Persona is a series that is both incredibly well-reviewed along with steadily getting more and more popular. At first, it was a hard pill to swallow. These games, while traditional in some senses like the turn-based combat, are unlike any other RPG out there.
One of those unique traits comes in with the Persona which kind of act like Pokémon. There is no catching of balls, but in a way there is a “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” mentality behind obtaining more. Besides befriending them through conversations, new allies can also be made through fusion. So with that in mind as the lead, let’s go through the whole process.
6 The Basics
Before even starting the fusion process, one must catch new Personas, or demons to then become Persona companions. This is done differently from the other games in that Persona 5 follows more closely with its main franchise, Shin Megami Tensei. Instead of getting a randomly distributed demon, players can actually talk to them into recruitment.
In the case of Persona 5, these demons fall under four windows of personality. Finding out how a demon is feeling will dictate the line of questioning. A certain nature may be more susceptible to aggressive behavior as one example.
5 Catch Those Demons
Experimentation is the best resource available as is leveling up. The stronger one is the better chances of recruitment are. Demons might even volunteer themselves if prompted. Everyone wants to be on the winning side, right?
However one convinces these demons, it’s important to note that inventory space is limited. The more one goes through the story the bigger one’s internal space will become. Also of note, in every new palace or deep dive into Mementos, one should go under the Pokémon ideology of “Gotta Catch ‘Em All.” This means that before leaving these areas, one should try and recruit every demon they see unless they already have that demon through earlier places or through fusion.
4 How Fusion Works
On the subject of fusion, let’s actually get into it. In the Velvet Room, one can do a myriad of treatments to their Persona. This includes fusing two together like Dragon Ball Z's famous technique, or they can even be used to create items. More options will appear throughout the story just like adding more inventory space. To focus on fusion, it’s as simple as clicking on one Persona and then clicking on another.
If the player is high enough to meet the required level, the new Persona will reveal its face. If the player does not share the same level and or is lower than this new fusion, it cannot be seen and or fused altogether. This creates a balancing act as the developers didn’t want to allow players to create demons with spells and powers greater than anything at that point in the game. Just imagine a level ten player with a level 90 Persona in the first dungeon.
3 Persona Skills
Anyway, what dictates what two demons will create is predetermined by the game. There are lists out there, but even without knowing that there is something greater one should be aware of: skills. Sure, maybe it would be great to have an elite squadron of the coolest Persona around but abilities trump all. That’s the real magic behind fusion.
What this basically means is that one should be aware of the skills the new Persona is going to have and what skills from the old Persona it can inherit. It’s good to give as many elemental abilities to a Persona as possible. The more one has, the better options one will get in battle in order to find weaknesses. For example, giving a Persona fire and lightning magic can help open up new ways to victory.
2 Register Your Companions
If the end result demon will not inherit any of the good skills one has worked so hard for that’s okay too. Just be sure to register that Persona in the guide. See, when a new ally is recruited, or made through fusion, they are logged into the book. When one levels up that Persona, their new level and abilities must be manually saved in the registration book, which is free. This means that one can take out a demon at the height of their powers whenever they want which does cost money.
This is good for a plethora of reasons. One, if a player loses a Persona they really like with stacked abilities through fusion, they can easily get it back along with creating new allies in the process. Sometimes it’s good just to get as many Personas logged into the book as possible even if the fusion doesn’t create a good list of abilities.
1 Social Bonds
As a final note to fusion, there is a big mechanic that will effect how powerful these fusions become: social bonds. Every demon in the game falls under a sign of the cards like Priestess, or Emperor. The higher one’s bond is with a character matching that sign, the more experience a matching Persona will get through fusion.
Basically a social bond for the Emperor at level five will get better results in fusion than a level two. And if a bond hasn’t been made with that sign yet, no bonuses will occur. And that’s basically the gist of fusion. So get out there and start experimenting to be the very best like no one was before. If it works for Pokémon, it works for Persona.