Persona is one of the greatest JRPG series of all time, making it a little hard to believe that it actually originated as a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei series. Persona 3 marked a massive shift in the series, with the title featuring life sim elements along with a healthy dose of dungeon crawling that players can engage with at their own pace.

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With the introduction of characters and Social Links (or Confidants for the Persona 5 faithful), the protagonist gets the option to romance many characters without any cheating penalties, barring an odd scene or two. That being said, some players would obviously want to stick by their option instead of playing the field a bit too much, as the best Persona romances can be pretty engaging in their own right.

Updated on March 7, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The Persona series is going stronger than ever, with the release of Persona 3 Reload being celebrated by the masses as a much-deserved remake of the title that started it all. With all three major Persona games playable on modern systems, even more fans have been spoiled with the many romance options available. There are heated debates online about which romance in the Persona series is the very best of the bunch, but a lot of them are great in their own right.

13 Hifumi Togo

Arcana: Star

Not only is Hifumi's Social Link useful for players who want to switch characters on the fly, but it also lets gamers engage in a pretty riveting story. Hifumi is a Shogi prodigy whose fame works against her, with her mother pushing Hifumi to get better at all costs.

This pressure breaks Hifumi down piece by piece, to the point where the protagonist must go to Mementos and change her mother's heart to save the Shogi player from any further mental anguish. This culminates in a touching romance that players will love if Hifumi's soft-spoken nature grows on them.

12 Yukari Takeba

Arcana: Lovers

If there's one thing Persona 3 Reload should be commended for, it's turning Yukari from an insufferable insult-spewer into one of the more captivating characters in the game. She seems genuine and comforting this time around, making her a popular romance option for many.

Given how romances in the Persona games work, players aren't really disincentivized from pursuing a romance with multiple characters at the same time. However, for the sake of immersion, Yukari is the perfect choice for those who want their version of the transfer student to be as loyal as can be.

11 Kasumi Yoshizawa

Arcana: Faith

Kasumi is a new character in Persona 5 Royal who plays a major role in the epilogue. The character is shrouded in mystery, making for a unique narrative at the tail end of the game where they get to use her Persona to wreak havoc against their enemies.

Most people wouldn't mind opting for her as Joker's canonical romance option, given how unique her character is. She's a chirpy, positive person who matures after the events of the game to become a well-developed character, even if some people feel that her introduction feels a little too disconnected from Persona 5's main narrative.

10 Mitsuru Kirijo

Arcana: Empress

Mitsuru is a great character and an invaluable party member to boot. She seems pretty snobby at first glance, with players needing a high level of Academics to even initiate this romance in the first place.

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However, Mitsuru's character is pretty deep, and players will love spending time with her regardless. She has her own struggles that slowly rear their ugly heads over the course of the game before the protagonist decides to step in and help her out.

9 Rise Kujikawa

Arcana: Lovers

Rise Kujikawa is one of the best characters in Persona 4 by a country mile, with her playful and flirty personality being quite endearing indeed. However, players paying attention to her character know that she doesn't like being treated like an object of affection, with her dungeon in the TV World personifying the same.

With this in mind, when players decide to romance her, they'll love the complexity and depth of Rise's personality. She's very sweet and genuinely appreciates the protagonist for being supportive, which causes players to feel all fuzzy inside.

8 Makoto Niijima

Arcana: Priestess

• Persona 5

Makoto seems like a teacher's pet who follows the orders of the principal without questioning any of his actions. This forms a rift between her and the Phantom Thieves, but it doesn't take long for her to awaken her Persona and become friends with the group she once had an issue with.

Romancing her reveals a caring part of her character, going out of her way to look after a friend who was falling into bad company. Her character is one of the kindest in the series despite that first impression, and it's easy to see why so many people love romancing her in Persona 5.

7 Yuko Nishiwaki

Arcana: Strength

Yuko Nishiwaki is a pretty unique character in Persona 3, serving as the coach of whichever sports club players join in the game. Her insecurities and past are explored via this Social Link, which ends up being quite engaging.

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This romance may start slowly, but it ends up paying off the longer players stick to it. Yuko is a positive and charming character who will definitely uplift any gamer's mood when they choose to hang out with her.

6 Chie Satonaka

Arcana: Chariot

Chie Satonaka is an athletic and jovial character who players absolutely love in Persona 4. Her voice actor was changed in the Golden version, which worked out very well for the character, making her sound more charismatic and endearing at the same time.

Chie always manages to keep things interesting and will compel the protagonist to work a sweat while hanging out with her, too. Any person who decides to romance her will love her sense of justice, hunting down bullies and saving the weak in her own unique way.

5 Ann Takamaki

Arcana: Lovers

• Persona 5 Royal

Ann Takamaki is Joker's classmate and one of the first people to befriend him. Her banter with Ryuji is one of the funniest parts of the game, showing just how funny she can really be despite prior assumptions.

Ann's modeling career is expanded upon in her Confidant route, with players getting to know more about her personal struggles and how she manages to improve after being ousted by a rival model. She's a fun character to hang out with in Persona 5 and the preferred romance option for many.

4 Chihiro Fushimi

Arcana: Justice

Chihiro is a shy and reserved character who serves as the treasurer of the Student Council at Gekkoukan High. She seems a bit too aloof for her own good, but the protagonist can go out of their way to help her come out of her shell if need be.

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Chihiro's personality takes a while to blossom, but witnessing this moment after spending a ton of time with her is quite rewarding. As a result, seeing her cameo appearance in Persona 4 was an absolute treat for longtime fans of the series.

3 Naoto Shirogane

Arcana: Fortune

• Persona 4 Golden

Some people don't like romancing Naoto since it's assumed that Kanji likes her, and getting in his way isn't the most ideal thing to do. However, there's no denying that Naoto is a pretty intriguing character with a great romance side plot, especially given the detective side of things that comes up.

The player needs to be a great detective if they want to romance Naoto, who is a pretty entertaining person to hang out with after she becomes comfortable around the protagonist. It can be frustrating if she rejects the protagonist, but players who manage to woo her will love the depth of her unique character.

2 Tae Takemi

Arcana: Death

• Persona 5

Tae Takemi is a pretty unique character, serving as a mysterious doctor who handles the clinic and forces the protagonist through a series of highly unethical experiments. In fact, many people would argue that this romance is just wrong because Joker's still in high school.

However, players who manage to look past this age gap will love the time they spend with Takemi. Her fall from grace as a reputed doctor was completely undeserved, and players were glad to see her salvage her reputation by the end of this Confidant's story.

1 Aigis

Arcana: Aeon

• Persona 3 Reload

Aigis isn't a romance option in the conventional sense, but she's still one of the best characters in the game by quite some margin. There's a reason why no one complained when she took over the role of the protagonist in The Answer, which serves as Persona 3's epilogue.

As an AI, she explores the very concept of sentience itself and bonds quite a lot with the protagonist. In fact, she outright professes her love to him sometimes, even if she may not understand the gravity of the word.

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