Characters of Persona 4
Encyclopedia
The story of Atlus
' PlayStation 2
console role-playing game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
is centered around a group of high-school students dedicated to capturing the culprit responsible for the murders and kidnappings that happened in their small town of Inaba. The game's timeline begins on April 11, 2011, which places the events of the game at about twelve months after the end of Persona 3 FES 's epilogue story, "The Answer," which ended on April 1, 2010. Shigenori Soejima acted as the art director for the game, and was responsible for designing the game's characters. The general approach to designing the characters, and ultimately the setting of the game was by drawing from the memory and interpretation of the development staff about a "rural, countryside" setting.
There are eight player characters that form a self-made investigation team trying to solve the murders in the town of Inaba. The main protagonist is a high-school student who moved into the town from the city. He is met by Yosuke Hanamura, the son of the local department store manager; Chie Satonaka, an energetic girl with a strong interest in kung fu; Yukiko Amagi, a calm and refined girl who helps out at her family's Amagi Inn; Kanji Tatsumi, a first-year student known for is reputation as a notorious punk; Teddie, a mysterious figure in the form of a bear costume; Rise Kujikawa, a teen idol on hiatus; and Naoto Shirogane, a well-known junior detective under a male guise.
With the release of Persona 4 in Japan, much merchandise has also been released themed around the game's characters. Reception of the game's characters are mostly positive, and a few characters have been given good reviews.
games, his only speech occurring during battle when occasionally calling out the name of his Persona. He has silver hair with a shape close to a bowl cut
or mop top. At the beginning of the game, he moves to the countryside to live with his uncle and cousin for a year, and attends Yasogami High School in the same homeroom
class as Chie, Yousuke, and Yukiko. The story of Persona 4 begins when the Protagonist meets Igor and Margaret in the Velvet Room, in the form of a limousine driving in a thick fog (the shape of the Velvet Room changes based on its visitor). His entire personality is decided and portrayed by the player's in-game actions and decisions. He exclusively wields two-handed sword-type weapons.
The Protagonist's initial Persona, Izanagi
of the Fool
Arcana, wears a long coat reminiscent of the Japanese banchō
and wields the Amenonuhoko
, which, in the game, is a spear resembling a combat knife
with a long handle. This Persona is later transformed into Izanagi-no-Ōkami of the World
arcana, the game's most powerful Persona, to defeat the game's final boss. The Protagonist also has the unique "Wild card" ability, which allows him to swap Personas for use in battle, similar to the main characters of previous Persona games; however, without the power of Death at his hand, the Protagonist cannot use Fusion Spells like Persona 3's Protagonist.
In the manga, he is named is . In this portrayal, he is depicted as being a distant, but otherwise friendly, loner with a pessimistic outlook on life, due to having to move frequently as a result of his parents' changing careers. In Persona 4: The Ultimate In Mayonaka Arena; Persona 4: The Animation; and Persona 4: The Golden, he is named . In the anime potrayal, he is a transfer student from Tokyo who understands the problems of others, especially those whose Shadows emerge (e.g. Yosuke's boredom of Inaba). He is similar to Souji Seta, but his personality grows over the course of the anime series.
The characters of the game give the Protagonist titles (Senpai, Sensei, Leader, partner, Big bro) when directly talking to him, instead of the usual "you" or "him" like his predecessors.
The character design of the Protagonist stayed relatively similar from initial conception, with his tone and expressions changing the most.
Persona: Jiraiya
and Susano-o
of The Magician
arcana
An awkward boy with slightly unkempt reddish-brown hair, who usually walks around with a music player and red/orange headphones
around his neck. He dual wields blades ranging from blunt wrenches to knives to daggers in battle. He is usually very clumsy and often used as comic relief
through physical comedy
. When going from place to place, he is usually on his bike (though he often crashes painfully). Yosuke is the most vocal of the investigation team, and is the one often to create theories on the murders as well as piece evidence together. Although it often falls on the player to decipher the clues Yosuke ponders, his deductive skills allow him to create solid theories, and he is the self-appointed second in command, often saying what the player is unable to.
His Persona is Jiraiya
of The Magician
Arcana, whose head vaguely resembles that of a cartoon frog, and wears a white disco suit with a distinctive "V" on its chest along with a red scarf. Jiraiya uses wind spells and is also able to use minor healing spells. Once his Social Link, The Magician Arcana, is maxed out, Jiraiya will evolve into Susano-o
.
Yosuke's Shadow takes the form of a cartoon frog with a body on top; the body and frog resemble his Persona. It represents his resentment of living in a small country town with little to do, as well as his inner wish for something exciting to happen.
The protagonist helps Yosuke face his issues regarding his sadness over his unrequited feelings for Saki Konishi, the second victim of the murders, as well as being subjected to being pushed around by his father's employees who sees him and his family as a nuisance since the opening of Junes in the course of the Magician S.Link.
Persona: Tomoe
and Suzuka Gongen of The Chariot
arcana
An upbeat girl with short light-brown hair, who usually wears a green athletic jacket decorated with buttons. Her weapon is a pair of greave
s. She has an obsession with Kung fu, and even uses their techniques in battle, similar to Lisa Silverman of Persona 2
. Most of the time, she is friendly, cheerful, and energetic, but she has a short temper. Chie, Yukiko, and Rise are unskilled at cooking, often providing the main cast with unpalatable to terribly awful dishes through the course of the story. Yosuke refers to their horrible cooking as "Mystery Food X."
Her Persona is Tomoe
of The Chariot
Arcana, a muscular female figure wearing a yellow outfit reminiscent of Bruce Lee
's famous tracksuit (referencing her love for Kung-fu movies), wielding a double bladed naginata
. Tomoe is shown to use both physical and low-level ice spells. Tomoe evolves into Suzuka Gongen after maxing out the Chie's Social Link, the Chariot.
Chie's Shadow takes the form of a masked dominatrix with long black hair with knife-like ends, supported by three pale female students. It represents her jealousy of Yukiko's feminine side and her talents, as well as her wish and need to maintain control over Yukiko.
During Chie's S.Link, the protagonist helps her to discover that she genuinely wanted to protect Yukiko without any underlying selfish motivations. The desire to protect people eventually inspired her to seek a career as a police officer. She is also one of the female characters whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship with.
Persona: Konohana-Sakuya
and Amaterasu
of The Priestess
arcana
An elegant, introverted girl with long groomed black hair and a red hairband. Yukiko usually wears either a red cardigan over her school uniform blouse or a pink yukata
, and is sometimes also seen carrying a paper fan, which she uses in battle, or a red umbrella. Her family owns a famous ryokan in the city, and Yukiko is always busy preparing herself to take over the business. She is named the next owner of the ryokan and feels oppressed by her expected duties. Despite her elegant appearance, she carries a whimsical side prone to fits of laughter.
Yukiko is skilled with healing and fire spells. Her Persona is Konohana-Sakuya
of The Priestess
Arcana, resembling a Super Sentai
heroine and being almost completely pink in color, her uniform reminiscent to a high school cheerleader's uniform. It appears to carry decorative fan-like weapon. Konohana-Sakuya will evolve into Amaterasu
once Yukiko's Priestess Social Link is maxed out.
Her Shadow takes the form of a caged red lovebird with Yukiko's hair, that is able to summon a prince-like Shadow to assist it. It represents her resentment towards having her destiny already chosen for her as inheritor of the Amagi Inn and her desires to be rescued and taken far away by her "prince" Chie, as she feels "caged" in Inaba. Her TV world dungeon is a pink Romanesque
castle filled with medieval furniture.
In the S.Link for The Priestess, Yukiko voices her wish to the protagonist to leave Inaba and find a career away from managing her family inn. She eventually changes her mind when she realizes she cannot find the heart to leave the family and employees who supported her when she decided to learn to cook. In addition, Yukiko discovers her fear and resentment wasn't solely born from the idea of her inheriting the family business, but rather that the decision to take over was made for her by her family. She is also one of the female characters with whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship.
A younger Yukiko makes an appearance in Persona 3 Portable at the Amagi Inn, when the Gekkoukan students take a field trip to Inaba. She is seen interacting with Rio Iwasaki.
Persona: Take-Mikazuchi and Rokuten-Maō of The Emperor
arcana
A male delinquent with a bleached, swept-back crewcut who has a scar above his left eye. He wears many piercings, metal jewelry, and a black sweater with a skull-and-crossbones design on it under his school uniform. He uses brute force in combat, swinging weapons such as steel chairs and shields. Kanji has a reputation as being a bully, and is the center of numerous rumors regarding a confrontation with a local biker gang. He also attends Yasogami High. His mother runs a textile shop, with the Amagi family being one of their main customers. Kanji is skilled at tailoring for this reason, and has been interested in sewing since he was a child, but was teased about his interests.
His Persona is Take-Mikazuchi of The Emperor
Arcana, which, like Kanji, is a large, imposing figure with a skeleton-like design similar to Kanji's winter uniform, as well as a lightning bolt that is often used when casting magic. He uses electric spells and physical attacks. Once the player completes Kanji's Emperor S.Link, Take-Mikazuchi will evolve into Rokuten Maō.
Kanji's TV world dungeon is a men's sauna. His Shadow is a mostly nude, if not large, version of himself surrounded by roses and holding two Mars symbol
s, with a flamboyant personality that directly states a sexual preference for men. When defeated, Kanji accepts that this other self is an important part of his identity, but does not specifically state he is gay. Atlus prefers to leave the issue of Kanji's sexuality as open to the viewer.
In the S.Link for The Emperor, Kanji and the protagonist meet a boy who lost a doll. Reminded of his situation while he was at that age, and in an effort to cheer up the child, Kanji personally made him a few dolls, which are so well made that they become a hit with the children and their mothers. Due to this, Kanji's works are displayed in his parents' textile shop as a side business, and by the end of the game he holds his own handcraft classes. Kanji eventually learns to take pride in his skills, rather than hide them. When completing Kanji's social link, he says of his TV world self, "That other 'me' is me."
Persona: Himiko
and Kanzeon of The Lovers arcana
A cheerful-looking girl with violet-red hair tied in two pigtails
. She was one of the most popular idols in Japan, but suddenly quit her job and transferred to Yasogami High School as a freshman to take a break from the spotlight and lead a normal life, away from the stress of fame. Rise grew up in Inaba, and her grandmother runs a shop in the shopping district, Marukyu Tofu, which Rise initially helps out at after her return. Her look is reminiscent to that of Yuka Ayase from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
. She takes over the role of support character once Teddie's Persona awakens.
Her Persona is Himiko
of The Lovers Arcana. Himiko wears a white gown, has a satellite dish for her head, and holds a visor which resembles the torch held by her namesake. Himiko allows Rise to provide background and enemy information for the party both in and out of battle in place of Teddie, who joins as an active member once Rise joins the team. This Persona also helps Rise detect the locations of the kidnapped victims, as well as the kidnapper himself. Once the protagonist completes Rise's Lovers S.Link, Himiko evolves into Kanzeon.
Rise's Shadow is a pole dancer in a rainbow zentai
suit which resembles Rise, with a satellite dish covering her face. Her TV world dungeon resembles a strip club, including stages with poles, curtains, and sexual-looking silhouettes. Rise's Shadow represents her anger at being stereotyped as an airheaded popstar, represented as a sex symbol. However, her true worry was finding her true identity.
In The Lovers S.Link, the protagonist helps Rise's transition from her brief departure in showbiz. At first, Rise is happy to have left behind the alias "Risette" ( in the Japanese version), but numerous reminders of her time in the spotlight, including pestering from her former manager, a new replacement idol and a letter from her biggest fan, make her somewhat regret her departure. The Protagonist helps her realize that even though Risette was a part of her that she only showed to the public, it was still part of what made Rise who she is and that she should accept all sides of herself. She then voices her plans to return to her idol job by spring. She is also one of the female characters with whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship.
Persona: Sukuna Hikona and Yamato Takeru
of The Fortune
arcana
Young, serious-looking, and possessing an androgynous appearance, Naoto almost always wears a newsboy cap
, conveying an appearance not unlike the classical gakuran school uniforms of the late 19th century. Combined with body language and gestures, she is reminiscent of Raidou Kuzunoha, combined with the protagonist of Persona 3. Naoto uses a revolver
in combat. A well-known detective, Naoto moves to Inaba in order to aid the police in investigating the serial-murder case. Naoto is dubbed the "Detective Prince" by the media. Later on, it is revealed that Naoto is actually female. She reveals that her parents died in a car accident when she was young, and her grandfather took her in. It was from reading his detective novels that she decided to follow in her family's footsteps and become a detective. Naoto began to dress like a boy, as it was more fitting of her idea of a true detective, and so that her colleagues would not look down on her.
Naoto's Persona is Sukuna Hikona of Fortune
Arcana, a Persona that is smaller than its own user and wears a cape that resembles butterfly wings over a blue suit and shorts. It uses an energy sword
longer than itself and is capable of using almighty, light, dark, and physical skills. When Naoto's Social Link, Fortune, is completed, her Persona will evolve into Yamato Takeru
.
Naoto's TV world dungeon is a scientific military complex based on Japanese superhero shows for children, known as tokusatsu
, filled with mechanical shadows and falcon symbols. Naoto's Shadow is a robotic doppelganger, equipped with large toy-like laser guns, rocket feet and a jet pack; this form represents Naoto's resentment towards being treated as a child by the police as well as her views on the police force being dominated by men. In the end her one true desire was to accept herself for who she was.
In The Fortune S.Link, Naoto receives a challenge by a criminal known as the "Phantom Thief" and her S.Link events involve the protagonist solving the case along with her. Naoto seems reluctant at first, calling it a waste of time, but as the case progresses she becomes more enthusiastic in solving it. Eventually, the Phantom Thief is revealed to be one of her family's servants, under her grandfather's orders, who had her search for childhood memorabilia. When the case is over, Naoto realizes what the purpose of the case was and regains her passion for being a detective. She also decides that she's not a detective to uphold her family tradition, but because she wants to be and thoroughly enjoys it. She is also one of the female characters with whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship.
Persona: Kintoki Douji
and Kamui of The Star
arcana
Teddie is a strange stuffed-bear-like creature with blue fur and a red/white jumpsuit
, who resides inside the TV world. In the Japanese version, Teddie has a verbal tic where he usually ends his speeches with "-kuma" ("bear" in Japanese). In the English version, he makes puns on the word "bear" (Bear-sona, "This land feels so bear-ren...", etc.). He serves as outside support in battle, but is later replaced by Rise and becomes an active party member. When fighting, he uses knuckles and other hand-worn weapons. He is often used as comic relief. Later in the game, Teddie creates a human form for himself—a blonde, charming, bishōnen
-looking teenager-in order to interact with humans in the human world.
His Persona is Kintoki Douji
of The Star
Arcana, who has the appearance of a bulbous red boiler with stubby limbs in a blue cape, carrying a tomahawk missile (the axe (tomahawk) is Kintoki's trademark) above its head. It is capable of using ice and healing spells.
Teddie's Shadow is a gigantic form of his bear costume attempting to emerge from a large hole in the ground, with portions of its face missing (almost as if broken off), revealing a void underneath. It represents Teddie's fear that his existence is superficial and "hollow". The Shadow also hints at his forgotten true identity - that is, the fact that he is actually a Shadow. Because of this, his Persona's Arcana was outside the range between the Magician and the Hanged Man even though he is not a Wild Card user.
Like the Death social link in Persona 3, his S.Link advances automatically by the story's movement (as well as the two S.Links involving the Investigation Squad). He learned to speak human language and became friendly with humans, taking his bear-like form so that people would like him upon meeting him. Teddie eventually takes a human form upon acquiring a Persona so that he can be with others in the real world. He eventually left the party because he thought he failed to save Nanako (even though he succeeded in doing so), and realized he is nothing but a Shadow. One day prior to the events of Persona 4, a certain Shadow (Teddie) awoke with human emotions. Because this "pre-Teddie" knew that Shadows and humans are entirely different beings, he made himself forget that he was a Shadow, because "he wanted people to like him." Thus, Teddie was born as an exceptional (and amnesiac) Shadow. However, despite being what he is, he becomes transported to the Velvet Room and sees the Protagonist (who had subconsciously summoned Teddie to the room, as pointed out later by Igor), who informs him that Nanako was saved. Naoto also theorizes that, because of his human emotions and the fact that he'd mastered his ego, Teddie is "practically human." His Persona evolves into Kamui after resolving to "make the unknown known" and he returns to the group after realizing he had played an important role in saving Nanako's life.
He returned to the World of TV after the Protagonist's party defeated Izanami, however, he appeared in spinoff Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena
, which he supposed to be the organizer of P-1 Grand Prix in the TV World, two months after the events of Persona 4's True Ending.
In Catherine
, there is a Teddie plush doll seen in the background of the bar that the protagonist Vincent is a regular of.
A detective and caretaker of the Protagonist. Ryotaro is Nanako's hard-working single father, but mostly spends his time away from family due to the murders. Detective Adachi is his partner. He is obsessed with a hit-and-run accident that killed his wife, Chisato Dojima (whom is only mentioned, but never seen), and continues to investigate it, to the neglect of his daughter. His S.Link culminates with him coming to the resolution that he was running away from his fatherly duties by using said case as an excuse because he was scared of being a father to Nanako, who reminds him of his late wife. When the Hierophant Social Link is Maxed, it is revealed in the True Ending that the Protagonist gave the meaning of "family" to Dojima.
He is the Social Link for The Hierophant
Arcana.
The young cousin of the Protagonist, and Dojima's's only daughter. Nanako is a very innocent character, but is usually left at home due to her father's work. Nanako is capable of taking care of herself and watches TV most of the time. She treats the Protagonist as an older brother and tries to do whatever she can to spend time with the family members. Nanako mostly talks about the afterlife and asks where good and bad people go. The Protagonist helps Nanako come to terms with her father's busy professional life, realizing that he also missed her mother as much as she did. In the Hierophant Social Link with Dojima, it is revealed that Nanako suffers from an illness that causes severe stomach pain that is not explained.
When Nanako is kidnapped and placed into the Midnight Channel, it creates a dungeon based on her thoughts. The dungeon which is formed is her interpretation of Heaven mixed with innocent thoughts such as rainbows, flowers, meadows, beanstalks and gates. This fantasized "upstairs" was created in her heart for her deceased mother, whom she misses dearly. She is innocently in denial over her loneliness, seeing as she has her "Big Bro", the Protagonist, with her now. The player does not fight Nanako's Shadow, as Teddie explains that Nanako is too young to have an ego; therefore, there is no Shadow for her to suppress. During the investigation of Namatame, Nanako passes away and the party blames him for her death; the Protagonist is then forced to choose between exacting revenge on Namatame or sparing him. If Namatame is killed, Nanako's death is set and the worst ending will occur. If the protagonist chooses not to take revenge and save his life, Nanako will be miraculously resuscitated, with Teddie's involvement being critical to the event.
She is the Social Link for the Justice
Arcana.
One of the Protagonist's classmates. He has black hair and plays basketball. Despite his happy-go-lucky attitude, he is very passionate about basketball. He often hangs out with the Soccer Club's Daisuke Nagase. An adopted child of a rich family, he became concerned regarding his place in the world without knowing his roots. A skilled basketball player, participating in the sport makes him extremely happy, though his grandmother disapproves of this "barbaric sport". He explains to the Protagonist and Daisuke that he feels pressure to uphold the family name and do as he is asked. Soon, his grandmother tells him that his playing basketball is fine by her; Kou had been freed from his family responsibility, since his adopted parents had a biological daughter that was recently born. After this, Kou found everything in his life meaningless since he felt he had nothing to live for; even playing basketball couldn't rekindle his spirits. It is through the Protagonist and Daisuke that Kou realizes that he has to choose his own path in life and find his own meaning in living. It is also revealed that he has a crush on Chie during the Moon S. Link with Ai.
He and Daisuke Nagase are the "Fellow Athletes" Social Link for the Strength
Arcana. However, he is the main community character when the Protagonist joins the basketball team.
One of the Protagonist's classmates. He has brownish hair and sports an aggressive look, and also has a bandage on his nose which is a commonplace look of field athletes. Despite his wild exterior, he's actually a nice guy who initially acts shy towards girls.
It is eventually revealed by Kou that Daisuke was humiliated during a break-up with his middle school girlfriend. This caused him to not put his full effort into anything, including soccer, since he was afraid that it would be all for naught. Through a couple of verbal fights with Kou and the Protagonist, Daisuke realizes that he was giving up on everything too soon and he'd rather quit than meet with failure. After realizing this, he speaks with his ex-girlfriend (who happened to be dating one of the varsity players on the team) and gains the closure he needed by explaining how he felt. Daisuke thanks Kou and the Protagonist for their help.
He and Kou Ichijou are the "Fellow Athletes" Social Link for the Strength
Arcana. However, he is the main community character should the Protagonist join the soccer team.
One of the Protagonist's classmates. She has orange-brown, wavy hair, and a serious expression. At first, she seems to be a "cold-hearted ice queen", and, like Yukiko, comes from a rich and influential family. She doesn't open up to many, and has a penchant for manipulating others. She is the sports team manager, but seems to possess little to no love for sports, and is more interested in the club's team captain (either Daisuke Nagase or Kou Ichijo, depending on which club the Protagonist has joined) rather than her duties. However, as the Protagonist befriends Ai, she reveals that as a child she was overweight and called ugly by her peers, similar to Eikichi Mishina of Persona 2
. After her family struck its fortune and moved to Inaba, she decided to change herself and studied fashion while working to slim down until she became as attractive and popular as she wanted to be. The team captain she falls for, however, isn't interested in her as she learns after forcing the player into asking, causing her to contemplate (and attempt to commit) suicide by jumping off the school roof. When the Protagonist consoles Ai after being rejected, she starts to fall for the player, who can accept or reject her love. In either case, she grows to trust the Protagonist, who shows her that looks aren't all there is to love and she wants to be true to herself.
She is the Social Link for The Moon
Arcana.
The brother of Saki Konishi, the second victim of the murders. His father owns the Konishi Liquors store in the Shopping District, and he seems to hold a grudge against the Protagonist for being friends with Yosuke, the son of Junes' manager. During the game, however, Naoki is quite resentful for different reasons. Naoki is constantly pitied by everybody for the death of his sister. As a result, Naoki seems trapped and is unable to move on with his own life since he's constantly reminded of Saki's death. However, later on in the game, Naoki reveals that he felt that he may have been different since he couldn't mourn for his sister in the same manner as seen on TV; or, at least, not as strongly as most people normally would. In the end, Naoki really did miss his sister, as he was finally able to mourn and truly move on.
He is the Social Link for the Hanged Man Arcana.
One of the main character's classmates. She has short, black hair in a very reserved-looking style. She is extremely tall and graceful. Soon after the Protagonist joins, Yumi gives subtle hints that she joined the Drama Club in order to escape from her life. During one of the club's meetings, a student informs her that her mother passed out. She rushes to the hospital, with the Protagonist following, only to find out that her mother is well—she had lied about who it was in order to get Yumi to see her father, whom left her and her mother when she was younger. The Protagonist learns that Yumi's father has a terminal illness. Yumi is torn between her hatred for him and her father's request to see his daughter before he passes away. As the Social Link progresses, Yumi becomes even more torn and distressed because she's unable to deal with any decisions regarding her life due to her parents. Before Yumi's father passes on, her parents reveal the meaning of her name: "to bear fruit". After some help from the Protagonist and reflecting on what to "bear fruit" means, Yumi decides to leave the Drama Club and to not blame any future hardships on her parents or anyone else.
She is the Social Link for The Sun
Arcana, if the player joins the Drama Club. She is also one of the S.Links the Protagonist can have a relationship with.
One of the Protagonist's classmates. She has short, black hair, in a style similar to Fuuka Yamagishi of Persona 3. She is very young-looking, with red cheeks, and is often compared to an apple. She is a very shy, also like Fuuka, and is often left out from the Music Club's activities due to her poor playing and unwillingness to speak up. In her Social Link, the Protagonist helps Ayane practice, both in school and out. Though not very skilled with the trombone at first, continuous practice helps her perform very well (though she admits to the Protagonist that she was stuck with the instrument; she'd wanted to play the flute, but it was too expensive, and her family already had an old trombone). When one of the trombone players for an upcoming concert gets in an accident, Ayane is appointed to take his place. Just before the performance, however, the original trombone player returns and though she's given the choice of still playing in the concert, Ayane relinquishes the part back to the original player. At first, she's very distraught about not standing up for herself, but she soon accepts that it's good to be a little selfish from time to time, regardless of the consequences. Ayane then gives the protagonist a "ticket" to a future concert that she hopes he will attend as a thank-you.
She is the Social Link for The Sun
, if the player joins the Music Club. She is also one of the S.Links the main character can have a relationship with.
An old woman dressed in mourning clothes who befriends the protagonist, referred to as a "ghost" by locals. The protagonist meets Hisano at his part-time janitorial job at the hospital. She reveals to the protagonist that he reminds her of her dead husband. At first, Hisano refers to herself as Death, confusing the Main Character. As the Main Character progresses in the Social Link, he learns that she feels guilty over her husband's death, feeling that she caused him to die by wishing for it. Hisano and her unnamed husband were very much in love for the time they were together, but eventually Hisano's husband became ill and gradually lost all memory of Hisano and their love. Alone, sad and helpless that he could actually forget about her, she wished for him to die in order for them both to escape the pain. It is through the Main Character that she realizes that even though her husband lost his memory, the time and love that they shared was genuine and true, allowing Hisano to move on. She eventually leaves Inaba to live with her children.
She is the Social Link for the Death
Arcana.
A young student whom the protagonist can tutor part-time. Shu is at first a stereotypical arrogant young academic. As the protagonist spends more time with Shu, it is revealed that Shu is very depressed because of all the pressure he feels to be the best in everything alongside the constant stream of praise he receives from his mother. He also mentions a transfer student whom he envies, as this student surpasses Shu in almost every way. In order to stay on top and live up to his mother's expectations, Shu cheats on a test that he told the Main Character about and ends up being suspended from school, much to his mother's disappointment and disdain. The Main Character helps Shu realize that he should find more meaning in his life than just trying to face forward and be number one at everything; he and his mother reconcile and start over.
During the last month in game, when the protagonist converses with Shu, he mentions that he and that same transfer student are now great friends and his own popularity has also increased as a result.
During the S.Link, the Protagonist can invite his friends over to Shu's house for a birthday party in an attempt to cheer him up (despite a comical moment in which the power goes out just as Shu is about to blow out the candles).
He is the Social Link for The Tower
Arcana.
She is the Social Link for the Temperance
Arcana.
A nurse from the hospital where the protagonist can work part-time as a janitor. She has a cynical view on her profession as patients leave her, whether by dying or recovering and leaving the hospital. As such, she attempts to seduce the protagonist often. Her attitude changes when she discovers that one of her patients from the hospital she previously worked at, a young boy not even in school yet, has died. When she learns of his death, her attitude changes from a flirtatious cynic to a strict workaholic. It isn't long before the other hospital staff prefer Sayoko's more easygoing personality. During one of the days that the protagonist is working, he is asked by a nurse to help bring in Sayoko to a hospital bed since she collapsed from exhaustion. It is then that she realizes that she was overworking herself and her coworkers to escape the loneliness of her patients leaving her and the pain of losing a patient under her care. She speaks with the protagonist one last time, saying that she'll be leaving the hospital to rediscover why she originally became a nurse in the first place. Sayoko thanks the protagonist, gives him her work I.D. and leaves her old self behind. It is later revealed that she went to Africa as a volunteer. She appears physically similar to singer Ringo Shiina, due to her mole and nurse outfit, something Shiina was very popular for during her early years of music.
She is the Social Link for the Devil
Arcana.
The rank is increased by answering the wishes of people who prayed at the shrine, to increase the donations. Increasing the rank also lowers the price of SP recovery from Fox. After the Social Link is maxed out, a new area of the shrine is opened that allows the Main Character to pray to increase the relationship of the other Social Links in the game.
The fox is the Social Link for The Hermit Arcana.
A mysterious woman replacing Elizabeth (who just so happens to be her sister) as Igor's assistant after the latter had set off on a journey. After establishing the Social Link with her, she requests the Protagonist to create a certain Persona with a certain skill from fusion, as a euphemism for drawing out those aspects of the protagonist's personality. Although she seems very composed and dignified at first glance, she actually has a silly and whimsical sense of humor.
In the second playthrough, and if certain conditions are met, Margaret will challenge the Protagonist's team to fight her, as she wants to discover for herself the reason why her sister abandoned her role in the Velvet Room. Margaret also appears in Persona 3 Portable, as the one in charge of the Vision Quest.
She is the Social Link for The Empress
Arcana.
The home-room teacher of Class 2-2. Known as King Moron in English and in Japanese, he is snobbish and judgemental to current teenage pop culture and constantly reminds his students to study hard, addressing them with disdain almost to the point of verbal abuse. He is insensitive to the problems of others, as seen when talking to Kanji during summer camp. He constantly threatens to expel students that misbehave.
He is killed after Rise is rescued by the Protagonist from the Midnight Channel. However, his murder has nothing to do with the Midnight Channel, being a copycat murder committed by the attention-seeking Mitsuo Kubo, although the police initially declare the case closed as they believe they have caught the killer.
The teacher who replaces Morooka after he is killed. She flirts with her students, or, to the least, tries to grab their attention. Even though her personality is the polar opposite of Morooka's, she is greatly hated by the students of 2-2. She also appears jealous of Rise, calling her "a piece of inexperienced jailbait" and constantly complaining about idols. According to the students talking when she introduces herself, she's "on the wrong side of 40."
Ms. Kashiwagi also makes an appearance in Persona 3 Portable. She is at the beach in the male protagonist's path during their "Operation Babe Hunt". Like in Persona 4, she likes attention from younger men and makes a pass at Akihiko.
A third-year student at Yasogami High, she is the only daughter of the Konishi family that run Inaba's only liquor store, Konishi Liquors. She took a job in Junes' Inaba branch, despite objections from her parents, and blamed the store for ruining their business. As such, Saki blames Yosuke and his family for her current plight. In the Magician Social Link it is revealed that Saki ran off with a college student, but came back after being "dumped", implying Saki wasn't as innocent as she seemed.
She is the second victim killed in the TV world after the culprit attempts to assault her. Her death led the way to the creation of the Investigation Team.
An obese classmate of the protagonist. She teams up with Ms. Kashiwagi for some scenes later in the game. It is also revealed later in the game that she is the person responsible for putting items in the Main Character's shoe locker, as she has a crush on the main character.
She is the first murder victim of the TV world. She died after the culprit attempted to rape her, but instead threw her into the TV.
Introduced in Persona 4: The Animation, Aika Nakamura is one of Yū Narukami's classmates. She has short blue hair and a meek personality, and doesn't talk very much. Her family owns the Chinese Diner Aiya, where she works; Yosuke is surprised by this, saying, "Here we're classmates and I never knew!"
A mysterious, long-nosed gentleman who resides in the Velvet Room (which, for this game, has now taken the form of a limousine
). As in the other Persona games, Igor's purpose is to assist the player in acquiring new powers and Persona. It is revealed by Margaret that Igor creates the Velvet Room himself and bases its appearance on who the protagonist is at the time, as well as their situation.
Despite the death of Isamu Tanonaka due to myocardial infarction
in 2010, the animation version in 2011 will still uses his original voices recorded in the game. Because of this, Margaret does most of the speaking, in addition, several scenes have Igor absent from the Velvet room.
The treasurer from Persona 3
who makes a cameo in Persona 4. She appears to have become more confident in the two years separating Persona 3s beginning and Persona 4s. She is also the current Student Council president of Gekkoukan High School, and apparently kept in touch with Mitsuru Kirijo. She acts as a greeter during the Field trip to Tatsumi Port Island at Gekkoukan High.
makes a return in Persona 4. He still owns a very successful business and hosts his TV show called "Tanaka's Amazing Commodities" every Sunday.
The magic teacher and school nurse from Persona 3 lectures the characters during their trip to Gekkoukan; as was often the case in the third game, his lecture has a link to the underlying mechanics of the game. In this case, he discusses the gods thought to have created Japan, including Izanagi, the Protagonist's initial persona.
Mitsuo Kubo is the juvenile killer responsible for Mr. Morooka's death and is the second suspect the group believes to be behind the murder case (the first being a photographer who was trying to take a picture of Rise Kujikawa's bedroom). He makes a pass at Yukiko at the beginning of the game, and is rejected out of hand, since no one knows who he is. He is later revealed to be an isolated student who was expelled from a different high school prior to the beginning of the game. He is a copycat killer, as evidenced by the fact that Morooka died by blunt force trauma according to police investigations (it is hinted at that Mitsuo used a baseball bat).
Initially he had a minor role in the game until he appeared on the Midnight Channel. During this event, it is shown that he was trapped in the Midnight Channel by Adachi when he confessed to his crimes. Eventually the group manages to find him in the TV and save him from being killed by his Shadow. Mitsuo is then taken away by the authorities. Due to the fact the kidnappings did not cease after his capture, the group then comes to the conclusion he was a copycat killer and is in fact mentally unstable.
Mitsuo's Shadow Self differs from those of other characters; rather than mock the original with their darker, inner feelings, Kubo's Shadow Self stays quiet and says barely anything at all. This is a reference to the fact that on the inside, Mitsuo is empty, trying to act powerful to get attention when in reality he is just a loser. After being defeated, it disappears in a puff of dark-red smoke, rather than turning into a Persona. This may be due to Kubo not accepting his true self (or possibly because Mitsuo's true self is nothing at all).
Mitsuo's Shadow takes the form of an unborn fetus that is able to build an 8-bit video game warrior as a barrier. It represents his feelings of not being noticed by anyone and his opinion that he must kill in order to get attention. Yosuke considers this as a kind of insult. In addition to his Shadow's appearance and actions, his TV World dungeon resembles that of an old-school RPG
. It has some references to the first Shin Megami Tensei game on the Super Famicom. Throughout the dungeon the party hears Mitsuo's voice, going through the murders in RPG-style as though he had committed them, which suggests that Mitsuo had possibly convinced himself that he was the one who had committed the first murders, and that he was mentally unstable.
Taro Namatame, the person responsible for the kidnappings past the first two murders. Believing that his actions were good-natured, he was manipulated by Adachi into throwing the victims into the TV world. Though he was responsible for most of the kidnappings in the game, he was not an antagonist in the traditional sense since he believed that he was saving the people who appeared on the Midnight Channel from mortal danger. Like the Protagonist and Adachi, he was given the power to enter the TV world by Izanami. When he attempts to capture Nanako, he is defeated in the TV World by the Investigation Team and sent to the hospital, insisting that he is trying to save her. In a critical point in the story the player can kill Namatame, defuse the situation, or identify the true killer as a different person, each resulting in a different ending. If the player chooses to kill Namatame the worst ending will occur, while failing to identify another killer while saving Namatame will result in the bad ending. Realizing that there is another killer will result in Namatame (at a later point) revealing critical information, putting the Investigation Team on the right track. In reality, Namatame had figured out after Mayumi's death that her appearance on the Midnight Channel had foreshadowed her murder, and he sought out Saki Konishi in order to warn her. After she died as well, Namatame tried to contact the police and Adachi tricked him into throwing people into the TV to "protect" them from the killer; after the victims began to turn up alive after his kidnappings, he believed he was truly helping them. It wasn't until his experience within the TV world that he realized he had been sending the victims to their deaths. He begs the Protagonist to stop the culprit, as they are "the only ones who know about that world."
Namatame's Shadow, Kunino-Sagiri, is a large, red, humanoid creature with a gigantic halo shaped like a peace sign growing out of its head, wearing a long robe with a red peace sign on the front. Even his fingers give the peace sign. It represents his misguided image of himself as a savior.
Persona: Magatsu-Izanagi
Tohru Adachi, a young police officer in the Inaba police department, and Dojima's junior partner. He often accidentally reveals crucial information regarding the investigation to the protagonist, and is constantly reprimanded by Dojima for running his mouth. For most of the game he appears as merely a bumbling comic relief character, but this is in fact just an act.
In the Normal/True Ending path, it is revealed that Adachi is behind the two initial murders. He became interested in Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi until he pushed them into TVs when they spurned his feelings. He advanced on Mayumi Yamano one night at the Amagi Inn, and upon rejection, Adachi loses his temper. She backs into the TV when Adachi advances on her, and at that moment, he discovers his power when she falls in. When Saki Konishi is interviewed for the murder of Mayumi Yamano, Adachi once again gets angry and attacks her, but when she fights back, he pushes her into the TV. From here on, Adachi seems to be toying with the Investigation Team, not expecting them to find out who he is, and on several occasions he also appears to mislead them. It is heavily implied that he is suffering so much because of the expectations and pressure from society he has to deal with; however, based on his rationalization of his actions and demeanor, it is also likely that he is sociopathic. After the two initial murders, he tricked Namatame into kidnapping people under the idea that he was keeping them from danger, which is reinforced as every person Namatame "rescues" is then saved by the Protagonist's group. He explains that his reason for doing so is nothing more than to entertain himself and disgust for the human world; in fact, he reveals that the only reason he became a police officer was so that he could legally carry a gun. He gained his power from Izanami like the Protagonist, though for most of the game he is unaware of Izanami's influence. He was defeated by the party and arrested for his crimes. If the player continues towards the true ending the protagonist receives a letter from a recently convicted Adachi, stating his suspicions of a true conductor behind all of the events of the case, providing the investigation team with new insight to their reasoning.
Adachi uses his handgun in battle. His Persona is Magatsu Izanagi (Corrupted Izanagi), which resembles the Protagonist's initial Persona, but holds its spear backhanded, and is a dark black color with glowing red fissures covering its body.
Ameno-sagiri has no known voice actor, although he does speak through Adachi when he takes control of him after he is defeated by the group.
Her TV world dungeon is Yomotsu Hirasaka, the mythological entrance to the underworld. During the battle, her initial form is that of a goddess, but after she is defeated first time her true form is revealed: a massive, skeletal monster, already dead and rotting, like the legend says. The main character defeats her by using his Social Links to turn Izanagi into Izanagi-no-Okami and using the ultimate attack named Myriad Truths.
Despite her antagonistic nature, she thoroughly believes in what humanity desires, and later congratulates the Investigation Team for discovering the truth, as well as defeating her. Like Ameno-sagiri, Izanami is primarily benevolent; she believes that the world wants this of her, and that seeing the intentions of the Protagonist and his team has opened her eyes to the contrary.
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
' PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
console role-playing game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, originally released in Japan as simply , is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for Sony's PlayStation 2, and chronologically the fifth installment in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. Persona 4 was released in Japan in July 2008, North...
is centered around a group of high-school students dedicated to capturing the culprit responsible for the murders and kidnappings that happened in their small town of Inaba. The game's timeline begins on April 11, 2011, which places the events of the game at about twelve months after the end of Persona 3 FES 's epilogue story, "The Answer," which ended on April 1, 2010. Shigenori Soejima acted as the art director for the game, and was responsible for designing the game's characters. The general approach to designing the characters, and ultimately the setting of the game was by drawing from the memory and interpretation of the development staff about a "rural, countryside" setting.
There are eight player characters that form a self-made investigation team trying to solve the murders in the town of Inaba. The main protagonist is a high-school student who moved into the town from the city. He is met by Yosuke Hanamura, the son of the local department store manager; Chie Satonaka, an energetic girl with a strong interest in kung fu; Yukiko Amagi, a calm and refined girl who helps out at her family's Amagi Inn; Kanji Tatsumi, a first-year student known for is reputation as a notorious punk; Teddie, a mysterious figure in the form of a bear costume; Rise Kujikawa, a teen idol on hiatus; and Naoto Shirogane, a well-known junior detective under a male guise.
With the release of Persona 4 in Japan, much merchandise has also been released themed around the game's characters. Reception of the game's characters are mostly positive, and a few characters have been given good reviews.
Protagonist
The male has no spoken dialogue or name, following the tradition of the Megami TenseiMegami Tensei
, commonly abbreviated as , is a Japanese console role-playing game metaseries which was originally based on the novel series Digital Devil Story by Aya Nishitani and has gone to become one of the major franchises of the genre in its native country...
games, his only speech occurring during battle when occasionally calling out the name of his Persona. He has silver hair with a shape close to a bowl cut
Bowl cut
A bowl cut, also known as a pot haircut, or a mushroom cut, is a haircut where the hair is cut short on the sides and back and looking as though someone put a bowl on the head and cut off all the visible hair....
or mop top. At the beginning of the game, he moves to the countryside to live with his uncle and cousin for a year, and attends Yasogami High School in the same homeroom
Homeroom
Homeroom or advisory is the classroom session in which a teacher records attendance and makes announcements. It can also be called Registration or Planning Period...
class as Chie, Yousuke, and Yukiko. The story of Persona 4 begins when the Protagonist meets Igor and Margaret in the Velvet Room, in the form of a limousine driving in a thick fog (the shape of the Velvet Room changes based on its visitor). His entire personality is decided and portrayed by the player's in-game actions and decisions. He exclusively wields two-handed sword-type weapons.
The Protagonist's initial Persona, Izanagi
Izanagi
is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male-who-invites" or Izanagi-no-mikoto. It is also pronounced Izanaki-no-Okami....
of the Fool
The Fool (Tarot card)
The Fool or The Jester is one of the 78 cards in a Tarot deck; one of the 22 Trump cards that make up the Major Arcana. The Fool is unnumbered...
Arcana, wears a long coat reminiscent of the Japanese banchō
Banchō (position)
can refer to either a governmental position during the ritsuryo period, or the leader of a group of delinquents.- Governmental position :During the ritsuryo system, a banchō was a lower position in the Imperial Guard...
and wields the Amenonuhoko
Amenonuhoko
is the name given to the naginata in Japanese mythology used to raise the primordial land-mass, Onōgoro-shima, from the sea. According to the Kojiki, the gods Izanagi and Izanami were responsible for creating the first land. To help them do this, they were given a naginata decorated with jewels,...
, which, in the game, is a spear resembling a combat knife
Combat knife
A combat knife is a fighting knife designed solely for military use and primarily intended for hand-to-hand or close combat fighting.Since the end of trench warfare, most military combat knives have been secondarily designed for utility use in addition to their original role as close-quarter combat...
with a long handle. This Persona is later transformed into Izanagi-no-Ōkami of the World
The World (Tarot card)
The World is a trump or Major Arcana card in the tarot deck. It is usually the final card of the Major Arcana or tarot trump sequence. In the tarot family of card games, this card is usually worth five points.- Description :...
arcana, the game's most powerful Persona, to defeat the game's final boss. The Protagonist also has the unique "Wild card" ability, which allows him to swap Personas for use in battle, similar to the main characters of previous Persona games; however, without the power of Death at his hand, the Protagonist cannot use Fusion Spells like Persona 3's Protagonist.
In the manga, he is named is . In this portrayal, he is depicted as being a distant, but otherwise friendly, loner with a pessimistic outlook on life, due to having to move frequently as a result of his parents' changing careers. In Persona 4: The Ultimate In Mayonaka Arena; Persona 4: The Animation; and Persona 4: The Golden, he is named . In the anime potrayal, he is a transfer student from Tokyo who understands the problems of others, especially those whose Shadows emerge (e.g. Yosuke's boredom of Inaba). He is similar to Souji Seta, but his personality grows over the course of the anime series.
The characters of the game give the Protagonist titles (Senpai, Sensei, Leader, partner, Big bro) when directly talking to him, instead of the usual "you" or "him" like his predecessors.
The character design of the Protagonist stayed relatively similar from initial conception, with his tone and expressions changing the most.
Yosuke Hanamura
:Persona: Jiraiya
Jiraiya
Jiraiya , the title character of the Japanese folktale Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari , is a ninja who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad. The heir of a powerful clan in Kyūshū of the same name, Jiraiya fell in love with Tsunade, a beautiful young princess who masters snail magic...
and Susano-o
Susanoo
, also known as is the Shinto god of the sea and storms. He is also considered to be ruler of Yomi.-Myths:In Japanese mythology, Susanoo, the powerful storm of Summer, is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were born from Izanagi, when...
of The Magician
The Magician (Tarot card)
The Magician, The Magus, or The Juggler is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination...
arcana
An awkward boy with slightly unkempt reddish-brown hair, who usually walks around with a music player and red/orange headphones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
around his neck. He dual wields blades ranging from blunt wrenches to knives to daggers in battle. He is usually very clumsy and often used as comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
through physical comedy
Physical comedy
Physical comedy, also known as slapstick, is a comedic performance relying mostly on the use of the body to convey humour.Physical comedy, whether conveyed by a pratfall , a silly face, or the action of walking into walls, is a common and rarely subtle form of comedy...
. When going from place to place, he is usually on his bike (though he often crashes painfully). Yosuke is the most vocal of the investigation team, and is the one often to create theories on the murders as well as piece evidence together. Although it often falls on the player to decipher the clues Yosuke ponders, his deductive skills allow him to create solid theories, and he is the self-appointed second in command, often saying what the player is unable to.
His Persona is Jiraiya
Jiraiya
Jiraiya , the title character of the Japanese folktale Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari , is a ninja who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad. The heir of a powerful clan in Kyūshū of the same name, Jiraiya fell in love with Tsunade, a beautiful young princess who masters snail magic...
of The Magician
The Magician (Tarot card)
The Magician, The Magus, or The Juggler is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination...
Arcana, whose head vaguely resembles that of a cartoon frog, and wears a white disco suit with a distinctive "V" on its chest along with a red scarf. Jiraiya uses wind spells and is also able to use minor healing spells. Once his Social Link, The Magician Arcana, is maxed out, Jiraiya will evolve into Susano-o
Susanoo
, also known as is the Shinto god of the sea and storms. He is also considered to be ruler of Yomi.-Myths:In Japanese mythology, Susanoo, the powerful storm of Summer, is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were born from Izanagi, when...
.
Yosuke's Shadow takes the form of a cartoon frog with a body on top; the body and frog resemble his Persona. It represents his resentment of living in a small country town with little to do, as well as his inner wish for something exciting to happen.
The protagonist helps Yosuke face his issues regarding his sadness over his unrequited feelings for Saki Konishi, the second victim of the murders, as well as being subjected to being pushed around by his father's employees who sees him and his family as a nuisance since the opening of Junes in the course of the Magician S.Link.
Chie Satonaka
:Persona: Tomoe
Tomoe Gozen
, pronounced , was a late twelfth-century concubine of Minamoto no Yoshinaka.Tomoe was a rare female samurai warrior , known for her bravery and strength...
and Suzuka Gongen of The Chariot
The Chariot (Tarot card)
The Chariot is the seventh trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Description:...
arcana
An upbeat girl with short light-brown hair, who usually wears a green athletic jacket decorated with buttons. Her weapon is a pair of greave
Greave
A greave is a piece of armour that protects the leg.-Description:...
s. She has an obsession with Kung fu, and even uses their techniques in battle, similar to Lisa Silverman of Persona 2
Persona 2
is a two-part series of Japanese console role-playing games for the Sony PlayStation, developed by Atlus. and are two chapters of the same storyline...
. Most of the time, she is friendly, cheerful, and energetic, but she has a short temper. Chie, Yukiko, and Rise are unskilled at cooking, often providing the main cast with unpalatable to terribly awful dishes through the course of the story. Yosuke refers to their horrible cooking as "Mystery Food X."
Her Persona is Tomoe
Tomoe Gozen
, pronounced , was a late twelfth-century concubine of Minamoto no Yoshinaka.Tomoe was a rare female samurai warrior , known for her bravery and strength...
of The Chariot
The Chariot (Tarot card)
The Chariot is the seventh trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Description:...
Arcana, a muscular female figure wearing a yellow outfit reminiscent of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
's famous tracksuit (referencing her love for Kung-fu movies), wielding a double bladed naginata
Naginata
The naginata is one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a pole weapon. Naginata were originally used by the samurai class in feudal Japan, and naginata were also used by ashigaru and sōhei .-Description:A naginata consists of a wooden shaft with a curved...
. Tomoe is shown to use both physical and low-level ice spells. Tomoe evolves into Suzuka Gongen after maxing out the Chie's Social Link, the Chariot.
Chie's Shadow takes the form of a masked dominatrix with long black hair with knife-like ends, supported by three pale female students. It represents her jealousy of Yukiko's feminine side and her talents, as well as her wish and need to maintain control over Yukiko.
During Chie's S.Link, the protagonist helps her to discover that she genuinely wanted to protect Yukiko without any underlying selfish motivations. The desire to protect people eventually inspired her to seek a career as a police officer. She is also one of the female characters whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship with.
Yukiko Amagi
:Persona: Konohana-Sakuya
Konohanasakuya-hime
Konohanasakuya-hime , in Japanese mythology, is the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. She is the daughter of the mountain god Ohoyamatsumi. She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the Sakura, She is the wife of Ninigi...
and Amaterasu
Amaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
of The Priestess
The High Priestess
The High Priestess is the second trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination. In the first Tarot pack with inscriptions, the 18th-century woodcut Marseilles Tarot, this figure is crowned with the Papal tiara and labelled La...
arcana
An elegant, introverted girl with long groomed black hair and a red hairband. Yukiko usually wears either a red cardigan over her school uniform blouse or a pink yukata
Yukata
A is a Japanese garment, a casual summer kimono usually made of cotton. People wearing yukata are a common sight in Japan at fireworks displays, bon-odori festivals, and other summer events. The yukata is also frequently worn after bathing at traditional Japanese inns...
, and is sometimes also seen carrying a paper fan, which she uses in battle, or a red umbrella. Her family owns a famous ryokan in the city, and Yukiko is always busy preparing herself to take over the business. She is named the next owner of the ryokan and feels oppressed by her expected duties. Despite her elegant appearance, she carries a whimsical side prone to fits of laughter.
Yukiko is skilled with healing and fire spells. Her Persona is Konohana-Sakuya
Konohanasakuya-hime
Konohanasakuya-hime , in Japanese mythology, is the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. She is the daughter of the mountain god Ohoyamatsumi. She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the Sakura, She is the wife of Ninigi...
of The Priestess
The High Priestess
The High Priestess is the second trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination. In the first Tarot pack with inscriptions, the 18th-century woodcut Marseilles Tarot, this figure is crowned with the Papal tiara and labelled La...
Arcana, resembling a Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
heroine and being almost completely pink in color, her uniform reminiscent to a high school cheerleader's uniform. It appears to carry decorative fan-like weapon. Konohana-Sakuya will evolve into Amaterasu
Amaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
once Yukiko's Priestess Social Link is maxed out.
Her Shadow takes the form of a caged red lovebird with Yukiko's hair, that is able to summon a prince-like Shadow to assist it. It represents her resentment towards having her destiny already chosen for her as inheritor of the Amagi Inn and her desires to be rescued and taken far away by her "prince" Chie, as she feels "caged" in Inaba. Her TV world dungeon is a pink Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
castle filled with medieval furniture.
In the S.Link for The Priestess, Yukiko voices her wish to the protagonist to leave Inaba and find a career away from managing her family inn. She eventually changes her mind when she realizes she cannot find the heart to leave the family and employees who supported her when she decided to learn to cook. In addition, Yukiko discovers her fear and resentment wasn't solely born from the idea of her inheriting the family business, but rather that the decision to take over was made for her by her family. She is also one of the female characters with whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship.
A younger Yukiko makes an appearance in Persona 3 Portable at the Amagi Inn, when the Gekkoukan students take a field trip to Inaba. She is seen interacting with Rio Iwasaki.
Kanji Tatsumi
:Persona: Take-Mikazuchi and Rokuten-Maō of The Emperor
The Emperor (Tarot card)
The Emperor is the fourth trump or Major Arcana card in traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description and symbolism :...
arcana
A male delinquent with a bleached, swept-back crewcut who has a scar above his left eye. He wears many piercings, metal jewelry, and a black sweater with a skull-and-crossbones design on it under his school uniform. He uses brute force in combat, swinging weapons such as steel chairs and shields. Kanji has a reputation as being a bully, and is the center of numerous rumors regarding a confrontation with a local biker gang. He also attends Yasogami High. His mother runs a textile shop, with the Amagi family being one of their main customers. Kanji is skilled at tailoring for this reason, and has been interested in sewing since he was a child, but was teased about his interests.
His Persona is Take-Mikazuchi of The Emperor
The Emperor (Tarot card)
The Emperor is the fourth trump or Major Arcana card in traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description and symbolism :...
Arcana, which, like Kanji, is a large, imposing figure with a skeleton-like design similar to Kanji's winter uniform, as well as a lightning bolt that is often used when casting magic. He uses electric spells and physical attacks. Once the player completes Kanji's Emperor S.Link, Take-Mikazuchi will evolve into Rokuten Maō.
Kanji's TV world dungeon is a men's sauna. His Shadow is a mostly nude, if not large, version of himself surrounded by roses and holding two Mars symbol
Mars symbol
The Mars symbol is a depiction of a circle with an arrow emerging from it, pointing at at angle to the upper right. In old manuscripts, it is usually interpreted as the shield and spear from the war god Mars/Ares. The symbol has the Unicode entry U+2642. It is used in many fields as a...
s, with a flamboyant personality that directly states a sexual preference for men. When defeated, Kanji accepts that this other self is an important part of his identity, but does not specifically state he is gay. Atlus prefers to leave the issue of Kanji's sexuality as open to the viewer.
In the S.Link for The Emperor, Kanji and the protagonist meet a boy who lost a doll. Reminded of his situation while he was at that age, and in an effort to cheer up the child, Kanji personally made him a few dolls, which are so well made that they become a hit with the children and their mothers. Due to this, Kanji's works are displayed in his parents' textile shop as a side business, and by the end of the game he holds his own handcraft classes. Kanji eventually learns to take pride in his skills, rather than hide them. When completing Kanji's social link, he says of his TV world self, "That other 'me' is me."
Rise Kujikawa
:Persona: Himiko
Himiko
Himiko or Pimiko was an obscure shaman queen of Yamataikoku in ancient Wa . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom , and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler following decades of warfare among the kings of Wa...
and Kanzeon of The Lovers arcana
A cheerful-looking girl with violet-red hair tied in two pigtails
Bunches
Bunches are a hairstyle in which the hair is parted down the middle and gathered into two symmetrical bundles, like ponytails, secured near the scalp...
. She was one of the most popular idols in Japan, but suddenly quit her job and transferred to Yasogami High School as a freshman to take a break from the spotlight and lead a normal life, away from the stress of fame. Rise grew up in Inaba, and her grandmother runs a shop in the shopping district, Marukyu Tofu, which Rise initially helps out at after her return. Her look is reminiscent to that of Yuka Ayase from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, known in Japan as is a series of role-playing video games developed and published by Atlus. The series is a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series which focuses on demon summoners. However, the Persona series centers around groups of teenagers who have the ability to...
. She takes over the role of support character once Teddie's Persona awakens.
Her Persona is Himiko
Himiko
Himiko or Pimiko was an obscure shaman queen of Yamataikoku in ancient Wa . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom , and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler following decades of warfare among the kings of Wa...
of The Lovers Arcana. Himiko wears a white gown, has a satellite dish for her head, and holds a visor which resembles the torch held by her namesake. Himiko allows Rise to provide background and enemy information for the party both in and out of battle in place of Teddie, who joins as an active member once Rise joins the team. This Persona also helps Rise detect the locations of the kidnapped victims, as well as the kidnapper himself. Once the protagonist completes Rise's Lovers S.Link, Himiko evolves into Kanzeon.
Rise's Shadow is a pole dancer in a rainbow zentai
Zentai
Zentai is a term for skin-tight garments that cover the entire body. The word is a contraction of zenshin taitsu...
suit which resembles Rise, with a satellite dish covering her face. Her TV world dungeon resembles a strip club, including stages with poles, curtains, and sexual-looking silhouettes. Rise's Shadow represents her anger at being stereotyped as an airheaded popstar, represented as a sex symbol. However, her true worry was finding her true identity.
In The Lovers S.Link, the protagonist helps Rise's transition from her brief departure in showbiz. At first, Rise is happy to have left behind the alias "Risette" ( in the Japanese version), but numerous reminders of her time in the spotlight, including pestering from her former manager, a new replacement idol and a letter from her biggest fan, make her somewhat regret her departure. The Protagonist helps her realize that even though Risette was a part of her that she only showed to the public, it was still part of what made Rise who she is and that she should accept all sides of herself. She then voices her plans to return to her idol job by spring. She is also one of the female characters with whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship.
Naoto Shirogane
:Persona: Sukuna Hikona and Yamato Takeru
Yamato Takeru
, originally Prince Ousu was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tennō or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki...
of The Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (Tarot card)
Wheel of Fortune is the tenth trump or Major Arcana card in most Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Description:To the right is the Wheel Of Fortune card from the A. E. Waite tarot deck. A. E...
arcana
Young, serious-looking, and possessing an androgynous appearance, Naoto almost always wears a newsboy cap
Newsboy cap
The newsboy cap or newsy cap is a casual-wear cap similar in style to the flat cap. Sometimes also referred to as the: Baker Boy, Apple Cap, Eight Panel, Cabbie, Jay Gatsby , Fisherman's Cap, Pageboy and Lundberg Stetson.It has the same overall shape and stiff peak in front as a flat cap, but the...
, conveying an appearance not unlike the classical gakuran school uniforms of the late 19th century. Combined with body language and gestures, she is reminiscent of Raidou Kuzunoha, combined with the protagonist of Persona 3. Naoto uses a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
in combat. A well-known detective, Naoto moves to Inaba in order to aid the police in investigating the serial-murder case. Naoto is dubbed the "Detective Prince" by the media. Later on, it is revealed that Naoto is actually female. She reveals that her parents died in a car accident when she was young, and her grandfather took her in. It was from reading his detective novels that she decided to follow in her family's footsteps and become a detective. Naoto began to dress like a boy, as it was more fitting of her idea of a true detective, and so that her colleagues would not look down on her.
Naoto's Persona is Sukuna Hikona of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (Tarot card)
Wheel of Fortune is the tenth trump or Major Arcana card in most Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Description:To the right is the Wheel Of Fortune card from the A. E. Waite tarot deck. A. E...
Arcana, a Persona that is smaller than its own user and wears a cape that resembles butterfly wings over a blue suit and shorts. It uses an energy sword
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
longer than itself and is capable of using almighty, light, dark, and physical skills. When Naoto's Social Link, Fortune, is completed, her Persona will evolve into Yamato Takeru
Yamato Takeru
, originally Prince Ousu was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tennō or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki...
.
Naoto's TV world dungeon is a scientific military complex based on Japanese superhero shows for children, known as tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
, filled with mechanical shadows and falcon symbols. Naoto's Shadow is a robotic doppelganger, equipped with large toy-like laser guns, rocket feet and a jet pack; this form represents Naoto's resentment towards being treated as a child by the police as well as her views on the police force being dominated by men. In the end her one true desire was to accept herself for who she was.
In The Fortune S.Link, Naoto receives a challenge by a criminal known as the "Phantom Thief" and her S.Link events involve the protagonist solving the case along with her. Naoto seems reluctant at first, calling it a waste of time, but as the case progresses she becomes more enthusiastic in solving it. Eventually, the Phantom Thief is revealed to be one of her family's servants, under her grandfather's orders, who had her search for childhood memorabilia. When the case is over, Naoto realizes what the purpose of the case was and regains her passion for being a detective. She also decides that she's not a detective to uphold her family tradition, but because she wants to be and thoroughly enjoys it. She is also one of the female characters with whom the protagonist can have a romantic relationship.
Teddie
:Persona: Kintoki Douji
Kintaro
is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a mountain hag on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shutendouji, the terror of the region around Mount Ooe, he became a loyal follower of Minamoto no...
and Kamui of The Star
The Star (Tarot card)
The Star is the seventeenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description :...
arcana
Teddie is a strange stuffed-bear-like creature with blue fur and a red/white jumpsuit
Jumpsuit
Jumpsuit originally referred to the utilitarian one-piece garments used by parachuters/skydivers, but has come to be used as a common term for any one-piece garment with sleeves and legs.-Use:...
, who resides inside the TV world. In the Japanese version, Teddie has a verbal tic where he usually ends his speeches with "-kuma" ("bear" in Japanese). In the English version, he makes puns on the word "bear" (Bear-sona, "This land feels so bear-ren...", etc.). He serves as outside support in battle, but is later replaced by Rise and becomes an active party member. When fighting, he uses knuckles and other hand-worn weapons. He is often used as comic relief. Later in the game, Teddie creates a human form for himself—a blonde, charming, bishōnen
Bishonen
is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth ". The equivalent English concept is a "pretty boy".The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man whose beauty transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation...
-looking teenager-in order to interact with humans in the human world.
His Persona is Kintoki Douji
Kintaro
is a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a mountain hag on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shutendouji, the terror of the region around Mount Ooe, he became a loyal follower of Minamoto no...
of The Star
The Star (Tarot card)
The Star is the seventeenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description :...
Arcana, who has the appearance of a bulbous red boiler with stubby limbs in a blue cape, carrying a tomahawk missile (the axe (tomahawk) is Kintoki's trademark) above its head. It is capable of using ice and healing spells.
Teddie's Shadow is a gigantic form of his bear costume attempting to emerge from a large hole in the ground, with portions of its face missing (almost as if broken off), revealing a void underneath. It represents Teddie's fear that his existence is superficial and "hollow". The Shadow also hints at his forgotten true identity - that is, the fact that he is actually a Shadow. Because of this, his Persona's Arcana was outside the range between the Magician and the Hanged Man even though he is not a Wild Card user.
Like the Death social link in Persona 3, his S.Link advances automatically by the story's movement (as well as the two S.Links involving the Investigation Squad). He learned to speak human language and became friendly with humans, taking his bear-like form so that people would like him upon meeting him. Teddie eventually takes a human form upon acquiring a Persona so that he can be with others in the real world. He eventually left the party because he thought he failed to save Nanako (even though he succeeded in doing so), and realized he is nothing but a Shadow. One day prior to the events of Persona 4, a certain Shadow (Teddie) awoke with human emotions. Because this "pre-Teddie" knew that Shadows and humans are entirely different beings, he made himself forget that he was a Shadow, because "he wanted people to like him." Thus, Teddie was born as an exceptional (and amnesiac) Shadow. However, despite being what he is, he becomes transported to the Velvet Room and sees the Protagonist (who had subconsciously summoned Teddie to the room, as pointed out later by Igor), who informs him that Nanako was saved. Naoto also theorizes that, because of his human emotions and the fact that he'd mastered his ego, Teddie is "practically human." His Persona evolves into Kamui after resolving to "make the unknown known" and he returns to the group after realizing he had played an important role in saving Nanako's life.
He returned to the World of TV after the Protagonist's party defeated Izanami, however, he appeared in spinoff Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena
Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena
Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena is an upcoming 2012 fighting video game, developed by Arc System Works based on the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 property owned by Atlus...
, which he supposed to be the organizer of P-1 Grand Prix in the TV World, two months after the events of Persona 4's True Ending.
In Catherine
Catherine (video game)
is a horror puzzle-platformer adventure game developed by Atlus Persona Team and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is Atlus' first internally-developed game for seventh-generation consoles in high definition, and is described as an "adult-oriented" title by the game's...
, there is a Teddie plush doll seen in the background of the bar that the protagonist Vincent is a regular of.
Ryotaro Dojima
:A detective and caretaker of the Protagonist. Ryotaro is Nanako's hard-working single father, but mostly spends his time away from family due to the murders. Detective Adachi is his partner. He is obsessed with a hit-and-run accident that killed his wife, Chisato Dojima (whom is only mentioned, but never seen), and continues to investigate it, to the neglect of his daughter. His S.Link culminates with him coming to the resolution that he was running away from his fatherly duties by using said case as an excuse because he was scared of being a father to Nanako, who reminds him of his late wife. When the Hierophant Social Link is Maxed, it is revealed in the True Ending that the Protagonist gave the meaning of "family" to Dojima.
He is the Social Link for The Hierophant
The Hierophant
The Hierophant , in some decks named The Pope, is the fifth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Description and symbolism:...
Arcana.
Nanako Dojima
:The young cousin of the Protagonist, and Dojima's's only daughter. Nanako is a very innocent character, but is usually left at home due to her father's work. Nanako is capable of taking care of herself and watches TV most of the time. She treats the Protagonist as an older brother and tries to do whatever she can to spend time with the family members. Nanako mostly talks about the afterlife and asks where good and bad people go. The Protagonist helps Nanako come to terms with her father's busy professional life, realizing that he also missed her mother as much as she did. In the Hierophant Social Link with Dojima, it is revealed that Nanako suffers from an illness that causes severe stomach pain that is not explained.
When Nanako is kidnapped and placed into the Midnight Channel, it creates a dungeon based on her thoughts. The dungeon which is formed is her interpretation of Heaven mixed with innocent thoughts such as rainbows, flowers, meadows, beanstalks and gates. This fantasized "upstairs" was created in her heart for her deceased mother, whom she misses dearly. She is innocently in denial over her loneliness, seeing as she has her "Big Bro", the Protagonist, with her now. The player does not fight Nanako's Shadow, as Teddie explains that Nanako is too young to have an ego; therefore, there is no Shadow for her to suppress. During the investigation of Namatame, Nanako passes away and the party blames him for her death; the Protagonist is then forced to choose between exacting revenge on Namatame or sparing him. If Namatame is killed, Nanako's death is set and the worst ending will occur. If the protagonist chooses not to take revenge and save his life, Nanako will be miraculously resuscitated, with Teddie's involvement being critical to the event.
She is the Social Link for the Justice
Justice (Tarot card)
Justice is a Major Arcana Tarot card, numbered either VIII or XI, depending on the deck. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description :...
Arcana.
Kou Ichijo
:One of the Protagonist's classmates. He has black hair and plays basketball. Despite his happy-go-lucky attitude, he is very passionate about basketball. He often hangs out with the Soccer Club's Daisuke Nagase. An adopted child of a rich family, he became concerned regarding his place in the world without knowing his roots. A skilled basketball player, participating in the sport makes him extremely happy, though his grandmother disapproves of this "barbaric sport". He explains to the Protagonist and Daisuke that he feels pressure to uphold the family name and do as he is asked. Soon, his grandmother tells him that his playing basketball is fine by her; Kou had been freed from his family responsibility, since his adopted parents had a biological daughter that was recently born. After this, Kou found everything in his life meaningless since he felt he had nothing to live for; even playing basketball couldn't rekindle his spirits. It is through the Protagonist and Daisuke that Kou realizes that he has to choose his own path in life and find his own meaning in living. It is also revealed that he has a crush on Chie during the Moon S. Link with Ai.
He and Daisuke Nagase are the "Fellow Athletes" Social Link for the Strength
Strength (Tarot card)
Strength is a Major Arcana Tarot card, and is numbered either XI or VIII, depending on the deck. Historically it was called Fortitude, and in the Thoth Tarot deck it is called Lust. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description and usage as in divination :A. E...
Arcana. However, he is the main community character when the Protagonist joins the basketball team.
Daisuke Nagase
:One of the Protagonist's classmates. He has brownish hair and sports an aggressive look, and also has a bandage on his nose which is a commonplace look of field athletes. Despite his wild exterior, he's actually a nice guy who initially acts shy towards girls.
It is eventually revealed by Kou that Daisuke was humiliated during a break-up with his middle school girlfriend. This caused him to not put his full effort into anything, including soccer, since he was afraid that it would be all for naught. Through a couple of verbal fights with Kou and the Protagonist, Daisuke realizes that he was giving up on everything too soon and he'd rather quit than meet with failure. After realizing this, he speaks with his ex-girlfriend (who happened to be dating one of the varsity players on the team) and gains the closure he needed by explaining how he felt. Daisuke thanks Kou and the Protagonist for their help.
He and Kou Ichijou are the "Fellow Athletes" Social Link for the Strength
Strength (Tarot card)
Strength is a Major Arcana Tarot card, and is numbered either XI or VIII, depending on the deck. Historically it was called Fortitude, and in the Thoth Tarot deck it is called Lust. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description and usage as in divination :A. E...
Arcana. However, he is the main community character should the Protagonist join the soccer team.
Ai Ebihara
:One of the Protagonist's classmates. She has orange-brown, wavy hair, and a serious expression. At first, she seems to be a "cold-hearted ice queen", and, like Yukiko, comes from a rich and influential family. She doesn't open up to many, and has a penchant for manipulating others. She is the sports team manager, but seems to possess little to no love for sports, and is more interested in the club's team captain (either Daisuke Nagase or Kou Ichijo, depending on which club the Protagonist has joined) rather than her duties. However, as the Protagonist befriends Ai, she reveals that as a child she was overweight and called ugly by her peers, similar to Eikichi Mishina of Persona 2
Persona 2
is a two-part series of Japanese console role-playing games for the Sony PlayStation, developed by Atlus. and are two chapters of the same storyline...
. After her family struck its fortune and moved to Inaba, she decided to change herself and studied fashion while working to slim down until she became as attractive and popular as she wanted to be. The team captain she falls for, however, isn't interested in her as she learns after forcing the player into asking, causing her to contemplate (and attempt to commit) suicide by jumping off the school roof. When the Protagonist consoles Ai after being rejected, she starts to fall for the player, who can accept or reject her love. In either case, she grows to trust the Protagonist, who shows her that looks aren't all there is to love and she wants to be true to herself.
She is the Social Link for The Moon
The Moon (Tarot card)
The Moon is the eighteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Symbolism:* Two large, foreboding pillars are shown...
Arcana.
Naoki Konishi
:The brother of Saki Konishi, the second victim of the murders. His father owns the Konishi Liquors store in the Shopping District, and he seems to hold a grudge against the Protagonist for being friends with Yosuke, the son of Junes' manager. During the game, however, Naoki is quite resentful for different reasons. Naoki is constantly pitied by everybody for the death of his sister. As a result, Naoki seems trapped and is unable to move on with his own life since he's constantly reminded of Saki's death. However, later on in the game, Naoki reveals that he felt that he may have been different since he couldn't mourn for his sister in the same manner as seen on TV; or, at least, not as strongly as most people normally would. In the end, Naoki really did miss his sister, as he was finally able to mourn and truly move on.
He is the Social Link for the Hanged Man Arcana.
Yumi Ozawa
:One of the main character's classmates. She has short, black hair in a very reserved-looking style. She is extremely tall and graceful. Soon after the Protagonist joins, Yumi gives subtle hints that she joined the Drama Club in order to escape from her life. During one of the club's meetings, a student informs her that her mother passed out. She rushes to the hospital, with the Protagonist following, only to find out that her mother is well—she had lied about who it was in order to get Yumi to see her father, whom left her and her mother when she was younger. The Protagonist learns that Yumi's father has a terminal illness. Yumi is torn between her hatred for him and her father's request to see his daughter before he passes away. As the Social Link progresses, Yumi becomes even more torn and distressed because she's unable to deal with any decisions regarding her life due to her parents. Before Yumi's father passes on, her parents reveal the meaning of her name: "to bear fruit". After some help from the Protagonist and reflecting on what to "bear fruit" means, Yumi decides to leave the Drama Club and to not blame any future hardships on her parents or anyone else.
She is the Social Link for The Sun
The Sun (Tarot card)
The Sun is a trump card in the tarot deck. Tarot trumps are often called Major Arcana by tarot card readers.-Rider-Waite symbolism:A. E. Waite suggested that this card is associated with attained knowledge. An infant rides a white horse under the anthropomorphized sun, with sunflowers in the...
Arcana, if the player joins the Drama Club. She is also one of the S.Links the Protagonist can have a relationship with.
Ayane Matsunaga
:One of the Protagonist's classmates. She has short, black hair, in a style similar to Fuuka Yamagishi of Persona 3. She is very young-looking, with red cheeks, and is often compared to an apple. She is a very shy, also like Fuuka, and is often left out from the Music Club's activities due to her poor playing and unwillingness to speak up. In her Social Link, the Protagonist helps Ayane practice, both in school and out. Though not very skilled with the trombone at first, continuous practice helps her perform very well (though she admits to the Protagonist that she was stuck with the instrument; she'd wanted to play the flute, but it was too expensive, and her family already had an old trombone). When one of the trombone players for an upcoming concert gets in an accident, Ayane is appointed to take his place. Just before the performance, however, the original trombone player returns and though she's given the choice of still playing in the concert, Ayane relinquishes the part back to the original player. At first, she's very distraught about not standing up for herself, but she soon accepts that it's good to be a little selfish from time to time, regardless of the consequences. Ayane then gives the protagonist a "ticket" to a future concert that she hopes he will attend as a thank-you.
She is the Social Link for The Sun
The Sun (Tarot card)
The Sun is a trump card in the tarot deck. Tarot trumps are often called Major Arcana by tarot card readers.-Rider-Waite symbolism:A. E. Waite suggested that this card is associated with attained knowledge. An infant rides a white horse under the anthropomorphized sun, with sunflowers in the...
, if the player joins the Music Club. She is also one of the S.Links the main character can have a relationship with.
Hisano Kuroda
:An old woman dressed in mourning clothes who befriends the protagonist, referred to as a "ghost" by locals. The protagonist meets Hisano at his part-time janitorial job at the hospital. She reveals to the protagonist that he reminds her of her dead husband. At first, Hisano refers to herself as Death, confusing the Main Character. As the Main Character progresses in the Social Link, he learns that she feels guilty over her husband's death, feeling that she caused him to die by wishing for it. Hisano and her unnamed husband were very much in love for the time they were together, but eventually Hisano's husband became ill and gradually lost all memory of Hisano and their love. Alone, sad and helpless that he could actually forget about her, she wished for him to die in order for them both to escape the pain. It is through the Main Character that she realizes that even though her husband lost his memory, the time and love that they shared was genuine and true, allowing Hisano to move on. She eventually leaves Inaba to live with her children.
She is the Social Link for the Death
Death (Tarot card)
Death is the thirteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks.It is used in Tarot, tarock and tarocchi games as well as in divination.-Description:...
Arcana.
Shu Nakajima
:A young student whom the protagonist can tutor part-time. Shu is at first a stereotypical arrogant young academic. As the protagonist spends more time with Shu, it is revealed that Shu is very depressed because of all the pressure he feels to be the best in everything alongside the constant stream of praise he receives from his mother. He also mentions a transfer student whom he envies, as this student surpasses Shu in almost every way. In order to stay on top and live up to his mother's expectations, Shu cheats on a test that he told the Main Character about and ends up being suspended from school, much to his mother's disappointment and disdain. The Main Character helps Shu realize that he should find more meaning in his life than just trying to face forward and be number one at everything; he and his mother reconcile and start over.
During the last month in game, when the protagonist converses with Shu, he mentions that he and that same transfer student are now great friends and his own popularity has also increased as a result.
During the S.Link, the Protagonist can invite his friends over to Shu's house for a birthday party in an attempt to cheer him up (despite a comical moment in which the power goes out just as Shu is about to blow out the candles).
He is the Social Link for The Tower
The Tower (Tarot card)
The Tower is the sixteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most cartomancy Tarot decks. It is not used as part of any game.- History :...
Arcana.
Eri Minami
The stepmother of Yuuta, one of the children from the day care center where the protagonist can work part-time. Eri and Yuuta faced difficulties accepting each other as part of the family. Eri and Yuuta's father were only married for about half a year before he had to leave for China on business. As such, Eri and Yuuta had nothing that connected them and so they grew more and more distant. As the Social Link progresses, it shows that both Eri and Yuuta care about each other very much but are held back by their own fears; Eri fears that she could never be a good mother and Yuuta fears that Eri hates him or will hate him if he upsets her. The Main Character helps the both of them realize that in order for a relationship to work, both of them have to take steps forward and not be held back by their own biases. When they finally decide on working to become a family, Eri and Yuuta leave the day care center behind, thanking the protagonist for his help.She is the Social Link for the Temperance
Temperance (Tarot card)
Temperance is the fourteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Description :...
Arcana.
Sayoko Uehara
:A nurse from the hospital where the protagonist can work part-time as a janitor. She has a cynical view on her profession as patients leave her, whether by dying or recovering and leaving the hospital. As such, she attempts to seduce the protagonist often. Her attitude changes when she discovers that one of her patients from the hospital she previously worked at, a young boy not even in school yet, has died. When she learns of his death, her attitude changes from a flirtatious cynic to a strict workaholic. It isn't long before the other hospital staff prefer Sayoko's more easygoing personality. During one of the days that the protagonist is working, he is asked by a nurse to help bring in Sayoko to a hospital bed since she collapsed from exhaustion. It is then that she realizes that she was overworking herself and her coworkers to escape the loneliness of her patients leaving her and the pain of losing a patient under her care. She speaks with the protagonist one last time, saying that she'll be leaving the hospital to rediscover why she originally became a nurse in the first place. Sayoko thanks the protagonist, gives him her work I.D. and leaves her old self behind. It is later revealed that she went to Africa as a volunteer. She appears physically similar to singer Ringo Shiina, due to her mole and nurse outfit, something Shiina was very popular for during her early years of music.
She is the Social Link for the Devil
The Devil (Tarot card)
The Devil is the fifteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Symbolism :...
Arcana.
Fox
The mysterious fox of the shrine, who bares a rugged appearance from its distinctive scars yet keeps up a cute image with the red heart pattern bib it wears. Fox is the guardian of the shrine but has problems with donations. The protagonist encounters Fox after donating some yen. Apparently the shrine does not receive many donations and the only person donating to the shrine is the protagonist. The Fox assists with helping his friends inside dungeons by restoring their SP, at a heavy price (similar to Trish from Persona 2), meaning the player must pay a certain amount of yen per point per character (for example: recovery at 60 yen per point, recover 100 points, final price = 6,000 yen.)The rank is increased by answering the wishes of people who prayed at the shrine, to increase the donations. Increasing the rank also lowers the price of SP recovery from Fox. After the Social Link is maxed out, a new area of the shrine is opened that allows the Main Character to pray to increase the relationship of the other Social Links in the game.
The fox is the Social Link for The Hermit Arcana.
Margaret
:A mysterious woman replacing Elizabeth (who just so happens to be her sister) as Igor's assistant after the latter had set off on a journey. After establishing the Social Link with her, she requests the Protagonist to create a certain Persona with a certain skill from fusion, as a euphemism for drawing out those aspects of the protagonist's personality. Although she seems very composed and dignified at first glance, she actually has a silly and whimsical sense of humor.
In the second playthrough, and if certain conditions are met, Margaret will challenge the Protagonist's team to fight her, as she wants to discover for herself the reason why her sister abandoned her role in the Velvet Room. Margaret also appears in Persona 3 Portable, as the one in charge of the Vision Quest.
She is the Social Link for The Empress
The Empress (Tarot card)
The Empress is the third trump or Major Arcana card in traditional Tarot decks. It is used in Tarot card games as well as divination.- Description and symbolism :...
Arcana.
Kinshiro Morooka/King Moron (Morokin)
:The home-room teacher of Class 2-2. Known as King Moron in English and in Japanese, he is snobbish and judgemental to current teenage pop culture and constantly reminds his students to study hard, addressing them with disdain almost to the point of verbal abuse. He is insensitive to the problems of others, as seen when talking to Kanji during summer camp. He constantly threatens to expel students that misbehave.
He is killed after Rise is rescued by the Protagonist from the Midnight Channel. However, his murder has nothing to do with the Midnight Channel, being a copycat murder committed by the attention-seeking Mitsuo Kubo, although the police initially declare the case closed as they believe they have caught the killer.
Noriko Kashiwagi
:The teacher who replaces Morooka after he is killed. She flirts with her students, or, to the least, tries to grab their attention. Even though her personality is the polar opposite of Morooka's, she is greatly hated by the students of 2-2. She also appears jealous of Rise, calling her "a piece of inexperienced jailbait" and constantly complaining about idols. According to the students talking when she introduces herself, she's "on the wrong side of 40."
Ms. Kashiwagi also makes an appearance in Persona 3 Portable. She is at the beach in the male protagonist's path during their "Operation Babe Hunt". Like in Persona 4, she likes attention from younger men and makes a pass at Akihiko.
Saki Konishi
:A third-year student at Yasogami High, she is the only daughter of the Konishi family that run Inaba's only liquor store, Konishi Liquors. She took a job in Junes' Inaba branch, despite objections from her parents, and blamed the store for ruining their business. As such, Saki blames Yosuke and his family for her current plight. In the Magician Social Link it is revealed that Saki ran off with a college student, but came back after being "dumped", implying Saki wasn't as innocent as she seemed.
She is the second victim killed in the TV world after the culprit attempts to assault her. Her death led the way to the creation of the Investigation Team.
Hanako Ohtani
:An obese classmate of the protagonist. She teams up with Ms. Kashiwagi for some scenes later in the game. It is also revealed later in the game that she is the person responsible for putting items in the Main Character's shoe locker, as she has a crush on the main character.
Mayumi Yamano
A TV reporter, Ms. Yamano became part of a publisized scandal for her supposed affair with Taro Namatame. To hide from the public, she stayed at Inaba's Amagi Inn.She is the first murder victim of the TV world. She died after the culprit attempted to rape her, but instead threw her into the TV.
Marie
A Persona 4: The Golden exclusive character, not much is currently known about her. She is seen interacting with the protagonist.Aika Nakamura
:Introduced in Persona 4: The Animation, Aika Nakamura is one of Yū Narukami's classmates. She has short blue hair and a meek personality, and doesn't talk very much. Her family owns the Chinese Diner Aiya, where she works; Yosuke is surprised by this, saying, "Here we're classmates and I never knew!"
Igor
:A mysterious, long-nosed gentleman who resides in the Velvet Room (which, for this game, has now taken the form of a limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
). As in the other Persona games, Igor's purpose is to assist the player in acquiring new powers and Persona. It is revealed by Margaret that Igor creates the Velvet Room himself and bases its appearance on who the protagonist is at the time, as well as their situation.
Despite the death of Isamu Tanonaka due to myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 2010, the animation version in 2011 will still uses his original voices recorded in the game. Because of this, Margaret does most of the speaking, in addition, several scenes have Igor absent from the Velvet room.
Chihiro Fushimi
:The treasurer from Persona 3
Persona 3
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, originally released in Japan as simply , is the fourth video game in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series of console role-playing games developed by Atlus, which is part of the larger Megami Tensei series of video games...
who makes a cameo in Persona 4. She appears to have become more confident in the two years separating Persona 3s beginning and Persona 4s. She is also the current Student Council president of Gekkoukan High School, and apparently kept in touch with Mitsuru Kirijo. She acts as a greeter during the Field trip to Tatsumi Port Island at Gekkoukan High.
President Tanaka
The president of a large company from Persona 3Persona 3
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, originally released in Japan as simply , is the fourth video game in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series of console role-playing games developed by Atlus, which is part of the larger Megami Tensei series of video games...
makes a return in Persona 4. He still owns a very successful business and hosts his TV show called "Tanaka's Amazing Commodities" every Sunday.
Mr. Edogawa
Mr. EdogawaThe magic teacher and school nurse from Persona 3 lectures the characters during their trip to Gekkoukan; as was often the case in the third game, his lecture has a link to the underlying mechanics of the game. In this case, he discusses the gods thought to have created Japan, including Izanagi, the Protagonist's initial persona.
Mitsuo Kubo
:Mitsuo Kubo is the juvenile killer responsible for Mr. Morooka's death and is the second suspect the group believes to be behind the murder case (the first being a photographer who was trying to take a picture of Rise Kujikawa's bedroom). He makes a pass at Yukiko at the beginning of the game, and is rejected out of hand, since no one knows who he is. He is later revealed to be an isolated student who was expelled from a different high school prior to the beginning of the game. He is a copycat killer, as evidenced by the fact that Morooka died by blunt force trauma according to police investigations (it is hinted at that Mitsuo used a baseball bat).
Initially he had a minor role in the game until he appeared on the Midnight Channel. During this event, it is shown that he was trapped in the Midnight Channel by Adachi when he confessed to his crimes. Eventually the group manages to find him in the TV and save him from being killed by his Shadow. Mitsuo is then taken away by the authorities. Due to the fact the kidnappings did not cease after his capture, the group then comes to the conclusion he was a copycat killer and is in fact mentally unstable.
Mitsuo's Shadow Self differs from those of other characters; rather than mock the original with their darker, inner feelings, Kubo's Shadow Self stays quiet and says barely anything at all. This is a reference to the fact that on the inside, Mitsuo is empty, trying to act powerful to get attention when in reality he is just a loser. After being defeated, it disappears in a puff of dark-red smoke, rather than turning into a Persona. This may be due to Kubo not accepting his true self (or possibly because Mitsuo's true self is nothing at all).
Mitsuo's Shadow takes the form of an unborn fetus that is able to build an 8-bit video game warrior as a barrier. It represents his feelings of not being noticed by anyone and his opinion that he must kill in order to get attention. Yosuke considers this as a kind of insult. In addition to his Shadow's appearance and actions, his TV World dungeon resembles that of an old-school RPG
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
. It has some references to the first Shin Megami Tensei game on the Super Famicom. Throughout the dungeon the party hears Mitsuo's voice, going through the murders in RPG-style as though he had committed them, which suggests that Mitsuo had possibly convinced himself that he was the one who had committed the first murders, and that he was mentally unstable.
Taro Namatame
:Taro Namatame, the person responsible for the kidnappings past the first two murders. Believing that his actions were good-natured, he was manipulated by Adachi into throwing the victims into the TV world. Though he was responsible for most of the kidnappings in the game, he was not an antagonist in the traditional sense since he believed that he was saving the people who appeared on the Midnight Channel from mortal danger. Like the Protagonist and Adachi, he was given the power to enter the TV world by Izanami. When he attempts to capture Nanako, he is defeated in the TV World by the Investigation Team and sent to the hospital, insisting that he is trying to save her. In a critical point in the story the player can kill Namatame, defuse the situation, or identify the true killer as a different person, each resulting in a different ending. If the player chooses to kill Namatame the worst ending will occur, while failing to identify another killer while saving Namatame will result in the bad ending. Realizing that there is another killer will result in Namatame (at a later point) revealing critical information, putting the Investigation Team on the right track. In reality, Namatame had figured out after Mayumi's death that her appearance on the Midnight Channel had foreshadowed her murder, and he sought out Saki Konishi in order to warn her. After she died as well, Namatame tried to contact the police and Adachi tricked him into throwing people into the TV to "protect" them from the killer; after the victims began to turn up alive after his kidnappings, he believed he was truly helping them. It wasn't until his experience within the TV world that he realized he had been sending the victims to their deaths. He begs the Protagonist to stop the culprit, as they are "the only ones who know about that world."
Namatame's Shadow, Kunino-Sagiri, is a large, red, humanoid creature with a gigantic halo shaped like a peace sign growing out of its head, wearing a long robe with a red peace sign on the front. Even his fingers give the peace sign. It represents his misguided image of himself as a savior.
Tohru Adachi
:Persona: Magatsu-Izanagi
Tohru Adachi, a young police officer in the Inaba police department, and Dojima's junior partner. He often accidentally reveals crucial information regarding the investigation to the protagonist, and is constantly reprimanded by Dojima for running his mouth. For most of the game he appears as merely a bumbling comic relief character, but this is in fact just an act.
In the Normal/True Ending path, it is revealed that Adachi is behind the two initial murders. He became interested in Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi until he pushed them into TVs when they spurned his feelings. He advanced on Mayumi Yamano one night at the Amagi Inn, and upon rejection, Adachi loses his temper. She backs into the TV when Adachi advances on her, and at that moment, he discovers his power when she falls in. When Saki Konishi is interviewed for the murder of Mayumi Yamano, Adachi once again gets angry and attacks her, but when she fights back, he pushes her into the TV. From here on, Adachi seems to be toying with the Investigation Team, not expecting them to find out who he is, and on several occasions he also appears to mislead them. It is heavily implied that he is suffering so much because of the expectations and pressure from society he has to deal with; however, based on his rationalization of his actions and demeanor, it is also likely that he is sociopathic. After the two initial murders, he tricked Namatame into kidnapping people under the idea that he was keeping them from danger, which is reinforced as every person Namatame "rescues" is then saved by the Protagonist's group. He explains that his reason for doing so is nothing more than to entertain himself and disgust for the human world; in fact, he reveals that the only reason he became a police officer was so that he could legally carry a gun. He gained his power from Izanami like the Protagonist, though for most of the game he is unaware of Izanami's influence. He was defeated by the party and arrested for his crimes. If the player continues towards the true ending the protagonist receives a letter from a recently convicted Adachi, stating his suspicions of a true conductor behind all of the events of the case, providing the investigation team with new insight to their reasoning.
Adachi uses his handgun in battle. His Persona is Magatsu Izanagi (Corrupted Izanagi), which resembles the Protagonist's initial Persona, but holds its spear backhanded, and is a dark black color with glowing red fissures covering its body.
Ameno-sagiri
Ameno-sagiri, the God of Fog, and the being that was partially influencing Adachi's actions. Responsible for the fog appearing on rainy days, it takes the form of a gigantic eyeball with a golden disc for an iris and black pipes protruding from its form. It believes itself to pursue "mankind's desires", and it is the presumed final boss if the player chooses not to pursue the True Ending or fails to identify Izanami, Ameno-sagiri's creator, as the true culprit. Ameno-sagiri itself is benevolent, promising the Protagonist that it will lift the fog after being defeated, although it is revealed through its final words that it is not dead, but will remain dormant until enough people wish for the fog to return.Ameno-sagiri has no known voice actor, although he does speak through Adachi when he takes control of him after he is defeated by the group.
Izanami
The goddess Izanami is the mastermind behind everything. Claiming that it is what humans desire, she aims to cover the world in dense fog and turn mankind into Shadows, which would cause all humans to live acting on instinct and cease all suffering. Disguising herself as a Moel gas station attendant, she was able to directly grant outsiders like Namatame, Adachi and the Protagonist the ability to enter the TV. Her true nature is somewhat hinted at because as the gas station employee she will only appear on rainy days. Furthermore, in the game's introduction, the controller will rumble at the moment Izanami shakes hands with the protagonist (this is highlighted again by Izanami herself during a flashback in the final portion of the game).Her TV world dungeon is Yomotsu Hirasaka, the mythological entrance to the underworld. During the battle, her initial form is that of a goddess, but after she is defeated first time her true form is revealed: a massive, skeletal monster, already dead and rotting, like the legend says. The main character defeats her by using his Social Links to turn Izanagi into Izanagi-no-Okami and using the ultimate attack named Myriad Truths.
Despite her antagonistic nature, she thoroughly believes in what humanity desires, and later congratulates the Investigation Team for discovering the truth, as well as defeating her. Like Ameno-sagiri, Izanami is primarily benevolent; she believes that the world wants this of her, and that seeing the intentions of the Protagonist and his team has opened her eyes to the contrary.