Many major JRPG franchises likeFinal Fantasy,Dragon Quest,andPersonatell independent stories rather than having interconnected plots; instead they focus on carrying over familiar mechanics that keep fans coming back. Atlus confirming that it’s working onPersona 6means fans can start looking forward to a new story, as well as another updated version ofPersona’s combat and social sim elements. Even thoughPersona 5and the Phantom Thieves have seen unprecedented success, odds seem good thatPersona 6will preserve franchise tradition by having a self-contained plot, rather than requiring fans to play a previous game.
However,Persona 5’s fame may still have an impact on the plot ofPersona 6.Persona 5didn’t just differentiate itself from its predecessors through mechanical changes; it also told a story with a very different structure from mostPersonagames.The Phantom Thieves have had a huge impacton Japan and the rest of the world, which may mean thatPersona 6can’t go without making reference to the events ofPersona 5.Some or all of the Phantom Thieves' greatest achievements may turn out to have major repercussions for the playable cast ofPersona 6.
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How Persona 5’s Story Stands Out
As a general rule, even though manyPersonagames lead toward climactic battles with powerful Shadows that decide the fate of the world, they tend to focus on small communities and local stories.Persona 3focuses heavily on how the Kijiro Corporation has impacted its self-made city, and inPersona 4players spend a lot of time investigating local crimes in a small town in the Japanese countryside. In spite of the effectsthesePersonaprotagonistshave on the world, their actions go largely unnoticed.
Persona 5,meanwhile, takes a completely different approach. From the beginning of the game,Persona 5is all about public vigilante justice. While the Phantom Thieves battle Shadows like their peers, many of those Shadows are associated with human antagonists in very public roles, meaning the effects of the Phantom Thieves' supernatural work are far more visible. Bythe end ofPersona 5,the Phantom Thieves become an international talking point and confront a leading candidate for Japan’s prime minister.Persona 5 Strikersonly pushes the Phantom Thieves' publish presence further as they travel around Japan to explore the Metaverse a second time.
Because their interactions with the Shadow world had such an impact on Japanese society, the Phantom Thieves are far more famous than the SEES fromPersona 3orthe Investigation Team fromPersona 4.The Phantom Thieves spend much of their careers shaping Japanese politics and society, so becausePersonagames share a universe, thePersona 6cast will probably know about the actions of the Phantom Thieves. The Phantom Thieves' widespread influence may even have a direct impact on the lives of severalPersona 6protagonists.
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The Value of Persona 5 References
A newPersonagame that frequently references its predecessor would be unorthodox, but there’s a lot to be gained. For one thing,Persona 6would definitely have an easier time drawing inPersona 5fans if Atlus makes it clear that the Phantom Thieves' actions continue to shape the world.Even if the Phantom Thieves aren’t playable characters, references to their crusade against corruption and information about what they’re up to would give fans good reason to playPersona 6.
In-game characters affected by the Phantom Thieves seem like a compelling narrative direction fromPersona 6.For example,one newPersona 6Confidantcould be a political staff member or campaign worker who supported Masayoshi Shido, but became disillusioned with politics after the Phantom Thieves exposed Shido’s schemes.Persona 6’s playable characters might have family members who worked for majorPersona 5villains like Shido or Okumura, leaving them with direct ties to the events ofPersona 5.What’s more, ifPersona 6focuses on human antagonists, these figures might have risen to power to fill vacuums the Phantom Thieves created.
Persona6will also do better to play the role ofa directPersona 5sequelif it’s filled with references to its predecessor. Atlus generally doesn’t opt to make sequels toPersonagames, and five years afterPersona 5’s release there’s still no sign of a clear sequel.Persona 5 Strikersseems to be the closest thing fans will get. IfPersona 6inherits many ofPersona 5’s story threads while applying them to a new cast of characters, it would offer a nice compromise between franchise progress and appeasingPersona 5fans.
Establishing Persona 6’s Identity
Whilethe nature ofPersona 5’s plotmakes it seem likely thatPersona 6will reference the game, Atlus still has to distribute those references carefully. If the entirety ofPersona 6is built on the back of the Phantom Thieves' achievements, then Atlus might as well make a properPersona 5sequel.Persona 6can gain a lot by referencing the highly influential Phantom Thieves, but it also needs to focus on new plot threads and characters in order to establish itself as a unique entry.
Persona 5has undeniably changed the course of the franchise. Its popularity has brought a ton of new fans toPersona,which also means that Atlus has to deal with more expectations about its next big title.Persona 6needs to simultaneously be a worthy heir to the triumphantPersona5without being too similar. Atlus' determination tomakePersona 6an even better gameinspires optimism for the time being; Atlus knows that it has set a high bar for itself, but it remains undeterred. With that determination in mind, it should be interesting to see what kind of relationship Atlus establishes betweenPersona 5and6.
