Summary
Fans ofPersona 5have a lot of content to enjoy throughout its many spin-off titles, the most recent of which isPersona 5 Tactica. While each of these games tell their own stories, players will find there are a lot of commonalities betweenPersona 5and its spin-offs, including characters, gameplay mechanics, and overarching themes. The release ofPersona 5 Tacticashows that there is a particular trend that these games tend to follow regarding their early-game villains, and it demonstrates an interesting through line for the themes of eachPersona 5game.
Early-game story arcs are typically used to introduce players to a game’s major themes, as well as gameplay mechanics, so it’s not unusual thatPersona 5and its spin-offs would share similarities in this regard. However, it’s the specific theme that is present in all of these initial acts acrossPersona 5 Royal,Persona 5 Strikers, and nowPersona 5 Tacticathat reveals howAtlus sets the stage for the Phantom Thieves' journey. Foes like Kamoshida, Alice, and Marie share a similar warped view of love and relationships that lead them to act as ideal introductory villains for players to understand the games' overarching themes.
How Persona 5 and its Spin-Offs Use Their First Act Villains to Set Up the Games' Overarching Themes
Aside from their shared pink color palettes, the three initial villains forPersona 5 Royal,Persona 5 Strikers, andPersona 5 Tacticaall have a twisted sense of love, lust, and relationships that cause them to act on their villainous impulses. While it’s interesting to note this common theme shared among these villains, what’s more interesting is the way Atlus uses this theme to introduce players to thePhantom Thieves' motivationsand overarching goals within each game. Using relationship manipulation as a basis for the Phantom Thieves' enemies gives players a relatable motivation to oppose and helps grab their attention early on.
Suguru Kamoshida
Kamoshida is one of the most despicable villains inPersona 5andPersona 5 Royal, serving as the games' introductory antagonist. His desire for power has warped his cognition to where he believes he is the king of Shujin Academy who can act on his abusive impulses toward female students without repercussions, as depicted byKamoshida’s Palacein the cognitive world. For as evil as Kamoshida’s intentions are, they are grounded in such a way that players can relate to the contempt the Phantom Thieves feel towards him while also creating a baseline for the scale of the game’s other antagonists to grow in scope.
Alice Hiiragi
While ultimately more sympathetic than Kamoshida, Alice is another devious early-game antagonist who serves as theboss ofPersona 5 Strikers' first act. She is an idol and influencer whose need for attention warped to the point where she steals the desires of men in relationships, so they break up with their partner and become obsessed with her. This twisted cognition leads to the creation of her Jail, but the tragic backstory about being bullied at Shujin Academy that spawned her warped cognition helps ground her character and makes her arc more compelling for players starting the game.
Marie Anto
The most recent antagonist to follow this trend of relationship manipulation isPersona 5 Tactica’s Marie, a tyrant who is obsessed with forcing the citizens of her Kingdom to create a grand wedding for her and her fiancee,Toshiro Kasukabe. This cognitive version of Marie mirrors her real-world self as she is also manipulative of Toshiro, whom she sees merely as a way to gain power through his political career. The fact that their marriage was arranged by Toshiro’s father also demonstrates the effects of manipulative relationships on the growth ofPersona 5’s characters and serves as a motivating factor in their rebellion against society.
