September 15th, 2016, was a big day for JRPGs, as a long-awaited adventure finally arrived. It brought stylish characters, turn-based combat, and a city full of secrets to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. Ten years later, its influence can still be felt across the genre. Few RPGs have managed to make their worlds, music, menus, and characters feel so closely connected. Even fewer have inspired the same level of anticipation for whatever comes next. Looking back at the last decade, it is hard not to wonder whether any new JRPG can create that same cultural moment.
Persona 5 arrived at a time when JRPGs were finding new audiences, and it gave that audience something instantly recognizable. Its red-and-black visual style, unforgettable soundtrack, and rebellious cast made it easy to talk about even when the game was not in front of you. Its influence went far beyond JRPGs, even affecting how Sakurai developed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Today, its legacy raises an interesting question: what could possibly follow a game that became so influential?
Persona 5 launched in Japan on September 15, 2016, following an eight-year gap since Persona 4. Developed by Atlus, it follows the Phantom Thieves, a group of high school students who enter supernatural worlds to confront corruption. Its combination of school life, social relationships, dungeon exploration, and turn-based combat gave players a huge amount to do. The game’s director, Katsura Hashino, described its setting as a “picaresque juvenile” world, blending the series’ school-life identity with the appeal of a story about outlaws.
What made Persona 5 stand out was how confidently it presented itself. The menus were animated, the transitions were stylish, and the soundtrack by Shoji Meguro gave every activity a distinct mood. The game did not treat presentation as something separate from its mechanics. Whether players were shopping in Tokyo, spending time with friends, or fighting Shadows, the same visual language carried through. I still remember the first time I saw its battle interface. It felt less like navigating a menu and more like stepping into a comic book that had suddenly come alive. That level of consistency is difficult to achieve.
The game’s success also helped introduce the Persona series to a much wider audience. By November 2016, Atlus reported that Persona 5 had shipped 550,000 units in Japan within its first two weeks, making it the fastest-selling Atlus game at that point. By 2018, worldwide sales had surpassed 2.4 million copies. It had become a major commercial success for a traditionally niche JRPG series.
The influence of Persona 5 is not limited to games that copy its school setting or turn-based combat. Its larger impact comes from showing how presentation, character development, and gameplay can work together to create a recognizable identity. Developers have increasingly looked for ways to make their RPGs feel distinct through art direction, music, and character relationships. While Persona 5 did not invent these ideas, it demonstrated how effectively they could reach an international audience. Its success arrived during a period when JRPGs were gaining renewed attention in the West, helping reinforce the appeal of long-form Japanese RPGs.
One of the clearest examples of that influence is how players now expect more from their RPG companions. A strong battle system is no longer always enough. Players want to know who their party members are, what motivates them, and how their relationships develop. Persona 5 made its cast central to the experience through the Confidant system, which rewarded players for spending time with characters outside combat. That approach has parallels in other modern JRPGs, including Metaphor: ReFantazio. While Atlus’ newer fantasy RPG is not a direct copy of Persona 5, it carries forward the studio’s interest in combining social bonds, character development, and turn-based battles.
The game’s influence can also be seen in the way modern JRPGs are marketed. Persona 5 had a strong visual identity that could be communicated immediately through trailers, character art, and music. The Phantom Thieves were recognizable before many players even knew the game’s full story. That is valuable in a crowded market. A game can have an excellent combat system, but a memorable cast and distinctive presentation give people something to connect with before they play. For me, this is where Persona 5 feels hardest to follow. Its design was not just effective. It was instantly identifiable.
The next mainline Persona game has a difficult task ahead, although it is important not to confuse that challenge with a prediction about its quality. Persona 5 established a particular combination of urban atmosphere, social simulation, stylish presentation, and turn-based combat. A future sequel will need to decide which of those elements should return and which should evolve. The developers have already shown that they are willing to explore new directions. Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 each have their own settings, themes, and casts, so a new entry does not necessarily need to repeat the Phantom Thieves’ story to feel like Persona.
Atlus has also demonstrated that it can expand the series without relying exclusively on numbered sequels. Persona 5 Royal added new content and was released in 2019, while Persona 5 Strikers explored the Phantom Thieves through an action RPG developed with Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force team. These projects gave fans more ways to experience the world of Persona 5, but they also showed how difficult it can be to move beyond a successful cast. When players become attached to a particular group, there is always a question of whether a new cast can create the same connection.
The future of Persona may ultimately depend on how willing Atlus is to surprise its audience. The series has never been completely static, and its best entries have introduced new characters, themes, and settings. Persona 6 could preserve the social relationships, turn-based combat, and memorable music that fans expect while taking the story somewhere unfamiliar. That would not guarantee another Persona 5-sized cultural moment, but it would give the series room to grow. Ten years after the Japanese launch of Persona 5, its influence is clear. The next chapter does not need to repeat its success. It needs to give players a new reason to care.
