Esports as Persona 4 Arcanas(3/3)
19.The Sun[Vitality, Assurance, Warmth]
Aggressive jungle style, shotcallers, touchy with their teammates and quick to hand out compliments, Cuzz and Razork embody warmth. They both have an enthusiastic energy to their day to day, finding joy where they can and sharing it with everyone around them.
20.The Aeon[Discovery, Memory, Humanity]
Aeon is an arcana that needs some further explanation because it is not part of tarot but is a special of the Persona franchise. Aeon is used with non-human characters who find themselves strangers in a human world. All of these characters go through a process of learning what it means to be human and offer insight into humanity from their unique perspective. This fits what casters to do for the audience. They are on the outside looking in and trying to learn about the players and offer insight about who they are as both professionals and people. Both Caster Jun and Drakos have dedicated their entire careers to telling these stories and humanizing the players stories and struggles to the fans.
20.Judgement[Absolution, Rebirth, Grace]
Hans sama after 2017 struggled a lot. His relationship with his teammates, including Miky deteriorated, and he was missing playoffs and worlds qualifications. Yet throughout all of that he changed. He became a shotcaller, a leader and someone much more mature and grounded then the teenager he began his journey as. So when he asked Miky to rejoin him, they were both taking a chance on each other’s grace. Their subsequent success together, rebirthed their reputations and absolved themselves and each other of what happened in the past.
Ambition 2017 redeemed a career of not-enoughs and mockery as Faker’s first ever kill. That same year he retired, reborn as a content creator. He’s found grace in himself to take pride in what was once used to dismiss him and now frequently talks about how he will always be Faker’s first kill; but Faker’s last kill is always changing.
21.The World[Travel,Burdens, Ending Cycles, Fulfillment]
Kobbe was Splyce, for all intents and purposes. Their franchise player, who saw them from beginning to end, with all their ups and down. When he chose to leave, Splyce too left (bought by MAD). When he returned to Misfits, he continued with them until they also left and then went to Astralis and continued until they left. Loyalty is everything to him, and he bore the burden of that choice to the end of each of his orgs and to the end of his career. It was a good one, and as a fan of his, I hope he did find fulfillment at the end of it all.
Canyon is similar, having stuck with Damwon since he was a trainee, at Showmaker’s side, until this year. This cycle is over and I hope he finds what he’s looking for in this cycle of his career.
The Wild Card[Master of All]
The card of all Persona Protagonists, giving them access to all of the other 23 Arcanas. For the LEC and LCK, I think their protagonists can only be Caps and Faker as the face and pinnacle of both regions. Caps, the King of Europe with many cards in hand. Faker, the God, the Finale, he who stands at every road to glory as a tester, a gatekeeper and a victor.
