Nine characters join your party inPersona 3 Reload.Well, counting the protagonist, it’s ten. Regardless, it’s a big number, and they all have their uses in battle, not to mention their gripping moments within the narrative.
But some are better in one or both ways than others. We all have our favorites, after all. We’re going to regale you with our personal favorite six, but remember, it’s just like, our opinion, as they say. Don’t take this as gospel, and don’t wield it in arguments. Just take it as some fans raving about Persona characters, which is, in fact, what all Persona fans do.
6Koromaru
Koromaru is the only playable dog in Shin Megami Tensei. How depressing is that? Dogs are great. We love them. Koromaru is especially great, even as dogs go, because he’s got a heart of gold, a courageous spirit, an android translator, and Dark-elemental spells to kick tail with.
That last part is important, because without Koromaru in your active lineup, you can rely solely on the protagonist for spells like Eiga - and then only if they have the proper Persona equipped for the job. Koromaru is every player’s best friend.
5Yukari Takeba
The primary sidekick gal who staunchly fights alongside you whilst struggling with the complexities of adolescence and tragedy combined, Yukari is back and better than ever in Persona 3 Reload courtesy of all those nifty SEES activities we can engage with. Her personal journey numbers among Persona 3’s best.
She’s also the game’s dedicated healer, which is downrightcriticalin some fights, and never less handy elsewhere. If that’s not enough, there are plenty of enemies with a weakness to Yukari’s Wind-elemental skills, and her weapon’s Pierce-based attacks make her even deadlier.
4Shinjiro Aragaki
Who can resist this bad boy? Shinjiro Aragaki almost singlehandedly emblemizes the painful side of Persona 3’s grand themes (Chidori certainly joins him on that score). Between his sorrowful past and his current constitution, it’s enough for him to snap. Yet he holds it all together, steadfast. Well… as best he can, anyway.
It isn’t exactly subtle, but it’s pretty darn cool how Aragaki’s refusal to let his weaknesses overwhelm him comes across so clearly in his fighting style. Aragaki is a powerhouse brute whose best skills fuel his Attack stat at the expense of aconsiderableamount of HP. But hey, so long as you’ve got Yukari backing him up, let him loose, yeah?
3Mitsuru Kirijo
“Ice queen.” People have been calling Mitsuru Kirijo that for as long as she’s been around, and she’s only compounded the matter with a Theurgy skill that sees her ice-skating across the battlefield before ruthlessly felling her foe. But as much as we love Mitsuru for her somewhat cold demeanor, she’s so much more than all that.
Mitsuru is, in truth, a warmhearted woman whose seriousness stems from a privileged upbringing she works tirelessly to overcome through personal hardship both professionally and in social scenarios. She’s cool, all right, but her mind’s as hot as… look, we don’t want to come across as objectifying her. But come on, Mitsuruisbeautiful.
2Junpei Iori
In prior versions of Persona 3, a common trajectory for fans has been to dislike Junpei for his casual sexism and kind-of-creepy lines before getting our hearts crushed alongside him further into the story, rejoicing through some serious tears as the guy develops into a more mature and genuine human being.
Junpei’s received the biggest upgrade in Persona 3 Reload, however - thanks to some sharper writing, it is now rather difficult to dislike him even at the start of the adventure. As a result, his character arc is even more fulfilling; he’s still the same naive and mixed-up dude early on without falling into downright irritating territory, and he still becomes a bona fide hero by tale’s end.
1Aigis
She might not have the FES-exclusive epilogue chapter to star in anymore, but Aigis remains an all-star Persona character. An artificial being learning what it means to be human - it’s a storytelling tradition with well over a century of examples, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to Star Trek’s Data. It’s all about the execution, and Atlus nails it with Aigis.
Aigis is frequently insightful, consistently hilarious, the key to some of the biggest narrative mysteries, and a fantastic party member to have by your side whether you’re in need of some stat buffs or a quick way to pummel opponents into oblivion. We’d go so far as to say her tale is the most meaningful in the game, too.
