Persona 3 is the first game in this popular spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei series that integrated life sim mechanics into the series for the first time. Suffice it to say, this inclusion was a stroke of genius that led to the series becoming one of the most popular JRPGs of all time. Persona 3 formed a stable formula for the series to rely on with each entry, making it arguably one of Atlus' most important games of all time.
The third game introduced the concept of forming long-lasting bonds with other characters to improve certain Arcanas and the Personas associated with them. These Social Links ended up becoming one of the most likable parts of the entire experience, and most people who want to interact with the most useful Social Links in the game should check out the following list.
10 Hidetoshi Odagiri (Emperor)
There are many great Personas that are locked behind maxing out certain Social Links. Odin is one such Persona that is an absolute powerhouse in Persona 3, being able to unleash the strongest thunder-elemental attack in the game, Thunder Reign.
Most enemies will be turned into mincemeat the moment they get hit by this powerful attack. To unlock Odin, players should spend time with Hidetoshi Odagiri, a member of the Disciplinary Committee in Gekkoukan High School and the Emperor Social Link.
9 Ryoji Mochizuki (Fortune)
Ryoji Mochizuki is one of the most entertaining characters in the game, with this exchange student's true identity not revealed until a pivotal moment in the game. This makes it important to level up his Social Link as much as possible in the limited time the protagonist has to do so.
After all, the Fortune arcana houses a really good Persona called Norn. This amazing entity can cast Panta Rhei, which is the strongest Wind spell in the game!
8 President Tanaka (Devil)
Most people might find it somewhat grating to spend time with a person as vile as President Tanaka. However, players who want to gain access to one of the best Personas in the game should definitely prioritize his Social Link.
This is because the best Persona with the Devil Arcana is Beelzebub, a fan-favorite among many fans of the series. His stats are great, but what truly makes him valuable is Victory Cry, a passive skill that restores the protagonist's HP and SP after every battle!
7 Koromaru (Strength)
Unlike the other members of the party, Koromaru is the only character who doesn't have an Ultimate Persona of his own. However, this shouldn't deter players from spending time with him.
After all, the Strength Social Link houses one of the most powerful Personas in the game when leveled up to its highest rank. Unlocking Siegfried is quite an achievement, with this Persona learning the powerful Vorpal Blade physical skill in a relatively short time!
6 Ken Amada (Justice)
Most people find it odd that a kid is somehow part of an organization that is meant to take out a great evil threatening the world. However, for what it's worth, Ken's presence ties in pretty well with one of the biggest plot developments in the game.
He might be a mere boy, but one need only check out his strength to see just how useful he really is in combat. After reaching the highest level of this Social Link, players will witness his Persona transforming from Nemesis to Kala-Nemi.
5 Mitsuru Kirijo (Empress)
Mitsuru is one of the best characters in the game, and someone worth spending time with. Of course, players need to ensure that their Academics are pretty high before they can even unlock this Social Link.
Reaching the highest level of this Social Link leads to Mitsuru's Persona evolving from Penthesilea to Artemisia. It goes without saying that this benefit alone is the biggest reason why players should try and max out Mitsuru's Social Link as quickly as possible.
4 Yukari Takeba (Lovers)
Leveling up the Personas of all party members is important to help them get their Ultimate Personas. Yukari is no exception to this golden rule. She's one of the first characters who help the protagonist out when it comes to scaling the floors of Tartarus. Her Persona evolves from Io to Isis after the max Lovers Arcana level is reached.
3 Aigis (Aeon)
Most people would think that a robot would be hard to empathize with in a game where the human characters are written pretty well as is. However, they would be surprised to know that Aigis is actually one of the best characters in the entire game!
Spending time with her is a blast as is, and reaching the highest level lets Aigis' Persona upgrade and turn into Pallas Athena. Just like Akihiko, her Social Link's arcana doesn't correspond to her Persona, which is certainly quite odd indeed for fans of Persona 4 and 5, where these relations were pretty consistent.
2 Akihiko Sanada (Star)
Akihiko is another great party member who can pummel enemies into oblivion with his fists alone. He has an Ultimate Awakening of his own, making the investment in his Social Link well worth the time and effort.
One odd thing about Akihiko is that his Personas are from the Emperor Arcana, but his Social Link is related to the Star. Regardless, players will still get to see his Persona transform into Caesar after reaching the highest level.
1 Junpei Iori (Magician)
Every Persona game features a goofball who befriends the player at the start of the game. In Persona 3, this role is taken over by everyone's favorite character, Junpei Iori.
While he might be rather clumsy in story events, Junpei's effectiveness in battle is quite evident for everyone to see. Seeing his Persona Hermes transform into Trismegistus makes for a satisfying time that justifies the many times players hung out with this lovable character.
Persona 3 is available for PSP, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.