Persona 3/Characters

'''The Characters of Persona 3. Spoilers Abound'''

The Entire Team

 * Badass Crew
 * Conveniently an Orphan: Everyone, to some extent, is missing one or both parents. Makes living together in a dorm and fighting Shadows easier. It's partly justified, since in several cases (notably those of Ken and the protagonist) the loss of their parents is directly linked to the same Dark-Hour-related incidents and issues that get them involved in the plot.
 * Orphans Ordeal:  are major plot points.
 * Five Man Band: The core members of SEES are the core members of the Five Man Band. And the extra members of SEES are the extra members of the Five Man Band - in short, SEES is symonymous with a Five Man Band.
 * The Hero: The Protagonist
 * The Lancers:: Junpei and Aigis
 * The Smart Guy: Mitsuru
 * The Big Guy: Akihiko
 * The Chick: Yukari
 * Tagalong Kid: Ken
 * The Sixth Ranger: Shinjiro
 * Mission Control: Fuuka
 * Team Pet: Koromaru
 * Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Let's see, the New Transfer Student, the class clown, the popular girl, the boxing team champion, The Ojou, a Robot Girl, an Adorably Precocious Child, a dog and a Jerk With a Heart of Gold. All brought together because they can summon Personas.
 * True Companions: Indeed, two social links to show the team banding together.
 * Wake Up Go to School Save The World

= Voiced by Akira Ishida (Japanese) and Yuri Lowenthal (English)
=

The Silent Protagonist of Persona 3. His parents died ten years prior to the events of the game, and he has moved around a lot as a result; he spends much of his time listening to music. He has an affinity with the Fool Arcana, which allows him to store multiple personas, beginning with Orpheus. He can also wield various weapons, but defaults to a one-handed sword. The manga gives him the name "Minato Arisato" and describes his personality to be very calm and rather reclusive. Despite his introverted behavior he has significant leadership skills and can think and plan in the midst of battle.

He is transferred into the Gekkoukan High School in his second year of high school. Upon arriving at his new dorm during the Dark Hour, he is asked by a young boy to sign a contract which states "I chooseth this fate of my own free will." Within the next few weeks, he has his first encounter with the Shadows and is recruited into SEES, appointed as field leader by Mitsuru and Akihiko due to the ease with which he is able to summon his Persona. He also visits the Velvet Room, and has periodic chats with Pharos, the mysterious young boy who initially presented him with the Velvet Room contract.

""Not like you, Minato-san... You're such a great person, and you make those around you happy too...""
 * Always Someone Better: Towards Junpei.
 * Badass: With a maxed out courage stat, he is labeled in-game as "Badass." He needs it to unlock Fuuka's social link. Why? Because she's a Lethal Chef and you need it in order to eat her meal.
 * Submissive Badass: He might be the team leader, but he's always taking directives from someone (usually Mitsuru). However, this doesn't make him any less of a Badass because of the reason WHY he was chosen to be the team leader. In short, he takes orders well and gets the job done.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: He can chase off a group of thugs single-handedly without much problem, without the use of his Persona. In the audio drams, the one time he ever expresses anger is when his friends are in danger.
 * Big Eater: In the manga, though most of his social links often take place in restaurants,especially the Gourmet's.
 * The Gourmet King is amazed that the protagonist can keep up with him in eating, and, uh..."You have eaten very little since our seventh meal." Sure, Elizabeth is somehow a bigger eater than him, but still - he ate SEVEN MEALS before he got full!
 * : At the end of the epilogue.
 * Bishie Sparkle: Both him and Akihiko in the manga.
 * Bishonen: Even guys point out how pretty he is.
 * His appearance even gets lampshaded during the "Babe Hunt" in P3P.
 * Canon Name: He doesn't have one. The manga's not canon. However, "Minato" is a hell of a lot more convenient than "the MC".
 * Catch Phrase: "Doudemo ii," the meaning of which depends on the context. Generally, it can be translated as "Whatever" or "I don't care". It's one of the most common dialogue choices for the male protagonist. In the drama CDs, it's usually used when he has no opinion on something.
 * Chick Magnet: Every girl he meets seems to fall for him. This includes grade schoolers, teachers, and, er, robots.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Mild version in the manga (see Sleepyhead); the other characters note that he looks "zoned out" most of the time, and his mind tends to wonder unless something important is going on (or a ping pong match).
 * Conveniently an Orphan
 * Cosmic Plaything:
 * Trauma Conga Line
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait
 * Even the Guys Want Him: There are Pharos's nightly visits for starters, . Also, his fanbase consists largely of fangirls and fanboys.
 * Fan Nickname: Minato Arisato, taken from the manga adaptation, which some fans have interpreted as follows: Minato = Harbor, Ari = Existence (as in "existing at the present moment"), Sato = "one's origin" or "one's past". Thus, Minato Arisato = The Harbor of One's Existing Origin.
 * The Japanese fanbase has taken to calling him "Kitaro," due to the similarity between his hairstyle and that of the main character of Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro.
 * The Hero
 * Heroes Prefer Swords: He starts out with a one-handed sword being given to him, but can later use almost any type of weapon.
 * The P3P remake limits him to just one-handed swords.
 * In Series Nickname: "Leader". In the drama CDs, as he has no 'canon name', his friends in SEES take to referring to him as such. It eventually spreads to the protagonist's other friends, who note how well the nickname fits him.
 * Kohai: Unlike his successor Yuu, he more often than not plays the underclassman. He is only the sempai of Chihiro and Ken.
 * Lighter and Softer: Despite being silent, his dialog options sound kinder and more optimistic as the plot and S.Links progress.
 * The Messiah + Messianic Archetype + The Paragon
 * Heroes Prefer Swords: He starts out with a one-handed sword being given to him, but can later use almost any type of weapon.
 * The P3P remake limits him to just one-handed swords.
 * In Series Nickname: "Leader". In the drama CDs, as he has no 'canon name', his friends in SEES take to referring to him as such. It eventually spreads to the protagonist's other friends, who note how well the nickname fits him.
 * Kohai: Unlike his successor Yuu, he more often than not plays the underclassman. He is only the sempai of Chihiro and Ken.
 * Lighter and Softer: Despite being silent, his dialog options sound kinder and more optimistic as the plot and S.Links progress.
 * The Messiah + Messianic Archetype + The Paragon


 * And as if that wasn't enough, his last Persona is
 * Actually, it's more of an amalgamation of historical messiahs.
 * New Transfer Student
 * The Quiet One: Fits this trope to a T, even thought the player picks all the dialog choices. Lampshaded on a few times.
 * He starts out this way in the drama CDs, having very little spoken lines in the first few. As more drama CDs are released, he is given more and more lines. Note that this technically isn't a case of character development; the release dates of the drama CDs don't, in fact, coincide with in-game chronology. Rather, it's simply a shift in written characterization.
 * Parental Abandonment: His parents died in an accident.
 * Peek a Bangs: even Lampshaded during the Tower Social Link.
 * Pink Girl Blue Boy: The color themes for the menus of the Male Protagonist or the Female one go exactly with these colors.
 * Power Strain Blackout: He collapses and is unconscious for several days after summoning his Persona for the first time.
 * Really Gets Around: Five of his S. Links end with him spending a long time in a bedroom. 6 or 7 if you include.
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: Blue Oni to both the female protagonist and Junpei. With the female protagonist, it's easily more apparent in the drama CDs; the male protagonist is significantly more reserved, level-headed and has a generally lower volume.
 * Second Year Protagonist
 * Silent Protagonist
 * Sleepyhead: Has the option to doze off in his classes. You can choose to keep him awake, but the option’s mere existence has to imply something.
 * Canon in the manga, though he can switch to Hyper Awareness if it’s really important, like debates and Tartarus battles. Or he just wants to win that ping-pong match against Akihiko-senpai.
 * The Stoic: Lampshaded by both Yukari and Junpei.
 * Lampshaded by himself in the manga. When he is introduced to Yukari, he smiles and says 'Nice to meet you', and promptly thinks 'That was out of character for me!' (Could also be lampshading his Silent Protagonist role as well.)
 * Superpower Lottery: He's the resident Wild Card. That alone would be enough, but he also has the unique ability to summon two personae at once for a fusion attack. He's unquestionably the most adept persona user to ever live.
 * Talking to Himself: Pharos shares a VA.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: With Junpei
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair

= Voiced by Marina Inoue (Japanese) and Laura Bailey (English)
=

Persona 3 Portable provides the option of playing as a female main character. She has the same history and storyline as the male protagonist, but is not a Gender Flip of him; she has a different appearance, a slightly modified version of Orpheus, and a more energetic and upbeat personality as indicated by her dialogue prompts. She also has a number of different Social Links, including S.Links with all members of SEES rather than just the female members, providing additional character development for Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Ken which is not seen in the original version of the game. The S.Links with the female team members are mostly unaltered except for the removal of specifically romantic content.

Many of the tropes which apply to the male protagonist apply to the female as well, except as noted:


 * Action Girl: As the protagonist, she is the most powerful member of SEES, just like in the male route.
 * Badass: And, as above, maxing Courage makes this official, as if there were any doubts. It's used in order to unlock Ken's social link. Why? Teenaged girl hanging out with a kid doesn't look good. (He's still an optional Love Interest, so...)
 * Badass Adorable
 * Blade On a Stick: She uses naginatas. One such naginata is a human-sized version of the MS-14 Gelgoog's double-ended beam naginata.
 * Cool Big Sis: Has the opportunity to be this for Maiko and non-romantic Ken.
 * Continuity Nod: A unique dialogue tree has this as one of the reactions . Let's think positive.
 * Even the Girls Want Her: Aigis's interactions with her are exactly the same as they are with the male protagonist.
 * Hair Decorations: They're also symbolic, representing the alternate placement of the fool arcana (XXII).
 * Darker and Edgier: Contrasting to the male protagonist, after the events of October 4, she sounds more serious in her options, especially since a few of her S.links resume or start afterwards.
 * Case in point, she gets the option of
 * Dude Magnet: By the end of the game it's possible for Akihiko, Shinjiro, Ken, Ryoji, Hidetoshi, Bebe, and Theodore to all be in love with her - plus Maiko's father awkwardly asking her out.
 * Expy: She looks a bit like Yuzu from Devil Survivor. Funny, since the main character of that game was an expy of the male protagonist in this one.
 * Fan Nickname: "MShe" and "FeMC," both puns on MC ("main character") which is usually used in reference to the male protagonist. Minako (derived from the Male Protagonist's name from the manga adaptation, Minato) and Hamuko (loosely interpreting the last kanji of "Protagonist" as katakana and adding "ko", a common ending for girls' names in Japanese).
 * Also dubbed Runako Gekkou by Famitsu. Runako is generally taken to mean "moon child," while "Gekkou" means "moonlight." Many consider this to be Extremely Punny.
 * Feminine Women Can Cook
 * Gender Flip: She isn't one, as she has her own unique appearance and distinct personality, but her version of Orpheus is.
 * Also only her version of Orpheus. Orpheus Telos is the same between both genders.
 * Genki Girl: As compared to the male protagonist, her dialogue options tend to be much more energetic and upbeat. This is also how she's depicted in the drama CDs.
 * Hidden Depths: Able to bring this out of Akihiko, Ken, Junpei and Shinjiro due to S. Link interaction with them not available to the male protagonist.
 * In Series Nickname: Same as the protagonist, her comrades in SEES all refer to her as "Leader" in both the game and drama CDs.
 * Lady of War: She's quite graceful in battle.
 * Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Her role in her S.Links with Hidetoshi and Shinjiro has some shades of this.
 * Platonic Life Partners: With Junpei. He's the only male SEES member to not have a romance option with her, despite knowing her the longest.
 * Although this apparently wasn't always going to be the case according to this deleted scene. Obviously, Junpei x FeMC fans were less than pleased.
 * Plucky Girl: Even in the darkest stretches of the game, her dialogue options remain determinedly upbeat.
 * Red Eyes Take Warning: Kinda-sorta.
 * Red Headed Heroine
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: To the male protagonist's blue. Particularly in the drama CD, where her personality is significantly louder and she's a lot more energetic and outgoing. She's also more emotive, and is even shown getting angry at one point, even threatening violence.
 * Shotacon: In the original Japanese version, ten-year-old Ken is a potential love interest. This was toned down for the English-Language release due to Values Dissonance, recasting their interaction so that the protagonist mostly seems unaware of or chooses to overlook his feelings for her.
 * Although by the time his Social Link hits Level 7 and beyond, it's pretty obvious in either language.
 * It's also referenced in Rank 9 of the social link with Ken revealing that he's nervous about being in a relationship with her because of this.
 * Single Woman Seeks Good Man: All of her possible love interests are genuinely nice guys - even Shinjiro.
 * Supreme Chef: And her speciality is sweets!
 * Star Crossed Lovers:

= Voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese) and Michelle Ruff (English)
=

Yukari - affectionately called "Yuka-tan" by Junpei - is one of the most popular second-year girls at Gekkoukan High thanks to her cheery personality and good looks. However, she proves to have hidden insecurities and can be abrasive and confrontational. She is a member of the archery club and uses bow and arrow in battle. Her Persona is Io of the Lovers Arcanum and later evolves into Isis; its focus is on Wind and Healing magic.

Yukari is the newest member of SEES prior to the protagonist's arrival. She reveals early on that her father, a scientist, died ten years ago under mysterious circumstances involving a project run by the Kirijo Group, and that she transferred to Gekkoukan and joined SEES in hopes of discovering the truth. She is estranged from her mother, who coped by taking up relationships with various men, to Yukari's disgust.

Yukari is the Lovers Social Link for both protagonists, and a potential love interest for the male protagonist. The male protagonist requires substantial Charm in order to begin the S.Link; in contrast, Yukari opens up much more readily to the female protagonist, finding it easier to relate to a girl her own age, particularly in contrast to Mitsuru's aloofness. The link is essentially the same in both versions save for the romantic content.

In the PSP remake, if Yukari's S.Link is completed in a New Game Plus, the player has the option for the main character to spend his last moments with her, and she tearfully tells him that she loves him and she'll stay with him forever.

In The Answer, Yukari is jealous and resentful of Aigis after the latter inherits the protagonist's "wild card" ability and his Persona Orpheus.


 * Action Girl
 * Always Save the Girl:
 * The Archer
 * Blow You Away
 * Bond Breaker: After.
 * Break the Cutie: Hey, Yukari?  Hope that makes you feel better!
 * The Chick
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: She becomes this when you date any girl that's not her.
 * Plays this straight in The Answer.
 * Daddys Girl / Deceased Parents Are the Best: She idolizes her father and has a rather rocky relationship with her still-alive mother.
 * Girls Are Really Scared of Horror Movies: She's noticeably jumpy during the events up to and including the 2nd Full Moon operation (which involved the supposed vengeful ghost of Fuuka after she disappeared).
 * Heterosexual Life Partners: Develops such a bond with Mitsuru.
 * Lethal Chef: Implied in dialogue (although not as bad as Fuuka).
 * Mood Swinger
 * Moral Event Horizon: Subverted, thankfully. Yukari almost crosses it in The Answer..
 * Parental Abandonment: Her father died ten years ago and mother essentially whored herself out to other men.
 * The Resenter: Towards Mitsuru in the Journey, . She gets over it in both cases.
 * She's Got Legs
 * Squishy Wizard: Her stat growth is biased heavily towards her Magic stat, leaving her with the lowest health and defense of the party but with Garu spells that hit like a truck.
 * Sweater Girl
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: During "The Answer".
 * Tsundere: She has shades of this.
 * Squishy Wizard: Her stat growth is biased heavily towards her Magic stat, leaving her with the lowest health and defense of the party but with Garu spells that hit like a truck.
 * Sweater Girl
 * Took a Level In Jerkass: During "The Answer".
 * Tsundere: She has shades of this.

= Voiced by Kosuke Toriumi (Japanese) and Vic Mignogna (English)
=

Junpei is the class clown of Gekkoukan High, and Minato's best friend. He's doesn't like to take things seriously, preferring to avoid serious subjects by making jokes; he enjoys the idea of being a hero, but his immaturity and inexperience make him unreliable in comparison to the protagonist, and he struggles with jealousy and resentment of the protagonist's greater strength, skill, and leadership ability.

Junpei is recruited to SEES almost immediately after the protagonist, after Akihiko finds him awake during the Dark Hour. He fights using a two handed sword, but wields it like a baseball bat. His Persona is Hermes of the Magician Arcanum, and later evolves into Trismegistus; it specializes in Physical skills, Fire magic, and Buffs.

Junpei is the female main character's Magician S.Link, replacing Kenji (who appears during the female's Chariot link instead). Due to his plot-important relationship with, he is the only male SEES member that the female protagonist has no romantic interaction with - a romance was scripted, but was Dummied Out, and video of the New Game Plus end scene can be found online. Instead, Junpei's relationship with the female protagonist is almost brotherly; he becomes protective of her and wants for her to be able to depend on him, and confides in her some of the details of his strained relationship with his alcoholic father.

In The Answer, Junpei


 * Abusive Parents: His father, and that is the only parent that metioned, is an alcoholic of the raging type. Junpei is downright relieved to be living in the dorm.
 * Badass: Fancies himself one at first, though he's more of an Idiot Hero who got lucky cuourtesy of the Superpower Lottery. He actually becomes one in a rather literal fashion
 * Heartbroken Badass
 * Big Brother Instinct: Towards the female protagonist. Especially when investigating the pictures.
 * Book Dumb: If you check the exam scoreboard, he consistently gets low scores until the last one.
 * Boisterous Bruiser: Although he's only a bruiser in gameplay.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Casanova Wannabe
 * Desperately Looking for A Purpose In Life: A big deal for him as he knows he not good at anything, and even the thing that makes him unique is outclassed by the Protagonist.
 * Heroic BSOD
 * Heroic Wannabe: He likes to think of himself as the leader of SEES,
 * Hot Blooded
 * Idiot Hero
 * I Just Want to Be Special
 * The Lancer
 * Leeroy Jenkins
 * The Load: His Leeroy Jenkins tendencies tend to result in him becoming this towards the team.
 * Overshadowed By Awesome: The primary reason he develops into the resenter.
 * Parental Abandonment
 * Playing With Fire: Though he isn't geared towards magic. Useful for exploiting weaknesses, though.
 * Platonic Life Partners: With the Female Protagonist that while he knows her the longest out of the SEES male members, he's the only one you can't be romantic with. Though you can joke that in Rank 10, when he's trying to tell the protagonist something, that he's going for a Love Confession. His reaction is "Wha-- NO!"
 * Also, in Akihiko's Rank 4, you find out that there's a rumor going around that you and Junpei are dating. When Akihiko asks if it's true, all three options deny it.
 * The Resenter
 * Shipper On Deck: A mild example, but in the female protagonist's route, he thinks it would be funny if she and Akihiko got together and tells her he'll be happy to be her wingman if she decides to go for it.
 * Ted Baxter
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: With Minato. He gets along better with the Female Protagonist due to him being a Social Link.
 * Shipper On Deck: A mild example, but in the female protagonist's route, he thinks it would be funny if she and Akihiko got together and tells her he'll be happy to be her wingman if she decides to go for it.
 * Ted Baxter
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: With Minato. He gets along better with the Female Protagonist due to him being a Social Link.

= Voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa (Japanese) and Liam O'Brien (English)
=

Akihiko is a third-year student at Gekkoukan High, and the captain of the school's boxing team. He's very popular and is usually surrounded by fangirls when seen at school, but mostly ignores them. He is one of the three founding members of SEES and can summon the Persona Polydeuces, later evolving to Caesar, which focuses on Lightning and Debuffing magic, but as a boxer he's strongest with his fists and uses various gloves, metal knuckles, and fist spurs as his weapons.

Akihiko is an orphan; he had a younger sister, Miki, who died in a building fire when Akihiko was still a child. Powerless to help her, Akihiko resolved to become strong enough to protect the things he cared about, and took up boxing and got involved in SEES as ways of growing stronger. However, he can never get over Miki's death and his feelings of pain and guilt, and tries to avoid getting too attached to anything so as to avoid any more such feelings.

In the female protagonist's story, Akihiko is her Star S.Link, replacing Mamoru (who never appears). She'll need level 4 Charm in order to stand out in his eyes from all of his annoying fangirls (and ward off their anger, for that matter). During the S.Link, the protagonist has the chance to get to know and appreciate Akihiko for who he is as opposed to the "cool upperclassman" image that the other Gekkoukan students admire, and helps him come to terms with Miki's death and Depending on dialogue choices, he can become the female protagonist's love interest.

During the New Game Plus, if she has a romantic relationship with Akihiko, on the final day he'll meet her on the roof and stay with her in her last moments before becoming the seal for Nyx, apologizing for having forgotten and promising that they'll never be apart.

In The Answer, Akihiko


 * Adorkable: As proven in his S.Link in P3P.
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: His aloof nature in school causes his classmates to peg him as a Badboy, which is the reason why he has a legion of fangirls.
 * Annoying Patient: Mostly because he hates being out of the action. It takes constant effort on Mitsuru's part to keep him from heading back into battle before he's fully recovered.
 * Badass
 * Badass Cape: Has one in Persona 4 Arena, complete with a hood and Dramatic Wind.
 * Heartbroken Badass -
 * The Big Guy
 * Big Brother Instinct: Most noticeable on the "rescue Fuuka" mission. The female protagonist in P3P also comes in for some of this from him. In both cases it's unquestionably because of his issues regarding his Dead Little Sister.
 * Blood Knight: His early characterization has a bit of this going on; he's focused entirely on training and getting stronger, and enthusiastic about the Shadows and Tartarus as means to that end. Mitsuru gets on his case repeatedly about his eagerness to fight even while injured, and only after Yukari directly accuses him of not caring what secrets are being kept from SEES as long as he gets to fight does he begin to rethink his motivations. It takes for him to finally get past it for good.
 * Cannot Talk to Women: He's completely incapable of talking to women other than his teammates, and in the female protagonist's route in the PSP version he gets pretty tongue-tied around her at times as well.
 * Chaste Hero <-> Celibate Hero: A variation. He ignores his hordes of female fans, and as seen at the beach vacation, he's either not interested in approaching ladies, or suffers crippling awkwardness around them. The female S.Link proves that he is just too much of The Stoic to understand romance very well. She literally needs to explain to him that he's in love with her when he can't quite figure out why it feels different hanging out around her.
 * Chick Magnet: At school he's usually surrounded by fangirls, although he dislikes the attention and claims they talk so much they give him a headache.
 * Coat Over the Shoulder: as you can see in his picture above.
 * Covert Pervert: Only if the player has maxed out his Social Link and becomes the FeMC's love interest. For a guy who does not know anything about women, Akihiko does get the FeMC to go to his room somehow and let their bodies do the talking.
 * Crazy Jealous Guy: He shows shades of this when he's lovers with the female protagonist. Mostly played for laughs though, as the brunt of it is directed only against Ken, who is surprisingly capable of holding his own against it.
 * Dead Little Sister: Miki.
 * Determinator
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait
 * Expy: Silver hair? Check. Captain of the boxing team? Check. Something going on with his left temple? Check. He's basically an intelligent Ryohei Sasagawa.
 * Extremity Extremist
 * Genius Bruiser: He's a boxer whose physical attacks are second only to Aigis, and not only does he get consistently good grades, he's also the first to put two and two together on things like giant Shadows appearing during the full moon and why Fuuka disappeared.
 * Good Old Fisticuffs
 * Heroic BSOD:
 * Jack of All Trades: His Strength and Magic stats are both high, making him more or less equally effective with physical attacks and his Zio spells, plus a single-target heal and a full complement of debuffs.
 * Machete Mayhem: Has one in Persona 4 Arena.
 * Noodle Incident: It's heavily implied that Akihiko has previously been "Executed" by Mitsuru.
 * Not So Stoic
 * Oblivious to Love: P3P states outright that he doesn't seem to understand girls' feelings at all.
 * Perma Stubble:.
 * Pointless Band Aid
 * Power Fist
 * Pretty Boy
 * Red Baron: "The Protein Junkie with Unyielding Fists" in Persona 4 Arena.
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: Red Oni to Mitsuru's Blue.
 * Shock and Awe
 * Spirited Competitor
 * Trademark Favorite Food: Beef bowl.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene: In Persona 4 Arena.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene: In Persona 4 Arena.

= Voiced by Rie Tanaka (Japanese) and Tara Platt (English)
=

Mitsuru is a third year student of Gekkoukan High, the school's Student Council President, and the daughter of the head of the influential Kirijo Group, which built the school. Her family's status gives her a great deal of influence within the school, enabling her to even issue orders to teachers if necessary. She is the first member of SEES, having awakened to her Persona at a very young age due to her family's experiments with the Shadows and Tartarus. Her Persona is Penthesilea of the Empress Arcanum, later evolving into Artemisia, and is focused on Ice and Healing magic. Mitsuru is also a member of the fencing club and wields a rapier in battle.

Mitsuru is the Empress Social Link, and a possible love interest for the male protagonist. An excellent student herself, she has very high standards and the protagonist must have maximum Academics and good exam scores in order to begin her link, which becomes available in November. Her S.Link reveals that Mitsuru is engaged to one of the Kirijo Group's business associates, a marriage arranged for her by her family.

In the PSP remake the player can choose to have Minato spend his last moments with Mitsuru, during which she admits in her own roundabout way that she loves him and that he is the most important person to her.

In The Answer, Mitsuru


 * A Mother To Her Underclassmen
 * Action Girl
 * An Ice Person
 * Arranged Marriage
 * Badass
 * Badass Bookworm
 * Badass Longcoat: A fur one in Persona 4 Arena.
 * Lady of War / Lady of Black Magic
 * Break the Cutie:
 * The Captain: Mitsuru is the official leader of S.E.E.S, but because she initially acts as Mission Control she appoints the MC as the Field Leader. Since (s)he is so good at the job, Mitsuru leaves the current status quo as is even after return to the field.
 * Combat Stilettos: Her critical animation ends with kicking the enemy.
 * Daddys Girl: Her gaining of her Persona? To protect her father from the Shadows.
 * Defrosting Ice Queen
 * Enemy Scan
 * Even the Girls Want Her
 * Fish Out of Water: Her S.Link demonstrates that her life has been very sheltered in some ways; she is out of her depth and uncomfortable when she goes with the protagonist to places like fast food restaurants, the culture of which she has no experience with.
 * Fate Worse Than Death: Her executions, according to Akihiko.
 * Girls Are Really Scared of Horror Movies: She asks to hold your hand when you're about to watch one.
 * Gratuitous French: In the English dub, as well as the Japanese version of Persona 4 Arena.
 * Gratuitous English: In the original Japanese.
 * Fetish Fuel Station Attendant
 * Hello Nurse
 * Heroes Want Redheads
 * Heroic BSOD:
 * Heterosexual Life Partners: Definitely with Yukari, ever since that river scene.
 * Honor Before Reason: Why she.
 * Hot Chick With a Sword
 * Last Name Basis: How she addresses everyone except for Akihiko. After completing her Romance Arc, Mitsuru will also refer to the Male MC by his first name as well.
 * Lonely Rich Kid
 * Magic Knight: Is a very skilled fencer, has access to the highest level Ice, healing, and status-change spells, and has the second highest Magic stat in the game.
 * Mission Control: She's this early on. She's later replaced by Fuuka.
 * Must Make Amends: She feels guilty for her grandfather creating the Dark Hour and is out to stop it.
 * Ojou
 * Old Man Marrying a Child: She's about to graduate, and her fiance is at least in his thirties.
 * Onee Sama: Develops into this over the course of her S.Link with the Female Protagonist. Also for Yukari as well in The Answer.
 * Parental Abandonment
 * Peek a Bangs
 * Platonic Life Partners: With Akihiko.
 * Pretty in Mink: Wears a fancy, fur coat over her Spy Catsuit in Persona 4 Arena.
 * Red Baron: "The Lonely Queen of Executions" In Persona 4 Arena.
 * Red Oni Blue Oni: Blue Oni to Akihiko's Red.
 * Royal Rapier: C'est Magnifique.
 * Sensor Character
 * The Smart Girl
 * Student Council President
 * Sugar and Ice Girl
 * Supporting Leader: The game doesn't focus on her much, this role is mainly due to how, and the fact that she is openly recruiting more people into SEES.
 * Stupid Sexy Senpai
 * Spy Catsuit: in Persona 4 Arena.
 * Tall Dark and Bishoujo
 * Team Mom: Actually expects everyone to maintain good grades.
 * The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask
 * Uptown Girl: In the Male Protagonist Social Link. She doesn't really care
 * The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask
 * Uptown Girl: In the Male Protagonist Social Link. She doesn't really care

= Voiced by Mamiko Noto (Japanese), need official confirmation of English VA.
=

Fuuka is a timid girl who is often bullied and put under pressure by her strict parents. She is supposedly sickly, and initially comes to the attention of SEES through Akihiko and Shinjiro's visits to the hospital, where they become aware of her potential. However, before they can approach her about it she goes missing, having been locked in the school gymnasium by bullies and becoming trapped in Tartarus when the school transformed during the Dark Hour. SEES must therefore stage a rescue attempt during the third full moon event.

Fuuka does not actively participate in combat. Instead, her persona, Lucia of the Priestess Arcana, encases Fuuka in an indestructible globe and gives her the power to know the features of a given area, the location of any people and Shadows there, and the strengths and weaknesses of enemies. As Lucia's sensory powers greatly exceed those of Mitsuru's Persona Penthesilea, Fuuka takes over the support role and enables Mitsuru to join the field team. Through the events of the game she develops from a shy, timid girl to an emotionally strong and compassionate young woman.

In her Social Link on Minato's route, Fuuka tries to become more feminine by learning how to cook, and having you (the protagonist) test her cooking. She comes to accept that her true passion lies in her love for technology, and a valuable asset to SEES. In Minako's route, she and the protagonist create an unofficial Cooking Club to help her learn how to cook, and it isn't long until she's able to make something not only edible, but good.

During New Game Plus, if you choose Fuuka (if her Social Link is maxed) to be at Minato's side on the final day, she promises to always be with him from now on.


 * Age Inappropriate Dress: The version where she wears clothes that would be regarded old; other characters noted she lacks some fashion sense.
 * All of the Other Reindeer
 * Badass:
 * Badass Damsel: She's saved by SEES after.
 * Captain Obvious: She tends to state very obvious details regarding the enemy, like how many there are, at all times even if you've done something that wouldn't have affected the number like healing.
 * Dull Surprise: Her English VA's performance as her tends to border on this. She gets a little better in The Answer when voicing new content, but her incredibly flat battle talk remains. Your Mileage May Vary, though.
 * Education Parents: Part of the reason she joined SEES is to escape her parents. They put academic pressure on her thanks to being mechanics in a family full of doctors. Note, this is the most mundane of the SEES backstories.
 * Enemy Scan
 * Hollywood Hacking: We never do see her do it, but she hacked into top-level Kirijo Group archives in order to find out the truth about SEES and Tartarus. At home, she's almost always sitting with a laptop, and she can . This proficiency with computers is undoubtedly related to her being a...
 * Gadgeteer Genius: Max out her Social Link and you'll see.
 * Hollywood Nerd: Type 2; her physical beauty is commented on by both Junpei and even female classmates.
 * Ill Girl: Causes some concern when she first comes to the group's attention; despite having the potential, they fear she'll prove too fragile to participate.
 * Informed Attribute: Junpei says that Fuuka has an angelic voice. Riiiight. Again, Your Mileage May Vary.
 * Lethal Chef: The female route's social link is devoted to making her stop being this and improving. Shinjiro can also drop some help as well.
 * Mission Control
 * Mystical Waif
 * Nerds Are Sexy
 * Non Action Girl
 * Only Sane Man: Literally
 * Proper Tights With a Skirt
 * Sensor Character
 * She Cleans Up Nicely
 * Shy Blue Haired Girl
 * Shrinking Violet
 * Spell My Name With an S: Her name is listed as "Huka" in the credits, at least, in the bad ending.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko: A variation: she's the girl that fits the stereotype the most, but her conflict with her parents, lack (at first) of domestic skills and (at first) extreme timidity run counter to the trope.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair: It is more dark cyan but still counts.

= Voiced by Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese) and Karen Strassman (English)
=

During SEES's summer vacation, they're alerted to a dangerous Anti-Shadow weapon that's escaped the Kirijo lab and asked to retrieve it. When asked if they have permission to destroy it if it can't be contained, Ikutsuki laughs nervously and replies that he seriously doubts that'd be possible. Thankfully for the heroes, the weapon in question turns out to be Aigis, a Ridiculously Human Robot with a human mind and persona, as well as a harmless and seemingly inexplicable attachment to the main character that Ikutsuki attributes to a minor glitch in her software. The last survivor of a series of battle androids created to help contain the Shadows gathered by the Kirijo Group ten years ago, she's now allowed to live in the SEES dorms (where she also proves to have some telepathic ability, as she can understand Koromaru perfectly) and to even enroll in the main characters' class by posing as a new transfer student, all while gradually exploring her own interests and latent humanity.

.

In FES and Portable, Aigis has her own Social Link, Aeon.

"Junpei: Wait, does that mean... this dog's a Persona-user!?
 * Badass: Even gets her own anime style cutscene to prove it.
 * Badass Automaton
 * Took a Level In Badass: In The Answer. Then she took even more levels in Persona 4 Arena.
 * Bodyguard Crush
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: In the female story.
 * Compulsory School Age: Justified with good measure. Not only can she protect the protagonist this way much better, she also gets to experience more of her human side by interaction with other people.
 * Deuteragonist: In The Journey, though it doesn't become apparent until her backstory is revealed.
 * Finger Gun
 * Hair of Gold: Fits this trope after Character Development leads her to become more human.
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In the male story.
 * Magikarp Power: When she first joins you, she's a couple of levels behind the rest of the party and her skillset is rather lackluster, with a handful of physical attacks, some buff spells that at that point overlap with other's an no elemental spells whatsoever. Her usefulness skyrockets later on when she gains access to healing spells, rounds out her buff selection and widens the gap in physical stats between her and other party members. Amusingly coincidental with her Character Development.
 * Mighty Glacier: An odd variant; although she has some of the highest HP and Attack power in the game, she also has access to some of the highest level healing spells.
 * Mind Control Eyes:
 * More Dakka: Extremely apparent in Persona 4 Arena, where she has a crapton of guns and projectiles she keeps in Hammerspace.
 * My Greatest Failure:
 * The Protagonist: In The Answer.
 * Ridiculously Human Robot: A justified case. If she didn't look like a human, her mind wouldn't self-identify as human, and she wouldn't be able to use a Persona.
 * Robot Girl
 * Shoot the Dog:
 * Shout Out: whenever Aigis performs a Critical Hit, she says "Hasta la vista".
 * Single Target Sexuality: She finds herself in love with the MC, regardless of their gender.
 * Speaks Fluent Animal: This conversation:
 * Robot Girl
 * Shoot the Dog:
 * Shout Out: whenever Aigis performs a Critical Hit, she says "Hasta la vista".
 * Single Target Sexuality: She finds herself in love with the MC, regardless of their gender.
 * Speaks Fluent Animal: This conversation:

Aigis: He says, "This is a place of peace, so I protected it."

Junpei: Uh, Aigis? Don't tell me you can translate dog language too...

Aigis: Canines do not have their own language. However, speech is not the only means of communication."


 * Stalker With a Crush: She had a motive, by the way.
 * Taking Up the Mantle:
 * The Gunslinger
 * What Is This Thing You Call Love
 * What the Hell Hero:

= Voiced by Megumi Ogata (Japanese) and Mona Marshall (English)
=

Ken's a precocious, serious 11 year-old orphan the heroes first meet around town. He's soon invited by Ikutsuki to live in the SEES dorms once he's discovered to have the potential and, once his persona awakens, he volunteers to join SEES's fights against the Shadows.

In the female main character's path in the PSP remake, Ken is the Justice Social Link, replacing Chihiro. The interactions deal with him overcoming his buried resentment over his mother's passing, his childish tendencies versus his desire to be seen as an adult, and as a romantic option,


 * Adorably Precocious Child: Cute? Check. Serious? Check. Hates being thought of as a kid? Check. Relationship with an older girl? The tone may vary but at the very least his Social Link with the Female Protagonist is at the very least Cool Big Sis with the potental for a May December Romance.
 * Adorkable: He his aboslutly adorable when he's geeking out, be it over an action flick or a cool manga. He tries hidding this though as he feels that it makes him appear childish.
 * Adults Are Useless: The Answer reveals that he was particullary hit hard with this.  It also becomes the basis for the trope below.
 * Anguished Declaration of Love: It's not him but the Female Protagonist has to perform in order to make the Social Link romantic. After telling him she hangs around him because she "likes" him, he remarks that's how adults lie. When she exlaims that she isn't lying, he finally trusts her enough to confirm his feelings.
 * Badass: Considering his age, he is surprisingly capable of standing his ground, whether he fighting humans or inhuman horrors.
 * Badass Adorable: He's the youngest member in S.E.E.S. and can stick a gun (er, evoker) to his head without flinching, yet he doesn't lose anything that makes him an adorable little kid.
 * Blade On a Stick: Spears.
 * Bodyguard Crush: With Female Protagonist.
 * Combat Medic: Has access to very good healing spells but can still use effective Light attacks and is very good with a spear.
 * The Cutie: Acts this way in his S.Link.
 * Don't You Dare Pity Me: to the point of
 * Harmful to Minors: Well,  It's bad when facing Shadows isn't the worst thing on this list. This leads to...
 * Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour:
 * Holding Hands: Gets freaked out after tricking FeMC into doing this. When asked why, it's because he thought of "the kids being used" while holding her hand.
 * Kid Appeal Character / Tagalong Kid: Straddles the line as while he is an offical member, it's certianly not for the kid appeal and fits the Tagalong trope in spirit.
 * Kid Hero: More so than the rest anyway. He's only in elementary school.
 * Light Em Up
 * Light Is Not Good: Remember, this is one of the One Hit KO line of spells. Also his signature move is Cruel Attack, which does double damage against downed enemies. Still a good kid at heart who just wants to be important to the team and is also specializes in medics
 * Meaningful Name: Both the kanji of his given name and family name are synonymous, meaning 'heaven' as a reference to his arcana. More depressingly, his first name can also mean 'drought' or 'to desiccate'.
 * Precocious Crush: Played straight in the localized version
 * The Promise: Rank 10 romantic has Ken promising not the leave her behind and asks the protagonist for the same. It's also slightly different between the localizations, with the original Japanese asking the protagonist to love only him with the English localization switching it to letting him be there for her. YMMV on which one is more appropriate. Swear to it, and he drops the -san when referring to her and tells her that he loves her.
 * Secret Relationship: In the lovers route, naturally. He freaks if you tell him that you two should come out and tells her to keep it a secret.
 * Shock and Awe: He has access to a few Zio spells, but not to the extent of Akihiko.
 * Through His Stomach: Almost all of his dates are taking him out to dinner and one time, actually making his favorite meal, omelets and wild rice.
 * Token Mini Moe: Has a symaptathic backstory, (to some) and a potental love interest for the female protagonist. Best of both worlds! Though as he does get less attention as a love interest than others for the Female Protagonist, thanks to being a child.
 * Who Wears Short Shorts: Ken does! They've been subject to Memetic Mutation within the fandom.
 * Shock and Awe: He has access to a few Zio spells, but not to the extent of Akihiko.
 * Through His Stomach: Almost all of his dates are taking him out to dinner and one time, actually making his favorite meal, omelets and wild rice.
 * Token Mini Moe: Has a symaptathic backstory, (to some) and a potental love interest for the female protagonist. Best of both worlds! Though as he does get less attention as a love interest than others for the Female Protagonist, thanks to being a child.
 * Who Wears Short Shorts: Ken does! They've been subject to Memetic Mutation within the fandom.

Koromaru
A Shiba Inu whose owner, a monk at the Naganaki Shrine, died two years ago, he originally continued to live at the shrine as a stray. He's amazingly loyal, walking on the same routes through town that his master took him on when he was alive and keeping vigil at the shrine. However there's more to this dog aside from being an adorable pooch: he gained the potential after seeing his master get killed by a Shadow on one of their late-night walks. When SEES discover that a Shadow has strayed out of Tartarus and is heading towards Naganaki shrine, they arrive to see an injured Koromaru, and the Shadow nowhere in sight. Commending the dog's bravery for defending the shrine, and amazement that a dog can summon a persona at all, they give him the best veterinary care and, once he's recovered, a home in the dorms. His persona is the Strength Arcana's Cerberus, who uses fire and darkness spells. Koromaru himself uses a dagger to fight, which he wields in his mouth, and wears cloth and leather dogsuits as armor. Once Aigis joins the team, she often translates Koromaru's wishes for the rest of SEES.

Koromaru replaces Yuko as the Strength Social Link in the female main character's path.


 * A Boy and His X - A Girl And Her Dog in Persona 3 Portable, since Koromaru is a social link for the female protagonist.
 * Heroines Love Dogs
 * Berserk Button: Don't try to damage the shrine in any way...
 * Badass
 * Badass Adorable
 * Badass Normal: He was kicking Shadow ass before he got a Persona.
 * Casting a Shadow/Playing With Fire: Has access to both Agi and Mudo skills, and has immunity to both.
 * Cool Pet
 * Cutlass Between the Teeth
 * Dark Is Not Evil: His persona specializes in Dark element spells, and is very resistant to it as well.
 * Dogs Are Dumb: Strongly averted.
 * Everythings Better With Spinning: He doesn't just charge into shadows with that knife, he somersaults into them.
 * Evil Detecting Dog
 * Expy: Of Hachiko and Pascal, the dog from Shin Megami Tensei I that would later be fused with a demon to become Cerberus (who serves as his Persona).
 * Hell Hound: His Persona, Cerberus, not Koromaru himself.
 * Heroic Dog
 * Red Eyes Take Warning: He's got red eyes because he's albino, but in an aversion he's actually really nice, unless you're a monster.
 * Team Pet
 * Team Pet
 * Team Pet

= Voiced by Kazuya Nakai (Japanese) and Grant George (English)
=

A former member of SEES, he left the group several years before, following a tragic accident. Despite looking like a delinquent, he has his soft side. After Ken Amada rejoins the group, Akihiko talks Shinjiro back into SEES. Shinjiro's Persona is the physically-oriented Castor of the Hierophant Arcana.

In the female protagonist's story, Shinjiro is her Moon S.Link, replacing Nozomi and allowing the player character to see much more of his softer side, unlike the male protagonist who does not have much opportunity to interact with him and receives a somewhat more standoffish attitude from him. In his S.Link, Shinjiro prods the protagonist about concerns over her health and their teammates eating habits, assists Fuuka with her cooking, and at one point makes a grand dinner for the rest of SEES. He also voices concerns over Akihiko's well-being and talks about their childhoods and Akihiko's sister Miki. Towards the end of the link, the female can retrieve a pocket watch he'd lost from the police station and return it to him.

After maxing his S.Link the female can start a romantic relationship with him by talking to him again - although she will have to be very persistent with her feelings to overcome his reluctance.


 * An Axe to Grind
 * Badass In universe, punks on the bad side of town are quite leery of screwing with him, and he's so badass a Persona user no less than Akihiko takes pains to make sure he's on the team.
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Becoming the Mask: Subverted
 * Bruiser With a Soft Center
 * But I Would Really Enjoy It: A rare male example after his S.Link in Persona 3 Portable is maxed. To put it simply, he's not just afraid of their relationship changing, he knows that
 * If you're playing a New Game Plus,.
 * Dark and Troubled Past
 * Hidden Heart of Gold: He deliberately fosters and enjoys an aura of intimidation and aloofness, and is very embarrassed when others discover his kindness.
 * Face of a Thug
 * I Just Want to Be Normal: Says almost these exact words during his S.Link.
 * Incurable Cough of Death: It's what trips him in his Critical Failure.
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: When you Max out his S.Link as the female protagonist in the portable remake, he hints that his feelings for her are like this.
 * Jack of All Stats: He has neither resistances nor weaknesses to anything.
 * Jerkass Facade: Played almost humorously when he's unsuccessful, then becomes quite tragic when you realize how far he'll go for those he cares about.
 * Meaningful Name: "Aragaki" is written with characters meaning "rough" or "rude" and "wall".
 * Parental Abandonment
 * Pet the Dog: His friendship with Koromaru is almost literal. It makes it clear he is still a good guy despite his attitude.
 * In the audio dramas, he has this relationship with the male protagonist and Fuuka as well. Although he's rather cold to the other members of SEES, he's constantly expressing concern over the protagonist's health, even making nampura for him when the protagonist gets sick. He's considerably patient when dealing with Fuuka, and often gives her encouragement concerning her cooking.
 * Precision F Strike: Adios, asshole.
 * Put On a Bus: If you're playing as a girl and you max out his S. Link and retrieve his watch,
 * Real Men Wear Pink: he's very fond of cooking and is a regular viewer of the family cooking show. In his S. Link, he, the protagonist and Fuuka cook a restaurant-quality meal big enough for everyone in SEES.
 * Sarcastic Devotee: Especially to the male protagonist, who comes in for some snark from Shinjiro in combat: "Tch. Who does he think he is?" He's less belligerent to the female protagonist, but still warns her that he'll fight however he wants to and complains if she heals him in battle.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic: Just add cooking, dogs, or the female protagonist.
 * Sugar and Ice Guy
 * Supreme Chef
 * Team Mom: Think about it. He's a good cook, worries about whether or not everyone's eating properly, tells you to take care not to get sick... Face it, he's your ideal House Husband.
 * Tsundere: Equip him with the tuxedo in Tartarus and talk to him for his reaction. You'll either laugh or Squee.
 * When He Smiles: In P3P, he only smiles during the Social Link, which makes a pleasant surprise for those unaware.
 * Though the only time you get to see Shinjiro smile in the MALE protagonist route is him talking to Koromaru while going on a walk.
 * Think Happy Thoughts: Surprisingly his mantra, which keeps him from being too depressed over his condition, and tries to pass this belief to the protagonist. It's also what makes him so distant from Akihiko
 * Unfortunate Meaningful Name: The fact that his persona is Castor tells you all you need to know about his ultimate fate.
 * Yank the Dogs Chain
 * Sarcastic Devotee: Especially to the male protagonist, who comes in for some snark from Shinjiro in combat: "Tch. Who does he think he is?" He's less belligerent to the female protagonist, but still warns her that he'll fight however he wants to and complains if she heals him in battle.
 * The Stoic
 * Not So Stoic: Just add cooking, dogs, or the female protagonist.
 * Sugar and Ice Guy
 * Supreme Chef
 * Team Mom: Think about it. He's a good cook, worries about whether or not everyone's eating properly, tells you to take care not to get sick... Face it, he's your ideal House Husband.
 * Tsundere: Equip him with the tuxedo in Tartarus and talk to him for his reaction. You'll either laugh or Squee.
 * When He Smiles: In P3P, he only smiles during the Social Link, which makes a pleasant surprise for those unaware.
 * Though the only time you get to see Shinjiro smile in the MALE protagonist route is him talking to Koromaru while going on a walk.
 * Think Happy Thoughts: Surprisingly his mantra, which keeps him from being too depressed over his condition, and tries to pass this belief to the protagonist. It's also what makes him so distant from Akihiko
 * Unfortunate Meaningful Name: The fact that his persona is Castor tells you all you need to know about his ultimate fate.
 * Yank the Dogs Chain
 * Think Happy Thoughts: Surprisingly his mantra, which keeps him from being too depressed over his condition, and tries to pass this belief to the protagonist. It's also what makes him so distant from Akihiko
 * Unfortunate Meaningful Name: The fact that his persona is Castor tells you all you need to know about his ultimate fate.
 * Yank the Dogs Chain

= Voiced by Hideyuki Hori (Japanese) and Dan Woren (English)
=

Referred to as "the Chairman", Shuji is the school chairman and the head of SEES. He worked with Mitsuru and Yukari's fathers on the project ten years ago, and was one of the designers of Aigis. Despite not having a Persona, he remains conscious during the Dark Hour and provides briefings and support to the members of SEES during their major missions.


 * Absent Minded Professor
 * Big Good: The founder S.E.E.S, but he is not able to summon a Persona.
 * Meaningful Name: "Ikutsuki" is written with the character for "moon".
 * Mentor
 * Mr. Exposition
 * Non Action Guy: He has no Persona, so he can't fight Shadows.
 * : Subverted,
 * Pungeon Master: Hoo boy.
 * Scary Shiny Glasses: His "serious" face.
 * Spell My Name With an S: His name is written as "Syuji" in the credits of the bad ending.
 * Mr. Exposition
 * Non Action Guy: He has no Persona, so he can't fight Shadows.
 * : Subverted,
 * Pungeon Master: Hoo boy.
 * Scary Shiny Glasses: His "serious" face.
 * Spell My Name With an S: His name is written as "Syuji" in the credits of the bad ending.
 * Spell My Name With an S: His name is written as "Syuji" in the credits of the bad ending.
 * Spell My Name With an S: His name is written as "Syuji" in the credits of the bad ending.
 * Spell My Name With an S: His name is written as "Syuji" in the credits of the bad ending.

= Voiced by Chiwa Saito (Japanese) and Stephanie Sheh (English)
=

Metis's appearance heralds the beginning of SEES's next adventure in "The Answer", when she emerges from the Abyss of Time that's appeared beneath the dorm and immediately launches an attack on every human present, announcing that she has to kill them to protect her "sister" Aigis. Aigis rushes to their aid and, in the battle that follows, loses her Orgia mode while gaining the main character's persona Orpheus, as well as his "wild card" ability. The subdued Metis later explains that she'd only tried to kill the rest of SEES because she saw them as a hindrance to protecting Aigis, and agrees to cooperate with them after they threaten to leave her in the Abyss of Time, revealing her intense fear of being alone and abandoned. She seems to have amnesia: while she knows that Aigis is her sister and she's familiar with the Abyss of Time, she can't explain how she knows any of it or where she actually came from.


 * Animal Motifs: Red swallowtail butterflies. She has mostly black color scheme like the body of one with red accents that stylistically resemble wings, and her persona Psyche has one for a head. A wreath of them be seen when she activates her Orgia Mode for the first time.
 * Anatomy of the Soul:
 * Dark Magical Girl: Fits personality-wise, since magic is ubiquitous.
 * Deuteragonist In The Answer.
 * Eerie Pale Skinned Brunette: Extremely so, with dark hair and white skin. While seemingly a way to contrast from her more human-like sister,
 * Jack of All Trades: She has no resistances or weaknesses, along with physical, ice and wind skills.
 * Miss Exposition
 * Red Eyes Take Warning
 * Ridiculously Human Robot
 * Sugar and Ice Girl: While cold and calculating, she can't bear to be alone.

= Takaya voiced by Nobutoshi Canna (Japanese), Chidori voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Jin voiced by Masaya Onosaka (Japanese)
=

A group of Persona-users opposing SEES who host an online assassination service. Consisting of Takaya Sakaki, a revolver-wielding Nietzsche Wannabe, Psycho Supporter Jin Shirato and Dark Magical Girl Chidori Yoshino, the group are and must take life-shortening drugs in order to control their powers. While not the main antagonists, they do their part to cause the heroes all sorts of trouble since they see their efforts to stop the Dark Hour as wasting their "gifts". Chidori later on becomes Junpei's romantic interest, even


 * Aborted Arc: The trio's online hit site is relevant for all of one schoolyard rumor scene and one actual assassination, and is never mentioned again. Unless you can read Japanese and have a Novelization call Persona 3: Shadow Cry.
 * Anticlimax Boss: Gameplay-wise, they're actually pretty unimpressive in battle compared to SEES. Then again, it's four of you against either one or two of them.
 * Blessed With Suck: The group requires the same life-shortening drugs that Shinjiro takes. In fact they're his dealers.
 * Cult: They start one.
 * Dark Magical Girl: Chidori, who has inborn healing powers.
 * Dark Messiah: Takaya near the end.
 * The Dragon: Jin
 * Elegant Gothic Lolita: Chidori.
 * Evil Counterpart: Specifically, Takaya towards the Protagonist, though not much is made out of it. His Persona, Hypnos, is even the twin brother of Thanatos, the protagonist's second Persona.
 * Flawed Prototype
 * Goldfish Poop Gang: Aside from, Strega don't end up troubling the heroes that much.
 * Good Thing You Can Heal: Chidori has a nasty habit of cutting herself; fortunately, she has a Healing Factor.
 * Hannibal Lecture: Takaya gives this to SEES when he and Jin confronts them on the bridge. The Protagonist's response is a Shut Up.
 * Hidden Depths: surprisingly enough for Jin, thanks to the official novel Shadow Cry.
 * : Chidori.
 * Insufferable Genius: He doesn't get enough face time to really go into it, but Jin shows more than his fair share of these; one of his quotes is "There's no cure for stupidity!"
 * Large Ham: Takaya's voice pretty much dominates any scene he appears in.
 * Laughing Mad: Takaya lets out some amazing maniacal laughter in his final showdown against SEES.
 * Looks Like Jesus: Takaya, with nicknames like Revolver Jesus and Hippie Jesus.
 * Pin Pulling Teeth:
 * Psycho Supporter: Jin.
 * : Chidori.
 * Shoot Mission Control First: Takaya tries this strategy once to try and stop SEES, but by then it's really too late, and isn't mentioned again.
 * Superpower Meltdown: They need their life-shortening, Persona-suppressing drugs --otherwise, their own Personas would.
 * Taking You With Me:.
 * Tsundere: Chidori; more apparent in the audio dramas, where she gets significantly more focus.
 * Ubermensch: Takaya, with the Main Character acting as his Last Man (or Woman in the case of the PSP release).
 * Walking Shirtless Scene: It would be a waste of your "gifts" to get Takaya into a shirt.
 * Weapon of Choice:
 * Revolver: Takaya. Not just any revolver either, but a Smith and Wesson Model .500. Naturally, since his arcana is the Wheel of Fortune.
 * Grenades and a Suitcase: Jin
 * An Axe on a Chain: Chidori
 * Revolver: Takaya. Not just any revolver either, but a Smith and Wesson Model .500. Naturally, since his arcana is the Wheel of Fortune.
 * Grenades and a Suitcase: Jin
 * An Axe on a Chain: Chidori

= Voiced by Isamu Tanonaka (Japanese) and Dan Woren (English)
=

Igor is the mysterious proprietor of The Velvet Room, an equally mysterious place "between dreams and reality", and introduces himself as the being who creates personas. His most distinctive physical attribute is definitely his Tengu/Pinocchio-like long nose. In Megami Ibunroku Persona, Igor calls himself "a servant of Philemon", though he seems to be in charge of the Velvet Room himself during Persona 3 (Philemon is in the game, but Word of God says he's taken a more passive role in the world's affairs now). Igor is always found in The Velvet Room: although in previous games he used a phone made of bone to call up Personae from the depths of the soul, now he does so by arranging tarot cards into mystical arrangements on his table. Although he's helpful, friendly and, he still gives off a very sinister aura.


 * All There in the Manual: He really doesn't make very much sense if you haven't played the previous Persona games, especially with Philemon taking a backseat now.
 * Catch Phrase: "Welcome to the Velvet Room."
 * Cheshire Cat Grin: Permanently etched on his face.
 * Dark Is Not Evil: He's one of the good guys. Really.
 * Gag Nose: Take a look above, at everyone else's nose. Then look at this guy.
 * Gonk
 * Looks Like Orlok: Although he's a good guy.
 * The Mentor: In his own, purposefully obtuse way.
 * Misunderstood Loner With a Heart of Gold: He certainly looks evil, but he's really a nice guy (though he could be a bit more forthcoming with information).
 * Mysterious Backer: Helpful, but enigmatic.
 * Omniscient Morality License: Igor makes it clear early on that he knows far more than he's saying, but feels compelled to hold back and let the hero learn what's going on for himself. In the end, it all works out.
 * Powers That Be: Whatever Igor is exactly, he's almost certainly one of these.
 * Spirit Advisor: The main character is (usually) the only one who can see or enter Velvet Room.

= Voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese) and Tara Platt (English), and Junichi Suwabe (Japanese)and Travis Willingham (English), respectively
=

Igor's assistants. Elizabeth appears in the original, FES, P3P in the male character's path and as a choice in the female character's path. Theodore is only available in P3P in the female's story. Both serve the same role in the game. They send the main character on different sidequests and, in the FES and P3P editions, can visit the human world with the main character and become romantically involved with him or her. Theodore is Elizabeth's younger brother, and both are the younger siblings of Persona 4's Margaret.


 * Almighty Janitor: As shown by their Bonus Boss battles. Probably the strongest elevator attendants you'll ever get to face. They can break the damage cap for Pete's sake!
 * Apologetic Attacker: Theodore. Elizabeth also apologizes occasionally when you fight her, but not nearly as often.
 * Badass in A Nice Suit: Theodore in particular, but both are extremely sharp dressers. And both are... yeah.
 * Bonus Boss
 * Big Eater: Elizabeth, who wonders why you stopped eating after your seventh meal.
 * Bishonen: Theodore is considered by many fans as the most handsome of the male characters in the entire series.
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Overlaps with Fish Out of Water, as both of them display some very bizarre ideas about modern life during their dates. The main character mostly doesn't seem to have the heart to correct their cheerful misconceptions.
 * Covert Pervert: Elizabeth's final date gives you the option of "guiding her through your room" as by her request. She is by far the least subtle love interest.
 * Eyes of Gold: In light of what this trope signifies in Persona 4, Elizabeth and Theodore's eye color has inspired the creation of wiggling willows.
 * Fan Nickname: Before the male Velvet Room assistant's name was released, fans referred to Theodore as Malelizabeth, Manlizabeth, and Flight Attendant Kanji.
 * Fish Out of Water: Elizabeth and Theo during your dates.
 * Humans Through Alien Eyes: Theo and Elizabeth have some very odd ideas about how the human world works.
 * Improbable Weapon User: Like their older sister, they wield the Persona Compendium as their weapon, leading to:
 * Death Dealer: With the Compendium's Tarot cards.
 * Throw the Book At Them
 * Man Child: Compared to Elizabeth, Theodore is much more child-like in demeanor during the dates. While Elizabeth shows a sort of morbid fascination with the human world, Theo's is much more innocent, and he can react with fear or amazement at things Elizabeth just finds mildly amusing.
 * Nightmare Fuel Stationattendant: While most of what Elizabeth says or does is charming, some of her reactions to certain things can be rather, interesting. Take her response to the medical dummy you bring her from school, which she calls the Shell of Man. She seems morbidly fascinated and intrigued when the eyes pop out...
 * No Social Skills: Hoo, boy. Where does Igor find these people?
 * Well, they're called "Residents"...
 * Sidequest: Many of them, with rewards ranging from the mildly useful to the potentially gamebreaking.
 * Fetch Quest
 * Twenty Bear Asses

= Voiced by Akira Ishida (Japanese) and Yuri Lowenthal (English)
=

A New Transfer Student who first makes his appearance in November. He is a flirty Bishonen who asks out any girl he meets, and quickly befriends the members of SEES.


 * Bi the Way / If Its You Its Okay: He explicitly tells the female love interest he'd be into her whether she was a guy or a girl, which may be a not-so-subtle nod towards the male protagonist (who doesn't exist if the female is chosen).
 * Chick Magnet: He had an Instant Fanclub spring around him as soon as he stepped into his brand new classroom.
 * : A possible S.Link in the female MC's route.
 * Guide Dang It: His S link is very specific and if you mess up even once you can't complete it.
 * Hair Antennae
 * Handsome Lech
 * In one of the endings.
 * Kidanova: He will hit on anything female, sometimes within seconds of being rebuked by someone else --in the same room.
 * Ladykiller in Love: With the female protagonist.
 * Meaningful Name: "Mochizuki" is written with characters meaning "aspire to/expect/desire" and "moon".
 * New Transfer Student
 * Kidanova: He will hit on anything female, sometimes within seconds of being rebuked by someone else --in the same room.
 * Ladykiller in Love: With the female protagonist.
 * Meaningful Name: "Mochizuki" is written with characters meaning "aspire to/expect/desire" and "moon".
 * New Transfer Student
 * New Transfer Student

= Voiced by Kenji Nojima in the Drama CDs.
=

A fellow classmate of the MC, Kenji is the very first social link (of the Magician Arcana) the male MC can get, being established automatically soon after he starts attending Gekkoukan High. Already friends with Junpei and Kazushi, he's also somewhat attracted to Yukari, though the player soon discovers that he has a thing for older women. In fact, pursuing his social link reveals that he has a crush on one of his teachers, and the MC helps him in his quest to win her over.

Though he loses his S. Link status in P3P to Junpei if the player chooses the female MC, he still makes appearances as part of Rio Iwasaki's S. Link.

Kenji is also surprisingly fashion conscious, commenting on the MC's wardrobe at certain points (in fact, the item he gives the MC at the end of his S. Link is a choker he made for him


 * Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: In FES, after the school festival is canceled, Kenji and the MC can act out an impromptu Manzai routine for the rest of the class, with Kenji acting as the boke and MC the tsukkomi.
 * Hidden Depths: Kenji is surprisingly fashion conscious, commenting on the MC's wardrobe at certain points. In fact, the item he gives the MC at the end of his S. Link is a choker he made for him because he "doesn't look fashionable enough."
 * Hot for Teacher
 * Kidanova: Not upheld in his Social Link; however, Kenji DOES understand how the ladies act and react in this game. He's pretty much the in-game manual of how dating the female S.Links work.
 * Likes Older Women

= Voiced by Hiroaki Miura in the Drama CD
=

A member of Gekkoukan High's student council, Hidetoshi heads the student disciplinary committee. As expected, he's strict and unyielding, and can come off as quite the hardass. He's also a very unpopular with the rest of his class because of his no-nonsense attitude. After Mitsuru has the MC join the student council, Hidetoshi becomes the Emperor S. Link, and pursuing his S. Link has him/her helping out with finding a student who left a cigarette butt in one of the school male bathrooms. As the S. Link goes on, he ends up accusing half the school (even the student council Vice President...who's female) and alienating himself from his fellow students even further. Eventually, he reveals that the MC is the only person that he can trust, and that he believes that everyone should be treated equally and fairly, and be held to the same standards. When the culprit is finally discovered, he realizes that he needs to lighten up if he's going to keep his fellow peers' trust.

In P3P, Hidetoshi falls in love with the female protagonist during his S.Link, but wants to wait until he's worthy of her love before he tries to make it official.


 * Determinator: Break the rules, and Hidetoshi will hunt you down, and he will never stop until he finds you.
 * Disappeared Dad:
 * Freudian Excuse
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold
 * Lighter and Softer: Hidetoshi eventually realizes that he needs to be a little more like this if he wants to gain people's trust.
 * Red Armband of Leadership: Hidetoshi of course wears one, being the head of the student disciplinary committee (though it's actually yellow, possibly so as not to get confused with the red armbands worn by SEES members.)
 * Smug Smiler: Everytime Hidetoshi smiles it looks like this.
 * Stern Teacher: He's not a teacher, and he's not exactly loved by his peers, but he definitely falls into the "tough, but fair" category.
 * Tsundere: A rare, mild male example. He acts very dere to the main character: everyone else receives his tsun.

= Voiced by Atsushi Kisaichi in the Drama CD
=

Kaz is a member of whatever sport team the MC joins. Stubborn and fanatical, Kaz quickly declares himself the MC's rival, and aims to win the championship. Kaz represents the Chariot S. Link, pursuing it has the MC discover that he's suffering from a bad knee, which is only getting worse due to his constant and overzealous training, to the point that he could very well never walk again if he keeps it up. Then it is discovered that the reason that he's pushing himself so hard is that he's trying to convince his nephew, who was crippled in an accident, to undergo rehab by winning the championship.

In P3P, Kaz loses his S. Link status to Rio Iwasaki if the player chooses the female MC, though he still makes the occasional appearance, usually alongside Yuko or Kenji.


 * Cloudcuckoolander: Kaz has various moments throughout the game, due to his competitiveness and obsession with his sport. Probably the biggest example being the school trip to Kyoto, where Kaz doesn't show any interest in spying on the girls in the hot spring until Kenji calls it a "challenge," and then later going to one of the shrines in Kyoto with his group, and then proceeding to simply run laps around it, eventually dragging the entire group into it.
 * There's also the fact that he never wears anything other than his tracksuit, so he can be ready to exercise at a moment's notice.
 * Determinator: Kaz isn't about to let potentially never being able to walk again stop him from winning the championship.
 * To reflect this, a lot of the proper responses to his S. Link scenes are basically "Suck it up."
 * The Rival: He starts off as this for the MC, but that role is eventually taken over by Mamoru.
 * Unknown Rival: Towards Mamoru.

= Voiced by Saori Hayami in the Drama CD
=

Rio is Kaz's Distaff Counterpart; whether the female MC chooses to join Tennis or Volleyball, she'll find Rio acting as the leader of the junior-level teammates. To her dismay, her teammates don't share the same single-minded devotion to the club. Also friends with Kenji, who likes to visit practice both to see her and to catch up with Ms. Kanou, who oversees the club.


 * Curtains Match the Window
 * Distaff Counterpart: To Kaz, and to a lesser extent to Akihiko, as she shares certain personality traits with the latter.
 * Oblivious to Love: Much like Akihiko, she has trouble understanding why other girls are so In Love With Love, and also has difficulty understanding her own feelings on the subject.
 * Odd Friendship: With Kenji, who she's known since they were kids.
 * Tomboy
 * Tomboyish Ponytail
 * Oblivious to Love: Much like Akihiko, she has trouble understanding why other girls are so In Love With Love, and also has difficulty understanding her own feelings on the subject.
 * Odd Friendship: With Kenji, who she's known since they were kids.
 * Tomboy
 * Tomboyish Ponytail

= Voiced by Ai Maeda in the Drama CD
=

The student council treasurer, Chihiro is pretty much a textbook example of the painfully shy, bookish, yet surprisingly attractive nerd girl. She represents the Justice arcana in her S. Link and is one of the many potential love interests for the male MC. Pursuing her S. Link gets her to open up a bit more, and eventually deal with accusations that she stole money from the school.

In P3P, Chihiro loses her S. Link status to Ken if the player chooses the female MC, but she still makes her token appearances in Hidetoshi's S. Link scenes.

Chihiro also makes an appearance in Persona 4, having gotten over her shy tendencies, and looking even more attractive.


 * The Cameo: In Persona 4
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: Revealed to be this late in the S. Link, starting when she flips out when Mitsuru tells the MC to meet her alone to discuss the situation with the stolen money.
 * Does Not Like Men: At least at first.
 * Hotter and Sexier: Again, in Persona 4.
 * Meganekko
 * Nerds Are Sexy
 * She's All Grown Up
 * Shrinking Violet: She starts off being utterly terrified of talking to men, and it takes some coaxing to get her to come out of her shell enough to even start her S. Link.

Keisuke Hiraga
Keisuke is the leader of whatever Culture Club the MC joins. The son of a doctor, Keisuke is under pressure to quit his club and join the family business. He represents the Fortune arcana in his S. Link, and pursuing it has him refusing to quit the club, claiming that he doesn't want to become a doctor. This is proven to be untrue, however, as he's shown to be quick to help people who are sick or injured. Eventually, he gets over his denial and quits, throwing himself into studying for his entry exams.

In P3P, Keisuke loses his S. Link status to Ryoji if the player chooses the female MC, and his role in the game is greatly diminished, only making a few small appearances.


 * The Dutiful Son: Keisuke is expected to be one by his father, and after some fighting he eventually agrees.
 * Stepford Smiler: Keisuke has only three expressions: smiling, grinning and angry. Guess which one you see the most, even when he's treating someone who just collapsed, or when you turn him down for hanging out on a Sunday.

= Voiced by Satomi Satou in the Drama CD
=

The team manager for whatever Athletic Club the MC joins, Yuko represents the Strength arcana in her S. Link, and is one of the male MC's potential love interests. If the player pursues her S. Link, the MC discovers Yuko's lack of motivation, not really sure what to do with her life. As the S. Link goes on, she ends up coaching a group of neighborhood children on how to run faster, so they could beat a group of sixth graders in a race and win back their playground. While coaching them, she finds her motivation, and eventually decides to become an athletic trainer.

In P3P, Yuko loses her S. Link status to Koromaru, though she still makes the occasional appearance as part of Rio Iwasaki's S. Link.

"Minato: What I like about Yuko is that she always makes her loaded questions very, very obvious."
 * Book Dumb: She comes off as this in the beginning, though it's more that she lacks motivation.
 * Brown Eyes
 * Cute Sports Club Manager
 * Desperately Looking for A Purpose In Life
 * Does This Make Me Look Fat: Yuko tries to pull a "Do you think I eat too much" variation on you at one point. In the words of My Life Is a Goddamn Mess:


 * Hair Decorations
 * Friend to All Children: She even ends up coaching a bunch of them so that they can run faster.
 * Girls Are Really Scared Of Ghost Stories: During the girls' sports retreat in P3P, she gets very scared by the ghost story session.
 * Ship Tease: P3P really ladles on the Yuko/Kaz. Lampshaded by Yuko worrying about winding up together because who else would take care of him?
 * Team Mom: Acts as one for the Athletic Club, as well as for the children she coaches. And Kaz. Very much towards Kaz.

= Voiced by Hisayoshi Suganuma in the Drama CD
=

Sole member of Gekkoukan High's fashion club (at least until the MC joins), Bebe is the token foreigner and a raging Japanophile. He managed to be able to study abroad in Japan thanks to the efforts of his aunt. He represents the Temperance arcana in his S. Link, and pursuing it has Bebe making his first friend in Japan with the male MC. Eventually, he discovers that his aunt died, and his uncle wants him to come back home. Not wanting to leave Japan, he decides to make a kimono to take with him to help convince him to let him come back. The S. Link ends with Bebe leaving to go back home, swearing to come back someday.

In P3P, Bebe falls in love with the female protagonist during his S.Link, that at the end of the Social Link, he confessed his feelings to her before he leaves.


 * Ambiguously Gay
 * Camp Straight: He falls in love with the female protagonist in his Social Link.
 * Blue Eyes
 * The Dev Team Thinks of Everything: If you max out Bebe's S.Link before the school trip, you won't see him in Kyoto. If you don't max it out, he will be there.
 * Funetik Aksent
 * Gratuitous Japanese: In the English localization, Bebe has a habit of peppering his lines with Japanese words.
 * Occidental Otaku
 * Phenotype Stereotype: While the name of Bebe's home country is never explicitly stated, it is made very obvious that he's from France.
 * It is. Just look at his profile at the S.Link menu.
 * Put On a Bus: At the end of his S. Link, as he returns to his home country.

Saori Hasegawa
The student who helps the Fe MC with her student comittee activities and serves as the Hermit Social Link. While currently a junior, she's actually two years older than the heroine, having traveled abroad and taken a couple years off from school. As a result, other students aren't certain how to treat her; after all, she's even older than the upperclassmen!

Since she desperately wants to please others, Saori lets her classmates take advantage of her kindness and refuses to raise a fuss over their cruelty. This becomes a major problem when she becomes the victim of Malicious Slander. Ultimately, with the heroine's support, she is able to stand up for herself and attempt to clear her name.

She doesn't appear on the male MC storyline and her SL status is used by Maya.


 * Beauty Mark: Under her left eye.
 * Curtains Match the Window
 * Clear My Name
 * Extreme Doormat
 * Malicious Slander
 * Precision S Bomb: Drops one just to see what it feels like, then asks if she said it correctly.
 * Put On a Bus: At the end of her S-Link, she transfers away.
 * Sempai Kohai: Other students aren't quite sure how to approach and apply this to Saori, due to her unique circumstances.
 * Stepford Smiler
 * It Got Worse

Nozomi Suemitsu
An obese, unpopular senior who sits alone in Paulownia Mall, Nozomi is nicknamed the "Gourmet King" and represents the Moon arcana. At first he seems to be an arrogant and unlikable boy who's bizarrely obsessed with food, but as the main character continues to spend time with him, the Gourmet King's true background begins to gradually emerge, a complicated story involving sibling rivalry, a secret cult and a childhood tragedy.

A mysterious conflict with another boy's father brings the situation to a head, and helps Nozomi to realize his own self-worth and devote himself to living up to his potential and making his brother proud.

In P3P, he loses his S.Link status to Shinjiro, and doesn't appear on the Fe MC storyline.


 * Always Second Best: He struggles with being unfavorably compared to his brother, who's described as something of The Ace.
 * Big Eater: Possibly enough to rival even Elizabeth.
 * Church of Happyology: The cult he belongs to charges money for membership. Lots of money.
 * Gonk
 * Hidden Depths: There is far more to the Gourmet King that his first impression suggests.
 * The Unfavorite
 * Ted Baxter: Nozomu takes his Gourmet King title very seriously, to the point where he at one point thinks that there are assassins out to kill him for it.

Isako Toriumi/
Isako is both a composition teacher at Gekkoukan High and the MC's homeroom teacher, where she comes across as strict but cheerful and understanding, as well as oddly fixated on cakes and sweets.

In P3P, Isako loses her S. Link status to Saori Hasegawa if the player chooses the female MC.


 * Bottle Fairy: You'd never know it at school, but  reveals that she often tumbles headlong into this trope during her off-hours.
 * Christmas Cake: Her age isn't explicitly stated, but she's at least in her twenties and gets a great deal of grief from her mother, and, about becoming too old to marry.
 * Cool Teacher: She's generally understanding and protective of her students, and constantly argues with Mr. Ekoda (who's something of an Obstructive Bureaucrat).
 * Heroic BSOD / Freak Out:
 * Mrs. Robinson
 * Only Sane Employee: Isako sometimes complains about being this compared to the rest of the teachers. That's a little debatable, but her idiosyncracies are at least less overt than the rest.
 * Shout Out: Along with
 * Stern Teacher: Isako has a habit of assigning new transfer students empty seats that belong to other students, with the logic that if they aren't there, they aren't part of the class.
 * Teacher Student Romance: Never actually initiated, but
 * Sweet Tooth: Isako loves cake, to the point that she sometimes assigns bringing a slice of cake along with homework. The other teachers have learned to bring cake when they're delivering bad news.
 * Tsundere: Judging by Isako's reaction to finding out she's probably this.
 * Teacher Student Romance: Never actually initiated, but
 * Sweet Tooth: Isako loves cake, to the point that she sometimes assigns bringing a slice of cake along with homework. The other teachers have learned to bring cake when they're delivering bad news.
 * Tsundere: Judging by Isako's reaction to finding out she's probably this.

= Voiced by Koji Yada for Bunkichi in the Drama CD
=

Owners of the Bookworms bookstore at Iwatodai Station, Bunkichi is an occasionally wisecracking and sometimes senile, but ultimate well-meaning old man (who frequently gives the MC food,) and Mitsuko is his more quiet wife. The two of them represent the Hierophant S. Link, and pursuing their S. Link has the MC frequently visiting their bookstore, ultimately learning that they had a son, who was a teacher at Gekkoukan High until he was killed in a car accident, when a persimmon tree was planted at the school in memorium of him. Eventually, the two of them catch wind that the tree is going to be cut down, and start a petition to try and stop it, but when they learn that the tree is going to be cut down in order to build an extension on the school, they finally decide to let them cut it down, deciding that education is important than their son's memories, and that he would've wanted it that way (though eventually it's revealed that the tree was simply relocated instead of cut down.)


 * Miniature Senior Citizens: Mitsuko is pretty tiny.

= Voiced by Fumiko Orikasa in the Drama CD.
=

A precocious grade school girl, Maiko frequently hangs out at the playground at Naganaki Shrine. She represents the Hanged Man arcana in her S. Link, and pursuing said S. Link reveals that Maiko's parents are going through a very messy divorce, which the MC helps her get through. Wondering if it's her fault that they're splitting up, Maiko eventually decides to run away from home, thinking that they'll have to work together to find her, and that it will help them get back together. It only proves to be a partial success, as though they really do work together to find her, they still plan to get divorced, though now they work more on helping Maiko understand why they're splitting up. At the end of the S. Link, Maiko decides to live with her mother as she leaves Port Island, but declares that she wants to marry the male MC when she grows up.

Though she stays as the Hanged Man S. Link in P3P, if the player chooses the female MC, then Maiko will see her as more of an older sister figure. Near the end of the game, Maiko's father will receive a letter, which mentions how Maiko wishes that she and the MC could "become a family for real" and ask her out on a date, misunderstanding the message.


 * Abusive Parents: Maiko's parents come off as extremely overbearing, frequently sending her off to cram school and private piano lessons, and during one fight her father even hits her. They seem to see the error of their ways near the end of her S. Link, however.
 * Meaningful Name: Maigo in Japanese means "lost child."
 * Put On a Bus: At the end of her S. Link, as she moves away with her mother.
 * Precocious Crush: She even proposes to the male MC at the end of her S. Link.

= Voiced by Bin Shimada in the Drama CD
=

Company president and TV salesman, Tanaka is the owner of a home shopping network (which the player can buy products from every Sunday. Later on, the MC can find him standing around Port Island Station (Paulownia Mall at night in FES.) He represents the Devil arcana in his S. Link, and pursuing it has Tanaka swindling the MC out of 40,000 yen before deciding to start giving him/her some of his rather...unscrupulous business advice, and even considering making him/her a model for his company. Eventually, he reveals that even though he's filthy rich, he's always so busy that he never has the time to really use any of his money. The S. Link ends with Tanaka finally deciding to give some of his money to charity. Later in FES, it's implied that he may have given up on his dubious business techniques.

In FES and P3P, Tanaka is one of the easiest S. Links to level up at the male MC, due to him being of the two only S. Links available at night, as well as the fact that every time the player talks to him, the S. Link is guaranteed to level up.


 * Arson Murder and Jaywalking: The bizarre threats he makes to keep you from revealing his secrets (see below) decrease in severity with each Social Link rank. Justified in that it signifies his growing trust in you.
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive
 * Cut His Heart Out With a Spoon: He throws all kinds of bizarre threats at you at the beginning of his S. Link to keep you from telling people about him swindling you out of the 40,000 yen. These threats range from making you swallow a thousand needles to putting your picture on a dating site for former convicts, to ringing your doorbell every night at midnight.
 * Ear Worm: In Universe example: The TV Tanaka theme. It's even described as "obnoxiously catchy" in-game.
 * Jerkass >> Character Development >> Jerk With a Heart of Gold
 * My Card: how he introduces himself to you in the first social link.
 * Self Made Man: He talks about how poor he was in his youth a fair amount.

= Voiced by Masaharu Satoun the Drama CD
=

Found sitting by himself, drinking and smoking, at Club Escapade, Mutatsu is a rough, rude Buddhist monk. He represents the Tower arcana in his S. Link, and pursuing it reveals that he comes to the club often to get drunk, due to his wife and son leaving him because of his obsession with his work. For a while, he dispenses some rather depressing advice to the MC, and starts treating him/her as his own son/daughter. Eventually, he decides to hire a private detective to track down his wife and son, deciding he wants to apologize and ask them to take him back.

Mutatsu is one of the easiest S. Links to max out as the male MC, as he's one of the only two ones available at night.


 * Badass Preacher: He's a smoking, drinking, fighting Buddhist monk.
 * Face of a Thug: He's described in his S. Link info as looking like a yakuza. And it shows.
 * Fetch Quest: You have to go on one to even start his S. Link.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold
 * Replacement Goldfish: He treats the MC as if he/she was his own son/daughter for a while, until he decides he wants the real thing back.

Mamoru Hayase
The top athlete of his school, with potential for even competing on a professional level, Mamoru befriends the MC after soundly beating him in the summer tournament, after which the two of them establish a friendly rivalry. He represents the Star arcana in his S. Link. Pursuing his S. Link reveals that he's trying to get into college on a scholarship and be a professional athlete, but he has to work to support his siblings with his mother after his father died in a car accident. After a while, his mother collapses from exhaustion, and the responsibility falls solely on him, to the point where he even has to give up both his sport and college. After the MC helps him through it, he eventually decides to give up for the time being and go to work at the factory his father worked at.

In P3P, Mamoru loses his S. Link status to Akihiko and disappears from the story entirely if the player chooses the female MC.


 * Broken Ace: He's better than everyone else in the game at whatever sport he's participating in, but he's burdened by the fact that he has to support his family, and might not even get into college or keep participating in his sport.
 * Lonely At the Top: Mamoru doesn't get along very well with his fellow teammates because of his fame.
 * Put On a Bus: At the end of his S. Link, when he moves away to get a job.
 * The Rival: He replaces Kaz after the summer tournament.

= Voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya in the Drama CD
=

A frail young man who represents the Sun arcana, Akinari likes to spend his Sunday afternoons sitting by the playground at Naganaki Shrine. He was born with a terminal illness and doesn't have much longer to live. At first bitter about his fate and reluctant to talk to people, he gradually opens up to the main character and develops not only a powerful friendship, but the inspiration to write a children's book as his parting message to the world: a tragic but ultimately hopeful story about the friendship between an outcast pink alligator and a bird who can't fly.


 * Dead Ex Machina: It's possible that . Maxing his S. Link also means that
 * Disappears Into Light: How his last meeting with the MC ends.
 * Ill Boy
 * Incurable Cough of Death: It only gets worse with each conversation.
 * Tragic Keepsake: The children's book he leaves behind.
 * Your Days Are Numbered: From the day he was born, no less.

= Voiced by Ayana Taketatsu (Japanese) and Cindy Robinson (English)
=

A character introduced for the CD drama, apparently as the Class Representative. Showed up as a playable character in Persona 4 Arena - fans' reactions were split.


 * Action Girl
 * An Axe to Grind: Her Weapon of Choice, as well as her name
 * Ascended Extra: From a background character in a CD drama, to a playable Action Girl in Persona 4 Arena..
 * Class Representative
 * Dangerously Short Skirt
 * Genki Girl: Far more than Aigis or Metis, at least.
 * Joshikousei: Her default outfit in Persona 4 Arena.
 * Meaningful Name: Labrys is Cretan for axe.
 * Robot Girl
 * Theme Naming: Third Robot Girl who has an "S" at the end of her name.
 * Zettai Ryouiki

The Reaper
A notorious Bonus Boss found in Persona 3 and Persona 4, including FES, P 3 P and the Anime of the Game. His Arcana card is "Death", and he's based off the Grim Reaper. His face is shrouded in bandages, with only one ominous yellow eye to see its surroundings. In Persona 3, he lurks around Tartarus during the Dark Hour, personally appearing under one of four outcomes: if you stay on one level for too long, if there aren't any Shadows in a level, if there are only gold Shadows on a revel, or if you pick a Shuffle Time card that's appended by an ominous black crossbone. Thankfully, he cannot follow you through the stairs, but good luck trying to find them.

He reappears in Persona 4, but only on your second playthrough. In Magatsu Inaba/Mandala, the Reaper can be found in ordinary chests; upon examination, the Protagonist is forewarned that a powerful force dwells within the chest. Should the Protagonist choose to open it, the Reaper will attack the Protagonist, engaging the party to a battle. Like its previous incarnation, the Reaper can be challenged multiple times, as long as the Protagonist manages to locate the treasure chest he dwells within. He will only drop a characters' weapon if they are in the team that fights him, so you can re-organize the party every time you fight him if you want to get every character weapon.


 * Ascended Extra: He actually appears in the Anime of the Game for Persona 4.
 * Badass: One of the toughest enemies you'll ever have to face in the Persona series, unless your level reaches the mid-80s.
 * Badass Longcoat: With four coat-tails, too.
 * Bonus Boss: A famous one among Persona fans.
 * Taken literally in Persona 4, where you can actually choose whether or not to fight him.
 * Call Back: His garments bear some resemblance to Tatsuya Sudou's clothes.
 * Character Tic: Run the fuck away when you hear the chains rattle.
 * Also, avoid the black crossbone cards at Shuffle Time!
 * Evil Is Stylish: Come on, admit it. You want to cosplay as him some day.
 * Four Is Death: One of four avatars of the Grim Reaper, with his total (P3) HP at 4444, there are four scenarios in P3 that allows him to approach you.
 * Guns Akimbo: He completely forgoes a scythe for dual revolvers.
 * Grim Reaper: One of four in this game.
 * Metal Slime: In Persona 4, defeating the Reaper grants the respective characters their strongest weapons per defeat; if the in-battle characters already have their strongest weapons, the Reaper instead drops the strongest armor. If all of those have already been received as well, the Reaper drops the Omnipotence Orb, an accessory which voids all attacks excluding Almighty-elemental.
 * Nice Job Breaking It Hero: Picking a Shuffle Time card with a black crossbone quickens his approach. Makes for a good Oh Crap moment if you never saw him until that point.
 * Recurring Boss: Since his debut in the original Persona 3, this guy has appeared in every Persona game to date (sans Persona 4 Arena).
 * Revolvers Are Just Better: Especially when they have 3 foot long barrels.
 * Hand Cannon
 * Sealed Evil in A Can: The Persona 4 incarnation hides him in a chest on the Magatsu Inaba/Mandala dungeons. Lord knows who managed to do that.
 * Sinister Scythe: An incredibly rare aversion.
 * Stalked By the Bell: Take too long to leave a level, and this bastard will show up.
 * The Usual Adversaries: Being a Bonus Boss, this guy always harasses you in the Persona 3 games (including FES and P3P). Even after defeating him, he'll always show up again.
 * Video Game Cruelty Potential: If you're nowhere near an access point or the stairs, you can split up your party and hope he tracks down one of them while you make your escape.
 * The Usual Adversaries: Being a Bonus Boss, this guy always harasses you in the Persona 3 games (including FES and P3P). Even after defeating him, he'll always show up again.
 * Video Game Cruelty Potential: If you're nowhere near an access point or the stairs, you can split up your party and hope he tracks down one of them while you make your escape.