Personafans are eagerly awaiting news thanks to the franchise’s ongoing anniversary celebration. After Atlus confirmed it had started work onPersona 6, it seemed like anything was on the table.Persona 6hasn’t been revealed just yet, nor does it sound like it’ll make a premiere anytime soon, but 2022 still seems to be the year ofPersona.That’s why it’s surprising that Atlus announcedSoul Hackers 2,a sequel to the 25-year-oldShin Megami Tenseispin-offDevil Summoner: Soul Hackers.
Soul Hackersisn’t quite whatPersonafans had in mind for this year, but it’s still a big deal. Atlus may not be releasing a ton of new gamesas part ofPersona’s anniversary, butSoul Hackers 2will at least give fans a similar game to sink their teeth into. More importantly, it’s possible thatSoul Hackers2can shed some light on the mysteriousPersona 6.The game stars a female protagonist named Ringo, which is notable becausePersonaand otherMegami Tenseigames heavily lean toward male protagonists. Ringo doesn’t necessarily confirm anything aboutPersona 6,but she could be a sign thatPersona 6will also have a female protagonist.
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Persona’s Protagonist History
SincePersona 3,the franchise hasn’t revisited the idea of a female protagonist. BothPersona 4andPersona 5skipped the option, but notablyPersona 5director Katsura Hashinosaid in a 2017 interview that the possibility of both a male and female protagonist had been discussed forP4andP5. Hashino cited the extra work that creating two protagonist genders would lead to, since the player’s gender would presumably affect certain cutscenes the player sees, Social Links, and Confidants the player can romance.
Nevertheless, this is far from a satisfactory answer forPersonaplayers who want a female protagonist. The option would open up all kinds of narrative possibilities considering how much a high school girl’s life experience can differ from that of a high school boy. Atlus also doesn’t look like it’ll dropthe heterosexual limits ofPersona’s romance systemjust yet, so at least a female protagonist would let players date the game’s male characters for a change. By opting out on female protagonists so often, Atlus has left a lot of content on the table.
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The Significance of Ringo for Persona
Persona’s long drought of female protagonists is only one example of Atlus franchises being dominated by male leads;Shin Megami Tensei’s star games have lots of male protagonists too, includingShin Megami Tensei 3: NocturneandShin Megami Tensei 5.That’s why it’s significant thatSoul Hackers 2has a female protagonist instead. The previousSoul Hackersgame had a male protagonist, but inSoul Hackers 2players will control Ringo, a digital being with the power to Soul Hack and command devils in battle. Ringo’s journey is uncertain, but theSoul Hackers 2trailer makes it clear that Ringo is a well-defined protagonist with a strong personality, something thatMegami Tenseihasn’t offered fans in a while.
Personafans should look up to Ringo because of what she might say about Atlus' internal plans.Soul Hackers 2may have nothing to do with thePersonafranchise, but as an Atlus game, it’s still relevant to the overall direction of the studio’s RPGs. Ringo should at least be a good warm-up fora potential female protagonist inPersona 6.If Atlus can deliver a compelling female protagonist inSoul Hackers 2,it can produce a female silent protagonist forPersona 6.Ringo may just be the gateway to change in otherMegami Tenseifranchises.
Better Representation in Persona
There’s no guarantee that Ringo andSoul Hackers 2are a sign of what’s to come inPersona 6. Atlus could very well stick to a traditional male protagonist while experimenting in other areas, but it should know that would be a letdown for some fans.Personaplayers have been asking for another female lead for years, and that demand has only grown afterthe success ofPersona 5.Atlus may think that adding a female protagonist option is too much work, but it could turn out to be a major selling point for the game.
Persona 6is a mystery for now, and it likely will remain a mystery for a couple of years. Ideally it will push the boundaries of thePersonafranchise in multiple ways. That doesn’t just mean reworking Persona fusion or Confidant interactions;Persona 6’s protagonist needs to feel fresh too. Arguably the best way to do that is givePersona 6a female character as its primary lead. Atlus can still give players a secondary male option, but another femalePersonaprotagonist is long overdue. Ringo brings some valuable additional female representation to theDevil Summonerside ofMegami Tenseigames, so hopefullyPersona 6will try to even outPersona’s track record.
