WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DISCUSSIONS OF THEMES THAT YOU MAY FIND OFFENSIVE, IT ALSO CONTAINS DISTURBING IMAGES. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!
The High Priestess
Designated Number 2, the 3rd card of the Major Arcana and the first of the "influences" and the first to represent Society. A young woman with long silver hair, dressed in blue robes and wearing a crown similar to the Moon God, Isis, stands I'm between two pillars holding a scroll that is marked "TORA"
The High Priestess Means Intuition, Memories, and the revealing of Secrets. Reversed, it means Secrets and been Stubborn. The allusion to Isis is not a coincidence, as this card is ruled by The Moon.
When used to Depict a specific person, it usually a female influence, a sister, aunt, or godmother or wife.....but never a mother! That card comes later!
The high Priestess is represented by Fuuka Yamagishi, the 1st Navigator of P3, Yukiko Amagi, the Snow Black, P5's Makato "Queen" Najima, and Rose, The Soul Powered Psychic of Street Fighter.
Fuuka
Small in Stature, Even for a Girl in the year below our heroes, Fuuka was prey for bullies in High school, So when she was locked in a changing room and left over night, the school changed into Tantalus, while not a fighter her unique Persona manifested naturally without causing the trauma of using a evoker to shoot herself. Using the signal from Lucia, Fuuka's Persona, they found the girl and found that Lucia's set of skills can be used in a new way, as a Navigator.
Fuuka is a small Mousey, Insecure Girl who feels inadequate In her own body, especially when sharing the dorm with 2 of the school's popular girls.
In her social link, Fuuka has started cooking in an attempt to be more "Girly", at the expense of fixing and tinkering with Technology and Gadgets because of it, it's only when Minato tells her to truthful to herself, she realizes that gender roles are bullshit as long as you love yourself and are loved. In the end, Fuuka gifts Minato some Headphones she had being fixing. Unfortunately that does not change the headphones on Minato's costume in anyway, expect in the dancing game, which we are not acknowledging. It's purely a key item to prove we can fuse for the Most Powerful monster in the Priestess Arcana.
While Fuuka is an interesting Character, Her story does not fit the Motif of High Priestess, But if she was An Empress Social Link, It would Work.
Hear me out on this!
Her Doubt does not come from her powers not working, nor does it have her trying to prove she can fight and be something she's not! That's counter-intuitive. No It's about her perceived lack of Femininity. Just look at the design of Lucia!
She's a literal Safe zone shaped like a Pregnant lady. Given that The Empress is about Femininity and Nurturing, That argument can be made!
Yukiko Amagi
Inaba is like any small town in Japan. there are 2 schools, Acres of ricefields, A temple, a shopping district and an Inn.
But in this Inn, handed down for generations, resides a girl, a beauty adored by all the boys in school, soft and pure as the snow she was named after, Yukiko Amagi
As the receptionist of the Famous Amagi inn and Hot springs, It was here The Newscaster stayed before she was Murdered. When Yukiko was interviewed on tv and talked down to about boys, the murder and the responsibility at such a young age, Yukiko was kidnapped and thrown into the Tv world. the next night, A Shadow Yukiko appeared on the midnight channel, dressed as a fairytale princess. Yukiko's real feelings of been tied down by inheritance, and her own sexual awakening was broadcast bare for all to see.
Yukiko denied her feelings about wanting to leave Inaba. Turning her Shadow into A Phoenixian Monstrosity of Burning wings and Hot lace! When the shadow is defeated. She realizes her feelings of Restriction are there, Turning her shadow into her own Persona, Kohana Sakura
Resolving to leave Inaba after Graduation and Applying for a Job Licence, She comes afoul of the producer of the tv show, "News of the Weird", who offers to pay Yukiko's college tuition, So he turn the Amagi Inn into a "Murder Mansion" and have customers come via morbid curiosity! Angered how the Murders and her own Attempted Murder would be trivialized to make a quick buck, he instead wants to make out the hot springs out to be a seedy Brothel. Insulted, Yukiko refuses. In the end, While she doesn't go through with leaving her town or the inn, she has being taking Hotelier Lessons via Correspondence Courses and Applying the Modern Style to her Families Inn. It may not be traditional Inn anymore, But in this way, at least Yukiko doesn't feel like a Princess trapped in a tower.
Yukiko....is a strange case to try to find any semblance of tarot Context to. As most of her decisions where not made via Intuition but via her Conscience and Morality, That's the Difference, The producer laid the fact he was Scum too thick, without being Tactful or Duplicitous! Sorry, I don't see any Mythos going back to any aspect of the card, at all.
Hopefully P5 does it Better.
Makoto
Since her Sister is A Chief Prosecutor (The very same who interrogates Joker during the story.) Makoto is the Studious Straitlaced Student Council President who turned a blind eye to the Suffering of the Sports teams by Mr Kamoshida. In her role as Student Council President, Makoto would later Notarize a loan from a Loanshark called Kaneshiro, Swallowing her pride when she discovered the identities of the Phantom Thieves, She entered the Cognitive world of the gangster's Bank, Now Imagined as an UFO. With the Thieves Surrounded, Kaneshiro would talk big to Makoto, calling her an useless Woman, and proposing to Sell her Body to pay off the debt! Angered by this, It Awakened her own Persona, A Living Motorcycle called Johana!
To befriend Makoto, you must Max out your intelligence, So Get your Quiz Answers From GameFaqs, as the school questions are 500 IQ trivia! When you do, Makoto will give you the time of day. And she'll ask you how to appear less unfriendly, after learning she goes to karaoke if you press it, you end up in the real answer anyway, the arcade. One Session of PWNING N00BS! And Makato is more relatable!
Makoto's story starts when you are with her in the Red light district, when she notices a girl she knows working in a club. Concerned, Makoto meets Eiko after school ands asks Eiko if she's ok at home, to which Eiko claims she doesn't need the money. Makoto tells us as such, but Eiko does have a younger more talented brother who gets all the attention. Eiko and Makoto hit it off over a shared love of a cartoon so Makoto has made a friend on her own, which makes her second guess if interfering with the relationship between Eiko and her Boyfriend, who is a serial con artist and pimp, it's only when she gives him her number out of concern, that Tsubaba calls Eiko, "Makoto" to her face, Eiko accusers Makoto of "stealing her man" when Makoto slaps the sense into her, which she does!
Makoto's story succeeds where Yukiko's fails. A situation where someone must choose to do the right thing or do what is expected. And Makoto been doing the latter all her life, and it nearly got her killed. She holds her father's Memory very dear, who was a detective confronting the gang who murdered his wife, and was sadly ran down in the line of duty. She decides to join the family business, hoping one day to reach the title of Police Commissioner.
Not that it matters, Given the Resolution of Yukari and Rise Storylines, But Makoto may be the canon Romantic Interest!
Rose
There are.....a lot of Strange fighters in The Street Fighter universe. From a Emerald skinned monkey man, to an Aztec clay statue come to life, to a Turkish Oil Wrestler with one hell of a sunburn!
But all pale in comparison to the Italian fighter Rose...Who is not a martial artist!
Rose is a tarot card reader who earned her place at ( and later runs) La Palacia Maggica, a Grand House where the Wealthy and influential would seek guidance from Mystics. With Rose not only Gifted in Premonition, but ESP and Astral projection.
One Night, when asked about the Odds of the Street Fighter tournament, her vision showed her the end of the world. Concerned, but with no real formal training, Rose entered into the Tournament. As the days went on Her Vision became Clear, M. Bison was using the Tournament as a ploy to replace his dying body with that of winner, Ryu. When Ryu felled Bison, Rose Intervened and Bison's soul took her body instead, However turns out Bison's Psycho Power is the direct opposite to the source of Rose's abilities, the Soul Power, kind of like Yin and Yang, both cancel each other but one cannot survive if the other is destroyed.
Her Possession between the events of Alpha and SF2 scared Rose, even though she had no memory of what she did, the fact that her Body was used for evil and she resolved to stop Bison....even it means her death.
By the end of SFV, Ryu killed Bison, one and for all, and with no body to replace it seemed like Rose could keep on living!
But She Couldn't get it out of her mind. Why is she still here?
Charming and Beautiful, Rose is a Mechanically Unusual Fighter, using a scarf imbued with Soul Power as a multipurpose tool, it's a bat for Projective, it's a taser, a shield, A drill Bit and Pole vault! It does it all!
She also has the disadvantage of being Anemic, so she would miss early morning matches.
Rose is very much the Priestess Card. Her Intuition guided her to a situation in plain sight that was more insidious than thought. However that Intuition, honed by mystic by Whatever training she obtained, has made her deal in absolutes. First by wanting to sacrifice her life to do so, to training Apprentices to finish her work if she dies, such as Maggio and Menat. However meaning G and feeling no Soul from him, she knows her fight is not over!
Fukka-0
Yukiko-0
Makoto-1
Rose-1
Round 2 Perks
Sadly, Fuuka gains her Abilities via level up and not by Social Links. So no points.
Yukiko comes with all the standard moves she learns with the others. But also unlocks the Amagi Family Inn and Hot Springs as a location.
Why is this important?
Well, there is a one time event during New Year's Day. Where you can invite one of your party Members for a dip and to contemplate the year. Your guest will ask what you are thinking and you are given the choice of picking "The Past Year" or "The Future". Picking the past will make your guest remember a forgotten move, but picking the future will make you guest learn their final move early, and it's usually powerful!
Makoto comes with Follow up attack, talk, Harisen Recovery, and Endure as Standard, But comes with only 2 unique abilities. Shadow Calculus and Shadow Factorisation
Calculus shows all elemental weakness of an enemy while Factorisation shows the Enemy's Status Weaknesses.
Rose has being sought by Ryu for spiritual advice whenever he is in Europe. No official sources have claimed she can subdue the dark Hadou like Dhalsim can, however.
Fuuka-1
Yukiko-1
Makato-2
Rose-2
Influence on the hero and their world.
Fuuka as your ally and roommate, is front and centre on your journey. As a voice in your ear, may seem a little detached.
Like all your Female Social Links, Yukiko can be romanced, She can eavesdrop during her shifts at the inn, but it's downplayed.
Makoto is the Strategist of the Phantom Thieves, with a black belt in Akido, so she can hold her own, But she's also a better Healer than Morgana who also has strong physical attacks, as opposed to Morgana's luck based attacks
Rose has an invested interest in the confrontation between Ryu and M.Bison. Her existence depended on it. She recognises that Ryu is the one that will save the world, and tries to help best she can, even if she believes that Sacrifice is the answer!
Fuuka-2
Yukiko-2
Makoto-3
Rose-2
The winner is Makoto.
THE EMPRESS
Fourth in line is the Empress card, Designated as 3. And is Ruled by the planet Venus.
A Heavily Pregnant Woman Stands in a Wheat Field, Dressed In a Robe and Crown.
As Mentioned above, the Empress Means Femininity, Protection and Nurturing. If used to predict the future for a female enquirer, childbirth may be discussed.
For a single person the card means The Enquirer's Mother.
Our 4 new contestants are Mitsuru Kirijo, Head of S.E.E.S, Margaret, the Ruler of Power, Haru "Noir" Okumara, The Beauty Thief and Cammy White "The Killer Bee"
Mitsuru
Mitsuru Kirijo, the heir of the powerful Kirijo Group of Investment Bankers had it all. Wealth, A Formal Education overseas, Enough Points to Graduate High school early and to attend any College she wanted.
However, the truth of The Kirijo's wealth in recent years during a period of crashes, was unforgivable for a long period of time, even by Yukari who lost her father
You see, The Kirijo Group is responsible for the Dark Hour.
Her Grandfather Discovered the existence of "The Mind Place" or properly the Cognitive World. Seeing that the minds of all reside in the same place at night. The Man had a idea for to expand his influence. Subliminal Advertising in People's dreams. But why stop there, when you can change a person's mind and opinions to whatever you want. Better still the tidy profit of selling this power to the highest bidder?
That didn't happen.
What did happen was the Dark hour, and the attacks on humanity increasing over 10 years.
When she was just 7, Mitsuru and her father were involved in an incident that revealed Tantalus. And they were attacked by shadows. In her fear for her father, she cried for help.
And it came, freezing the Shadows in ice.
This was Pantescelia and from now on, Mitsuru had a way to fight back.
Via The power of Persona.
Remember that song by Pulp?
(I Wanna Live Like) Common People?
That's Mitzi's Social Link in a nutshell!
Sort of!
Being Rich all her life, she always had chef's make dinners. And still had some retainers cleaning the dorm on school hours, so you explaining to her that Burgers are eaten without cutlery is met with genuine surprise.
However, something is worrying Mitsuru, and you finally get it out that it's a Legal Issue. Due to the Recent Death of her Father, Mitsuru cannot inherit anything without Marriage, due to the fact he died before being of legal age.
Naturally, the Suitor is a Rich-Boy Douchebag who only wants her for money, and when he says that it's want her father wanted, Mitsuru snaps and finally remembers how powerful she is on her own, saying that she'll run the company despite her being (GASP!) A WOMAN! She tells him that she'll use all the Group's power to ruin his if he doesn't rescind the contract.
Mitsuru is two characters, the self assured fighter on Tantalus, and the sheltered rich girl who is served her every need all her life (in the Secret Surveillance tape after Spring Break. She reads a magazine on reviews for A bikini, and frowns that the company gives her clothes to wear In public.) Which is good, because it gives the character depth, especially one that comes of indefatigable.
Mitsuru is both sides of the Empress. The Mature leader on the brink of adulthood, and the person who is overprotected herself and emotionally blackmailed up to the point she fights back.
Margaret
One day You enter the Velvet Room when Igor Is away. Margaret senses Yu feels different and surmises that it was faithed that you should mee...
MARGARET IS A FETCH QUEST!
THATS IT!
SHE WANTS RARE PERSONAS WITH MOVES THEY CAN'T USUALLY LEARN TO WHOOP YOUR ASS IN A OPTIONAL BOSS BATTLE!
THAT'S IT!
Haru
In Joker's class there is a polite, unassuming girl. she's seen going to your classes, sitting to one side, serving you in the Electronics Shop and watering the Flowers as the sole member of Shujin Academy Gardening Club.
All to prove her worth, Not her Wealth.
Haru is the heir to Okumara Foods, the Company that owns the Fast Food Chain, Big Bang Burger. After Complaints Online that Big Bang treats it's Employees Harshly, the Phantom Thieves had no idea how deep it truly went.
Mr Okumara had used his wealth to support Councilman Shido in his quest for Presidency, becoming bankrupt in the process. In doing so Cutting Corners on his Restaurants, this created a Palace in the Cognitive World Based on the the Sci-fi themes of his restaurants. He as an alien overlord and all his employees as disposal robots. But that's not all.
Seeing his daughter as just as Expendable, Mr Okumara....sold Haru into Marriage as collateral for a loan, from a retainer called Sugamara. When Morgana left the Phantom Thieves, he found Sugamara trying to force himself on Haru. Morgana in his cat form attacked him, and when Haru tended to the beast, she was surprised it spoke. It could only mean one thing, Haru had a persona.
When the duo introduced themselves at first, they thought Haru was the dreaded Black Mask, killing people with mental shutdowns.
Then they realized how out of her League she was.
When they Confronted Shadow Okumara, he told her that Children are no more than stock to be invested in before been sold. This angered her to betray her beliefs in reasoning with him, Freeing her Persona, M'Lady!
Sadly changing her father's heart to reveal who is responsible for the mental Breakdowns, was killed himself on television via Shutdown, as the Phantom Thieves celebrated in Disn..DESTINYLAND!
Poor Haru was caught in the scandalous headline, "Heiress eats Cotton Candy as Father Dies". So not only does she have her Duties in the phantom thieves but to play Kingmaker in the future of her company.
If you have Max Kindness, Haru will allow you to join the school's gardening club. Her social link is the fallout from the Big Bang Palace. As she tries to change Okumara Foods image, appoint a fair president who is not a crony for Shido, and the threat of Sugamara trying to still marry her, all this and growing her own coffee beans to sell in her own brand of cafés. The strain is too much at times as she nearly collapses from tiredness. Thankfully convinced by the homegrown coffee, and his appointment. The new President reveals her father and Sugamara only had a verbal agreement. So his threats are null and void.
Haru is the Nurturing aspect of the Empress. As seen in her hobby of gardening. Though Formal and Sweet Natured on the Surface, she has a lot of inner Strength. And maybe a crazy side!
Cammy White
The Operative from MI6 has had a chequered past, before fighting for Queen and Country, she killed her own Prime minister. As the Code Name: "Killer Bee"
Cammy was one of many of M.Bison's Dolls. Female Clones that are the Workforce of Shadowloo, From Secretaries, to Sleeper Agents, to Guard Duty to.... Bunny girls in his Casino Front in Vegas?
Of the 13 known Dolls, Cammy is special Genetically cloned from Bison's own DNA and conditioned as a cold hearted killer. Countless lives had being took, but when Bison ordered to kill Dhalsim for the Destruction of his damn, Dhalsim used his mystic powers to clear her mind of brainwashing.
Returning to Shadowloo with a new sense of curiosity, she learned of her origins and of Bison's plan to marry her (taking the phrase "Love Yourself" to a new low!) Cammy defeated Bison and turned herself into the British Government, who decided Shadowloo was a bigger threat than they thought, to use Cammy as an operative in its top secret Delta Red, with the promise that if she can, she will free her "Sisters" the other dolls, as she topples Shadowloo
Cammy is our First Subversion of a card's Context: Femininity warped by Bison's ego, Young Women Brainwashed and Assigned Jobs In Stiff Gender Roles, Dressed in Catsuits and Leotards For his master's Viewing Pleasure. Of Course you can now Choose Different clothes for Cammy to wear but the Leotard is now like The Chun Li dress, It's too Iconic! In her Face Turn, She's Become the Protection Aspect of the card, acting after freeing some of the Dolls and helping them Acclimate to Lawful Society and Free Will. However she does feel Guilty about the crimes she committed, sometimes triggering Flashbacks, and she's had her share of Failures,like saving her Clone Decapre from being recaptured and reprogrammed by Shadaloo.
Mitsuru-1
Margaret-0
Haru-1
Cammy-1
ROUND 2-PERKS
Mitsuru gives you an Invoker and the key to her motorcycle, They are just Key Items and have no practical Use.
Margaret gives you a Brooch, A kiss, and 100 plus Asswhippings in a boss Battle with the Personas your stupid ass gave her! At least she kisses you! The other girls barely even hold your hand!
Haru comes with all the Party member bells and whistles. Follow up, Talk, Harisen Recovery, Endure and Second Awakening. But she comes in very late in the game, and requires Maxing out the one trait that has little ways of leveling up: Kindness!
So you Better early on Buy a plant and water it, Go to the Family restaurant and order a few Nostalgic Steak, Go to the maid Cafe and order anything. and with Level 1 Kindness, apply for a night job at the florists and complete orders to max it!
To Make Up for this High Requirement, The Unique Ability to Grow Vegetable for Curative Items is a godsend, Given the Moves in Persona are cast from your Own Health and since you will be hit a lot. you will die a lot. Cultivation can be upgraded to the mighty Bumper crop, and Miracle Soil Decreases the wait times between yields, a very Useful ability.
Cammy usually works with Chun-Li and Guile in dealing in the more grounded, criminal activity of Shadaloo and the Illuminati, while Ryu deals the more fantastical Baddies Head On!
Mitsuru-1
Margaret-0
Haru-2
Cammy-2
INFLUENCE ON THE HERO AND HIS WORLD
Mitsuru is the leader of S.E.E.S and Minato's Senpai, so she has final say on everything.
Margaret is the Velvet Room Attendant appointed by Igor for Yu's adventure, and as a Tarot card reader, it's her cards that are given to Yu in his Mind whenever he wins a battle, randomly Doling out experience, Money, Skill cards or New Personas, Other than that if you do succeed in a quest she will talk you, But it'll either be Innuendo or Quasi-Philosophical Advice.
Haru appears too late in the game to Contribute anything significant after her arc. She's Upstaged by a punk arguing with a cat!
Cammy and Ryu had fought before with them Complementing each other after the other's loss. However, In 5, Cammy Now tells Ryu that "I'm a Soldier. Fighting is my Employment!" This is Significant Character Growth, as she use to be blaise about using the term "Killer" on herself!
Mitsuru-2
Margaret-1
Haru-2
Cammy-3
In the most contested 4-way to date, the Winner is Cammy.
and that will do it for part 2, I'm currently writing up the review for Avenger's Confidential: Black Widow/Punisher. So Once that's over, Part 3 The Emperor and The Hierophant will next.
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