Persona 3is a classic entry in the landmark JRPG series, beingthe first to introduce Social Linksand the life simulator mechanics. The game initially released in 2006, and received several versions in the form ofFESandPortable.
The latest version ofPersona 3,Persona 3 Portable, was recently released on modern consoles and PC, allowing a new generation of players to experience this classic game.Persona 3 Portableis a very different beast compared to its successors, and new players may not immediately get a hang of the gameplay. Here are the best party members in the game, ranked by their utility.
8Shinjiro Aragaki
The infamous delinquentShinjiro Aragaki is the last party member to join SEES, and his inclusion in the party is rather temporary. He does not spend much time with the party overall, which is why his ranking is as low as it is.
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As a party member, Shinjiro’s main forte is his physical damage, especially considering his Strength stat, which is the highest among the party. However, he is very much one-note and does not have the same level of versatility that other members have. Nevertheless, he is useful if physical damage is all that the player needs.
7Koromaru
While Koromaru may be adorable, he can certainly be quite the threat in a fight.With the highest agility in the game, Koromaru can easily dodge slower enemies' attacks, causing them to fall down and create an opportunity to attack. With access to Mudo and Agi skills as well as Masukukaja to further increase his speed, Koromaru is certainly a capable ally.
However, despite his speed, Koromaru lacks the strength or magic to take full advantage of it. Furthermore, since his instant-kill Mudo skills are unreliable in boss battles, this leaves him with quite a gimmicky moveset that lacks concrete strengths.
6Junpei Iori
Despite being marginally beat out by Shinjiro in strength, Junpei is the go-to physical attacker of the party, and one that is a part of the party from the beginning of the game. Unlike Shinjiro, Junpei also has the ability to use Agi skills, allowing him to still be useful against opponents resistant to physical damage.
However, much like Shinjiro, Junpei’s strengths are rather narrow. He lacks multi-hit fire skills and has little in the way of support skills. While he is very potent as a physical attacker, his weapon type and low Agility means he misses more often than others, which can leave him vulnerable to an enemy attack.
5Ken Amada
The youngest SEES memberKen Amada is a jack of all trades, having access to not only physical skills, but also Zio and Hama skills as well, giving him three avenues of attack. He is also a capable support unit as one of two characters with the ability to heal the entire party and revive fallen allies.
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However, this versatility is balanced by his rather average stats, which prevent him from doing more damage than those that specialize in a particular stat. While Ken has marginally more Luck than any other party member, this does not help him out very much.
4Akihiko Sanada
The boxing expert Akihiko Sanada is a capable fighter, and it’s the same in combat. The Fist Master passive increases his physical damage massively. However, he lacks the physical attack skills that would make the most of his above-average Strength, limiting him to basic attacks.
Akihiko’s main specialty, aside from his Zio skills, is his ability to lower the stats of enemies due to possessing all three -unda skills. While he also possesses the healing skill Diarahan, Akihiko’s time is best spent casting debuffs or dealing physical damage.
3Mitsuru Kirijo
The leader of SEESand the student council presidentMitsuru Kirijo used to be a suboptimal pick for the party, as her AI would constantly push her to use ailment skills like Marin Karin even on bosses immune to the skill. However, withPersona 3 Portableallowing players to fully control the party, Mitsuru is now a more than viable party member.
With the Ice Amp passive skill and Mind Charge, Mitsuru is easily one of the most powerful damage dealers in the game, especially thanks to her high Magic stat. She can use Spirit Drain to restore her own SP and heal allies with Diarahan. Despite being somewhat narrow in utility, Mitsuru is a more than capable party member.
2Aigis
The combat androidAigis is an incredibly versatile party member, being able to deal damage as a physical attacker and act as an emergency healer by healing and reviving allies. She also has access to all three -kaja skills, allowing her to support by buffing her allies' stats.
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Aigis also has a unique mechanic that only she can use: Orgia Mode. When Orgia Mode is activated, Aigis’s offensive capabilities rise, allowing her to deal even more damage than before. However, Aigis becomes uncontrollable and suffers a cooldown once the mode ends. Strategic use of Origia Mode is important to use Aigis effectively.
1Yukari Takeba
Yukari Takeba is one of the first characters to join the party at the very beginning of the game, and is the most likely to remain in the party to the end. Her main role is to act as a healer, with the ability to not only heal the entire party and revive allies, but also to remove ailments like Panic, Fear, and Charm. With the highest Magic stat in the game, Yukari can also deal immense damage with Garu skills as well.
Yukari does have weaknesses: her low Agility can affect her turn order adversely, as well as cause her to miss when making physical attacks. However, these weaknesses pale in comparison toher utility as a healer and supporter, making her almost necessary for nearly every boss battle.
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