The Persona series is rife with psychological introspection, as the whole franchise reimagines the Judeo-Christian iconography of the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games with Jungian concepts. One of the more overlooked aspects of the early games in relation to this is Philemon. Though he was a big part of the earlier games, he's since been all but written out of the series.
Despite no longer really being there, though, the Persona games still reference Philemon by virtue of the persistent butterfly imagery. Though this arguably functions as a nice callback, it's also questionable as to just why it's even used anymore. Here's a look back at who Philemon was in the first few Persona titles, as well as how he's been referenced ever since.
Who Is Philemon, the Psychological Butterfly of Persona?
Philemon was introduced as a mysterious ethereal being in the original Persona. A tall and thin man, he was noted by his butterfly face mask, which obscured his identity. The master of Velvet Room guardian, Igor, Philemon acted as something of a guide for the protagonists, meeting them after they played the "Persona" game. After the game's ending, he congratulated the cast for learning of their true selves before removing his mask and departing in the form of a butterfly swarm.
Philemon play a similar role in Persona 2: Innocent Sin. There, the protagonist has the choice of thanking him for his assistance or attacking him. Doing the latter will knock of Philemon's mask, revealing none other than the main character's visage. Stating "I am you. You are me," Philemon references his Jungian origins as a reflection of the inner self.
He would show up in one last major role in the alternate timeline sequel Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, where his psychological nature was again referenced by way of flickering in and out of reality due to the cast not remembering who they once were. He could be fought as a secret final boss, and if the player beat him, he is amazed and congratulatory on the strong will and survival of humanity. Unfortunately, Philemon himself wouldn't survive for much longer.
Persona 3, 4 & 5 Have Basically Forgotten Philemon
After the original set of Persona games, Philemon play would an increasingly diminished, yet still vital role in the franchise. He only appeared in butterfly form starting with Persona 3, with Igor no longer even referencing his old master. The expanded version Persona 3 FES had him leading Aigis to the Velvet Room in this insect form, granting her the Wild Card ability that's connected with meeting Philemon.
Persona 4 had blue butterflies present as a way to save a player's data, but again, Philemon himself had no real role. This was the same for the Persona Q or Persona 4 Arena spinoffs, where Philemon's butterfly forms were briefly present, serving as a reference to the older games, though never explaining their significance to newer fans.
Butterflies were present in Persona 5 as well, but this time, they were explicitly not connected to Philemon. Instead, this was another form of Lavenza, the combined form of Velvet Room attendants Caroline and Justine. The fact that they're connected to the Velvet Room and sort of guide the protagonist make them similar to Philemon, and it's possible that all those involve with the Velvet Room thus have butterfly-related abilities like Igor's former master. Unfortunately, there's been nothing in the games themselves to suggest this link, since Philemon hasn't been a factor in years. Ironically, the phrase "I art thou, thou art I" is common in the later games, and it's perhaps in this concept of Philemon as a universal "I" that he continues to have a role in the series.