Persona 3 Reload is a game that seemed destined to eventually see the light of day. Even if they are archaic in places, the 2006 original and Persona 3 Portable are both considered masterpieces, and they ushered in a new era for Atlus' IP. Persona 3 defined the franchise's identity, and the game deserved a remake that would make it more accessible to a modern audience.

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Persona 3 Reload: 5 Scariest Personas

These Personas in Persona 3 Reload are so terrifying, they could be in a horror game!

As is the case with pretty much every Persona game, it's only a matter of time before players are invested in the gameplay loop of gathering new Personas and filling up their stack to take into account each enemy's strengths and weaknesses. Since it's easy to acquire Personas in accordance with the main character's level, some options are better off neglected in the grand scheme of things.

6 Ara Mitama

Arcana: Chariot

• Starting Level: 6
• Strengths: Resists Strike & Fire
• Weaknesses: Wind

At a glance, it may seem rather harsh to ignore a Persona that has two strengths, but the drip-feed of Personas in the early part of P3R is so quick that even something as useful as Ara Mitama doesn't need a lot of time in the spotlight. Instead, players are better off using it for a few cheap physical skills.

The fire skills aren't really all that useful early on, especially since Junpei takes care of this department and doesn't suffer from a dearth of SP because of his excellent physical skills that can be used early on. As a result, Ara Mitama slowly becomes obsolete, and players should just use Junpei whenever an enemy with a fire weakness appears. That Persona is simply a better option than putting in the effort to level up Ara Mitama.

5 Angel

Arcana: Justice

• Starting Level: 4
• Strengths: Resists Electricity & Light
• Weaknesses: Dark

While Angel is a pretty cheap Persona to summon whenever players need to maximize the time they spend with Chihiro Fushimi, it's not exactly the best candidate to rely on if players want to deal damage. The skill ceiling for this Persona is pretty low as is, and it's only a matter of time before players will find better ones with more powerful moves.

The resistance to light and electricity is pretty welcome, but what makes this Persona dangerous to use at higher levels is its weakness to darkness. The game ends if the protagonist loses all his HP, and watching an instant-death Dark skill lay waste to a player's run in Tartarus is nothing short of frustrating.

4 Nekomata

Arcana: Magician

• Starting Level: 3
• Strengths: Resists Wind
• Weaknesses: Electricity

Kenji Tomochika isn't exactly the most riveting Social Link to interact with. His endeavors to win over an older woman's affection and the delusions that follow don't make for the most riveting storyline, even if the main character can have some hilarious interactions with him. To ensure that the time spent with him is as fruitful as can be, players are better off getting the cheapest Persona of the Magician Arcana.

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6 Personas from Persona 5 That Should Have Been in Persona 3 Reload

Several Personas from Persona 5 Royal would have been great to have in Persona 3 Reload.

Nekomata fits the bill, with this cat-like creature boasting a decent selection of spells and physical attacks in the early sections of Persona 3 Reload. However, its level is so low that most players should not bother to even level up this Persona. Sure, the high agility is a good bonus, but it will eventually be dwarfed by other, marginally better Personas anyway.

3 Apsaras

Arcana: Priestess

• Starting Level: 2
• Strengths: Resists Ice
• Weaknesses: Fire

The only reason why players should make it a point to get Apsaras is the Theurgy that is unlocked with it. Cadenza is a decent move that can prove to be a huge help for players in their time of need, healing the party and increasing their Speed in one go. It's a great way to turn the tide of battle against an enemy that has them against the ropes.

However, Apsaras herself is a barebones Persona that isn't worth investing in. The ice attacks are pretty welcome in a time when Mitsuru isn't in the party, but that's a relatively minor benefit that doesn't justify leveling up this Persona any more than necessary.

2 Pixie

Arcana: Lovers

• Starting Level: 2
• Strengths: Resists Electricity
• Weaknesses: Ice

It's a shame that players need to max out their Charm before even getting a shot at starting a Social Link with Yukari. It takes so long that most people will forget about Pixie's existence, with the Persona finally becoming relevant after this Social Link is unlocked. Until then, there's no fathomable reason for Pixie to be part of anyone's arsenal.

Dia is a welcome healing spell, but Yukari takes this role early on in the party. As a result, the only benefit of leveling up this Persona is to use its electricity skill, which isn't accessible via other party members until Akihiko joins. Still, Pixie will become redundant far before players reach that point in the game.

1 Orpheus

Arcana: Fool

• Starting Level: 1
• Strengths: Resists Fire
• Weaknesses: Electricity, Dark

The first Persona that the main character obtains in Persona 3 Reload is quite important from a story point-of-view, with the moment the Evoker is used to summon Thanatos before it transforms into Orpheus being a highlight of the whole game. This Persona looks great, but to call it powerful would be a stretch.

With two glaring weaknesses and the lowest starting level of any Persona, it's easy to see why leveling up Orpheus would be a wasteful act. There's nothing substantial to be gained from strengthening this Persona, and players are better off switching to other ones the moment they acquire additional Personas.

Persona 3 Reload

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PS4 , PS5

Released

February 2, 2024

Developer(s)

P-Studio

Genre(s)

JRPG