When it comes to Trinity Soul, one point of criticism is more valid than most: Why can’t adults use Personas? It’s bad because not only is it an excuse to sideline adult characters like Akihiko, but it makes no sense for a series perspective. People point to future games, but just like how this anime is forgotten, there is already examples of this in previous games before 3, specifically Persona 2, where most of the party ARE ADULTS! 

The worst part is that no proper answer was given. So I’ll make my own reason.

First, what is a Persona? It’s the manifestation of your true self. When we’re kids, we can’t fully comprehend our true self yet with our current age. But as we get older and mature, we can fully comprehend who we really are and embrace it, finally becoming whole. 

And that’s my reason, because if you’re already you’re true self, you don’t need what’s basically a second you at that point floating around, so the Persona just becomes part of you. 

That’s not all tho, because your greatest enemy is often yourself. See, the whole “Adults can’t use Personas” thing isn’t entirely true. They can, but just like Strega and Shinji, they need pills to keep their Personas from going berserk. Since you’re fully yourself, and a Persona is just a second you now, it’s your greatest enemy as well as your greatest strength.

Lastly, a way for adults to use Personas, which is simply the fact that you don’t always figure out or fully realize who you really are when you become an adult, most people take longer and others never do, so in that scenario, adults can still use Personas if they don’t know/realize who they really are just yet, fixing the plot hole made by Persona 2 existing.

And that’s it. 

But that’s just me, who would you guys make a in universe explanation for the plot hole? And no, you can’t just delete it, because that’s cheating.

Since the anime never gave a proper reason, let’s make our own.