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Persona 3 (Manga)

Persona 3

  • ペルソナ3
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
  • P3
Manga7.84132 votes11 volumes · 50 chaptersFinished
ActionDramaSupernaturalSeinen

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About this title

Synopsis

On the surface, SEES—the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—is a completely normal club at Gekkoukan High School. In reality, they are a group of students who investigate a phenomenon known as the "Dark Hour" and eliminate beings known as "Shadows." Only select individuals with "potential" can remember the occurrence of the Dark Hour while others will "transmogrify" into coffins and become susceptible to Apathy Syndrome—a condition that puts its victims in a trance-like state and causes them to lose their will to live. Transfer student Minato Arisato is one such individual who can remember the events that occur during the Dark Hour, even though he is not aware of his ability. The moment he arrives at the school, he meets a mysterious person who asks him to sign a contract saying he will take responsibility for his own actions. Afterward, he is confronted by the members of SEES, who place him under secret surveillance because they believe he possesses a potential far greater than any of the other members. One night, Minato is abruptly awakened by Yukari Takeba when a Shadow comes to attack their dormitory during the Dark Hour. Feeling compelled to fight the Shadow, he picks up Yukari's gun but, instead of shooting the Shadow, he turns it on himself, awakening his "Persona." Equipped with his newfound powers, Minato joins SEES to uncover the mystery behind the mysterious phenomenon. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Publication notes

Persona 3 is based on the PS2 game by Atlus of the same title. The series was published in English by Udon Entertainment from October 4, 2016 to October 29, 2019. It has also been published in Spanish by ECC Ediciones since June 26, 2019.

Published

Feb 27, 2007 to Jan 27, 2017

MAL rank
#1449
Members (MAL)
14,878
Favorites (MAL)
359

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Main characters

  • Makoto Yuuki
    Makoto Yuuki2109 fan favorites
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    Age: 16-17 Date of Birth: Unknown, 1992 Height: 170 cm (5'7") Blood type: O Initial Persona: Orpheus Ultimate Persona: Messiah Weapons: multiple Weapons, one-Handed Swords Arcana: Fool, Death, Judgement, Universe Makoto Yuuki is an orphan; his parents died ten years prior to the events of Persona 3, which sees him returning to the city he grew up in. He moves into the dorm in the introduction of the story, learning of his ability to summon a Persona when the dorm is attacked by Shadows during the Dark Hour. Mitsuru asks him to join SEES and he is later elected the team's leader in combat. Makoto is unique among his cohorts in that he has the ability to carry multiple Personas and switch between them during battle. He is also the only character with access to the Velvet Room. The initial Persona of Makoto is Orpheus, although through Persona fusion and other means he has access to over 170 different Personas. Soejima took longer to design the Main Character than any other character, as the game's other characters would be made to complement his design. Soejima wrote in Art of Persona 3, "Initially, he looked more honest, like an ordinary, handsome young man. But, I worked to achieve greater ambiguity in his expression."

  • Aegis
    Aegis1299 fan favorites
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    Date of Manufacture: September 10th, 1999 Height: 162 cm (5'3") Initial Persona: Palladion Ultimate Persona: Pallas Athena Voice Actor : Sakamoto Maaya (CD Drama) Aegis is an android created by the Kirijo Group; she is the last surviving model of their experimental anti-Shadow weapon. In combat, she uses a wide variety of high-tech weapons, from machine guns and rocket launchers to long range guns and “rocket punches.” Aegis has the highest durability of any of the characters, and her Personas focus on physical attacks. Aegis is introduced during SEES' summer beach vacation, where she is simultaneously the target of Mitsuru's retrieval mission and Junpei's "Operation Babe Hunt." She immediately shows an instinctual interest in protecting the Main Character which even she cannot explain. Ikutsuki has her assigned to aid SEES, and she enrolls in Gekkoukan High to act as the Main Character's bodyguard. In the Persona 3: FES expansion, the player can access an epilogue to the main game called Episode Aegis (The Answer). There, Aegis replaces the Main Character as playable protagonist, inheriting his power to summon multiple Personas. The Main Character can also date Aegis in Persona 3: FES.

  • Mitsuru Kirijou
    Mitsuru Kirijou453 fan favorites
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    Age: 17 (18) Date of Birth: May 8th, 1991 Zodiac: Taurus Height: 166 cm (5'4") Blood Type: O Initial Persona: Penthesilea Ultimate Persona: Artemisia Weapons: Rapier Mitsuru is the only child of the current head of the Kirijo Group, Takeharu Kirijo. She is also the school’s top ranking valedictorian and student council president. In battle she wields one-handed swords such as rapiers and sabers. Her Personas excel at ice spells, and she is the most powerful offensive magic caster aside from the Main Character. Mitsuru has been battling Shadows for a long time. Upon discovering of the Main Character’s potential as a Persona-user, she, along with Ikutsuki, invites him into SEES. At the beginning of the game she stays behind as a Support character, offering analysis and advice. She joins the party in battle only after the discovery of Fuuka Yamagishi, whose analysis power is much stronger than Mitsuru's. Mitsuru is one of the girls that Main Character can date over the course of the game. In order to attract such an ambitious young woman he must maximize his intellect statistic, and rank first in his class for at least one exam. If the player makes the correct choices, Mitsuru will fall in love with the Main Character, and the Main Character will help free her from some of the expectations attached to her family name. While Mitsuru herself has not made any sort of appearance in the anime sequel, Persona -trinity soul-, a young girl bearing an uncanny resemblance to her is shown in the first episode bringing one of her fingers up much like the Main Character did near the end of the game.

  • Akihiko Sanada
    Akihiko Sanada385 fan favorites
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    Age: 17(18) Date of Birth: September 22nd, 1991 Zodiac: Virgo Height: 175.5 cm (5'8.5") Blood Type: A Initial Persona: Polydeuces Ultimate Persona: Caesar Weapons: Gloves & Knuckles Akihiko is the mature and confident captain of his school’s boxing team, as well as a senior at Gekkoukan High. He is a hard worker who balances a high GPA with near-constant training. Since Akihiko is a boxer, he uses gloves and claws in battle. His Personas can be used to cast lightning magic and debuff spells. He cannot fight for the first part of the game because of injuries. Akihiko was one of the three Persona users who originally founded SEES, alongside Mitsuru and Shinjiro. The twenty-eight-year-old Akihiko appears in Persona 3's anime sequel, Persona - trinity soul -, as a contact of one of the main characters, a police chief. He is seen talking with Ryō on the phone in the beginning of the series. He knows about the Persona and Reverse cases as they are usually the conversation topic. He is currently working with the police force after prior events 10 years ago from Persona 3. He was one of the main character's companions in Persona 3. As of episode 14, Akihiko has officially entered the universe of Persona: Trinity Soul, seen entering the elevator of the police station behind Shin and then later talking with Inui as a member of Marebito loses control of his persona in the city square.

  • Yukari Takeba
    Yukari Takeba283 fan favorites
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    Age: 16 Birthday: October 19 Horoscope: Libra Height: 159 cm Blood type: B Yukari Takeba is a classmate of the Main Character. Since she is a member of the school's Archery Club, Yukari naturally wields a bow and arrow in battle. Her zeal for investigation brings SEES a lot of trouble, but also gains the group valuable allies and information. She has a high aptitude for magic and her Personas that excel in wind and healing spells. Yukari is very popular at school because of her good looks, cheerful disposition, and energetic attitude. But there's is more to Yukari than meets the eye. Though she's outwardly extraverted, she is very careful not to let anyone get close to her. She constantly picks on Junpei, hides her true motives from the group, and represses a lot of anger and pain about her past. At the beginning of the game she has trouble summoning her Persona and becomes distressed when holding an evoker gun to her head. Yukari is one of the girls that Main Character has the option of dating over the course of the game. Since Yukari is very popular, he must maximize his charm statistic in order to ask her out. If the Main Character makes the correct choices, Yukari will fall in love with him, and he will help her mend her relationship with her mother.

  • Junpei Iori
    Junpei Iori216 fan favorites
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    Age: 16-17 Date of Birth: January 16th, 1993 Zodiac: Capricorn Height: 170.5 cm (5'7.5") Blood Type: B Initial Persona: Hermes Ultimate Persona: Trismegistus Weapons: Two-Handed Sword Voice Actor : Toriumi Kousuke (CD Drama) Junpei Iori is the Main Character's best friend, though the two often find themselves at odds. He plays the class clown in order to mask his insecurities. Junpei's chosen weapon is two-handed sword which he wields like a baseball bat. His Personas excel at physical attacks and party buffs, and can also cast weak fire magic. Junpei joins SEES near the beginning of the game. He was found crying in a convenience store during the Dark Hour, and did not realize that he had the potential to call a Persona until Akihiko told him about it. His decision to join SEES was a swift one, and he immediately moved into their dorm, to Yukari’s dismay. In Persona 3: FES, it is revealed that he once met Koromaru when he had run away from home -- specifically, his alcoholic father. Character designer Shigenori Soejima has stated that Junpei is "the most important character when it comes to getting the player to buy into the story," because of all the major characters, he is one who looks and acts the most like a normal teenager. Junpei also makes a brief apperance in Persona: Trinity Soul, as he is seen at the police station.

  • Fuuka Yamagishi
    Fuuka Yamagishi178 fan favorites
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    Fuuka is a shy junior who is known for being sickly. Unlike the other members of SEES, she does not have any fighting abilities, nor do her Personas. Instead she takes Mitsuru's place as the team's tactical support. Fuuka's role is to forecast where upcoming bosses can be found, analyze the weaknesses of various enemies, and provide commentary on the battles. She also provides information on the medical status of the team. A few months into the school year, Fuuka goes missing for several days. Yukari, Junpei, and the Main Character decide to investigate after strange things start happening to girls who once bullied Fuuka. It turns out that the girls locked Fuuka up in the school gymnasium, where she accidentally became trapped in Tartarus. SEES takes part in a dangerous mission to rescue her. In Tartarus, Fuuka is awakened to the reality of her Persona power. At the same time, Natsuki, one of the girls who bullied Fuuka, wanders into the school to see if Fuuka is alright. Fuuka who ends up saving Natsuki in spite of all that Natsuki did to her, and they both become fast friends afterwards even though Natsuki has no memory of the incident. Under Natsuki and SEES' influence, Fuuka changes from a shy and isolated girl into a strong-willed, compassionate young woman. Both her Persona and her hacking skills manifest her desire to always be connected to her friends. Fuuka is one of the girls that the Main Character can date over the course of the game. Since dating Fuuka involves tasting her horrible cooking, Main Character must maximize his courage statistic before he can ask her out. If the Main Character makes the correct choices, Fuuka will fall in love with him, and he can help her to become more comfortable with being an "unfeminine" computer geek.

  • Koromaru
    Koromaru94 fan favorites
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    Koromaru's master was killed in an incident involving Shadows. He became a stray, and was watched over by Fuuka and Yukari. Instead of attacking with his fangs or claws, Koromaru wields daggers in his mouth. His Personas can be used to cast fire spells, as well as darkness-based spells that occasionally instantly kill the enemy. He has a speed advantage over the other characters. Koromaru remains faithful to his master even after his death, retracing the path of their old walks and revisiting the place where he was slain. One day when Akihiko is hunting Shadows, he comes across the canine, who is gravely injured. The Shadows surrounding him are dead. Once Koromaru is healed, Ikutsuki reveals that he too has the potential to summon a Persona. Mitsuru gives him a special collar-like Evoker and he is inducted into SEES. Aigis claims to be able to translate Koromaru's barking and body language into human speech.

  • Ken Amada
    Ken Amada31 fan favorites
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    Ken Amada is the youngest human member of SEES, and one of the two who don't attend Gekkoukan High School. He is mature, but sometimes he is too precocious for his own good. He uses long spears to make up for his short stature. His Personas can be used for healing, and to cast light-based spells that occasionally instantly kill the enemy. Ken is invited by Ikutsuki to live in the SEES dorm because he is an orphan with no home to return to. He is revealed to have the potential to wield Persona and is asked to join the organization. According to character designer Shigenori Soejima, Ken was designed to have a nostalgic look, rather than to reflect the style of modern Japanese children.

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