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Persona 3 Reload has a number of different characters who can be swapped in and out of the active party to assist Makoto on the journey. Some of these characters are around and available much longer than others, but some just have a lot more utility. As players continue to make their way through the 70+ hour Persona 3 Reload story and get closer to the end, knowing which party members will be the most useful against those most powerful final bosses is crucial.
Makoto won’t be included on this list since the protagonist can never optionally be switched out in a Persona game, rendering it fairly unnecessary to compare him against his allies since the player is stuck with him, regardless.
8. Shinjiro
From a stats and power perspective, Shinjiro honestly isn’t bad at all. He packs a punch with that hammer and would easily land a higher place on this list if it wasn’t for the fact that… well let’s just say players really shouldn’t get so attached to Shinjiro as a Persona 3 Reload party member. Ultimately, any attempts to level him up and integrate him into a party format will prove wasted time, and thus he can’t go anywhere but the bottom.
7. Junpei
If the stats of Junpei and the stats of Shinjiro were switched, Junpei would definitely push a few places up on the Persona 3 Reload party member list. As things stand, while Junpei is around for the entire game, he’ll likely be the first the players put on the bench as more party members join. Physical ability has never been the most valuable Persona trait, and Junpei isn’t even a particularly strong Physical fighter.
6. Ken
Ken has a lot of potential and isn’t necessarily a useless Persona 3 Reload party member on the surface. The problem is, once the entire party is present and the player needs to begin considering who to level for the end game, Ken just doesn’t stand out amid his peers. Akihiko is better for Electric skills, Yukari has access to a lot more Healing skills, and Koromaru has basically all the same Light skills. Where does that leave Ken? Well, that’s a good question. It’s not impossible to work Ken into a party, there are just not really many good reasons to do so.
5. Aigis
For Persona players who highly value party members who can hand out all kinds of major buffs consistently, Aigis will likely be a mainstay. Aigis doesn’t have much going for her offense, but some useful Physical skills paired with the plethora of Support skills effectively make her the optimal Physical character to have in the party. Sorry, Junpei fans.
4. Akihiko
This Persona 3 Reload party member brings the damage. Akihiko has some of the best offensive stats in the game, making him very essential for a lot of the biggest fights, and if the boss has an Electric weakness then it’s absolutely no question. The main (and really only) limit of Akihiko would be a lack of versatility. Aside from Electric skills, the only other thing Akihiko’s working with is some Support abilities, meaning he likely won’t be much help in fights where the enemy has Electric resistance.
3. Koromaru
Sit down, Morgana and Teddie, Koromaru blows all of Persona‘s other animal mascots out of the water by not only being the most useful in a fight, but also frankly being the most likable. It’s a dog with a knife, what’s not to like? On top of just generally being a great character, Koromaru has some powerful Dark, Fire, and Support skills that make him an incredibly valuable party member throughout much of the game.
2. Yukari
Every functional Persona 3 Reload party needs a good healer, and unless the player plans on designating Makoto in that role, Yukari will likely be indispensable for the position. On top of having a lot of the most powerful Healing skills in the game, Yukari is also the only Persona 3 Reload party member with access to all of the Wind abilities, making her just that much more unique and indispensable. This is not a character that can be so easily replaced.
1. Mitsuru
Mitsuru has it all. High magic damage, access to a number of abilities focused on Ice, Ailments, Support, and even Healing, on top of the fact that her Analysis skill can be invaluable when facing new enemies for the first time. Not every character is perfect, the fact that Mitsuru’s only damage comes from Ice attacks can be a limit in some situations, but even then, she has a plethora of other skills that can boost her allies’ damage or put out healing to make her still a worthwhile pick for a constant party member.
