Persona 3 Reload – Every Social Link Ranked

Persona’s Social Links are always a mixed bag by nature, but “Persona 3 Reload” had some of the best Social Links in the whole series – the ones that were thematically rich whilst also telling a compelling story in their own right. Unfortunately, it also contained some of the worst Social Links.

I’ll be ranking all twenty-two Social Links in the game, basing my judgement on the quality of the story’s writing rather than just the characters themselves (otherwise the core cast would have an unfair advantage).

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

Automatic

I’m lumping all of the automatic social links (the mandatory ones that rank up as you go through the story) together.

22 – Pharos (Death)

All of the automatic Social Links are of vaguely the same forgettable quality, but if I had to pick a least favourite it would probably be Pharos.

He visits you from time to time and wakes you up. A bit rude. On top of that, his conversations are always vague and elusive. This shouldn’t have really been a Social Link to begin with.

21 – S.E.E.S. (Fool)

Every Persona game has an automatic Social Link that follows the core cast of characters.

Unfortunately for S.E.E.S., an even more badass team emerges near the end of the story.

20 – Nyx Annihilation Team (Judgement)

Same as S.E.E.S. but with a much cooler name and the stakes are sky-high.

Bad

19 – Noizomi Suemitsu (Moon)

Ignoring all the automatic Social Links, Noizomi’s Social Link is clearly the worst one in the game – and one of the weakest Social Links in the series.

More so than any other Social Link I can remember, he never comes across as your friend. He’s always putting you down or getting distracted by eating, and there’s even a point where the Moon Arcana “inverts” until you save him in a mandatory cutscene. Just odd from start to finish.

Okay

18 – Maya (Hermit)

I like Maya’s Social Link on paper. Talking to a character online is a neat premise, and the twist that it’s your teacher is a fun link to the protagonist (even if an older love interest will always be weird in the context as a high schooler).

Unfortunately, this ends up being one of the most boring Social Links in the series. You sit at your computer and talk about random things. I think if the teacher had a crush on another teacher, to give one possible example, that would’ve made this Social Link better.

17 – Mitsuru Kirijo (Empress)

I have to take personal bias and story-relevance out of the equation when it comes to Mitsuru. She’s great in the main story, but her Social Link is one of the worst.

At first it starts innocently enough with her not knowing how to eat ramen properly. Understandable given her sheltered background. What follows is scene after scene of her not understanding basic etiquette and Japanese things. Is she an idiot?

There’s also a subplot with her arranged marriage that I don’t care about – I didn’t like it in Haru’s Social Link in P5R and I don’t like it here.

16 – Fuuka Yamagishi (Priestess)

Fuuka’s fine in the main story, but she’s not a stand-out cast member. That sentiment carries over to her Social Link.

She wants to be a better cook. Cool. Good for her.

15 – Bebe (Temperance)

I loved having this odd little Frenchman around, but did he have a good Social Link? No, not really.

I could sympathise with his family troubles but it was nothing groundbreaking.

14 – Chihiro Fushimi (Justice)

Lots of people like Chihiro for her shy attitude and how he learns to talk to boys. I find it a bit corny.

13 – Hidetoshi Odagiri (Emperor)

As medium-stakes side stories go, having a class representative / prefect try to find the culprit of a petty crime on school grounds is not a bad idea.

Unfortunately, it means Hidetoshi is quite standoffish for the whole Social Link. Like Noizomi, it didn’t feel like we were bonding as friends – but the last few Links rectified this.

Having it actually be a detective story instead of a moral quandry would’ve made it more interesting too …

Good

12 – Kenji Tomochika (Magician)

Kenji is the first proper Social Link you get in the game, and as a result he felt like the protagonist’s best friend outside of the main story.

… But his story is about being hot for a teacher. There’s always one Persona Social Link that gets weird, but at least nothing happens from it.

11 – Mamoru Hayase (Star)

Mamoru is a star runner. He’s having problems with his running career. This is just about as cookie-cutter as you can get for a Social Link.

10 – Yukari Takeba (Lovers)

There’s nothing inherently wrong about the saga between Yukari and her mother.

This Social Link suffers from the fact that the main story, focusing on Yukari and her father, is much more interesting.

9 – Keisuke Hiraga (Fortune)

Be an artist or be a doctor? It’s a question I’m sure many intelligent creatives have asked themselves – especially when weighing up whether to pursue a “normal” job rather than their dream.

Keisuke’s struggles are conveyed really well. I wasn’t expecting much from an Art Club Social Link, so my low expectations probably helped.

8 – Yuko Nishiwaki (Strength)

Yuko had the most endearing low-stakes story of the bunch.

It’s very relatable to see someone not knowing what to do with their lives, and helping her discover her passion is really satisfying.

… And yes, Yuko was the one I romanced. In case you were wondering.

7 – Bunkichi & Mitsuko (Hierophant)

I mean, c’mon. You’d have to be heartless not to like Bunkichi and Mitsuko.

Having an elderly couple as a Social Link made for a nice change of pace, and their story of saving their son’s tree was simple but effective.

Great

6 – President Tanaka (Devil)

I’m going to contradict myself with this one – Tanaka is never your friend, nor does his Social Link have any real excitement besides your conversations by the fountain. And yet I still put him among the top Social Links.

The fact he’s in both Persona 4 and 5 certainly helps, but I couldn’t help but love his snarky attitude and twisted view of the world.

5 – Kazushi Miyamoto (Chariot)

This is a classic Social Link premise – your fellow schoolmate is an athlete, and he’s pushing himself too hard to the detriment of his physical wellbeing.

The writers conveyed Kazushi’s struggles really well – this is the kind of personal athlete Link that I wish we saw from Mamoru.

4 – Maiko Oohashi (Hanged Man)

I can see how the Persona writers evolved Ryuji from Kazushi. I can also see how we got Nanako in P4 – this child Social Link / older brother dynamic works so well here that it made sense to make a spiritual sequel.

This is undoubtedly the most endearing Social Link in the game. Maiko is such a lovely, innocent kid, and her troubles with her parents add some nice drama.

3 – Mutatsu (Tower)

I can absolutely see this being my most controversial placement of the bunch. Mutatsu is a grouchy old monk who hangs out in a seedy nightclub – hardly a friendly face at first.

Despite his initial resentments, his care for the protagonist shone through in later scenes. Him reconnecting with his family, using his life advice on his own situation, was the icing on the cake.

Amazing

2 – Aigis (Aeon)

Aigis is a late addition to the cast, and her Social Link happens so deep into the game that I wasn’t sure if I would finish it. It’s no exaggeration to say I put every other Social Link on hold (apart from my top spot, maybe) to see her side story through to its conclusion.

Her inner-turmoil about what it means to be human also reflects the main plot – mortality is something we all have to live with, and we need to face the world in a way befitting of us. Out of all the main cast, I felt like the protagonist deepened his relationship with Aigis the most across the Social Link.

1 – Akinari Kamiki (Sun)

Some Persona Social Links are sad, some are happy, some have high stakes, some have low stakes, some pass by in a flash while others make you stop and think … but I don’t think any Persona Social Link has affected me as much as Akinari.

He’s a man who knows he’s about to die, and he’s writing a story to express his feelings and leave some sort of legacy. These themes of mortality and leaving something behind are only strengthened in hindsight by the ending of the main game.

When his mother comes to see you after his death, it was a bittersweet sensation – I felt like I’d suffered a terrible loss of a close ally, and yet I knew that Akinari had accomplished what he set out to do in his last months of life. The Persona universe is all the better for his conviction in the face of finality.

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