Every Persona Game and Spin-Off in Order

Beginning its beingness arsenic a Shin Megami Tensei spin-off, the Persona bid has rapidly launched into thing wholly of its ain and go 1 of the biggest names successful modern RPGs. From aggregate large sequels and remakes to anime adaptations and adjacent signifier plays, Persona is simply a multimedia sensation, and its popularity doesn’t look to beryllium slowing down anytime soon.

With the latest introduction successful the franchise, Persona 3 Reload, present disposable to play connected PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC, caller players are astir apt wondering where’s the champion spot to start. Below, we’ll springiness you a afloat rundown of each crippled and spin-off, including the champion introduction constituent for newcomers and some the chronological and merchandise bid of the series.

Jump to:

• How to play successful order
• How to play by merchandise date
• Upcoming releases

How Many Persona Games Are There?

In total, determination are presently twenty Persona games. Several of these are expanded versions of the mainline entries successful the series, whether that’s successful the signifier of re-releases featuring caller communicative contented oregon remakes. While we won’t see nonstop ports oregon remasters, we’ll marque definite to enactment each alternate mentation of each crippled erstwhile listing them below.

Which Persona Game Should You Play First?

If you're looking for the cleanable spot to start, you can’t truly spell incorrect jumping into Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Golden oregon Persona 5 Royal. They’re the latest versions of the third, 4th and 5th mainline entries successful the series, and, speech from Persona 3 Reload missing Nintendo Switch, they’re each disposable connected PC and each large console.

For those acrophobic astir skipping the communicative by jumping into aboriginal entries successful the series, you won’t miss thing by going consecutive to Persona 3, 4, oregon 5. Each crippled tells an wholly caller communicative with archetypal characters that’s mostly disconnected from its predecessors, truthful they’re large launching points for those coming successful fresh. To constrictive your choices down, I'd urge taking a look astatine immoderate gameplay videos and immoderate of the societal links crossed each of the games to spot what "stands out" to you.

Every Persona Game and Spin-Off successful Chronological Order

These blurbs incorporate mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and communicative beats.

1. Revelations: Persona (1996)

The archetypal crippled successful the series, Revelations: Persona was Atlus’ absorption to the affirmative reception of Shin Megami Tensei: If…, which was different Shin Megami Tensei spin-off centered astir high-schoolers battling demons. Capitalizing connected however overmuch players enjoyed the cardinal concept, Revelations: Persona offered a afloat dungeon-crawling RPG centered astir a radical of precocious schoolers battling a supernatural uprising passim the municipality of Mikage-cho.

Along the way, they usage the powers of their awakened Personas to instrumentality down shadows and research dungeons filled with random encounters, leveling up their enactment and increasing stronger implicit the people of the game. Revelations: Persona was the instauration of the franchise arsenic we cognize it today, introducing elements similar wielding Personas successful combat, the Velvet Room and a teenage formed of heroes.

2. Persona 2: Innocent Sin (1999)

The 2nd introduction successful the Persona series, Persona 2: Innocent Sin launched successful 1999. The crippled follows a caller acceptable of high-school students led by protagonist Tatsuya Suou, who acceptable retired connected a ngo to instrumentality down a mysterious villain known arsenic Joker and the cult of the Masked Circle.

Centring astir an evil crippled wherever malicious rumors spreading astir the municipality of Sumaru travel to life, Persona 2 erstwhile again focuses connected exploring dungeons, wielding Personas, warring shadows and leveling up your party. Unlike different entries successful the series, it received a nonstop sequel conscionable a twelvemonth later, with Persona 2: Eternal Punishment acting arsenic a continuation of the game's story.

Read our review of Persona 2: Innocent Sin.

3. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (2000)

Following up the events of Innocent Sin, Eternal Punishment promoted broadside character, Maya Amano, to the protagonist role. Sent to constitute an nonfiction astir a caller rumor regarding a improvement known arsenic the Joker Curse, the crippled rapidly sees Maya and her allies rally against a returning foe.

Acting arsenic a nonstop continuation of Innocent Sin's story, it centers connected the aforesaid benignant of turn-based, dungeon-crawling gameplay, arsenic players physique their enactment and wield their Personas to conflict shadows.

Read our review of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.

4. Persona 3 (2006) / Persona 3 FES (2007) / Persona 3 Portable (2009) / Persona 3 Reload (2024)

The 3rd mainline introduction successful the franchise, Persona 3 was a large improvement of the Persona formula. Opting to absorption connected its high-school premise, Persona 3 introduced a regular calendar, with 1 fractional of the crippled tasking players with attending school, processing friendships and studying, portion the different sent them to combat shadows successful the supernatural realm of Tartarus.

The communicative focuses connected precocious schoolhouse pupil Makoto Yuki, who finds he's capable to acquisition a mysterious abstraction of clip known arsenic the Dark Hour, wherever regular radical are trapped successful coffins and a demonic operation sprouts from his school. Teaming with his classmates, helium explores the tower, uncovering a sinister crippled that threatens the full world. Persona 3 is considered a landmark introduction for the series, introducing societal links, day-to-day activities and galore different mechanics that person since go synonymous with the franchise.

Read our review of Persona 3 Reload.

5. Persona 3: Dancing successful Moonlight (2018)

A rhythm-based dancing spin-off of Persona 3 that takes spot during the main campaign, Persona 3: Dancing successful Moonlight sees Elizabeth situation the S.E.E.S squad to a dance-off successful the Velvet Room. The events of the crippled are acceptable during a imagination but are wholly canon to the story, and travel the squad performing assorted creation routines to iconic Persona 3 tracks.

6. Persona 4 (2008) / Persona 4 Golden (2012)

The 4th mainline introduction successful the Persona series, Persona 4 takes spot successful the agrarian municipality of Inaba. Players presume the relation of Yu Narukami: a precocious schooler from the metropolis who moves to the state to unrecorded with his uncle and relative for a year. After arriving, a drawstring of convulsive murders statesman to instrumentality spot successful the town, arsenic Yu and his friends rapidly observe they’re someway linked to a mysterious otherworldly realm they tin entree by stepping done TV monitors.

Delving into this mysterious caller world, Yu and his friends look supernatural forces arsenic they larn much astir the murders, utilizing their powers to effort and halt them. Building disconnected the mechanics of Persona 3, Persona 4 erstwhile again utilizes the calendar system, arsenic players physique societal links and be schoolhouse portion besides exploring immense dungeons and defeating enemies with their Personas.

Read our review of Persona 4 Golden.

7. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (2014)

Technically taking spot during the Persona 3 and Persona 4 storylines simultaneously, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is simply a crossover betwixt some games. During the typhoon conception of Persona 3 and the Culture Festival conception of Persona 4, the S.E.E.S squad and the Investigation Squad are trapped wrong a warped mentation of Yasogami High School.

The time-bending lawsuit sees some teams travel unneurotic to analyse the unusual occurrence and flight backmost to their respective spots connected the timeline. Along the way, players research a labyrinth filled with caller enemies and uncover an archetypal story, with the spin-off acting arsenic a callback to the series’ much accepted dungeon-crawler roots.

Read our review of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth.

8. Persona 4 Arena (2012)

A continuation of some Persona 3 and 4’s narratives and the franchise’s archetypal large spin-off, Persona 4 Arena sees Yu Narukami instrumentality to Inaba and stumble into a caller adventure, arsenic helium returns to the TV satellite for a mysterious warring tournament. Forced to conflict against his allies and a radical known arsenic the Shadow Operatives, which is comprised of Persona 3's Mitsuru, Akihiko and Aigis, Arena offers a afloat warring crippled boasting a roster of iconic Persona characters.

Read our review of Persona 4 Arena.

9. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (2013)

A twelvemonth pursuing the merchandise of Persona 4 Arena, the spin-off received a sequel titled Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. Taking spot straight aft the events of the archetypal game, the Persona 4 squad teams up with the Shadow Operatives to instrumentality to the TV World and conflict against the mysterious forces moving the warring tournament. Ultimax was yet an upgrade for the archetypal game, bringing successful an expanded roster including returning characters similar Yukari, Junpei, Ken and Koromaru.

Read our review of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.

10. Persona 4: Dancing All Night (2015)

The 4th and arguably astir unexpected spin-off of Persona 4, Persona 4: Dancing All Night is simply a rhythm-based dancing crippled wherever the Investigation Squad performs routines to iconic Persona tracks. It offers a wholly canon continuation of the storyline, pursuing Yu and the squad arsenic they’re sucked into an alternate magnitude known arsenic the Midnight Stage.

Read our review of Persona 4: Dancing All Night.

11. Persona 5 (2016) / Persona 5 Royal (2019)

The 5th mainline introduction successful the series, Persona 5 deed shelves successful Japan successful 2016 earlier launching worldwide successful 2017. Taking players to Tokyo, it casts them arsenic a caller protagonist known arsenic Joker, who finds himself connected probation aft being framed for a transgression helium didn’t commit. Attending the section precocious school, Joker and his friends observe a supernatural alternate dimension, which allows them to infiltrate mystical palaces and alteration the hearts of evil-doers astir the city.

Before long, the radical becomes notorious connected the streets of Tokyo, going nether the alias of the Phantom Thieves. The crippled builds heavy disconnected the look established by Persona 3 and 4, including monolithic story-focused levels that unfold implicit a month, the instrumentality of the dialog strategy and a caller dungeon strategy known arsenic Mementos. Persona 5 launched the franchise into the stratosphere, rapidly becoming Atlus' best-selling crippled of each clip and cultivating a immense instrumentality base.

Read our review of Persona 5 Royal.

12. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (2018)

A sequel to Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, New Cinema Labyrinth erstwhile again depicts a crossover betwixt assorted Persona characters. After the Phantom Thieves find themselves trapped successful a movie theater, they state with Persona 3's S.E.E.S squad and Persona 4's Investigation Squad to find an escape, traveling into the movies connected the surface successful an effort to hole their endings.

Much similar the archetypal game, Persona Q2 simultaneously takes spot during the Persona 3, 4 and 5 storylines, with the escapade pulling each radical retired of their respective timeline. There, they research dungeons from a first-person position and combat turn-based battles against assorted enemies.

13. Persona 5 Tactica (2023)

Taking spot during the events of Persona 5, Persona 5 Tactica is simply a strategy-focused spin-off that’s akin successful benignant to the XCOM franchise. The communicative follows the Phantom Thieves mysteriously traveling to an alternate realm known arsenic the Kingdoms. Unable to escape, Joker and Morgana are forced to wantonness the remainder of the Phantom Thieves aft they're brainwashed by the realm's monstrous ruler, Tyrant Marie, forcing the brace to statesman an escapade to prevention their allies and instrumentality home.

Along the way, they squad up with the section resistance, helping them combat against Tyrant Marie's forces. The crippled revolves astir a tactical grid-based combat system, arsenic players nonstop 3 units crossed the battlefield and instrumentality retired enemies.

Read our review of Persona 5 Tactica.

14. Persona 5: Dancing successful Starlight (2018)

Atlus’ 3rd rhythm-based dancing spin-off, Persona 5: Dancing successful Starlight sees Caroline and Justine bring the Phantom Thieves to the Velvet Room and situation them to a creation off. There, the radical execute creation routines to respective of Persona 5's catchiest tracks.

15. Persona 5 Strikers (2020)

A spin-off acceptable 4 months aft the events of Persona 5, Strikers sees the Phantom Thieves reunite for a summertime vacation. However, the squad find themselves sucked into the Metaverse aft utilizing an app known arsenic EMMA. Escaping with the assistance of a caller ally, the squad don their Phantom Thieves cogwheel erstwhile much and acceptable retired to observe the information down EMMA, the Metaverse, and what it means for the radical of Tokyo.

Persona 5 Strikers is simply a crossover with the long-running Dynasty Warriors franchise, introducing real-time combat to the series. Battles halfway astir the Phantom Thieves taking connected ample hordes of enemies, which they tin woody with done combos oregon by calling connected Personas.

Read our review of Persona 5 Strikers.

Every Persona Game and Spin-Off successful Release Order

1. Revelations: Persona (1996)
2. Persona 2: Innocent Sin (1999)
3. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (2000)
4. Persona 3 (2006)
5. Persona 3 FES (2007)
6. Persona 4 (2008)
7. Persona 3 Portable (2009)
8. Persona 4 Arena (2012)
9. Persona 4 Golden (2012)
10. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (2013)
11. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (2014)
12. Persona 4: Dancing All Night (2015)
13. Persona 5 (2016)
14. Persona 3: Dancing successful the Moonlight (2018)
15. Persona 5: Dancing successful the Starlight (2018)
16. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (2018)
17. Persona 5 Royal (2019)
18. Persona 5 Strikers (2020)
19. Persona 5 Tactica (2023)
20. Persona 3 Reload (2024)

What's Next for Persona?

Fans of Atlus RPGs were treated to 2 releases successful 2024: Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio, an all-new RPG from Atlus's Studio Zero. After the monolithic occurrence of Metaphor (it picked up rather a fewer awards), Sega announced their tendency to support investing successful Atlus, and the Persona IP successful particular, successful a developers' Q&A session.

The adjacent Persona task to ticker is the free-to-play mobile crippled Persona 5: The Phantom X. It was released successful China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Korea r successful 2024, with a Japanese merchandise imminent followng a closed beta sign-up successful October. A planetary merchandise is expected, though determination are nary offical details connected its imaginable merchandise date. The Phantom X is described by Atlus arsenic "an archetypal communicative acceptable successful the satellite of Persona 5 [in which] caller characters emergence from the shadows and don the masks of the Phantom Thieves."

Persona 6 is the anticipated adjacent merchandise successful the RPG series, though Atlus has yet to officially corroborate the crippled is successful development.

Callum Williams is simply a freelance media writer with years of acquisition arsenic a crippled critic, quality reporter, guides writer and features writer.