All Persona games ranked

With the recent remake, fans might wonder in what order all mainline Persona games are ranked. Persona started as a spinoff of Atlus’ popular RPG series Shin Megami Tensei, but it wasn’t long till it made its own identity in the gaming world. While other franchises let the player live their wildest fantasies of fighting fantastical monsters and saving the world, Persona games also deliver the same, but with a different style.

Strategic turn-based combat, in-depth romances, building bonds with other NPCs, and serious themes in the plot are the signature aspects of Persona games. In this list, we have ranked all the mainline games in the franchise, based on the titles that offer these aspects to the fullest.

NOTE: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

Best mainline Persona games ranked

7) Persona 1 (Revelations: Persona)

Starting the list with the first game in the series, Persona 1 aka Revelations: Persona was released back in 1996 for the original PlayStation, and was unsurprisingly the most vanilla game in the series. While it introduced some of the identifying aspects of the franchise, it lacked in many other ways.

The clanky controls, janky visuals, and very lackluster plot of the original title are the reasons why it deserved to be the lowest entry in the list. Unless you are a fan of old-school RPGs or are trying to play all the games in the Persona franchise, Revelations may not be worth your time.

6) Persona 2: Innocent Sin

Persona 2: Innocent Sin is considered to have the best story among all the Persona games, before the switch in themes in the modern entries. Other than the story, Innocent Sin also introduced many staple RPG elements to their formula.

While this was a very significant upgrade compared to P1, it still felt a little cumbersome. The unfair difficulty curve and bad localization resulted in an unsuccessful run in the Western market.

5) Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

A direct sequel to Innocent Sin, Persona 2 Eternal Punishment is the closest a Persona game has ever come to a Shin Megami Tensei title. While Eternal Punishment stayed true to the Persona formula, it also focused on the horror aspects of the gameplay and its story. The overall feel and aesthetics felt much darker compared to other Persona games.

While the experimental tone of this entry felt very fresh in the series, the lack of polish on gameplay and visuals left a bitter taste in many players.

4) Persona 4

The most stylish entry in the series, Persona 4 (Image via Atlus)

Persona 4, the first modern addition to the list, succeeded where previous titles fell short. The tone of Persona 4 is extremely fun and casual, with its cast of teenage schoolgoers doing all kinds of dumb shenanigans when they are not busy fighting evil forces. However, it also has an eerie vibe with its art style and the dark themes in its story.

Persona 4 is a modern Persona game done right. It inspired a lot of games in the franchise as well as in other gaming series.

3) Persona 3

The start of a new era in the Persona franchise (Image via Atlus)

The title that set the tone for all the modern entries in the series as well as pushed the bar to brand new heights, Persona 3, is a phenomenon in the franchise. Released in 2007 for the PlayStation and port on the PSP, Persona 3 also inspired a sequel named Persona 3 FES.

The game made a big turn from the formula established in the previous games. It introduced a new vibe into the mix with schoolgoers as the main cast. It also introduced in-depth relationship trees that not only result in romantic developments with other NPCs but also unlock powerful Personas for the MC to use.

Persona 3 was the trailblazer that set the future of the franchise. It recently received a new remake, check out our review on Persona 3 Reload to know more.

2) Persona 5

The peak of modern Persona games (image via Atlus)

The game that no one saw coming, Persona 5, is the definitive title among the modern Persona games. Persona 5 took everything good from the previous modern titles and polished it to absolute perfection. The flashy art style, rich story, and lovable characters made a significant impression on the Western audience, pushing the franchise to global standards.

Persona 5 is the very first game in the Persona franchise to win the prestigious “Best RPG Game of the Year” award amongst many other accolades.

1) Persona 5 Royal

The best of the best Persona 5 Royale (Image via Atlus)

Who can beat the best? Other than the best! Persona 5 Royal is a remake of the original. Not only did Royal introduce much better visual fidelity, but also a myriad of new content. Royal also added new characters and some new endings.

Royal was both a critical and a commercial hit. Although it was a remake, it had so much new content to offer that many fans treated it as a completely separate entry in the franchise, putting it on the pedestal of the best Persona game of all time.