Persona games tend to stand apart from one another, but as Atlus revisits old games more and more enthusiastically, one has to wonder if games like Persona 4 Golden might end up having a bigger impact on future installations in the franchise. Persona 5 may seem like the most likely influence on the next big game, given its popularity, but the lore that Persona 4's suite of games introduced can't be discounted. In particular, Persona 4 Golden introduced fans to Marie, whose unique backstory, abilities, and importance to the end of the game make her seem like a prime candidate to focus on in Persona 6 or a future Persona spinoff.
Most entries in the Persona series have a handful of supernatural characters, from helpful otherworldly merchants like Persona 5 Royal's Jose to Shadows that threaten the protagonists. Marie belongs to a category of her own because of where Persona 4 Golden leaves her, however. The consequences of her story arc could make her a great character to expand on in the future. A leading role in Persona 6 may be unlikely, but a side game exploring Marie's journey post-Golden could expand on the franchise's lore while offering more of the relationship-driven content that fans love.
Warning: Spoilers for Persona 4 Golden ahead
Marie's Role and Fate in Persona 4 Golden
As an affiliate of the Velvet Room, there's a natural air of mystery around Marie when she's introduced near the beginning of Persona 4 Golden, but she turns out to be much more affable than most Velvet Room attendants. In fact, as fans progress through her Social Link, they'll explore the question of her true origins, as she isn't from the Velvet Room at all. Near the end of the game, the Investigation Team learns that Marie is related to Ameno-Sagiri, and that she's meant to absorb the fog and save humanity by destroying herself. Ultimately the team saves her by defeating the fog instead, but they still end up facing the game's true antagonist, Izanami.
After Persona 4 Golden players defeat Izanami, Marie reveals that Izanami, Ameno-Sagiri, and Kunino-Sagiri were all once part of her as a single entity hoping to protect humanity and grant its wish, and now that they're gone, she's whole again. As a result, she's restored to the height of her power, and she can live a happy life in Inaba with the rest of the Investigation Team. Supernatural entities like Morgana sometimes start new lives in the human side of the Persona world, but between Marie and Teddie, Persona 4 Golden makes it something of a theme.
Despite the cozy ending to Marie's story, she could have a major impact on the Persona world after Golden. Cutscenes prove that Marie still has a number of supernatural powers that she can wield in the human world, and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax drives home hew new role as a sort of minor goddess in Inaba. What's more, Marie seems to be a cognitive being born from human thoughts and feelings much like Yaldabaoth, which may mean she can manipulate the cognitive world more deftly than just about any other surviving Persona character. These elements mean she's ripe for another story.
How Persona Could Bring Back Marie
Mainline Persona games don't require knowledge of the previous games to be played, but spinoffs like Persona Q and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax love to cross over with other titles. Therefore, a Persona 4 Golden spinoff where Marie looks into the events of Persona 5 wouldn't be out of the question. As an otherworldly being herself, Marie could have detected Yaldabaoth's attempt to merge the human and Shadow worlds, compelling her to investigate. Whether it's a visual novel or an RPG with just one lead character, a Persona spinoff where Marie talks to the Phantom Thieves and learns about their journey could offer a lot of depth to the Persona world, especially its supernatural elements.
Alternatively, Marie could crop up in Persona 6 as a minor character. She might help the new set of protagonists out in the Velvet Room again, lending a hand to other Persona users in the wake of Persona 5's events. Such a permanent role in the Velvet Room could be jarring, especially if Marie appeared there without any other Persona 4 stars, but a bold move like this one could be necessary. Persona mainstay Igor has an uncertain future in the series, since he was missing in Persona 5 Strikers, so characters like Marie may need to step up in his place.
Perhaps the most likely and simplest Marie spinoff would be a game about Marie's experiences in Inaba after the Persona 4 protagonist leaves. While Persona 4 Golden sees her build friendships with the whole cast, her bond with Yu Narukami naturally takes high priority overall. A Persona 4 Golden spinoff could focus on Marie building stronger friendships with the rest of the Investigation Team and other people in Inaba, eventually leading her to her career as the local weather forecaster.
Breaking Persona Precedent With Marie
Atlus has a tendency to sweep supernatural events under the rug in many of its Persona games. Whether it's small titles like Persona Q or central titles like Persona 5, people often lose their memories of major events or simply discard the unexplainable out of skepticism. While this helps the franchise start anew with every generation, it's a somewhat predictable pattern that Atlus should try breaking sometime. Persona can't do the same thing every generation; on the contrary, Persona 5 goes against the grain in many ways, and it was rewarded for it.
Marie may be one of the best ways for Atlus to break out of its current habit. She's a well-established character with a unique connection and special abilities that remain strong well after the events of Persona 4 Golden. All she needs is some motivation and agency to get involved in the franchise's future events. Starting fresh with each new Persona game is useful, but the calamitous, near-apocalyptic events that take place in each Persona game deserve to have some palpable consequences. Marie is well equipped to either discover these hidden consequences or cause some of her own as she makes her mark on the world.
Persona 4 Golden is available now for PC and PS Vita. It releases in 2023 for PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
