or hardship
is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can play a big role in emotional resilience
actually... But, it’s the selfish way in which Takaya lives–one that causes harm to innocent
people–that’s the problem. Living life to the fullest definitely doesn’t mean stripping others
of their own right to do so. But Takaya uses fate as justification for using the Dark Hour as he
pleases, like carrying out the revenge requests as mentioned earlier. And because Takaya believes
fate has chosen him, he thinks his view of Nyx and humanity’s inevitable doom is the correct path.
You see, Takaya believes the death Nyx will bestow is the only true salvation because there is an
exact and final certainty in death. While on the other hand, life and choosing to live is full of
uncertainties. Takaya was this close to “off-ing” himself after SEES defeated the final shadow
boss, because he didn’t want to imagine life without the power of his persona… But coming to
terms with life’s uncertainties is exactly what the upright Wheel of Fortune is meant to teach. As
reflected in its very imagery, life is cyclical by nature… meaning things are always changing, and
that, in every ending, there is a new beginning. So in conclusion, the Fortune tarot is
supposed to teach the Fool that even though there will always be circumstances,
essentially cosmic forces, outside of our control… that shouldn’t discourage us from taking
responsibility for our own actions. There will still always be things in our power to change,
especially regarding our attitudes and mindset. The next arcana is the Justice, represented by the
youngest of SEES, Ken Amada. This archetype deals with the concepts of balance and fairness, and
the imagery of the scales propagates this idea that there are two sides to everything…
That justice is different from vengeance, the latter of which is only concerned
about the individual’s feeling of fairness. Ken’s entire arc is centered on his desire to
find his mom’s killer and exact his revenge. Now it’s true that there is blood on Shinji’s
hands–he certainly isn’t an innocent man… but as P3 progresses, we learn that the circumstances
surrounding this entire situation are nothing but tragic. Especially in the way Shinji has lived
ever since. However, the fact that it was never his intention to harm anybody, let alone Ken’s
mom, is never acknowledged by Ken himself. There’s no attempt nor consideration on his part to ask
Shinji about what happened that day… or at the very least, ask Akihiko about it… considering
how much he looks up to Aki and how he’s only made privy to Shinji’s involvement in all of
this after eavesdropping on their conversation. But Ken displays no desire to understand
the actual truth… and only goes off of what he’s overheard, which leads us to
the reverse reading of this arcana. The reverse Justice warns us that we’re
failing to see the other perspective, or the other contributing factors… that we’re
falling into the trap of seeing only our own biased point of view. Think about what constitutes
a fair trial in a court of law–the Jury is presented both sides of the story before making
their decision. The upright Justice arcana is all about this search for truth so that the most
equitable outcome can be reached for all parties. Yes, not just for the victims of wrongdoing,
but even for those who committed the wrongdoing. But the young Ken demonstrates his limited
understanding of these concepts. For example, he cries it’s not fair that Shinji is
already dying… that would take away from any possible satisfaction he could
get from taking Shinji’s life himself. You see, another aspect of the Justice explores
the concept of karma and how a person will eventually reap what he sows. Just like how these
scales will eventually balance out in the end. Shinji warns Ken that carrying out his
revenge… taking another person’s life… will eventually cause him to become just like him…
believing that he, himself, is deserving of death, and therefore, has very little reason for living.
But surprisingly, it turns out Ken was already aware of this deep down… and was prepared to
take his own life after exacting his revenge. It’s only thanks to Shinji’s sacrifice and his
final bits of Hierophant wisdom that Ken is saved from the same fate. "Give yourself time.
Let your anger be your strength. Come on Ken, you're just a kid. You got your whole life ahead
of you, so don't waste it. Make it your own." Which gives the young kiddo the final push
to realize the true upright Justice. One which not only condemns the guilty and
wicked, but also protects the innocent… SEES’s goal of eliminating the Dark Hour would
definitely accomplish this. So in conclusion, the Justice teaches the Fool about the moral and
karmic balance of the world, and how true justice is objective in nature and takes precedence
over any one person’s feelings of fairness. We’ve finally arrived at the 12th arcana, the
Hanged Man. Now, this name alone gives us room for pause, right? I mean, compared to most of
the other tarot designs, the imagery here is rather unsettling, and even disturbing. You see,
the Hanged Man symbolizes being caught between two paths, or two worlds… Depending on the angle
you view this figure from, he’s either dangling precariously via a rope, or is donning a graceful
pose, similar to a dancer practicing ballet. Chidori herself is at a crossroads between
sticking with Strega and her growing desire to be with Junpei. Interestingly enough, she appears
to be the outlier of the Strega trio in many ways. For one, we barely hear a word from her before her
scenes with Junpei… and overall, she appears much less self-assured about why she’s doing any of
the things she’s doing… her “purpose” so-to-speak. She even asks Junpei what he does to feel alive…
meanwhile her art (and sadly her self-inflicted wounds) are implied to be the only things that
keep her going. This is very much contrary to Jin and Takaya, the completely unwavering idealogues.
You see, when it comes to the reverse Hanged Man, this figure allows themselves to be swayed by
external opinions… which keeps them in a state of victimhood or servitude and prevents them
from living unabashedly on their own terms. As for Chidori, she’s clearly the most passive
of the three Strega members. Even when she kidnaps and threatens Junpei during one of
the Full Moon operations… it feels less like she’s doing this because she actually sides
with Takaya’s beliefs, and more that she’s simply demonstrating her loyalty to Strega.
But her confinement at the hospital begins to change her in ways she never expected. She
slowly allows herself to enjoy the time spent with Junpei, and the subsequent result
is that she essentially starts enjoying a more healthy version of Strega’s own motto:
“living in each moment” as is given to her. However, this poses a big dilemma for the
once apathetic Chidori, since she’s now opened herself up to a tough pill about reality… and
that’s: once we begin to enjoy things in life, it can be scary to think about how they can
be taken away from us at any given time. This brings us to another major aspect
that characterizes the Hanged Man, and that is sacrifice. Remember, this arcana
is stuck between two roads… and to take one, the other must be inevitably sacrificed. And
so we arrive at Chidori’s final major conflict… Takaya and Jin break her out of the hospital,
and at first, she remains subservient to them, and even tries to find comfort in Takaya’s words
as she’s battling SEES. But the things she says during this fight demonstrates the indecision
that characterizes the Hanged Man’s dilemma. Well, until she’s left with no choice but to make
up her mind and choose her path. Junpei is fatally shot by Takaya, which leads us back to the concept
of sacrifice. The very placement of this arcana between the 11th and 13th quite literally depicts
the fine balance between life and death. This normally symbolizes that some sort of sacrifice
will need to be made to achieve inner peace… Though Chidori takes on the most extreme depiction
of this in that, she exchanges her own life to save Junpei’s. She comes to accept that she was
actually just scared of becoming attached to life, especially given how much she’s come to cherish
Junpei. But ultimately, she makes her decision and chooses her path… cutting ties with Strega
and essentially reversing what Takaya did. All of which allows her to pass on having achieved
inner peace. So in conclusion, the Hanged Man teaches the Fool that sometimes sacrifice is
necessary… that we’ll all eventually encounter a situation where we’re forced to select a single
path in order to move forward with our lives. And now we’ve finally arrived at the culminating
arcana of Persona 3’s lore and story, represented by none other than Pharos and Ryoji.
Now, the main message of the Death tarot is that all things eventually come to an end. No
one is immune to periods of transition and change. This concept is what makes the Death
arcana the perfect bridge between the first, more grounded half of the Fool’s Journey, and
the more celestial ideas of the second half. Now this may come as a surprise to some of you,
but Pharos is mostly representative of the upright Death. Though he warns us about each approaching
Full Moon–the inevitable changes coming, so to speak–he nevertheless encourages the
protag to embrace the challenges that come SEES’s way. He’s even the one who started us
on our journey that first night. The kid’s friendly demeanor also reflects the notion that
Death isn’t something we should fear… rather, it should encourage us to make the most of each
opportunity since time waits for no one after all. I mean, Pharos himself constantly reminds
the MC that they will always be friends, which is symbolic of the only real certainty in
life… the fact that all people will die one day. Similarly, all good things eventually come to
an end. Something that’s especially reflected in Pharos’ final rank up where
he says their interactions have been a genuine miracle and a lot of fun… but
it’s inevitably time for him to say goodbye. Regardless, this experience is
something he will always cherish. But that’s not the last we see of Pharos. He
actually reappears as this living, breathing human, Ryoji Mochizuki. It’s heavily implied
that this is due to him having learned all about humanity and the joys of life through the eyes of
the protag and the bonds the latter has made with SEES and his other social links. This is why Ryoji
initially appears very much like Pharos before, or aka the upright Death–one who approaches life with
such gusto, making the most of each opportunity. But Ryoji’s true stance as the reverse Death
solidifies itself after the fateful encounter with Aigis. In the days following, he
meets with SEES to warn them about the coming of Nyx and how, most importantly,
there’s nothing they can do to stop it. However, he offers them a way out of their
despair… If they wish, he can completely erase their knowledge of the impending doom
of the world… but that would include having all their memories of the Dark Hour, both
good and bad, wiped as well. In this way, Ryoji demonstrates the mentality that most people
actually have towards death. That it, along with any hardships, are automatically too painful
to acknowledge or think about… That instead, it’s best for all of us to drown these things
out and live in peaceful, ignorant bliss. You see, Ryoji doesn’t realize just how much
each individual SEES member has grown and matured because of the adversity the Dark
Hour brought on. How the loss each of our party members experienced paved the way for a
new, more matured version of themselves… Which leads us to another important aspect of the
Death archetype, and that’s how destruction is sometimes necessary for transformation.
Much like how natural forest fires, which bring death to old vegetation, allow for
new seed pods to sprout and grow in the aftermath. …ultimately, the reverse Death is afraid of
loss and resists change. It’s hard for them to see the possibilities of new beginnings when
confronted with inevitable despair. For Ryoji, there’s no hope that the Fall can be
avoided… And so, even though he does share when and where SEES can find Nyx to properly
challenge her, he still shows no indication that he believes they’ll actually succeed.
I’ll briefly return to Ryoji when we get to the final section, the World/Universe
arcana, but to sum up the Death tarot, it’s main lesson is that we all must come to
accept the inevitable changes that will happen in our lives, as well as open ourselves up to the
new opportunities that’ll come our way instead. Speaking of death, this concept permeates
every aspect of Persona 3 right? We see physical death scattered throughout the game…
but that’s definitely not the only thing that “death” can refer to. Beyond tragedy like the
actual death of a loved one, it can also be a symbolic stand-in for so many other things,
such as the death of one’s physical health, the death of one’s dream, and so on… Now
in the face of such devastating losses, it’s understandable why people would want to shy
away from ever getting close to people again, or simply abandon the hope that things
will ever get better… since again, any of these things can be taken away or
end up leaving us again at any moment. With that said, apathy is one of the most
insidious of emotions (or more like, non-emotions) that we can fall prey to… and you know that
Apathy Syndrome that plagues Tatsumi Port Island? Well it’s actually a significant commentary on
modern-day Japan, especially in the continuous aftermath of the Lost Decade (now decades
honestly). I highly recommend watching my video on the sociocultural context of this game linked in
the cards and description. But speaking of apathy, this is what makes Persona 3 in particular so
adept at handling this Fool’s Journey concept. So regarding Persona 3’s MC, he’s definitely
the most passive of the three Hashino protags… demonstrating a particularly noticeable apathy
towards life. I mean, in the very first cutscene, he doesn’t even react to the creepy colors of
the Dark Hour and the literal coffins around town… that’s how apathetic his demeanor is. The
pause menu and other cutscenes only add to this, since we can see that he always has the MP3-player
and headphones around his neck–the implication being that he has a way to block people out at
any given time. P3’s very plot progression only adds to this feeling of apathy since it’s passive
in nature–the characters can do nothing but wait until each new Full Moon comes to them… which is
contrary to the more involved plot progression a la P4 and P5’s characters. Lastly, the bad ending
is basically us just passively allowing the world to end… choosing ignorant bliss instead.
Now onto the value of friendship, the introduction of the social link system in
Persona 3 is really where this concept of the Fool’s Journey shines. Regardless of whether
the interaction is positive or negative here, each rank-up does tell you something about that
person. And for any one person to complete their individual Fool’s Journey, they must be willing
to connect with people. We all are the Fool of our own journeys. We all begin as naive and
unfamiliar with every new situation we’ve had yet to encounter. But we grow and change and learn how
to embrace life by learning to rely on each other. And so on this note, we’ve arrived at the final
major arcana of the entire Fool’s Journey, the World. This is the culmination of all the
lessons the Fool has learned after coming to an understanding of the previous archetypal arcana.
By interacting with so many kinds of people, personalities, and situations during
the school year and the Dark Hour, it can be said that the protag has gained profound
wisdom of the human conscience, as well as the philosophical concepts that are all natural
parts of the world. Hence “The World” arcana. Now lorewise, Persona 3 does make a distinction
for its protag in particular–claiming he achieved “The Universe arcana.” This is most likely due to
Nyx being a planet, as well as the actual origin of the human psyche in Persona series’ lore. So
in other words, none of these other “deities” born out of the collective unconscious, aka the Sea of
Souls, would exist without Nyx. Unfortunately all of this lore is in a Japan-only club book,
but if you want to know more about this, I explained the gist in my P3 Reload theory
video… but I especially recommend Nenilein’s translation and video on this very topic too!
But back to the protag and the Universe, his credentials as to having achieved this knowledge
is symbolized via the social link rank-ups. A protag that puts effort into these relationships
will have a vast amount of resources and mighty personas at his disposal for the final ascent up
Tartarus and ultimate battle against Nyx Avatar… And it's in this very battle where the Fool’s
Journey is beautifully reflected in the game mechanics. The fact that the final boss shifts
through every arcana we’ve seen in the story, and the fact that the party must defeat each
form before the next transformation implies that the protag, the one assigning tactics in
original P3’s A.I. system, must be knowledgeable about each specific archetype Nyx shifts into.
Each form has different stats and affinities, so having wisdom as to how each archetype thinks
and works is needed to properly counter each one. The procurement of the World arcana is
only obtained by combining the forces of all the relationships you made in the game… but
remember, the devs originally thought maxing all the SLs wouldn’t be possible, so I think
this just adds further evidence to my theory about why the arcana representation in the
main story was so significant. And since the World arcana is the only one out of all 22
to retain its positive meaning whether it’s upright or reversed, this adequately explains
why it has the ability to make the ultimate miracle possible in Persona’s universe–the
successful blocking of Nyx reaching humanity. I think what Mitsuru says to Takaya in the final
confrontation is a nice way to wrap this video up–she says there’s more to the world than our
own individual struggles. That it’s not up to any one person whether all of humanity should
live or die. Other people around us have lives that they very much enjoy, oftentimes in spite of
their own personal hardships. And even if we’re stuck in a rut, and our grief blinds us to the
journeys others are experiencing, it’s not up to us to deny the gift of life to any other person.
But thanks to our relationships, whether it’s one or many, we can find the strength to persevere
through adversity. To take each day one step at a time. I think it’s important to note that Persona
3’s entire cast is characterized by a tragic flaw, which very much fits the Greek tragedian
influence. But in spite of these flaws, it’s never too late to change. So let’s “burn our dread” and
cherish what time we do have because it is finite. So yeah that last line may have sounded
kinda cringe, but it’s the truth, right guys? Anyway please let me know which arcana
you like and/or relate to the most! I’d love to hear in the comments! Ngl,
I’m really proud of this entire, updated rework of this super old series. It
took a lot of time and effort so please like and subscribe if you liked this and thanks
again to Surfshark for sponsoring this video! Check out my other Persona analyses,
follow me on my other socials, and finally I want to thank all my patrons, especially Big
Klingy, Sam Bezjak, Francesco Santoyo Rego, Emmeownelan, Platinum Rose, Malcolm Lowry,
Unholybiskit, Peter Sheppard, and Andy!
