“Memento Mori...”
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 is the fourth main installment in the Persona series. Makoto Yuki is the main protagonist and Takaya Sakaki is the main antagonist. Strega is the villainous faction in this game.
Persona 3 is the third numbered game in the Persona series, the fourth in total. It is the first game not to be directly connected to its predecessor, which sets a precedent for later Persona games.
Titled just Persona 3 in Japan, Persona 3 first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006.
A year later in 2007 an enhanced version of Persona 3 titled Persona 3 FES was released. It featured several new gameplay enhancements as well as a playable epilogue titled The Answer that featured the character Aigis as the main protagonist. Episode Aigis - The Answer - would later be adapted as DLC to the remake Persona 3 Reload, releasing September 2024.
Starting in 2007, a manga adaptation by Shūji Sogabe was released. It was officially translated into English and released in North America in 2016.
An enhanced port for the PSP was released in 2009 titled Persona 3 Portable. It featured the choice between choosing a female or male protagonist for the first time and to control your party members directly, unlike the original Persona 3.
Starting in 2013, four anime movie adaptations of Persona 3 were released in theaters titled Persona 3 The Movie: Spring of Birth, Midsummer Knight's Dream, Falling Down, and Winter of Rebirth.
From 2014 to 2025, six stage plays released titled Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade adapting the story of Persona 3. The four iterations are titled ~Blue Awakening~, ~Ultramarine Labyrinth~, ~Bismuth Crystal~, ~Pledge of Indigo~, ~Beyond the Blue Sky~, and Lunation the Act.
In 2024, a full-scale remake of Persona 3 titled Persona 3 Reload released on all modern consoles. It features a full graphical upgrade and styled after Persona 5.
It is proceeded by Persona 2: Eternal Punishment and is succeeded by Persona 4.
Official Description[]
Persona 3 follows a group of high school students trying to cope with, understand and accept death in a world surrounded by it, as well as find their own reasons for living. They form a group called SEES in order to investigate the Dark Hour, a mysterious time period between one day and the next that few people are aware of. During the Dark Hour, SEES explores Tartarus, a large tower containing Shadows, creatures that feed on the minds of humans. To fight the Shadows, each member of SEES is able to summon a Persona, a manifestation of their inner self.
Summary[]
The Journey[]
Set in 2009, Persona 3 begins with the protagonist returning to the city of Tatsumi Port Island ten years after his parents died from an accident. He is introduced as a transfer student that has just moved into the Iwatodai Dormitory but arrives late. A mysterious boy, calling himself Pharos, introduces himself to the protagonist and asks him to sign a contract that states he will accept full responsibility for his own actions.
He is quickly brought into SEES (Special Extracurricular Execution Squad), a club at Gekkoukan High School which disguises itself as a completely normal after school club, when his awareness of the Shadows and the Dark Hour is revealed. The Dark Hour is a secret hour which only a select few with the "potential" are aware of; the rest "transmogrify" into coffins. Shadows are also causing many people to become victims of Apathy Syndrome, a mysterious condition that puts them into a vegetative trance-like state in which they lose the will to live; victims are referred to as "the Lost."
The protagonist discovers that he can summon multiple Personas into battle. After awakening to his Persona ability, the protagonist is transported to the Velvet Room, which its proprietor, Igor, says is a realm between "dream and reality." Igor explains to him that his Persona ability is special: he is the only member of SEES capable of wielding multiple Personas in battle due to possessing the Wild Card. In-game, the Velvet Room is where the protagonist may fuse two or more Personas to create a new one. Igor also encourages the protagonist to meet people and form bonds with them, which are known as Social Links. According to Igor, the power of his Social Links will determine his potential in combat.
With the help of their Personas, SEES is able to explore a mysterious tower called Tartarus, which mysteriously manifests during the Dark Hour at Gekkoukan High School. They must also defeat Greater Shadows that appear every full moon and attack the city, believing that by killing all twelve of them, they will be able to end the appearance of the Dark Hour. SEES summons Personas using gun-shaped items called Evokers by shooting themselves in the head, an action reminiscent of suicide.
During the Dark Hour, SEES begins to encounter a mysterious and somewhat hostile group called Strega, consisting of Takaya Sakaki, Jin Shirato and Chidori Yoshino. Strega also has Persona summoning abilities and are Artificial Persona Users, meaning they can summon Personas without Evokers, although they have to take Persona Suppressors, drugs that keep their Personas from killing them.
After several Full Moon Operations, Mitsuru is forced to reveal to the team the origin of Tartarus and the Dark Hour which she has been hiding from SEES. Ten years ago, the Kirijo Group, a research company founded by Mitsuru's grandfather, Kouetsu Kirijo, began amassing and containing Shadows. They studied and performed experiments on them, in order to harness their power. However, the experiments went awry, allowing the Shadows to escape and assemble into twelve larger creatures. Each is affiliated with one of the twelve Major Arcana. SEES' leader, Shuji Ikutsuki, informs them that if they defeat all twelve of the greater Shadows, then Tartarus and the Dark Hour would disappear forever.
As the year continues, the group adds a few more Persona-users to their team who have the "potential."
During one of their full moon mission on October 4th, Shinjiro meets Ken at the site where Ken's mother was killed. Two years earlier on the exact date, Shinjiro had accidentally caused the death of Ken's mother when his Persona went berserk while on a SEES mission. For this reason, Shinjiro distanced himself from SEES and began taking Persona Suppressors, consumed by guilt. Ken only saw him as a murderer, though, and had only ever joined SEES for the sole reason of getting revenge and killing him in return. Shinjiro had no intention of resisting Ken's attempt to enact vengeance, but he warns Ken that if he continues, he could end up the same way as him.
However, while Ken struggles to go through with his plan, the two are interrupted by Takaya. He reveals that the suppressors that Shinjiro was taking would inevitably kill him anyways, rendering Ken's plan for revenge moot. He draws his revolver and shoots Shinjiro to incapacitate him, questioning the two as to the whereabouts of their Navigator. Ken falsely tells him that it is himself. Takaya then prepares to shoot Ken as well, citing the boy's intentions to take his own life when his revenge was done as excuse enough.
However, as Takaya attempts to shoot Ken, Shinjiro jumps in front of him, taking a second, fatal bullet and sacrificing his own life. Just before he dies, he tells Ken to make his own life matter and asks Akihiko to take care of Ken. With his last strength, Shinjiro stands up and takes a few steps away from SEES, telling them "this is how it should be," and collapses on the floor. This final sacrifice later wins Ken's respect and inspires Akihiko's resolve. SEES falls into a period of depression; Mitsuru and Akihiko take the loss of Shinjiro hard, and Ken as well. Mitsuru and Yukari also begin to bond closer together.
On November 3rd, SEES fight Takaya and Jin, and they supposedly kill themselves by falling off the Moonlight Bridge. They also defeat the final Greater Shadow. However, while celebrating their victory on November 4th, SEES realizes that the Dark Hour still remains. They learn they have been misled by Shuji Ikutsuki; by destroying the Greater Shadows, they have freed parts of a being called Nyx who will bring about the end of the world if it is fully restored. It is revealed that the Kirijo Group was attempting to do this ten years ago, but Nyx was released prematurely in a laboratory accident that also created the Dark Hour and Tartarus. Aigis, a robot designed to fight Nyx, battled the being but was unable to fully defeat it, instead dispersing parts of it into the Greater Shadows, and installing the last part into that of a young boy nearby, revealed to be the protagonist.
Ikutsuki programs Aigis to capture the party and he takes them to the top of a tower where he hangs them on crosses, and attempts to sacrifice them using Aigis. Ikutsuki shoots and kills Mitsuru's father, Takeharu Kirijo, and orders Aigis to kill SEES, however, Aigis' will proves too strong and she frees them instead. Ikutsuki falls to his death (it is ambiguous if it was an intentional suicide or him being unwary that there's no footing behind him).
On November 9th, SEES learns about Ryoji Mochizuki, a mysterious teenage boy who has enrolled at Gekkoukan High a few days after the defeat of the final Great Shadow. Aigis seems to be wary of Ryoji, claiming he is dangerous.
On November 22nd, Fuuka senses a Strega member outside Tartarus: Chidori. Throughout the year, Junpei and Chidori have entered a sort of romantic relationship. Junpei runs to Chidori, and the rest of SEES follows. Chidori turns hostile and attacks the party. Takaya and Jin arrive and reveal themselves to be alive, and Takaya claims Chidori has been "poisoned" by them. Takaya shoots Junpei and Chidori saves Junpei's life using her Persona's healing powers, but she had to sacrifice herself in the process.
On December 2nd, Ryoji and Aigis face off at the Moonlight Bridge. Aigis is heavily damaged by Ryoji and is no longer a playable character for this month. SEES meets Ryoji, who tells them he is the "Appriser" who has been born from the union of the twelve Shadows. Ryoji tells SEES that he is Death incarnate, the Harbinger, and that if they do not kill him by December 31st, he will unwillingly usher in Nyx and the end of the world, known as the Fall. Ryoji also reveals that a decade ago, he was defeated by Aigis on the Moonlight Bridge and he has been dormant in a child (the protagonist) - this was also how the protagonist's parents died.
On December 30th, after recovering from her injuries after fighting Ryoji, Aigis returns to SEES.
On December 31st, the protagonist is given the option to kill Ryoji at this point. If Ryoji is spared, then the game continues into the month of January.
Takaya Sakaki creates a religious cult centered around the coming of Nyx and the Fall as a salvation, with himself as the high priest and Jin spreading rumors around the network. Takaya begins using his preaching and his religion to manipulate and control those who are emotionally vulnerable, full of fear and scared of their impending death. In a newspaper interview, Takaya claims that the world is in a state of turmoil, and that there is little chance for hope. He then claims that a magnificent being is the only salvation for humanity, which is identified as Nyx. Takaya then states that he has received a blessing from Nyx, and has learned of her divine power. He further manipulates the public by stating that there are also 'those who have been blessed by Nyx' that use this 'blessing' for their own selfish goals. SEES deduces that Takaya is attempting to make the public hate SEES by stating that they are, in fact, the ones responsible for everything.
Throughout January, the mental condition of Tatsumi Port Island residents goes hectic. The amount of Lost drastically increases and Apathy Syndrome is everywhere. Graffiti, litter and trash fill the streets, with no one bothered to clean it. Takaya's followers begin distributing brochures and pamphlets about the impending apocalypse and Nyx's salvation.
On January 31, 2010, SEES climbs to the top of Tartarus to face Nyx. They are faced by Jin and Takaya along the way; both are defeated in order for SEES to reach the top. On the top of the tower, SEES encounters Ryoji, now in his true form of the avatar of Nyx. Though they defeat it, the avatar is able to still call forth Nyx; the moon splits open, revealing a strange device that begins to kill people across the Earth. The protagonist uses all of his Social Links gained from SEES and other friends to create a seal to lock Nyx away forever, though sacrificing himself to do so.
The world returns to normal, though the memories of the past year are lost to the members of SEES. As they finish school, they come to realize that they each promised to gather on the school's roof should they make it to graduation day. There, they find the protagonist lying in Aigis' lap, smiling at the brief reunion with the other SEES members. Aigis tells the protagonist that she will always be by his side, protecting him. The protagonist peacefully drifts into sleep.
The Answer (Epilogue)[]
The events of The Answer begin on March 31, 2010, a few weeks after the end of The Journey. During the opening sequence, it is revealed that the protagonist peacefully died in his sleep while he was resting with Aigis at the rooftop of Gekkoukan High. A confused SEES can only speculate that his death is related to him using his life force to defeat Nyx. The school year has ended, and the dormitory they stayed at is to be closed down soon. Aigis reveals to the group that she will not be attending school next year.
During their last dinner party, the SEES members discover that they are trapped in their dorm, and that the day March 31st is repeating itself. Later, a large door-like hole opens in the floor of the dorm, and SEES is attacked by Metis, an anti-shadow weapon similar to Aigis. In the midst of fighting Metis to protect her friends, Aigis' Persona, Athena, transforms into Orpheus, the original Persona of the protagonist. She also gains the protagonist's Wild Card ability. Aigis is able to subdue Metis, whose actions were an attempt to end the time skip and save Aigis, who she calls her "sister."
Underneath the dorm is the Abyss of Time, the cause of the time skip. The Abyss contains seven doors, the insides of which contain multi-floor dungeons, similar in design to Tartarus; it is in these areas that the game's combat takes place. At the top of each dungeon, SEES witness an event from the past of each member. After seeing several of these flashbacks, SEES discern that the events shown in each door relates to how that member had awakened to their Persona.
At the top of the seventh and final door, SEES fights a Shadow-like version of the protagonist. After defeating it, each of them obtain a key. By combining the keys, they would be able to end the time skip and leave the dorm. However, Metis presents SEES with an alternative: instead of unlocking the front door of the dorm, they may also use the keys to travel back in time, to before the fight against Nyx and the death of the protagonist. Yukari wants this alternative because she wants another chance to save the protagonist, which Mitsuru supports her on. However, the rest of the team feels this is too dangerous, which spurs tension between the group.
Now unable to agree on how to use the keys, SEES determine that they must fight each other to decide. Aigis, Metis and Fuuka claim all eight keys, which fuse into the Final Key. Yukari attempts to steal the key from Aigis, but Metis reveals that it's impossible. Yukari finally admits her grief over the protagonist. She made a promise as well, but unlike Aigis, it was to herself. She promised to try to change the world into a peaceful one to make people stop wishing for the Fall, but admits she can't be that person and doesn't care about anything but seeing the protagonist again. The party, feeling her sorrow, comforts her. With her resolution strengthened, she decides to respect Aigis' decision of leaving the past the way it was.
After debating on what to do now, they discover a third, new door in the Abyss of Time, which the group uses (without the Final Key) to travel to the moment the protagonist sealed Nyx from the world. Metis explains that the purpose of the seal created by the protagonist was not to seal away Nyx herself (who is not inherently evil), but to prevent humanity's despair from calling out to Nyx and bringing about the Fall once more. The subconscious will of mankind to despair and wish for death constantly rebirths a monster called Erebus that summons Nyx to destroy the world; Metis implies that Erebus's contact with Nyx is what caused the Fall (that was prevented by SEES.) SEES realizes that the wishes that created Erebus also came from them, and so they fight it, and are able to defeat it. Mitsuru points out that Erebus will return regardless, as humans will never stop wishing for death.
After breaking the time loop and exiting through the front door of the dorm with the Final Key, Metis, Aigis, and the rest of SEES are summoned to the Velvet Room, much to Igor's (pleasant) surprise. It is here they learn of Metis' true origins: that she is a manifestation of a part of Aigis's personality. Distraught over the death of the protagonist, she no longer wanted to live like a human, and wished to return to being a machine. However, after being set free from the Abyss of Time, Aigis changes her mind, deciding to continue to attend school like before.
Characters[]
Protagonists[]
Supporting[]
Ultimate Antagonists[]
Goddess of the Night
God of Darkness
Bosses[]
The Journey[]
The Answer[]
| Image | Enemy | Description | Dungeon |
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Immortal Gigas | Immortal Gigas appears as a boss found on the 8th floor of Malebolge within the Abyss of Time. It is accompanied by three Visceral Mayas. It is highly recommended to use status effects against it, as it is weak to Charm and neutral to all other ailments. Distress in particular makes its Dodge Wind irrelevant. When defeated, it drops the Steel Right Arm, which can be sold. | Malebolg Floor 8 |
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Brilliant Cyclops | Brilliant Cyclops is a boss found on the 9th floor of Cocytus withing the Abyss of Time and must be beaten to continue. During battle, it will attack using Ice spells with the occassional Physical attack. After taking some damage, it will begin summoning Soul Dancers as backup and start using its Bufudyne skill. It is susceptible to, but resists, all ailments. | Cocytus Floor 9 |
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Raindrop Castle | It later reappears as a boss found on the 7th floor of Caina, accompanied by two El Dorado Beasts. It is neutral to Distress and Rage. It can use Patra and Re Patra to assist the El Dorado Beasts if they had been hit by an ailment or knocked down, and it will start using Mediarama on its party when one of its members' health gets low. As such, it's recommended to get rid of it first, after which you can use the El Dorado Beasts' Ice weakness and susceptibility to Panic to defeat them. | Caina Floor 7 |
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Harem Dancer | Harem Dancer appears as a boss in The Answer on the 14th floor of Caina. It is accompanied by two Merciless Mayas. The Shadows must be beaten to continue. It will attempt to either Poison or Distress the party during the battle—while one ailment is active, the other cannot be added. Poison will slowly drain the party's HP per turn, but Distress will lower evasion to zero and increase the risk of Critical Hits. Leaving the party poisoned may be preferable to constantly using Dis-Poisons or allowing the Shadows extra turns. Once alone, the Harem Dancer will begin using Marin Karin to charm the party members. | Caina Floor 14 |
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Judgement Sword | A Judgement Sword again appears as a boss encounter in Antenor within the Abyss of Time, alongside an Ice Raven and Brave Wheel. It will stick to attacking with the occasional Marakunda to lower the party's defense. If any party members Null, Repel, or Drain Electricity attacks, Judgement Sword will use Elec Break to strip away that defense. If the other two Shadows are defeated first, it may also start using Mighty Swing to attack the party. | Antenor Foor 10 |
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Primitive Idol | Primitive Idol is a boss found on the 20th floor of Antenora. It is fought alongside the Shouting Tiara and the Wrathful Book. During battle, the Primitive Idol will alternate between using Mind Charge and random magic attacks. The largest threat is arguably from the Wrathful Book, which will spend its entire time trying to Enrage the party, potentially leading them to be knocked out. After the Wrathful Book is dealt with, the party may engage either the Primitive Idol or Shouting Tiara as they see fit. Alternatively, the boss can be inflicted with a multitude of status effects to alleviate its presence. It is neutral to Rage and Poison while resisting all others. | Antenor Floor 20 |
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Wondrous Magus | It later reappears as a boss on the 8th floor of Ptolomea alongside the Cowardly Maya and the Crying Table. All ailemnts can be inflicted, though it resists all except Distress (neutral) and Panic (weak). | Ptolomea Floor 8 |
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Neo Minotaur | Neo Minotaur is found on the 17th floor of Ptolomea on the Abyss of Time. It is susceptible to rage. The boss is capable of doing an extraordinary amount of damage per turn, however this can be taken advantage of with either Tetrakarn or Attack Mirrors, especially when the boss is enraged. | Ptolomea Floor 17 |
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Spastic Turret | The Spastic Turret can Summon more Slaughter Drives to the field (one at a time), but it can only do this if there are no Slaughter Drives present. Beacuse of this, a wise strategy (to prevent it from summoning) would be to take out a Slaughter Drive, take out the Turret, then take out the last Slaughter Drive (taking out the two Drives befores the Turret risks the player having to face a third Drive). | Judecca Floor 8 |
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Conceiited Maya | Conceited Maya is a boss found on the 16th floor of Judecca. It impedes the player's progress and must be beaten to proceed. It blocks all ailments. | Judecca Floor 16 |
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Rebellious Cyclops | Rebellious Cyclops is a boss found on the 8th floor of Empyrean, accompanied by two Acheron Seekers. It impedes the party's progress and must be defeated to proceed. It resists all ailments and cannot be Shocked. | Empyrean Floor 8 |
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Rain Wind Musha | It later reappears as a boss on the 19th floor of Empyrean, accompanying the Kaiden Musha and Onnen Musha. It blocks all ailments. | Empyrean Floor 19 |
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Shadow Makoto | It is not until venturing into the deepest area of the Abyss of Time (Empyrean) that the silhouette is revealed to be a shadow resembling the protagonist's appearance. It manifests through the negative emotion and urge of seeing the protagonist one more time deep within the members of SEES. Making its entrance, the shadow challenges SEES, copying their Personas (all of which are colored with a grayish tint) except for Psyche and Juno, retaining the Wild Card ability, and several attacks of the protagonist. After its defeat, the shadow dissolves into "letters," forging unknown words and butterflies, although “DEATH” seems to be what the letters initially coming out of his fingertips are spelling. | Empyrean Floor 27 |
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SEES | Aigis and Metis team up to face the members of SEES in duos, first Ken and Akihiko, then Junpei and Koromaru, and finally Yukari and Mitsuru. They are fighting in order to get the keys they need to unlock one of two doors, one that will send them back to the past before the final battle with Nyx, and one into the present. Aigis can't choose a side, so she battles which each member of SEES in order to make a decision, and to get their keys. | Colosseo Purgatorio |
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Erebus | Not wanting to give up, SEES engages Erebus, but knowing that even after they defeat Erebus, he will reanimate, as long as humanity wishes for the coming of Nyx. Realizing this, the remaining members of SEES swore to help the protagonist bear the burden by making the most out of their own lives. Aigis would later make a vow, hoping to change the world someday, so the protagonist may be released from his bonds. | Sea of Souls |
Title Screens[]
| Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 | Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES |
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| Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable | Persona 3 Reload |
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Music[]
OST[]
Original Songs[]
Media[]
International Media[]
Persona 3[]
Japanese 
USA 
EU Persona 3 FES[]
Japanese 
USA 
EU Persona 3 Portable[]
Japanese 
USA Persona 3 Reload[]
Japanese 
USA Spin-Offs[]
| Persona 3 CD Dramas | |
|---|---|
| There were several CD Drama spin-offs set around Persona 3.
There was A Certain Day of Summer that consisted four short episodes, framed by Igor and Elizabeth as story-tellers. It takes place shortly after SEES returns from Yakushima. Daylight / Moonlight were two Drama CDs loosely connected to Persona 3 FES set in Aigis's perspective. Persona 3 Character Drama were four CD Drama releases that take a closer look at particular characters and relationships within the series. The first CD touches on the relationship of the protagonist and Ryoji Mochizuki through a series of encounters with his Social Link acquaintances in an afternoon they are out together with Junpei Iori. New Moon / Full Moon another set of two Drama CDs, more side stories written by Atlus staff. Persona 3 Portable Drama CDs were side stories set in P3P's world with Kotone Shiomi and Theodore. |
 "A Certain Summer"  "Daylight"  "P3 Character Drama Vol. 1"  "New Moon"  "Persona 3 Portable Drama CD Vol. 1" |
| Persona 3 Light Novels | |
|---|---|
 Persona 3: Shadow Cry  Persona 3: Fragments of the End  Persona 3 FES: Alternative Heart  Persona 3 Portable: Velvet Blue |
There were a few light-novels released based on Persona 3.
Persona 3 Shadow Cry is a side story to the main plot of Persona 3 taking place during and making reference to the events of the main game. It is told primarily through Jin Shirato's point of view and details the daily life of the members of Strega. Persona 3: Fragments of the End is an original story taking place one month prior to the beginning of the original game. It is told mainly from Akihiko Sanada's perspective, beginning with him seeing a mysterious humanoid-shaped Shadow while exploring the Tartarus together with Mitsuru Kirijo. In 2008 a novel adaptation titled Persona 3 FES: Alternative Heart was released. Persona 3 Portable: Velvet Blue is a light novel taking place during Persona 3 Portable, it features Elizabeth as its protagonist and explores Persona 3's female protagonist's relationship with the inhabitants of the Velvet Room, including Margaret and Theodore. |
| Persona 3 Comic Anthologies | |
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| There were three comic anthologies released based on Persona 3, two of which were based on Portable.
Persona 3 Comic Anthology: Memento Mori a comic anthology based on the game Persona 3. A comic anthology follows that the protagonist during his daily school life with the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad members as they fight shadows within Tartarus. The comic anthology was released on September 28, 2006. Persona 3 Portable Dear Girls Comic Anthology is a comic anthology based on the game Persona 3 Portable. The comic anthology follows the female protagonist and was released on June 25, 2010. It features the Persona 3 Female protagonist going on dates with all the boys. Persona 3 Portable Dengeki Comic Anthology is a comic anthology based on Persona 3 Portable. The comic anthology follows both the female protagonist and the male protagonist from Persona 3 Portable. the comic anthology was released on March 10, 2010. |
 Comic Anthology "Memento Mori"  Comic Anthology "Dear Girls"  Comic Anthology "Dengeki" |
| Persona 3: The Night Before (2006) | |
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| A free web-based RPG that is an original story taking place the night before Persona 3 begins, though it does not feature the characters of the main story outside of Igor. Players must challenge the Tartarus that appears every night in Tatsumi Port Island and defeat Shadows on the way to the top of the tower. Players can decide to fight as a Shadow or against the Shadows and receive in-game rewards according to which side was victorious. Play is limited by the in-game time consumed by actions, which players are allocated one hour per day. A player's starting Persona is determined by a personality quiz and will gradually change over time. |  |
| Megami Tensei Chaining Soul: Persona 3 (2007) | |
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A puzzle game that functions much like the game Bejeweled, players are able to damage Shadows by destroying orbs. Through chaining colored orbs, players are able to summon Persona for greater amounts of damage. By defeating enemy shadows within a certain time limit, players are able to clear stages. If shadows are not defeated by the time the limit is reached, the game is over. By creating chains, players are able to lengthen the time limit. Special orbs also play a part in gameplay, such as spell orbs with pentagrams drawn on them that can activate special attacks. |
| Aegis: The First Mission (2007) | |
|---|---|
| Game designed for Japanese feature phones that stars Aegis set in May of 1999, 10 years before the events of Persona 3. The storyline follows Aigis , an Anti-Shadow weapon transported to the Kirijo Ergonomics Research Laboratory in Yakushima Island in May 1999. Aegis wakes up on the in the lab to Souta Aizawa , her trainer. She is dazed, and Aizawa believes that she is broken. Later, Yuu Kimijima , who now leads her development after taking over from her predecessor arrives and they argue for a short time. After that, Aegis participates in her first exercise, where it is revealed that the facility are using modified shadows for the purposes of Aigis's training. Yuu and Souta argue over whether Aegis should talk and act like a robot/soldier, which leads to Yuu tearing up over how Aegis is treated only as a machine and how harsh Souta is towards her.
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| Persona 3: Em (2007) | |
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An RPG published by Atlus and BBMF and developed by Interactive Brains for mobile phones. Persona 3 Em is designed as a side-story taking place during the Yakushima trip of Persona 3. It is designed to emulate the original game in having a social-interaction driven daytime period and a dungeon-crawling night period. During the nighttime when the members of S.E.E.S. go to sleep they awaken in the "Nightmare Hour" which is similar to the Dark Hour from the main games. During this time, they must explore a Tartarus-like dungeon called Oneiros, the entrance of which is a hollow opening inside a large tree. |
| Megami Tensei QIX: Persona 3 (2007) | |
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| Persona 3-themed puzzle game developed for mobile phones. It was offered through the Atlus and Bbmf mobile telephone site called Megaten α starting on April 27, 2007. It functions similarly to the game it is titled after. Players complete levels by capturing at least 80% of the board. Enemies appear as Shadows and artwork and music from the original game appear. |  |
| Persona 3: Illust Puzzle (2008) | |
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A puzzle game published by Atlus and Bbmf for Japanese mobile phones. Persona 3 Illust Puzzle is a nonogram-style puzzle game. Like traditional nonograms, cells in a grid must be filled in in order to correctly reveal the image. The puzzles in this game are primarily tied to the Arcana motif of the Persona series with a total of forty puzzles, in color and monochrome difficulty levels. By completing puzzles, players fill out the game's gallery. |
| Persona - Trinity Soul - (2008) | |
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| TV series produced by Aniplex in 2008. Persona -trinity soul- is a sequel to Persona 3 and takes place ten years afterwards (in 2019) in a parallel universe. Persona -trinity soul- centers around three brothers with the ability to use Personas. The oldest brother, Ryo Kanzato, is a police chief who is keeping the mysterious Reverse cases secret from the public. When his brothers move back in with him, they get involved with Marebito, a group of rogue Persona users.
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| Persona 3 Broken Shadow (2008) | |
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A game published by Atlus and Bbmf for mobile phones released through their Megaten α service. Persona 3 Broken Shadow is a Persona 3-themed version of the classic arcade game Breakout. In Broken Shadow, there are three difficulty levels and ten stages for each of them. By destroying the shadow blocks, players gain more power and special card effects for hitting certain targets. By clearing stages, players gain mobile phone wallpapers. |
| Persona Mobile Online (2009) | |
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| An MMORPG released for mobile phones in Japan. It employs the gameplay system found in the recent Persona series. The gameplay retains elements from the Persona series, specifically beginning with Persona 3. The setting is simple; players control their avatar; a student of Yamori High School in a quest to rid the place of the Shadows lurking in the area. New features are also added. Since this game is a multiplayer, other players can chat with each other using the in-game communication system. Items can be traded at the behest of the players. Players who are annoying can be placed under a blacklist. The game was released for Japanese FOMA 703i/903i series of mobile phones. The game could be purchased using points, with two options of either 500 points (525 yen), or 1,000 points (1,050 yen). |  |
| Persona 3 Social (2010) | |
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A free-to-play Persona 3 spin-off developed for the Mobage-town Japanese social network-enabled mobile phones. Players take the role of a Gekkoukan High School student introduced to the world of shadows and Persona. Gameplay consists of taking up quests, battling Shadows, and earning experience. Players can also cooperate in a multiplayer game with other players in the network. |
| Persona 3 Escape (2011) | |
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| A Persona 3 spin-off developed for Japanese mobile phones. The game takes place during the love hotel scene on the third full moon. The protagonist and Yukari Takeba find themselves locked in the love hotel. Guided by Fuuka Yamagishi, they have to use their Personas to break out, starting with Orpheus and Io. Similar to escape the room-type adventure games, most of the gameplay is centered around identifying the correct Persona to use on certain items. By completing these challenges successfully, players are able to acquire more Persona. |  |
| Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (2018) | |
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A rhythm game for he PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita developed by Atlus' P-Studio based on Persona 3. Due to learning about how Margaret's guest, Yu Narukami defeated Mikuratana-no-Kari by dancing, Elizabeth becomes jealous, as do Caroline and Justine in Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Due to this, the sisters challenge each other to a dance off, to prove who has the better guest. The losers would be "sent to hell." Similar to Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, upon completion of the event, everyone's memories of the events will be erased. Summoning the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad to dance, they are challenged to hype the crowd up as much as possible, the crowd being the Sea of Souls.
Due to the Velvet Room being between and space and time, and the group being summoned in their dreams, they are able to visualise any dance they want, and their bodies perform the actions. In addition, Elizabeth uses this to be able to return to 2009, whilst Makoto Yuki is still alive, though still after the death of Shinjiro Aragaki. After completion of the ball, Elizabeth - due to the shame of how competitive she got - but also due to everyone having fun, decides it no longer mattered which team won. SEES's reward for taking part in the event was seeing Elizabeth herself dance as well. |
| Persona 3 Reload: Beginnings (2024) | |
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| An webtoons comic adaptation of Persona 3 Reload by Merryweather released in February 2024 sponsored by Atlus. It was released in five episodes weekly. It adapted the game up until the first Full Moon Shadow battle, where Makoto awakened his Persona for the first time. |  |
| Episode Aigis: The Answer (2024) | |
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Episode Aigis: The Answer, originally released as The Answer in localizations and Episode Aegis in Japan, is an expansion included in Persona 3 FES and later downloadable content for Persona 3 Reload as part of its Expansion Pass. It is set after the events of Persona 3.
On the last day of March following the ending of Persona 3, the remaining members of S.E.E.S. contemplate the reason for the protagonist's fate, with even Aigis unable to ascertain the true cause. Aside from this, they also remain frustrated at the influence Strega has continued to hold on the public. In her dorm room, Aigis recounts her final moments with the protagonist and that she failed to keep her promise to protect him. As she awakens, she sees a blue butterfly in front of her before it vanishes. When she exits her room, she finds her dormmates cornered by a figure similar to herself. She reveals herself as Metis, claiming she came to the dorm to protect Aigis by eliminating what she perceived as threats. Before Metis is able to kill Ken Amada in Orgia Mode, Aigis sees a vision of the protagonist that causes her to use the power of the Wild Card, allowing her to summon Orpheus, his original Persona. |
Attractions[]
| Persona 3 the Movie: Escape from the Dark Hour (2016) | |
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| An escape game held in Joypolis. The event in Tokyo lasted from January 30, 2016 to March 13, 2016, meanwhile the event in Osaka lasted from February 20, 2016 to March 27, 2016. Available 3 times per day, 11:00am, 2:00pm and 5:30pm on holidays and weekends. Tickets cost 2, 300 yen for adults and 1,800 yen for children. Unlimited tickets cost 4,300 for adults and 3,300 for children, this allows you to go through the event multiple times. The event plays out similarly to Escape From Persona Q: Cyber Labyrinth, the escape game event before this one. The escape room took 2 hours to clear and had you, along with multiple other people, cooperate with SEES to escape the Dark Hour. |  |
Creation & Development[]
Persona 3 began development in 2003, after the completion of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga. In March 2006, the first details on Persona 3 were unveiled in the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsū. In addition to announcing the game's Japanese release date of July 13, the three-page article detailed the game's premise, combat systems, and the social link system (known as "community" in the Japanese version). It also profiled three characters—the protagonist, Junpei, and Yukari—as well as their respective Personas: Orpheus, Hermes and Io.
The main character artist and art director for Persona 3 was Shigenori Soejima. The previous Persona titles' character artist, Kazuma Kaneko, gave the job to Soejima so he could gain more experience. Soejima felt a degree of pressure when designing the characters as he did not want to disappoint the series' fanbase. The goal was to make players of the Megami Tensei series feel gratified that they had supported the Persona series. In an interview, Soejima compared the game's aesthetic and style to a fantastical manga, citing its use of mecha-like Persona and Mitsuru's flamboyant styling. Soejima returned to design the character Metis for FES. The user interface was designed to stand out during the game's marketing, with its blue-colored design intended to evoke a cool and stylish atmosphere. The anime cutscenes for Persona 3 and FES were animated by animation production company Point Pictures.
Iconography[]
Persona 3's main color is blue and has been since its first release. It is the most prominent color on most promotional material including boxarts, the Persona 3 Portable logo, and all the UI in every adaptation of the game. Green as a supplementary color is often used to represent the Dark Hour, and red is used when distinguishing Persona 3 FES and The Answer, used in the original FES logo and promotional material for the DLC expansion pass for Persona 3 Reload.
The mascot Persona of the game is Thanatos, the Ultimate Persona of the Death Arcana represents P3's theme of death, as he is featured on the Japanese cover of every version of the game. The character Aigis was also designed with being a mascot in mind.
Identifying icons of the game include an analogue clock, representing the Dark Hour, a blue butterfly representing Philemon, and the Evoker.
Logos[]
| Persona 3 logos | |
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 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 logo  Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES logo  Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable logo  Persona 3 Reload logo |
Trivia[]
- The word "Portable" in Persona 3 Portable's title is written in a font made to resemble the PlayStation Portable (PSP) logo. Because of the font's rigid, minimalist style, the capital letters "R" and "A" look identical, which has resulted in some fans affectionately mistitling the game as "Persona 3 Poatable".
- This is the only Persona game in the series where you have the choice to change your gender, as well as the second game to have a female main protagonist at all.
- Persona 3 FES introduced many changes to the gameplay,
- New Personas in the game have been added.
- The stats and skillsets of some Personas have been tweaked.
- Secret videos of the protagonist's dorm mates have been added.
- Koromaru can now be taken on walks.
- Several of the Social Links have been modified slightly, such as President Tanaka being available at a different time.
- Several new Quests have been added.
- New costumes can be worn in battle.
- A new event involving Chidori Yoshino was added.
- Naganaki Shrine was completely overhauled.
- A hard mode was added.
- The Japanese Append version requires an original Persona 3 disc to play.
- Unlike other renditions of Persona 3, Persona 3 Portable lacks 3D environments and character models (outside of Tartarus), all anime cutscenes are gone, the graphics and audio quality were compressed, and The Answer ("Episode Aegis" in the Japanese version) is a story exclusive to Persona 3 FES and is not available in P3P due to limited storage space on the UMD.
- On June 12, 2022, as part of the Persona 25th Anniversary, it was announced that Persona 3 Portable would be ported on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows via Steam and the Windows 10 Store.
- With Reload's announcement, that officially makes this game the Persona game with the most rereleases, those being vanilla, FES, Portable, and now Reload. It is also the game on this wiki with the most variations as well with the aforementioned four. Before this it was tied with Link's Awakening with three variations.
Continuity[]
- In the North American version of the game, the protagonist can play an MMO on his computer titled Innocent Sin Online, a reference to the title of Persona 2: Innocent Sin. In the game, Makoto uses the alias "Tatsuya," and meets a girl named "Maya," who are both named after the two protagonists of the Persona 2 duology.
- It seems like the MMO is based on the real-life events of the Persona 2 games, as "Maya" makes direct reference to real-life Maya's catchphrases and events from the game.
- In the remake Persona 3 Reload, "Maya's" character portrait is a green glitched-out portrait of the Heroine from the original Shin Megami Tensei.
- The Kirijo Group, that Mitsuru leads and funds S.E.E.S., is said to have broken off from the Nanjo Group, which was a prominent organization in the previous three games. The two work closely together but split up after the Kirijo Group started experimenting on Shadows, which is the catalyst of Persona 3's story.
- The Kirijo Group later did experiments on children using Shadows and created artificial Persona Users to combat them. This gave rise to the group Strega, who were the only three children who survived these experiments. This is reminiscent of the experiments that the New World Order was doing in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment creating artificial Persona Users.
- The opening sequence of the game and the beginning of the end credits depict a blue butterfly flying around. This is meant to represent Philemon, who is continually watching over Makoto and his friends over their journey.
- Philemon appears to Aigis in The Answer to grant her the Wild Card.
- This is the first mainline game where he does not appear as himself, instead only as the blue butterfly.
- The Night Queen, Nyx, returns in this game after last appearing in the Snow Queen Quest in Megami Ibunroku Persona. Her final form in this game is that of a planet destroyer who's end goal is to turn the world to eternal night and turn everyone on earth into Shadows.
- It is said that Nyx existed eons ago, and she crashed into the Earth which is what formed the Moon.
- Several Personas in this game return from the Snow Queen Quest who are related to Nyx, including Thanatos, Hypnos, and Nemesis.
- Tartarus also appears once again, after last appearing as a tower outside of the Snow Queen's Castle.
- One of Nyx Avatar's moves in the final phase of the final boss is "Night Queen", named after Nyx's appearance in MIP.
- Igor returns in this game, as a staple of the series. In this game, the Velvet Room takes the appearance of an elevator as opposed to just one room. In the previous three games the Velvet Room looks like just a room because there were multiple people that were able to go inside it, but now that there is only one guest, the room is shaped for their own mind.
- Igor mentions when he first meets Makoto Yuki that it has been "a number of years" since their last guest, indirectly referencing the protagonists of Persona 2, Tatsuya Suou and Maya Amano.
- In the remake Persona 3 Reload, entering the Velvet Room first shows several doors flying by before entering the main one that leads to the elevator. This is possibly a reference to the other versions of the room that exist, such as the original room from the first three mainline entries, the limo ride from Persona 4, the jail from Persona 5, and the aquarium from Persona 5: The Phantom X.
- A TV program in-game titled "Who's Who" was used as a medium to show cameos of older characters. Characters mentioned include Mark, Nanjo, Maki, Reiji, Yukino, Baofu, Eikichi, Ulala, Katsuya, Tatsuya, and Lisa.
- Each of these characters appear on TV on the exact day of their birthdays.
- In the remake Persona 3 Reload, Trish herself appears on the TV during the "Who's Who" episodes.
- After going on a date with Elizabeth to the dance club, she laments that Igor won't let her renovate the Velvet Room into a dance floor. Eventually, after the events of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax as well as Persona 4 Dancing All Night, during the events of Persona 3 Dancing in Moonlight, Elizabeth finally achieves this.
- Persona 3 FES adds references and context to future events of the Persona series.
- Shadows are recontextualized in The Answer, described as another side of the same coins that Personas come from, coming from all of humanities collective unconsciousness.
- This was never detailed in the main story in Persona 3, as before the Shadows were just known as the creatures the Kirijo Group was experimenting on. It was thought that getting rid of Nyx and the Dark Hour would also get rid of Shadows, but this was not the case.
- This explains why there are shadows in Persona 3 and 4, and recontextualizes them in the context of the former three games in the series, where "shadows" as a large faction of enemies was not the norm.
- This was never detailed in the main story in Persona 3, as before the Shadows were just known as the creatures the Kirijo Group was experimenting on. It was thought that getting rid of Nyx and the Dark Hour would also get rid of Shadows, but this was not the case.
- During the fight with Shadow Makoto during The Answer, at the end of the Abyss of Time, he uses Reverse versions of the Personas of your current party members. This marks the return of Reverse Personas, which first appeared in the Persona 2 duology wielded by Shadows and members of the New World Order.
- The Sea of Souls is named again, after appearing as a major location in Megami Ibunroku Persona, and as the location of Philemon and Nyarlathotep's domains in the Persona 2 duology, it is now where Makoto Yuki resides keeping the seal on Nyx, preventing her from being awakened by Erebus, her brother.
- After the battle with Erebus, SEES and Aigis enter the Velvet Room. This is the last time that the entire main party will be allowe into the Velvet Room until Persona 5, as it was a mainstay in games before 3, and absent again in 4.
- Shadows are recontextualized in The Answer, described as another side of the same coins that Personas come from, coming from all of humanities collective unconsciousness.
- Persona 3 Portable adds references to future characters in Persona 4, seeing as how it was released afterwards.
- Yukiko Amagi, a main party member from 4 appears as a cameo character. She is in her final years of middle school, and the Amagi Inn, the inn she helps run in Inaba, is mentioned.
- The transgender woman who hits on the boys on the beach in Persona 3 is replaced with Niroko Kashiwagi, the Persona 4 homeroom teacher. Her role in P3P is also added to the Persona 3 movies.
- A reference to Rise from Persona 4 was retroactively added into the game, where Shinjiro says an important event was cancelled due to a power outage, he is referring to a concert for Rise Kujikawa. This was not in either the original Persona 3 or FES, but was in Persona 4, and since the dates coincide was added to a scene in Portable.
- The former two additions were removed from the remake Persona 3 Reload. Only the indirect reference to Rise was kept.
- Persona 3 Reload adds references to future events from Persona 4 and 5.
- There is a counterpart to the Social Links known as Linked Episodes that give the protagonist time to spend with more of the male characters who didn't have social links in the original game. Most Linked Episodes reference previously released games featuring future events, specifically Junpei and Akihiko's future who wished to at some return to a baseball team (Junpei) and becoming a police officer (Akihiko). These motives eventually become true in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona 5.
- Additional backstory to Strega is added through cutscenes in the game. In one, Takaya talks about Shadows and how they are the shadow of humanity, and uses the quote "I am a Shadow, the true self," which originally comes from Persona 4.
- Through this conversation, he indirectly implies that the artificial Personas are actually improperly tamed or untamed Shadow selves, and that several of the artificial Persona users were killed when their Personas reverted back to their Shadow selves and went berserk, turning them into Shadows in the process.
- Yukari mentions Destinyland to Makoto, a riff on Disney World in the final day in-game. Destinyland was first mentioned in Persona 5, making this its second appearance in the Persona series.
- The Demon Abaddon appears as a Shadow on the Moonlight Bridge that you can encounter with Takaya. This is the only Shadow in the game that takes on its Demon form, similar to how they appear in Persona 5, with their masks removed and their true forms being revealed. His design is slightly different from the Abaddon that can be summoned as a Persona, however.
Errors[]
- In the Persona 3 Club Book, it reveals that Ken Amada frequents Baofu from Persona 2: Eternal Punishment's rumor website. This seems to contradict the ending of said game since Baofu swore to take it down.
- A poster for Yusuke Kitagawa's art show, Hug My Heart can be seen as Palownia Mall in the remake Persona 3 Reload. This seems to contradict canon considering the fact that Persona 3 takes place 7 years before the events of Persona 5.
Gallery[]
