Social Link

Social Links (known as Community in the Jpn. version) are an important gameplay mechanic that appears in Persona 3, Persona 3: FES and Persona 4. Each Social Link represents a single Arcana, and raising a particular Social Link increases the experience bonus the Protagonists' receive when they fuse Personas of that Arcana. By completing a Social Link, it unlocks the ultimate Persona of that Arcana. Social Links can however, be reversed if players do not spend time with the respective people holding the Link, end up booking two holiday invitations on one day, or gave an improper answer during their conversations. The reverse effect will also continue to last until the protagonist reconciles with them. At some point a Social Link can even be broken, prohibiting the Protagonist from fusing Personas from the respective Arcana.

Role in Persona 3
The Social Link system was first introduced in Persona 3.

Social Links in Persona 3

 * Fool: Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad
 * Magician: Kenji Tomochika
 * Priestess: Fuuka Yamagishi
 * Empress: Mitsuru Kirijo
 * Emperor: Hidetoshi Odagiri
 * Hierophant:Bunkichi and Mitsuko
 * Lovers: Yukari Takeba
 * Chariot: Kazushi Miyamoto
 * Justice: Chihiro Fushimi
 * Hermit: Maya
 * Fortune: Keisuke Hiraga
 * Strength: Yuko Nishiwaki
 * Hanged Man: Maiko Oohashi
 * Death: Pharos
 * Temperance: Andre Roland Jean Gérard (Also known as Bebe)
 * Devil: Tanaka
 * Tower: Mutatsu
 * Star: Mamoru Hayase
 * Moon: Nozomi Suemitsu (Gourmet King)
 * Sun: Akinari Kamiki
 * Judgement: Nyx Annihilation Team
 * Aeon: Aigis (Persona 3: FES and P3P only)

Role in Persona 4
Social Links play a larger role in Persona 4, where the Protagonist's Social Links with his friends are directly related to their battle factor. For example, a level one Magician Arcana Social Link allows Yosuke Hanamura to take a mortal blow for the Protagonist that would normally kill him. Maxing out the Magician Arcana Social Link transfigures Yosuke's initial Persona, Jiraiya to Susano-O, granting improved elemental resistances.

Margaret would also advise the Protagonist to balance his time of venturing into the Midnight Channel with his spending time with his friends, as Social Links are what create the Protagonist's 'World'. Later, the Social Links created by the Protagonist with others play an important role in the True Ending route.

Social Links in Persona 4

 * Fool: Investigation Team
 * Magician: Yosuke Hanamura
 * Priestess: Yukiko Amagi
 * Empress: Margaret
 * Emperor: Kanji Tatsumi
 * Hierophant: Ryotaro Dojima
 * Lovers: Rise Kujikawa
 * Chariot: Chie Satonaka
 * Justice: Nanako Dojima
 * Hermit: Fox
 * Fortune: Naoto Shirogane
 * Strength: Kou Ichijo or Daisuke Nagase
 * Hanged Man: Naoki Konishi
 * Death: Hisano Kuroda
 * Temperance: Eri Minami
 * Devil: Sayoko Uehara
 * Tower: Shu Nakajima
 * Star: Teddie
 * Moon: Ai Ebihara
 * Sun: Yumi Ozawa or Ayane Matsunaga
 * Judgement: The Seekers of Truth
 * Aeon: Marie (Persona 4 Golden only)
 * Pierrot: Tohru Adachi (Persona 4 Golden only)

Role in Persona 3 Portable
Social links in P3P function in the same manner as Persona 3 with some new additions based on the system in Persona 4. Like Persona 4, the protagonist's team members can gain special abilities, such as taking a mortal blow, follow-up attacks, and a chance to survive a fatal attack once per fight. However, unlike Persona 4, these abilities are automatically earned for all members when the player ranks up the Fool Social Link (which is automatic throughout the game), rather than from each individual party member's Social Link events.

Male Protagonist
Social links are still the same as to the PS2 version of the game.

Female Protagonist

 * Fool: Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad
 * Magician: Junpei Iori
 * Priestess: Fuuka Yamagishi
 * Empress: Mitsuru Kirijo
 * Emperor: Hidetoshi Odagiri
 * Hierophant: Bunkichi and Mitsuko
 * Lovers: Yukari Takeba
 * Chariot: Rio Iwasaki
 * Justice: Ken Amada
 * Hermit: Saori Hasegawa
 * Fortune: Ryoji Mochizuki
 * Strength: Koromaru
 * Hanged Man: Maiko
 * Death: Pharos
 * Temperance: Andre Roland Jean Gérard (aka Bebe)
 * Devil: Tanaka
 * Tower: Mutatsu
 * Star: Akihiko Sanada
 * Moon: Shinjiro Aragaki
 * Sun: Akinari Kamiki
 * Judgement: Nyx Annihilation Team
 * Aeon: Aigis