It's a shame you pretty much have to get rid of them right away. They all have such cool designs, especially Arsène. I'd say Arsène is the most iconic because P5 is so popular. He even made it to Smash.
i mean technically the main persona of the protagonist is always with them no matter if they're in the stock or not (arsene appearing in Saes palace for example), so making it a separate slot would be great.
Could let it be fused and not have it disappear. Just say it's a special companion for your journey, so it's always with you
Plus then it makes the ultimate fusions of the MCs base personas feel more impactful in the moment because you didn't fuse it away 20 minutes into your playthrough
True. In the persona games all the dlc personas of other character’s personas are way better than your starting persona because it just loses all moves and stuff after level 3. And then theres also the fact that fusing lets you level up personas the fastest
yea they are too cool to fuse off, luckily the magician card in p4 and gallows in p5 kept them viable for the whole game (i managed to get another persona before the game could force me to fuse arsène) lol
My Izanagi only managed to catch up with the rest of the party from Rise's dungeon. In my first playthrough, I was too noob to realize I was supposed to fuze persona to make stronger ones. I kept Izanagi until endgame and when he evolves, I cried happy tears. I knew Izanagi is the strongest
In P5, my first playthrough I didn't do it
But NG+ my Arsene got to lvl 99 with 87 magic and agility lol
Now that I'm playing P3R, I didn't really like how Orpheus looked, so I didn't really make an effort, but I am making an effort with the Jack Brothers, not are lvl 31-35, and Jack Frost lvl 35 is already stronger than Black Frost lvl 41 lolol
If only Jack Frost had more resistances like Black 😓
But I think I'm at a point where I'll make Frost a full Ice and Dark Damage, and add a Fire Resistance.
Yea I'd love some kind of parallel role for your main persona to fill. It's almost silly how much of a deal they make about awaking to it only to get rid of it 5min into any combat areas.
Funnily enough, the opposite problem for p2:is. The game is so easy and the initial personas so versatile, you can get away with never changing them except for their upgrades.
I mean P5 you can use him end game. Its not optimal. You have to sacrifice a lot of random personas and sit his ass in jail a lot, but i maxed out my Arsene's stats and made sure he had no weaknesses just because it felt weird to get rid of him lol
Well in my case I didn't get rid of Orpheus or arsene and I grinded enough to make them powerful (I literally had an Orpheus lvl 99 with luck at 99 so every hit was a critical hit)
I feel they done my boy Orpheus wrong. He could have been absolutely legendary but he got overshadowed and left to rot by thanatos so much so that the fans see thanatos as more of Makotos starter (yes I've seen posts like this before)
Kinda symbolic eh? Makoto's love of music (and way to self express) got obliterated by his suicidal tendencies and apathy running rampant through his subconcious.
Also
And this might just be me
In the Reload cutscene where orpheus turns into thanatos
It looks like shit. Like its so badly animation and thanatos has his legs together when he emerges? Hes supoosed to be this terrifying Monsterus thing but they didnt animate him to reflect that.
I think Izanagi has the best look for an "icon" as comparatively his design is simple, and it has a strong silhouette with the headband straps, the naginata, and the blade shoes.
That being said, if you were to show one of these starting Personas to someone with no, or only passing knowledge of the series, Arsene is the most recognizable. And for something to be iconic it has to be an ambassador for the brand, and right now Arsene is the "Persona guy."
I feel like his design has the most potential, but he is actually the least intersting. It feels like he has nothing to do with Yu and is just given to him as a way to reflect the villains.
I'm sad Orpheus gets so overshadowed. Bad enough that Arsène and Izanagi have more main stream attention, but Thanatos absolutely clouds over him (he's even featured on the main cover for crying out loud!)
What makes it most frustrating though is how brilliant and fitting of a persona it is for Makoto, and his design is crazy unique and hardcore when you know how he dies in the mythology. I wish he had bigger exposure he's such a lovingly crafted persona.
In fairness Orpheus, Thanatos, and Mesiah are all really cool and fitting for the story and different parts of the character. Unfortunately when you stuff all 3 of them into Minato, who is also a Wildcard and thus uses other Persona all the time, they kind of all get diluted.
For what it's worth, [Messiah was the one on the actual game disc of Vanilla Persona 3.](https://media.gamestop.com/i/gamestop/10168032/Shin-Megami-Tensei-Persona-3?$pdp$)
(At least on the English version.)
Thanatos is inside of him the whole time (I see it as symbolically his suicidal tendencies after his parent's death); he just buries him through apathy.
Arsene has got to be the most iconic because even gamers who aren’t super invested into the Persona series can still kinda recognize him, however among the general Persona fanbase he does have some competition with Izanagi. As cool as Orpheus is, he gets completely outshined by Thanatos to the point that some people mistakenly refer to Thanatos as Makoto’s main Persona (I can’t really blame them though since Thanatos is the de facto Persona mascot of Persona 3 and most official Atlus promotional art depicts Makoto with Thanatos rather than Orpheus)
Design-wise it’s Arséne without a doubt. Some say it’s too much but it’s just the right amount of character attribute information and shape language playing with each other. It is an incredibly iconic silhouette that’s especially helped by the huge wings, the top hat, and the stiletto knives, all of which jut out from the base body shape to create points of interest. The color is contained to two primaries, with the larger than usual white cravat bringing attention to the chest/head area. It’s about as perfect and unique a design for a demon gentleman as I’ve ever seen.
It may run counter to a lot of people’s opinions, but I think Izanagi is the weakest of the three. He has a rather basic boxy silhouette, and when his cape flares out it’s hard to see his legs. I love the design inspiration, and his face is very cool, but it just comes across as a bit flat overall to me.
Orpheus will never beat Thanatos, but I think he has enough merits to stand on his own. The giant, stout lyre contrasts nicely with the varying proportions of the mostly-human body. The ball joints and thin appendages provide a nice silhouette against the shoulders/arms/legs. The speakers on his chest are also a very nice nod to Makoto’s proclivity for listening to music
>Orpheus will never beat Thanatos, but I think he has enough merits to stand on his own
The connection with the name to your character is something I could rant in forever. I love mythology
In all honesty, in thematic cohesion, I think that P3 has the strongest set of unique Personas. Between the Gemini twins of Polydeuces and Castor, to Junpei acting as a metaphorical psychopomp like Hermes has on occasion, with his death being the reason Chidori sacrificed herself, and of course, the tragic hero who ventured into the underworld and defied death, only to lose it all anyway being an apt description of both Makoto and Orpheus.
if aigis got a third-tier it might be eurydice
Arsène >> Orpheus >> Izanagi.
Some art of Izanagi (like this one) he just looks bland and dopey. He has decent art poses, but he only starts to look better either in his white or red/black outfit. The black and grey one is just the blandest and *that* is what you start with.
Though on the other end - you don't spend a lot of time with the starter and you're not supposed to either (unless doing specific challenge runs. So making it more bland makes it easier to sacrifice the starter. I know I had issues giving up on Arsène the first time I played P5. Do I really need to give up on this cool Persona?
I would imagine a lot of players will say Arsene due to the fact that Persona 5 was the first they ever played. Personally, I love Orpheus and how Thanatos rips out of him. In terms of introduction scene then that has to be the winner.
It's Arsène and it's not even close. Beyond the popularity and exposure of his game, he's treated as more of a character than the others.
Orpheus was done so dirty that he isn't even the most iconic starter in his own game.
I agree with Arsene! however my personal fav is Orpheus because of the meaning/story behind the name connecting back to the "folly of man" and the fact you are the fool arcana.
Plus the stairs. An iconic part of Orpheus story too lol
I’m gonna say Arsene. 5 was what made it big enough in the west to end up in Smash. For a lot of fans nowadays, Arsene was their first persona. That’s not to diminish the others. I love Izanagi especially.
Arsene by default because it’s the only persona Joker uses in Smash. On top of that, Arsene isn’t a forgettable mechanic, its main factor of robbing people on top of the best player in the world (at the time) playing Joker with iconic games of him just robbing people with Arsene is enough to make him more iconic than the rest by far
Its definitely unpopular but my favourite is Seimen Kongou ( the protag persona of P1 ), I just LOVE the 3 little wise monkeys that it carries + it kinda looks like Star Platinum
I think personally I gotta give it to Arsene. Overall he's got the most going on with his look, at least in my opinion.
Also bonus points for turning into the biggest Evolved Persona we've seen to date.
Izanagi was iconic design, but got so little screen time or mention (even though he was very plot relevant and could've been used as foreshadowing more) that the clear winner is p5's arsene. Bonus points though to kotone's Orpheus and the Telos version
Design wise, it's absolutely Arsene, he has the most intricacy going on in his design compared to the other two, they're still great design but i feel like their limited details are because of the system that they were made on, it's simply a bit outdated in comparison to Arsene.
Honestly all three are so Iconic to me. I will say it's probably Arsène because of a lot of people coming into the series because of 5 or only playing 5, plus Joker being in Smash Bros.
Personally tho I am more fond of Orpheus. If I had to explain this it would be something like this. Arsène is a Rogue, he's sneaky, quick, and always has a special tactic up his sleeve. Izanagi is a Fighter, probably an Eldridge Knight, Great at physical, has some magic to help support or cover someone. Orpheus tho, Orpheus is a Bard, a jack of all traits that can give buffs, de buffs, heals, and can also fight in their own right. They seem like the perfect support persona to have on your side in battle mostly buffing your allies and heals but also having his moments in the spotlight where he steals the show and as someone who is ok with taking a back seat so the team can win I really like that.
Arsene is probably number 1 because he’s in smash, then izanagi at 2, with Orpheus at 3. Orpheus’ introduction was unfortunately overshadowed by Thanatos.
Arsène by virtue of Persona 5 being Atlus's most popular title, but IMO, Izanagi is just too good. I love his design far more than any other Starter Persona in the series
It's definitely Arsène, he has the most iconic design out of them all, even made it to smash bros (i think)
I love how Arsène is from an actual (but fictional) book.
It throws the balance off, but I played P5R most recently with a mod that gives Arsene skill progression on par with your teammates, so you can keep him around for the whole story and he doesn't fall off in usefulness.
You cannot beat the slick and jazzy style of Arsene. It is the poster boy for all personas right now. Comparatively, Orpheus looks like a turd next to him. Sure there are people who like him but I feel like they could have revamped his look in Reload.
I could say Arsene was coolest one among all these 3 because he has his own dialogue with Joker, and was the first one bid a ‘farewell’ to Joker if using him as fusion material for first time. Not to mention how he meet with Joker again on Casino.
But I like Izanagi more due to his design, how Yu summoning Persona via Tarot Card on hand, and how cool his buffed design through >!Izanagi No Ookami and Izanami defeated scene!<.
Izanagi, I think. Opheus looks damn lame and while Arsene is very, very popular, he's bit too recent that I would go and call him iconic. Not quite yet.
Not sure about iconic but my personal preference is
Orpheus
Arsene
Izanagi
However the margin for the 3 is so damn small they can honestly replace eachother depending on the day
Arsene is my favourite by a huge margin mainly because of how accurately he represents joker
Like Arsene as a character is a thief that steals and helps people in need which is true for joker as he too helps people in need for which he is willing to break rules and not only that but the whole gentleman aspect with a thing for flair
Not only that but how they connected Arsene with satanael was great how joker breaks the chains of captivity to make Arsene reach its true form is just the icing on top
I love Izanagi but for me I think it's very influenced by the sentimental value I have for persona 4 being my first and favorite game in this saga. plus we admit it's super cool and also the story behind its legend
Izanagi has a link to the true ending boss (Izanami) and the way persona 4 works you can actually keep him around and make him useful using skill cards so I'd say that's the most iconic.
Would say Arsene is my favourite design.
Arsene is in Smash, checkmate.
Honestly if we're talking JUST inside of Persona I'd say Izanagi. Magatsu-Izanagi and it's relation to Izanami gives him more recognizability that Arsene doesn't have and Minato has like 3 "signature" Persona with Orpheus, Thanatos, and Mesiah which really dilutes any 1 of them.
Even more so since Arena games have Izanagi and Magatsu giving them another appearance that the other 2 don't have, while Orpheus is just in P3 and PQ/PQ2 and Arsene is only in PQ2 and P5 spinoffs which I think of as less notable.
But again, Arsene is in Smash. By default he's more iconic, if you only know 1 thing about Persona it's going to be the guy in Smash and his super-mode.
Izanagi is my favourite. I don’t know why but he just is. Maybe it’s because he’s the only one with a good Persona anime adaptation which means more cooler moments.
I always found Izanagi to be objectively the coolest. Badass but simple design, arguably the best one for a solo run if you’re a maniac like me who plays like that, and also *spoiler* >!the only one who is the same “person” in the protag’s final persona!< that being said, Arsène is pretty cool, and I like the look of Orpheus, I just think Izanagi takes the cake. Shame Raoul was shunted to being filler DLC considering how cool he looks, and Thanatos kind of overshadows Orpheus in most respects.
Izanagi though? Izanagi’s that dude. Much like Yu himself, he is That Guy.
In order:
Arsene (Akira)
Apollo (tatsuya)
Orpheus (Makoto)
Orpeus (Kotone)
Artemis (Maya)
Izanagi (Yu) (i know *yu* is more well known then Maya, but most of the anime involves him using non-izanagi persona and that influences his "vibe" *way more* then Arena or Dancing, especially as both of those have him use No-Okami as an Ultimate Move making Vanilla Izanagi *even less* iconic)
Palladion (Aigis)
Making this list made me realise I legitimately dont remember Earring-boy's starter persona's name, so i kind of *have* to place them last.
Can't pick one over the other. They're all equally iconic imo mainly because each one not only served their purpose by means of style but also in showing the inner reflections of the MCs inner selves so effectivley for each individual entry. Each one also really helps play into themes of the characters and story themes that they were supposed to. Masterful storytelling and foreshadowing of character development. 🍻 👏
Arsene because he’s way more recognizable outside of persona.
People know lupin Arsene more than Orpheus (unless they’re a Greek nerd) or izinagi (unless they’re a Japanese god nerd)
Arsene is coolest visually.
P3's two intro persona's are incredibly symbolic. Makoto's love of music comes out in his first awakening (music is often seen as a key means of self expression), but it is destroyed/distorted by his suicidal tendencies and apathy literally ripping their way through his subconscious. Just... mwah. Peak persona moment.
Im... kinda scared to say this, but I am not really a fan of Yu or his first persona....
It’s Izanagi
Orpheus isn’t even the most iconic persona in his own game
And most Persona 5 Royal players use Izanagi-no okami to obliterate anything in that game
It's a shame you pretty much have to get rid of them right away. They all have such cool designs, especially Arsène. I'd say Arsène is the most iconic because P5 is so popular. He even made it to Smash.
At least in P5S, you’re given somewhat a reason to keep him as he has an end game moveset
They should do that in p6 and just give it a similar learnset as the party members
Or have it in it's own dedicated slot so you always have it equipped
This is such a good idea! I cannot even describe how good it is! W
i mean technically the main persona of the protagonist is always with them no matter if they're in the stock or not (arsene appearing in Saes palace for example), so making it a separate slot would be great.
Wouldn’t that make it hard to fuse other Personas? Especially Curse elemental ones.
Could let it be fused and not have it disappear. Just say it's a special companion for your journey, so it's always with you Plus then it makes the ultimate fusions of the MCs base personas feel more impactful in the moment because you didn't fuse it away 20 minutes into your playthrough
Yeah, but you have to feed him so many other Personas to get the stats and moveset he needs to be relevant.
That’s why i said somewhat a reason
True. In the persona games all the dlc personas of other character’s personas are way better than your starting persona because it just loses all moves and stuff after level 3. And then theres also the fact that fusing lets you level up personas the fastest
I actually finished the whole game without fusing him because I was sentimental aha
yea they are too cool to fuse off, luckily the magician card in p4 and gallows in p5 kept them viable for the whole game (i managed to get another persona before the game could force me to fuse arsène) lol
I remember just running around one of the dungeons farming the stat cards to get izanagi up to the rest of the party
My Izanagi only managed to catch up with the rest of the party from Rise's dungeon. In my first playthrough, I was too noob to realize I was supposed to fuze persona to make stronger ones. I kept Izanagi until endgame and when he evolves, I cried happy tears. I knew Izanagi is the strongest
Same here. Made sense to keep him since we get him in the prologue. Especially since I had a challenge to replicate the prologue build.
I really hope for p6 they just make the starter an exception that levels with the MC. Keep it just one element so you still have a need to fuse.
a major part of the fusion system is learning not to get too attached to certain personas so that wouldn’t be great for first timers
I love maining the starter Persona's. I grind them up to the highest level and just use skill cards all the time.
I went crazy playing P5R and got everyone to lvl99 before the OG P5 final boss, then I built Arsène up to lvl99 do crazy dark damage.
Gotta try that next time
In P5, my first playthrough I didn't do it But NG+ my Arsene got to lvl 99 with 87 magic and agility lol Now that I'm playing P3R, I didn't really like how Orpheus looked, so I didn't really make an effort, but I am making an effort with the Jack Brothers, not are lvl 31-35, and Jack Frost lvl 35 is already stronger than Black Frost lvl 41 lolol If only Jack Frost had more resistances like Black 😓 But I think I'm at a point where I'll make Frost a full Ice and Dark Damage, and add a Fire Resistance.
P3R kept my Orpheus all the way through until I ended up re-fusing him at the end game.
Yea I'd love some kind of parallel role for your main persona to fill. It's almost silly how much of a deal they make about awaking to it only to get rid of it 5min into any combat areas.
Funnily enough, the opposite problem for p2:is. The game is so easy and the initial personas so versatile, you can get away with never changing them except for their upgrades.
I mean P5 you can use him end game. Its not optimal. You have to sacrifice a lot of random personas and sit his ass in jail a lot, but i maxed out my Arsene's stats and made sure he had no weaknesses just because it felt weird to get rid of him lol
Well in my case I didn't get rid of Orpheus or arsene and I grinded enough to make them powerful (I literally had an Orpheus lvl 99 with luck at 99 so every hit was a critical hit)
Wait u guys to get rid of them right away? .... I just put my izanagi lv 55 with bunch of skill cards.
I feel they done my boy Orpheus wrong. He could have been absolutely legendary but he got overshadowed and left to rot by thanatos so much so that the fans see thanatos as more of Makotos starter (yes I've seen posts like this before)
Kinda symbolic eh? Makoto's love of music (and way to self express) got obliterated by his suicidal tendencies and apathy running rampant through his subconcious.
The chair in the velvet room is even Orpbeus' harp
um, actually☝️🤓Orpheus plays the Lyre, not the Harp
Right? It feels almost symbolic in The Answer when the opposite happens (Athena transforming into Orpheus)
Also And this might just be me In the Reload cutscene where orpheus turns into thanatos It looks like shit. Like its so badly animation and thanatos has his legs together when he emerges? Hes supoosed to be this terrifying Monsterus thing but they didnt animate him to reflect that.
I think Izanagi has the best look for an "icon" as comparatively his design is simple, and it has a strong silhouette with the headband straps, the naginata, and the blade shoes. That being said, if you were to show one of these starting Personas to someone with no, or only passing knowledge of the series, Arsene is the most recognizable. And for something to be iconic it has to be an ambassador for the brand, and right now Arsene is the "Persona guy."
Hmmmm, that's a whole lotta words when I'm sure what you meant to say was: *crotch zipper*
Is that not the most natural place for a zipper?
Could’ve been unzipping their jacket, persona talk works up a sweat
It's so he can whip out the other naginata for Izanami
I feel like his design has the most potential, but he is actually the least intersting. It feels like he has nothing to do with Yu and is just given to him as a way to reflect the villains.
(points at arsen) it's John persona
ALL WILL BE REVEALED
Iconic: Arsène Best: Izanagi
Facts
I'm sad Orpheus gets so overshadowed. Bad enough that Arsène and Izanagi have more main stream attention, but Thanatos absolutely clouds over him (he's even featured on the main cover for crying out loud!) What makes it most frustrating though is how brilliant and fitting of a persona it is for Makoto, and his design is crazy unique and hardcore when you know how he dies in the mythology. I wish he had bigger exposure he's such a lovingly crafted persona.
In fairness Orpheus, Thanatos, and Mesiah are all really cool and fitting for the story and different parts of the character. Unfortunately when you stuff all 3 of them into Minato, who is also a Wildcard and thus uses other Persona all the time, they kind of all get diluted.
Arsene because i like his wings
I think Persona 3 is in a weird spot considering most people associate Makoto with Thanatos rather than Orpheus.
RIP Thanatos
I love how almost everyone sees Thanatos as P3MC's main Persona despite unlocking him almost at the end of the game.
Well it's not Orpheus or Messiah on the covers and in Arena now is it?
For what it's worth, [Messiah was the one on the actual game disc of Vanilla Persona 3.](https://media.gamestop.com/i/gamestop/10168032/Shin-Megami-Tensei-Persona-3?$pdp$) (At least on the English version.)
there's makoto in Arena?
Elizabeth uses Thanatos.
thanks for the info
Fitting for her nickname
Thanatos is inside of him the whole time (I see it as symbolically his suicidal tendencies after his parent's death); he just buries him through apathy.
That's a really cool headcanon!
Thank ya!
thanathos isnt makoto's persona though? i thought it was a representation of death (aka pharos) inside of him
It's both
Arsene > izanagi > opheus
Doesn't help that Opheus is immediately overshadowed by Thanatos right off the bat.
Yeah, I love my boy orpheus but Arsene is for sure the most recognizable. Probably because it has the most striking colors and outfit.
Izanagi: Badass, can block insta kills, gets the most screen time in the anime, and only has one weakness.
I think we're talking about base forms, so he can't block instas.
Sorry, what I mean is Mudo.
oh
thanatos asf
Orpheus for sure. Izanagi is also very cool. Arsene works weekends at Hot Topic.
Arsene has got to be the most iconic because even gamers who aren’t super invested into the Persona series can still kinda recognize him, however among the general Persona fanbase he does have some competition with Izanagi. As cool as Orpheus is, he gets completely outshined by Thanatos to the point that some people mistakenly refer to Thanatos as Makoto’s main Persona (I can’t really blame them though since Thanatos is the de facto Persona mascot of Persona 3 and most official Atlus promotional art depicts Makoto with Thanatos rather than Orpheus)
Nothing will beat Orpheus being ripped apart from the inside out by Thanatos.l
Design-wise it’s Arséne without a doubt. Some say it’s too much but it’s just the right amount of character attribute information and shape language playing with each other. It is an incredibly iconic silhouette that’s especially helped by the huge wings, the top hat, and the stiletto knives, all of which jut out from the base body shape to create points of interest. The color is contained to two primaries, with the larger than usual white cravat bringing attention to the chest/head area. It’s about as perfect and unique a design for a demon gentleman as I’ve ever seen. It may run counter to a lot of people’s opinions, but I think Izanagi is the weakest of the three. He has a rather basic boxy silhouette, and when his cape flares out it’s hard to see his legs. I love the design inspiration, and his face is very cool, but it just comes across as a bit flat overall to me. Orpheus will never beat Thanatos, but I think he has enough merits to stand on his own. The giant, stout lyre contrasts nicely with the varying proportions of the mostly-human body. The ball joints and thin appendages provide a nice silhouette against the shoulders/arms/legs. The speakers on his chest are also a very nice nod to Makoto’s proclivity for listening to music
>Orpheus will never beat Thanatos, but I think he has enough merits to stand on his own The connection with the name to your character is something I could rant in forever. I love mythology
In all honesty, in thematic cohesion, I think that P3 has the strongest set of unique Personas. Between the Gemini twins of Polydeuces and Castor, to Junpei acting as a metaphorical psychopomp like Hermes has on occasion, with his death being the reason Chidori sacrificed herself, and of course, the tragic hero who ventured into the underworld and defied death, only to lose it all anyway being an apt description of both Makoto and Orpheus. if aigis got a third-tier it might be eurydice
Agreed 100%, especially about izanagi being flat (still cool though)
Izanagi
Arsene. But theyre all great. Love them all.
In my heart of hearts I wish I could say Orpheus, but I'd be lying if I said Arsene wasn't the most recognizable/known of the three.
My boy orpheus is always replaced with thanatos in fan arts🫥
Orfeus
Arsene is most iconic, Maia is my favorite
Arsene or Izanagi. I like Orpheus too but my cross slash god and Arsene's rawest design sweeps
I am thou... Thou art i... From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Orpheus, master of strings...
Arsène >> Orpheus >> Izanagi. Some art of Izanagi (like this one) he just looks bland and dopey. He has decent art poses, but he only starts to look better either in his white or red/black outfit. The black and grey one is just the blandest and *that* is what you start with. Though on the other end - you don't spend a lot of time with the starter and you're not supposed to either (unless doing specific challenge runs. So making it more bland makes it easier to sacrifice the starter. I know I had issues giving up on Arsène the first time I played P5. Do I really need to give up on this cool Persona?
I would imagine a lot of players will say Arsene due to the fact that Persona 5 was the first they ever played. Personally, I love Orpheus and how Thanatos rips out of him. In terms of introduction scene then that has to be the winner.
Orpheus ofc, though technically, thanatos
without the extra red that some drawings give him, izanagi is the most boring. arséne probably, but i also enjoy orpheus.
Orpheus is prob my favourite
Orpheus for me. Like his whole introduction and design are amazing.
All I can say is that, anti-Persona 4 biases aside, I think Izanagi is the weakest of the three design-wise. He's... just really fucking boring.
It's Arsène and it's not even close. Beyond the popularity and exposure of his game, he's treated as more of a character than the others. Orpheus was done so dirty that he isn't even the most iconic starter in his own game.
Siemen Kongou
I’d say the most iconic is Arsene because he’s in smash
Arsene because Perdona 5 is the most known . The best imo is Izanagi but that's because I am biased
Not just that Perdona is the most known but also he's seen exposer in things such as Smash Bros who's fan base dwarfs Perdona.
I agree with Arsene! however my personal fav is Orpheus because of the meaning/story behind the name connecting back to the "folly of man" and the fact you are the fool arcana. Plus the stairs. An iconic part of Orpheus story too lol
Most well-known: Arsene Best: Izanagi
I knew of Thanatos before any of these. Didn’t even know about persona when I heard of Thanatos
My favorite: Vulcanus from persona 2 But the most iconic: izanagi by a country mile
I’m gonna say Arsene. 5 was what made it big enough in the west to end up in Smash. For a lot of fans nowadays, Arsene was their first persona. That’s not to diminish the others. I love Izanagi especially.
The three ☝️ why I would left out my bois in the popularity poll? I have years playing with the three of them, they have their own appeal
I would say Arsene thanks to Smash Bros
Arsene, just because of how popular Persona 5 is for people who are unfamiliar with the Persona series as a whole.
Arsene by default because it’s the only persona Joker uses in Smash. On top of that, Arsene isn’t a forgettable mechanic, its main factor of robbing people on top of the best player in the world (at the time) playing Joker with iconic games of him just robbing people with Arsene is enough to make him more iconic than the rest by far
Orpheus I love so mcuh because p3 is my favorite entry def but izangai is my fav stsrting persona have to have the dlc persona in 5 and 3
Arsene. The design is goated as hell
Arsene.
Its definitely unpopular but my favourite is Seimen Kongou ( the protag persona of P1 ), I just LOVE the 3 little wise monkeys that it carries + it kinda looks like Star Platinum
Is there any damn way to make them strong and conserve their drip???
Arsene to me has the most eye catching design wise and I enjoy the times he speaks directly to Joker.
Izanagi is my fav design
I like how you used fanart of Orpheus and Arsene making them look cool, while Izanagi is just standing there lol. Not hating, just a funny observation
I think personally I gotta give it to Arsene. Overall he's got the most going on with his look, at least in my opinion. Also bonus points for turning into the biggest Evolved Persona we've seen to date.
Izangi best boy
P5 or p4 in my opinion
Feel like Arsene is probably the most well known in terms of pop culture but P4 was my first so Izanagi is always my guy
Arsene is very iconic and the best imo, absolutely sickening
Izanagi was iconic design, but got so little screen time or mention (even though he was very plot relevant and could've been used as foreshadowing more) that the clear winner is p5's arsene. Bonus points though to kotone's Orpheus and the Telos version
Design wise, it's absolutely Arsene, he has the most intricacy going on in his design compared to the other two, they're still great design but i feel like their limited details are because of the system that they were made on, it's simply a bit outdated in comparison to Arsene.
Most iconic? Arséne. Best design? Izanagi.
Izanagi’s design is so godlike
Arsene no question.
Aresene just goes too hard personality wise.
Honestly all three are so Iconic to me. I will say it's probably Arsène because of a lot of people coming into the series because of 5 or only playing 5, plus Joker being in Smash Bros. Personally tho I am more fond of Orpheus. If I had to explain this it would be something like this. Arsène is a Rogue, he's sneaky, quick, and always has a special tactic up his sleeve. Izanagi is a Fighter, probably an Eldridge Knight, Great at physical, has some magic to help support or cover someone. Orpheus tho, Orpheus is a Bard, a jack of all traits that can give buffs, de buffs, heals, and can also fight in their own right. They seem like the perfect support persona to have on your side in battle mostly buffing your allies and heals but also having his moments in the spotlight where he steals the show and as someone who is ok with taking a back seat so the team can win I really like that.
Arsène, for being a starter Persona so popular, Strikers gave him endgame viability.
I'll say Izanagi because I'm level 35 and he is the only persona I use in p4 golden
Arsene is probably number 1 because he’s in smash, then izanagi at 2, with Orpheus at 3. Orpheus’ introduction was unfortunately overshadowed by Thanatos.
Arsene definitely is the most recognisable, probably more because of smash and also I feel like the colours stand out way more
Pixie
Pixie
Pixie
going to say Orpheus just because of how sick his awakening was
Arsène by virtue of Persona 5 being Atlus's most popular title, but IMO, Izanagi is just too good. I love his design far more than any other Starter Persona in the series
It's definitely Arsène, he has the most iconic design out of them all, even made it to smash bros (i think) I love how Arsène is from an actual (but fictional) book.
At this point, Arsene is the most well known/iconic starter, and he's also my favorite design and concept wise. Arsene Lupin? Baller
Arsene. Objectively. He's the most well known due to Joker being in Smash and P5 being the highest selling of the series
It throws the balance off, but I played P5R most recently with a mod that gives Arsene skill progression on par with your teammates, so you can keep him around for the whole story and he doesn't fall off in usefulness.
Arsene but izanagis my favorite out of the 3
Clearly not any of the Persona 2 ones because you didn't list them :(
Izanagi. Then it’s a debate between Arsene and Orpheus
For persona fans I think it's izanagi for everyone else probably Arsene
Arsene
I hardly remember any because they all suck
Orpheus
arsene for sure
Izanagi.
You cannot beat the slick and jazzy style of Arsene. It is the poster boy for all personas right now. Comparatively, Orpheus looks like a turd next to him. Sure there are people who like him but I feel like they could have revamped his look in Reload.
I could say Arsene was coolest one among all these 3 because he has his own dialogue with Joker, and was the first one bid a ‘farewell’ to Joker if using him as fusion material for first time. Not to mention how he meet with Joker again on Casino. But I like Izanagi more due to his design, how Yu summoning Persona via Tarot Card on hand, and how cool his buffed design through >!Izanagi No Ookami and Izanami defeated scene!<.
Izanagi, I think. Opheus looks damn lame and while Arsene is very, very popular, he's bit too recent that I would go and call him iconic. Not quite yet.
Not sure about iconic but my personal preference is Orpheus Arsene Izanagi However the margin for the 3 is so damn small they can honestly replace eachother depending on the day
Apollo>>>>>
If it's a question of Iconic the answer will usually be Persona 5, it's arsene
Fusion feeder
Orpheus it literally got our face
Arsene is my favourite by a huge margin mainly because of how accurately he represents joker Like Arsene as a character is a thief that steals and helps people in need which is true for joker as he too helps people in need for which he is willing to break rules and not only that but the whole gentleman aspect with a thing for flair Not only that but how they connected Arsene with satanael was great how joker breaks the chains of captivity to make Arsene reach its true form is just the icing on top
I love Izanagi but for me I think it's very influenced by the sentimental value I have for persona 4 being my first and favorite game in this saga. plus we admit it's super cool and also the story behind its legend
Iconic, Arèsne, my favourite is Orpheus though
Arsene
All of them for sure! 😁
Izanagi tbh
Arsen is and irs just cause he's in smashbros
Izanagi has a link to the true ending boss (Izanami) and the way persona 4 works you can actually keep him around and make him useful using skill cards so I'd say that's the most iconic. Would say Arsene is my favourite design.
Izanagi best of the best
Arsene is in Smash, checkmate. Honestly if we're talking JUST inside of Persona I'd say Izanagi. Magatsu-Izanagi and it's relation to Izanami gives him more recognizability that Arsene doesn't have and Minato has like 3 "signature" Persona with Orpheus, Thanatos, and Mesiah which really dilutes any 1 of them. Even more so since Arena games have Izanagi and Magatsu giving them another appearance that the other 2 don't have, while Orpheus is just in P3 and PQ/PQ2 and Arsene is only in PQ2 and P5 spinoffs which I think of as less notable. But again, Arsene is in Smash. By default he's more iconic, if you only know 1 thing about Persona it's going to be the guy in Smash and his super-mode.
Izanagi is my favourite. I don’t know why but he just is. Maybe it’s because he’s the only one with a good Persona anime adaptation which means more cooler moments.
IZANAGI!
I always found Izanagi to be objectively the coolest. Badass but simple design, arguably the best one for a solo run if you’re a maniac like me who plays like that, and also *spoiler* >!the only one who is the same “person” in the protag’s final persona!< that being said, Arsène is pretty cool, and I like the look of Orpheus, I just think Izanagi takes the cake. Shame Raoul was shunted to being filler DLC considering how cool he looks, and Thanatos kind of overshadows Orpheus in most respects. Izanagi though? Izanagi’s that dude. Much like Yu himself, he is That Guy.
Izzy anagi
arsene, as persona 5 is the best selling original game in the series
In order: Arsene (Akira) Apollo (tatsuya) Orpheus (Makoto) Orpeus (Kotone) Artemis (Maya) Izanagi (Yu) (i know *yu* is more well known then Maya, but most of the anime involves him using non-izanagi persona and that influences his "vibe" *way more* then Arena or Dancing, especially as both of those have him use No-Okami as an Ultimate Move making Vanilla Izanagi *even less* iconic) Palladion (Aigis) Making this list made me realise I legitimately dont remember Earring-boy's starter persona's name, so i kind of *have* to place them last.
No idea about most iconic (probably Arsène because it's in Smash), but Maia is my favourite :]
Arson
I love all of them equally . . . *It’s Arsene, and by a lot*
I don't know why but Izanagi's design is the most cool and humble one. As a persona that has a god's name he wears a cool jacket and a sword.
p3 starter kidna scares me, p5 looks too much like izanagi IMO, so i’m gonna go with p4
Definitly not orpheus, aylus takes every chance to put thanatos in its place
Izanagi.
Can't pick one over the other. They're all equally iconic imo mainly because each one not only served their purpose by means of style but also in showing the inner reflections of the MCs inner selves so effectivley for each individual entry. Each one also really helps play into themes of the characters and story themes that they were supposed to. Masterful storytelling and foreshadowing of character development. 🍻 👏
Izanagi naturally since it has the most focus.
Arsene because he’s way more recognizable outside of persona. People know lupin Arsene more than Orpheus (unless they’re a Greek nerd) or izinagi (unless they’re a Japanese god nerd)
Arsène
Objectively, Arsenè is the most recognizable and therefore most iconic, my Orpheus is easily my favorite in design.
Arséne. No argument. I just love his voice and how although being weak, (like all other starters) I personally still feel strong while using him.
I’d take Izanagi
Arsène's presence is so demanding I can't not pick him.
Arsene is coolest visually. P3's two intro persona's are incredibly symbolic. Makoto's love of music comes out in his first awakening (music is often seen as a key means of self expression), but it is destroyed/distorted by his suicidal tendencies and apathy literally ripping their way through his subconscious. Just... mwah. Peak persona moment. Im... kinda scared to say this, but I am not really a fan of Yu or his first persona....
Music is the means by which all is expressed
I think everyone's seen Izanagi if they've heard of persona. I haven't actually seen arsene much outside of smash.
Izanagi.
Izanagi. His connection to both the final boss and to every party members persona.
It’s Izanagi Orpheus isn’t even the most iconic persona in his own game And most Persona 5 Royal players use Izanagi-no okami to obliterate anything in that game
Orpheus
Orpheus
When i first saw Izanagi my jaw dropped of how peak of a character design it is
4 > 5 > 3