The Arcana

The Arcana アルカナ (arukana) are the various Tarot Card categories. They play a significant role in the Persona series overall theme. The are apart of the magic system in the Persona games as they also play a huge role in becoming a persona user.

## The Major Arcana

The Major Arcana (22 distinct cards) and the Minor Arcana are the two subsets of the Arcana (four suits of 14 cards each, not unlike those of traditional playing cards). The Minor Arcana only appear in Shuffle Time in Persona 3 and Persona 4 Golden, and they don't appear at all in Megami Ibunroku Persona, Persona 4, or Persona 5. The Minor Arcana only occasionally appear in the Persona 2 duology.

The Arcana system typically plays a key role in the fusion process, as merging Personas of one Arcana will produce a Persona of a different, distinct Arcana.

Although "Arcana" is technically the plural form and "Arcanum" is the singular.

### Background

In the Persona series, demon races are conceptually comparable to the Personas Arcana. Each Arcana in Megami Ibunroku Persona corresponds to a certain race, claims the Persona World guide (such as the Lovers Arcana being composed of demons from the Fairy race). Personas are classified according to how closely they are tied to their Arcana, such as the Lovers Arcana being made up of demons who are related to love and relationships. These racial equivalences were partially maintained in Persona 2 and abandoned in Persona 3 and beyond.

Since Persona 3, each Arcana has a corresponding Social Link or Confidant, typically with a "narrative arc" involving a person who symbolizes the Arcana it's tied to. The World Arcana, however, is the only one that lacks a related Social Link or Confidant.

## List of Arcanas

### The Fool

The fool 愚者 (ぐしゃ): Shows a dog chasing after a jester who is laughing dangerously close to a cliff. The Fool stands for inexperience, chaos, creativity, freedom, spontaneity, craziness, and divine inspiration. As a result, the silent protagonists from the most recent adaptations frequently begin with the Fool Arcana, a reference to how the player's choices and actions mold their personalities. The Fool Arcana's Persona are able to inherit any skill without showing preference for any particular kind, making it a "jack of all trades" in terms of gameplay. No player may own more than one persona, hence this arcana type cannot be chosen.

### The Magician

Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope.
Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...

The Magician 魔術師 (まじゅつし) in tarot readings is frequently linked to initiative, self-assurance, manipulation, and power (more specifically, the power to harness one's gifts). The Magician Arcana's Persona are ones who frequently excel at Magic, especially Fire-based elements, as the name of the Arcana suggests.

### The Priestess

The Priestess 女教皇 (おんなきようこう) The Priestess Arcana, usually referred to as the High Priestess Arcana, is a common Arcana represented as a woman holding a closed book. When it appears in tarot readings, it is a symbol of hidden knowledge or other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery, and magic. The Priestess Arcana Persona are frequently Persona linked to healing and support traits from a gameplay perspective.

### The Empress

The Empress 女帝 (じょてい) is a major arcana that stands for comfort, abundance, sensuality, prosperity, and creativity (most often in helping maintain peace around them like an ideal mother would.) The Empress Arcana's Persona are Personas who excel at ice-based attacks, with healing abilities being rather frequent.

### The Emperor

The Emperor Arcana 皇帝 (こうてい) is the fourth major arcana. The Emperor appears in tarot readings to represent the desire to control one's surroundings, and its appearance may indicate that one is making unnecessary efforts to do so, possibly upsetting other people. Some aspects of life are just out of one's control. The Emperor Arcana Persona are Persona who often excel at physical and lightning-based attacks from a gameplay perspective.

### The Hierophant

The Hierophant 法王 (ほうおう) is the fifth major arcana. The Hierophant is a representation of knowledge, power, conservatism, following the law, and a connection to the divine. A "hierophant" is someone who interprets divine secrets or esoteric principles; the title was first applied to priests from ancient times.

### The Lovers

The Lovers Arcana 恋愛 (れんあい) is the sixth major arcana. The Lovers Arcana represents two potential life pathways in tarot readings, serving as a metaphor for a decision-making crossroads. Today, however, it is portrayed primarily as a symbol of love and romantic connections, however it can also represent coming to terms with a common friend or even two opposing internal forces. The Personas of the Lovers Arcana are frequently connected with Support-Healing characteristics from a gameplay perspective.

### The Chariot

The Chariot Arcana 戦車 (せんしゃ). shown as a monarch, driving a chariot drawn by two horses of contrasting colors (in some cases mythical creatures). represents Victory, conquest, self-assertion, control, war, and command are all represented by the Chariot Arcana. The Persona of the Chariot Arcana are often Persona who excel at Physical-based attacks from a gameplay perspective.

### The Justice

The Justice Arcana 正義 (せいぎ), shown as a lady with a sword and balance, is the strong allegory of justice, objectivity, logic, and analysis. The Justice Arcana's Persona are frequently Persona who thrive in Light-based affinities, so to speak, in terms of gameplay.

### The Hermit

The Hermit 隠者 (いんじゃ) is the 9th major Arcana. The hermit, represented as an elderly man in a cave or dark spot with a lamp, is symbolic of wisdom, reflection, isolation, retreat, and philosophical inquiries. The Hermit Arcana Persona are frequently Persona who excel in Mental-Ailment skills from a gameplay perspective.

### The Fortune

The Fortune Arcana 運命 (うんめい), is the 10th major arcana of the compendium. it is depicted as a wheel with various animals wearing affluent and impoverished clothing going up and down the wheel to represent fate and variable luck, fortunes, and possibilities. It represents rise and fall, The Persona of the Fortune Arcana has Persona of the Wind Element and is associated with myth-figures tied to Fate and Time from the perspective of gameplay.

### The Strength

The Strength Arcana 剛毅 (ごうき), which typically features a young woman holding up a ferocious animal (most frequently a lion), represents an imagery beyond the Beast and Beauty and is linked to the morals of the superiority of virtue, self-control, kindness, and courage over force. It can also signify the urge for the impending release of creative or physical energy in tarot readings, perhaps motivated by the need to be noticed. The Persona of the Strength Arcana are often Persona who excel in Physical qualities from a gameplay perspective.

### The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man Arcana 刑死者 (けいししゃ) (also known as The "Hangedman Arcana"), which is portrayed as a man hanging upside-down on one leg while his other leg crosses it to form a "4", is related to paradoxes, hanging between heaven and earth, and self-sacrifice for the purpose of enlightenment. The Persona of the Hangedman Arcana are often Persona that excel in survivability from a gameplay perspective.

### The Death

Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope.
Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...
Beyond the beaten path lies the absolute end.
It matters not who you are...

The Death Arcana 死神 (しにがみ) is the 13th major arcana of the compendium. Death Arcana represents deep change, regeneration, and cycles in addition to being connected to a sense of impending doom. The Persona of the Death Arcana are frequently linked to and excellent in affinities that are Dark-based, but they are weak to affinities that are Light-based.

### The Temperance

The Temperance 節制 (せっせい) is the 14th Major Aracana. The Temperance Arcana, represented as a woman with angel wings blending the contents of two cups—one blue and the other red—is a metaphor for synthesis, moderation, harmony, and the blending of opposites. The Temperance Arcana Persona frequently have rounded Persona in terms of gameplay.

### The Devil

The Devil Arcana (also known as the Demon Arcana) 悪魔 (あくま), which is portrayed as a hermaphrodite devil standing over two naked and chained figures, stands for the desire to act violently, selfishly, impulsively, and as a slave to one's own passions. On occasion, it is also depicted as a temptation symbol. The Persona of the Devil Arcana are often Persona that thrive in dark-based affinities in terms of gameplay.

### The Tower

The Tower Arcana 塔 (とう) is the 16th major arcana in the compendium. Representing the Tower of Babel allegory about hubris leading to the fall is depicted as a tower struck by lightning from which two little figures descend. The Tower Arcana is frequently connected to obnoxiously conceited, discriminatory, and authoritarian organizations that lead ironically to their own death. Additionally, it is sometimes used more broadly as a sign of doom and catastrophe. The Persona of the Tower Arcana are often Persona that excel at physical-based attacks and qualities from a gameplay perspective.

### The Star

The Star Arcana 星 (ほし) is a recurring Arcana. Representing Hope, self-confidence, faith, altruism, luck, generosity, peace, and joy In gameplay, the Persona of the Star Arcana typically excels in fire-based attacks while being vulnerable to ice-based attacks.

### The Sun

The Sun 太陽 (たいよう), depicted as two children holding hands under a blazing sun, represents happiness, joy, energy, optimism, and accomplishment. It is sometimes associated with one's initial happiness. Persona of the Sun Arcana are frequently Persona who excel at Light and Fire-based attacks in game.

### The Moon

The Moon Arcana 月 (つき) is associated with creativity, inspiration, dreams, madness, illusions, fear, fantasy, the subconscious, and trickery. It is depicted as two dogs howling at the Moon, around a pool with a crab in it, with two towers in the background. It can also represent being subconsciously attuned to the world in tarot readings, gaining the ability to sense things without being told about them or anyone else knowing (which means that some identify this Arcana with psychic energy.) In terms of gameplay, the Persona of the Moon Arcana tend to favor Physical Skills while having average Magic stats.

### The Judgement

The Judgement Arcana 審判 (しんぱん) is a powerful arcana. The Judgement Arcana is commonly associated with a balance of Light and Darkness in gameplay. The Judgement Arcana is also given to the protagonists near the end of the game. The Judgement Arcana also represents the protagonists' late-game actions and decisions, symbolizing a person's awareness of themselves and others. This arcana cannot be chosen by a single person, the arcana develops on it's own together as bonds form.

## Arcanas that are unobtainable

* The World Arcana 世界 (せかい) — It frequently appears as the final triumph arcana, performing miracles and assisting the protagonist. The World Arcana is a representation of the world, the totality of it, symbol of fulfillment, wholeness, and harmony. It is depicted as a young woman (or hermaphrodite, depending on deck) surrounded by figures of an angel, a bull, an eagle, and a lion (which represent the four elements in transcended forms, as well as symbols of the four Evangelists; Luke, Matthew, John, and Mark). The World Arcana is frequently associated with Social Links, whose power is based on the Protagonist's relationships with others.

* Aeon Arcana 永劫 (えいごう) — Is an Arcana type that only appears in *Persona 3 FES, Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden*. Aeon Arcana personas are frequently divine mythological figures. They typically have varying abilities and attributes, but many of them, including the Arcana's ultimate Personas, Metatron and Kaguya, have an affinity with Light. The characters representing the Aeon Arcana are individuals who fully understand themselves and the world around them. In both Aeon Arcana appearances, the Social Link characters in question were unfamiliar with how the real world works and struggled to find their own place in it. Characters associated with this Arcana aren't exactly human but they do possess human traits and qualities.

* Jester/Hunger Arcana 欲望 道化師 (よくぼう どけし) — Is an Arcana only obtainable by Tohru Adachi. The Hunger/Lust Arcana, like the Aeon Arcana, is not found in standard tarot decks, though The Devil shares similar symbolism. Lust represents the risk of losing control, of being consumed by power. The card also suggests strength, but strength gained through dominance. It is not true power, but the sheer pleasure of abusing power. Similarly to how the Lust Arcana is the Thoth equivalent of the Strength Arcana, the Jester Arcana is intended to invoke the Fool Arcana, which is numbered 0. The Jester is a suppressed version of the Fool, representing ignorance, spontaneity, and freedom. In the case of the Jester, the querent is misguided and unwilling to accept the answer.

* Faith Arcana— The Faith Arcana, like the Aeon and Hunger Arcana, are not found in standard tarot decks. The Visconti-Sforza tarot deck contains the Faith Arcana. Upright, it represents faith in others and in oneself, as well as faith in religion or science. In reverse, it can represent misplaced blind faith in something that does not deserve trust. It can also refer to *false idols* or arrogance. This Arcana's personas are typically well-loved legendary heroes or celestial beasts. This Arcana only appears in Persona 5 Royal and obtained by Sumire Yoshizawa.

* Hope Arcana– The Hope Arcana, like the Faith Arcana, is not found in standard Tarot decks. The Visconti-Sforza Tarot deck contains the Hope Arcana. It represents hope, optimism, and positivity when upright. Reversed, it can represent despair, false hope, negativity, and pessimism. This Arcana only appears in Persona 5 Strikers and Sophia is the only character that obtains it.

* Apostle Arcana/Priest– This Arcana is based off Aleister Crowley's incorporated symbols in the Thoth Tarot Deck, Essentially His own version of the Hierophant Arcana, As a result, the Thoth Hierophant depicts a pagan spiritual leader, whereas in other decks, the Hierophant specifically refers to the Catholic Pope. This Arcana appears in Persona 5 Strikers and Zenkichi Hasegawa is the only person who obtains it.

* Councillor Arcana– The Councillor, like the Aeon Arcana, is not found in standard tarot decks. El Gran Tarot Esoterico's equivalent to the Magician Arcana ("El Consultante") is the Councillor Arcana, which is numbered I. While upright, it is a tarot card that represents diplomacy, freedom of choice, creativity, persuasion skills, vitality, and power over mental illness. When reversed, it can represent indecision, insecurity, a lack of originality, sickness, or exploitation of the innocent. This Arcana only appears in Persona 5 Royal and Takuto Maruki is the only one who obtains it. Personas of this arcana are typically wise beasts or natural rulers.

## references

1. ↑ https://personarevelations.angelfire.com/arcana-types.html
2. ↑ https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Councillor\_Arcana
3. ↑ https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Tarot