Why Persona 3 Remake Needs a Badass Female Lead Now More Than Ever

Persona 3 fans are in for a treat as the long-rumored remake titled Persona 3 Reload has officially been announced at the Xbox Games Showcase. The trailer gave fans a glimpse of the game's revamped graphics, which now bear a striking resemblance to Persona 5. The Protagonist (Makoto Yuki), Yukari Takeba, and Junpei Iori were all featured, but the rest of SEES was not revealed. Some speculate that Atlus may be holding back on revealing the characters due to the extensive character model changes. However, some fans expressed disappointment over the absence of Persona 3's female Protagonist, Minako Arisato (FeMC), in the remake.

Persona 3's Female Protagonist Is Nowhere to Be Found in Remake

Minako Arisato made her debut as the second female protagonist in the Persona franchise in 2009's Persona 3 Portable. Fans found her character relatable as they experienced the game's story from the perspective of a teenage girl. As rumors of a Persona 3 remake circulated, many hoped for the inclusion of Minako and the opportunity for her character to receive the same treatment as her male counterpart. However, Atlus confirmed that Persona 3 Reload would not feature a playable female protagonist or certain FES content.

Many Persona 3 fans were disappointed to hear that Minako would not be playable in the remake, with some criticizing Atlus for not prioritizing the female protagonist. Fans were aware that Minako was playable in the PC port of Persona 3 Portable, making the exclusion even harder to swallow. The disappointment was compounded when Atlus confirmed that Persona 3 Reload would feature added main story content from FES, but would not include the Answer epilogue. However, there may still be hope for Minako to make an appearance in the future, either through DLC or a re-release. Atlus has a history of extending storylines, as seen in Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden, so a future release could be in the cards if Persona 3 Reload proves to be a success.

In addition to introducing a playable female character, the Persona 3 Reload DLC or re-release has the potential to include highly sought-after features such as The Answer epilogue, FES Social Links that were not included in the remake, and even new content. A compelling idea that Atlus could explore is to create a fresh storyline centered around Minako and the SEES team. Taking inspiration from Persona 5 Strikers, where the Phantom Thieves embarked on a summer road trip to investigate unexplained events, could be a fun approach to reigniting fans' interest in Persona 3 and providing them with engaging content to enjoy as they eagerly await the arrival of Persona 6.

There is a possibility that Atlus may not have the resources to further expand the Persona 3 universe. With the team potentially focused on completing Persona 6 and other Persona 5 spin-offs, it would be unfortunate if Minako was ultimately scrapped from the Persona 3 remake. This decision could potentially lead to negative feedback from fans. However, it has been over a decade since Minako's introduction in Persona 3 Portable and the franchise is overdue for another female protagonist, which could strengthen the case for Persona 6.

Persona 3 Reload will launch in early 2024 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.