Memento Mori: The Shadow Within Persona 3
- Arpit Saraswat
- 12 minutes ago
- 9 min read
The manifestations of human expression and creativity emerge through literary, musical, and other artistic mediums, using different canvases to explore complex narratives and feelings. While traditional art requires extensive contextual knowledge and interpretive skills to access the creator's intent, games build understanding through direct experience. I personally believe that video games are the greatest medium for storytelling and artistic expression, as they allow the consumer to experience the narrative firsthand by immersing themselves in the protagonist's role, making their own decisions and therefore creating unique experiences. This storytelling transcends the linear constraints of traditional media, resulting in a more fleshed-out and personal experience.
Shin Megami Tensei 3, localized in the West simply as Persona 3, is a role-playing game developed by Atlus for the PlayStation 2, originally released in Japan in 2006. The game takes place in a fictional Japanese city called Iwatodai, spanning an entire year of the protagonist's daily life. Throughout this time, players make several decisions that affect their personal experience and ending. The protagonist is initially transferred to a new school under mysterious conditions. From the opening credits, the player intuitively understands the protagonist's seemingly apathetic nature. He is heavily shrouded in mystery, having recently transferred to Gekkoukan High School. Unaware of the greater purpose his past has laid upon him. He soon learns of the "Dark Hour", during this period, most people are transmogrified into coffins, unaware of the supernatural phenomenon occurring around them.
The protagonist joins a group called SEES (Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad), a team of students who can summon manifestations of their psyche called "Personas" by using "Evokers," which resemble handguns. Together, they explore a mysterious tower called Tartarus, infested with grotesque entities that prey on human minds. The player navigates the daily life of this silent protagonist, including attending school, studying for exams, maintaining social relationships, and experiencing the life of an average Japanese teenager. Throughout the game, the phrase "Memento Mori"—meaning "remember that you are mortal"—is frequently referenced, though its significance is initially obscure.
The player takes control of the protagonist and experiences his first day of school, where they are introduced to the Social Links system, an essential aspect of the game. The importance of these connections is soon made apparent. The following night, when the clock strikes midnight, the world comes to a halt, and people are transmogrified into coffins—a symbolic representation of conscious death—except for the members of SEES, who live together in a dormitory. Though still unaware of this phenomenon, the protagonist is forced to confront an otherworldly entity to protect a friend. His friend holds a gun-like object unconsciously, and as if instructed by an internal force, the protagonist brings the weapon to his own temple and pulls the trigger. Despite this act of impending doom, there is an eerie sense of harmony in his actions. This moment summons his "Persona," a physical manifestation of the psyche, unique to each individual and shaped by their experiences and philosophy. His Persona, "Orpheus," is named after the legendary figure from Greek mythology known for his musical talent and descent into the Underworld in an attempt to retrieve his wife, Eurydice—a symbolic victory over death. After defeating the Shadow, the protagonist falls into a coma-like state from the immense toll of using his ability. Upon regaining consciousness, he learns more about the nature of his powers, Shadows, Tartarus, and the mission of SEES. He then resumes his daily school life, forming social connections and climbing Tartarus at night, unaware that these heroic acts will ultimately lead to the end of the world.
Protagonist's Isolation
Persona 3 employs deliberate visual cues that reinforce its themes and characterizations. The protagonist's headphones and the color blue are particularly significant elements that contribute to the game's philosophical depth. The headphones that the protagonist constantly carries around symbolize a literal barrier between him and the world, representing his emotional detachment and initial apathy. They visually reinforce his status as an "outsider" who observes life from a distance. The constant wearing of headphones in public settings, against typical Japanese social norms, establishes his nonconformist nature. Headphones represent the protagonist's refuge in music, particularly significant with the game's standout soundtrack featuring lyrics about death, isolation, and connection. Songs like "Burn My Dread" playing through those headphones become an extension of his inner psychological state.
"Clockwork maze, end unknown
In frozen time, a staircase stands
Shadows crawl on bloodstained floor
I rush straight ahead, with a sword in hands
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Cold touch of
My trembling gun
I close my eyes
To hear you breathe
(Burn my dread)
(Burn my dread)
[Chorus]
I will (burn my dread)
This time I'll grapple down that god of fear
And throw him into hell's fire
(Burn my dread)
I will shrug the pain and run
Till I see the sunlight again"
Jungian Narrative
The beings, which are physical manifestations of an individual's complex psyche and take the form of mythological and mystical figures such as almighty beings, demons, and creatures, accompany the protagonist and his friends on their journey to seek the truth and meaning of existence, the Dark Hour, and all that it entails. These Personas are unique to each individual, a concept rooted in Carl Jung's analysis of the human subconscious and its bifurcation into the realms of the Persona and the Shadow. The Persona represents the identity one presents to the world, while the Shadow embodies suppressed subconscious desires and emotions, including the acknowledgment of death—an essential step in the Fool's journey toward completeness.
The power of a Persona manifests through the unflinching confrontation and acceptance of one's Shadow, symbolized in the game by the act of shooting oneself. This act parallels the psychological barrier individuals face when delving into their own psyche, fearing not destruction but transformation. Only by overcoming this barrier can one experience ego death—a profound and transformative power capable of reshaping destiny.
Social Links
The social link system helps transcend the experience from passive gameplay to something much more intertwined with oneself—unique characters with whom you can spend time by going to the movies, studying together, and engaging in similar activities depending on the personality of the character. There are many different individuals with whom you interact, each embodying a different arcana from tarot—a particular stage in the fool's (hero's) journey. A few examples include how you help your classmate overcome heartbreak from unrequited love and find meaning distinct from others, the athlete who despite struggling from a ligament tear shows relentless ambition and drive for his goals, the little girl whose parents are going through divorce—a mature struggle which makes little understanding for an innocent perspective of the world, or the businessman running a pyramid scheme and exploiting others for his personal material greed and benefits. These are but a few examples of the different arcana that the protagonist encounters, but the one that I hold most affectionately is the character embodying the sun arcana—Akinari, a teenager who is the same age as you but has been dealt a fate much different than the protagonist's, a fate which can't be changed through any amount of hardship or power.
Akinari is a teenage boy who finds happiness through poetry and spends what little amount of time he has in a park, on a bench under a tree, observing and reaching out for trickling meaning for his life. The protagonist comes across him by accident, and with only a momentary meeting, he is able to understand the misfortune of Akinari facing hardships that one is bound to face much later in life, very early—the inevitable death that awaits every living being at the end of their lifetime. Akinari is suffering from a terminal illness with no cure, from which he is bound to die very soon. This revelation brought more about grief than fear; he isn't scared of death but rather questions the very meaning of his transient existence, which has brought about no objective difference in the lives of the people he holds close but rather only grief and misery in return. He questions why he was brought into this world. He is, in a sense, the counterpart of the protagonist, someone who is chosen by fate to bring about great revelation to one who is also chosen by fate but with a destiny that no one would wish for. Gradual interactions with the player through dialogue result in a greater understanding of each other; Akinari finds a friend for the very first time who acknowledges his existence not as something pitiful, but treats him as an individual in his entirety, not defined by preconceived notions—a first and last for Akinari. While the player develops a sense of attachment for Akinari and is in denial of his impending doom, Akinari, on the other hand, has completely dissociated from the misery which chained him for the longest time. Akinari begins to understand that even his transient existence of perhaps no objective difference has meaning, because he was able to make a difference for the one who held him dear, and that he doesn't require an overarching acknowledgment or meaning, but the simple fact that his existence made a few people happy is enough. His existence as a fleeting memory in which people could find solace was meaningful enough—a simple, profound, and beautiful revelation. During their last meeting, Akinari gifts the player his fountain pen with which he wrote poetry during their time together, a memento to remember him by, and thanks him. The simple act of talking to someone and acknowledging their existence brought about a beautiful metamorphosis, an act so simple but often overlooked.
Schopenhauerian Elements
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was a German philosopher whose work is often considered a precursor to nihilism. His critical analysis of the meaning of life has made him one of the foremost nihilistic philosophers. Visual and thematic cues of his philosophy are prevalent throughout the timeline: the apathy syndrome (which reflects Schopenhauer's notion that consciousness is a burden; the affected individuals achieve a state where the Will no longer torments them through desire) steadily engulfs humanity as the protagonist approaches doomsday—the day when Nyx, a being which is the physical manifestation of death, descends onto the world and puts humanity into eternal sleep. This represents Schopenhauer's idea that non-existence is preferable to existence. The cultists (Strega) who worship Nyx embody the Schopenhauerian conclusion that cessation of being is liberation from suffering. The game unflinchingly examines death, not as something taboo, but as an essential awareness for authentic existence. This also aligns with Martin Heidegger's philosophy that acknowledging mortality is central to living authentically. The antagonist's nihilistic embrace of death directly channels Schopenhauer's view that life is suffering and death is release.
The Absurd Hero
During the player's confrontation with Nyx, and choosing not to submit to a primordial celestial being, by choosing eternal vigilance against death itself, the protagonist creates meaning through defiance. The game's tagline, "Remember you will die," is not mere fatalism but a call to authentic living—acknowledging mortality makes each choice more significant. The initially indifferent protagonist that the player encountered has, somewhere in their long journey together, undergone a metamorphosis, and now the protagonist's final act of self-sacrifice rejects both traditional meaning systems and nihilistic surrender. The protagonist embodies a philosophical contradiction—accepting life's meaninglessness yet choosing to act heroically anyway.
The Significance of March 5th
March 5th is the day when the protagonist fulfills his ultimate purpose. After defeating Nyx on January 31st, he gradually weakens throughout February as he maintains the Great Seal with his life force. On March 5th, during the school's graduation ceremony, regardless of whether they will retain their memories after defeating Nyx, through subtle cues, the protagonist's friends are reminded of their promise and memories, and rush towards the rooftop as a serene melody which amplifies the emotional impact of the scene plays. The protagonist, already present on the rooftop, passes away peacefully with his head resting on Aigis's lap with a smile on his face, right as their friends come up to the rooftop and the ending credits roll.
Death and Acceptance: March 5th embodies the game's central theme of "memento mori" (remember you will die). The protagonist's peaceful acceptance of death after living fully represents the game's philosophical message about mortality.
Spring Symbolism: In Japanese culture, early March represents the transition to spring and new beginnings. The protagonist's death during this season creates a touching contrast—as others begin new journeys, his journey ends, yet enables others to continue. The date marks almost exactly one year since the protagonist's arrival in Iwatodai, completing the game's cyclical structure and the Fool's journey through the Major Arcana.
Persona 3 is an odyssey of personal transformation—a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, shaped by the meaningful relationships we form with those around us. It culminates in a bittersweet ending, you succeed in saving the ones you hold dear from impending doom, yet the price of that salvation is yourself. In the end, you become the ultimate sacrifice for the people and ideals you cherish—an idea that the once-apathetic protagonist might have scoffed at, but now, only a hopeful smile remains.
(Greatest piece of fiction btw)
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