Summary
The protagonists in thePersonafranchise are mostly silent, but that does not mean they don’t have their fears. From characters with hidden fears such as Makoto Yuki to those with fears rooted in traumatic childhood events like Maya Amano.Personais a franchise about self-acceptance, which often forces characters to face their biggest fears.
The protagonists and party members ofPersonatend to be forced into admitting their deepest fears and regrets. However, the protagonists seem to admit it with ease or not at all, whereas their friends might be forced to go through a whole ordeal, such as going missing and potentially facing death if they don’t own up to their fears, as is what happens inPersona 4. Facing their fears or facing something tragic and life-threatening is what givesPersona’sheroes and companions the ability to awaken their Persona.
The Biggest Fear of Each Persona Protagonist Explained
Boy with Earring/Naoya Toudou (Revelations: Persona)
Having no name in the games other than ‘Boy with Earring’, this protagonist goes byNaoya Toudou in thePersonamangaadaption. Naoya doesn’t seem to have a specific fear, but he does suffer from survivors’ guilt in the manga, due to his twin brother Kazuya passing away. Naoya blamed himself for indirectly causing Kazuya’s unexpected death when he was hit by a trick while trying to buy a manga for Naoya a manga. His mother was heartbroken, and to try and comfort her, he pretended to be Kazuya. This eventually caused him to have an identity crisis, and to remind himself that he is Naoya, he had his ear pierced as proof that he’s not Kazuya.
Tatsuya Suou (Persona 2: Innocent Sin)
It is suggested that Tatsuya’s fear is loneliness. To save the world, he had to forget about his friends and the bonds he shared with them, but he refused because he was afraid of being alone. His fear of loneliness may stem from his strained relationship with his family. He is envious of his successful older brother, he is ashamed of his father who is a disgraced ex-police officer and who he sees as a coward, and he is disappointed in his mother for being passive when his father was discharged from the police force.
Maya Amano (Persona 2: Eternal Punishment)
Maya,the protagonist ofEternal Punishment, is afraid of fire. When she was a child, she revealed to her friends that she would be moving away, and to prevent her from leaving, they locked her inside the shrine that they frequently play in. Overnight, while Maya was still locked inside, an arsonist set fire to the shrine. Luckily Maya was not killed as her Persona had awoken and saved her, but she was severely injured and subsequently developed a phobia of fire.
Makoto Yuki (Persona 3)
The original protagonist ofPersona 3is a very stoic character; it seems as if he has no fears. He isn’t afraid of death, and he cares very little for his own safety. However, it is hinted that he could be afraid of loneliness. When he realizes the importance of lives and the bonds he has formed with his friends, he becomes more hesitant to defeat his foes and put an end to the Dark Hour. He fears that when everything is over, his friends will not be there and that he’ll return to a lonely and pointless existence.
Kotone Shiomi (Persona 3 Portable)
The alternate female and non-canonical protagonist ofPersona 3 Portable. She is the opposite of Makoto, with her bubbly and high-spirited personality, but just like Makoto, it is hinted that she is afraid of loneliness. InPersona Q2, she is the only Persona user who fights alone. SinceKotone isn’t a canon protagonist in thePersonatimeline, her comrades did not know her. Having a lack of comrades proved traumatic and caused her confusion and a breakdown inPersona Q2.
Yu Narukami (Persona 4)
Yu Narukamiis perhaps the most well fleshed-out protagonist inPersona;Yu’s fear is of abandonment. He’s afraid that when the investigation is over, he and his friends will all go their separate ways and when he inevitably moves away from Inaba he’ll lose contact with them. He’s worried that he’d be alone again. His fear may be due to his parents moving overseas for work and leaving him behind, forcing him to move in with his uncle and cousin in Inaba.
Ren Amamiya (Persona 5)
Leader of the Phantom Thieves, Ren’s fear is more ambiguous than the other protagonists. It is a potential that he fears losing his freedom, despite his stoic appearance when incarcerated.Before the events ofPersona 5, Ren attempted to protect a woman from a drunk man, only for the drunk to trip over and injure himself, and blame him for assault, thus putting him on probation. After the incident, he is hesitant around others for fear of doing something wrong and having more blame put upon him, but then his Persona awakens.
