Mask

Masks are recurring items in the Persona series. As Persona literally means "mask" in Latin, it has been used throughout the series in a symbolic and literal way both in-game and in official artwork.
==Appearances==
*Megami Ibunroku Persona / Persona 
*Persona 2: Innocent Sin
*Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
*Persona 3 / FES / Portable
*Persona 4 / Golden
*Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
*Persona 5 / Royal 
**Persona 5 (Manga)
**Persona 5 The Animation The Day Breakers
**Persona 5 The Animation
**Persona 5 The Stage
*Persona 5 Strikers
*Persona 5: The Phantom X
*Persona 5 Tactica
*Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
==Profile==
===Megami Ibunroku Persona===
Philemon uses masks as a metaphor when explaining the concept of a Persona to the protagonist. Many other important masks appear throughout the game, such as the Snow Queen Mask and the Totems used to fuse Vishnu and Nyarlathotep: the Avatar and the Faceless Mask.
===Persona 2===
Masks play an important role in the game. The members of the original Masked Circle used Phoenix Ranger Featherman masks in order to hide their identities when playing "Masked Circle" together. For some of them, like Eikichi Mishina and Lisa Silverman, who were bullied by their peers due to their weight and ethnicity, respectively, it was a way to hide their insecurities. Joker and his four executives also hide their identities using masks as a nod to the original Masked Circle. In Innocent Sin, those masks are also used as means to summon the characters' Ultimate Personas. Masks were also used for draining Ideal Energy.
All character-exclusive Personas are also humanoid in design, as if their hosts were wearing a costume. This is evidenced by a piece of official artwork showing that Artemis looks like a yellow-eyed Maya Amano under her helmet. In the PSP ports, the icon used to represent the Velvet Room in shopping malls is a mask.
====Persona: Tsumi to Batsu====
Kazumi Kiba and Rihito Shimizu first encounter Igor in a mask shop, where he explains how they've been used throughout the ages by humans in symbolic ways.
===Persona 3 / Persona 4===
All enemy Shadows have masks whose color and design change depending on their Arcana. The "Change Persona" icon in the battle interface of Persona 3 is also represented by a mask.
===Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth===
The Velvet Room is represented by a mask icon.
===Persona 5===
Masks function as a summoning medium for the protagonist and the other members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. It appears to be symbolic of their Personas, as captured Personas are shown taking the form of masks, rather than the Tarot Cards they were previously contained in.
Example:
* The protagonist has an opera mask
* Ryuji has a skull mask
* Ann has a panther mask
* Yusuke has a fox mask
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts realize that society forces people to wear masks to protect their inner vulnerabilities, and by literally ripping off their protective mask and confronting their inner selves do the heroes awaken their inner power, and using it to help those in need.
To acquire a mask, a potential Persona user must be in the Metaverse. Although they need to confront true fiends, they shall acknowledge their ignorance and errors or rather filter them away from their true selves in order to liberate their will. Their Shadow Selves will speak to them, asking if they are willing to rebel against these wrongdoings. Should they accept, their eyes turn yellow and a Mask appears on their face, requiring that they rip it off and bleed. Once they do so, their Shadow Self manifests into a Persona, granting them the power to fight Shadows.
The mask permanently appears on them whenever they enter the Metaverse and becomes their medium to summon their Persona. While removing them to manifest the Persona for the first time inflicts them with great pain, they can remove it freely on subsequent attempts without inflicting any pain on themselves. Morgana also describes the masks, and by extension, their appearances when traversing the Palace, as representations of their rebellious wills. Each member of the Phantom Thieves has a unique mask that is manifested from their sense of rebellion.
Shadows in Palaces appear as masked humanoids that take a form based on their owner's cognition. However, breaking them reveals Shadows resembling mythical figures, which can be battled or negotiated with much like their Shin Megami Tensei counterparts.
Futaba Sakura is an exception to this rule. When her Persona awakened, it manifested in the form of Shadow Futaba in Futaba's Palace, thus when she awakened to her power, Shadow Futaba merely transformed from Shadow to Persona instead of becoming a mask she has to tear off. It is most likely because she was a shut-in and hasn't been exposed to the world that she requires a mask.
Morgana himself is another exception, as he never actually takes off his mask to summon his Persona.
When Sumire Yoshizawa first awakens to her Persona, she does not manifest any blood when she tears off her mask: instead, a pink screening forms her Phantom Thief attire. This is because the awakening was fake; as she took the identity of "Kasumi," a cognitive overlay placed on top of her true self. During Sumire's real awakening, blood gushes out when she tears off her mask, just like the rest of the Phantom Thieves.
===Persona 5 Tactica===
Marie has the ability to brainwash people, when this is done to the Phantom Thieves their masks change appearance.
==Quotes==
==Gallery==
===General===
Velvetp1.jpg|The Velvet Room, and many masks representing different Personas
P2-Tatsuya&Apollo.jpg|Tatsuya Suou wearing half of Apollo's mask
P2-Maya&Artemis.jpg|An unmasked Artemis looming over Maya
Mask.jpg|Mask used for draining of Ideal Energy
TamakiISmasked.png|Tamaki's masked portrait in Persona 2: Innocent Sin
P3-Protagonist-WildCard.jpg|The protagonist of Persona 3 with Shadow Arcana masks
Velvet Room Icon.png|The Velvet Room Icon in Persona Q
P5 promo.png|
===Persona 5===
P5 Joker mask.png|Joker's Opera Mask
S05 chara.png|Joker's Opera Mask
P5 Hero Masked Portrait.png|Joker's Opera Mask
P5 portrait of Ryuji's phantom thief outfit.png|Ryuji's Skull Mask
P5 portrait of Anne Takamaki's Phantom Thief outfit.png|Ann's Panther Mask
P5 portrait of Yusuke Kitagawa's phantom thief outfit.png|Yusuke's Fox Mask
P5 portrait of Makoto Nijima's phantom thief outift.png|Makoto's Mask
P5 portrait of Morgana.png|Morgana's fabric Mask
P5 portrait of Futaba Sakura's phantom thief outfit.png|Futaba's Mask
P5 portrait of Haru Okumura's phantom thief outfit.png|Haru's Mask
Goro-thief.png|Akechi's Mask
P5 Icon Mask-rip.jpg|Joker ripping the Mask off an enemy
Ambush P5.gif|Joker ambushing an enemy by ripping off their Mask
P5 mysterious boy mask.png|Yusuke's Fox Mask
===Persona 5 Royal===
P5R Portrait Skull.png|Ryuji's Skull Mask
P5R Portrait Panther.png|Ann's Panther Mask
P5R Portrait Fox.png|Yusuke's Fox Mask
P5R Portrait Queen.png|Makoto's Mask
P5R Portrait Morgana.png|Morgana's fabric Mask
P5R Portrait Oracle.png|Futaba's Mask
P5R Portrait Noir.png|Haru's Mask
P5R Portrait Crow.png|Akechi's Mask
Goro-black-mask-portrait.png|Akechi's Black Mask
P5R Portrait Violet.png|Sumire's Mask
Takuto Azathoth.png|Maruki's Mask
===Persona 5 Strikers===
Visor Sophie Neutral.png|Sophia's Mask
Wolf grin.png|Zenkichi's Mask
P5S Akane Hasegawa King.png|Shadow (King) Akane Hasegawa's Mask
Sophia-Pandora-Mask.jpg|Sophia's Pandora Mask
=== Persona 5: The Phantom X ===
Wonder's Mask.png|Wonder's Mask
Motoha's Mask.png|Motoha's Mask
Shun's Mask.png|Shun's Mask
Riko in her Phantom Thief outfit.png|Riko's Mask
Fleuret-1.png|Seiji’s Mask
P5X Kotone Montagne Portrait Mont.png|Kotone's Mask
P5X Yukimi Fujikawa Yuki portrait 1.png|Yukimi's Mask
Kotomo.png|Tomoko's Mask
P5X Reo Kamiyama Portrait Leo.png|Reo's Mask
P5X Yaoling Li Rin portrait 1.png|Yaoling's Mask
P5X Kiyoshi Kurotani Kii portrait 1.png|Kiyoshi's Mask
P5X Kayo Tohyama Portrait Okyann.png|Kayo's Mask
Miyu in her Phantom Thief outfit.png|Miyu’s Mask
Hina in her Phantom Thief outfit.png|Hina's Mask
==See also==
*Jungian psychology in the Persona series
Category:Persona
Category:Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Category:Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Category:Persona 3
Category:Persona 4
Category:Persona 5
Category:Persona 5 Strikers
Category:Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Category:Persona 5: The Phantom X