“I am Messiah. The heart of salvation that had been nurtured within you... let it now be freed.”
Messiah is the Ultimate Persona of Makoto Yuki and a Demon in the Shin Megami Tensei series featured in Persona 3.
Messiah is the highest-level Persona in Persona 3. It is the final Persona of the Judgement Arcana, which can only be accessed by venturing to the final level of Tartarus. Messiah can only be obtained by fusing Orpheus and Thanatos in the Velvet Room once the protagonist reaches Lv. 90 or above.
It is the final evolved form of Orpheus, who evolves into Thanatos, and later evolves into Messiah.
Physical Appearance[]
Messiah, as depicted in the image, is an ethereal and striking figure, exuding a sense of otherworldly grace and power. The character is adorned in a sleek, futuristic suit that clings to the body, composed of segmented, metallic plates that cover the chest, arms, and legs. These plates have a smooth, white surface, interspersed with dotted patterns, giving an impression of advanced technology and a blend of both organic and mechanical elements. Messiah's head is crowned with a platinum blonde, shoulder-length hair, partially obscuring the eyes and contributing to an air of mystery. A long, sword-like appendage extends from the back, towering above the head and emphasizing a majestic, yet intimidating presence.
On the right arm, chains wrap around, suggesting restraint or a burden carried. The left hand is poised delicately over the heart, adding a touch of solemnity and introspection. Flanking the character's left side are four coffin-like structures, each adorned with a figure in repose, which may symbolize guardians or significant beings linked to Messiah's identity. These coffins are attached to a mechanical armature that seems to merge with Messiah’s form, enhancing the image of a being that is both divine and mechanical. The overall impression is of a celestial warrior or a guardian, blending elements of spirituality, technology, and serene strength.
Design Variants[]
Messiah appears in Persona 5 as Messiah Picaro, which is a red/ gold/ and black variant of Messiah that is more punk themed.
In-Game Appearances[]
| In-Game Appearances | |
|---|---|
 Messiah of Persona 3  Messiah in Persona 3 Reload  Messiah in Persona 5 Royal  Messiah in Persona Q |
Powers & Abilities[]
Unlike other Personas, Messiah is capable of producing more than one type of item: Armor of Light, Shoes of Light, Aura Dog Suit, Soul of Athena ("Aigis Armor v.0" in P3), Swan Legs ("Aigis Legs v.0" in P3). Omnipotent Orb (1% chance). These items are the strongest equipment in the game. Aigis can summon Messiah once she has reached Lv. 90 or above. As The Answer does not use the Social Link system, maximizing the Judgement Arcana is not necessary, however creating Messiah still requires fusing Orpheus and Thanatos.
Mythological Origins[]
The term messiah (in Hebrew) or Christ (in Greek) is prominent within the world's many religions, especially in the Abrahamic religions Judaism and Christianity. A messiah is regarded as a savior of mankind who would bring them salvation near the end of days, although opinions between who the term messiah refers to differs between religions.
Appearances[]
- Persona 3 / FES / Portable / Reload
- Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
- Persona 5 / Royal
- Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
- Persona 5 Tactica
Notes[]
- Messiah's face resembles the protagonist's initial Persona, Orpheus, and is holding several coffin lids on a chain, which resembles the coffin cape of Thanatos. Orpheus and Thanatos are required for Messiah's fusion, and these resemblances reference that.
- While Messiah is the ultimate Persona of the protagonist, he doesn't have any "special" skills, like Odin's Thunder Reign, Alice's Die For Me!, or Daisoujou's Samsara. To make up for this, Persona 3 Portable introduced a special skill unique to Messiah called Magic Skill Up. This skill (unable to be inherited by other Personas) enhances all Spell-based attacks by 50%, making Messiah the strongest Spell-user in the game. It also makes his Megidolaon stronger than the standard Morning Star, though Morning Star may be fused onto Messiah for the strongest Almighty attack in the game (other than Armageddon). Additionally, with proper inheritance or through the use of Skill Cards, the protagonist can stack Boost + Amp + Magic Skill Up to have the ultimate single-target Elemental Spell.
- The only anti-Physical skill Messiah learns is Absorb Pierce, instead of Slash or Strike. This might refer to Jesus in western religion: as after Jesus died on the cross, a soldier named Longinus pierced his body with a spear (spear weapons are categorized into piercing attacks in Persona 3). Messiah's passive ability, Enduring Soul, may also refer to when Jesus resurrected himself three days after his death.
- In Persona 3 Reload, Messiah learns Null Phys, which nullifies all physical-type damage, instead of Absorb Pierce.
