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The Megami Tensei franchise is quite the beast, with several different titles and series under its umbrella. These days, the main split is between Shin Megami Tensei and Persona. Although both series occupy similar universes, only the Persona series has managed to make waves overseas.
Shin Megami Tensei has a much more dedicated fanbase in its home nation of Japan, but with Shin Megami Tensei V getting a localized Switch release overseas, many might be wondering exactly what the connection between these two series is. The answer is… somewhat complicated.
10 SIMILAR: Both Deal With The Supernatural
While the approach each series takes differs, both deal with supernatural events. In Shin Megami Tensei, the protagonist is typically in a demonic post-apocalyptic landscape frequently located in Tokyo, although some games take place in foreign locations. For the Persona series, our protagonist eventually runs into Igor, the master of the otherworldly Velvet Room. Both series are also fond of including dream sequences in which characters experience various paranormal premonitions that hint at events to come in-game.
9 DIFFERENT: Shin Megami Tensei Has A Much Darker Tone
Shin Megami Tensei games frequently feature otherworldly struggles between light and darkness, typically represented as a conflict between Law and Chaos. The monsters in Shin Megami Tensei are also referred to as demons, and apocalyptic events are usually central to the series’ conflicts. The worlds of Shin Megami Tensei are frequently ruled by tyrannical deities that need to be stopped, while Persona focuses more on interpersonal relationships and social psychology. In fact, Persona‘s main claim to fame is its use of Jungian psychology as a framing mechanism.
8 SIMILAR: Both Persona & Shin Megami Tensei Share Some Battle Mechanics
Elemental weaknesses and resistances are largely identical between both series. Shared elemental magics include Zio and Agi, and they even share the same buff spells, such as Rakukaja and Sukukaja. The newest Persona entry, Persona 5, included the Baton Pass system, which works similarly to Shin Megami Tensei‘s Press Turn system.
When players strike their enemies’ weak points, they get the option to take an additional turn by passing control over to another character on the player’s team without ending the first character’s turn. It’s a great system that incentivizes players to play strategically.
7 DIFFERENT: Persona Has Been More Popular In The US
Shin Megami Tensei‘s heavy religious themes made it difficult to market in the US until much later after its release, even though there was technically a market for it overseas. Shin Megami Tensei was very popular in Japan, however, and it’s been a major franchise since it released. Persona, on the other hand, doesn’t delve too deeply (or obviously) into religious themes in terms of its story, so it was easier to market in Western countries. Persona 3 was a breakout success for the series in the US, and Persona‘s popularity has only grown since then.
6 SIMILAR: Protagonists Take On God-Like Villains
In Shin Megami Tensei, the link to gods is more explicit, as each major faction in the game tends to side with God or Lucifer. The protagonist also makes alliances with various demons along the way and biblical themes can be heavy-handed. Persona, on the other hand, tends to be a bit more subtle about religion. Persona 5 might be one of the more obvious entries that touch on fighting gods, but the main villain in Persona 4 was a human with a superiority complex and liked to think of himself as a god.
5 DIFFERENT: Each Game Recruits Different Supernatural Entities
The entities might share the same appearance overall, but Shin Megami Tensei calls them demons while Persona calls them Shadows, which become Personas once obtained. Shin Megami Tensei also tends to rely on a negotiation-style process when recruiting demons to a protagonist’s team. In early Persona games, this system was also in place, but once the two series officially branched apart, Persona laid off the negotiation-style recruitment. Persona 5 is the first Persona game to return to negotiating with Shadows.
4 SIMILAR: Demons & Personas Can Be Fused Into Stronger Fighters
Fusing demons and Personas is a crucial mechanic in each series, with exceptionally strong demons and Personas locked behind specific fusion recipes. Fusions also allow for certain moves and traits to be passed down to demons or Personas that ordinarily wouldn’t learn them, resulting in a stronger demon or Persona.
Each game in each series has its own various rules for how fusion works, but the basic structure is in virtually all games in each series.
3 DIFFERENT: Each Series’ Setting & Focus Is Distinct
Shin Megami Tensei games are frequently located in Tokyo, but some have occurred in other locations. Regardless, one thing they all seem to have in common is the impending (or current) apocalypse that the protagonist needs to address. Themes of saving the world are much stronger in Shin Megami Tensei. In Persona, on the other hand, the protagonist is always a modern high school student in a Japanese school, although the location isn’t always Tokyo. Moreover, Persona‘s emphasis is frequently on interpersonal relationships and the collective unconscious, making it more focused on social commentary.
2 SIMILAR: They Came From The Same Source
Shin Megami Tensei is technically the name for the entire franchise, with early Persona games titled Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. It wasn’t until Persona 4 Arena and Persona 4 Golden that the “Shin Megami Tensei” bit was dropped, since it would make the titles too unwieldy. Nevertheless, Persona is technically a spinoff series from the main Shin Megami Tensei lineup. Atlus noticed the high-school setting in Shin Megami Tensei If… was quite popular, and thus the Persona series was born.
1 DIFFERENT: Persona Spin-Off Games Are More Varied
Most of Shin Megami Tensei‘s spin-off games tend to be more JRPGs or RPG-based titles that don’t differ too much in their mechanics from the main game. Persona, on the other hand, has a few different genres in its spin-off games. Most notably, Persona has relatively popular fighting games and rhythm games under its umbrella. Persona 4 Arena is a fighting game that was popular enough to net a sequel with Persona Arena 4 Ultimax, and Persona 3, 4, and 5 have all received their own rhythm games. Shin Megami Tensei has no such claim to fame.
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