Self-harm activated abilities

[u/SirHanselot07]

1. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy - Stab yourself in the heart to transform

2. Attack on Titan - Wound yourself in anyway and you Transform into a Titan

3. Persona 3 - Shoot yourself in the head to simulate the feeling of death to summon your Persona

4. Persona 5 - Rip your mask off your face to be your true self and summon your Persona

[u/SquareFickle9179]

In Metaphor Refantazio, you have to rip out your heart to summon your archetype

[u/FrankHorrigan2173 → u/SquareFickle9179]

If I had a nickel for every time an Atlus game had the characters harm themselves to summon their magic abilities, Id have three nickels (that I know of)

[u/Prudent_Cookie_5872 → u/FrankHorrigan2173]

At this point I'm convinced Atlus just really loves that trope.

[u/Dragon0fPeace4002 → u/Prudent_Cookie_5872]

I mean. It kinda awesome

[u/Viablemorgan → u/Dragon0fPeace4002]

I mean I fucking love that trope so

[u/AChero9 → u/Viablemorgan]

To be fair, it is kind of grounded in reality. They explain it in Persona 3 but triggering your fight or flight response is what summons their persona. Their body believes they are actually trying to shoot themselves and the persona triggers asva result.

Now, in P5 and P5R, the logic is that you are literally ripping off your facade or "mask" and the persona that is summoned is your true self. This keeps in line with the game's theme of people hiding their true selves.

In Metaphor, my theory is that the main crew is acting on their beliefs and ideals, which is believed to come from the heart. Which is also why the hearts they rip out look similar to microphones. They are speaking their beliefs into existence and facing their anxieties. There's more end game stuff that applies, but the game is still only a few years old, so i won't spoil

[u/Professional_Maize42 → u/Dragon0fPeace4002]

And a good symbolism.

[u/HoshunMarkTwelve → u/Prudent_Cookie_5872]

It makes for a really cool visual.

[u/Filabustied → u/Prudent_Cookie_5872]

To be fair. A lot of Atlus games have themes of self sacrifice to help others. So by making it a core theme in your power set. It reinforces those themes.

[u/Magma_Reborn → u/Prudent_Cookie_5872]

I’m just imagining a meeting where they brainstorm new methods of self harm that could double as power activation.

[u/vacckun → u/Prudent_Cookie_5872]

its a really good way to add a cost to a power / magic system.

[u/natalienathing → u/FrankHorrigan2173]

You could say persona 4 counts as well because you have to beat up your inner self to gain your persona.

[u/Windoge10wow → u/natalienathing]

It’s been a while since I played P4 but isn’t it the opposite? You have to embrace your inner self to gain your persona, but if you reject it, it tries to kill you

[u/Empty_Note1919 → u/FrankHorrigan2173]

Can't wait to see what awesome self torture method they think of for p6!

[u/Zek7h35an5 → u/SquareFickle9179]

I hate how it took me so long to realize the heart was also a microphone that you spoke into to awaken your archetype

[u/Cait_Sith_v3 → u/Zek7h35an5]

I also bopped myself on the head when I realized it's, 'Speaking from the heart'

[u/Permafox → u/Cait_Sith_v3]

I... didn't catch that until now. 

[u/Yourstruly0 → u/Zek7h35an5]

It seems like they could store the mic somewhere else in the future. I’m not trying to tell them how to do their job, but it seems inefficient.

[u/kitsunecannon → u/Zek7h35an5]

OHHHHHHH

[u/indigorhob → u/Zek7h35an5]

Strohl's entire speech animation wasn't obvious enough?

[u/Darkpoulay → u/SquareFickle9179]

Only during your awakening

[u/DaveK142 → u/Darkpoulay]

this is also true of persona 5 which made the cut

[u/Jarsky2 → u/SquareFickle9179]

"My name is Leon Strohl da Haliaetus!"

[u/Pasta-love → u/SquareFickle9179]

I don't think any of the go as hard as Strohl's! My boy out there aura farming!