In Person 5 Royal, Atlus has made the complete basic Persona 5 DLC package free, allowing us to try not only many clothes that mention old games from the software house, but also some exclusive Personae.
In this guide we will analyze them one by one, specifying their origin, abilities, statistics and new traits introduced with Royal, also highlighting the differences with the alternative Picaro versions.
The only free Persona DLC we're not going to talk about today is Orpheus since it has already been dealt with in depth with its female version in two of our guides, one dedicated to basic versions and another a those Picaro.
If you want to know more about the Personae DLC introduced by Persona 5 Royal, we recommend that you take a look at the our section about it.
The guide may still contain material in English or slight inaccuracies, which we invite you to report in the comments!
Ariadne
Origin and representation in the saga
Ariadne (or Arianna in Italian) is an important figure present in several tales of Greek mythology.
Daughter of the King of Crete Minos, she is remembered for having offered Theseus a sword and the famous ball of string, in order to face the Minotaur inside the labyrinth and get out of it safe and sound.
Theseus, in fact, was one of the 14 young men chosen to be given as a sacrifice to the beast, and thanks to the help of the girl he succeeded in his intent. Falling in love with her, he took her with him on the ship back to the island of Naxos, where, for various reasons, he abandoned her the next day during his wake.
Saddened by the loss, she will later be joined by Dionysus, who will take her as his wife for the rest of his life.
The events of Ariadne, however, do not end here: some time later, in fact, she will be mortally wounded and killed by Perseus in Argos. Dionysus had to descend into the underworld to bring her back (along with her mother), and with her he ascended to Mount Olympus as a deity.
In Shin's series Megami Tensei first appeared in Persona 4: Arena, and is the Persona who labrys he will awaken once he defeats his Shadow.
Its design is reminiscent of a robot with feminine features, in line with the bearer. During his attacks, moreover, he uses a sort of orange thread that takes on motifs similar to those of a labyrinth, as a clear reference to his mythological figure.
Later it was only reintroduced in Persona 5 and Royal as a DLC along with a Picaro variant.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
As with most of the Picaro variants, Ariadne Picaro has no differences in strengths and weaknesses, but generally gets a improvement in level, statistics and moveset.
With regard to the latter, in particular, it will replace Sign. of the attack with Auto Mataru e Fortified Moxy con Heating.
Aesthetically, then, it has red, black and white shades typical of the Picaro variants (sometimes gold is also present, but in this case it is absent).
Tratto (both versions)
Asterius
The name Asterius (or Asterion) refers in Greek mythology to two distinct figures.
The first of these is a king of Crete whose wife fell in love with Zeus in the form of a bull, giving birth to King Minos.
The second, on the other hand, is the famous Minotaur, the half man and half bull son of the aforementioned Minos. The creature was born after the king refused to sacrifice a bull to Poseidon, drawing the wrath of the God who did in spite of falling in love with his wife with the same animal.
In Shin Megami Tensei's series, both the Minotaur and the generic Asterius have been reprized multiple times.
The former made an appearance in several chapters of the series, starting with the very first Megami Tensei and then moving on from SMT I and SMT IV.
As for the spin-offs, however, he appeared in Last Bible I, II, III and Special, in Majin Tensei, in Demikids Light / Dark Version, in Devil Children Ice / Fire Book and, finally, in Persona 2 Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment.
In recent chapters of the Persona series, however, he has not yet made his return.
A very different speech is to be said for Asterius, since his appearances are much less but definitely more recent.
It appears for the first and only time in the main series in SMT IV as a Demon obtainable in the DLC "Money Makes the Underworld Turn.".
To get it, just talk to a man in the only room on the map, who will offer data for a fusion at the cost of 10 Golden Jets. The fusion in question will require the sacrifice of Morax, Raiju and Halphas.
The demon introduces himself as a gold-colored Minotaur that he can teach Flynn Megaton Press and Charge.
As for the Persona titles, however, it will be introduced for the first time in Persona 4 Arena, where it will have the role of natural extension of Shadow Labrys.
This Person has the appearance of an anthropomorphic bull that comes out only partially from the ground, to which it is anchored. Around him, there are a great deal of flames.
It will then be introduced in Persona 5 and Royal as a DLC with an exclusive Picaro variant.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
As for the resistance, Asterius Picaro does not undergo changes compared to the basic version.
What mainly changes is the level, stats, and the replacement of Auto-Mataru with Auto-Masuku and of Tetrakarn with Marakarn.
Tratto (both versions)
Izanagi
Origin and representation in the saga
The name Izanagi appears in many chronicles. Also known as the "inviting man", he is believed to be the creator of Japan and its deities under the guidance of his wife, the goddess Izanami.
When Izanami died, Izanagi tried to save her from the underworld, but failed. In her new form, the goddess attempted to kill her ex-husband, and swore that she would kill a thousand men a day. Izanagi then declared that every day he would give birth to 1500 more men.
Izanagi makes her first appearance in Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, the first book in the novel trilogy that inspired the entire Shin Megami Tensei saga, and its related OVA.
He later appeared in the titles Megami Tensei II, Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei, Devil Children Red Book / Black Book and Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne as a secondary character.
In the Persona spin-offs, however, Izanagi first appears in 4 person as the starting persona of protagonist Yu Narukami.
It was therefore resumed in all the spinoffs of that chapter of the saga, in Persona 4 Golden and in the two titles Persona Q and Persona Q2, always alongside the protagonist.
In Persona 5 it is only available as a paid DLC with a Picaro version, while in Royal they are both obtainable for free.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
Compared to the basic version, the Picaro version acquires complete immunity not only to damage of the Electricity type, but also of the Curse type.
Furthermore, as the penultimate skill that can be learned, he will learn the much more effective one Cancel act. physical compared to Schiva att. physical.
The only other notable difference is the learning of Rakukaja compared to Tarukaja.
Tratto (both versions)
Kaguya
Origin and representation in the saga
Kaguya, or better known as Kaguya Hime, is the protagonist of a very famous story of Japanese folklore called Taketori Monogatari (The story of the bamboo cutter).
According to this story, Kaguya Hime is a girl who was found at an early age by a lumberjack inside the stem of a bamboo. The man decided to raise her as his own daughter, and over the years she began to become famous throughout Japan due to her majestic beauty.
Many men asked for her hand and she always refused, until the Emperor himself one day appeared before her hoping to get her in marriage. He too was rejected by the woman, but he still loved her.
After several years, Kaguya discovered that she belonged to a race of celestial beings who lived on the Moon, who, shortly thereafter, would return to Earth to be reunited with her.
Hearing this, the Emperor did everything to prevent her from being harmed during his ascension, and for this he was rewarded by the woman with an elixir that would guarantee him immortality.
The man, however, did not drink it, convinced that it was not worth spending an infinite existence without Kaguya, and for this he ordered one of his soldiers to take the gift to the peak of a very high mountain and burn it.
It is thought that this story may represent one of the probable inspirations for the name of Mount Fuji, since the kanji 不死, which are read Fushi or Fuji, would have the meaning of "immortality".
However, it is not a confirmable hypothesis, since the kanji with which we refer to the volcano today are different (富士).
In the saga of Shin Megami Tensei, Kaguya Hime makes her first appearance in Devil Children Black Book / Red Book, assuming the appearance of a little girl sitting on top of a UFO.
In the Persona spin-offs, on the other hand, Persona 4 Golden is introduced as the final Persona of the Arcanum Aeon, obtainable only after maximizing the Social Link with Marie.
It will later appear in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (here as Marie's Persona) and Persona Q, before being introduced as a DLC in Persona 5 and Royal along with an exclusive Picaro version wearing the Shujin Academy uniform.
Compared to the other chapters of the saga, Persona 5 and Royal Kaguya is part of the arcane Luna, both because the Aeon Arcanum is totally missing and to directly quote its story of origin.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
Except for the level, the main differences compared to the basic version of Kaguya Picaro are the loss of resistance towards theWind element and the presence in the moveset of Come back instead of Counterattack.
Tratto (both versions)
Magatsu-Izanagi
Origin and representation in the saga
The origin of Magatsu-Izanagi is the same as that of Izanagi, but with a substantial difference.
The term "Magatsu" in fact has the meaning of "Calamity", and refers to when Izanagi had to escape from the underworld after failing to save his wife Izanami, before she purified herself and gave birth to Amaterasu, Susano-o and Tsukuyomi.
In the saga of Shin Megami Tensei he first appeared in 4 person as a Person of Tohru Adachi, presenting himself with an aesthetic very similar to that of the initial Persona of the protagonist Yu Narukami, despite being completely smeared with blood unlike him.
He later appeared in Persona 4 Golden, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Persona Q and Persona Q2, before being introduced via DLC in Persona 5 and Royal with an exclusive Picaro version.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
The main differences of Magatsu-Izanagi Picaro compared to the basic version lie in the replacement of Maziodyne with Magarudyne and of Sign. of the attack with Sign. speed.
As for strengths and weaknesses, however, it remains completely unchanged.
Tratto (both versions)
Messiah
Origin and representation in the saga
That of Messiah (Messiah in Italian) is a very well known concept within the religious and non-religious context.
Appeared for the first time in the Old Testament, it derives from the Greek word mashiach, “anointed by the lord”, referring to the anointing ritual with which important individuals such as priests, kings and prophets were consecrated within the book.
In Jewish eschatology, the term refers to a future king of the bloodline of David who will be given the task of leading the Jewish people into the kingdom of God, ensuring their salvation.
This conception does not necessarily imply that the Messiah must be divine offspring, but rather implies that he can be an influential politician, a powerful priest or, in general, an incredibly charismatic person, who will dominate the Jewish people and spread the worship of God in the world. .
For Christians and Muslims, this concept has come to dovetail with Jesus Christ, while for the Jews the situation is more complex.
In fact, if there are those who believe that the Messiah is yet to arrive, others associate this concept with multiple individuals who actually existed and currently exist, each of which had such a large impact in its time as to mark our past, our present and our future.
In general, then, the concept of Messiah is present in a different way in other religions even if with different nomenclature, as for example in Buddhism a considered messianic figure is the Buddha himself, or in the Ahmadiyya community there is an entity with an identical role called Mahdi .
For all these religions, therefore, the concept of the Messiah is crucial in establishing the fate of each people, and is subject to perennial cults of celebration or expectation.
As for them, also in the series of Shin Megami Tensei the concept of Messiah is fundamental for every narrated event.
From Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse, in fact, the information was introduced that every single protagonist of each title of the main series, in one way or another, is a Messiah, or a human being born at the behest of the Great Will ( or Axiom) to end the clash between the factions of Law and Chaos.
In each chapter, therefore, we will find ourselves controlling an individual with a very high potential, whose strength and charisma will allow us to take sides on one side or the other of the conflict to prevail over the opponents.
In the Persona series, however, Messiah refers to a specific very high-level Persona introduced in 3 person.
Within the story, in particular, he plays the role of Final person of the protagonist Makoto Yuki, being able to obtain it starting from level 90 as a fusion between Orpheus (the initial Person of Makoto) and Thanatos.
Its very particular aesthetic, in addition to recalling Orpheus himself, can be traced back to that of Jesus Christ, presenting long hair and a long vertical structure on the back, very similar to the part of the cross that the savior of the New Testament had to carry on his shoulder during the day of his execution.
Messiah then appeared later in the spin-offs Persona Q and Q2, as well as in Persona 5 and Royal as a DLC with an unprecedented Picaro version.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
Compared to the basic version, Messiah Picaro has several substantial differences regarding the moveset.
First of all, as an innate ability he will present, in place of Hand of God, Agneyastra, which will inflict less damage but can be used against multiple opponents at the same time.
The second difference is the use of Healing ist. instead of Regeneration. 3, completely eliminating the ability to automatically regain HP it previously had and replacing it with healing from each altered state after a turn.
Then there is the use of Medical support compared to Cooldown 3, giving a small bonus at the end of the battle but completely eliminating SP auto cooldown.
Finally, Absorb Att. physical has been replaced by Strenuous resistance, which no longer allows it to absorb physical damage, but at the same time increases its overall resistance to any type of damage.
Tratto (both versions)
Thanatos
Origin and representation in the saga
The figure of Thanatos sees its origin in Greek mythology. He is represented as the one who brings a peaceful death to living beings, in direct contrast to the much more violent methods of the gods.
In Hesiod's Theogony he is one of the sons of Nyx, as well as being the older twin brother of Hypnos. Due to his role and his general indiscriminate ruthlessness he is hated by any type of entity, which forces him to show mutual disgust.
From an aesthetic point of view, he is perceived as a ghost with a fierce gaze and a shaggy beard, inspiring fear to all those around him thanks to his sword.
Over the centuries, his figure has been reinterpreted several times, until in modern times he became one of the angels of death, while remaining associated with the concept of serene disappearance. Many Roman sarcophagi represent him as a winged boy, in line with other angels such as Cupid.
Thanatos makes his first appearance in the Shin Megami Tensei saga as a demon of the Reaper race in Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, only to land in the main series more than 20 years later as the demon of the dungeon Womb of Grief by Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux.
The representation given in these games is of a humanoid figure wrapped in a cloak from which only the face and hands appear, both green and covered with some sort of buboes. One of the hands is also holding a knife.
Far more famous, however, is its appearance within the Persona spin-offs, due to its prominent role in some chapters of the saga.
The first chapter in which he officially appears is Megami Ibunroku Persona, in which he is the last boss that can be faced in the Thanatos Tower, reachable in the narrative arc of the Snow Queen.
He will then return as the final Person of the Arcanum Death in 3 person, initially emerging from the body of the Person Orpheus shortly after its first evocation by the protagonist Makoto Yuki.
On this occasion, in particular, he will fiercely attack the Shadow Broker who is attacking the dormitory, destroying it but causing Makoto to faint from too much power used.
Subsequently, the character Ryoji Mochizuki will show himself with a similar appearance to Thanatos a few weeks before the event known as The Fall, proposing to the protagonist and the rest of the team a complete erasure of their memory of Tartarus, so as not to suffer for the coming of Nyx.
Its aesthetic perfectly echoes its role in mythology, featuring a long black dress, a monstrous helmet that covers its face and a series of metal coffins that wrap around its back.
Given its iconic role in the title, it will be repeated later in Persona 4 Arena, Persona Q, Persona Q2 and finally, as a DLC along with an exclusive Picaro version in Persona 5 and Royal.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
The biggest differences of Thanatos Picaro compared to the basic version are in the moveset. Specifically, there is a replacement of Amplify Curse with Upgrade Mudo and Fortified Moxy with Adverse Resolve.
Tratto (both versions)
Tsukiyomi
Origin and representation in the saga
Tsukiyomi, also called Tsukuyomi, is the god of the moon in Shintoism.
Born of Izanagi's right eye during his purification following his ascent from the underworld, he is the brother of Susano-o, god of storms and hurricanes, and Amaterasu, goddess of the sun.
According to legends, following the killing by the god of Uke-Mochi, the goddess of food, Amaterasu was so angry that she refused to see him for the rest of her existence, preventing the Sun and Moon from meeting again and, therefore, creating the day-night cycle that distinguishes every day.
Tsukiyomi is a recurring demon in the saga, appearing in chapters ranging from Megami Tensei to the Devil Children series, despite being present in the mainline chapters of Shin Megami Tensei only with Shin Megami Tensei II and Shin Megami Tensei: If…
In the spin-off series Persona he first appeared in Persona 2 Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, while he will get a prominent role and a redesign only in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax as Sho Minazuki's Persona.
He later appeared first in Persona Q and then in Persona 5 and Royal via DLC, along with an exclusive Picaro version.
Statistics (basic version)
Skills (basic version)
Statistics (Picaro version)
Skills (Picaro version)
The Picaro version of Tuskiyomi, compared to the basic version, focuses more on having a greater ability to use spells, thanks to skills such as Spiritual suck e Master of Magic which allow greater efficiency in exploiting the SPs
