Highlights
- Shinjiro's death in Persona 3 highlights the importance of not depriving players of valuable party members.
- Characters like Shinjiro and Akechi who leave the party shortly after joining it feel bad to use, since any experience they earn goes to waste long-term, meaning they're prone to getting benched altogether.
- Developers must avoid repeating Shinjiro's design flaw in Persona 6 to ensure party members are always seen as assets worth investing in.
Persona 6 would do well to take inspiration from Persona 3, but Shinjiro Aragaki and Persona 5's Goro Akechi share a painful flaw. While Shinji was a compelling character, repeating his design philosophy could lead to more headaches for Persona 6 than necessary. Designing the party and the story are going to be two of the most crucial aspects of the game, so it only seems natural to look at past games in the series due to their success. In the process, the developers shouldn't bring back one of the biggest design flaws that Persona 3 and Persona 5 had.
If there's one thing that Persona 6 can learn from Persona 3's party, it's that a varied group of personalities can mesh together wonderfully. While most members of S.E.E.S. had a similar aesthetic clothing-wise due to most of them wearing school uniforms, they all still felt unique. Junpei was the joker, accentuated by his swinging his sword like a baseball bat, while Mitsuru was the clear leader, backed by her overachieving nature and intimidating air. The contrast between the S.E.E.S. members help them feel like more realized characters. They feel like a group of individuals, rather than a single autonomous unit of a party.
Persona 6 Needs its Own Version of P3's Ryoji Mochizuki
Ryoji's role in Persona 3 was an interesting one, and Persona 6 may be able to put a new spin on it for a character of its own.
Shinjiro and Akechi's Short Lifespans Seriously Hurt Them in Persona 3 and 5
Shinjiro Aragaki Had One Major Problem in Persona 3
Shinji is a cool character, but he presents a problem for endgame planning in Persona 3 Reload. Shinji joins the party in early September, and he's a huge asset while he's around. He has the highest Strength in the party, and his Persona, Castor, has no weaknesses. While he only has access to Strike and Slash skills, that also helps him find a niche as a purely physical fighter among the party. He's an incredibly effective tank and performs well in combat. Unfortunately, all of his perks come with a major caveat: Shinjiro will unavoidably die a month after his recruitment in the story.
Shinji's Early Death Made Him Practically Unusable in Persona 3
Losing Shinjiro so soon after the player gets him forms one of the biggest problems with Persona 3's party. Because Shinji is with the party for such a brief period of time, it makes him not worth investing in at all. Persona 5's traitorous Goro Akechi presented a similar problem. Every time the player uses Shinji or Goro in battle, they are giving experience and levels to a character that is not going to be around in the long haul. Using Shinji at all effectively wastes a party slot, so players in the know will probably end up leaving him on the bench.
Persona 6 Can't Deprive Players of Party Members So Easily
If Persona 6 wants a character similar to Shinji, then it will require some notable changes. For example, a plot twist in Persona 6 could lead to a character that dies like Shinji or betrays them like Akechi, but this time, the character could be saved or reedeemed according to the player's actions. Another way would be for players to have two mutually exclusive party members, with players determining who stays. While that would present a similar problem, it would add drama and the player would keep one no matter what. That would be a better solution than a character who is always guaranteed to leave.
Losing Shinjiro so soon after the player gets him forms one of the biggest problems with Persona 3 's party.
Shinji as a character is perfectly fine, but his role in the game could have used some work. However, if the developers are willing to experiment with tropes in Persona 6, a character like him could still succeed. The biggest problem with Shinji is his brief time in the party and unavoidable death. Party members should always be an asset, and Shinji's leaving the party so soon instead feels like a remarkable disappointment. Persona 6 should learn a lesson from Shinji's role in Persona 3 and avoid the associated pitfalls.
