#i think i ended up rambling again but in conclusion: demons/shadows=archetypes=personas

[katsona-the-katsequel]

How are shadows/personas different from demons?

This is going to be a long one, sweet!

First, let´s discuss shadows and demons from a Doylist perspective: The franchise mostly treats them as if they were the same thing. That´s because P1 and P2 are more closely tied to the main SMT games, being more clear on the fact that Persona is from the same timeline as Devil Summoner and all that. After P2:EP they did a soft reboot and began coming up with new terminology, for example, changing the names of the main enemies from "demons" to "shadows". This could be either to stick closer to the Jungian mythos or separate the Persona franchise from the main SMT one. For them, demons and shadows (lowercase "s") could be the same thing, changing only their purpose and use depending on if you´re a Devil Summoner (like Tamaki or Kyouji) or a Persona User (like literally everyone else). We can see some differences if we pay attention, like the fact demons can appear anywhere at anytime while shadows are relegated to a specific place or event. Nyarlathotep is mostly seen as having complete control over demons while Nyx is declared as the origin of all shadows. But really? These are too little and too few differences to really separate them as different entities. Anyone can ally with a demon or shadow if they like you, they are both defeated by a Persona or other demons, lots of them can be found near places where a higher being has control, they are not the actual beings they´re called after but representations, Jack Frost...

In-universe, though? You would believe Igor would be helpful, having appeared in every game, but he just changes their terminology as if they were socks. Whose to say that Nyarly just took demons/shadows as part of his sphere of influence since Nyx wasn´t doing much of anything? Or that any other "god" just shaped the way they worked according to what they needed for their "games"? Heck, I would be more inclined to believe that they ARE actually the same thing. We can´t take P2 as the base for how they work since Nyarly was fucking everything up so rumors became reality, thinning the walls between the physical world and the Unconscious. But if they are the same... what is their actual name? Someone but be wrong, right? For this, we´re going to have to check the moment the Persona Users first named their enemies. See if their sources are trustworthy, since I believe Igor just goes along with whatever his guests call them.

Elly is the one to name them "demons" in P1 while the Kirijo Group named them "shadows". Neither of them are credible sources (sorry, Elly, but you saw them for the first time that day). The real deal starts when its Teddie, an actual member of their species, who calls them "shadows". Morgana, though less credible than Teddie, also calls them shadows. So, that´s the correct term, right?

Philemon, one of the two most powerful beings in the Persona universe (aside from whatever the fuck Nyx is), calls them "demons". The way I see it is that these boogers call themselves "shadows", while Dr. Phil, Nyarly, and similar beings call them "demons". The reason Igor uses the terms interchangeably is that they are both technically correct.

In truth, what we call demons or shadows are actually archetypes from the Collective Unconscious. All the little boogers were plucked from their homes in the Sea of Souls or wandered too far and ended up as lackeys in dungeons, palaces, a god´s game, or just in the way of a Persona User trying to grind for XP.

Being a Jungian archetype, demons/shadows can easily become Personas once they connect with a Wild Card´s psyche. That´s why they ask questions to see if they vibe with you or to see if you´re gay (This happened to my friend Tatsuya). Demons/shadows are already patterns of thought and behavior just waiting for realization. Innate potential. But for now they´re just... shadows.

Teddie is just a beary smart archetype that gained a conscience of its own, and continued learning from the people around him. Look at him go!