Persona Characters Guide: Everyone You Need to Know

The Persona series is regarded as not only some of the best JRPGs to ever release, but some of the best video games period. Much of this comes from the fact that the characters in these titles are utterly fantastic. As such, we have come up with a Persona characters guide for you.

I own and have played through every single game in the series to date, and have been a huge fan for more than a decade, so it would be my honor to guide you through what is one of my favorite video game series of all time.

This Persona characters guide is meant to offer a glance at every single main character that you can play as or joins your party over the course of the series. As such, there are a lot of characters to go over.

All Persona Characters Guide: Full List

Given that there are six mainline games in the Persona series from Atlus, there are dozens of playable main characters that players are able to become fans of.

Here is the full list of the playable characters in the series:

One of the interesting facts about this list of characters is that the original Persona actually has one of the largest casts in the game.

However, it is not the largest one in total as that would go to the Persona 3 group if you take into account the FES version of the game that came out on PlayStation 2.

The second-largest cast would then go to the Persona 5 team, with 10 characters in total part of the Phantom Thieves by the events of Persona 5 Royal. Interestingly enough, this makes a sort of trend where the odd-numbered games have larger casts while the even ones are more intimate.

With so many games to date, we are going to break down all of the various playable characters in our Persona characters guide. We’ll give the breakdown of who they are, what game they appear in, their personality, and what you need to know.

It is also worth noting that we will do our best to keep this spoiler-free, but you should keep in mind that some of these characters’ names being mentioned as party members alone could be considered spoilers for some.

Revelations: Persona Characters

The original Revelations: Persona, or Shin Megami Tensei: Persona from the PSP remake, was the first in the series. With an emphasis on high school students more than ever before in the SMT series and a diverse cast of characters, it started the trend of story-driven titles that would come to follow.

What is also fascinating about this first title in the series when it comes to characters is that there are two main routes: the SEBEC route that is considered the main storyline, and the Snow Queen route that is a totally different quest not found in the original Western version of the game but included in the PSP remake.

Where this affects the characters is that some of the main members can change in the party depending on which route you take. Some may not be that important in one route or not even playable at all, depending on what the player does.

In this way, Persona is best played twice to see both routes at hand and get the full breadth of the characters that you meet from the cast. Here’s a general overview of each person in the cast without any spoilers included.

Protagonist

Protagonist

The main character of Revelations: Persona is “boy with earring” as he would come to be known as there is no canon name for him at this time. A second-year student at St. Hermelin High School, he and his friends encounter Philemon (Full Philemon Guide) and awaken with the ability to control Personas, or demons that represent their other-selves.

Maki

The most complicated, and arguably interesting, character in Revelations: Persona is Maki Sonomura. While discussing much of why this is would be considered spoilers, she is an envious and sometimes bitter high school student.

This is due to the fact that she has been ill and bedridden in the hospital for much of her life. That said, things change when she joins the party in the original Persona to become one of the users and main characters who assist the protagonist.

Yukino

Yukino, or Yuki depending on which version of the localization you are playing, is a visually rough character who is actually a mature and kind person with the group’s best interests in mind.

That said, Yukino can become angry fast and does not fail to defend her teammates when necessary. She is also one of the few recurring main characters in the Persona series as you will see later.

Kei

Kei is another high school student and another recurring character in the Persona series who got his start in the original. He is the heir to the Nanjo family’s fortune and someone who could be considered obnoxious much of the time.

Hidehiko

Hidehiko

Every cast of characters in the Persona series essentially needs a comic relief person, and that role goes to Hidehiko in the original title. Known by his nickname Brown, or Brad if you played the PS1 localization, he is yet another student from St. Hermelin.

Hidehiko will make jokes in many of the scenes in the story and he can be seen as pretty annoying for his flirtatious personality as well. Especially in one of the routes, he will not even let his Persona enemies go without flirting with them.

Yuka

One of the least likable characters for some in the original Persona game, Yuka is a fairly annoying and immature character. She does not really show too much affection for her classmates and does not seemingly care all that much about the goal of the team, either.

Overall, she has an “in the moment” attitude and only really seems to care about doing what she wants. That said, there is an underlying caring and sweet side to her personality if someone is willing to dig deep enough.

Masao

Perhaps the most infamous character in the first game’s cast is Masao Inaba, or Mark as his nickname is known to be in both the Japanese and English versions. A fan of putting up graffiti around town, he has gotten in trouble with the law before, which leads to some of his story beats in the game itself.

That said, the most notable quality about him is his localization in the PS1 version in which the character was controversially changed from the Japanese Masao “Mark” Inaba to an African American version.

While the intentions of making the cast more diverse potentially meant well, the execution was mixed and problematic in ways. This was fixed in the PSP remake localization, but still, something that got this series off on the wrong foot initially in the West.

Eriko

Eriko

Eriko is a fashionable high school student who has a somewhat dangerous interest in everything occult. When the start of the game features the core group of characters wanting to play the “Persona game”, she is not fazed as it is something that has engaged in before.

Reiji

Reiji, or Chris as he would be known in the original localization, is the final party member that players should know about. He is a slight spoiler for the main game, due to the fact that he is optional and you can play the whole game without him joining the group.

For one, he is only available one of the two main routes and only under very specific conditions that must be met. That said, he is an intriguing and complicated character with a unique design of an X-shaped scar on his forehead and a past that is intrinsically tied to the main story.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin Characters

With the sequel to the original game, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Atlus opted for a slightly smaller cast of characters and a more varied approach to storytelling. It and its sequel are the only games to also have party members who return from a previous title.

Unlike the past game, Persona 2: Innocent Sin introduces a main character that has a canon name, though, you can still customize it if you’d like. However, it does continue the trend of silent heroes in the series.

Tatsuya Suou

Tatsuya Suou

The protagonist and main character of Persona 2: Innocent Sin is Tatsuya Suou. His design is unique with reddish-brown hair that is almost shoulder length and a moody look to him.

The goal of Tatsuya is to investigate the “Joker” (no, not that Joker from Persona 5) who is reportedly killing people around town.

Lisa

Lisa Silverman is the next main character who is part of the group and a fellow student of Tatsuya’s at Seven Sisters High School. With a Western-sounding name and appearance, she is actually a Japanese citizen.

Lisa is close to Tatsuya, having clear feelings for him that she does not do a great job of hiding as she attempts to help him in his quest to take down the Joker killer.

Jun Kurosu

Jun Kurosu is the childhood friend of Tatsuya and one of the several characters who are not high school students at Seven Sisters. A third-year student at Kasugayama High School, he assists his friend in his challenging mission. There is more to him than meets the eye and it is possible that Jun’s long-time feelings for Tatsuya are more than simply platonic.

Maya Amano

Maya Amano

Maya Amano is another playable character and main party member in Persona 2: Innocent Sin. A reporter for a magazine, she is investigating the mysterious Joker and joins the group in the process.

What is fascinating about Maya is that she is not just any party member, but also a protagonist in the series, too. While Tatsuya is the main character in this game, she would later take over as the lead character in the following title.

Eikichi

Eikichi is a second-year student at Kasugayama High alongside Jun and has a pretty rough personality. He is flirtatious and all about himself, leading a gang of high school students who cause trouble around town.

The third party member in the game, Eikichi is the difficult character in the group who takes some time to grow on the player. That said, he is found to be friends with his fellow schoolmate, Jun, and seemingly cares for him.

Yukino

Yukino

A familiar character in the series, Yukino is the first and one of the only recurring heroes in the series. Returning as a playable character in Persona 2 from her time as a student in the first game, she is now a photographer who is investigating Joker alongside Maya.

Her appearance is still rough in this title, despite her change in personality due to the events both in and prior to the first game. That said, she has taken over the role of her former teacher from the first game and is now using what she learned to help others.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Characters

ethernal punishment

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is its own full-length JRPG with its own story that, when paired with Innocent Sin, creates the entire journey of investigating Joker and finding out the truth about what’s going on in the city.

As such, there are a lot of overlapping characters, both minor and major, from the previous two games, including playable ones. That said, much of the playable characters in this game differ from its predecessor, Innocent Sin, with the exception of two.

Maya Amano

One of only two returning playable characters from Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Maya makes a second appearance in this sequel but as the hero this time around. As such, Maya loses her visible personality in favor of being a silent protagonist this time around.

After being saved by the Joker, she joins with Tatsuya in order to investigate the killer once more and feels a sense of familiarity with the former protagonist.

Tatsuya Suou

Tatsuya is the former protagonist of Innocent Sin who returns mainly as a playable party member this time around. Though he does share some of the hero duties in Eternal Punishment, more of his personality appears in this title.

One thing that stays the same, though, from across both games is his signature Zippo lighter that he flicks open and shut over and over as a sort of tic for his character. This lighter is precious to him as a gift from his childhood friend Jun.

Katsuya

Katsuya

Hunting down Joker is a family business in the Suou family, as Eternal Punishment sees Tatsuya’s brother, Katsuya Suou, join the party in order to take down the killer.

A detective on the hunt for Joker, Katsuya is relentless in his search, even after being taken off of the team. The events of Eternal Punishment shed some more light on his personality, being that it is not constantly from the biased perspective of Tatsuya.

Baofu

Baofu is a Taiwanese party member who was formerly featured in the previous Persona 2 game, Innocent Sin. In that game, he was one of the people who was spreading rumors around the city about the Joker.

However, he takes a much larger role in Eternal Punishment as one of the playable party members with his own unique set of skills. A mysterious and often difficult character to deal with, he has his own motives for joining the group.

Ulala

Ulala Serizawa is the roommate and friend of the main character Maya, who was featured in the previous Persona 2 title. Though she is the friend of Maya, she is inevitably to blame for Joker targeting her in the past. She has a strong personality and loves to drink.

Eriko

Eriko1

Eriko is one of two possible returning characters from the original Persona that reappear in Eternal Punishment. It is actually optional for her to join your team as players have the choice between her and Kei.

At this point in the future, Eriko has found herself to be the model that she dreamed of becoming but ends up investigating some of the villains behind the events of Eternal Punishment.

Kei

The other returning Persona character from the first game is Kei. He is the other option that players have for joining their party from the first game and will change the events of the story some if he is selected.

Following the events of the first game, Kei has now returned from studying overseas and, like Eriko, is now investigating a mysterious group and how it all ties into his own family’s Nanjo Group.

Persona 3 Characters

The first game in the series to introduce Social Links, party members in Persona 3 took an even stronger position as one of the core parts of this game. With the largest cast to date (depending on which version you are playing), there are many different characters to meet and fight alongside.

Protagonist/Female Protagonist

The hero of Persona 3 is unique in that, for the first time ever, it can be a male or female character. Well, that is if you are playing the PSP version of the game.

In Persona 3, the hero is a recent transfer student to Gekkoukan High School and eventually becomes part of the SEES group who are fighting to stop the monsters of the Dark Hour.

Junpei

Junpei

Junpei Iori is the best bro sort of character and the first in the series to fill this soon-to-be trope. He is a goofy and fun guy, with a heart of gold that is hidden underneath.

Yukari

Yukari is a kind and sweet girl, and the first main character that the protagonist meets upon moving into the dorms at their new high school. A character with strong ties to the Kirijo Group and SEES, she is a valuable ally.

Mitsuru

Mitsuru Kirijo is a third-year student at the school and the next in line to inherit her family’s Kirijo Group. She is one of the leaders of the SEES team and the supporter who assists the team while they are in battle.

Akihiko

Akihiko

Akihiko is another third-year student at the high school and a fellow founding member of the SEES team. Using his fists to fight, he is a protein-obsessed muscle man who is always looking to get stronger.

Continue reading our comprehensive Akihiko Sanada guide.

Shinjiro

A former member of SEES, Shinjiro is the foster brother of Akihiko and the lone wolf of the pack. He likes to do his own thing and fight against the enemies on his own, but he is still ultimately part of the group.

Ken and Koromaru

Two separate characters but inseparable in their love for each other, Ken Amada is an elementary school student who gets wrapped in the madness of the Dark Hour and helps the group. He is best friends with fellow party member and the first animal companion in the series, Koromaru, who is a loyal dog companion.

Aigis

Aigis

Aigis is a robot who has been built by the Kirijo Group to fight the shadows that are in the Dark Hour. She joins the group as a powerful teammate but learns from the group in the process about being human.

Fuuka

Fuuka is a second-year student at the same high school as the others and mostly keeps to herself. She is quite shy and is one of the final members of the group to join. That said, her role on the team is an important one.

Metis

Metis is another unique character in that you can only encounter her if you play a certain version of the game. Only available in the FES version on PS2, and only in the epilogue episode at that, Metis is an ally to Aigis in this special part of the story.

Persona 4 Characters

Persona 4 has one of the smallest groups of cast members, but this allows the story to be a focused and intimate one that allows the player to really get to know everyone on a deep level.

Yu

Yu

Yu Narukami is the official name for the Persona 4 protagonist, though you can still name him whatever you like. An ashen-haired high school student who moves into the countryside from the city to stay with his uncle and cousin for a period of time.

Yosuke

Yosuke is the first party member to join protagonist Yu in investigating the Midnight Channel. The best friend guy is a loud and goofy guy who is not too well-loved by some of the members of the group.

Related: Complete Yosuke Hanamura Guide.

Chie

Chie is the third member of the party and a short-haired martial artist who is all about training to become the very best. She has a short temper and expressive personality but cares deeply about her friends.

Continue reading our full Chie Satonaka Guide.

Teddie

Upgrading from the simple animal companion in Persona 3, Teddie is the first talking animal-like mascot for the series. Seemingly a teddy bear but human-sized and able to fight alongside the group, his origins are a mystery, but he is a pure and kind-hearted pal.

Yukiko

Yukiko

Yukiko is a member of the family who runs the local inn and deals with the weight of tradition in her life. She is calm and quiet at times but gradually grows into her true self as the story goes on.

Here’s our complete Yukiko Amagi Guide.

Kanji

Kanji is the definition of not judging a book by its cover. He may look like a troublemaker and even act like one at times, but he has some surprising hobbies that show a more gentle side. He has his secrets to figure out about himself as the story progresses.

Naoto

Naoto is another mysterious character who is a brilliant teenage detective. With the goal of investigating the serial murders in the town, Naoto joins up with the team to find the truth.

Rise

Rise is a fan favorite idol who has returned to the countryside while on a break from acting and singing. She joins up with the group to investigate the Midnight Channel, with her strong and bold personality adding some interesting layers to the group.

Here’s our complete Rise Kujikawa Guide.

Persona 5 Characters

Persona 5 has the second-biggest group of characters in total, with 10 if you play the Royal version of the game.

Joker

joker

Joker is the codename for the player’s protagonist and the leader of the Phantom Thieves. He moves to the big city after a recent criminal incident.

Morgana

Morgana is the latest talking animal mascot, a cat of some kind who can fight alongside the group in the Palaces they visit.

Ryuji

Ryuji is the goofy best friend archetype He is a former sports player with little going for him at the start of the game.

Ann

Ann is one of the first party members in the group and is an aspiring model who deals with problems at school.

Yusuke

Yusuke

Yusuke Kitagawa is a brilliant artist who works for a famous painter. He has a quiet personality and is one of the only members who goes to a different school.

Makoto

Makoto is the younger sister of a public investigator who is looking into the Phantom Thieves. She has a stoic attitude as one of the top students in school.

Futaba

Futaba is a shut-in who never leaves and is always on the computer. She has a tragic past and one that eventually intersects with the Phantom Thieves.

Haru

Haru

Haru is the daughter of the leader of a major corporation in Japan. With the weight of everyone’s expectations, she is able to break free and become her real self as a Phantom Thief.

Goro

The final member of the group in the original game, Goro Akechi is a teenage detective who thinks he has the Phantom Thieves figured out before joining them himself.

Kasumi

The now final member of the group is Kasumi, a dancer whose dark and tragic past eventually brings her into the group during Royal’s exclusive third-semester storyline.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Who is the best character in Persona?

Answer: This is totally subjective, but I will give you my answer. Across all six games, but I would personally pick Goro Akechi, especially after his story in Royal. You could argue that the initial version of him in Persona 5 was rushed and not too well done.

That said, the expanded storyline in Royal does him justice and reveals easily the best character in the franchise, in my opinion. He is well-written, complicated, and lovable, despite the glaring personality problems he has.

Question: Who is Joker’s girlfriend Persona 5?

Answer: As you likely already know, you can choose who to romance in Persona 5 as Joker. That said, there are some indications to a possible canon relationship for him.

Before Royal, I thought Makoto was likely the canon relationship, even though I was, personally, a fan of Haru. However, with Royal, it is all but confirmed at this point that Kasumi is meant to be the canon relationship for Joker. That said, there is also an argument for Goro to be the canon boyfriend, but that’s a story for another time.

Question: How many playable characters are in Persona?

Answer: There are around 47 playable characters in the mainline Persona games, including the additional characters added in ports and re-releases of titles.

Question: Who is the best character in Persona 5?

Answer: As already mentioned, it really comes down to personal preference in the end. Overall, I would say that Persona 5 has the most consistently amazing cast of characters, so it is difficult to determine this.
Conclusion

That said, with Royal’s release, I think that this version of the game elevates Goro and Kasumi to easily the best in the bunch. I would, personally, put Goro first with Kasumi having a close second place for the best character in Persona 5.

 

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