Persona 3

Persona 3, localized in the West as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, is the fourth game in the Persona series. The game was developed by Atlus for the PlayStation 2.

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.

An enhanced version of the game containing an epilogue called The Answer was released as Persona 3 FES, also for the PlayStation 2. This version is available on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3.

A portable version of the original Persona 3, adding an optional female protagonist and various quality of life changes was released as Persona 3 Portable for PlayStation Portable in 2009. A remaster of Portable was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows via Steam and the Microsoft Store, in 2023.

Plot
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.

Members of SEES are all attending Gekkoukan High School:


 * Shuji Ikutsuki, chairman and adviser of SEES, chief director of Gekkoukan High School,
 * Mitsuru Kirijo, leader of SEES and heir to the Kirijo Group,
 * Akihiko Sanada, an orphaned friend of Mitsuru. His sister Miki burned to death in a fire as a child,
 * Yukari Takeba, a girl who forms a strong bond with the protagonist. Her father Eiichiro worked for the Kirijo Group until he died in an accident a decade ago,
 * Junpei Iori, a classmate of the protagonist and Yukari, who resents his alcoholic father,
 * Fuuka Yamagishi, a girl being bullied by Natsuki Moriyama who takes over as the team's support member and Navigator.



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":




 * Ken Amada, an orphaned boy whose mother died two years ago,
 * Koromaru, a dog whose previous carer died,
 * Shinjiro Aragaki, Akihiko's foster brother who was also orphaned. He initially worked with SEES, but quit, before recently being convinced to return,
 * Aigis, a female android SEES encountered while vacationing in Yakushima. She is a robot who had recently escaped the laboratory where she was kept, despite having been deactivated for years. For reasons she cannot explain, she has a need to be near the protagonist, even breaking into his dorm room at night to monitor him.

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.

Alternate ending


If the protagonist kills Ryoji, the members of SEES lose memories of the last year, such as the Dark Hour and their relationships with each other. They lead normal lives, living in blissful ignorance, until the inevitable end of the world occurs and all of humanity dies. The protagonist, Yukari and Junpei see Aigis watching them, but have forgotten who she is and believe she is just some girl who lives in the same dorm. The same goes for Akihiko, who they simply know as the captain of the boxing team, and Mitsuru, as student council president. Mitsuru was led to believe her father died from sudden illness, as that's how the Kirijo Group covered up his death, and since those in the Dark Hour forgot their memories, it seems no one knows the truth of how he died. The protagonist, Yukari and Junpei also enjoy their times singing karaoke, albeit not realizing it might be their final.

True ending


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, who had been feeling unwell and tired, then falls asleep and passes away.

Characters



 * Protagonist: The silent protagonist of the story. He is an orphan, his parents having died in a tragic car accident 10 years before the beginning of the game's events. The protagonist transfers to Gekkoukan High School on Port Island as a second-year.
 * Yukari Takeba: A popular second-year girl at Gekkoukan High School. She is the first one the protagonist meets upon arriving at the dorms. Her father was a researcher for the Kirijo Group before his death 10 years prior to the game's events.
 * Junpei Iori: An energetic and perverted second-year. Though he flirts with most of the girls in his grade, he finds a genuine love interest in a girl named Chidori Yoshino.
 * Mitsuru Kirijo: The elegant and stern heiress of the Kirijo Group, a third-year at Gekkoukan. She was the first to awaken to her Persona. She and Akihiko lead SEES, and she is the initial provider of outside support during battle.
 * Akihiko Sanada: A third-year with Mitsuru. Competitive and ever diligent, he devotes much of his free time to his boxing and Shadow-fighting training. He grew up in an orphanage with his younger sister, Miki, and his foster brother, Shinjiro.
 * Fuuka Yamagishi: A shy, introverted second-year. She eventually takes the role as the outside support during battle.
 * Aigis: A robotic Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon. She states early on that her highest priority is to protect the protagonist. Later, she attends Gekkoukan High School as a second-year and begins to develop human emotions.
 * Koromaru: The loyal dog of the local shrine. Although his master has since died, he still walks the route his master would take with him, and he continues to guard the shrine.
 * Ken Amada: A young grade-school boy. Though mature for his age, he feels insecure about his size and age and tries to compensate for it in every way possible. His mother was killed in a Shadow-related incident two years prior to the game's events.
 * Shinjiro Aragaki: A shady loner type, Akihiko's foster brother. He was once a member of SEES alongside Akihiko and Mitsuru in the past, but has since abandoned them following an accident that claimed the life of a civilian.

Difficulty
Before starting a game, the player must choose between difficulties (Easy/Normal in the original release of Persona 3, Easy/Normal/Hard in FES and Beginner/Easy/Normal/Hard/Maniac in the 2023 re-releases). In the original releases, the difficulty level can not be changed later (only on a New Game Plus), meaning that the player should be careful as the difficulty will remain for the remainder of the game. However, the re-releases allow difficulty mode changing, with an exception for Maniac mode. If someone has never played Persona 3 before, it is highly recommended to start on Easy, since Normal has been proven too hard for many players.

Daytime


Persona 3 combines elements of standard role-playing games and dating sims. The game takes place over the course of a Japanese school year. Each day goes by, broken up into several periods such as "Morning," "Afternoon" and "Evening," with the protagonist going to school and then participating in selected activities during free time. The protagonist must try to balance high school life while trying to prevent the impending apocalypse that threatens to kill all life on the planet.

The protagonist may opt to use the free time activities to buy equipment and items at stores, talk to other non-playable characters, or spend the remainder of the free time either to build a Social Link or to improve the protagonist's Social Stats, such as gaining courage by singing karaoke. Thus, the protagonist must manage which activities or Social Links to improve in order to build up the protagonist for the exploration of the Tartarus.

Certain in-game events will occur on prescribed days; Major Shadows will appear on full moons, there will be midterm and final exams within school, and school holidays give the protagonist more time to work on other activities.

Tartarus and the Dark Hour


At night, the protagonist may opt to enter Tartarus, or otherwise allow SEES to rest and recover. To enter Tartarus, the protagonist must talk to Mitsuru or Fuuka at the dorm. However, certain party members might be unavailable on certain days, and therefore cannot tag along. There are also days when it's impossible to visit Tartarus altogether, such as during exams week.

Tartarus is a tower which the group must eventually climb by the end of the game - around 260 floors are to be expected. Tartarus is broken into several "blocks"; each new block is inaccessible until the Major Shadows are defeated on each full moon, thus limiting the progress through the tower.

Most floors of Tartarus are randomly generated in a rogue-like manner, with a random distribution of treasure and wandering Shadows, but each includes a stairway to the next floor and many also include a one-way only teleport point that allows them to escape back to the first floor. Other levels contain mini-bosses that must be defeated in order to progress; these levels also feature a fixed teleport point that allows the group to travel to any other similar teleport point that has been previously accessed, thus allowing to skip blocks when returning to Tartarus. The protagonist may opt to keep the party together or have each member explore the level, recovering any treasure found and fighting monsters individually.



As the party explores and continues fighting, their condition will worsen, and a member that ends up "tired" or "sick" will perform poorly in battle and may drop out before the battle is complete; the only way to recover from these states is spend one or more nights without exploring Tartarus. On the other hand, if they enter with the "great" condition, they will perform much better in combat. (See also: Status Changes in Persona 3.)

Combat


Combat is a turn-based affair. Each character can perform a standard melee attack with their weapon, summon their Persona to unleash an attack or spell, or use a recovery or battle item.

The player only directly controls the actions of the protagonist. The other members of the party work on their own, but can be guided through specific tactics assigned to each of them, such as maintaining the health of the party, or going all out with Persona attacks. This is because the developers wanted the SEES members to feel as if they have a unique personality of their own, although this decision was met with criticism, leading to direct control being available in Persona 3 Portable.



In battle, every combatant has base stats, HP and SP being of utmost importance; when a party member loses all of their HP, they are automatically knocked out of battle, and if the protagonist is knocked out, the game ends (though in the easy difficulty setting, one of 10 special items called Plumes of Dusk can be used to automatically fully revive the party when he is knocked down.) As such, keeping the protagonist alive is one of the highest priorities. If a combatant is KOed, they can be revived with items called "Revival Bead" or "Balm of Life." Specific skills that can revive allies can also be obtained later as certain Personas level up.



Each foe has strengths and weaknesses against certain types of attacks; by striking a foe with an attack it is weak against, it will cause the foe to be knocked down, while the attacker will gain one more immediate attack. This can lead to a chain of attacks against each foe if the attacks are selected appropriately. If all remaining foes are knocked down, the protagonist can opt for an All-Out Attack, with the remaining members entering a cartoon-like fight cloud and inflicting higher, combined damage on each foe.

Related Media
Several media releases related to Persona 3 followed:


 * Persona 3 spawned an enhanced re-release with an epilogue, and its modified combat engine appears in Persona 4.
 * An updated PSP port titled Persona 3 Portable was released. It now features a new female protagonist and a female version of Orpheus as her Persona.
 * There is a loosely connected anime known as Persona -trinity soul- featuring Akihiko.
 * Persona 3 was adapted into a four-part anime film adaptation called Persona 3 The Movie which covers The Journey from the perspective of the male protagonist. It does not cover The Answer.
 * A manga was released.
 * There are several side games, such as Aegis: The First Mission, Megami Tensei Chaining Soul: Persona 3 and Megami Tensei QIX: Persona 3.
 * A dancing game, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, was released in Japan on May 18, 2018. It released in the west on December 4, 2018.
 * There are also many Persona 3 inclusions in Persona spin-offs such as Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona 4 Arena and its sequel, etc.

Gallery

 * Covers