Summary
Personais one of the greatest JRPG series of all time, making it a little hard to believe that it actually originated as a spin-off of theShin Megami Tenseiseries.Persona 3marked a massive shift in the series, with the title featuring life sim elements along with a healthy dose of dungeon crawling that players can engage with at their own pace.
With the introduction of characters and Social Links (or Confidants for thePersona 5faithful), the protagonist gets the option to romance many characters without any cheating penalties, barring an odd scene or two. That being said, some players would obviously want to stick by their option instead of playing the field a bit too much, as the bestPersonaromances can be pretty engaging in their own right.
Updated on August 01, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:The Persona series is going stronger than ever, with the release of Persona 3 Reload being celebrated by the masses as a much-deserved remake of the title that started it all. With all three major Persona games playable on modern systems, even more fans have been spoiled with themany romance optionsavailable. There are heated debates online about which romance in the Persona series is the very best of the bunch, but a lot of them are great in their own right.
Not only is Hifumi’s Social Link useful for players who want to switch characters on the fly, but it also lets gamers engage in a pretty riveting story. Hifumi is a Shogi prodigy whose fame works against her, with her mother pushing Hifumi to get better at all costs.
This pressure breaks Hifumi down piece by piece, to the point where the protagonist must go to Mementos and change her mother’s heart to save the Shogi player from any further mental anguish. This culminates in a touching romance that players will love if Hifumi’s soft-spoken nature grows on them.
If there’s one thingPersona 3 Reloadshould be commended for, it’s turning Yukari from an insufferable insult-spewer into one of the more captivating characters in the game. She seems genuine and comforting this time around, making her a popular romance option for many.
Given how romances in thePersonagames work, players aren’t really disincentivized from pursuing a romance with multiple characters at the same time. However, for the sake of immersion, Yukari is the perfect choice for those who want their version of the transfer student to be as loyal as can be.
Kasumi is a new character inPersona 5 Royalwho plays a major role in the epilogue. The character isshrouded in mystery, making for a unique narrative at the tail end of the game where they get to use her Persona to wreak havoc against their enemies.
Most people wouldn’t mind opting for her as Joker’s canonical romance option, given how unique her character is. She’s a chirpy, positive person who matures after the events of the game to become a well-developed character, even if some people feel that her introduction feels a little too disconnected fromPersona 5’s main narrative.
Mitsuru is a great character and an invaluable party member to boot. She seems pretty snobby at first glance, with players needing a high level of Academics to even initiate this romance in the first place.
However, Mitsuru’s character is pretty deep, and players will love spending time with her regardless. She has her own struggles that slowly rear their ugly heads over the course of the game before the protagonist decides to step in and help her out.
Rise Kujikawa is one of thebest characters inPersona 4by a country mile, with her playful and flirty personality being quite endearing indeed. However, players paying attention to her character know that she doesn’t like being treated like an object of affection, with her dungeon in the TV World personifying the same.
With this in mind, when players decide to romance her, they’ll love the complexity and depth of Rise’s personality. She’s very sweet and genuinely appreciates the protagonist for being supportive, which causes players to feel all fuzzy inside.
8Makoto Niijima
Arcana: Priestess
Makoto seems like a teacher’s pet who follows the orders of the principal without questioning any of his actions. This forms a rift between her and the Phantom Thieves, but it doesn’t take long for her to awaken her Persona and become friends with the group she once had an issue with.
Romancing her reveals a caring part of her character, going out of her way to look after a friend who was falling into bad company. Her character is one of the kindest in the series despite that first impression, and it’s easy to see why so many people love romancing her inPersona 5.
Yuko Nishiwaki is a pretty unique character inPersona 3, serving as the coach of whichever sports club players join in the game. Her insecurities and past areexplored via this Social Link, which ends up being quite engaging.
This romance may start slowly, but it ends up paying off the longer players stick to it. Yuko is a positive and charming character who will definitely uplift any gamer’s mood when they choose to hang out with her.
Chie Satonaka is an athletic and jovial character who players absolutely love inPersona 4. Her voice actor was changed in theGoldenversion, which worked out very well for the character, making her sound more charismatic and endearing at the same time.
Chie always manages to keep things interesting and will compel the protagonist to work a sweat while hanging out with her, too. Any person who decidesto romance herwill love her sense of justice, hunting down bullies and saving the weak in her own unique way.
5Ann Takamaki
Arcana: Lovers
Ann Takamaki is Joker’s classmate and one of the firstpeople to befriend him. Her banter with Ryuji is one of the funniest parts of the game, showing just how funny she can really be despite prior assumptions.
Ann’s modeling career is expanded upon in her Confidant route, with players getting to know more about her personal struggles and how she manages to improve after being ousted by a rival model. She’s a fun character to hang out with inPersona 5and the preferred romance option for many.
Chihiro is a shy and reserved character who serves as the treasurer of the Student Council at Gekkoukan High. She seems a bit too aloof for her own good, but the protagonist can go out of their way to help her come out of her shell if need be.
Chihiro’s personality takes a while to blossom, but witnessing this moment after spending a ton of time with her is quite rewarding. As a result, seeing her cameo appearance inPersona 4was an absolute treat for longtime fans of the series.
