Persona 5 Battle Menu Parodies

2017Exploitable / image macro / photoshop memesemi-active

Also known as: Persona 5 Menu Edits · P5 Battle Menu Meme

Persona 5 Battle Menu Parodies are an exploitable photoshop meme where the stylish battle interface from the 2017 RPG *Persona 5* is superimposed onto unrelated images. The trend kicked off in April 2017, just days after the game's worldwide release, when a Twitter user posted a transparent version of the menu that anyone could layer onto photos. The result: everything from Donkey Kong to Donald Trump got the *Persona 5* treatment, and the internet couldn't get enough of it.

Overview

The *Persona 5* battle menu is one of the most visually striking UI designs in gaming history. During dungeon battles, players select actions from markers arranged dynamically around each character, with bold red-and-black graphics that pulsate and react to every button press1. The menus give off a sense of forward momentum and kinetic energy that feels unlike anything else in the RPG genre1.

The meme takes this distinctive interface and slaps it onto completely unrelated images. Any photo of a person, character, or animal becomes a *Persona 5* battler, complete with the game's action options. The humor comes from the absurd contrast between the ultra-stylish JRPG aesthetic and whatever mundane or ridiculous subject gets the treatment.

*Persona 5* launched in Japan on September 15, 2016, and worldwide on April 4, 20173. The game's UI drew immediate praise. As Kotaku editor-at-large Kirk Hamilton wrote in his review, "*Persona 5* is one of the most stylish video games I've ever played. It restlessly pulses toward the corners of your TV screen, as if unable to contain its overabundance of verve"1.

Four days after the global launch, on April 8, 2017, YouTuber Euphemism for Magic uploaded a "Just Give 'Em One of These" parody video using the *Persona 5* battle UI4. The video pulled in over 240,000 views and 380 comments within its first four days4.

The next day, April 9, 2017, Twitter user @Brento_Bento posted a photoshop featuring an image from the *Super Mario Bros.* cartoon overlaid with the *Persona 5* menu4. More importantly, a transparent version of the battle menu started circulating on Twitter, giving anyone the tools to create their own edits2.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter (transparent template), YouTube (first video parody)
Key People
@Brento_Bento, Euphemism for Magic
Date
2017

*Persona 5* launched in Japan on September 15, 2016, and worldwide on April 4, 20173. The game's UI drew immediate praise. As Kotaku editor-at-large Kirk Hamilton wrote in his review, "*Persona 5* is one of the most stylish video games I've ever played. It restlessly pulses toward the corners of your TV screen, as if unable to contain its overabundance of verve"1.

Four days after the global launch, on April 8, 2017, YouTuber Euphemism for Magic uploaded a "Just Give 'Em One of These" parody video using the *Persona 5* battle UI4. The video pulled in over 240,000 views and 380 comments within its first four days4.

The next day, April 9, 2017, Twitter user @Brento_Bento posted a photoshop featuring an image from the *Super Mario Bros.* cartoon overlaid with the *Persona 5* menu4. More importantly, a transparent version of the battle menu started circulating on Twitter, giving anyone the tools to create their own edits2.

How It Spread

Once the transparent template hit Twitter, the floodgates opened. On April 11, 2017, Tumblr user HANDSOMEZACK posted a photoshop of a child wielding a water pistol with the battle menu overlay, which racked up over 9,000 notes in less than 24 hours4.

That same day, both Kotaku and Mic published articles rounding up the best examples. Kotaku's piece, titled "Persona 5 Menus Make Everything Better," highlighted how the meme had spread to other video games, cartoons, and completely random images1. Mic's roundup showcased edits featuring Donkey Kong, Hank Hill from *King of the Hill*, a cat riding a Roomba, Donald Trump, *The Simpsons*, *Seinfeld*, and the gang from *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia*2.

People put the menu on top of other games first, which made sense1. But the real magic happened when creators realized the template worked on literally anything. Characters from other media, real-world politicians, pets, stock photos. The bold red-and-black aesthetic is so visually distinct that layering it over any image produces an inherently funny result1.

The meme spread rapidly across Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube. Chris Person, video editor for Gizmodo Media Group, became particularly prolific with the format, creating multiple viral edits1. The meme's appeal was simple: the *Persona 5* UI is so over-the-top stylish that putting it on mundane things creates instant comedy through sheer contrast.

How to Use This Meme

Creating a Persona 5 Battle Menu Parody typically follows a straightforward process:

1

Find a base image. Any photo or screenshot of a person, character, or animal works. The funnier or more unexpected the subject, the better.

2

Overlay the transparent battle menu. The menu elements (attack options, character portrait frame, HP/SP bars) get layered on top of the base image.

3

Position the UI elements so they frame the subject as if they're the active party member in a *Persona 5* battle.

4

Optional: Add custom text to the menu options for extra humor (e.g., replacing "Attack" with something relevant to the subject).

Cultural Impact

The meme drew coverage from major gaming outlets within a week of *Persona 5*'s western release. Kotaku and Mic both published dedicated roundups on April 11, 201712, treating the trend as a notable cultural moment in gaming. The speed of adoption was striking: the game had been out for only seven days in the West before the meme exploded.

The Persona 5 Battle Menu Parodies also fed back into appreciation for the game's design itself. Kotaku's coverage emphasized how the meme proved just how distinctive the UI was, noting that the style was so unique that "plunking it on top of other media is just inherently funny"1. In a sense, the meme became free marketing for *Persona 5*, spreading awareness of its visual identity far beyond the JRPG audience.

*Persona 5* went on to sell over 10.45 million copies (including Royal) by March 20253, and while the battle menu meme was just one factor in its cultural footprint, the viral photoshop trend helped cement the game's reputation for unmatched style.

Fun Facts

The meme went from zero to Kotaku coverage in just seven days after *Persona 5*'s worldwide release1.

Tumblr user HANDSOMEZACK's water pistol kid edit hit 9,000 notes in under 24 hours, making it one of the fastest-spreading early examples4.

Mic's roundup included a Garfield edit "channeling Sojiro Sakura from early on in the game," blending *Persona 5* lore with another internet-favorite character2.

*Persona 5*'s UI was designed by Masayoshi Suto, though the meme community largely credits @Brento_Bento for making it accessible as a template4.

Derivatives & Variations

Video parodies:

YouTuber Euphemism for Magic's original "Just Give 'Em One of These" edit kicked off a wave of video-format parodies using the battle UI over live-action and animated clips[4].

Cross-game edits:

Players overlaid the menu onto screenshots from other franchises like *Super Mario Bros.*, creating crossover humor[4].

Celebrity and politician edits:

Donald Trump, *Seinfeld* characters, and *The Simpsons* all got the treatment in widely shared versions[2].

Animal battle edits:

A cat on a Roomba and various pet photos became popular base images for the format[2].

Animated GIF versions:

Chris Person at Gizmodo Media Group created animated versions that preserved the menu's signature pulsating motion[1].

Frequently Asked Questions

Persona 5 Battle Menu Parodies

2017Exploitable / image macro / photoshop memesemi-active

Also known as: Persona 5 Menu Edits · P5 Battle Menu Meme

Persona 5 Battle Menu Parodies are an exploitable photoshop meme where the stylish battle interface from the 2017 RPG *Persona 5* is superimposed onto unrelated images. The trend kicked off in April 2017, just days after the game's worldwide release, when a Twitter user posted a transparent version of the menu that anyone could layer onto photos. The result: everything from Donkey Kong to Donald Trump got the *Persona 5* treatment, and the internet couldn't get enough of it.

Overview

The *Persona 5* battle menu is one of the most visually striking UI designs in gaming history. During dungeon battles, players select actions from markers arranged dynamically around each character, with bold red-and-black graphics that pulsate and react to every button press1. The menus give off a sense of forward momentum and kinetic energy that feels unlike anything else in the RPG genre1.

The meme takes this distinctive interface and slaps it onto completely unrelated images. Any photo of a person, character, or animal becomes a *Persona 5* battler, complete with the game's action options. The humor comes from the absurd contrast between the ultra-stylish JRPG aesthetic and whatever mundane or ridiculous subject gets the treatment.

*Persona 5* launched in Japan on September 15, 2016, and worldwide on April 4, 20173. The game's UI drew immediate praise. As Kotaku editor-at-large Kirk Hamilton wrote in his review, "*Persona 5* is one of the most stylish video games I've ever played. It restlessly pulses toward the corners of your TV screen, as if unable to contain its overabundance of verve"1.

Four days after the global launch, on April 8, 2017, YouTuber Euphemism for Magic uploaded a "Just Give 'Em One of These" parody video using the *Persona 5* battle UI4. The video pulled in over 240,000 views and 380 comments within its first four days4.

The next day, April 9, 2017, Twitter user @Brento_Bento posted a photoshop featuring an image from the *Super Mario Bros.* cartoon overlaid with the *Persona 5* menu4. More importantly, a transparent version of the battle menu started circulating on Twitter, giving anyone the tools to create their own edits2.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter (transparent template), YouTube (first video parody)
Key People
@Brento_Bento, Euphemism for Magic
Date
2017

*Persona 5* launched in Japan on September 15, 2016, and worldwide on April 4, 20173. The game's UI drew immediate praise. As Kotaku editor-at-large Kirk Hamilton wrote in his review, "*Persona 5* is one of the most stylish video games I've ever played. It restlessly pulses toward the corners of your TV screen, as if unable to contain its overabundance of verve"1.

Four days after the global launch, on April 8, 2017, YouTuber Euphemism for Magic uploaded a "Just Give 'Em One of These" parody video using the *Persona 5* battle UI4. The video pulled in over 240,000 views and 380 comments within its first four days4.

The next day, April 9, 2017, Twitter user @Brento_Bento posted a photoshop featuring an image from the *Super Mario Bros.* cartoon overlaid with the *Persona 5* menu4. More importantly, a transparent version of the battle menu started circulating on Twitter, giving anyone the tools to create their own edits2.

How It Spread

Once the transparent template hit Twitter, the floodgates opened. On April 11, 2017, Tumblr user HANDSOMEZACK posted a photoshop of a child wielding a water pistol with the battle menu overlay, which racked up over 9,000 notes in less than 24 hours4.

That same day, both Kotaku and Mic published articles rounding up the best examples. Kotaku's piece, titled "Persona 5 Menus Make Everything Better," highlighted how the meme had spread to other video games, cartoons, and completely random images1. Mic's roundup showcased edits featuring Donkey Kong, Hank Hill from *King of the Hill*, a cat riding a Roomba, Donald Trump, *The Simpsons*, *Seinfeld*, and the gang from *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia*2.

People put the menu on top of other games first, which made sense1. But the real magic happened when creators realized the template worked on literally anything. Characters from other media, real-world politicians, pets, stock photos. The bold red-and-black aesthetic is so visually distinct that layering it over any image produces an inherently funny result1.

The meme spread rapidly across Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube. Chris Person, video editor for Gizmodo Media Group, became particularly prolific with the format, creating multiple viral edits1. The meme's appeal was simple: the *Persona 5* UI is so over-the-top stylish that putting it on mundane things creates instant comedy through sheer contrast.

How to Use This Meme

Creating a Persona 5 Battle Menu Parody typically follows a straightforward process:

1

Find a base image. Any photo or screenshot of a person, character, or animal works. The funnier or more unexpected the subject, the better.

2

Overlay the transparent battle menu. The menu elements (attack options, character portrait frame, HP/SP bars) get layered on top of the base image.

3

Position the UI elements so they frame the subject as if they're the active party member in a *Persona 5* battle.

4

Optional: Add custom text to the menu options for extra humor (e.g., replacing "Attack" with something relevant to the subject).

Cultural Impact

The meme drew coverage from major gaming outlets within a week of *Persona 5*'s western release. Kotaku and Mic both published dedicated roundups on April 11, 201712, treating the trend as a notable cultural moment in gaming. The speed of adoption was striking: the game had been out for only seven days in the West before the meme exploded.

The Persona 5 Battle Menu Parodies also fed back into appreciation for the game's design itself. Kotaku's coverage emphasized how the meme proved just how distinctive the UI was, noting that the style was so unique that "plunking it on top of other media is just inherently funny"1. In a sense, the meme became free marketing for *Persona 5*, spreading awareness of its visual identity far beyond the JRPG audience.

*Persona 5* went on to sell over 10.45 million copies (including Royal) by March 20253, and while the battle menu meme was just one factor in its cultural footprint, the viral photoshop trend helped cement the game's reputation for unmatched style.

Fun Facts

The meme went from zero to Kotaku coverage in just seven days after *Persona 5*'s worldwide release1.

Tumblr user HANDSOMEZACK's water pistol kid edit hit 9,000 notes in under 24 hours, making it one of the fastest-spreading early examples4.

Mic's roundup included a Garfield edit "channeling Sojiro Sakura from early on in the game," blending *Persona 5* lore with another internet-favorite character2.

*Persona 5*'s UI was designed by Masayoshi Suto, though the meme community largely credits @Brento_Bento for making it accessible as a template4.

Derivatives & Variations

Video parodies:

YouTuber Euphemism for Magic's original "Just Give 'Em One of These" edit kicked off a wave of video-format parodies using the battle UI over live-action and animated clips[4].

Cross-game edits:

Players overlaid the menu onto screenshots from other franchises like *Super Mario Bros.*, creating crossover humor[4].

Celebrity and politician edits:

Donald Trump, *Seinfeld* characters, and *The Simpsons* all got the treatment in widely shared versions[2].

Animal battle edits:

A cat on a Roomba and various pet photos became popular base images for the format[2].

Animated GIF versions:

Chris Person at Gizmodo Media Group created animated versions that preserved the menu's signature pulsating motion[1].

Frequently Asked Questions