Atlus’s Persona series of role-playing games incorporates a huge variety of mythological and folkloric creatures from around the world. Some are formidable warriors like Odin from Norse mythology or the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. Others are cute and charming, like Alice from Alice in Wonderland or the spooky snowman Jack Frost. They function kind of like Pokémon: your protagonist can equip a variety of Personas with different skills, strengths, and weaknesses. But there’s one Persona that’s not like the others. He’s so scary that Atlus had to design a censored version of him. His name is Mara, and I hate him.
Screenshot: Atlus via PolygonNo, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. That is a giant, green penis with four arms, multiple tentacles, and a gaping mouth. He is a demon weiner, ribbed for your psychic displeasure. And yes, he’s riding a golden chariot. Mara is a Buddhist demon associated with temptation, lust, and earthly pleasures. The name is borrowed from Sanskrit, where it means "the Destroyer" or "the Evil One." It’s also a visual pun, because in Japanese “mara” is slang for “penis,” though he’s not depicted this way anywhere else in pop culture.
This creature has appeared in most of the Shin Megami Tensei games, Persona 3, 4, and 5, as well as spin-offs like Persona Q and Persona 5 Strikers. He’s most prominent in Persona 5, where he appears as the “Torn King of Desire” boss in the game’s very first dungeon. During this clash, he will occasionally waste a turn staring at the attractive blonde girl in your party, Ann Takamaki. (I’ll give it to Atlus on this one, it’s a clever bit.) As is the case with most early bosses, Mara appears sporadically later on as a regular old enemy, only renamed the "Throbbing King of Desire." Thankfully, Mara’s not an inescapable enemy in most of Atlus’s games, but an entirely optional and very powerful summon.
The tubular terror was slated to appear in 2024’s Metaphor ReFantazio, but was mercifully cut from the final version of the game, presumably to get that T for Teen ESRB rating. He has consistently been one of the most popular demons in the series, even claiming the number-one spot in an official 2017 Atlus poll.
Yes, I understand it’s a joke. Yes, the basic concept of a penis monster is funny. Sorry, I still hate him. That’s largely because his menacing appearance raises so many troubling questions. Why does he have to be green? Why does he appear to be muscular? Why are the claws so pincer-like? Why does a penis need a tongue? There’s much to ponder here, and all of it is unpleasant.
Image: AtlusSex and horror are a classic narrative pairing, from vampire tales to slasher movies. There’s a persistent focus on psychological themes and supernatural happenings in the Persona series, but these aren’t horror games. And while they often acknowledge the existence of sex, they usually do so in more clever and thought-provoking ways. Encountering Mara for the first time is scary and unsettling because you aren’t expecting it, like seeing someone expose themselves on the subway or getting an unsolicited dick pic. It’s not even a particularly artistic design, like H.R. Giger’s Xenomorph from Alien. Maybe it’s funnier in Japanese?
If there is one thing that gives me pause about recommending a Persona game to a friend, it’s not the 100+ hour runtimes or inevitable hot springs scenes. It’s the chance they will encounter Mara and say, “Why did she think I would like The Demon Weiner Game? Why does she like The Demon Weiner Game?”
Little-known fact: Mara is 500% more likely to abruptly appear in all his tumescent glory if you are playing in the immediate vicinity of a curious parent or significant other who does not enjoy video games. Don’t ask me why: it’s science.
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