Persona 3, known outside Japan as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, is a role-playing video game created by Atlus. It is the fourth main game in the Persona series, which belongs to the larger Megami Tensei franchise. The game was first released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 in 2006 and in North America in 2007. It has had several improved versions and ports. A longer version called Persona 3 FES was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2007 and worldwide in 2008. A version for the PlayStation Portable, named Persona 3 Portable, came out in Japan in 2009, North America in 2010, and Europe in 2011. It was later released on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. A remake called Persona 3 Reload was released in February 2024 for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A version for the Nintendo Switch 2 is expected in October 2025.
In Persona 3, players control a high school student who joins a group called the "Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad" (SEES). This group investigates a strange time-related problem called the "Dark Hour," during which they enter a tower named Tartarus. This tower is filled with monsters called Shadows. Players fight these monsters using a power called a Persona, which they summon by using a gun-like device called an "Evoker" on their head. The game combines role-playing and simulation elements. The player progresses through a school year day by day and builds relationships with others, which helps strengthen their Personas during battles.
Most critics praised Persona 3 for its social aspects, but some found the combat and environments repetitive. The epilogue in Persona 3 FES provided a complete ending for the original game, though it was criticized for not including the simulation features. Persona 3 has also inspired other media, such as fighting games like Persona 4 Arena and BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, a rhythm game called Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, role-playing games like Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, soundtrack albums, concerts, radio dramas, a manga, an anime series, and an animated film series.
Gameplay
Persona 3 combines ideas from traditional role-playing games and simulation games. The game follows a main character who must balance attending school, building relationships with others, and fighting monstrous creatures called Shadows during the Dark Hour. Each day is split into daytime and evening parts. Except for planned events, such as story progress or special activities, players can choose how to spend their time. Most activities cause time to pass, and the types of activities and characters available depend on the day of the week and time of day. Some activities are limited by the protagonist’s three traits: Academics, Charm, and Courage, which can be improved through specific actions or choices. During the evening, players can visit Tartarus, the main dungeon, to gain experience and items. On the day of the full moon, players must fight a boss to advance the story.
A key part of the game is Personas, which are creatures and figures linked to the Major Arcana of the Tarot. Each Persona has strengths, weaknesses, and abilities, including offensive, supportive, and passive skills. While other main characters have their own Personas, some of which change during key story moments, the protagonist can use multiple Personas and switch between them in battles. New Personas can be created by combining existing ones in the Velvet Room, with the result inheriting abilities from the combined Personas. The protagonist’s level limits which Personas can be created. Personas can also be obtained after battles during Shuffle Time or summoned from the Persona Compendium for a cost. The Velvet Room also lets players complete quests, like finding items, for rewards.
The game includes "social links," which are bonds formed with other characters, each tied to a specific Major Arcana. These links are strengthened by spending time with characters. When creating a Persona linked to a specific Arcana, a bonus is given if that Arcana has a social link, with larger bonuses for higher ranks. Carrying a Persona of a specific Arcana can help improve its social link rank. Reaching the highest rank allows players to create unique Personas for that Arcana. However, poor choices, like selecting wrong dialogue or dating multiple characters, can weaken or break a social link, preventing the use of related Personas until the link is repaired.
Tartarus is the main dungeon, accessible during the evening if conditions are met, such as the absence of certain characters. Players can send other party members to explore or let them automatically attack Shadows. Eventually, players must defeat powerful Shadows on boss floors to progress. Some floors block further movement until the story advances. Civilians may appear in Tartarus; rescuing them before the full moon gives rewards. Spending too much time in Tartarus can make characters "Tired" or "Sick," which harms their combat performance. Players can recover by using items, visiting the infirmary, or sleeping early.
Battles begin when the player encounters a Shadow, with the battle party including nearby characters. Attacking first gives an advantage, while being attacked first gives the enemy an edge. Battles use the "Press Turn" system, where players and enemies take turns using weapons, items, or Persona abilities. Players can assign battle strategies to party members, and in Persona 3 Portable, direct commands can be used. Attacks are divided into three physical types and six elemental types, with both Personas and Shadows having strengths and weaknesses against them. Physical attacks cost HP, while elemental and support magic cost SP. Hitting an enemy’s weakness or landing a critical strike can knock them down for an extra turn, which enemies can also do. If all enemies are knocked down, the party may perform an All-Out Attack, dealing heavy damage. Winning battles gives experience points shared among the party. Enough experience allows Personas to level up, improving their stats and abilities.
Story
The story of Persona 3 takes place in 2009 in the Japanese city of Tatsumi Port Island, which was built and funded by the Kirijo Corporation. Ten years before the game begins, experiments created the Dark Hour, a time that exists between days. During the Dark Hour, most people are changed into coffins and do not realize it; however, a few people remain unaffected. During this time, reality changes. Gekkoukan High School, where most characters attend during the day, becomes a maze-like tower called Tartarus. Shadows, monstrous beings, live in Tartarus and attack people who are still awake, leaving them in near-catatonic states after the Dark Hour ends. To fight Shadows and learn about the Dark Hour, a group of high school students formed the "Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad," or SEES. Members of SEES can summon beings called Personas, which are described as "a second soul that lives deep within a person's heart. It is a different personality that appears when a person faces something from outside this world." Personas are summoned by using a gun-like object called an Evoker, which is fired at the head.
The main character of Persona 3 is a silent player who names him at the start of the game, though he is officially named Makoto Yuki. Ten years before the game begins, Makoto lost his parents and became an orphan. He returns to the city where he grew up to transfer to Gekkoukan High School. After discovering his ability to summon a Persona, he joins SEES, a group of students who fight Shadows and explore Tartarus. SEES includes Yukari Takeba, a friendly and popular girl; Junpei Iori, a class clown and Makoto’s best friend; Akihiko Sanada, a calm senior and leader of the school’s boxing team; and Mitsuru Kirijo, president of the student council and daughter of the Kirijo Group’s leader, who helps during battles. Later, SEES gains new members: Fuuka Yamagishi, a shy girl who replaces Mitsuru as support; Aigis, a female android created by the Kirijo Group to fight Shadows; Ken Amada, an elementary school student whose mother was accidentally killed by a Persona user; Shinjiro Aragaki, a former SEES member who left due to past events; and Koromaru, a dog who can summon a Persona.
Makoto moves into a dorm in the city after transferring to Gekkoukan High School. On his third day in the city, during the Dark Hour, he is attacked by Shadows and awakens to his Persona. After defeating them, he is recruited by SEES, a group of students who fight Shadows and explore Tartarus, a giant tower that appears during the Dark Hour. On nights of the full moon, the city is attacked by a Shadow more powerful than those in Tartarus. After several attacks, Mitsuru Kirijo reveals that the Kirijo Group, a research company founded by Mitsuru’s grandfather, conducted experiments ten years earlier to contain Shadows. These experiments failed, allowing Shadows to escape and form twelve larger creatures. SEES’ leader, Shuji Ikutsuki, tells them that if they defeat the twelve greater Shadows, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear.
While vacationing in Yakushima, Makoto meets and recruits Aigis, a Persona-wielding android who has an unexplained need to be near him. After defeating the twelfth Shadow, SEES learns that Ikutsuki lied. Destroying the greater Shadows has freed parts of Nyx, a being known as the "maternal being," who will end the world if fully restored. Nyx created Shadows and is drawn to Earth by the Appriser, or "Death." Ikutsuki wants to sacrifice SEES to speed up Nyx’s arrival, believing he will become the "prince" of the new world. He is wounded in a fight with Mitsuru’s father, Takeharu Kirijo, and jumps from Tartarus to his death.
SEES encounters the Appriser in the form of Ryoji Mochizuki, a new student at Gekkoukan High School. In December, Aigis and Ryoji reveal that the Shadow experiments ten years earlier created the Death Shadow, which was sealed inside Makoto when he was a child. The Death Shadow’s purpose is to bring Nyx to Earth and destroy life. Ryoji claims Nyx cannot be defeated but offers SEES an alternative: if they kill him, their memories of the Dark Hour and Tartarus will be erased, allowing them to live unaware of their impending death.
On New Year’s Eve, the player must decide whether to kill or spare Ryoji. If Makoto kills him, the game ends with SEES members (except Aigis) losing their memories of the Dark Hour and Shadows. They live happily unaware until Nyx brings about the end of the world. If Ryoji is spared, on January 31, SEES fights him as the Nyx Avatar. They defeat Nyx Avatar, but Nyx continues to descend to Earth. Makoto awakens the power of the "Universe," sealing Nyx and restoring the world. On Graduation Day, Makoto and Aigis go to the school roof, where Aigis thanks Makoto for giving her a purpose: protecting him. Makoto, who has been feeling unwell, then closes his eyes.
The events of "The Answer" begin on March 31, shortly after the original game ends. The opening scene shows that Makoto died at the end of the original story, which other characters believe is related to him defeating Nyx. The school year has ended, the dormitory is closing, and SEES is breaking apart. During their last dinner party, SEES members discover they are trapped in the dorm and the day March 31 is repeating. A large door-like hole opens in the dorm floor, and SEES is attacked by Metis, an anti-shadow weapon similar to Aigis. While fighting Metis to protect her friends, Aigis awakens the Wild Card ability, which Makoto previously had. Aigis defeats Metis, whose actions were an attempt to end the time loop and save Aigis, whom she calls her "sister."
Beneath the dormitory is the Abyss of Time, a multi-layered dungeon causing the time loop. At the bottom of each layer, SEES members witness memories of themselves awakening to their Personas. At the bottom of the seventh and final door, SEES fights a Shadow-like version of Makoto. Afterward, each member receives a key. Combining the keys would end the time loop, but Metis offers an alternative: using the keys to travel back in time to before Makoto’s death. Unable to agree on how to use the keys, SEES argues. Aigis and Metis take all eight keys, which fuse into the Final Key. They discover a new door
Development
Persona 3 started being made in 2003, after Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga were completed. In March 2006, the first information about Persona 3 was shared in the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsū. The article announced the game’s Japanese release date of July 13, 2006, and described the game’s story, combat system, and the social link system (called “community” in the Japanese version). It also introduced three characters—the main character, Junpei, and Yukari—and their Personas: Orpheus, Hermes, and Io.
Shigenori Soejima was the main character artist and art director for Persona 3. He took over from Kazuma Kaneko, who gave him the job so he could gain experience. Soejima felt pressure while designing the characters because he wanted to please the series’ fans. The goal was to make players of the Megami Tensei series feel happy they supported the Persona series. In an interview, Soejima said the game’s style looked like a fantasy manga, with mecha-like Personas and Mitsuru’s bold fashion. Soejima also designed the character Metis for FES. The game’s user interface had a blue color to create a cool and stylish look. The anime cutscenes for Persona 3 and FES were made by Point Pictures.
In an interview with Play magazine, lead director Katsura Hashino explained why the game used artificial intelligence to control party members: “It’s more fun to let the AI control them, so each member’s personality is clear.” He said no one on the development team objected to this choice. However, some players did not like the AI system. Later, the team said the AI was a style choice that matched the game’s theme of overcoming fear through “bonds.” Each character acted independently, and players could only influence them by interacting with them. Unlike previous Persona or Megami Tensei games, Persona 3 did not allow players to talk to enemies during battles to recruit them or earn rewards. Instead, the game’s social features, like those in Persona 4, were considered similar to the negotiation system. Maragos said in an interview that “negotiation isn’t gone…It’s still a big part of the game, even if it’s hidden.”
Yu Namba and Nich Maragos handled the localization of Persona 3. They tried to keep most of the original Japanese content, continuing a trend from Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. One goal was to share Japanese culture with Western audiences. The team kept the honorifics used by characters in the original Japanese script, as Maragos said they “added more meaning to the text.” During translation, some Japanese jokes were changed to ones that made more sense to Western audiences. For example, school tests based on English were adjusted, and Mitsuru’s second language was changed from English to French to match her appearance. References to Shin Megami Tensei were also updated to refer to Persona 2.
The original soundtrack for Persona 3 was composed by Shoji Meguro. It was released as a two-disc album in Japan by Aniplex on July 19, 2006. A selection of tracks was included with the North American version of the game. An arranged album called Burn My Dread -Reincarnation: Persona 3- was released in Japan on April 18, 2007, with 11 rearranged tracks and an extended version of “Burn My Dread.” Meguro said working on Persona 3 was his first chance to fully express his music in video games. The soundtrack uses a lot of vocals, including “Aria of the Soul,” a theme from previous games. The battle theme, “Mass Destruction,” was originally a prototype but became part of the final game because of its popularity. Earlier, hardware limits on the PlayStation forced Meguro to use small music files, which he felt made the music sound low quality. The move to the PlayStation 2 allowed real-time music streaming, which Meguro said let him create music without compromises. He was also concerned about how the English lyrics would be pronounced.
Meguro also composed new music for Persona 3 FES, released in Japan on May 3, 2007. The soundtrack included original music for FES and rearranged tracks from earlier Persona games. “The Snow Queen” by Kenichi Tsuchiya is a remix of a song from Revelations: Persona. “Maya’s Theme” and “Time Castle” are remixes from Persona 2: Innocent Sin. Persona 3 Portable includes new background music for the female protagonist. The game’s official soundtrack was released in Japan on November 25, 2009.
Promotion and release
The North American release of Persona 3 was sold as a collector’s edition box that included the game, a soundtrack disc, and a 52-page art book. The game was originally planned to release on July 24, 2007. However, Atlus faced a problem with manufacturing the art book several days before the planned release. Instead of shipping the game without the art book, the company decided to delay the release by three weeks, to August 14. Atlus released a statement explaining that they delayed the game to ensure the quality of the package, which would have been "irreparably compromised" if they had "revise[d] or abandon[ed] the deluxe package."
Persona 3 FES is an expanded version of Persona 3 that includes updates to the original game (called "The Journey" or "Episode Yourself" in the Japanese version), a new Hard difficulty option, and a new epilogue where players control Aigis (called "The Answer" or "Episode Aegis" in the Japanese version). The gameplay of "The Answer" is similar to "The Journey," but the daily life system has been removed, and players no longer attend school. Players who completed the original Persona 3 can transfer certain data from their save file, such as the player’s compendium, social-related stats, and maxed social link items. According to the game’s director, Katsura Hashino, the subtitle "FES" comes from the word "festival."
Persona 3 FES was first released with the original game in two forms: the "Regular Edition," which includes both the "director’s cut" version of Persona 3 and the new epilogue on a separate disc, and the "Append Edition," which has the same content but requires the original Persona 3 disc to be inserted before playing initially. After creating save data, the "Append Edition" can be played alone. These editions were released in Japan on April 19, 2007.
At the time, Atlus had no plans to release FES outside Japan. Confirmation came in February 2008, when the North American release date was set for April 22, 2008. The European version, released by Koei, came out on October 17, 2008.
An exclusive limited edition bundle was released by Amazon.com on November 28, 2008. It included the FES edition of the game along with the same art book and soundtrack disc that were included with the North American release of the original game.
The FES edition of the game was released on the PlayStation Network on April 10, 2012, as a PS2 Classic for the PlayStation 3.
Persona 3 Portable, an improved version of Persona 3 for the PlayStation Portable, was released in Japan on November 1, 2009, and in North America on July 6, 2010. It was released in most of Europe on April 29, 2011, and in the UK on April 28, 2011. A report in Famitsū revealed that players could choose to play as a female protagonist. This choice changes parts of the story: the first Persona gained by the protagonist, Orpheus, has a different appearance, and Igor’s assistant in the Velvet Room, Elizabeth, can be replaced with a male character named Theodore. The gender choice also affects some parts of the social link stories. In addition to the new playable character, two new difficulty levels were added to the original game and FES’s three. Persona 3 Portable only includes the story of the original Persona 3, called "The Journey," but some changes were made to the plot, regardless of the character chosen.
The game’s battle system includes features from Persona 4. In combat, players can directly control every character, instead of relying on the game’s artificial intelligence. A guarding ability was added, and allies will take fatal attacks for the protagonist, preventing their death. Outside of Tartarus, players guide an on-screen cursor around an area instead of directly controlling the protagonist, allowing interaction with characters and objects. The original game’s voice acting is included, but characters are not shown in the world and are represented by on-screen portraits. The anime cutscenes from the original game were replaced with in-game graphics. Shoji Meguro composed 10 new musical tracks for Persona 3 Portable, most of which were written for the female protagonist’s playthrough. Several characters from other Atlus games, such as Yukiko Amagi from Persona 4 and Vincent Brooks from Catherine, made appearances in Persona 3 Portable.
Persona 3 Portable was sold as a standalone game and as part of a bundle that included a T-shirt and desk calendar. In North America, Atlus U.S.A. offered Junpei’s baseball cap as a pre-order bonus. A version of Persona 3 Portable was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 19, 2023. Limited Run Games announced in September 2023 that they would distribute special physical versions of Persona 3 Portable for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox consoles in limited quantities, alongside a similar release for Persona 4 Golden on the same platforms. Limited Run will release three versions of Persona 3 Portable’s physical edition: a standard copy, a "Grimoire Edition" packaged in a special SteelBook case, a Grimoire Book box, and slipcover, and a "S.E.E.S. Edition" that includes a replica of the Evoker used by the main party to summon Personas and a 3D shadow box depicting the cut-in graphic for the All-Out Attack sequence. Pre-orders for the physical releases began on September 29, 2023, and ended on November 12, 2023.
Reception
Persona 3 received positive reviews when it was released, earning a Metacritic score of 86. Shane Bettenhausen of 1UP.com described the game as a "new and different approach to the MegaTen concept" and called it "the best RPG on the PS2 that year." He praised the "excellent" AI that guided party members during battles, calling it "the fastest and most exciting battle system in the series so far." Jeff Haynes from IGN pointed out that the battle system sometimes caused the player's character to die, leading to a game over.
GameTrailers called the game "a rare supernatural delicacy" and said fans of RPGs should not miss it. GameSpy's Patrick Joynt praised the game's social elements, calling the "social links" "almost universally fascinating." He noted that while the simulation aspects might be challenging for some players, he said the game was "well done." Heidi Kemps of GamesRadar said the game's focus on teenage themes was a "refreshing change" from other games in the genre, as it explored "social awkwardness common during that time in life." Joe Juba from Game Informer criticized the game's environments, saying most of the action took place in one location, Tartarus. He also said the game's connection to the Megami Tensei series might confuse new players.
Persona 3 FES received a Metacritic score of 89, slightly higher than the original game. Shane Bettenhausen said the story of "The Answer" added "much-needed narrative closure" to the original game. Kevin VanOrd called FES a "wonderfully enhanced version of an already-great RPG" and recommended it to both new and returning players. Some reviewers criticized the new chapter for not including the social elements from the original game. Jeff Haynes said the change "brought back a classic, more challenging RPG experience" but noted it removed what made Persona 3 unique. Reviews from GameSpy and IGN repeated concerns about the lack of direct control over party members in battle.
While some critics, like IGN, said Persona 3 Portable "lost some of its polish," it was still highly praised, earning an 89 out of 100 on Metacritic. It was called an "adventure worth playing again" despite being released twice before. This was supported by GamesRadar, IGN, 1UP.com, and GamePro. A reviewer from Famitsu said the remake included "enough changes to the Social Links to make it fun for old players." Websites like Destructoid and GamePro gave it perfect scores. GameTrailers nominated the game for "Best PSP Game" and "Best RPG," though it lost to God of War: Ghost of Sparta and Mass Effect 2, respectively. Three RPG-focused websites honored it with awards: RPGamer (Best Re-release), RPGFan (Best Traditional RPG on Handheld), and RPGLand (Best Port).
Shane Bettenhausen of 1UP.com said the inclusion of Evokers was a "bold and surprising choice" by Atlus, but he believed they fit the game's "dark tone." Joe Juba from Game Informer also said the Evokers "fit perfectly" with the game's tone. Jeff Haynes from IGN said the animations of characters using Evokers were "intriguing and shocking." Kevin VanOrd from GameSpot said the Evokers "never get old" and were "awesome to watch," even after many hours of gameplay. Atlus USA kept the Evokers in the game for its worldwide release, despite possible controversy. Nich Maragos from the localization team said the company did not receive any criticism for including them.
The PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch versions of Persona 3 Portable received "generally favorable reviews" on Metacritic.
Persona 3 sold 127,472 copies in its first week and 210,319 copies overall in Japan by 2008. Persona 3 Portable sold over 158,000 copies in Japan within its first month of release.
Persona 3 was named the best role-playing game of 2006 by Famitsu, and of 2007 by GameSpot and RPGFan. GameSpy gave it the 2007 PS2 RPG of the Year award and ranked it second in the 2007 PS2 Top 10 Games of the Year. Persona 3 was nominated for Best RPG at the 2007 Spike Video Game Awards but lost to Mass Effect. 1UP.com's 2007 game awards, published in the March 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, gave Persona 3 the award for "Most controversial game that created no controversy."
IGN ranked Persona 3 FES fifteenth in their list of "The Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time." In 2010, Persona 3 was listed first on RPGamer's "Top RPGs of the Decade" list and second on RPGFan's "Top 20 RPGs of the Past Decade" list.
Legacy
An internet meme about a typo changing the game's main song "Burn My Dread" to "Burn My Bread" became very popular online.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is a type of role-playing game where players explore dungeons. It was made for the Nintendo 3DS. The game includes characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4, and uses some gameplay ideas from the Etrian Odyssey series. In the Persona 3 story, the events begin two weeks before October 4. When the group called SEES prepares to enter Tartarus that night, they are pulled into the Velvet Room and sent to a school they have never seen. While exploring, they meet Zen and Rei, who have amnesia, and the Investigation Team, who also arrived at the school. The group must work together to escape. The game was released in Japan on June 5, 2014, in North America on November 25, 2014, and in Europe on November 28, 2014.
The fighting game Persona 4 Arena and its sequel, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, continue the story of the SEES members.
A rhythm game called Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, based on the setting and characters of Persona 3, was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Japan in May 2018 and worldwide in December 2018. It was released at the same time as Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is a follow-up to Persona Q. It was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on November 29, 2018, and worldwide on June 4, 2019. The game includes characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4, as well as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts from Persona 5 and the female main character from Persona 3 Portable.
Persona 3 Reload is a new version of Persona 3 made using Unreal Engine 4. It was released on February 2, 2024, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A version for the Nintendo Switch 2 was released on October 23, 2025. The game was announced on June 11, 2023, after footage leaked in April 2023.
Producer Ryouta Niizuma said the team focused on remaking the original Persona 3 and did not include the ending from FES or the female main character from Portable. However, the "The Answer" ending was added later as "Episode Aigis" through downloadable content. The English version uses mostly new voice actors, except Tara Platt, who reprises her role as Elizabeth from the original game.
Kotobukiya, a Japanese toy company, created several figurines of the game's characters, including the protagonist, Aigis, Mitsuru, and Akihiko. These figurines have parts that can be swapped, like an Evoker or weapon, and are stored in the base. Another company, Alter, released 1:8 scale figurines of Elizabeth, Aigis, and Mitsuru. The headphones worn by the protagonist are sold by Audio-Technica as model ATH-EM700 (Japan-only version). Atlus worked with Enterbrain, a Japanese publishing company, to release strategy guides and an artbook about the game's characters and settings.
A manga version of Persona 3, written and drawn by Shūji Sogabe, was published monthly in the Japanese magazine Dengeki Maoh until it paused when Persona 4 was released. It started again in November 2011 in Atlus's official Persona Magazine. As of February 2017, 11 volumes were released.
A non-canonical anime called Persona: Trinity Soul aired in Japan in January 2008 and had 26 episodes. Though it is not directly connected to the main series, it takes place 10 years after Persona 3 and uses some plot ideas, featuring Akihiko as a secondary character and Persona suppressors. NIS America licensed the show and released it in two box sets with Japanese audio in 2010.
In June 2012, it was announced that Persona 3 would get a four-part film series. The first film was made by AIC ASTA, and the next three were made by A-1 Pictures. The first film was directed by Noriaki Akitaya, the second and fourth by Tomohisa Taguchi, and the third by Keitaro Motonaga. The original voice actors from the game returned for the films.
Several radio dramas based on Persona 3 and Persona 3 FES were released in Japan. One, called Persona 3 Drama CD: A Certain Day of Summer, includes a new story with the original cast. Another, Persona 3 Drama CD Vol. 2 -Moonlight-, connects the story of Persona 3 with the ending from Persona 3 FES. From February to June 2008, five CDs were released, each focusing on different characters. In early 2009, a two-volume story about Mitsuru was released.
Persona 3 was adapted into five live stage musicals, with the first one performed in 2014. The plays were announced in August 2013 and written by Kumagai and Kotora Kagurazuka, with music by Meguro. The plays included separate shows for the male and female protagonists, named Sakuya Shiomi and Kotone Shiomi, with unique scenes for each. The musicals starred actors like Shouta Aoi, Kana Asumi, Maho Tomita, Genki Okawa, Yuki Fujiwara, Asami Tano, Marina Tanoue, ZAQ, and others. The musicals were also broadcast on Niconico and a behind-the-scenes special aired on Tokyo MX.
The first musical, titled Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade: The Blue Awakening, was performed from January 8–12, 2014, at Theater G Rosso, and released on May 14, 2014. It covered events up to Fuuka joining the group.
A sequel, Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade: The Ultramarine Labyrinth, was performed from September 16–24, 2014, at Theater 1010, and released on January 28, 2015. It followed in-game events from July to early November. Richard Eisenbeis from Kotaku praised the casting and special effects but felt the musical numbers were "out of place" and