Best Persona Merch Guide: What to Buy and Where to Buy It

The most outstanding example of a fan’s love for a game shows in the items they purchase surrounding it outside of the game itself. I know that, in my personal life, I seldom purchase merch for anything at all. I can count on one hand the number of games and series that I have purchased merch for. At the end of the day, though, one exception to this is the Persona series. As you will see in this Persona Merch Guide, this series is close to my heart. I have gone out of my way to buy Persona merch and built a collection of my own that I love.

One thing you will notice if you read my work on some other sites is that, quite frankly, I don’t purchase merch. I don’t write about that content unless it relates to me. My love for the Persona series has prompted me to buy several items, including Persona shirts, toys, and even blu-rays. Here is everything you need to know about the different types of merch in the Persona series and the ten best items that I think you should check out.

Bottom Line Up Front

Right off the bat, there are several different types of Persona merch. There is apparel that includes things like shirts, hoodies, and shoes. There are accessories, such as a smartphone case or keychains. The merch types also have classic toys and action figures, including Nendoroids and other figures.

Of course, no Persona-themed room would be complete without some posters and wall art. There are still other miscellaneous types like soundtracks, DVDs, and more. But when it comes to the very best Persona merch item, in my opinion, it has to be the four Persona 3 The Movie blu-rays.

My Top Picks at a Glance

Here are the top 10 best Persona merch that I selected for this guide at a glance, going from number 10 to the best one:

  • Persona 4 Keychains: These cutesy Persona 4-themed keychains are adorable. The way they are being pinched from behind is a nice touch, and the character designs of the main cast are brilliant.
  • Weiss Schwarz Trial Deck: Weiss Schwarz has a Persona 5-themed trial deck that includes cards for many characters from the beloved JRPG that is a great starting point for TCG beginners.
  • Transforming Johanna Action Figure: Makoto’s Persona, Johanna, from Persona 5, has an incredibly detailed figure that transforms from a motorcycle to attack mode.
  • Custom Joker Persona 5 Shoes: These shoes feature Joker on them and are surprisingly fly for custom-made ones, featuring a lovely style and mix of black, white, and red.
  • Persona Series Protagonists Poster: The four protagonists of Persona 3-5 are featured in this phenomenal take on a poster. The artist injects their unique style into it that is totally different from the Persona series, and it works wonders.
  • 20th Anniversary All-Time Best Soundtrack: The soundtrack and music for the Persona series are unparalleled. This soundtrack takes some of the best songs from all six mainline games and combines them into one fantastic package.
  • Morgana Nendoroid: Nendoroids are so much better than Funko Pops, and Morgana is a perfect example with his terrific accessories and poses.
  • Persona 3 Makoto and Thanatos Hoodie: This hoodie features the male protagonist of Persona 3 and his Persona, Thanatos, in a hoodie with such personality and color. A lot is going on in this tremendous apparel item, and that’s a good thing.
  • Goro Akechi Retrowave Shirt: I personally own this fantastic Goro Akechi Retrowave shirt. Not only does it feature the best character in the series, but in a 1980s vibe that is so impeccable to look at.
  • Persona 3 The Movie Limited Edition Blu-Rays: The best merch item for the Persona series is the Persona 3 The Move Limited Edition blu-rays. They are beautiful on their own, but they contain a surprisingly excellent set of films inside.

Most Common Persona Merch Types

The Persona series has erupted in popularity in the last few years, ever since the onset of Persona 5. Even before then, though, there were a lot of items that fans could pick up. Because of the fame the series now holds, it can be overwhelming to figure out the various types of merch. Here are the most common categories of items.

Accessories

Firstly, there are accessories that you can pick up. These are novelty items that are not the star of the show for merch but add a nice touch to other items or aspects of your life.

Cups/Mugs

Cups and mugs are always a great fit for merch from the Persona series. What better way to start your day than to have your favorite Persona characters greeting you as you sip on your first cup of coffee or tea? There are many designs for cups and mugs, ranging from characters to Personas.

Here are some of the recommendations that I have for cups and mugs from the Persona series that you should check out:

Jack Frost Pop Mug

Keychains

Keychains are an excellent little accessory to warm your heart and connect your keys. Keychains exist for every central character from the three most recent mainline games.

Here are some of the recommendations that I have for selecting some keychains to add to your collection:

Phantom Thieves Of Heart Joker Keychain

Phone Cases

One way to subtly show everyone your love for the Persona series is to have your smartphone enveloped in the designs of your favorite characters or Personas. This is one way to start a conversation with someone when they see you using your phone.

Here are some of the recommendations that I have for you when it comes to the various Persona-themed phone cases out there:

Take Your Heart Android Case

Apparel

Clothing is one of the best merch categories for the Persona series, encompassing many different types of apparel.

Hoodies

Phantom Thieves Black Hoodie

Hoodies are great for rainy and cold weather but are also solid ways of showing off your Persona love. Though a bit more expensive than a shirt, they are hefty and can show off more of your favorites simultaneously.

Here are some of the recommendations that I have for hoodies and long sleeves based on the Persona series:

Check out our comprehensive Persona 5 Hoodies Guide.

T-Shirts

Persona 25th Anniversary Protagonists T-Shirt

T-shirts are one of the most essential items you can get and the clothing I recommend first. This is how to do it if you want to strut your stuff while showing your love for Goro Akechi or Yu Narukami.

Here are some of my most recommended Persona t-shirts:

Shoes

Persona 5 Futaba Shoes

There are few Persona-themed shoes out there, but they do exist. This is one way to wear some Persona clothing without being as obvious as a shirt.

Here are some of the very limited number of Persona-themed shoes:

Toys, Action Figures, and Others

Plenty of toys are themed around the Persona series, coming in a few forms.

Figmas and Nendoroids

Persona 5 Skull Figma Max Factory

Figmas and Nendoroids are the best of the bunch regarding Persona action figures. They derive from Japan and have the utmost hand-crafted quality to them. Nendoroids, in particular, are the go-to chibi figures that are much better than the next entry on this list.

Here are some of the figmas and Nendoroids that I recommend to you:

Funko Pops

Mona Persona 5 Funko Pop

Funko Pops are cheap and famous, and for a good reason. They are cute and have an excellent style to them. A Funko Pop is a great starter chibi figure if you cannot afford a Nendoroid.

Here are only some of the Funko Pops that I recommend for the Persona characters:

Posters and Wall Art

P25th Framed Poster

Your room should represent you, and one way to do that is to put up some posters or wall art of the Persona series. The best part is that you can support local artists by shopping their designs at places like Etsy.

Here are a handful of recommended Persona posters and wall art items:

Other Items to Round Out Your Collection

Here are some other brand items you can buy to round out your collection of Persona products.

Blu-rays and DVDs

Some Blu-rays and DVDs contain the various anime and stage play adaptations of the Persona series. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the series in a new way, this is the way to do it.

Manga

There are manga adaptations of most of the mainline Persona games. They take some liberties with the games’ stories and are worth checking out for these differences alone.

Soundtracks

Persona4 The Golden Original Soundtrack

The music is the heart of the Persona series. Few game series have as memorable songs as this series does. That is why the soundtracks are so crucial to the Persona merch scene.

Trading Cards

There are even some trading cards that exist for the Persona series. The Weiss Schwarz series and others have offered hand-crafted cards that include some of the best Personas and characters, offering a new way to play as your favorite characters.

My Experience With Persona Merch

Other than maybe Pokemon, Persona merch is the most I’ve ever bought for a video game series. Not that there were many, to begin with, though. I have adored this series since starting with the first game a little over a decade ago and then playing every game in succession.

It was primarily with Persona 3 and 5 that my love for the series really kicked off, though. Before Persona 5 came out, I was already diving into the Persona merch by buying and checking out the Persona 3 movies. I was also quite interested in the soundtrack for the series.

Persona4 Poster

Of course, I was young and still a kid at the time, so there was only so much that I could do. As an adult, with the release of Persona 5, I have dived even more into the merch side. I have around five Persona-themed shirts, including one for the Phantom Thieves, a couple for Joker, and a couple more for Goro Akechi.

I also own some minor items like postcards and the like I have collected from conventions and other Persona-themed events I attended. My next goal is to start picking up some of the Nendoroids for the characters.

General Buying Tips

There are a couple of tips that I have for you from my own time buying Persona items. A general rule of thumb that I always have is to start off light when first buying items. Don’t jump in with the crazy expensive stuff unless you truly want them. Buy some cheaper items, get a feel for everything, and then go all-in when you’re truly ready.

Furthermore, the Persona merch scene has a lot of third-party sellers. It is easy to get ripped off, obtain a low-quality item, or get a knock-off of the actual figure or item you were looking for. Learn from my mistakes as I had purchased shirts from third-party sellers before, especially at conventions, that had the art completely fade off of the item after only a handful of uses.

Figures are also notorious for the possibility of low quality. If you are buying a rare item out of circulation, please be sure to use a legit website and find out what you can about the seller before shelling out hundreds of dollars.

Best Persona Merch: Selection Criteria

At the end of the day, just naming off some of the best Persona merch categories out there will only do so much. That is why I went ahead and ranked the top 10 best Persona items I have discovered in my time. These are based solely on my opinions, so that should be worth keeping in mind.

With that said, I tried to appeal to a wide range of tastes. For instance, there are some characters featured on this list that I do not even like, but their items are so exceptional that I could not ignore an entry for them. Furthermore, I tried to show some love to Persona 3-5, but I will admit that the best items go to the casts of Persona 3 and 5, specifically.

When deciding which items to include, I also tried not to overlap too much. For example, you will only see one shirt on here, so you will not have to worry about me trying to promote my entire collection of Persona-themed t-shirts.

I am all about the look of an item. If I look at it and it does not immediately catch my eye, I’m out. But looks are not everything, though. Every item is visually appealing on this list, but there is much more. They offer something else, be it a unique style, trait, accessory, or the like. Without further ado, here are my picks for the top 10 best Persona merch items.

10. Best Accessory: Persona 4 Keychain Rings

Persona 4 Keychain Rings

Keychains have never been my thing, but over the years, that has changed. The more I get into fandoms like the Persona series, the more I want to see these wonderfully crafted characters everywhere. With the number of keys I carry around these days, these Persona 4 keychain rings are the place to go.

I will admit that they are highly specific, which is why I am linking an eBay post. I cannot find the original keychains themselves, but these do so much with the tiny space they have. Not only is each member of the Investigation Team from Persona 4 carefully created, but there is a bit of goofiness to it with the pinching of them on their backs.

9. Best Cards: Weiss Schwarz Trial Deck Trading Cards

Weiss Schwarz Trial Deck Trading Cards

For those who do not know, Weiss Schwarz is a popular trading card game. The cool thing about this property is that they bring in crossovers with many games and anime for their cards. Persona 5 is not immune to this, either, having a trial deck you can pick up.

Suppose you’re like me and even remotely interested in trying out the Weiss Schwarz game; this Persona 5-themed trial deck is for you. It includes nothing but cards that are based on characters and Personas from the series. The cards are well-designed, too, having solid art to look at. This makes it great for even collectors who have no intention of using this deck to play the card game.

8. Best Action Figure: Transforming Johanna Action Figure

Transforming Johanna Action Figure

I will be the first to admit that Makoto is not one of my favorite characters in Persona 5 (fight me!). That said, I think the design of her Persona, Johanna, is rather attractive, especially in how she uses her in battle as a motorcycle.

Thankfully, some saw how fantastic the idea was and turned Johanna into an entire figure. This transforming Johanna action figure is exactly what it sounds like. It has a motorcycle and standing action form that you can switch between at will. Even better is the fact that it looks great and is faithful to the games in both forms.

7. Best Shoes: Custom Joker Persona 5 Shoes

Custom Joker Persona 5 Shoes

Sadly, there are not a whole lot of shoes that exist that are themed around the Persona series. Thankfully, though, the one that does exist out there is surprisingly fantastic on its own. These custom-made shoes are themed around Persona 5 and, specifically, Joker.

These sneakers only have so much room to show their design, but it does a lot in that tiny space. It not only indicates Joker in his Metaverse form with his mask on but also shows him without it. The color of these shoes pops; the only issue I have with them is the strange eye near the toes.

6. Best Wall Art: Persona Series Protagonists Poster

Persona Series Protagonists Poster

One of the contentious parts of the Persona series is the different protagonists that exist in the games. Persona 3-5, in particular, are three games that have staunch fans. Some will even contend that some of the protagonists are better than others.

I used to be one of those fans, but I’ve come to love all three of these games over time. One of the best ways to celebrate each is to pick up these fantastic Persona series protagonists’ posters. It contains all four protagonists from the series in a stylized way that is darker and different from the usual Persona style.

The best part, though? It includes the female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable, unlike almost every other merch item.

5. Best Soundtrack: 20th Anniversary All-Time Best Soundtrack

20th Anniversary All-Time Best Soundtrack

What are some of the first things you think of in the Persona series? I know that one of the first features that come to mind is the music. There is just something uncanny about how good the Persona soundtrack is.

If you agree with me, one item that should be on your list is the 20th Anniversary of Persona Series All-Time Best Soundtrack. Yes, I know it is a mouthful, but you get the idea. It includes some of the best songs from the entire franchise together in one place.

4. Best Chibi Figure: Morgana Nendoroid

Chibi Figure: Morgana Nendoroid

I get the love for Funko Pops, sure, but Nendoroids are so much better. They have the same chibi feel to them but with customization options and poses that are high quality. The Morgana Nendoroid is my favorite of those created for the Persona series.

Morgana is the adorable (not a cat!) creature mascot for Persona 5. His translation from the games to the real world is 1:1 perfection. But this Nendoroid does so much more than just recreate him, offering some great accessories like changing his eyes to the stars variant when he is excited and so much more.

3. Best Hoodie: Persona 3 Makoto and Thanatos Hoodie

Persona 3 Makoto and Thanatos Hoodie
Image from Fandom

When it comes to hoodies and even shirts, I’m always annoyed by the monotonous attempts just to paste a piece of art onto the hoodie. The ones where it is the art in the middle and the rest is just black or white are lame. Thankfully, the Persona 3 Makoto and Thanatos hoodie understands that.

Nearly the entirety of the hoodie is covered in this gorgeous work of art that includes Makoto Yuki, the male protagonist from Persona 3, summoning his Persona, Thanatos. The art alone is tremendous, but there is the fact that the colors extend across the hoodie that helps, too.

2. Best Shirt: Goro Akechi Retrowave T-Shirt

Goro Akechi Retrowave T Shirt

This one is biased for me, but I think I’m on point. I own this Goro Akechi Retrowave t-shirt, and I don’t regret it. Not only is the purple so good to look at on its own, but there is my boy Goro Akechi. The handsome devil is the best character in the series, and this captures him nicely.

But the best part about all of this is the style. This shirt goes for a 1980s retro feel that no one asked for but ended up being the best thing you could do for Akechi. He works so well in this style, giving him that classic 1980s emotional protagonist look.

1. Best DVD: Persona 3 The Movie Limited Edition Blu-Rays

Persona 3 The Movie Limited Edition Blu-Rays

When it comes to the merch item that is the best, I have to be biased once more. A lot of times, I do not buy merch because it is useless to me, personally, outside of something to look at. This is partly why I like t-shirts so much.

But one item that never fails to offer fans the chance to use it and look at something gorgeous: the Persona 3 The Movie Limited Edition blu-rays. Aniplex of America crafted some truly terrific covers and discs here, offering a package worthy of being showcased on a shelf of other limited edition collector’s items.

But the best part about this is that these movies are helpful, too. There are four movies in total, and all of them are gorgeously designed. Within these fantastic cases are discs that contain a surprisingly good set of four films.

The Persona 3 anime films are works of art on their own. They are the best adaptations of the JRPG series and triumph over similar adaptations of Persona 4 and 5. They are must-watches for anyone who loves Persona 3.

FAQs

Question: Does Atlus sell merch?

Answer: Yes! This is actually recent, at least online. Atlus started selling official merch at its Shop Atlus website here. It is currently in beta, so there are not a lot of items right now. Before, the only way to get official merch was to go to a convention at which Atlus had a booth, which was not always super common.

Question: Where to buy Persona merch?

Answer: There are plenty of third-party sellers like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Redbubble, and many more that sell Persona merch. If you want the official stuff, hit the Shop Atlus site.

Question: What is the Persona 25th anniversary merch?

Answer: The Persona 25th anniversary event merch is pretty meh, to say the least. There are a couple of shirts, a mask, a phone case, some pillows, and a few other miscellaneous items. Overall, though, I would say that it is relatively lackluster.

Conclusion

Persona merch is so important to me as it is one of the few video game series that has convinced even me to start buying items. There is nothing like the Persona series, and I know that I am not alone in this regard. That is why I recommend you to buy the Persona 3 The Movie blu-rays as they are nothing like any of the other adaptations in the series.

There is just something so well-done about the Persona 3 movies. Even though they are rather old at this point, the animation still holds up quite well today and looks better than anything made even for Persona 5 The Animation recently. Not to mention, the movies take their time and can capture the feel of Persona 3, the game, in a highly cinematic way that does the fantastic story justice.

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