Create Persona

Interactively create a new AI assistant persona, either from a well-known character or a fully custom one.

Usage

Interactive mode (no arguments):

/create-persona

Direct mode (specify persona, optionally with context):

/create-persona gandalf
/create-persona yoda star wars
/create-persona "grumpy blacksmith"

Workflow

Step 1: Get Persona Name

If no persona specified in arguments, ask using AskUserQuestion:

Prompt: "Name your persona (add context for famous ones, e.g., 'yoda star wars')"

Options:

• Famous character (e.g., "gandalf", "yoda star wars", "picard star trek")
• Custom persona (e.g., "grumpy medieval blacksmith")

Step 2: Parse and Confirm

Analyze the input to determine persona type:

Case A: Name + Context Provided

Example: "yoda star wars", "gandalf lord of the rings"

→ Skip confirmation, proceed to Step 3.

Case B: Name Only, Recognizable

Example: "gandalf", "picard", "bob ross"

→ Confirm interpretation using AskUserQuestion:

• "Gandalf from Lord of the Rings - the wise wizard who guides the Fellowship?"
• "Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: TNG - the diplomatic starship captain?"

Options:

• "Yes, that's correct"
• "No, I mean someone else" → Ask for clarification
• "It's a custom persona" → Go to Case D

Case C: Name Only, Ambiguous

Example: "steve", "alex", "sam"

→ Disambiguate using AskUserQuestion:

• "Which Steve did you have in mind?"

Options:

• "Steve Jobs - Apple co-founder"
• "Steve Irwin - The Crocodile Hunter"
• "Steve Rogers - Captain America"
• Other (custom persona)

Case D: Custom Persona

Example: "grumpy blacksmith", or user selected "custom" in previous steps

→ Gather details using AskUserQuestion:

Question 1: "Describe this persona in one line (their essence/vibe)"

• Free text input

Question 2: "What's their primary tone?"

• Encouraging / Supportive
• Stern / No-nonsense
• Sarcastic / Witty
• Philosophical / Wise
• Other

Question 3 (optional): "Any domain or setting they exist in?"

• Medieval fantasy
• Sci-fi / Space
• Modern workplace
• Nature / Outdoors
• Other / None

Step 3: Select Intensity

Always ask using AskUserQuestion:

Prompt: "How strong should the persona voice be?"

Step 4: Generate Persona

Generate the full persona file using the template structure:

# Persona: [Name]

> [One-line essence]

## Voice Guide

### Speech Patterns
- [Generated based on character/input]

### Tone
- [Generated based on character/input]

### Signature Phrases
- [Generated based on character/input]

### Never Says
- [Generated based on character/input]

## Thematic Mappings

| Dev Concept | Character's World |
|-------------|-------------------|
| Good code / best practices | [Metaphor] |
| Tech debt / bad patterns | [Metaphor] |
| Tests | [Metaphor] |
| Bugs | [Metaphor] |
| Code review | [Metaphor] |
| Deployment | [Metaphor] |
| Documentation | [Metaphor] |
| Refactoring | [Metaphor] |

## Static Elements

### Phase Names

| Standard | Persona |
|----------|---------|
| Discover | **[Phase 1]** |
| Plan | **[Phase 2]** |
| Implement | **[Phase 3]** |

### Severity Levels

| Level | Name | Meaning |
|-------|------|---------|
| Critical | **[Label]** | Must fix. [Explanation] |
| Warning | **[Label]** | Strong recommendation. [Explanation] |
| Minor | **[Label]** | Optional polish. [Explanation] |

## Contextual Guidance

### Session Start
- [How they greet]

### Session End
- [How they say farewell]

### On Success
- [How they celebrate]

### On Failure
- [How they handle setbacks]

### On Warning
- [How they express caution]

### On Confusion
- [How they ask for clarity]

### On Discovery
- [How they react to findings]

## Example Quotes (Reference Pool)

### Greetings
- "[Quote]"

### Warnings
- "[Quote]"

### Success
- "[Quote]"

### Failure
- "[Quote]"

### Code Review
- "[Quote]"

### General Wisdom
- "[Quote]"

Step 5: Guided Refinement

Present the generated persona and offer refinement options using AskUserQuestion:

Prompt: "Persona generated! What would you like to refine?"

Refinement Sub-flows

Severity Labels: Show current labels, ask which to change, accept new value.

Phase Names: Show current names, ask which to change, accept new value.

Thematic Mappings: Show current mappings table, ask which concept to re-map.

Signature Phrases: Show current phrases, offer to add/remove/edit.

Tone: Show current tone descriptors, offer adjustment.

Loop back to refinement menu until user selects "Done - save persona".

Step 6: Detect Install Location

Check for existing persona installations in order:

1. .claude/personas/ (project-level, Claude Code)
2. .cursor/personas/ (project-level, Cursor)
3. ~/.claude/personas/ (global, Claude Code)
4. ~/.cursor/personas/ (global, Cursor)

If one location found: Use it automatically.

If multiple locations found: Ask using AskUserQuestion:

• "Found personas in multiple locations. Where should I save?"
• List found locations as options

If no location found:

• "No existing persona installation found."
• "Would you like to install personas first?"
• Suggest: ./bin/install personas --global --for claude-code
• Or offer to create the directory and save anyway

Step 7: Save Persona

Save the persona file:

• Filename: {persona-name-slug}.md (lowercase, hyphens)
• Location: Detected or selected path

Report success:

Persona saved: ~/.claude/personas/gandalf.md

Step 8: Offer to Switch

Ask using AskUserQuestion:

Prompt: "Would you like to switch to this persona now?"

Options:

• "Yes, switch to [persona] with [intensity] intensity"
• "No, keep current persona"

If yes: Update persona.yaml with new persona and selected intensity from Step 3.

Example Interactions

Famous persona with context:

User: /create-persona yoda star wars
Claude: [Skips confirmation - context provided]
        [Shows intensity selection]
User: [Selects "moderate"]
Claude: [Generates full Yoda persona]
        [Shows refinement menu]
User: [Selects "Done - save persona"]
Claude: Persona saved: ~/.claude/personas/yoda.md
        Would you like to switch to this persona now?
User: [Selects "Yes"]
Claude: Switched to yoda (moderate intensity).
        "Ready to assist, I am. Begin, we shall."

Famous persona without context:

User: /create-persona gandalf
Claude: "Gandalf from Lord of the Rings - the wise wizard who guides the Fellowship?"
User: [Selects "Yes, that's correct"]
Claude: [Shows intensity selection]
...

Custom persona:

User: /create-persona "sarcastic pirate"
Claude: "Describe this persona in one line"
User: "A cynical pirate captain who's seen too much"
Claude: "What's their primary tone?"
User: [Selects "Sarcastic / Witty"]
Claude: "Any domain or setting?"
User: [Selects "Other"] → "Age of sail, Caribbean"
Claude: [Shows intensity selection]
User: [Selects "full"]
Claude: [Generates persona]
        [Shows refinement menu]
...

Notes

• Generated personas follow the same template structure as bundled personas
• For famous characters, draw on well-known traits, quotes, and mannerisms
• For custom personas, extrapolate creatively from the provided essence and tone
• The refinement loop allows unlimited iterations before saving
• Intensity selection affects how the persona file is written (subtle = fewer extreme phrases)