The Persona franchise is turning 25 years old this year, and developer Atlus is taking a look back at the series' entire history in celebration. The spinoff of Shin Megami Tensei first began rising out of its initially niche status with Persona 3, but Persona 4 and Persona 5 definitely pushed it into the mainstream.

Though their games are now overlooked compared to recent entries, Revelations: Persona, the Persona 2 duology, Persona 3 Portable and their protagonists are iconic parts of the franchise, something that Atlus thankfully acknowledged in a graphic teasing the upcoming celebrations and announcements. Here's a look back at each of these overlooked main characters and their place in the story.

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Revelations: Persona

Revelations: Persona, a.k.a. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona was the first in the series, and its hero would strangely enough resemble the character designs of later games. Referred to in the official documentation as the "Boy with the Earring," the manga and other adaptations gave him official names such as Naoya Toudou.

Like many in the series, he's a silent protagonist, with this lack of dialogue played to the extreme with his personality being up to the player's decisions. Certain points in the story, particularly the manga, paint him as a natural leader and compassionate friend. He, like most of the cast, was redesigned in the original American release to make him more Western. He also has the privilege of being directly referenced not only in Persona 2, but also having a version of himself show up as a major villain in the Devil Summoner TV series.

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Persona 2: Innocent Sin

Tatsuya Suou was the main character of Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and unlike his predecessor, he actually had an official name. Though mostly silent, he becomes a speaking character in the game's sequel, meaning his personality and quirks are more developed than other Persona heroes. He has a habit for flicking his lighter, as well as a fondness for motorcycles. Most notably, thanks to a precursor of the later games' Social Links feature, he's the only potentially bisexual Persona main character. The game allows him to romance, Jun Kurosu, one of his male teammates, which is considered to be one of the reasons why Innocent Sin wasn't localized when it originally came out.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

Maya Amano was a party members in Innocent Sin, and she becomes the protagonist in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. She is an extremely optimistic and kind woman, being a natural leader even in the first part of the duology. Her being in her twenties also makes her the oldest Persona main character, as the series usually takes place in high school. The dark events of the second game wear a bit at her happiness, and beyond the veneer of superficial optimism is a somewhat sad woman. Hinting at this tragedy is her stuffed animal rabbit, which reminds her of her father.

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Persona 3 Portable

As its title suggests, Persona 3 Portable was a port of the PlayStation 2 game to the PSP, and it featured several differences. One of these was the option to play as a new female protagonist exclusive to the game. This young lady, referred to as Kotone Shiomi in the game's play adaptation, is meant to be the opposite of the male main character. Her version of her Persona (still Orpheus) is silver instead of gold, and her clothing is brighter than the male hero's. She's less gloomy and taciturn compared to him, and while still silent, is more likely to interject or act than he is. On the other hand, they're both portrayed as always wearing headphones.

However, unlike the other protagonists, Persona 3's female main character is considered non-canon, as Portable is said to take place in an alternate timeline. She has rarely appeared in promotional material, and the only spin-off she's appeared in is the Nintendo 3DS' Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth -- which makes it even more exciting to see her and the other forgotten Persona heroes here.

The new artwork reminds gamers that the franchise didn't just start a few years ago with Persona 4 and 5, and that it actually has a long and storied history. It also suggests that remakes or ports of these older titles could be on the way, allowing gamers of today to finally experience these former protagonists' stories.

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