Research-backed game lineage

Persona

Persona is included in the Series Atlas after independent recognition and an authoritative game-by-game roster audit. Editions, simple ports, DLC, bundles, canceled projects, and cameo-only appearances are excluded.

18 curated games 1999–2027 release span 0 connected branches

Connected lineage

Lineage connections.

Parent lineageShin Megami Tensei

A research-verified chronology of Shin Megami Tensei, spanning 1992–2021.

↖

Genre profile

Primary-root profile.

The researched entries keep a consistent primary-root profile.

Observed shapeRPG18 researched entries

Primary roots

RPG7

Frameworks

01Unclassified1999 02RPG2000 03RPG2006 04RPG2008 05RPG2009 06Unclassified2012 08Unclassified2013 09Unclassified2014 10Unclassified2015 11RPG2016 12Unclassified2018 13Unclassified2018 14Unclassified2018 15RPG2020 16Unclassified2023 17Unclassified2024 18Unclassified2024 19RPG2027

Subgenres representedJRPG 6 Action RPG 1

Entry points

Starting points.

Use the researched chronology, ratings, and remake relationships to select a starting title.

Chronological startPersona 2: Innocent SinMainline · 1999

Highest ratedPersona 5Mainline · 2016

Most recent mainlinePersona5: The Phantom XMainline · 2024

Remake routeShin Megami Tensei: PersonaRemake · 2009

Release chronology

All researched entries.

Ordered by researched series position, then original release date. Ports, DLC, and duplicate editions are intentionally excluded.

18 games in this lineage

Mainline1999

Persona 2: Innocent Sin

Persona 2: Innocent Sin is a Japanese role-playing video game developed and released by Atlus It is the second entry in the Persona series and acts as a sequel to the original Persona. The original version was not localized for western territories, but the PSP version was released in North America and Europe under the title Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2: Innocent Sin. Innocent Sin takes place in the fictional Sumaru City, focusing on a group of high school students from Seven Sisters High School. The main protagonist, Tatsuya Suou, and a group of friends must confront a villainous figure called the Joker, who is causing the spread of reality-warping rumors through the city. The group are aided in their quest by their Personas, personified aspects of their personalities. The gameplay features turn-based battle gameplay, where characters use their Personas in battle against demons, and a separate Rumor system, where rumors spread around the city can influence events in the characters' favor.

Jun 24, 199974/100

↗

Mainline2000

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus, and chronologically the third installment in the Persona series. Eternal Punishment takes place in the fictional Japanese city of Sumaru, and is a direct sequel to Persona 2: Innocent Sin. Taking place a year after Innocent Sin, the game follows reporter Maya Amamo as she investigates the Joker Curse, a malign phenomenon where people's wishes and rumors are coming true and causing chaos. During her investigations, she and others who join her gain the ability to summon Personas, personified aspects of their personalities. The gameplay features turn-based battle gameplay, where characters use their Personas in battle against demons, and a separate Rumor system, where rumors spread around the city can influence events in the characters' favor.

Jun 29, 200080/100

↗

Mainline2006

Persona 3

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus. In the game, the player takes the role of a male high-school student who joins the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES), a group of students investigating the Dark Hour, a time period between one day and the next that few people are aware of. During the Dark Hour, the player enters Tartarus, a large tower containing Shadows, creatures that feed on the minds of humans. To fight the Shadows, each member of SEES is able to summon a Persona, a manifestation of a person's inner self. In addition to the standard elements of role-playing games, Persona 3 includes elements of simulation games, as the game's protagonist progresses day by day through a school year, making friends and forming relationships that improve the strength of his Personas in battle.

Jul 13, 200691/100

↗

Mainline2008

Persona 4

An entry in the JRPG/visual novel hybrid Persona series in which the player has to harness the power of Personas and fight entities called Shadows by forging bonds with the locals of Inaba, a rural Japanese town thrown into unrest by inexplicable murders committed under cover of foggy weather and rumours of a television channel said to broadcast mysterious images on rainy nights.

Jul 10, 200891/100

↗

Remake2009

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

Persona is a philosophical game that takes place in a world close to our own. It is a departure from the typical swords and sorcery, and it delivers a tale of dreams, the purpose of life, and who we are as individuals. In Persona you have modern weapons like an Uzi and an AK-47. And instead of always fighting monsters, you are given the opportunity to talk your way through a confrontation. By talking things out, you can earn components of spells the more components you have, the more powerful your spells become.

Apr 29, 200983/100

↗

Mainline2012

Persona 4 Arena

Persona 4 Arena is a fighting video game developed for Japanese arcades and later ported to home consoles. Based on Atlus' Persona role-playing game series, Arena serves as a direct sequel to Persona 4 and features characters from its predecessor, Persona 3. Atlus wrote the story to the game while Arc System Works handled the gameplay.

Mar 1, 201280/100

↗

Mainline2013

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fighting video game developed by Arc System Works and Atlus. It is the direct sequel to Persona 4 Arena, which is itself a follow-up to the role-playing game Persona 4. The game was originally released in Japanese arcades on November 28, 2013, and later ported to home consoles. Unlike the previous game, it is not region locked.

Nov 28, 201378/100

↗

Mainline2014

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Persona Q is a crossover video game, containing characters from both Persona 3 and Persona 4 in a game based on Etrian Odyssey, with its perspective, play-style, and systems. Persona Q's gameplay focuses further on being a dungeon crawler. Players choose to play from the perspective of either the Persona 3 protagonist or the Persona 4 protagonist, with each side featuring slight differences in the main story. The player's choices will also alter the flow of the game.

Jun 5, 201486/100

↗

Mainline2015

Persona 4: Dancing All Night

Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a story-driven music game of the cult hit RPG Persona 4, developed by ATLUS. Replacing the RPG elements are dance battles that challenge players' dexterity and accuracy, as they tap out re-mixes of fan-favorite themes and brand new music tracks. The storyline continues from after the events of Persona 4, when the teenage mega-idol, Rise Kujikawa, returns to the city to re-take her show biz career. During that time, a strange video appears on the internet and the unfortunate people who watched it have gone missing! Members of Kanamin Kitchen, Rise's junior idol group, have disappeared and it's up to the Investigation team to mount a rescue mission - only they discover the same monstrous Shadows from the Midnight Channel. To make matters even worse, their Persona abilities are rendered ineffective, and the Shadows in P4D can only be defeated by dance, so bust out powerful dance moves to save the day!

Jun 25, 201575/100

↗

Mainline2016

Persona 5

Persona 5, a turn-based JRPG with visual novel elements, follows a high school student with a criminal record for a crime he didn't commit. Soon he meets several characters who share similar fates to him, and discovers a metaphysical realm which allows him and his friends to channel their pent-up frustrations into becoming a group of vigilantes reveling in aesthetics and rebellion while fighting corruption.

Sep 15, 201693/100

↗

Mainline2018

Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight

Face-to-face with an enigmatic Velvet Room resident, the SEES are forced to perform at a mysterious dance party. Test your rhythm based gameplay skills and dominate the dance floor!

May 24, 201875/100

↗

Mainline2018

Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight

Dancing game featuring characters from Persona 5.

May 24, 201873/100

↗

Mainline2018

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth

The dream meeting of Persona 3, 4, 5! Welcome to the movie world (Labyrinth). The latest RPG in the Persona series! A new storyline in Persona Q, this time focusing on P5. The most number of party members in the Persona series with a total of 28 people! A dream RPG where P3, P4, and P5 characters meet to unravel the mystery begins!

Nov 29, 201888/100

↗

Mainline2020

Persona 5 Strikers

Persona 5 Strikers is a crossover between Koei Tecmo's hack and slash Dynasty Warriors series and Atlus's turn-based role-playing game Persona series. As a result, it features gameplay elements from both, such as the real-time action combat of the former with the turn-based Persona-battling aspect of the latter. The game is set six months after the events of Persona 5, and follows Joker and the rest of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as they end up in a mysterious version of Tokyo filled with supernatural enemies.

Feb 20, 202080/100

↗

Mainline2023

Persona 5 Tactica

After a strange incident, the Phantom Thieves wander into a bizarre realm where its citizens are living under tyrannical oppression. Surrounded by a military group named Legionnaires, they find themselves in grave danger until a mysterious revolutionary named Erina rescues them and offers an enticing deal in exchange for their help. What truth lies behind Erina and the deal she offers to the Phantom Thieves.

Nov 17, 202381/100

↗

Remake2024

Persona 3 Reload

Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate when entering the hour "hidden" between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever. Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era.

Feb 2, 202488/100

↗

Mainline2024

Persona5: The Phantom X

Persona 5: The Phantom X is a spin-off of Persona 5, and is officially authorized by SEGA with deep involvement by Atlus.

Apr 12, 202468/100

↗

Remake2027

Persona 4 Revival

Who’s on Air? Legend has it that a mysterious broadcast known as the "Midnight Channel" appears only on rainy nights. The day after it airs, a corpse is found in Inaba, a quiet and peaceful town in rural Japan suddenly thrown into turmoil. To uncover the truth behind these chilling mysteries, you and your friends form an investigation team to unravel the secrets of the Midnight Channel and the bizarre murders. As your adventure unfolds, you face off against "Shadows," eerie manifestations of individuals' darker selves. Together, you awaken a hidden power called "Persona" and embark on a journey to prevent more tragedies while uncovering the truth behind the chaos.

Feb 18, 2027

↗

Sources and method

Built from the public record.

Membership is researched from external official and independent sources. Mainline games, direct spin-offs, remakes, remasters, and standalone expansions are included; DLC, simple ports, duplicate editions, compilation-only duplicates, rumors, cancellations, and cameo-only crossovers are excluded.

database Persona collection — IGDB
IGDB maintains a distinct collection record for Persona and supplies the authoritative roster used for membership verification.
reference List of video game franchises
The independent catalog recognizes Persona as a multi-game franchise and supports its inclusion in this major-series research sweep.