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Across the five main series games in the iconic JRPG franchise, Persona has actually managed to accumulate seven different protagonists. Unlike many other JRPG series, a Persona protagonist isn’t just a lifeless, personality-void husk for the player to move around and dress themselves over. Persona tend to have stories and feelings just like all of the other main characters in the games. Some games have handled this better than others, though, and ranking every Persona protagonist will give a better idea of how the writing of these very specific characters is managed from the beginning to now.
7. Naoya Toudou (Persona 1)
In general, Persona 1 tends to be the weakest game in the series on all fronts. Gameplay, visuals, mechanics, and story are all bested by future entries, with character writing being no exception to these weaknesses. Unfortunately, the debut title’s protagonist, Naoya Toudou, falls victim to this, appearing particularly flat and lifeless in comparison with every other Persona protagonist, even in the manga.
6. Yu Narukami (Persona 4)
Persona 4 is full of great characters, and the fans who hold this game above all else may be up in arms over this opinion, but Yu Narukami is not one of those characters. While certainly not the worst in the game (*Glares menacingly at a whiny bear who shall remain unnamed*), Yu is just not that interesting. He lacks a lot of the wit and charm or that “unique” factor most of the other protagonists here possess. There is an undeniable swagger to his walk, which saves him from the bottom, but not much else.
5. Kotone Shiomi (Persona 3 Portable)
As one of the only woman Persona protagonists, Kotone has a pretty passionate following despite only being playable in the PSP version of Persona 3. She inhabits an interesting place, being the only protagonist in the series offered as an alternate choice to the main protagonist, and picking Kotone isn’t merely an aesthetic decision, there are genuine differences worth noting when playing through as her rather than Makoto. Her personality isn’t so strong, though, mostly playing a cheerful counterpoint to Makoto’s fairly grim personality.
4. Makoto Yuki (Persona 3)
Makoto Yuki winds up being much more fleshed out, with regards to the Persona 3 game and its surrounding content, than his female counterpart Kotone. He may be the most sullen counterpart of the series, which could potentially lead to some less-than-flattering Naoya Toudou comparisons, but it feels far more like a real person in Yuki’s case. The fact that this is the one protagonist in the Persona series who can respond to like half of all dialogue in his game with some variation of “I don’t care” really emphasizes what kind of character this is, on top of leading to some pretty funny interactions.
3. Maya Amano (Persona 2: Eternal Punishment)
Maya Amano is the first, and one of only two, woman protagonists in the Persona series. She’s also still the only woman protagonist that the player has no choice but to play for Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, as opposed to Kotone being an optional choice. Both Persona 2 games do amazing jobs of fleshing out their protagonists, and while Maya doesn’t get quite the same arc as Tatsuya, she’s still an incredibly interesting character and a thrilling piece of perhaps the darkest game in the series.
2. Ren Amamiya/Joker (Persona 5)
Joker AKA Ren Amamiya might be considered the “silliest” protagonist of any Persona game. His lackadaisical appearance and walk complement the sarcastic answers the player is given the option of utilizing fairly regularly throughout Persona 5, Persona 5 Tactica, and Persona 5 Strikers. This can make the story far more engaging while not feeling too unserious since Joker clearly knows when to drop the act and protect his friends.
1. Tatsuya Suou (Persona 2: Innocent Sin)
Persona 2: Innocent Sin may not mechanically or visually be the best experience in the series, but it comes up incredibly strong with regards to its writing. Tatsuya Suou is one of the best examples of this, being very fleshed-out and complex without even needing the level of manga or anime exposure that other protagonists utilized to feel more complete as characters. Tatsuya’s struggle with what he wants for his future, the struggles of his past, and his surprisingly progressive portrayal given this was Japan in the ’90s all make him a character worthy of the next Atlus remake now that Persona 3 Reload is out.
