We love rebels. While rebellion is a very, very common story theme, it has the benefit of constant contemporary relevance. People have always felt powerless under the thumbs of the rich, powerful, and corrupt, so it is inspiring to see us, the small and weak, overcome the large and tyrannical, even if it is fictional. Persona 5 falls right in line with the likes of Star Wars, Dune, or Hunger Games in its call to resistance. But where Star Wars and its contemporaries present simple and clear villains to beat, Persona 5 takes aim at something a bit closer to home, but far less tangible.
Persona 5 has the advantage of relatability. It doesn’t find itself in a galaxy far away or a grim dystopian future. Persona 5 is tomorrow. Sure, the game has nice fantasy gloss with a hip, acid-jazz soundtrack, but the plucky Phantom Thieves fight abusive teachers and corporate CEOs, and to a lesser extent, the police, and media. Elements that rear their ugly heads daily, if not hourly on our news feeds. Elements that we just don’t seem to have practical answers for. As you progress through the game, it becomes apparent that some greater force has paved the way for such villains to exist. We are told that the protagonist must avoid the coming ruin, but never where it comes from nor who might herald it. As you dive deeper into the collective conscious dungeon of Mementos, it gradually funnels you down to a singular point. It is leading you to the answer. The big bad. The villain responsible for all our social woes. Surely, some evil god of flesh or machine, right? It then comes as some surprise when Persona 5 reveals the true villain of the game:
Ourselves
Or to be more specific, our apathy, our sloth. We are responsible for the existence of evil, in the game and out. We permit teachers to abuse their students, CEOs to manipulate the markets and steal wages, and politicians to drown our society in corruption and war. We permit school shootings, religious beheadings, and hate crimes because we cannot be bothered to stray from our daily routines or risk the very minimal amounts of comfort that have been afforded to us. It is so easy to pin our woes on a scape goat- some person or group. It would have been simple for Persona 5 to establish a bad guy to beat to ensure a happy ending. And while Persona 5’s final boss fight is against a god, it is a god that we made, and the happily ever after isn't what we receive. Beating it doesn't solve the core problems. In fact, the world returns to normal. It isn't changed. Persona 5 merely avoided the ruin for now, giving everyone a second chance should they wish to act this time. It is a surprising message for a video game and a concept that isn’t talked about enough in my opinion. The real rebellion isn’t against an empire, but against our indifference.
This concept strengthens Persona 5's core game design as well. Each character, or persona-user, embraces a Jungian archetype associated with rebellion. The game calls them tricksters – characters of fiction and history whose role is to jolt society from apathy into action. These tricksters must endure the label of villain, placed upon them by a world that doesn’t like to rock the boat. But these entities can be vital to our evolving culture. Satan is the greatest evil, yet it was by his actions that humanity was “cast out” from a life of mindless, purposeless existence to one of ingenuity and prosperity. Prometheus was punished by Zeus for bringing fire to mankind. Robin Hood and Goemon both inspire us to rise against our rich and powerful oppressors, yet they are labeled as violent outlaws. Therefore, the mission of the Phantom Thieves isn’t to merely steal hearts from “criminals”, but to invoke a social change through their morally ambiguous actions. Tricksters kick our chairs out from underneath us because we can’t be bothered to stand ourselves. But even then, we still must stand, and not lie face down on the floor.
It feels rare for a game to incorporate its theme into all aspects of its design. Often, games are content with merely telling you what they are about - separating the story from their gameplay. Persona 5 interweaves both. Through character personas, Jungian archetypes, historical precedence, and the role you inhabit as a morally ambiguous, mythical trickster, the game really hammers its concepts home. It all adds real depth to a story pleading us to act.
Persona 5 has the advantage of relatability. It doesn’t find itself in a galaxy far away or a grim dystopian future. Persona 5 is tomorrow. Sure, the game has nice fantasy gloss with a hip, acid-jazz soundtrack, but the plucky Phantom Thieves fight abusive teachers and corporate CEOs, and to a lesser extent, the police, and media. Elements that rear their ugly heads daily, if not hourly on our news feeds. Elements that we just don’t seem to have practical answers for. As you progress through the game, it becomes apparent that some greater force has paved the way for such villains to exist. We are told that the protagonist must avoid the coming ruin, but never where it comes from nor who might herald it. As you dive deeper into the collective conscious dungeon of Mementos, it gradually funnels you down to a singular point. It is leading you to the answer. The big bad. The villain responsible for all our social woes. Surely, some evil god of flesh or machine, right? It then comes as some surprise when Persona 5 reveals the true villain of the game:
Ourselves
Or to be more specific, our apathy, our sloth. We are responsible for the existence of evil, in the game and out. We permit teachers to abuse their students, CEOs to manipulate the markets and steal wages, and politicians to drown our society in corruption and war. We permit school shootings, religious beheadings, and hate crimes because we cannot be bothered to stray from our daily routines or risk the very minimal amounts of comfort that have been afforded to us. It is so easy to pin our woes on a scape goat- some person or group. It would have been simple for Persona 5 to establish a bad guy to beat to ensure a happy ending. And while Persona 5’s final boss fight is against a god, it is a god that we made, and the happily ever after isn't what we receive. Beating it doesn't solve the core problems. In fact, the world returns to normal. It isn't changed. Persona 5 merely avoided the ruin for now, giving everyone a second chance should they wish to act this time. It is a surprising message for a video game and a concept that isn’t talked about enough in my opinion. The real rebellion isn’t against an empire, but against our indifference.
This concept strengthens Persona 5's core game design as well. Each character, or persona-user, embraces a Jungian archetype associated with rebellion. The game calls them tricksters – characters of fiction and history whose role is to jolt society from apathy into action. These tricksters must endure the label of villain, placed upon them by a world that doesn’t like to rock the boat. But these entities can be vital to our evolving culture. Satan is the greatest evil, yet it was by his actions that humanity was “cast out” from a life of mindless, purposeless existence to one of ingenuity and prosperity. Prometheus was punished by Zeus for bringing fire to mankind. Robin Hood and Goemon both inspire us to rise against our rich and powerful oppressors, yet they are labeled as violent outlaws. Therefore, the mission of the Phantom Thieves isn’t to merely steal hearts from “criminals”, but to invoke a social change through their morally ambiguous actions. Tricksters kick our chairs out from underneath us because we can’t be bothered to stand ourselves. But even then, we still must stand, and not lie face down on the floor.
It feels rare for a game to incorporate its theme into all aspects of its design. Often, games are content with merely telling you what they are about - separating the story from their gameplay. Persona 5 interweaves both. Through character personas, Jungian archetypes, historical precedence, and the role you inhabit as a morally ambiguous, mythical trickster, the game really hammers its concepts home. It all adds real depth to a story pleading us to act.