Shin Megami Tensei

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The series draws heavily on Jungian psychology, psychological personas, tarot cards, religious themes, and literary influences. Its core narrative revolves around a group of students facing supernatural threats, such as the demon outbreak in Mikage-cho or reality-altering rumors in Sumaru City. A defining evolution occurred with Persona 3 in 2006, which introduced Social Links—social simulation elements directly tied to how Personas evolve. This shift made the series renowned for its immersive focus on character relationships and personal growth, distinguishing it from the darker tone of the main Megami Tensei franchise while retaining the exploration of the human psyche.

In Their Own Story

The saga began with Revelations: Persona, following St. Hermelin High students in Mikage-cho confronting a demon outbreak. It continued with the Persona 2 duology: Innocent Sin (1999), featuring Tatsuya Suou fighting rumors in Sumaru City, and Eternal Punishment (2000), where Maya Amano faced similar threats shortly after. The series shifted significantly with Persona 3 (2006) on PlayStation 2, set in Tatsumi Port Island during the mysterious Dark Hour, following students known as S.E.E.S. against monsters. Subsequent entries like Persona 4 (2008) moved to rural Inaba for investigations into the Midnight Channel, while Persona 5 (2016) saw students in Tokyo adopting thief disguises to fight societal corruption. The most recent main entry, Persona 3 Reload (2024), faithfully recreates the 2006 narrative with updated gameplay and a new English voice cast.

Reader's Guide

Players control a silent protagonist leading a party of students through turn-based combat using Personas. Beginning with Persona 3, Social Links became central to progression; building these relationships directly influences Persona evolution. The series features distinct settings for each entry: Mikage-cho, Sumaru City, Tatsumi Port Island, Inaba, and Tokyo. While early games like Revelations: Persona were the first Megami Tensei titles released outside Japan, later localizations became faithful to Japanese versions starting with Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. The franchise has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, outselling its parent series, and spawned numerous adaptations including anime, films, novels, manga, stage plays, radio dramas, art books, and musical concerts.

Did You Know?

• Revelations: Persona was the first role-playing Megami Tensei game released outside of Japan.
• The series has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, officially outselling its parent franchise.
• Persona 3 Reload, released in 2024, introduced a new English voice cast and additional story scenarios not found in the original or previous re-releases.
• Character designs were handled by Kazuma Kaneko for Persona and Persona 2, while Shigenori Soejima took over from Persona 3 onwards.
• Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was originally remade only for Japan in 2012; the original version was re-released worldwide on PSN in 2013.