The many arcana of the tarot deck have been a key element of thePersonaseries since the very first game. Characters - and the Personas they wield - are represented by the cards of the Major Arcana, from protagonists embarking on the Fool’s journey to romanceable Lovers, fatherly Hierophants, doubting Hanged Men, and more.Persona 6is likely to continue utilizing the tarot - but it should not limit itself to the Major Arcana. PreviousPersonagames have made only minimal use of the Minor Arcana’s four suits and their meanings, makingPersona 6the perfect time to change this.
What Is The Minor Arcana?
A standard tarot deck consists of22 Major Arcana cardsand 56 Minor Arcana cards divided into four suits. The suits are Swords, Cups, Wands (also called Staves), and Coins (also called Pentacles). Each suit consists of ten numbered cards and four “court cards,” the King, Queen, Knight, and Page (also called Jack.)
In tarot readings,Minor Arcana cardstypically represent temporary influences and factors in the subject’s life, compared to the more permanent Major Arcana. The Cups suit represents emotions, romance, and creativity, Coins/Pentacles represent material wealth and finances, Swords represent actions and conflict, and Wands/Staves represent energy, spirituality, and passion. The court cards, especially the Kings and Queens, typically represent a distilled, concentrated version of the suit’s meaning - for example, a person who draws the King of Swords may be undergoing a conflict that will be long-lasting or have a significant impact.
The Minor Arcana’s Use In PreviousPersonaGames
The Minor Arcana did not appear at all inRevelations: Persona,the first game in the series. It also did not appear inPersona 5or the base version ofPersona 4.However, the suits of the Minor Arcana did play a small role in other main linePersonagames:
Persona 6Could Use The Minor Arcana In A Major Way
Persona 6would be the perfect time for the Minor Arcana to become something more than a simple health refill or coin bonus. The games, particularlyPersona 3throughPersona 5,have occasionally felt stale due to the reusing of the same Arcana within the party, such as theMagicianfor a close friend or the High Priestess for a female party member undergoing emotional conflict. Using the Minor Arcana instead is a great way to branch out - the Swords suit could represent a party member who is a strong physical attacker, or Pentacles / Coins a shopkeeper or someone with money troubles, such asPersona 5’sYusuke.
Alternately, there could instead be a group of villains based around the suits of the Minor Arcana.Personais no stranger to themed villains -Persona 3saw SEES fighting Major Arcana shadows each month, whilePersona 5’sPalace bosseswere based on deadly sins. A group of villains representing the Kings and/or Queens of Swords, Wands/Staves, Cups, and Coins/Pentacles could be a serious threat to the game’s protagonists, especially if they themselves are Persona users.Persona 6needs to find ways to break away from the formula largely followed by the last three main games in the series, and incorporating the Minor Arcana as something other than a Shuffle Time bonus would be a great way to do so.
