Persona 5’s cast of characters are still in the midst of a victory lap. AfterPersona 5became the most financially successful title in thePersonaseries to date, every other franchise seemed to want a slice of the pie, and Atlus was more than happy to show off the game’s protagonists. The Phantom Thieves' catlike companion Morgana is a guest character inSuper Monkey Ball: Banana Mania,and that’s only their latest cameo, coming after other high profile appearances like Joker’s invitation toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Joker and his friends just seem to have a certain magic in their designs that keep them feeling fresh and exciting wherever they go.
That’s the kind of magic thatPersona 6needs to imitate.Personafans already know that Atlus wantsPersona 6to be an even bigger hit thanPersona 5,and that means coming up with a protagonist that’s as relatable and charming as Joker. That’s a pretty high bar to clear, though. Joker was something of a breakthrough inPersonaplayer character design. Thanks to a few subtle and not-so-subtle changes to thePersonaprotagonist formula, he’s a step forward for the franchise in some big ways. IfPersona 6wants to surpassPersona 5,then it has to find new areas for growth.
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Persona 5’s Joker Changed the Game
There’s a couple reasons that Joker stands apart from thePersonaprotagonists who came before him. For one thing, his physical design is a lot more complicated than his predecessors, simply because he has two completely different appearances based on whether he’s in the real world or the Persona world. In the real world, he’s a high school student just like his predecessors, with his scruffy black hair and large glasses setting him apart. In the Persona world, though, his outfit completely changes to that of a gentleman thief. MostPersonaprotagonists don’t undergo a transformation in this other world, but Joker’s mask, coat, and signature red gloves definehis appearance asPersona 5’s lead.Persona 6could imitate this concept of a protagonist with two aesthetics, but it might not hit as hard, simply because Joker did it first.
Joker’s personality is also a crucial reason that he’s such a likeable character. He may be a largely silent protagonist, asPersonatradition dictates, but he’s far from lacking in character, partly because he’s really not that silent at all. Joker has vastly more scattered snippets of spoken dialogue than, say,Persona 4’s protagonist, who is almost wholly silent outside of combat. Joker has quite a few combat voice lines that show thoughtful and theatrical sides, but he also speaks when players save the game, earn social stat points, or play the Tycoon minigame inPersona 5 Royal,all of which showcase his relaxed and confident side. For a silent character in an RPG,Joker is shockingly well fleshed outthis way, and then there’s still a plethora of text dialogue options that hint at both Joker’s empathetic nature and his sense of humor. That’s a tough act forPersona 6to follow.
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Persona 6 Has to Bottle Joker’s Magic
Persona 6might be able to get away with just imitating the new design aspects of Joker that worked. Maybe the world of Shadows and Personas will operate very similarly to its incarnation asthe Metaverse inPersona 5,meaning a protagonist with a strong aesthetic adopts an equally striking design when they enter this other world. Additionally, Atlus could easily supply a long list of voicelines to thePersona 6protagonist and pepper them throughout the game like it did with Joker’s dialogue.
Still, that might not be enough to outperformPersona 5in terms of popularity.Persona 6could imitate the tools thatPersona 5used, but the devil is in the details. Joker isn’t a success just because he’s different from otherPersonaheroes; he’s a success because fans loved all of his specific design traits.Persona 6can develop its protagonist the same way thatPersona 5did, but it can’t just make a second Joker, because fans would certainly criticize Atlus for cloningPersona 5’s protagonist rather than coming up with something new. That meansPersona 6needs to carefully develop a character who isas aesthetically and socially complex as Joker, while also being completely different from him.
There’s no guarantee that whatever design Atlus comes up with will hold the same appeal, though, and that might be the biggest risk thatPersona 6takes. The game can comfortably build onPersona 5’s advancements inpurely mechanical departments like Confidant perks, combat, and dungeon exploration, but designing characters is a very delicate process. SincePersonahas spent years as a franchise about relationships, empathy, and self-knowledge,Persona 6’s characters need to be perfect, and its protagonist needs to be the best of them all. Without a razor-sharp protagonist,Persona 6probably can’t outperformPersona 5.
How Can Persona 6 Replicate Joker?
None of this is to say thatPersona 6’s plan can’t be done. There’s definitely ways thatthe nextPersonagame’s characterscan stand out from the rest like Joker and the Phantom Thieves did. For instance, maybePersona 6will distance itself from some of the anime tropes thatPersona 5worked with and attempt to mix up some more wholly original characters. Alternatively, maybe Atlus will make a much more dramatic change to its protagonist by giving them full voice acting rather than a smattering of voice clips. Still, even if these options are in place, Atlus has to approach this issue carefully and put a ton of work into polishing the hero ofPersona 6.
It seems likely thatPersona 5will serve asa blueprint forPersonagamesfor a very long time. After it exposed so many more people to the franchise and made so many positively received changes toPersonaconventions, Atlus will probably study the game very closely in an attempt to replicate its success. It’s unlikely that everyPersonagame from here on out will be anotherPersona 5,making strides in the series' design and bringing in droves of new fans, but there’s no harm in Atlus trying. Everything Joker touches seems to turn to gold, so it’s only logical that Atlus aims for a protagonist with the same ineffable charm.
Persona 6is in development.
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