Persona 3 Reload – Every Party Member Ranked

“Persona 3 Reload” was one of my favourite games of 2024, and it’ll definitely go down as one of my favourite games in the series. What impressed me most, especially after seeing multiple casts I connected to greatly, was how strong the central characters were.

Both in terms of skill and how much they endeared themselves to me, I was impressed more often than not. Originally I was going to do two separate lists ranking the party by their character and by their battle skills … but by that point I might as well combine the two!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

10 – Koromaru

Character: 8th

Skill: 8th

I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I have to put the loveable dog Koromaru at the bottom of the list. I loved the fact we got an animal companion AND a Persona user in one, and he provided some of the most adorable moments in the game.

That being said, I wasn’t going to rank his character over most of the more fleshed-out humans. And his skillset got overshadowed by Ken once he joined the team.

9 – Fuuka

Character: 9th

Skill: 6th

It’s hard to rank the party’s navigator in terms of “Skill”, so in the end I put her middle of the pack – she was useful from time to time, after all.

In terms of pure character, however, Fuuka was pretty boring. A bit like Haru from Persona 5 except she joined early enough in the story to make a slight impact.

8 – Shinjiro

Character: 6th

Skill: 9th

We don’t see much of Shinjiro, but that’s what made his death so tragic – I was really starting to warm to his tough yet caring personality, and given enough time I think he could’ve been one of my top three favourite characters.

His brief appearance also meant it was quite hard to rank his skill. He was strong for the one boss fight we got to use him in, but he clearly doesn’t compare to the other characters since they get more time to level up and learn more powerful abilities.

7 – Mitsuru

Character: 7th

Skill: 5th

Mitsuru was as middle-of-the-road as you can get. On the one hand I quite liked her arc of accepting responsibility and learning to live normally, but on the other hand it’s an arc we’ve seen before in the series.

She was a very important player in my party in the early stages due to her powerful ice magic, but in the later game I ditched her for stronger party members.

6 – Junpei

Character: 2nd

Skill: 10th

It’s the case in every Persona game I’ve played that the first character you truly get to know (like Ryuji and Yosuke) ends up being your bro for the rest of the game.

I loved Junpei’s arcs of both recognising his own skill and getting close to Chidori … but let’s be real. You drop him from the team the moment you get the chance. I’m told his later skills are powerful, but he’s clearly the weakest.

5 – Protagonist

Character: 10th

Skill: 1st

Every Persona protagonist is in the same boat – they are immensely powerful with the way they can channel multiple personas, but their characters are intentionally a blank slate.

The lack of character makes it easier for players to put themselves in the protagonist’s shoes, but as a result he’s far from an engrossing main character.

4 – Akihiko

Character: 3rd

Skill: 7th

Junpei was my bro for the whole playthrough, but Akihiko came damn close to becoming my best friend at points.

He’s tough but level-headed, and you can tell he cares dearly about his friends and the mission at hand. He was pretty strong in battle too, but eventually I subbed him out for members who were even stronger.

3 – Ken

Character: 5th

Skill: 4th

It just so happens the top three party members in this ranking were also my final party members in the fight against Nyx – their skill speaks for itself in that regard, but it’s coincidence they also ended up being some of my favourite characters.

Ken was a mainstay in my party for his strong magic abilities, and I really liked his arc of revenge and whether his vengeance was worth pursuing.

2 – Yukari

Character: 4th

Skill: 2nd

Yukari is one of the first party members you acquire alongside Junpei, so her longevity made her a close friend across the whole playthrough. The stuff with her father also made for some endearing character moments.

In terms of skill, I value her as the best party member (protagonist not included). Her healing abilities are crucial from the first to the final battle, and her damage output wasn’t half bad either.

1 – Aigis

Character: 1st

Skill: 3rd

When Aigis first appeared, I thought she was an oddball who I’d never connect with. Her physical playstyle also seemed at odds with my magic / healing party build, so I assumed I’d never use her. As the game went on, she became a mainstay in my party AND my favourite character.

It was fascinating to watch her learn what it means to live and be human, and her final scene with the protagonist was the first time in years I’ve shed a tear playing a videogame. Truly moving stuff.

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: