Persona Analysis
Subject 1 - Arsene
Welcome all to the Velvet Room. Here, in this place between time and space, dreams and waking, we find the world of the Persona and the figures who inspired them.I am no Igor, but please grant me this chance to play the humble host to this, the Compendium. As we progress, please bear in mind that there will be spoilers for the game of Persona 5, as we go through each persona that can be found in the game. We will start with the persona of the main characters, the Phantom Thieves, both their awakened forms from the original game and Golden and, finally, the various others who can be adopted by Joker throughout the game.
First appearance and design
First on the docket is the first Persona of Joker, the main character and Wild Card of Persona 5, the figure known as Arsene. Based off the legendary thief of French literature, Arsene is awakened as Joker is about to be executed by the loathesome King Kamoshida. Joker or Ren Amamiya/Akira Kurusu, depending on the player’s preference, has already been forced to leave his home and family thanks to a false accusation of assault by a drunken stranger attempting to force a woman into his car. Joker defended the woman in question and, in turn, the stranger was injured. Being a figure of power, Joker was accused, branded with a criminal record and sent to life in Tokyo, marked as a criminal.
After several events that only serve to take his situation from bad to worse, Joker finds himself about to struck down by the corrupt gym teacher, Kamoshida. In this moment of desperation, a voice reaches out to Joker. A voice rings out, stating “I am thou, thou art I. Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name and release thy rage!” With a flash of fire, a rattle of chains and a flurry of feathers, Joker’s mask appears and Arsene is summoned.
Arsene is a towering figure glad in red and black, with great wings upon his back, thus symbolising The Wings of Rebellion. As fitting Lupin’s status as a master of disguise, Arsene has a long-horned mask in place of a face, an imposing top hat that resembles a train chimney, reminiscent of the Victorian time period from which the story originates, a red cropped 18th century suit with heart designs on the shoulders, a white ruffle tie and red clawed gloves. Boots with blade-like heels adorn its feet with red coverings resembling trousers on its legs. The design resembles a roguish Victorian gentleman with an air of mystery and danger. The wings bring to mind a thief’s cape and the freedom to go and do whatever they wish.
Inspiration
Arsene is inspired by possibly the most famous fictional thief, Arsene Lupin, as penned in the stories of Maurice Leblanc. Small fact, Leblanc is also the name of the coffee shop where Joker resides. Despite operating outside of the law, Lupin never wishes to harm anyone, nor does he rob from the innocent. He is a Gentleman Thief, stealing from those who can afford to lose it as well as those who have gained from unscrupulous means. At the same time, he toys with the police and detectives who seek to catch him by leaving them taunting messages announcing when and where he will strike. Lupin is a master of disguise so, despite the covers of his many books portraying him with a top hat, cane and monocle, it is unknown exactly what he looks like. According to the text, Lupin can look like anyone he so chooses, “Arsene Lupin, the man of a thousand disguises: in turn a chauffer, detective, bookmaker, Russian physician, Spanish bull-fighter, commercial traveler, robust youth, or decrepit old man.”
Befitting a thief, his most persistent opponents are the detective Ganimand and Sherlock Holmes, later renamed to Herlock Sholmes, as Conan Doyle threatened a lawsuit against the use of his character. Like the figure of Moriarty, Holmes only appears in a few of Lupin’s stories and though he is vexed by Lupin’s antics the first time he appears, since the stolen items were returned, he only decided to take things personally after Lupin stole something of his. Speaking of which, it is thanks to Holmes popularity, loathe as Conan Doyle may have been to acknowledge it, that Lupin came about. As for Ganimand, he appears far more frequently and he and Lupin have a genuine respect for each other, though it is Ganimand’s duty as a detective to bring the thief to justice.
Something most veteran anime fans will have noticed is that I have yet to mention Lupin the 3rd, a figure of classic anime and the star of one of Hayao Miyazaki’s earliest ventures, the Castle of Cagliostro. The reason for this is because I don’t actually know a lot about the Grandson of the infamous thief, I have yet to watch any of the films or read the manga and at the most, I’ve watched just a few scattered scenes of admittedly excellent animation.
Final thoughts and personal opinion
Since I’ve started reading Leblanc’s works, I’ve found myself falling in love with Lupin’s character. He’s the perfect amount of charming and charismatic, ensuring that he remains likeable even whilst he’s lifting priceless treasures from the homes of their owners. Little is known about him other than his reputation and the public’s adoration for reading about his various exploits. It’s easy to see how the character became so popular when you hang on every word, trying to work out when and where and how he’ll strike. With its connection to Joker, being the symbol of his rebellion and the first step he takes towards freedom, Arsene makes an immediate impact upon the player. On a side note, I first thought that Arsene was voiced by Crispin Freeman, only to later learn that he was voiced by Xander Mobius, the same voice actor as Joker fittingly.
