Is Persona 4 or Golden canon?
As a longtime Persona fan, this is a debate I‘ve seen pop up regularly in the fanbase – is the canonical storyline of Persona 4 considered to be the original 2008 PS2 release, or the expanded 2012 PlayStation Vita edition Persona 4 Golden? Well after plenty of passionate discussions with fellow enthusiasts and investigating evidence across various games and statements, the general consensus is clear:
Persona 4 Golden Is The Canon Definitive Version
Breaking Down The Critical Evidence Supporting P4G‘s Canon Status
Let‘s analyze why Persona 4 Golden is widely accepted as canon over the original:
Yu Narukami – The Established Canon Protagonist Name
The first clue comes from the official naming of P4‘s originally unnamed protagonist in spinoff materials. He was dubbed Yu Narukami in the Persona 4 anime and fighting follow-up Persona 4 Arena. The fact that supplementary content closely tied to the games directly used Golden‘s character design cemented it as the canon representation.
Golden Exclusive Story Content Referenced As Canon
Several narrative elements introduced exclusively in Golden have been directly cited or discussed in subsequent Persona titles as established events:
- The expanded epilogue and new character Marie feature prominently in fighting sequel Persona 4 Arena‘s story
- Persona Q directly references Golden events like the Scooter license and Marie‘s poem
- Light Novels like Persona x Detective Naoto use Golden‘s version of the narrative as a basis
This heavy nodding to Golden‘s new content across various spinoff materials signals its canon status.
The Expanded "True Ending" Is The Canonical Conclusion
Persona games often have "true" endings that wrap up dangling threads. Persona 4 Golden features a greatly extended ending segment with a post-credits scene that recontextualizes certain events. Many fans consider this the definitive conclusion to the narrative compared to the original‘s ending.
General Consensus of Fans And Critics Alike
On top of the above evidence, Persona 4 Golden has been almost universally lauded by both fans and reviewers as the superior experience compared to vanilla P4:
| Version | Metacritic Score | User Score | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persona 4 | 90 | 8.7 | ~500,000 |
| Persona 4 Golden | 92 | 9.3 | Over 2,000,000 |
With significantly higher review scores, user ratings, and sales figures, it cementing Golden‘s status as the go-to edition for newcomers and longtime fans alike. Thus, it feels natural that Golden‘s enhanced version of the story also becomes accepted as canon by the community.
The Impact of Persona 4 Golden‘s Changes On Series Continuity
Now that we‘ve established evidence pointing to P4G‘s canon status, how exactly does its expanded content affect continuity moving forward? Golden made meaningful additions and alterations:
- Two brand new Social Links, overhauled visuals/gameplay, and a new dungeon
- The introduction of new character Marie who plays a major role
- Heavy revising of scenes and dialogue for existing content
- A greatly extended ending segment and post-credits scene
As a result, Golden‘s version of story events are considered the accurate reference point for any sequels or spinoffs going forward. Key examples being Yu Narukami becoming the protagonist‘s canon name and Marie being regularly included as a core cast member.
How Persona 4 Golden Fits Into Series Continuity And Timeline
To conclude, let‘s visualize how P4G fits into the overall Persona continuity leading up to the latest entry Persona 5:
| Year | Game | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Persona 3 FES | Enhanced edition with extended epilogue |
| 2011 | Persona 4 | Initial release on PlayStation 2 |
| 2012 | Persona 4 Golden | Vita remaster with additional content |
| 2008 | Persona 4 Arena | Fighting game sequel |
| 2013 | Persona Q: Shadow of Labyrinth | Nintendo 3DS spinoff |
| 2015 | Persona 5 | Mainline sequel on PlayStation 4 |
So while both versions of Persona 4 are prequels to later entries, P4G is considered the canonical frame of reference for any connections or nods in future titles.
The Definitive Persona 4 Experience
In my opinion as a dedicated fan ever since playing the original PS2 release, Persona 4 Golden stands tall as the supreme version of this masterpiece JRPG. The heaps of new content, quality-of-life tweaks, expanded epilogue, and gorgeous Vita visuals cement it as the quintessential package. It managed to take an already phenomenal game and make it even better to earn its canon status. So for any newcomers yet to experience Persona 4‘s brilliant murder mystery storyline, Golden is certainly the most definitive edition to play!
What do you think? Does all the evidence point to you accepting Persona 4 Golden as canon like myself? I‘d love to hear fellow fans‘ takes!
