Where to Start · Persona
Where to Start with Persona
Persona is a JRPG series that mixes everyday high school life with dungeon crawling and social simulation — calendar deadlines, confidants, and turn-based battles against distorted desires.
Start here: Persona 5 Royal
Begin with Persona 5 Royal. It is the most polished and accessible entry, the best introduction to how Persona balances palace heists, free nights in Tokyo, and the social-link rhythm — all in one definitive package.
Second choice: Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 Golden is the runner-up many fans swear by: a tight small-town mystery, a warm ensemble cast, and the same school-by-day, TV-world-by-night loop with a cozier tone than 5.
Third: Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload comes after those two for most newcomers — the grim, lunar themes and tower structure land beautifully, but 5 Royal and 4 Golden are the smoother on-ramps if you are choosing your first game today.
Skip Persona 1 and 2 as a first step
Persona and Persona 2 (Innocent Sin / Eternal Punishment) are mechanically dated for most modern players and sit story-disconnected from the high school–driven modern trilogy. They are for series historians — not recommended starting points.
After Persona 5, any order works
Each mainline game tells a standalone story — new cast, new city, light easter eggs at most. Once you have played Persona 5 Royal, there is no wrong order for diving into 4 Golden or 3 Reload; follow curiosity, not chronology.
Rows and prices: Persona on GameOrder.