| Protagonist | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Persona3Protagonist.png) The protagonist's female and male designs, as seen in Persona 3 Portable | |
| First game | Persona 3 (2006) |
| Designed by | Shigenori Soejima |
| Portrayed by | Male: Diego Zavala Female: Kana Asumi |
| Voiced by | Male
Female
|
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Male: Diego Zavala Female: Kotone Shiomi |
The protagonist (Japanese: 主人公, Hepburn: shujinkō) is a character from Persona 3, a 2006 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. In the game, the protagonist is an orphan who transfers to Gekkoukan High School in Iwatodai City and discovers a phenomenon called the Dark Hour during which supernatural entities called Shadows roam freely. After awakening an ability called Persona, the protagonist joins their classmates in forming the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.), dedicated to eliminating the Dark Hour and the threat of the Shadows. In the original release of Persona 3 as well as the updated versions Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Reload, the protagonist is male; for Persona 3 Portable, Atlus added the option to play as a female, to provide more options to returning players and attract a new female demographic.
Both protagonists were designed by Shigenori Soejima, who aimed to create ordinary youth who the player could relate to. In Japanese, the male protagonist is voiced by Akira Ishida, while he is voiced in English by Yuri Lowenthal in most media, and by Aleks Le in the game's remake, Persona 3 Reload. The female protagonist is voiced in Japanese by Marina Inoue and in English by Laura Bailey, and the male and female protagonists are respectively portrayed by Shouta Aoi and Kana Asumi in the game's stage adaptation, Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade. The male protagonist's character was reworked for the four-part animated film adaptation, where director Noriaki Akitaya explained pressure in giving the silent character his own personality. He is canonically known as Makoto Yuki in the films as well as the 2023 remaster of Persona 3 Portable.[7][8] In the manga adaptation, he is named Minato Arisato. In The Weird Masquerade, he is given the name Sakuya Shiomi, sharing a surname with his female counterpart as the female protagonist is given the name Kotone Shiomi, which was later reused as her canonical name in the 2023 remaster of Persona 3 Portable.[7][8] Outside of Persona 3 Portable, the female protagonist also appears in Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth and Puzzle & Dragons. Critical reception for the character has been generally positive.
- ^ a b "Makoto Yuki Voices (Megami Tensei)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of the title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ Lada, Jenni (2023-06-11). "New Persona 3 Reload Voice Actors Announced for Remake". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
- ^ Bennett, Colette (August 20, 2009). "Pictures and video from Persona 3 PSP emerge". Destructoid. Modern Method. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ 『ペルソナ3ポータブル』謎の敵"シャドウ"に挑む特別課外活動部. Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. September 5, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ "Protagonist (Female) Voice - Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (Video Game)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of the title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ Lada, Jenni (June 11, 2010). "Gamertell Persona 3 Portable preview diary: Entry 5 – Wrapup". TechnologyTell. GadgeTell. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ a b "Persona Protagonist Names: canon names for every main character in the series". RPGSite. June 5, 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ a b Rondina, Steven (2023-01-24). "Persona 3 Portable: What are the Canon Names for the Male and Female Protagonist?". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-09-19.