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"Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end. You, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be... You will be given one year; go forth without falter, with your heart as your guide..."
—A message for the protagonist, Persona 3

The protagonist of Persona 3 is a transfer student enrolling in Gekkoukan High School in Iwatodai City. He is an orphan whose parents died on the Moonlight Bridge in their car during a fatal incident a decade prior to the game.

Appearances

Design

The protagonist has dark blue hair unkempt at the front, blue eyes and a light build, being shorter than average. His bangs covers his right eye. He is often shown with his hands in his pockets (except when holding weapons), leaning slightly back. He frequently listens to his earphones. Soejima designed the protagonist first, and formed designs for other characters around him. He maintains an air of neutrality, keeping with the supposed tradition of the Megami Tensei franchise that the player is the hero, while giving off an air of coolness. Earlier designs had him looking mature and collected, based on the trope of "cliche cool guy".[1]

At school and in Tartarus, he wears the school uniform of Gekkoukan High, accented with a loose black bow tie, a neck-strap mp3 player (NW-S20x series), and clip-on earphones (model ATH-EM700). On weekends off he is shown wearing a light gray double-breasted jacket, dark pants, and a khaki turtleneck sweater, along with his earphones. On summer days off he is shown wearing a navy blue and white T-shirt and black skinny work pants. He is never seen without his earphones except when he goes to the beach during summer vacation.

Ten years before the events of Persona 3, he has slightly shorter hair, his bangs hanging just above his right eye, and sports a navy blue elementary school uniform, a red tie, short black pants, white socks, and navy blue shoes.

Personality

BlueArt

Art of him from Persona 3 Manga Chapitre 6.

In Persona 3, the protagonist is a silent protagonist aside from technically speaking in battle in certain instances. While being a silent protagonist, he is very stoic, reserved, and calm, gathered by the fact that he remains unmoved even when guns are pointed at him. He appears very introverted, distant and aloof since he only observes the conversations of his party members and only speaks when someone is directed at him for his opinion on the matter.

Much of his personality traits are ultimately based on the player's actions and decisions. For example, he can be enthusiastic, upbeat and kind who engages with as many Social Links as he can. Likewise, the player can make him pessimistic, morbid and lonely who barely engages with Social Links. These possible combinations of traits provides a wide range of various interpretations on his characterization.

The same goes for any possible romantic interests the player may desire to partner him with. The player can choose from Yukari, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Aigis, Chihiro, Isako (his teacher), Yuko and Elizabeth.

Online

The protagonist on his laptop for a day.

Hobby and interest-wise, he may enjoy black comedy, evidenced by the "morgue" joke as one of the possible dialog options. He is also open to playing video games such as MMORPGs, and on free days, the player can choose to "spend the entire day online" with the Hermit Social Link. Depending on the player's choice, he may join a running, swimming or kendo club, implying he mildly enjoys these physical activities.

In Persona Q, referred to as "P3 Hero" by default on StreetPass, he is seen as apathetic and blunt, often going straight to the point, but on many occasions shows a gluttonous side due to an unusually high metabolism that lets him eat without gaining much weight. He also shows a calm and quick side to himself during intense situations, such as forming a plan to separate the party into two groups to distract an F.O.E in the Inaba Pride Exhibit. While he comes off as somewhat aloof, he expresses an interest in strengthening his bonds with SEES, at one point pondering that simply being friends doesn't make you companions, but just having a common goal doesn't do the trick either.

In the manga adaptation, Minato Arisato is shown to be fairly calm and passive, and is characterized as drowsy or tired with a comically large appetite. Much like his other incarnations, he speaks only when addressed, and appears to be on good terms with Junpei Iori and Ryoji Mochizuki.

In Persona Club P3 Book, everyone at school thinks that he's too quiet, something that he himself admitted and realized whenever he is asked something, the only answers he comes up with are “Yes”, “No”, or “Whatever”. This led him to sometimes be easily misunderstood as a mean person.

Characterization in Persona 3 The Movie as Makoto Yuki

"I don't really care. Is dying that scary to you?"
—Makoto Yuki to Yukari Takeba, Persona 3 The Movie

In the film series, Makoto Yuki is depicted as being much darker, ambivalent to the point of apathy. According to Noriaki Akitaya, the director of the movie, Makoto's characterization is one of his biggest challenges because his initial personality is decided by the players. This led him to incorporate mainly the most general traits of the protagonist from fan reaction to form Makoto's character.

CarCrash

Makoto's parents burn to death in a car crash.

Severely traumatized by witnessing the deaths of his parents as a child to the point of indifference, he has extremely neutral viewpoints on life and death and is uncaring of either. Without a will to live or a will to die, he once told Yukari that he doesn't care if he dies. Because of his unnerving lack of interest and motivation, he often acts only when told to do so and takes on tasks with little, if any sense of self-preservation. This is the main reason he allied himself with SEES, as he was requested to by Shuji Ikutsuki and had no reason to refuse the offer. Ironically, it is this apathetic attitude that allows him to fight Shadows so effectively; he battles without concern for his safety and cares little if he is wounded or exhausted by a fight, allowing him to take massive risks and deal immense damage.

Makoto smiles

Makoto actually smiles for once.

Despite the fact that Makoto cares little for his own safety, he breaks through his stony and blunt attitude whenever his friends in danger and even worries for their safety when any of them are put in a life-threatening situation, mainly because the thought of them dying reminds him of his parents' fate. Makoto eventually realizes the importance of lives and the bonds that he has with his friends, but as a result, he becomes more and more hesitant to defeat the Arcana Shadows and end the Dark Hour, fearing that after everything is over, he will return to his lonely and listless existence. As such, he tends to become confused and unfocused during battles against Arcana Shadows.

After defeating all Arcana Shadows and Ikutsuki's betrayal, Makoto once again distances himself from his friends as he believes they will eventually disappear, remembering Pharos's words before he disappeared: that forming bonds with others would only bring pain, since he would inevitably lose them. However, Makoto slowly opens up again after meeting Ryoji, who was insistent on becoming his friend.

Profile

Persona 3

Persona_3_Movie_1_-_Arrival_English

Persona 3 Movie 1 - Arrival English

The protagonist experiencing the Dark Hour.

On April 7th, 2009, the protagonist is first seen departing for the Dorm in Port Island, but arrives late at midnight due to the successful suicide of a young man who flung himself onto the train tracks. During the walk to the dorm, he experiences the Dark Hour, and is confused upon the sudden change of the surroundings and the sudden halt of his earphones functioning, though he takes the hour in stride, seemingly unaffected. Upon reaching the dorm, he encounters a mysterious boy, who promptly gives him a contract to sign, providing players the opportunity to name him.

The protagonist transfers to Gekkoukan High School on the next day. His invitation to study as a transfer student is later revealed that due to his capability to adapt to the Dark Hour, he was moved to the co-ed dorm so his potential can be monitored.

Persona_3_Movie_6_-_Persona_English

Persona 3 Movie 6 - Persona English

The protagonist awakens his Persona.

During a full moon the next night, one of the Shadows attacks, causing the protagonist to awaken his initial Persona, Orpheus, using an Evoker. The protagonist has minimal difficulty using the Evoker because he is not afraid of death. The summoning sequence, however, was interrupted as Thanatos bursts forth from Orpheus' head, tearing apart Orpheus and slaying the Shadows. After dispatching the remaining Shadows, the protagonist fainted and was taken to the hospital where he is hospitalized for a week in a coma. While unconscious, he awakens in the Velvet Room, where he learns about his abilities. After recovering from his short coma, the protagonist later learns about the nature of the Shadows and the existence of SEES, and eventually joins SEES. The protagonist is the only character throughout the game with access to the Wild Card ability.

The protagonist's past is later revealed after Aigis' memories are restored. In the year 1999, when Death escaped the Kirijo Group, Aigis was dispatched and was in hot pursuit of the Shadow. It is during Aigis' confrontation with Death, during the Dark Hour, that the protagonist's parents died in a burning car crash. Presumably, the protagonist survived due to his potential allowing him to be active during the Dark Hour. Aigis, knowing that she could not defeat Death, sealed a portion of Death inside the protagonist, thus amplifying the protagonist's capabilities of summoning multiple Personas.

RyojiBed

Ryoji trying to convince the protagonist to kill him so SEES doesn't have to live their lives in fear until the end.

On December 31, Ryoji asks for SEES to make their decision and self-invites himself into the protagonist's room and sits on his bed. Killing Ryoji would result in erasing the memories of the Dark Hour (the cause of all their pain and suffering), allowing the members of SEES to live their lives as normal high-school students until the arrival of Nyx on the promised day. In an attempt to persuade the protagonist to kill him, Ryoji transforms into his true form as Thanatos, bringer of death. In the 'good' ending, declining Ryoji's offers to kill him results in providing the members of SEES with useful information regarding a confrontation with Nyx. When Ryoji leaves, he tells them to "look forward to the next year", presumably indicating that he, himself, hopes that they can put a stop to Nyx, as well.

Persona_3_Movie_23_-_Ascension_English_*Spoilers*

Persona 3 Movie 23 - Ascension English *Spoilers*

The protagonist confronts god of death Nyx.

In SEES' final confrontation with Nyx, the bonds he has forged with SEES and his other friends give him the power to fight the sorrow, depression, and apathy of humankind, which were what drew Nyx to Earth, by letting him create the final arcana, the Universe Arcana with the help of Igor. With the power of the The Universe, and the cheering on of his comrades he ascends to Nyx' true body, the moon, to combat Nyx itself in a one-on-one battle. After being downed and uplifted multiple times by the SEES members' prayers and Nyx's attacks, he eventually reaches his full potential and performs the Great Seal to miraculously seal Nyx, preventing the Fall.

Protagonist and Aigis

Aigis with the protagonist in his final moments.

The protagonist clings to life for one month after fighting Nyx. He, unlike the others, retains his memories regarding the Dark Hour and Nyx in order to keep the promise he made to meet his friends on Graduation Day. After saying goodbye to everyone and all of his Social Links around the school and city, once his oath was fulfilled, he "falls asleep" in Aigis' lap on the roof of the school, smiling peacefully in the warm sunset surrounded by windmills. Aigis swears that she will live her life protecting him, unaware that he is dying at that very moment.

The Answer

In the playable epilogue of Persona 3 FES, it is revealed that the protagonist died the day after his sleep, leading to the members of SEES' confusion regarding his cause of death, as the doctor cannot find any unusual symptoms before his death. After the defeat of Nyx and the death of the protagonist, Aigis was the one who kept his Evoker, upon witnessing the Abyss of Time, the remaining members of SEES encounter a recurring silhouette resembling the protagonist. However, whenever they come into contact, the silhouette flees.

Shadow_Minato

Shadow Minato

??? disappears into flesh and butterflies.

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 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.

Protagonist becomes the Great Seal

The protagonist acting as the Great Seal to save life from absolute death.

The "real" protagonist is later seen in the past, where he seals Nyx. In order to seal Nyx, the protagonist sacrificed his life to become the Great Seal. He was, however, capable of retaining his consciousness long enough to fulfill his oath between the members of SEES to meet again on Graduation Day. The protagonist is shown as a statue, crucified and bound to the door between Nyx and humanity. It is later revealed that Nyx was only awakened because Erebus, a grand being manifested from humanity's grief and negative emotions, was reaching out to Nyx to bring the Fall. The protagonist wasn't trying to seal Nyx, he was acting as a barrier between Nyx and Erebus. After defeating Erebus and realizing the protagonist's purpose, the remaining members of SEES swore to help him bear the burden by making the most out of their own lives.

Persona 4

"A soul slumbers at the ends of the world, that of a young man who devoted himself to becoming a seal. That soul is risking itself to prevent mankind, who has lost the joy of living, from calling down ultimate destruction."
—Elizabeth to Margaret, Persona 4

The protagonist is briefly mentioned in Persona 4 in a conversation between the protagonist of Persona 4 and Margaret, after her defeat as an optional boss in Heaven. Margaret states that her sister, Elizabeth, left her position as Igor's assistant to find a way to free "The Blue-Haired" boy from the seal.

Battle Quotes

  • "Orpheus!" (or any other Persona names) (Enemy weak to attack/Critical with Phys skill)
  • "Persona!" (Using Persona skill)
  • "Come forth!" (Using Persona skill)
  • "Take this!" (Heal a party member)
  • "Here!" (Using an item)

Stats

Persona 3 FES: The Answer (as ???)

Persona_3_FES_The_Answer_Boss_???_(Protagonist)_Empyrean

Persona 3 FES The Answer Boss ??? (Protagonist) Empyrean

??? boss fight.

Because ??? has the ability to use the party's original Personas, the player should avoid bringing in party members that are weak to each others' attacks. Metis is a safe option for two reasons - ??? cannot copy Psyche, and Metis has a good mix of attacks to hit with regardless of ???'s current active Persona.

Remember to scan ??? every time ??? changes to a new Persona for the first time to minimize the chance of team members wasting turns. While ??? doesn't retain the Personas' weaknesses, note that ??? will still take slightly more damage from said elemental attacks.

  • These skills are present in all forms.
Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
- 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - - - - - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Slash Attack Normal attack using the Slash attribute.
Fire Amp Greatly strengthens Fire attacks by 50%.
Ice Amp Greatly strengthens Ice attacks by 50%.
Elec Amp Greatly strengthens Elec attacks by 50%.
Wind Amp Greatly strengthens Wind attacks by 50%.
Apt Pupil Increases user's Critical Rate.
Invalid skill name of "Goddess Knowledge". You may correct the skill name or modify module:Skills/P3 if needed.
Ailment Boost Increases odds of inflicting ailments by 50%.

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
Chariot 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
Resist Resist Null - - - - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
God's Hand Deals severe Strike damage to one foe.
Akasha Arts Deals heavy Strike damage 1x to 2x to all foes.
Brave Blade Deals severe Slash damage to one foe.
Vile Assault Deals heavy Pierce damage to one foe. (1.5x to Downed foes)
Tarukaja Increases 1 ally's Attack.
Garudyne Deals heavy Wind damage to one foe.
Marakunda Decreases all foes' Defense.

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
Magician 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - Null - - - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Vorpal Blade Deals heavy Slash damage to all foes. (1.5x "Great" condition bonus)
Deathbound Deals heavy Slash damage to all foes.
Brave Blade Deals severe Slash damage to one foe.
Agidyne Deals heavy Fire damage to one foe.

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
Empress 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - - Null - - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Bufudyne Deals heavy Ice damage / Freezes one foe. (10% chance)
Mabufudyne Deals heavy Ice damage / Freezes all foes. (8% chance)
Niflheim Deals severe Ice damage / Freezes one foe. (100% chance)
Mind Charge Doubles magic damage dealt next turn. (2x damage)
Marin Karin Charms 1 foe. (40% chance)

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
Emperor 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - - - Null - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Ziodyne Deals heavy Elec damage / Shocks one foe. (10% chance)
Maziodyne Deals heavy Elec damage / Shocks all foes. (8% chance)
Thunder Reign Deals severe Elec damage / Shocks one foe. (100% chance)
Matarunda Decreases all foes' Attack.
Marakunda Decreases all foes' Defense.
Masukunda Decreases all foes' Hit/Evasion rate.

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
Lovers 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - - - - Null Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Garudyne Deals heavy Wind damage to one foe.
Magarudyne Deals heavy Wind damage to all foes.
Panta Rhei Deals severe Wind damage to one foe.
Diarama Moderately restores 1 ally's HP.
Divine Grace Greatly strengthens restorative magic by 100%

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
Justice 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - - - - - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Vile Assault Deals heavy Pierce damage to one foe. (1.5x to Downed foes)
Maziodyne Deals heavy Elec damage / Shocks all foes. (8% chance)
Hamaon Light: instant kill, 1 foe (high odds). (40% chance)

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 75
Magic 80
Endurance 70
Agility 85
Luck 72
Strength 76 7000
?
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - Null - - - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Agidyne Deals heavy Fire damage to one foe.
Maragidyne Deals heavy Fire damage to all foes.
Ragnarok Deals severe Fire damage to one foe.
Mamudoon Darkness: instant kill, all foes (high odds). (35% chance)

Gallery

Persona 3
 
MCP3Close
Protagonist Close Up
 
P3 ??? Shadow closeup
??? Close Up
 
P3-Concept
Concept artwork of the protagonist
 
P3-Protagonist-CinematicConcept
Concept artwork of the protagonist (cinematic)
 
P3-ProtagonistConcept Uniform
Concept artwork of the protagonist (Uniform)
 
ProtagonistP3
Concept art.
 
Protagonist when he was child
Protagonist when he was a child ten years ago.
 
Persona 3 protagonist
Early concept art for the protagonist
 
Persona 3 protagonist 2
Early concept art for the protagonist
 
Persona 3 Protagonist 4
Protagonist in Soejima Shigenori Arts Book 2004-2010
Protagonist in Soejima Shigenori Arts Book 2004-2010
 
VelvetProtags
Protagonist with Elizabeth, Theodore and Female Protagonist
 
P3-Vol.1
Protagonist with Ryoji on one of the CD Drama cover
Artwork for Persona 3 Portable
 
MaleProtagP3P
All-Out Attack cut-in portrait for Persona 3 Portable
 
Shirt of Chivalry (Protagonist)
The protagonist wearing the Shirt of Chivalry in P3P. The kanji means "Honorable Man"
 
EvokerGame
The protagonist using an Evoker
 
ProtagAigis
The protagonist and Aigis
 
SEESWide
Art
 
MoonDarkHour
The protagonist and Yukari in the Dark Hour
 
P3 - Minato & Yukari
The protagonist and Yukari
 
AigisPainting
The protagonist and Aigis
 
P3Art
The protagonist, Thanatos, Yukari, and Junpei
 
P3-Protagonist-WildCard
The protagonist
 
ProtagonistAndThanatos
The protagonist and Thanatos
 
Persona 3 Portable artwork
Boxart artwork
The Male and Female Protagonists
 
P3P Volume 2
Drama CD Vol 2 Cover
 
P3DesignWorks
Art
 
Persona 3 FES artwork
The protagonist with the group
 
ProtagMitsuru
The protagonist and Mitsuru
 
AigisClock
The protagonist and Aigis
 
SEES Members
The protagonist with SEES
 
SEESSoejimaart
SEES
 
SEESTower
SEES
 
Persona 3 portable fanbook
The protagonist on the right
 
YukariSchool3
The protagonist outside Gekkoukan High School
 
YukariHug1
Yukari bonding with the protagonist
 
YukariHug2
Yukari bonding with the protagonist
 
Unknown Shadow looklike
??? in The Answer
Persona 3 (Manga)
 
Persona 3 manga
Minato Arisato (Manga Portrait)
 
Persona 3 Cover 1
Cover for Volume 1
 
Persona 3 Manga 3
Chapitre Deux
 
Persona 3 Cover 2
Cover for Volume 2
 
Persona 3 Cover 3
Cover for Volume 3
 
Persona 3 manga 2
Chapitre Quatre
 
Persona 3 cover 6
Cover for Volume 6
 
P3 Manga Chapitre Six
Chapitre Six
 
P3 Manga Chapitre Sept
Chapitre Sept
 
P3 manga Volume 8 cover
Cover for Volume 8
 
P3 Manga Chapitre Huit
Chapitre Huit
 
P3 Manga Chapitre Neuf
Chapitre Neuf
 
P3 Manga Volume 10 cover
Cover for Volume 10
 
P3 Manga Chapitre Dix
Chapitre Dix
 
DuoArt
The protagonist and Aigis
 
Minato as a child in the manga
Minato as a child in the manga adaption
Persona 3 The Movie
 
Persona 3 Protagonist
Makoto Yuki with his Evoker
 
P3M concept art of Makoto Yuki
Concept artwork from Persona 3 The Movie
 
Ch makoto-1-
Makoto Yuki's character info
 
Weapon makoto01
Concept artwork of Makoto Yuki's main weapon
 
Persona 3 Spring of Birth character postcard by Watanabe Keisuke
Illustration of Makoto Yuki and the others by Watanabe Keisuke
 
P3M Sketch of Makoto Yuki by Shigenori Soejima
Sketch of Makoto Yuki by Shigenori Soejima
 
P3M Makoto Illustrated by Yukio Hasegawa and Painted by Saori Goda
Illustration of Makoto by Yukio Hasegawa and Painted by Saori Goda
 
P3M Spring of Birth Countdown 01
Illustration countdown of Spring of Birth
 
P3M Midsummer Knight's Dream Countdown released
Illustration countdown of Midsummer Knight's Dream
 
P3M Winter of Rebirth Countdown released
Illustration countdown of Winter of Rebirth
 
P3M Spring of Birth CD cover
Poster
 
P3 Movie Postor
Poster
 
P3 Movie promo poster
Poster
 
Persona 3 Spring by Birth movie poster 4
Poster
 
Persona 3 Spring of Birth DVD cover
Poster
 
P3post
Poster
 
Cover of P3M4 music CD
Poster
 
Persona 3 Winter of Rebirth DVD Cover
Poster
 
P3M Winter Of Rebirth Promo Poster
Poster
 
Duo bridge
Poster
 
P3M Illustration of Makoto Yuki by Rokuro Saito
Illustration of Makoto Yuki by Rokuro Saito
 
P3M young makoto
Makoto, as a child, watching his parents burn to death in a car fire
 
ToPortIsland1
Makoto moving to Port Island
 
ToPortIsland2
Makoto moving to Port Island
 
GoOn
Suicide rush
 
Evoke1
Makoto using an Evoker
 
OrpheusSky
Makoto awakens Orpheus
 
MakotoYukariHospital
Makoto waking up in the hospital with Yukari
 
Fuuka Makoto
Makoto helping Fuuka
 
Makoto meets Aegis P3M
Makoto meets Aigis
 
JunpeiFuneral2
Makoto at Shinjiro's memorial
 
Keisuke Hiraga makes a cameo appearances in P3M
Makoto posing with Ryoji
 
Protag final
Makoto dying
 
Makoto in Persona 3 The Movie meets Walkman promo art
Makoto listening to music
 
PERSONA3 THE MOVIE Finale Event visual art
Visual art of Makoto and SEES of PERSONA3 THE MOVIE Finale Event
Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade
 
P3 WM - Male Protagonist
The male protagonist as he appears in Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Ao no Kakusei-
 
P3WM Male Protagonist
The male protagonist's full uniform shot
 
GnM Male Protag
The male protagonist as he appears in Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Gunjou no Meikyuu-
 
SnK Male Protagonist
The male protagonist as he appears in Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Souen no Kesshou-
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
 
P3Hero P3PQ
Artwork of Persona 3's protagonist
 
Persona Q Shadow of the Labyrinth Roundabout (DengekiComicsEX) cover
The P3 Hero appears on the -Roundabout- Volume 1 cover
 
Persona Q Shadow of the Labyrinth -Roundabout- 2
Cover for -Roundabout- Volume 2
 
Protags Roundabout
The protagonists in -Roundabout-
 
Persona Q P3 side Volume 01 cover
Protagonist on the volume cover
 
Persona Q P3 side Volume 02 cover
 
P3 Hero Side P3
The P3 Hero in Side:P3
 
Persona Q Persona 4 side Volume 02 cover
Protagonist on the P4 Side volume cover
 
P3 Hero Side P4
The P3 Hero in Side:P4
Night of the Phantom
 
Persona 141212
Night of the Phantom Concert promotional artwork of the protagonists of Persona 3 and Persona 4 alongside the protagonist of Persona 5.
PERSONA 20th Anniversary Festival
The protagonist on PERSONA 20th Anniversary Festival visual art by Shigenori Soejima
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, P3, 01
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, 02
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, 03
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, 06
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, 07
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, 13
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, 14
 
Persona 20th Anniversary Commemoration Illustrated, 15
Other
Persona series Protagonists, design by Shigenori Soejima. Media from top to bottom: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona -Trinity Soul-
 
Illustration of the Protagonist, Aigis, Yu, and Teddie by Shigenori Soejima
Illustration of the Protagonist, Aigis, Yu, and Teddie by Shigenori Soejima
 
PERSORA AWARDS 2 -20th AMBASSADOR BOX- Blu-ray DVD cover illustration by Shigenori Soejima
Illustration of the Protagonist, Yu, Nanako, and Koromaru by Shigenori
 
Yu-Narukami-Persona-3′s-protagonist
Yu & Izanagi using the Protagonist & Orpheus pallet in Persona 4 Arena
 
P4D Yu Narukami P-color Selection DLC
Yu using the Protagonist P-color Selection in Persona 4:Dancing All Night
 
PSC official line stickers 02
 
PSC official line stickers 05
the Protagonist with Yu,Shin and Female Protagonist
Illustration of the Protagonist,Yu and the Female Protagonist
Protagonist listening to music alongside with the Persona Protagonists

Trivia

  • While the protagonist never speaks for the most part, only occasionally mentioning the name of the equipped Persona when gearing up for a powerful attack. Arming him with a bow will have him shouting "Come forth!" or "Persona!" when summoning. Even though this variation does not occur in the JP version, equipping him with other weapon types will make him intone differently.
  • The music played on the protagonist's MP3 player appears to be a remixed version of Burn My Dread. The same remix is also used again as background music in the very last battle of the game.
  • In the beginning of the scene Awakening (first Persona summon) one can carefully see that the protagonist is wearing the SEES armband even though he didn't join SEES yet, of course in later parts of the scene the armband doesn't show.
  • During the credits roll, for both The Journey and The Answer, Messiah appears behind the protagonist's silhouette, indicating Messiah is his ultimate Persona. His actions in the game seem to support this, as he sacrifices his life to save humanity from itself. Furthermore, he appears crucified on the Great Seal, alluding to Jesus of Nazareth, the christian messiah, who died via crucifixion for a similar purpose.
  • The protagonist holds a distinct honor of being the only protagonist to be capable of wielding multiple weapons (although his default weapon is a One-Handed Sword). However, this was changed for Persona 3 Portable, in which he is only able to wield One-Handed Swords.
  • He is also the only character in the series able to use Fusion Raids without another character to assist him. In P3P however, Fusion Raids are now expendable items, and do not require that the specific Persona be around when they are used.
  • His headphones are made by Audio-Technica, model: ATH-EM700 SV. His portable music player is modeled after Sony's NW-S20x series of MP3 players.
  • Ironically, despite the fact that knives are one of the few weapons he can't wield in the game, a knife is the first weapon the protagonist is given to fight with in the manga.
  • He is the only character, other than his female counterpart, known to use the "The Universe Arcana".
  • The Shirt of Chivalry, a type of costume for males in FES and P3P, is noted for the Kanji symbols on their backs that symbolizes the character. The protagonist's kanji means "honorable man" (漢), being the field leader of SEES and being able to strengthen bonds through Social Links.
  • There are some audio files hidden in the DVD disc of Persona 3 FES that contains voices of the protagonist and Aigis shouting the names of the other SEES members Personas.
  • When the protagonist of Persona 3 hears Jika Net Tanaka, he describes it as an annoying song unlike the protagonist of Persona 4 who describes it as a cheery song. This implies that, despite the player's choices, he and the protagonist of Persona 4 have some semblance of a personality.
  • The way the shadow protagonist formed by the regret of SEES members alludes to the Metal Trio from Persona 2: Eternal Punishment manifested in Torifune out of Tatsuya Suou's guilt for breaking the promise with his former friends. While The Metal Trio in P2EP uses the golden version of their own ultimate Personas, the shadow protagonist in P3FES uses the golden version of the SEES members' ultimate personas.
  • He is mentioned in Persona 4 Arena by the returning Persona 3 characters, as Yu Narukami reminds them of him due to not only his Wild Card ability, but also due to his understanding of the bonds with people.
  • The name given to the protagonist in the film series, "Makoto Yuki," can be interpreted as "true courage," and the first name given to him in the manga series, "Minato," translates to "harbor." Both of these names allude to his role in the story.
  • In Persona Q, should the players choose Persona 4 at the start of the game, before he introduces himself he is referred to as "A Boy with Earphones."
    • In addition, in his Japanese gameplay trailer his name is written as "Minato Arisato", while in English gameplay trailer his name is still written as "P3 Hero".

References

  1. Atlus (2006, 2014). Persona 3: Official Design Works. Kadokawa Enterbrain - UDON Entertainment. pg. 13 - 14.
Characters
Playable Male protagonist - Female protagonist - Yukari Takeba - Junpei Iori - Akihiko Sanada - Mitsuru Kirijo - Fuuka Yamagishi - Aigis - Koromaru - Ken Amada - Shinjiro Aragaki - Metis
Social Link Kenji Tomochika - Hidetoshi Odagiri - Bunkichi and Mitsuko - Kazushi Miyamoto - Chihiro Fushimi - Isako Toriumi - Keisuke Hiraga - Yuko Nishiwaki - Maiko Oohashi - Pharos - Bebe - President Tanaka - Mutatsu - Mamoru Hayase - Nozomi Suemitsu - Akinari Kamiki - Rio Iwasaki - Saori Hasegawa - Ryoji Mochizuki
Major Igor - Elizabeth - Theodore - Shuji Ikutsuki - Officer Kurosawa - Takaya Sakaki - Jin Shirato - Chidori Yoshino - Takeharu Kirijo - Kouetsu Kirijo - Eiichiro Takeba - Natsuki Moriyama - Nyx - Erebus - Margaret
Minor Maki - Kiyoshi Sakuma - Mr. Edogawa - Mr. Ekoda - Ms. Miyahara - Ms. Ounishi - Mrs. Terauchi - Kikuno Saikawa - Yuu Kimijima - Souta Aizawa - Kyouka Sayama
Cameo Yukiko Amagi - Noriko Kashiwagi - Man Drinking Alone
Location
Port Island Gekkoukan High School - Paulownia Mall - Iwatodai Station - Port Island Station - Naganaki Shrine - Dorm - Moonlight Bridge - Velvet Room
Tartarus Blocks: Thebel - Arqa - Yabbashah - Tziah - Harabah - Adamah - Monad Depths
Abyss of Time Malebolge - Cocytus - Caina - Antenora - Ptolomea - Judecca - Empyrean
Other Kyoto - Great Seal
Music
Albums Original Soundtrack (JP / US / FES / Portable) - Bonus CD - Burn My Dread -Reincarnation- - Spring of Birth OST - Midsummer Knight's Dream OST - Falling Down OST - Winter Of Rebirth OST - Persona 20th Anniversary All Time Best Album
Songs "Burn My Dread" - "Aria of the Soul" - "Want To Be Close" - "When the Moon Reaches for the Stars" - "Iwatodai Dorm" - "Mass Destruction" - "Color Your Night" - "Deep Breath Deep Breath" - "The Meaning of Armbands" - "Deep Mentality" - "It's Going Down Now" - "Changing Seasons" - "Current Net Price Tanaka" - "Battle Hymn of the Soul" - "Kimi no Kioku" - "P3 FES" - "Mass Destruction -P3fes version-" - "Heartful Cry" - "Brand New Days" - "Soul Phrase" - "A Way of Life" - "Time" - "Wiping All Out" - "More Than One Heart" - "Fate is In Our Hands" - "One Single Word" - "One Hand, One Heartbeat" - "One Determination" - "Sound of the Beast" - "Storm for a Butterfly" - "Light in Starless Sky" - "My Testimony" - "Self Redemption"
Archives
Terminology Persona (Initial / Prime / Ultimate) - Persona user - Shadow - Wild Card - Evoker - Attack Properties - Tactics - All-out Attack - Shuffle Time - Dark Hour - Moon Phase System - Full Moon Operations - SEES - Kirijo Group - Nanjo Group - Strega - Artificial Persona user - Suppressants - Apathy Syndrome - The Fall - Death - Who's Who - Phoenix Ranger Featherman R - Plume of Dusk
P3RE: Shift - Theurgy - Combat Characteristics
Lists Arcana - Personas (P3 - FES - P - R) - Shadows - Bosses (P3 - FES) - Skills - Items (Heart Items / Vending Machines) - Status Effects - Elizabeth's Requests - Activities - Calendar - Trophies (Portable / Reload) - Steam Profile Items - Patches and Updates
School Life Daily Life - Seasons - Social Link - Social Stats - Yen - Class - Studying - Movie Theater - Bed - Part-time Jobs - Shrine - Tanaka's Amazing Commodities - Crane Machine - Chagall Café - School Club - Cooking - Walking Koromaru - Linked Episode - Computer - Refrigerator - Gardening - Books - DVDs - Studying - Fortune Telling
Other Media
Games FES - Portable - Reload - Dancing in Moonlight
Productions The Movie - The Movie: Escape from the Dark Hour - the Weird Masquerade: -Ao no Kakusei- / -Gunjou no Meikyuu- / -Souen no Kesshou- / -Ai no Seiyaku- / -Hekikuu no Kanata e- - Persona Stalker Club - 「PERSORA AWARDS」 - PERSORA AWARDS 2 - PERSORA AWARDS 3 - Persora -The Golden Best-
Drama CDs A Certain Day of Summer - Daylight / Moonlight - Character Drama CD Vol. 1 / Vol. 2 / Vol. 3 / Vol. 4 / Vol. 5 - New Moon / Full Moon - Portable Vol. 1 / Vol. 2
Publications Manga - Shadow Cry - Memento Mori - Owari no Kakera - Alternative Heart - Velvet Blue - Persona Magazine - Dear Girls Comic Anthology - Dengeki Comic Anthology - Tartarus Theater - Persona VS
Mobile Games The Night Before - Persona Ain Soph - Social - Escape - Illust Puzzle - Broken Shadow - Aegis: The First Mission - Qix - Chaining Soul - Em
Events Music Live 2008 - Music Live 2009 - Music Tour 2010 - Music Live 2012 - Music Fes 2013 - Music Box 2014 - Super Live 2015 - Livehouse Tour 2015 - Super Live 2017 - Super Live 2019- 25th Anniversary Symphonic Concert
20th Anniversary Festival - 25th Anniversary - 25th FES
Miscellaneous Merchandise
Characters
Playable - P3 P3 hero - Yukari Takeba - Junpei Iori - Akihiko Sanada - Mitsuru Kirijo - Fuuka Yamagishi - Aigis - Koromaru - Ken Amada - Shinjiro Aragaki
Playable - P4 P4 hero - Yosuke Hanamura - Chie Satonaka - Yukiko Amagi - Kanji Tatsumi - Rise Kujikawa - Teddie - Naoto Shirogane
Playable - PQ Rei & Zen
Non-playable Elizabeth - Margaret - Theodore - Marie - Nanako Dojima - Queen of Hearts - Merciful Clergyman - Kind Doctor - Best Friend - Clockwork God - Chronos - Zeus
Locations
Origin Tartarus - Yasogami High School
Main Hub Handcrafted Workshop - Nurse's Office - Velvet Room
Labyrinths You in Wonderland - Group Date Cafe - Evil Spirit Club - Inaba Pride Exhibit - Clock Tower
Music
Albums Original Soundtrack - Sound of the Labyrinth
Songs "Maze of Life" - "Light the Fire Up in the Night" - "Laser Beam" - "Changing Me"
Archives
Terminology Persona (Sub-Persona) - Persona user - Velvet Room - Fusion (Sacrificial Fusion) - Shadow (F.O.E) - Wild Card - Dark Hour - Evoker - Boost - Power Spot - Skill Card - SEES - Investigation Team - Cut-in - All-out Attack
Lists Arcana - Personas - Shadows - Bosses - Skills (Skill Cards) - Items - Ailments - Requests - Patches and Updates
Other Media
Manga -Roundabout- - Side:P3 - Side:P4
Productions Escape From Persona Q: Cyber Labyrinth - Official Visual Material
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