Death (Persona 3)

Death is the anthropomorphic personification of destruction and the end revolving the Persona series. While JOKER of the Persona 2 dualogy is characterized as a portent of doom and despair, Death makes his true appearance in Persona 3, and plays a much larger role.

Appearances

 * Persona 3
 * Persona 3: FES

Persona 3
Death plays an important role in the Persona 3 universe. In ancient times, Nyx bestowed Night and Death to the world, as well as the prophecy of the Fall. Should humanity loses the will to survive, Death would summon Nyx, descending to the earth to cleanse the world, destroying humanity.

Prior the events of Persona 3, the Kirijo Group founded an experiment hoping to study the nature and hope to convert the power of Shadows, the Kirijo Group implemented their research in Port Island. During the experiment, the lead scientists learned about the prophecy to the Fall, and subsequently, the arcana that was never meant to be, the Death Arcana.

Accepting death as a deliverance, many of the lead scientists began mass collecting Shadows, hoping to rejuvenate Death. Under the experiment, Death was eventually awakened. However, during the last stages of the experiment, Eiichiro Takeba, objecting the scientists believes interrupted the experiment. As a result, Death was forcefully separated into thirteen distinct Shadows, each bearing their respective arcana, with the thirteenth shadow, Death as it's main body.

The remaining Shadows would later became outrage, destroying the lab facility and created the phenomena of the Dark Hour and Tartarus. Death, in his incomplete state, would later escape from the facility. However, he was intervened by the Anti-Shadow weapon, Aegis in the Moonlit Bridge. Hoping to destroy Death so the fall could be averted, Aegis engages Death to a battle. Their battle however, killed a nearby family who was hibernating while the Dark Hour is active, leaving only their child as the survivor.

Death, even in his incomplete state possess more power than Aegis anticipated. In an act of despair, Aegis sealed Death in the surviving young child witnessing the events. The young child is the Protagonist. Death would later began hibernating within the Protagonist' psyche, however, through his subconscious, eventually lead the Protagonist back to the very place the Shadows are harvested, Port Island.

With Death sensing his separated Shadows, he began to re awake, however, due to his incomplete state, Death suffers from memory loss, and slowly assumes the form of a human child named Pharos. Within each night during the Dark Hour, Death, under the form of Pharos would talk to the Protagonist, telling the Protagonist strange, prophetic dreams he had been encountering lately. Eventually, Pharos would request the Protagonist to be his friend, creating the Death Social Link. With every full moon's appearance, the separated Shadows of Death would begin reawakening, hoping to reconcile with their original body.

As Shuji Ikutsuki, chairman of SEES deducted that should the separated Shadows of Death is destroyed, the Dark Hour will cease to exist. Under Shuji Ikutsuki's deduction and proposal, SEES began actively fighting Shadows, as well as destroying the separated Shadows of Death during their reawakening during Full Moon's appearance. In truth however, by destroying the separated Shadows will lead the Shadows to rejuvenate Death and restoring his power. With the twelfth Shadow defeated, Pharos' memories is finally restored, and bids farewell to the Protagonist, he would also thank the Protagonist for leaving great memories with him, and will cherish their talk forever.

Believing that the Dark Hour has cease to exist, SEES celebrated for their victory. Their joy, however, fell short when the Dark Hour became active again, with Shuji Ikutsuki nowhere to be found, SEES decided to check upon Tartarus. In there, they witness Shuji Ikutsuki ringing the bells of Tartarus, along with Aegis. Shuji Ikutsuki thanked SEES for destroying the separated Shadows, and reveals that he, was in fact one of the scientists embracing the prophecy of the Fall. Shuji Ikutsuki even reprogrammed Aegis to follow his orders, and SEES was immediately held capture and crucified within the roof of Tartarus.

Shuji Ikutsuki then tells SEES that they are intended to be sacrifices to summon Death, and orders Aegis to kill them. However, Aegis can't bear to kill the protagonist, and begins to fight back Ikutsuki's reprogramming. It is her strong desire to protect that saves the protagonist. Under the intervenes of Takeharu Kirijo, Shuji Ikutsuki is killed, however, Takeharu Kirijo, upon taking a bullet from Ikutsuki is killed as well. Thought Shuji Ikutsuki's plans of summoning Death failed, it merely delayed Death's arrival, not averting it.

Death would later assume a distinct human form, Ryoji Mochizuki. Unlike Pharos, however, Ryoji can be seen and interacted by others other than the Protagonist. Ryoji would show up as a transfer student in Gekkoukan High School, with him not realizing himself as Death nor memories of Death or Pharos. Ryoji's flirtatious personality immediately gains the school's attention, where he first attempts to flirt with Aegis. However, as he approaches Aegis, she became hostile to him, and repeatedly warns the Protagonist not to get close to Ryoji.

Regardless, the Protagonist later befriends Ryoji, with Aegis becoming confused why is she hostile towards Ryoji. With another full moon's appearance, Ryoji ends with in the Moonlit Bridge, confused upon his familiarity and serenity of the Dark Hour and the Moonlit Bridge. Aegis would later meet up with Ryoji, questioning whether he remembers his past, and their battle. Upon Aegis explanation, Ryoji finally realizes his true purpose and identity. Realizing his true identity, Aegis began attacking Ryoji. However, her attacks are easily halted by Ryoji, and is seriously damaged.

Ryoji would later explain his true identity and purpose to SEES, his very existence marks the definite prophecy of the Fall, and Nyx' arrival would come soon. With the humanity given by the protagonist, Ryoji offers SEES an option, where they could kill him instead of facing Nyx. By killing Ryoji, however, would wipe the memories of the Dark Hour, and let the members of SEES to live their lives as a normal student until the arrival of Nyx. Ryoji tells SEES not to make hasty decisions, and tells SEES he will return in December 31st, awaiting their answer. Ryoji is later reported transferring to other schools the next day, and is never seen again until December 31st.

In December 31st, Ryoji visits SEES once more, awaiting their answer. He pleads SEES to kill him, as he could not bear to face them in battle. Leaving SEES, Ryoji would later go to the Protagonist' room, where he awaits SEES' answer. In the end, the Protagonist must choose whether to kill Ryoji or not. Choosing the later would force Ryoji to turn into Death, his true form, which greatly resembles Thanatos to persuade the Protagonist to kill him. Should the Protagonist repeatedly choose not to, Death will return to Ryoji's form, and tells SEES the nature and the arrival of Nyx. After telling SEES the information, Death becomes intangible, and began to summon Nyx.

Nyx would later arrive during January 31st. This time, Death has become one with Nyx, serving as Nyx' avatar. Death later questions them whether does SEES regret they actions, and upon knowing they aren't, Nyx Avatar calmly accept their believes, and starts attacking SEES. Throughout the battle, Nyx Avatar, upon inheriting the twelve previous Shadow's skills and attributes, began explaining the nature of Arcana while shifting from one another. After going through 13 forms, Nyx Avatar finally reveals his true Arcana, the Death Arcana. While arming a attack, he tells the Protagonist not to regret, as this is the protagonist's "path of his choosing".

Eventually the protagonist manages to fend of the Avatar of Nyx, however the Avatar shrugs the damage away, and proceeds to connect to Nyx's true body, the Moon. As she descends to earth, S.E.E.S was rendered immobilize, leaving only the Protagonist immune to her effect. Through the cheering of S.E.E.S and others' will to live, the protagonist ascends to the Moon and battle Nyx, where he uses his own body as the Great Seal, sealing Nyx away. Death would later tell SEES that they have attained the miracle they have longed for, the legacy of life will continue and he will hibernate once more, until humanity wishes Nyx' arrival.