Personafans are eagerly hoping to see some new Major Arcana taking prominence in the upcoming main series titlePersona 6.After three straight games of protagonists represented by the Fool Arcana and accompanied by Magician, Priestess, and Lovers Arcana allies,Persona 6would be a great opportunity for developer Atlus to shine some light on oft-overlooked Arcana. One such Arcana is the Tower, which is typically downplayed or ignored inPersonagames, possibly due to the card’s negative associations in tarot-based fortune-telling.
Although no playable character in the series has wielded a Tower Persona, it has been possessed by Persona-wielding NPCs. Kenta Yokouchi, nicknamed “Toro/Chunky,” was a minor antagonist in the originalPersonagame and a helpful rumor-monger NPC in thePersona 2duology. He possessed the Persona Mara of the Tower Arcana, which overwhelmed and possessed him in the first game until he learned to control it inPersona 2.Additionally, although the antagonistTohru AdachifromPersona 4is considered a wielder of the variant Lust/Hunger Arcana, his Persona Magatsu-Izanagi has appeared as part of the Tower Arcana in later games where his original Arcana was not included.
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The Tower, likeDeathand the Devil which precede it, is one of the 22 Major Arcana that is typically interpreted as a solely bad omen. Appearing sixteenth among the Major Arcana, the Tower upright symbolizes chaos, destruction, and major upheaval. It is strongly associated with arrogance and the concept of “pride comes before a fall.” Reversed, the Tower symbolizes apathy, vanity, and a dependence on material desires. However, the Tower is not wholly negative, as it can also relate to higher learning, liberation, and new experiences. Those who embrace the change the Tower brings often find themselves experiencing a new worldview and a re-organization of their priorities.
In allPersonagames, theTower cardfeatures an image of a stone tower being struck by lightning and beginning to fall apart. This is generally believed to represent the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, in which humanity attempted to construct a tower tall enough to reach Heaven and were punished by God as a result of their pride. InPersona 5,which uses the French Marseillaise Tarot as inspiration, the Tower card is renamedLa Maison Dieu,meaning “The House of God,” although the card art of a tower being destroyed remains the same. The Tower is one of several Arcana that was renamed to reflect the Marseillaise Tarot’s Christian themes; similarly, the Hierophant becomes “The Pope” and Death is “the Arcana with no name.”
A Literal Tower Could Be Used as a Persona
A Tower Persona user inPersona 6could draw quite literally from the card’s inspiration and have the Tower of Babel itself as their Persona. Inanimate object Personas are uncommon but not unheard of - most notably,Persona 5’sFutaba Sakurawields the Necronomicon, HP Lovecraft’s tome of eldritch wisdom, as her Persona. Other possible Towers that could serve as Persona include the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria. Alternately, if the “House of God” name is used, the Persona could be a location such as Notre Dame, the Sistine Chapel, or Angkor Wat.
Alternately, the Tower could be a figure who suffered a fall from grace or a morally ambiguous individual. In thePersonagames, Tower personas wielded by the protagonist have included gods connected to material wealth and possessions, anti-heroes, demons, Lovecraftian entities, and representations of sin. Some Ultimate Persona of the Tower Arcana have been the Chinese war deity Chi You inPersona 3,the Hindu god Shiva the Destroyer inPersona 5,and the god of drunkenness Mada inPersona 5.Any of those could serve as a playable Tower Persona, as could such figures as the elder being Cthulhu, the war god Ares/Mars, or the titular character ofDante’s Inferno,a sinner seeking redemption. Another option is the classic fairy tale figure Rapunzel, who is trapped in a tower - this could possibly connect toPersona 5 RoyalcharacterKasumi Yoshizawa, who had Cendrillon/Cinderella as her Persona.
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Tower Social Links are Late-Game and Difficult to Unlock
Another reason that the Tower Arcana could use more focus inPersona 6is its relegation in the previous titles to a late-game Social Link orConfidantwith difficult unlock conditions. InPersona 3,the Tower Arcana is represented by Mutatsu, a short-tempered monk who has turned to alcohol to deal with his dissatisfaction in life. He is typically one of the last Social Links the player will unlock, as he has limited availability and requires progression in the Strength(Persona 3)or Chariot(Persona 3 Portable)Social Link to even meet him.Persona 4requires protagonist Yu Narukami to max out his Understanding stat before meeting Shu Nakajima, a socially isolated student with a poor relationship with his parents and classmates. Finally,Persona 5’sJoker can only befriend arcade shooter champion Shinya Oda after completing a specific Mementos request unlocked partway through the game.
Because the past two Tower Arcana Social Links have been children, some fans speculate that a playable Tower Persona wielder could be a younger character. Typically, the playable cast of aPersonagame is made up of high school students, but some younger characters have appeared in spin-offs, such asPersona 5 Strikers’Sophia and Nanako Dojima, a former Social Link fromPersona 4who was made playable inPersona 4: Dancing All Night.A Tower character would likely be someone struggling with major change in their life, such as moving, starting a new school, or ending a relationship. Alternately, if the Tower user is an adult like Mutatsu, they could struggle with alcoholism, overworking, or gambling.
A Tower User Could Be a Strong Physical Attacker
Most playable Personas of the Tower Arcana have primarily focused on physical attacks. Because the Tower Social Link or Confidant does not typically unlock until later in the game, it is typically an Arcana filled with powerful Personas. If Tower Personas have magical abilities, they are usually limited to a single element - for example,Persona 5’sMada uses Fire attacks, while Shiva is typically associated with the element of Ice. While Tower Personas typically have limited support ability, some, such asYoshitsuneand Magatsu-Izanagi, are associated with the special skill Heat Riser, which increases the Attack, Defense, and Evasion rates of one ally.
A Tower user inPersona 6would likely be the primary physical attacker of the group, similar to Akihiko Sanada inPersona 3or Kanji Tatsumi inPersona 4.They might also wield a Persona capable of inflicting debuffs on the opponent - such as Fear, Curse, or Confusion - due to the generally negative associations of the Tower. Because their Persona would likely be extremely powerful, it is also possible that this character could be one of the last party members to join inPersona 6.They could even be a character who starts out antagonistic before joining the heroes, such asPersona 5’sGoro Akechi. They would make a unique addition toPersona 6with an Arcana that is so rarely given prominence in the series.
