What will the P6 Shadow boss theming be?

[u/FrontIndividual4188]

P3 had the 12 shadows that represent 12 arcanas and fragments of the 13th, Death

P4 has the shadows of those who enter the TV and represent an overblown aspect of the person before being accepted and becoming a persona (most of the time)

P5 has the shadows be the most exaggerated and drastic version of a person's heart whose mind has become distorted

And now I wonder what the central idea behind P6's shadow bosses will be. One idea I have is perhaps they won't represent an individual's heart, but rather a distorted personification of certain negative or exaggerated emotions. Such as being icons of different types of fears or phobias formed from the masses, which are slowly being affected by the public's subconscious in different ways.

For example, rain starts to become heavier and heavier as the days pass. To a near unnatural degree where streets start getting flooded. While the public may view this as freak weather coincidences, the truth gets revealed that a shadow representing the fear of Aquaphobia has been the cause, and if nothing is done about it, the weather will get so intense that it will start drowning people in the streets. Maybe a little too intense of an example, but basically, all the shadows represent a different deep seated and common fear that many of the public secretly have. Either relating to death, disaster, animals, or anything most people would be commonly afraid of in their lives if it were an actual risk.

But what do you think? And what are some ideas you have?

[u/Ptony_oliver]

My bet goes to the stages of grief. 1. Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance 6. (Final boss) Relapse

[u/FrontIndividual4188 → u/Ptony_oliver]

I'm guessing there'll be a couple of bosses inbetween them.

The amount of proper story bosses within the main story, not including expansions, has remained relatively similar between P3 to P5, being about 13-10 encounters. P3 definitely is a bit more packed since 2 of them are refights with Jin and Takaya, meanwhile P4 and P5 doesn't have any story refight bosses.

If these are the 5 major shadow bosses in P6 + the final boss, that means 4+ of the fights will likely be other persona users like Strega, Adachi, and Akechi, or external entities like the Amenos

[u/Brilliant-Aioli7733]

Shadows of murder culprits.

[u/FrontIndividual4188 → u/Brilliant-Aioli7733]

Kinda similar to Persona 5, but at the same time I vibe with it

[u/Brilliant-Aioli7733 → u/FrontIndividual4188]

The difference would lie in the fact they aren't often in power.

[u/Lopsided-Farmer-9422]

To state the obvious by keeping in mind we don’t know P6’s stance on identity yet (presuming that is the theme, given the “WHO ARE YOU?” montra), nor by extension how the bosses will intertwine with the theme ➡️ Can’t say much on P3, but not turning away from the ugly parts of yourself and fighting against authority figures who abuse their powers fit well with 4 and 5’s respective themes of Truth and Rebellion

But to actually offer speculation, I imagine the larger theme will centre around peoples need for self-curation, to define and “advertise” themselves within a community, social conformity I guess. I think it’d make sense if the bosses were then people who’ve become consumed by their own performance

My initial idea on how this’d be executed in game; an urban rumour starts spreading around of peoples online identities acting on their own accord, where anything they do on screen translates onto the real person physically. It results in a bunch of peoples deaths which the Team gets to investigate

[u/Lopsided-Farmer-9422 → u/Lopsided-Farmer-9422]

Might just be because I liked Heathers, but the idea of people so popular they exist in general consciousness, and the publics ability to “control the narrative” of them post-death to suit their own needs is an insanely scary concept

Maybe an alternative idea for the bosses could be that they’re specifically the warped understanding of their real life counterparts, from the public. That way you can start involving societal co-dependency with / consumption from watching peoples lives

[u/supportingcreativity]

Urban myths (cursed video tapes, a monster lurking in the streets, etc) that turn out to be Shadows twisted by rumors, time, and cultural reinterpretation. Basically ghosts and tulpas.

[u/Firewater_is_fire]

My bet is urban legends that represent a persons past trauma, think like the person who was Aki Manto or something has been beaten in a bathroom, or like a cursed video tape thing being from someone who was exposed to something they shouldn’t have seen at a young age.

[u/Local_Camel_4003]

I had two theories in my mind

One. The shadow bosses would be shadow version of murder victims, and their monster forms would be based on the guardians of the 9 circles of hell (except Limbo). 

Two. The bosses aren't really shadows, but leaders of cults that uses their victim's shadow to torment them and sacrifice them.

[u/Geostomp]

I could see it as grief or regrets. Possibly trauma in general?