Persona 3 Portable adds a new layer to its predecessor’s story and gameplay: a second protagonist joins the fray, and with her, an expanded selection of romance routes becomes available. While your choice of protagonist won’t affect any major gameplay elements, it will most certainly impact who you get to smooch in Persona 3’s colorful array of Social Links. Here’s a guide to all of romance options for Makoto, Persona 3 Portable‘s male protagonist!
Persona 3 Portable: Romance Guide For Makoto Yuki (Male Protagonist)
Like Kotone, Makoto has a total of seven different routes, each corresponding to a different female character. Sadly, it is not possible to romance male characters (not even explicitly bisexual Ryoji) when playing as him. If you’re looking for a good gay romance option in the series, try Jun Kurosu in Persona 2.
Here are the basic requirements for each of Makoto’s potential love interests: Yuko, Chihiro, Fuuka, Yukari, Mitsuru, Aigis, and Elizabeth.
Yuko Nishiwaki
Arcana: Strength
Most of the Social Links for supporting characters tend to be simple; you won’t be frantically tracking down conversational flags for Yuko (sorry, Akihiko). Many of her dialogue options will allow you to gain affection points, making her Social Link relatively easy to max out. Just be nice about kids, and you’re golden.
Chihiro Fushimi
Arcana: Justice
Miss Student Council Treasurer has a few required flags for starting her Social Link. You’ll need to speak with Chihiro three times when she isn’t occupied with Council duties, and choose the following options when prompted…
- First encounter: “I want to talk…”
- Second encounter: “I’m male.”
- Third encounter: Either “Hello.” or “Let’s walk home together.”
Once you’ve broken the ice, you’re all set to initiate the Social Link itself. Thankfully, there are no route-freezing dialogue choices to be found here; one tip to keep in mind, however, is that Chihiro favors a slower approach. Be patient, and don’t rush your budding romance with any kissing or hand holding until the time is right.
Fuuka Yamagishi – Persona 3 Portable Male Romance Guide
Arcana: The Priestess
In the original Persona 3, the protagonist would need to have a maxed-out Courage skill to initiate Fuuka’s route; thankfully, in Persona 3 Portable, you’ll only need to reach Courage level two, “Ordinary”, to get the ball rolling.
Fuuka is a naturally polite, shy, and anxious person with little self-esteem; despite her incredible talents with technology, she insists she isn’t good at much of anything. Try encouraging her hobby pursuits, and keep in mind that her history of being bullied at school makes her particularly sensitive to harsh criticism. With this in mind, you’ll be just fine.
Yukari Takeba
Arcana: The Lovers
Good luck getting Yukari to even look at you — to get with her, you’ll need the maxed-out Charm rank “Charismatic”. Once you’re there, you can then initiate her Social Link (and try to win her over with your very charismatic swagger).
While occasionally blunt and even a bit prickly, Yukari is a bright and compassionate person with a penchant for cuteness. Sometimes, the best thing to do is challenge her when she says things she doesn’t mean in the heat of the moment. Most of all, she needs your support to face the burden of truth — there are some situations where you can’t avert your eyes, even when it would be easier to turn away. As long as you keep her best interest in mind, you’ll have a smooth ride.
Persona 3 Portable Romance Guide: Mitsuru Kirijo
Arcana: The Empress
Mitsuru suffers no fools. If you want to date her, you’ll first need to hit the maximum rank in Academics, “Genius”. It’s little wonder why: Mitsuru herself is a responsible, orderly person with a tendency to fuss over her friends in a motherly way. As the leader of SEES, she takes her duties very seriously.
The leader’s crown is heavy, though — Mitsuru often takes on too much, and worse, insists on carrying her burdens alone. Remind her that even the smartest, most capable people need a hand sometimes, and offer her yours.
Aigis
Arcana: Aeon*
Unlike most other Social Links, Aigis has no dialogue options in her Rank I event. From Rank II onward, though, try to consider Aigis’ feelings about her own humanity, and help her find purpose in living. She’s a bit out of touch with social situations, and may seem overzealous in her urge to protect you, but her unwavering sincerity is exactly what makes her so charming.
*“Aeon” is an alternate version of the Major Arcana card Judgment. It was first created in 1938 by Aleister Crowley as part of his Thoth tarot deck, and later painted by Lady Frieda Harris.
Elizabeth – Persona 3 Portable Male Romance Options
Arcana: N/A
Elizabeth has a non-standard romance route, requiring the player to complete certain requests in lieu of traditional dates and dialogue prompts. These requests are predominantly challenges to be completed in Tartarus, the game’s main dungeon, though some may require you to forge specific weapons and Personas.
You’ll need to complete Request #55 in order to unlock Elizabeth’s final romance events. Good luck — it’s a toughie!
Once you’ve done that, however, it’s smooth sailing. Just escort Elizabeth on various dates until she eventually asks to visit your room. It’s pretty straightforward from there.
The Persona 3 Portable reboot will be out for release on this coming Thursday, January 19th. Grab your sweetheart of choice, and good luck — or rather, burn your dread!
Playing as the female protagonist? Check out our female protagonist Persona 3 Portable romance guide!
