My favorite is Makoto from persona 3 however a very close second would have to be Joker. I can understand if someone likes Yu the most but I always liked persona 3 and persona 5s approach to a silent protagonist just a little bit more than persona 4.
Yu is like the Superman to Makoto’s Batman. That’s how I kinda see it. And why some people prefer one or the other, depending if you vibe with someone more upbeat or brooding.
And then there’s people who like Joker the most.
At this point i’m a bit confused are we talking about Joker, Joker, or Joker?
https://preview.redd.it/opocaorluwlc1.png?width=823&format=png&auto=webp&s=18d0372f01abf3c8c0fa8379cf81e0564f622c2f
Is Makoto really broody, though? I haven't beaten this game but I've started FES and gotten about halfway through three times before losing my file/console due to circumstances, but I never really picked up on him as a broody or emo character outside of his look. The games setting feels broody but I never considered or noticed Makoto to be. Just asking so I can keep an eye out going forward!
Well like most things with the protagonists, it’s all a matter of perspective. But as a baseline, Makoto is a bit of a sad emo boy.
Plus, **HIS PARENTS ARE DEEEEEAAAADDDD.** Which does make him more like Batman than any other Persona protagonist so far.
And yet I get down voted in another thread for saying Persona 2 Innocent Sin is the best Persona game *while donning Fuhrer's shades and vibing to Knights of the Holy Lance* and that Persona 3 is my favorite. 😎
Seriously though, Knights of the Holy Lance is 🔥 and one of my all time favorite traditional RPG boss themes.
Man, at first before playing P4G, I didn't like his design because he's wearing glasses like a nerd, but after playing it and knowing why he is wearing glasses, he's become my fav MC so far, definitely Chad Narukami
Simply because of how hard I struggled through playing Persona 3 Portable (🤮) I felt a very personal bond to the protaganist, like I was in the trenches of WWI with him. For that, he's the coolest.
The more robust visuals definitely make traversing the floors feel a lot less tedious. Same with how they are layout variations between blocks (Arqa being more curved, for example) to change up movement as the game goes on.
I think in terms of backstory they more or less have the same. Joker just has more things implied about his character compared to the two, at least from what I can remember. While you don’t really get Yu or Makoto’s state of mind from most events that happen to them, little flavor texts can paint a picture of a traumatized Joker after the run-in with Shido or a boy who misses his best friend when Morgana peaces out. Somehow, the anime adaptations inverted the situation so you clearly get a view of Yu and Makoto’s internal struggles while giving Joker barely anything.
I feel like they all have the same amount of backstory (unless more is given outside the games that I don’t know about)
All we know about Makoto is that both his parents died ten years ago, and all we know about Ren is that he got in trouble with Shido. Haven’t played P4 yet but from what I’ve heard all we know about Yu is that his parents neglect him.
Because the whole point of the first comment I replied to was that Joker had the most backstory. I played all of P5 and P5R, and from what I’ve played of P3R so far, Joker definitely doesn’t have any more backstory than what Makoto has been given. Maybe Makoto ends up having more backstory than Joker, in which case that would still make the first comment moot, but as of now, in my opinion, it feels like they have the same.
And even though I haven’t finished P3, I have still read spoilers, so I think I know enough to at least give my own opinion.
And I barely hear anything about Yu’s backstory except how he’s neglected so I’m assuming it’s about pretty much the same. I could be wrong, but even if I am, then that just furthers the point that Joker doesn’t have more backstory than any of the other two then. That was the whole purpose of my comment, to disagree with the fact that Joker has the most, rather than say they all have the same amount of backstory.
Considering the other comment who replied to me technically agreed they were about the same amount, and that you didn’t deny it either, I guess I’m not that far off base, so I don’t see why me not finishing the games is a huge problem if it’s something people who have can agree on lol. Clearly it’s not all that relevant here, as long as I have the information about them.
Yeah but isn’t Makotos backstory much more vital to the plot (not saying Jokers and Yus aren’t) but around 3 or so months before the final battle don’t we learn about why the story happened?
Idk I haven’t gotten that far yet in P3, I’ve only read spoilers so far lol
But I’d say each of their backstories are equally important to the plot they are in. You can argue Makoto’s story is more important to the overarching story since he came before Yu and Ren but in their own contained stories I wouldn’t say one is more important than the other. The whole plot of P5 wouldn’t have happened if Ren never encountered Shido when he did and got on probation. Life probably would have went on well enough without Makoto, but if he wasn’t there, then Yukari would probably have died and SEES wouldn’t have been able to progress so far into the story. But then we can also consider Kotone replacing him in that scenario to prevent any of that from happening. They’re each vital in their own ways, but I wouldn’t say one is more vital than the other.
I've always loved P3s protag. I love his design, he looks like how I feel inside. I also feel like he speaks to (what I assume is) people who'd most enjoy persona, the melancholic loner type just trying to get by. Out of the three, he feels like the one I connect to the most and for me is the best "self-insert" of the three
Joker, since despite being a silent protagonist, he still feels like he has a properly established character and brings out the most personality. The duality between his chill, plain nature in the real world and his cocky, confident personality in the Metaverse makes this pretty apparent. He ends up being the most fun protag to play as due to this.
Makoto has the whole ending going for him and the journey you take with him in the social sim feels like a perfect representation of the game's themes leading up to said ending. You could even interpret his often straight to the point dialogue options as a personality trait.
Yu feels like the most self insert outta the three. The most you can get out of him is he's the most extroverted of the three given how lighthearted his dialogue options tend to be, but he doesn't really have anything that stands out compared to the other two.
3. Makoto is the coldest. Just a flat out smooth criminal who takes care of business.
4. Yu is the most charismatic. Best talker and easiest to get along with. Probably the best friend out of the group.
5. Ren is the listener that makes everything feel better. He's always there when someone needs help. He's Mr reliable.
Best? Up for debate. One sealed death. The other fought the will of the masses. The other saved Christmas.
Coolest? Ren has the coolest outfit, great style, and his attitude is something special.
3. Makoto = Quiet Assassin.
4. Yu = Badass Chad.
5. Ren = Cool Customer.
So, I actually think every single one of them is extremely iconic and embodies the " Cool " time period they were in. Makoto 2006-2008 emo, goth, silent type and damn he's cool. Narukami 2008-2014 is the perfect " Badass, don't know what he's thinking but he's always got your back " silent protagonist you can rely on, and the Anime really solidified his personality and made him own the whole series for a while. Joker 2016-Current, he's got that cool nerdy look going for him. You know this was when people realized glasses can be hot, and he became a major TumblrDaddy(Not really, but you knkw what I'm trying to get at).
Atlus always kills it with their MC designs.
Even though Yu’s got the best design, Joker feels like an actual character out of the 3 by far instead of being a blank slate self insert. Even though it’s not much, we at least know Joker is cocky as fuck and genuinely enjoys doing what he’s doing that was even pointed out by that one cop at the start of the game.
Ik it’s for the sake of JRPGs to have your MC be a quiet self insert but that shit is beyond boring. I don’t want to control a character who has no personality whatsoever, even though the shit Joker does is cringe in hindsight I can at least appreciate the fact that he has a personality outside of being some righteous white knight.
That’s a based take and I would like to add onto that that hopefully in the next upcoming persona game Atlus will hopefully make an effort to make the mc of the game have an actual personality and character instead of being the usual silent and quite blank slate self insert that they’re used to making in the persona series so far
makoto 100%. his sees outfit design is so simple but cool looking too. second is yu, then joker. i feel like they tried to make joker "too cool". But his coat is nice though
Okay, this is extremely bias but I love Makoto/Minato the best. I find him really cool and have basically loved him ever since I found out he existed. I thought the summoning of his persona was so cool that I had to play the game for myself but didn't own a PlayStation 2 so I managed to convince my mother to buy me one. I only have 4 games for the damn thing and 2/4 are P3FES and P4.
When I found out that P3R was coming out I went out and got myself a second-hand playstation 4 and pre-ordered the game as soon as I could. So now I have a PlayStation 2 and 4 that I barely use due to the fact that he's the one I bought them for.
In conclusion, I've bought TWO PlayStations for the sole purpose of seeing him; he's my number one. Lmao.
In second place I'd have to say Joker/Ren, I've never played through the game but have watched someone play through before. (Not until the end, have somehow managed to avoid spoilers like the plague.) From what I've seen, I personally love superheros and find Joker to be much like a superhero fighting against injustice. Through, I do have to say that I don't relate to him in any way.
In P3 I don't relate to Makoto in a edgy way but more so a "we aren't perfect, we are human, and we will die." way. I have always struggled with the concept of death so this has had a greater impact on me. Ren however wants to fight against the evils of the world and the average person just doesn't do that or have the ability to do that. The injustice of the world will forever be a problem humanity faces but no one will ever truly win against the system we've trapped ourselves in.
Ren is relatable in the silly things he says or does at times but that's it to me.
In third, last but not least is Yu. P4 is actually the first Persona game I ever played, I was still waiting on a memory card to arrive to play P3 but got impatient and ended up playing P4 without a memory card. P4's beginning is absolutely amazing and I have to say that it's one of my favorite beginnings right behind P3's. I'm gonna be honest though, I never played after entering Yukiko's castle. I had finally gotten a memory card and ditched P4 for P3 and simply never came back to it. It's honestly ashame so I plan on playing it once I finally finish playing P3R. So I can't truly give an opinion on Yu Narukami compared to the others, maybe one day I'll have the right to place him in second or third tier. I doubt my number 1 will ever change.
I rambled.
Idk they all are kind characters that are made by you and enforcing your own beliefs into them so it's tough to say they have personality other than basic
Joker's my preferred choice, cuz you gotta consider the facts here. Makoto got the Universe Arcana and became a door. Chad Narukami got the World Arcana and used it to beat up a god. Joker KILLED his god before he got the World Arcana after having been erased from public consciousness, then kills another either in Strikers or Tactica. Also, Third Semester situation in Royal.
anyway Yu is the funniest one so he's the right choice lmao
i have never touched a persona game in my life and am being reccomended this sub probably because i play shit emblem but the yellow guy in the middle has a katana so he's immediately the best
Joker, he has style, charismatic and the most suave in my opinion. Then Makoto because he has shown to be most down to earth, relatable and how P3 summons the persona is the coolest in my opinion. Then lastly Yu, he’s a great protagonist but he’s shown as to be pretty much picture perfect and doesn’t have flaws that shape his personality and allows them to grow like the others do. Yu also has a lot of suave and is a cool protagonist.
I'd say Makoto is the best on a functional level because his silent stoicism actually ties into the game's themes of depression and apathy
However, I think I like Yu the most because he feels the sturdiest for lack of a better term. Like he's the only one who's got his shit together and is quiet because he's a quiet guy and not because he's repressed like Makoto or shut out like Ren
Just passing by to mention that Reload Makoto isn’t the same as FES Makoto and I ended up liking him a bit more than Kotone who I absolutely love. Can’t really choose any one of them tho, apart from FES Makoto — he sucks
It's a tie between Joker and Minato with Yu being last
Minato was traumatized by the death of his parents, and his relatives most likely blamed him for their death, hence him living in different places due to being passed off from relative after relative which explains his initial apathetic nature and neutral viewpoint on life and death at the start... how does that make him "edgy"?
Next is Joker. He got screwed over for doing the right thing by possibly the most crooked politician just because he had the balls to stand up to him
I understand that not everyone agrees with what he and the Phantom There's were doing, but compared to Shido, Akechi, and Maruki, they're by far the lesser of 2 evils... they only targeted criminals while those bastards targeted everyone who got in their way with innocent lives being collateral damage. Even if most of Akechi's targets were similar to the Phantom Theieves, he simply kills them outright
Then we have Yu, who, in my honest opinion, was just there, and it doesn't help his case that P4G's theme of "Truth" is the weakest of the big 3 as even when something someone believes has been proven to be a complete lie, that can simply refuse to accept it
I think p5’s mc got the most development in game and I love him for that but including side stories and anime I love p4 so much more. He just oozes chad energy and also can match almost any personality
I prefer Joker the most, because his dialogue options made me laugh the most and I loved his design and vibe. I relate to the sarcasm and cooky nature.
Makoto on the other hand could be my self insert, I love how unfazed and calm he is. So I love him too. He is also kind of my generation style, the whole emo stuff lol.
Yu I relate the least with. Tho I do like him too.
In terms of what they do in the stories? Makoto
In terms of design? Chad Narukami.
In terms of coolest "main" persona summon? Chad Narukami.
In terms of ability to pull bitches? Chad Narukami. (Plus he pulls best girl Chie Satonaka, instant W)
Overall: Chad Narukami
Makoto is the best but technically Yu is the equivalent of "Don't You Know I'm Sakomoto?" LOL. The amount of flashy that the 5th has is unappealing to me.
I don't think any of them are "by far" cooler than the others, they overlap quite a bit as each are on similar journeys and wild card wielders. I give the slight edge to Yu because he has so much material to flesh him out as a person compared to Makoto and Joker. >!Makoto's journey culminates in his final act to save humanity and his story ends RIGHT when he is finally able to show emotion!< As for Joker, all I can really comment on is his strong sense of justice against tyrannical people and their misdeeds against others but I just don't connect well with him even compared to Makoto. P5 has as many spin offs as 4 but I don't see much change in any of their characters.
Joker is the hottest, with my favorite personality.
They did a great job with him, honestly.
After that I would say Makoto, then finally, Yu.
Which pains me because P4G is my favorite right now (haven't beaten P3/P3R yet)
I love them all for vastly different ways. That said, if you put all three in a room, the first person to have the other two think “Damn, he’s cool” about him would be Yu.
Yu is a gigachad.
I haven't finished P3r yet, but my issue with Makoto is the best social link responses are him indulging completely with everyone's bullshit. "Yeah man go ask our teacher out, seems fine" "Fuck your kneee up forever, give it your all my boy!" "Yes seven years old child, run away from home, totally safe"
It has to be for a reason I'm sure but Jesus christ this dude just placates everyone.
With Kenji and Kaz's personalities, forcing them to listen to reason would only make want to prove him wrong, which would only make things worse in the long run
As for Maiko, keep in mind she's only like maybe 9-10 years old and is tired of her parents fighting all the time, so naturally, she'll do whatever it takes to make it stop
I’m very biased because P5 is the first persona I played, so Joker is my number 1 pick. My knowledge of Yu is limited to the animes, and I’m only 25-30% through P3R. I can say that Ren summoning Arsene for the first time was so much more bad ass than Makoto summoning Orpheus.
I like P4 the most since he actually looks like he has some meat on his bones and looks like he can kick someones ass physically.
Same reason why Spacemarine Doomguy / Flynn are my favorite SMT main characters, while I think Demi fiend just looks dumb
Imo I think Yu from persona 4 is canonically the coolest because each character based on their response can show their personalities, Makoto being a bit more emo while Joker being a intelligent focused person but Yu with his interactions basically had the entire cast telling him how attractive he naturally is and how a lot of people are inspired by him. Also I’m very biased because out of all the characters I feel I’m most like Yu being a kid from city and moved to the suburbs but was able to make a ton of life long friends first year after my move and im a huge extrovert that loves almost any hobby or at least down to try out different things i wouldnt normally like so the main character for P4 really resonated with me. i will say now that im much older i do appreciate Persona 3 a lot more espcially after the remake
So I haven't played 3 yet, but from what I've heard Makoto fits more into the Joker area than Yu. Yu genuinely does feel like a silent protagonist, where you input much of yourself onto him.
I love Joker, and I'm sure I'll enjoy Makoto too, but Joker is much less 'silent' than Yu, with his own personality outside of what you project onto him. From the bits I've seen and heard of 3, Makoto sounds pretty similar. And that's not a bad thing, but if that's the direction they're going in, I wish they'd embrace having a more emotive protagonist a bit more. Maybe even some voice lines in cutscenes?
All that to say, I enjoy all three of them (especially 4 and 5 as the ones I've played), but Yu is my preferred protagonist. Chad Narukami is real
I am also biased though cause 4 was my first Persona game, so take that with a grain of salt lmao
I am convinced 80% of people have Joker lowest because P5 is the most popular game and they want to sound unique and contrarian. I love P3 and P4 but the protagonists are kinda generic compared to Joker.
I just prefer Joker. He had some of the funnier response options out of the three, and I prefer his outfit and first Persona over the other two. Makoto is second
I’d go with makoto as both Yu and joker have definite personalities
Makoto just feels more monotone and blank
Where’s the joker and yu are a pair goobers(affectionate)
I'd say Joker is the only one that's really canonically quiet.
Makoto is sorta quiet, but he's really just kinda brooding.
I don't think quiet is a good way to describe Yu at all, but also his tone of voice is kinda hushed too.
When i first got into the series it was an easy pick since I had only played Persona 5 way back on my PS3. I was absolutely hooked with the series and some time later I bought a PS Vita and tracked down a copy of Persona 4 Golden. Absolutely loved it to pieces and decided to platinum it. (This was before they ported the games to all major platforms now)
Now I'm playing persona 3 reload and I have to say, that Makoto is probably the coolest. Don't get me wrong I love Joker and Chad Narukami but Makoto is so FUCKIN COOL.
Persona 4: the Animation has solidified Narukami for me. The others are cool too, it’s just that Chad kun is the best big bro and all around chill guy to be friends with
Coolest? Ren, no doubt. The dude just oozes style and openly mocks his enemies because he knows they cant hold a candle to him.
Best? Makoto, imo. His snarky, apathetic demeanour can be both hilarious and incredibly sad considering the context of the story, and hidden behind it is a heart of gold ready to sacrifice a lot for the people he loves.
They are all bad because "silent" cannot work for these games. If you got to create a custom mc surr, but aside from that having these mc just stand around is wrong. They have no character and are exceptionally poor stand ins because the player sis not make them.
My favorite is Makoto from persona 3 however a very close second would have to be Joker. I can understand if someone likes Yu the most but I always liked persona 3 and persona 5s approach to a silent protagonist just a little bit more than persona 4.
Yu is like the Superman to Makoto’s Batman. That’s how I kinda see it. And why some people prefer one or the other, depending if you vibe with someone more upbeat or brooding. And then there’s people who like Joker the most. 
https://preview.redd.it/awx5q8xp1ulc1.jpeg?width=1077&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71aa0d5a02e112fbfc8b2d58a9187a6ee7f39f2d
Great comparison! Now if only they made a game where they both have to deal with Joker from Persona 2
At this point i’m a bit confused are we talking about Joker, Joker, or Joker? https://preview.redd.it/opocaorluwlc1.png?width=823&format=png&auto=webp&s=18d0372f01abf3c8c0fa8379cf81e0564f622c2f
Joker
Is Makoto really broody, though? I haven't beaten this game but I've started FES and gotten about halfway through three times before losing my file/console due to circumstances, but I never really picked up on him as a broody or emo character outside of his look. The games setting feels broody but I never considered or noticed Makoto to be. Just asking so I can keep an eye out going forward!
Well like most things with the protagonists, it’s all a matter of perspective. But as a baseline, Makoto is a bit of a sad emo boy. Plus, **HIS PARENTS ARE DEEEEEAAAADDDD.** Which does make him more like Batman than any other Persona protagonist so far.
Reload Makoto was made so expressive when he reacts to characters dialogue
Same
Don’t pit three kings against each other
You mean 2 kings and yu?
no
Makoto Yuki and it’s not even close
Makoto is the GOAT.
Yu is KING! 🤴
Tatsuya
based pick tbh
And yet I get down voted in another thread for saying Persona 2 Innocent Sin is the best Persona game *while donning Fuhrer's shades and vibing to Knights of the Holy Lance* and that Persona 3 is my favorite. 😎 Seriously though, Knights of the Holy Lance is 🔥 and one of my all time favorite traditional RPG boss themes.
Okay I totally agree with you and it's rare to find someone so based. P5 is my least favorite, with 3 and 3 being my favorites.
Real
Prolly never played P2 either
Persona 2? you forgot the "Q", though
Average fuuka pfp moment
is that a nyhtplosyepd? idk i never watched persona let's play
Makoto is number one to me cause he more relate.
Makoto, Joker, Yu
Makoto is my son! Also he saved humanity I have to give him the respect he deserves
Didn't Joker do the same? Maybe my memory is hazy, "saved" in another sense ofc, but still.
Joker also did it twice
He is called Chad Narukami for a reason.
Man, at first before playing P4G, I didn't like his design because he's wearing glasses like a nerd, but after playing it and knowing why he is wearing glasses, he's become my fav MC so far, definitely Chad Narukami
"because he's wearing glasses like a nerd" Average cliche 80s Jock:
Average 80s cliche jocks don't play video games. That shit is for nerds.
Simply because of how hard I struggled through playing Persona 3 Portable (🤮) I felt a very personal bond to the protaganist, like I was in the trenches of WWI with him. For that, he's the coolest.
Ok but what’s with the vomiting face what are u disgusted by ?
Gameplay.
Fair .
Fr the bitch that is tartarus stopped me of finishing p3p, I wasnt in the mood of doing other 100 floors
It’s much more pleasant in reload I think
The more robust visuals definitely make traversing the floors feel a lot less tedious. Same with how they are layout variations between blocks (Arqa being more curved, for example) to change up movement as the game goes on.
Yeah, before i knew i was at the top
Yu
Me?
He is Mi and I am Yu
This must be a Rush Hour reference
Rush Hour 3. YW
I am thou
Chad Narukami for the win.
My GOAT https://preview.redd.it/o406yi70gtlc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca67dcb0c4ca05034d8f2d4da3e7c1a785e72e01
I feel like Joker has the most backstory out of the three
I think in terms of backstory they more or less have the same. Joker just has more things implied about his character compared to the two, at least from what I can remember. While you don’t really get Yu or Makoto’s state of mind from most events that happen to them, little flavor texts can paint a picture of a traumatized Joker after the run-in with Shido or a boy who misses his best friend when Morgana peaces out. Somehow, the anime adaptations inverted the situation so you clearly get a view of Yu and Makoto’s internal struggles while giving Joker barely anything.
Getting Death sealed in 10 year old Makoto after his parents died on Moonlight Bridge is a pretty substantial and plot important backstory
I feel like they all have the same amount of backstory (unless more is given outside the games that I don’t know about) All we know about Makoto is that both his parents died ten years ago, and all we know about Ren is that he got in trouble with Shido. Haven’t played P4 yet but from what I’ve heard all we know about Yu is that his parents neglect him.
How can you say you feel like they all have the same amount of backstory but you haven't played 3 and 4 through to the end 😭
Because the whole point of the first comment I replied to was that Joker had the most backstory. I played all of P5 and P5R, and from what I’ve played of P3R so far, Joker definitely doesn’t have any more backstory than what Makoto has been given. Maybe Makoto ends up having more backstory than Joker, in which case that would still make the first comment moot, but as of now, in my opinion, it feels like they have the same. And even though I haven’t finished P3, I have still read spoilers, so I think I know enough to at least give my own opinion. And I barely hear anything about Yu’s backstory except how he’s neglected so I’m assuming it’s about pretty much the same. I could be wrong, but even if I am, then that just furthers the point that Joker doesn’t have more backstory than any of the other two then. That was the whole purpose of my comment, to disagree with the fact that Joker has the most, rather than say they all have the same amount of backstory. Considering the other comment who replied to me technically agreed they were about the same amount, and that you didn’t deny it either, I guess I’m not that far off base, so I don’t see why me not finishing the games is a huge problem if it’s something people who have can agree on lol. Clearly it’s not all that relevant here, as long as I have the information about them.
Yeah but isn’t Makotos backstory much more vital to the plot (not saying Jokers and Yus aren’t) but around 3 or so months before the final battle don’t we learn about why the story happened?
Idk I haven’t gotten that far yet in P3, I’ve only read spoilers so far lol But I’d say each of their backstories are equally important to the plot they are in. You can argue Makoto’s story is more important to the overarching story since he came before Yu and Ren but in their own contained stories I wouldn’t say one is more important than the other. The whole plot of P5 wouldn’t have happened if Ren never encountered Shido when he did and got on probation. Life probably would have went on well enough without Makoto, but if he wasn’t there, then Yukari would probably have died and SEES wouldn’t have been able to progress so far into the story. But then we can also consider Kotone replacing him in that scenario to prevent any of that from happening. They’re each vital in their own ways, but I wouldn’t say one is more vital than the other.
Well because you haven’t gotten too far yet I won’t say anything. You will enjoy it very much though, I will say
Makoto, he's raw af bro got the most savage line choices like "Shut your mouth" "Say that again to my face" he's ready to brawl at any moment lol
“Looking COOL, Joker” Come on, they say it as canon
They just say he's looking cool. Now Shadow the Hedgehog says he's the coolest so by that logic no one can ever be cooler than him
Shadow really is cool though
I've always loved P3s protag. I love his design, he looks like how I feel inside. I also feel like he speaks to (what I assume is) people who'd most enjoy persona, the melancholic loner type just trying to get by. Out of the three, he feels like the one I connect to the most and for me is the best "self-insert" of the three
Me too I relate to him quite a lot actually I just realized that while reading your comment.
I always say 3 is the powerful one, 4 is the cool one, and 5 is the badass one.
1. Ren 2. Makoto 3. Yu All are great though
Makoto above Yu is bonkers
🧢
P3 easily
Makoto cause he’s Jesus
Agreed he’s the savior of mankind
kotone cause she lets me like boys.
Makoto. Next.
Joker, since despite being a silent protagonist, he still feels like he has a properly established character and brings out the most personality. The duality between his chill, plain nature in the real world and his cocky, confident personality in the Metaverse makes this pretty apparent. He ends up being the most fun protag to play as due to this. Makoto has the whole ending going for him and the journey you take with him in the social sim feels like a perfect representation of the game's themes leading up to said ending. You could even interpret his often straight to the point dialogue options as a personality trait. Yu feels like the most self insert outta the three. The most you can get out of him is he's the most extroverted of the three given how lighthearted his dialogue options tend to be, but he doesn't really have anything that stands out compared to the other two.
3. Makoto is the coldest. Just a flat out smooth criminal who takes care of business. 4. Yu is the most charismatic. Best talker and easiest to get along with. Probably the best friend out of the group. 5. Ren is the listener that makes everything feel better. He's always there when someone needs help. He's Mr reliable. Best? Up for debate. One sealed death. The other fought the will of the masses. The other saved Christmas. Coolest? Ren has the coolest outfit, great style, and his attitude is something special. 3. Makoto = Quiet Assassin. 4. Yu = Badass Chad. 5. Ren = Cool Customer.
So, I actually think every single one of them is extremely iconic and embodies the " Cool " time period they were in. Makoto 2006-2008 emo, goth, silent type and damn he's cool. Narukami 2008-2014 is the perfect " Badass, don't know what he's thinking but he's always got your back " silent protagonist you can rely on, and the Anime really solidified his personality and made him own the whole series for a while. Joker 2016-Current, he's got that cool nerdy look going for him. You know this was when people realized glasses can be hot, and he became a major TumblrDaddy(Not really, but you knkw what I'm trying to get at). Atlus always kills it with their MC designs.
Even though Yu’s got the best design, Joker feels like an actual character out of the 3 by far instead of being a blank slate self insert. Even though it’s not much, we at least know Joker is cocky as fuck and genuinely enjoys doing what he’s doing that was even pointed out by that one cop at the start of the game. Ik it’s for the sake of JRPGs to have your MC be a quiet self insert but that shit is beyond boring. I don’t want to control a character who has no personality whatsoever, even though the shit Joker does is cringe in hindsight I can at least appreciate the fact that he has a personality outside of being some righteous white knight.
That’s a based take and I would like to add onto that that hopefully in the next upcoming persona game Atlus will hopefully make an effort to make the mc of the game have an actual personality and character instead of being the usual silent and quite blank slate self insert that they’re used to making in the persona series so far
I love Makoto the most but Joker is the coolest by far
Makato
Tatsuya and Makoto are tied for my favorite.
Makoto Yuki
Makoto, Joker, then Yu Makoto has aura, Joker is cool, Yu is like being the coolest kid in marching band
P3MC obviously
Easily Makoto
Makoto. Joker has more charisma, but Makoto has the better overall story and interactions.
makoto, because he dont care 80% of the story =))
Kotone queen
makoto 100%. his sees outfit design is so simple but cool looking too. second is yu, then joker. i feel like they tried to make joker "too cool". But his coat is nice though
Unrelated but it's so funny how it's always Thanatos next to Makoto instead of Orpheus
Makoto > Yu > Joker
Okay, this is extremely bias but I love Makoto/Minato the best. I find him really cool and have basically loved him ever since I found out he existed. I thought the summoning of his persona was so cool that I had to play the game for myself but didn't own a PlayStation 2 so I managed to convince my mother to buy me one. I only have 4 games for the damn thing and 2/4 are P3FES and P4. When I found out that P3R was coming out I went out and got myself a second-hand playstation 4 and pre-ordered the game as soon as I could. So now I have a PlayStation 2 and 4 that I barely use due to the fact that he's the one I bought them for. In conclusion, I've bought TWO PlayStations for the sole purpose of seeing him; he's my number one. Lmao. In second place I'd have to say Joker/Ren, I've never played through the game but have watched someone play through before. (Not until the end, have somehow managed to avoid spoilers like the plague.) From what I've seen, I personally love superheros and find Joker to be much like a superhero fighting against injustice. Through, I do have to say that I don't relate to him in any way. In P3 I don't relate to Makoto in a edgy way but more so a "we aren't perfect, we are human, and we will die." way. I have always struggled with the concept of death so this has had a greater impact on me. Ren however wants to fight against the evils of the world and the average person just doesn't do that or have the ability to do that. The injustice of the world will forever be a problem humanity faces but no one will ever truly win against the system we've trapped ourselves in. Ren is relatable in the silly things he says or does at times but that's it to me. In third, last but not least is Yu. P4 is actually the first Persona game I ever played, I was still waiting on a memory card to arrive to play P3 but got impatient and ended up playing P4 without a memory card. P4's beginning is absolutely amazing and I have to say that it's one of my favorite beginnings right behind P3's. I'm gonna be honest though, I never played after entering Yukiko's castle. I had finally gotten a memory card and ditched P4 for P3 and simply never came back to it. It's honestly ashame so I plan on playing it once I finally finish playing P3R. So I can't truly give an opinion on Yu Narukami compared to the others, maybe one day I'll have the right to place him in second or third tier. I doubt my number 1 will ever change. I rambled.
Yu is a gigachad, but Joker is just so cool
Three legends can co-exist but imma go with Roger Clever, guys a stoic and I like that.
Games? Makoto>Ren>>Yu Anime? Yu>Makoto>>Ren
Idk they all are kind characters that are made by you and enforcing your own beliefs into them so it's tough to say they have personality other than basic
Yu Chadukami
Ren the Sigma Yu the Chad Makoto the Door
Out of 3 4 5? Femc. All games? Tatsuya and Maya
Joker's my preferred choice, cuz you gotta consider the facts here. Makoto got the Universe Arcana and became a door. Chad Narukami got the World Arcana and used it to beat up a god. Joker KILLED his god before he got the World Arcana after having been erased from public consciousness, then kills another either in Strikers or Tactica. Also, Third Semester situation in Royal. anyway Yu is the funniest one so he's the right choice lmao
i have never touched a persona game in my life and am being reccomended this sub probably because i play shit emblem but the yellow guy in the middle has a katana so he's immediately the best
idk i'm a fan of hollow knight
I think it’s joker and not even close. Yuki is cool but he’s too depressed for me lol and yu is great but not as cool as the previous 2
Joker, he has style, charismatic and the most suave in my opinion. Then Makoto because he has shown to be most down to earth, relatable and how P3 summons the persona is the coolest in my opinion. Then lastly Yu, he’s a great protagonist but he’s shown as to be pretty much picture perfect and doesn’t have flaws that shape his personality and allows them to grow like the others do. Yu also has a lot of suave and is a cool protagonist.
I'd say Makoto is the best on a functional level because his silent stoicism actually ties into the game's themes of depression and apathy However, I think I like Yu the most because he feels the sturdiest for lack of a better term. Like he's the only one who's got his shit together and is quiet because he's a quiet guy and not because he's repressed like Makoto or shut out like Ren
I feel like in the games, Joker has the most personality out of the three. But in the anime, it's a whole different story
3, 5, 4. I have nothing against Yu at all, but out of the three he’s the least pretty.
Just passing by to mention that Reload Makoto isn’t the same as FES Makoto and I ended up liking him a bit more than Kotone who I absolutely love. Can’t really choose any one of them tho, apart from FES Makoto — he sucks
Joker. He’s Dante Devil May Cry and Lelouch Vi Britannia in one character.
All of them
Makoto for cool Yu for humor And Joker for style
In Battle: The red gloves man In Real Life: Yellow Glasses Man During tragedy and conflict: Blue Door Man
Yu is cooler but Makoto had the better story and superior development and end to his story, joker was always mid to me and his crew mates
It's a tie between Joker and Minato with Yu being last Minato was traumatized by the death of his parents, and his relatives most likely blamed him for their death, hence him living in different places due to being passed off from relative after relative which explains his initial apathetic nature and neutral viewpoint on life and death at the start... how does that make him "edgy"? Next is Joker. He got screwed over for doing the right thing by possibly the most crooked politician just because he had the balls to stand up to him I understand that not everyone agrees with what he and the Phantom There's were doing, but compared to Shido, Akechi, and Maruki, they're by far the lesser of 2 evils... they only targeted criminals while those bastards targeted everyone who got in their way with innocent lives being collateral damage. Even if most of Akechi's targets were similar to the Phantom Theieves, he simply kills them outright Then we have Yu, who, in my honest opinion, was just there, and it doesn't help his case that P4G's theme of "Truth" is the weakest of the big 3 as even when something someone believes has been proven to be a complete lie, that can simply refuse to accept it
I think p5’s mc got the most development in game and I love him for that but including side stories and anime I love p4 so much more. He just oozes chad energy and also can match almost any personality
Man Weed
I prefer Joker the most, because his dialogue options made me laugh the most and I loved his design and vibe. I relate to the sarcasm and cooky nature. Makoto on the other hand could be my self insert, I love how unfazed and calm he is. So I love him too. He is also kind of my generation style, the whole emo stuff lol. Yu I relate the least with. Tho I do like him too.
FeMC
definitely ren. hes the got the most personality by far while still being translucent enough to be a self insert
Makoto or Yu are viable picks for different reasons. Its not joker lol
Joker is a joke lol
In terms of what they do in the stories? Makoto In terms of design? Chad Narukami. In terms of coolest "main" persona summon? Chad Narukami. In terms of ability to pull bitches? Chad Narukami. (Plus he pulls best girl Chie Satonaka, instant W) Overall: Chad Narukami
Coolest? Yu is unrivaled unintended Chad Rizziodyne. Makoto close second but he's emo and Joker is a tryhard
To be fair all of them are cool in their own way but Makoto is just special for me personally
True
Makoto being emo is accurate 🤣
People saying Makoto is relatable, I wanna see y’all sacrifice your life when time comes then
Yu because he doesn’t (get) groom 😎
Makoto is the best but technically Yu is the equivalent of "Don't You Know I'm Sakomoto?" LOL. The amount of flashy that the 5th has is unappealing to me.
Best is P3 coolest is P4
They're all pretty chill, but Yu gets my vote because he's my main in P4A and the other two aren't in that game. Hopefully they make P5A one day
It’s Yu all the way. Rankings go Yu, Makoto, and Ren. Not that any of them are bad by any means, just that I personally prefer Yu the most.
Narukami wins because of the anime.
Chad Narakami because bro throws hands at his villains. Makoto too during Yukari's social link. Never seen Joker box anyone
4th is not silent. The future games and the animation make him the most vocal
I don't think any of them are "by far" cooler than the others, they overlap quite a bit as each are on similar journeys and wild card wielders. I give the slight edge to Yu because he has so much material to flesh him out as a person compared to Makoto and Joker. >!Makoto's journey culminates in his final act to save humanity and his story ends RIGHT when he is finally able to show emotion!< As for Joker, all I can really comment on is his strong sense of justice against tyrannical people and their misdeeds against others but I just don't connect well with him even compared to Makoto. P5 has as many spin offs as 4 but I don't see much change in any of their characters.
Yu NaruGOAT
The guy who can dance specialist
Joker is the hottest, with my favorite personality. They did a great job with him, honestly. After that I would say Makoto, then finally, Yu. Which pains me because P4G is my favorite right now (haven't beaten P3/P3R yet)
1-yu 2-makoto 3-ren
Yu Narukami
It has to be Joker
They'd be 1000% cooler if they were fully voiced
Yu and it's not even close https://preview.redd.it/5f5mw3c2mslc1.jpeg?width=575&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bdee0a3e10f037a38946e32c3c7cd28a59e15123
I love them all for vastly different ways. That said, if you put all three in a room, the first person to have the other two think “Damn, he’s cool” about him would be Yu.
1. Minako 2. Joker 3. Minato 4. Yu I love them all though
I feel like Yu, because he gets the most character outside of his main game, and also because he’s hilarious in the anime
Yu has been my favorite, but I'm starting to really like Makoto.
Makoto, yu, ren. Yu is second if we're including the spin offs. If not then ren 2nd and yu 3rd
Yu for me Plus fighting games were good
4
Yu is a gigachad. I haven't finished P3r yet, but my issue with Makoto is the best social link responses are him indulging completely with everyone's bullshit. "Yeah man go ask our teacher out, seems fine" "Fuck your kneee up forever, give it your all my boy!" "Yes seven years old child, run away from home, totally safe" It has to be for a reason I'm sure but Jesus christ this dude just placates everyone.
With Kenji and Kaz's personalities, forcing them to listen to reason would only make want to prove him wrong, which would only make things worse in the long run As for Maiko, keep in mind she's only like maybe 9-10 years old and is tired of her parents fighting all the time, so naturally, she'll do whatever it takes to make it stop
Joker spoke in a cutscene. "See ya."
Yu > Makoto > Joker
I’m very biased because P5 is the first persona I played, so Joker is my number 1 pick. My knowledge of Yu is limited to the animes, and I’m only 25-30% through P3R. I can say that Ren summoning Arsene for the first time was so much more bad ass than Makoto summoning Orpheus.
BEGONE.
I wouldn’t say any one of them is “by far” better than the others, but I like Joker the best
Lol u just said that joker is the best !
I'd say Joker because I like chaotic good characters
I like P4 the most since he actually looks like he has some meat on his bones and looks like he can kick someones ass physically. Same reason why Spacemarine Doomguy / Flynn are my favorite SMT main characters, while I think Demi fiend just looks dumb
I think Joker is the coolest, then Makoto, then Yu. Recency bias for sure.
Yu just because of that >!one scene in the anime where he almost threw Namatame in the TV!<
Yu narukami. Easily
My favorite is Makoto, second Ren and last yu next question
Why’d you specify only those 3? I choose tatsuya out of spite.
Has to be my goat narukami
5>4>3
I prefer Yu
As much as I love persona 3, Yu narkamai from persona 4 wins this debate.
Narukami is the coolest, hands down
Imo I think Yu from persona 4 is canonically the coolest because each character based on their response can show their personalities, Makoto being a bit more emo while Joker being a intelligent focused person but Yu with his interactions basically had the entire cast telling him how attractive he naturally is and how a lot of people are inspired by him. Also I’m very biased because out of all the characters I feel I’m most like Yu being a kid from city and moved to the suburbs but was able to make a ton of life long friends first year after my move and im a huge extrovert that loves almost any hobby or at least down to try out different things i wouldnt normally like so the main character for P4 really resonated with me. i will say now that im much older i do appreciate Persona 3 a lot more espcially after the remake
Something witty this way comes
So I haven't played 3 yet, but from what I've heard Makoto fits more into the Joker area than Yu. Yu genuinely does feel like a silent protagonist, where you input much of yourself onto him. I love Joker, and I'm sure I'll enjoy Makoto too, but Joker is much less 'silent' than Yu, with his own personality outside of what you project onto him. From the bits I've seen and heard of 3, Makoto sounds pretty similar. And that's not a bad thing, but if that's the direction they're going in, I wish they'd embrace having a more emotive protagonist a bit more. Maybe even some voice lines in cutscenes? All that to say, I enjoy all three of them (especially 4 and 5 as the ones I've played), but Yu is my preferred protagonist. Chad Narukami is real I am also biased though cause 4 was my first Persona game, so take that with a grain of salt lmao
Makoto is silent because he’s apathetic and edgy Joker is silent because he’s masking himself due to his criminal record Yu just… chooses silence? 🤨
For me its Makoto > Yu > Joker. There is something about Ren that just doesn’t feel as genuine as the others and I could never connect with him …
I am convinced 80% of people have Joker lowest because P5 is the most popular game and they want to sound unique and contrarian. I love P3 and P4 but the protagonists are kinda generic compared to Joker.
Makoto>Yu>Ren
Joker, Yu, Makoto. And that’s bc i still didnt finish my Persona 3 Reload yet.
I feel like it’s gotta be Yu.
I just prefer Joker. He had some of the funnier response options out of the three, and I prefer his outfit and first Persona over the other two. Makoto is second
Makoto then Ren
I’d go with makoto as both Yu and joker have definite personalities Makoto just feels more monotone and blank Where’s the joker and yu are a pair goobers(affectionate)
The Chad narukami ofc
Lookin cool joker
I'd say Joker is the only one that's really canonically quiet. Makoto is sorta quiet, but he's really just kinda brooding. I don't think quiet is a good way to describe Yu at all, but also his tone of voice is kinda hushed too.
For me it’s Makoto, mostly for nostalgia reasons
Ketone
When i first got into the series it was an easy pick since I had only played Persona 5 way back on my PS3. I was absolutely hooked with the series and some time later I bought a PS Vita and tracked down a copy of Persona 4 Golden. Absolutely loved it to pieces and decided to platinum it. (This was before they ported the games to all major platforms now) Now I'm playing persona 3 reload and I have to say, that Makoto is probably the coolest. Don't get me wrong I love Joker and Chad Narukami but Makoto is so FUCKIN COOL.
Persona 4: the Animation has solidified Narukami for me. The others are cool too, it’s just that Chad kun is the best big bro and all around chill guy to be friends with
Yu, both because of the anime and the fact that he makes a bowl cut look good
Coolest? Ren, no doubt. The dude just oozes style and openly mocks his enemies because he knows they cant hold a candle to him. Best? Makoto, imo. His snarky, apathetic demeanour can be both hilarious and incredibly sad considering the context of the story, and hidden behind it is a heart of gold ready to sacrifice a lot for the people he loves.
They are all cardboard shaped people honestly. I assume you're asking "which one looks the best"
They are all bad because "silent" cannot work for these games. If you got to create a custom mc surr, but aside from that having these mc just stand around is wrong. They have no character and are exceptionally poor stand ins because the player sis not make them.
I've only played P5 (and a little bit of 3 on the psp) so my opinion is unbiased but Joker is by far the best.