When Joker came along, he managed to be a competently fleshed-out character despite the series reverting back to silent protagonists, including Persona 5 spinoffs. Yu Narukami was arguably the series’ first protagonist to have a canon name and a speaking role without sacrificing his role as the lead character unlike his Persona 2 counterparts. Persona 4 is when the series’ protagonists started becoming iconic enough in their own right, even if this is the same game that has a mascot character as blatant as Teddie. Additionally, Persona 3 Portable introduced a female alternative to the original protagonist, adding alternative routes while keeping the main story the same. The Persona 3 protagonist, whose canon name is debatable, is a more well-developed backstory and a design that was compatible with the game’s edgier tone. The Persona 2 duology, which boasts two named protagonists (Tatsuya and Maya) that share lead character and party member duties at different times, added more depth to its player characters. Revelations: Persona starred a protagonist that such a blank state that his “canon name," “Boy with Earring," wasn’t an actual name, but a title based on an accessory he wore. Persona debuted around the same time as Pokemon, but its protagonists never had the luxury of popularity until much later. Red from Pokemon Red and Blue, while mostly silent, was iconic due to starring in a cultural phenomenon and Ash from the anime being based on him. Cloud Strife from the highly innovative Final Fantasy 7 was a fully-fledged character in his own right. The late 90s were arguably the turning point for the genre. It took a while for RPG protagonists to become synonymous with their home game rather than remaining a blank state for the player to project themselves onto.
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