Atlus’s role-playing game franchises draw on a vast array of mythological and folkloric beings from around the world. Some are powerful warriors such as Odin from Norse mythology or the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, while others are charming creatures like Alice from Alice in Wonderland or the snowman Jack Frost. These Personas function much like Pokémon, allowing protagonists to equip a variety of beings with different skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
But one Persona stands apart from the rest. So unsettling is his design that Atlus had to create a censored version of him. His name is Mara, and he has become an infamous figure among players.
Mara appears as a large green phallus with four arms, multiple tentacles, and a gaping mouth, riding in a golden chariot. He is a Buddhist demon associated with temptation, lust, and earthly pleasures. The name derives from Sanskrit, meaning “the Destroyer” or “the Evil One,” and functions as a visual pun, since “mara” is Japanese slang for penis.
The creature has appeared in most of the Shin Megami Tensei games, Persona 3, and other entries, along with spin-offs such as Persona Q and Persona 5 Strikers. He is most prominent in Persona 5, where he appears as the “Torn King of Desire” boss in the game’s first dungeon.
During this encounter, Mara will occasionally waste a turn staring at Ann Takamaki, an attractive party member. As with many early bosses, he later reappears sporadically as a regular enemy renamed the “Throbbing King of Desire.” In most of Atlus’s games, however, Mara is not an unavoidable foe but rather an optional and powerful summon.
The design has drawn criticism for its unsettling appearance. Observers have questioned why he must be green, why he appears muscular, why his claws are pincer-like, and why a penis would require a tongue.
Sex and horror form a classic narrative pairing, from vampire tales to slasher films. The Persona series maintains a persistent focus on psychological themes and supernatural happenings, though these are not horror games. While they often acknowledge the existence of sex, they typically do so in more clever ways. Encountering Mara for the first time is unsettling precisely because players do not expect it.
The design has been compared unfavorably to H.R. Giger’s Xenomorph from Alien, with some suggesting he may be funnier in Japanese than in translation.
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