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SEES/The Shadow Operatives & Affiliates

The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad is an organization originally sponsored by the Kirijo Group to investigate the Shadow nest, Tartarus, which appeared every night when the Dark Hour struck, replacing Gekkoukan High. After the defeat of Nyx, Mitsuru Kirijo would go on to found the Shadow Operatives, a secret government organization dedicated to eradicating Shadows.

General

Adults Are Useless: A justified and downplayed example. Shido has been blackmailing them into staying out of Tokyo so that they can't interfere with his plans, and dismantled the Shadow Operatives' division in Tokyo before he started them to be certain. It's stated they would like to help more, but due to said blackmail, the current members of the Shadow Operatives (meaning several of the former SEES members, Yu, and Naoto) can't go to Tokyo without Shido releasing his blackmail on Mitsuru - and the rest of SEES and the Investigation Team have their own lives they can't drop out of that easily.
Arch-Enemy: Shido has been blackmailing them for years, tried to have Aigis and Labrys confiscated, likely so that he could reprogram them or take them apart for his own usage, and kidnapped Ken to try to blackmail the other Shadow Operatives into staying out of his plans for good and has stated he plans to dismantle their entire organization after becoming Prime Minister. The only group that might have more of a reason to hate Shido is the Phantom Thieves.
Family of Choice: Their parents and relatives are typically either dead, Abusive Parents, don't exist in the case of Aigis or Labrys, or in the case of Fuuka's parents are estranged (ironically, Yukari's mother seems to have started fixing her relationship with Yukari). And as far as they're concerned, they have each other (and the Phantom Thieves/Investigation Team), and that's all they need.
Older and Wiser: Overall, they're much more levelheaded than their incarnations in Persona 3 and Arena/Ultimax.
Superman Stays Out of Gotham: As stated above, Shido makes it hard for the Shadow Operatives to get involved. Indirect assistance, intelligence (they were the ones who told the Thieves that Shido was behind the mental shutdowns and Wakaba's death), and emotional support are something they can and have given to the Thieves, but it's all they can offer at the moment.
True Companions: Bickering and Snark-to-Snark Combat amongst them aside, the Shadow Operatives truly care for one another and will back each other up whenever there's trouble.

Ken Amada / "Ace"

Arcana: VIII. Justice/Adjustment

Persona: Kala-Nemi, Tyr

Weapons: Spears and machine pistols

Arcana Bonus: Narrow down Shadows' weaknesses, allows party members to perform Combination Attacks

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shujin_ken.jpg

Art byCypher Ink

^{Click here to see Ace}

^{Click here to see Kala Nemi}

^{Warning! Spoilers for Chapter 40}

The protagonist and main narrator of the story. At the beginning, he is a third-year and at the cusp of turning 18. Due to circumstances barring the Shadow Operatives from action in Tokyo, Minako gets the idea of sending Ken to Tokyo, as he left the organization over four years ago. His original purpose was to keep tabs on the Phantom Thieves but due to circumstances, he ends up joining them.

Academic Athlete: Ken played soccer for three years and is consistently in the top ten in his grade at Gekkoukan. He gave up soccer a year ago though because he wanted to focus on his studies.
Actor Allusion: Word of God has stated that Ken/Ace's voice claim is Yuri Lowenthal, specifically his Marth voice from Fire Emblem Warriors. This would have made it the second time Lownthal voiced a member of SEES, and the third time he had a major role in a Persona game.
Adaptational Superpower Change: Downplayed. After Ken re-awakens to his Persona in the Metaverse, Kala-Nemi gains access to the Kouha line of spells as well as Gun-type attacks that he didn't have in his original game.
Affectionate Gesture to the Head: He tends to give Futaba awkward head-pats as his way of showing affection to her. On the flip side, the members of SEES tend to enjoy ruffling his hair, much to his annoyance.
Arm Cannon: Tyr, Ken's third Persona, has one, probably to play with how Tyr ended up losing one hand to Fenrir.
Ascended Extra: In a way, since Ken is the second to last member to join SEES. Here, he is the protagonist of the story.
Awesomeness by Analysis: While Makoto is the tactician of the Phantom Thieves, Ken is an analytic thinker as well. The only reason he technically wins his fight against Akechi is that he fought smartly than relying on his battle prowess.
Babies Ever After: The one-shot Twenty Years Later reveals that not only have he and Makoto become Happily Married (with him taking Makoto's maiden name of "Niijima" rather than her becoming "Makoto Amada") but they have recently given birth to a son, Riku.
The Baby of the Bunch: Is still considered this by his Shadow Operative seniors even though he's already a third-year high-school student, much to Ken's dismay. But he breaks out of this by Chapter 43, when he proves himself to be able to manage his own by defeating Mitsuru in a sparring session.
Badass Cape: Ken sports one as Ace.
Badass in a Nice Suit: Ken is this as Ace.
Badass in Distress: Gets captured by Shido's men after the Casino heist.
Bad Liar: Downplayed, but Shinjiro remarks that Ken is terrible at hiding how he feels.
- Zigzagged a bit, however. Ken was able to hide the truth from the Phantom Thieves, even though he spent a month working with them without them catching onto the truth. Additionally, Ken was able to keep a decent poker face with Shido, even tricking him into bragging about his hand in the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns.
Becoming the Mask: Ken joins the Phantom Thieves due to several reasons, but as he spends more time with them, he slowly aligns with their ideals, leading to him being torn between the Shadow Operatives and the Phantom Thieves.
Big Brother Mentor: Ken takes on this role with the Phantom Thieves, being the second oldest member. He's this especially with Ren and Futaba.
Big "WHAT?!": He gives one over text messaging when he learns that Shido was behind Ren being put on probation.
Birds of a Feather: Has this with Makoto. They both have a strong sense of justice, smart, and a bit socially awkward. When they meet, they start getting along very quickly.
- Non-romantic version with Futaba. They're both the youngest members of the team (Ken with SEES and Futaba with the Phantom Thieves), love Feathermen, their mothers' deaths had deeply traumatized them, and suffered from being suicidal at one point. It's no surprise that Ken takes on an almost older brother role to Futaba.
Bishōnen Line: Nemesis and Kala-Nemi look like abstract metal sculptures rather than anything human. By contrast, Ken's third-tier Persona, Tyr, is a more humanoid figure clad in armor and a cape.
Blade Lock: Ken uses his spear's shaft to block Akechi's blade during their duel.
Butt-Monkey: Ken tends to be picked on, probably because it's so easy to rib him.
Cain and Abel: He's shaping out to be the Abel to Akechi's Cain since they're cousins.
Character Development: Due to Ken receiving a dosage of character development in Persona 3, he is more well-adjusted than the rest of the Phantom Thieves. However, he does slowly grow to become more independent. After he's revealed to be a Persona-user to the Phantom Thieves at the destruction of Kaneshiro's Palace, he worries about Mitsuru's reaction. But at the end of Okumura's arc, Ken fights Mitsuru's decision to bring him back to Port Island.
Character Tics: Ken has a tendency to blow his bangs out of his face when he's feeling frustrated or annoyed.
Chick Magnet: He tends to attract the attention of the girls of Port Island as well as Shujin, much to his dismay. Rise also teases Yu of how even Nanako had a Precocious Crush on Ken before.
Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Ken makes an effort to rein in Futaba's cavalier attitude about hacking and violating people's privacy. He talks her into deactivating the bug in Leblanc and chides her for casually hacking Ren's phone.
Code Name: When Ken joins the Phantom Thieves, he's given the codename Ace. See Meaningful Name for why.
Comfort Food: For Ken, it's omurice, as it was one of his mother's favorite recipes. Shinjiro even makes him some after Ken goes into Futaba's Palace, knowing that Ken may be hit hard with bad memories.
The Comically Serious: Some of the humor comes from the very serious Ken dealing with the more zany members of the Phantom Thieves.
Coming of Age Story: This story is essentially Ken's.
Commonality Connection: Ken uses his and Futaba's mutual love for Feathermen to connect with her when she was still struggling to interact with the Phantom Thieves. They develop a sibling-like relationship due to how they understand what it's like to struggle with suicidal feelings, as well as dealing with their mothers' abrupt deaths.
Conflicting Loyalties: Part of the Futaba arc has Ken feeling guilty due to how the Phantom Thieves treat him as one of their own but he's not being entirely truthful with them.
Cool Uncle: Ken is this to Minato and Yukari's twin children. It can also be assumed that he will become this to Minako and Akihiko's daughter as well.
Covert Pervert: Ken is implied to have shades of this. During Makoto's awakening, he's seen to be checking out Makoto, noting how toned her body is. Though he quickly mentally smacks himself for it, not wanting to be like Junpei.
Crazy Jealous Guy: Played for Laughs. After Ken and Makoto become an Official Couple, we found out that Ken is easily jealous when another guy gets too close to Makoto. When Sae's cognitive version of Akechi flirts with Makoto, Ken snaps and ends up punching the fake detective out cold.
Custom Uniform:
- Ken's winter uniform includes pure black pants akin to the Gekkoukan uniform's, and he wears an orange sweater vest underneath his blazer.
- His Phantom Thief outfit includes Gekkoukan's blazer acting as a tuxedo jacket.
Deadpan Snarker: Ken is very snarky, both in his dialogue and narration. Fuuka remarks that this is due to Shinjiro.
Defiant Captive: Ken had his fair share of barbs towards Shido during his captivity in Chapter 40.
Discard and Draw: When Ken reawakens Kala-Nemi, he loses his Electric skills but gains access to Gun skills, as well as the damage-dealing Kou- line of Bless skills to go alongside his Hama- skills.
Everyone's Baby Brother: As a result of him being The Baby of the Bunch, S.E.E.S./the Shadow Operatives treat Ken like their kid brother, much to his annoyance. When Ken gets kidnapped by Shido, their response is to storm the place where Ken is held while throttling any goon that gets in their way.
Exact Words: Ken resorted to using half-truths when he initially hid his identity as a Shadow Operative from the Phantom Thieves.
First Kiss: Has his with Makoto in Chapter 31 "The School Festival".
Generation Xerox: At one point, Minako compares Ken's chick magnet status to her husband, Akihiko's. This is notable, given how Ken used to look up to Akihiko. And like Akihiko, he falls for the female second-in-command of their Persona-user group.
- Ken is also described to greatly resemble his mother Hikari physically. He also reflects his mother in that he went through hardship but he ultimately gets through it, looking to the future. He also has a high school romance, much like his parents.
Guilt by Association: Upon discovering his relation to Akechi, Ken becomes horrified that he shares the same blood as a murderer. He wonders whether Haru and Futaba, whose parents Akechi murdered, would project the blame on him as well. Fortunately, they don't.
The Gunslinger: Kala-Nemi has gun attacks. Though curiously, Ken doesn't use his actual gun all that much.^{Then again...}
Happily Adopted: Has been in Shinjiro's custody since shortly after Ultimax. He cares for Shinjiro very much but secretly worries about burdening his guardian.
Happily Married: Very heavily implied in the one-shot, A Future In Her Eyes, as when Makoto catches Ann's bouquet, Ren proceeds to throw the garter directly at him, much to his chagrin.
Ken: [sputtering, as he pulls off the garter] What the hell, Ren?!
Ren: [smirks] Now it's your turn!
- Outright confirmed in the one-shot Twenty Years Later, where Ken and Makoto have not only gotten hitched but had a child together, a boy named Riku.
Healing Hands: Ken has trained himself to channel his healing magic in the real world and heals his friends from time to time.
Henpecked Husband: If their interactions as a couple thus far and the ending of the one-shot A Future In Her Eyes, are taken into consideration, then there's a high probability that Ken will ultimately become this to Makoto.
- As of Twenty Years Later, Ken has very much fallen into this category.
Hereditary Hairstyle: Ken's mentioned to have the same bangs as his mother.
History Repeats: The second oldest member of the team sacrifices himself to save the youngest member. The description fits the October 4th incident, as well as the aftermath of the casino palace.
I Owe You My Life: Ken mentions a few times that SEES had literally saved his life and is deeply loyal to his friends due to this.
I Will Only Slow You Down: He tries to persuade the Shadow Operatives and the Phantom Thieves to abandon their rescue operation, saying that they would only risk getting screwed over by Shido if they get caught, and instead focus on saving Ren. Unsurprisingly, none of them listen.
Jack of All Trades: Ken is mentioned to fill many roles in battle. He's a Combat Medic and is both adept in magic and gun attacks.
Justice Will Prevail: Ken has a strongly defined sense of justice, and it's the start of why he begins to doubt his friends' opinions of the Phantom Thieves.
Keeping Secrets Sucks: During the Futaba arc, he starts to have doubts about not being entirely honest with the Phantom Thieves.
Last-Name Basis: During the Kaneshiro arc, Ken solely refers to the Phantom Thieves very politely, using "[surname]-san". But after a conversation with the Phantom Thieves at the end of the Kaneshiro arc, Makoto insists on dropping it and just call her by her given name. Ken gives in and in turn, gives her permission to use his first name instead of "Amada-kun". It takes a little longer to convince him to drop the last name basis with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, though. Ken also pointedly calls Akechi "Akechi-san".
Light 'em Up: Ken and Kala-Nemi use Kou- and Hama- skills, and Ken becomes the team's Bless specialist.
Luminescent Blush: Ken easily blushes when it comes to Makoto.
Meaningful Name: Ken's codename Ace. The in-story reason why Ace is chosen for Ken is due to Ken having more experience as a Persona-user than the rest of the Phantom Thieves. But Ace also refers to the title, Ace in the Hole. Ace in the hole means a hidden advantage kept into reserve until needed. This reflects how Ken was not called into action until a hidden player is needed.
- Ken's surname Amada means "light field". He has Bless skills.
Momma's Boy: Ken adores his mother and still holds her in high regard, even though it's been 9 years since her death.
More Dakka: Kala-Nemi can now fire bullets from the circular markings on his upper arms. Alongside Haru, Ken is the only non-Wild Card Persona user with access to Gun skills.
New Transfer Student: Ken transfers to Shujin at the beginning of the Kaneshiro arc. To be specific, his first day happens to be the day Makoto confronts the Phantom Thieves and demands that they target Kaneshiro.
No Guy Wants to Be Chased: Ken hates the attention he gets from girls. Though he later clarifies to Ren that he specifically dislikes that the girls' interest in him is so shallow.
- He has no problem when Makoto confesses to him.
Oblivious to Love: Ken was really oblivious to Makoto's poor attempts to flirt with him.
Older and Wiser: Ken has come a long way from being The Baby of the Bunch amongst his S.E.E.S. colleagues, being a much more mature and level-headed person.
Passive-Aggressive Kombat: Has a tendency of being passive-aggressive, especially towards people he dislikes. When he gets annoyed with his friends, he's just flat-out sarcastic.
Precocious Crush: He used to have a crush on Minako when he was younger though he’s already over it by the time the story starts.
Post-Victory Collapse: Ends up doing this after he officially awakens to his third Persona, Tyr, and they escape from Shido. Akihiko lampshades this, saying he's surprised it didn't happen earlier.
Related in the Adaptation: In canon, there is nothing that indicates that Ken and Akechi are related outside of a passing resemblance. Chapter 37 reveals that they're cousins.
Scars Are Forever: Over the course of his time in S.E.E.S., Ken has sustained various battle scars.
Self-Deprecation: Played for Laughs. Upon reawakening his Persona with a revamped skillset, he laments how it could have been useful years ago considering how often his Light Spells would miss.
Sharp-Dressed Man: This is the basis of his Ace outfit.
She Is Not My Girlfriend: When Shinjiro teases Ken about the idea of him having a romantic interest in Makoto, Ken gets this reaction.
Spanner in the Works: Ken's affiliation with the Phantom Thieves, unfortunately, results in the fallout of the Casino Heist not going as smoothly as it did in canon. Shido had arranged for Ken's capture alongside Ren, meaning that the Phantom Thieves, Investigation Team, and the Shadow Operatives have to rescue both of them.
Stalker without a Crush: Ken ends up following around the Phantom Thieves a lot during the Kaneshiro arc, as that's the whole reason he came to Tokyo to begin with. Though he does end up dating Makoto eventually.
Straight Man: Ken is usually forced to play this role with the more zany members of the Phantom Thieves, in particular to Ren's Wise Guy.
Stronger Than They Look: Downplayed, but Ken shocks Haru when he knocks out Cognitive Akechi with a single punch.
Supporting Protagonist: Downplayed. Ken is the main character and POV of the story, but he's still a supporting member of the Phantom Thieves to Ren's role as the team's Wild Card and leader.
Survivor's Guilt: Due to the death of his mother and Shinjiro's near-death experience, both a result of protecting him, Ken has deep-rooted guilt of having people risking their lives to save him. In Chapter 41, these feelings were compounded by Shido's Breaking Speech and the drugs in his system, and he tries to persuade Morgana not to rescue him.
Take Me Instead: Offers himself to Shido's men in exchange for Futaba after the Casino Heist. However, it turns out that Shido was targeting Ken from the start to use as leverage against Mitsuru.
Tarot Motifs: While his true Arcana is Justice, Ken's Confidant Arcana is Adjustment, the equivalent to Justice in the Thoth deck.
Team Dad: Ken plays this to the Phantom Thieves, often looking out for their well-being. Fittingly enough, his girlfriend, Makoto, acts as the Team Mom. Played for Laughs in one particular scene during the Phantom Thieves' Beach Episode before learning the Awful Truth behind Ken's Dark and Troubled Past.
Ken: So I'm the dad now, am I? *crosses arms over chest* Then you're both grounded.
Yusuke and Futaba: WHAT?!
Took a Level in Badass: Ken is no longer a little kid and he's described to one of the more versatile fighters.
- But that being said, unlike most of the former members of SEES, he wasn't able to summon his Persona in the real world without an Evoker. In Chapter 40, however, he finally manages this feat. To top it off, Kala-Nemi transforms into a new Persona, Tyr, due to his resolve.
Trademark Favorite Food: Ken's favorite food is still omurice. Ken's rank 3 mentions that Shinjiro worked hard to figure out a recipe that mimicked Ken's mother's.

Shinjiro Aragaki

Arcana: V. Hierophant

Persona: Aeneas

Weapons: Battleaxes

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shinji_3.png

Art by lilshironeko

^{Click here to see Aeneas}

Alive due to Minako developing her Social Link with him and saving him from Takaya's attempted murder, Shinjiro is a couple of months shy of turning 25 at the beginning of the story. He is now Ken's guardian and currently dating Fuuka. When Ken accepts the mission that Minako offers him, he insists on coming too.

Adaptational Badass: In canon, Shinjiro's Persona Castor never evolved. Here, it's evolved to its second stage, Aeneas.
Adoptive Peer Parent: Shinjiro is only 7 years older than Ken, but he's been Ken's guardian since Shinjiro was 21 (and Ken was 14). It's been implied that people often question how he's Ken's guardian.
Badass Longcoat: Is still described to don a long coat in the fall and winter.
The Bartender: Shinjiro is mentioned to work two jobs, but the main focus is his job at Crossroads as a bartender.
Berserk Button: He gets visibly annoyed whenever he hears that someone has a poor diet, best seen with his reaction upon hearing about Yusuke having to live off beansprouts.
Big Brother Instinct: Has this to Ken, but unlike in Persona 3, this developed from Shinjiro developing an attachment to Ken.
Brutal Honesty: Shinjiro does not hesitate to mince words.
Cool Uncle: Again, to Kaito and Miyuki. They call him Uncle Shinji, a nickname that few people use. He presumably will become this to Akihiko and Minako's daughter as well.
Deadpan Snarker: Shinjiro is quite sarcastic. Though given with who he has to put up with, it may be warranted.
Empowered Badass Normal: Shinjiro has a Persona, but he's more than capable to hold his own in a physical fight.
Epic Fail: He ends up blurting out his plans to propose to Fuuka right in front of her as he's going through his Inner Monologue. She does accept his proposal, but Shinjiro is still embarrassed with how it turned out.
Face of a Thug: Ren, the brave leader of the Phantom Thieves, quietly admits in his narration that he's scared of Shinjiro.
First-Name Basis: He's on a first-name basis with most of SEES, save for Yukari and Junpei, since he's the least close to them.
Foil: He's this to Sae.
- Shinjiro is blunt with a Face of a Thug. He excels in cooking, a traditionally feminine art. He chooses to become Ken's guardian by choice. He also openly bickers with Ken and their relationship is leagues better than what it was in Persona 3 even though Ken has insecurities about being a burden to him. Shinjiro puts his friends above his career, telling Ken that he would delay his career for Ken's sake if given the choice.
- Sae, on the other hand, is an elegant Hello, Attorney!, whose career choice is usually pursued by men. She suddenly had to step up to take care of her younger sister. Sae is distant from Makoto and very focused on her job. These differences are probably why Sae and Shinjiro don't particularly get along, even though their respective charges eventually fall for each other.
Henpecked Husband: He bends to Fuuka's will quite easily, even though Fuuka is rather frail and gentle.
Hidden Heart of Gold: Shinjiro still has trouble showing that he cares sometimes. Ren also teases him about it in Ken's rank 9, saying that there's nothing wrong with showing Ken how much he cares.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The Huge Guy to Fuuka's Tiny Girl.
I Need a Freaking Drink: Shinjiro gets very frustrated after Ken admits that he has feelings for Makoto but refuses to tell her out of an overblown fear of being rejected. He internally wishes he had some alcohol multiple times during the conversation.
Jerkass Has a Point: While everyone else thought that he was going too far, Shinjiro was right in calling out Sae when she got upset over Makoto's secret relationship with Ken. He points out that given how strained the sisters' relationship has been, Makoto can't really be blamed for hiding it from Sae.
Knight Templar Big Brother: Once Shinjiro pushes past his despair after Ken has been kidnapped, he swears that he's going to kill Shido for pulling this. Akihiko has to snap him out of his rage.
Last-Name Basis: On the flip side, he still refers to the Investigation Team by their surnames. He does this with the Phantom Thieves too, which makes Makoto worry that he doesn't like her after she and Ken start dating.
Manly Tears: He sheds some after they manage to successfully rescue Ken from Shido. Akihiko notes that Shinjiro hasn't cried since the funeral of Akihiko's younger sister, Miki—which happened 17 years ago.
Papa Wolf: In one of the early chapters, he beats up one of Kaneshiro's men for threatening Ken.
Promotion to Parent: Shinjiro has been Ken's guardian for the past few years.
Retired Badass: He's not part of the Shadow Operatives, but will step up to the plate should his friends need it.
Sarcastic Devotee: Is very caustic towards Mitsuru, but is deeply loyal to her. He defends her when the Phantom Thieves question her actions.
Serious Business: Despite his rough exterior, Shinjiro takes cooking and nutrition very seriously. He takes offense at Yusuke and Futaba's poor diets, actually prepares meals not only for Ken but the rest of the Thieves, and Ken says they never go to five-star restaurants because Shinjiro would be constantly criticizing the food.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: Shinjiro has a filthy mouth, to put it lightly. He doesn't care to preserve niceties.
Supreme Chef: He is still hands-down the best cook out of the cast.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The October 4th incident that killed Ken's mother also drove her sister Tsukiko to commit suicide out of despair, leaving the latter's son Goro an orphan. This led Goro down the path as Shido's hitman, responsible for the death and suffering of many people.
Vitriolic Best Buds: With Akihiko. They get into childish arguments all the time but are still best friends.
- The same can be applied to him and Ken. They tease each other, press each other's buttons, but they do love each other.

Mitsuru Kirijo

Arcana: III. Empress

Persona: Artemisia

Weapons: Rapiers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mitsuru_fb.png

Art by iwonn_arts

The leader of the Shadow Operatives as well as the CEO of the Kirijo Group. Her hands are tied when Shido takes action against her, due to the Shadow Operatives being a government group. She is 25 at the beginning of the story.

The Atoner: Is still trying to atone for her grandfather's actions.
The Beautiful Elite: Makoto is stunned to see just how beautiful Mitsuru is.
Big Good: As the head of the Shadow Operatives and the person who sent Ken to Tokyo, she's pretty much the chief of the good guys. Though it's downplayed due to Shido's blackmail preventing her and the Shadow Operatives from helping the Phantom Thieves more directly, to their regret.
- She finds a way around this in Chapter 45 by sending a lot of bandages, protein shakes, and other medical supplies to Sojiro's house to help the Thieves in the Metaverse.
The Dreaded: Akihiko still fears her executions. It's gotten to the point where Miyuki and Kaito recognize the word execution, though they don't know what it means.
Fiction 500: As the CEO of the Kirijo Group and the leader of the Shadow Operatives, this goes without saying.
Honest Corporate Executive: Mitsuru dedicates herself to atoning for the Kirijo Group's Dark and Troubled Past by steering the company from the direction that her grandfather had taken it, not only by cleaning up its dirty laundry but also by doing more philanthropic deeds such as opening up entry opportunities for underprivileged students to Gekkoukan High.
- It's stated at one point that one of the reasons she founded the Shadow Operatives was so that no other group of teenagers would have to go through what SEES did, and she's regretful that she failed to do so with the Phantom Thieves.
An Ice Person: Shinjiro notes at one point that her being in a temper might cause a localized blizzard, and he and other characters have stated multiple times that if Mitsuru could actually go to Tokyo, Shido would be promptly turned into a Human Popsicle.
It's All My Fault: She's horrified to learn Futaba's state and blames herself for not pushing to see Futaba harder.
Last-Name Basis: Mitsuru calls most people by their last names, though some exceptions are: Minako, Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Yukari.
The Leader: She's the leader and founder of the Shadow Operatives.
Non-Idle Rich: As the CEO of the Kirijo Group, Mitsuru is extremely wealthy, but she doesn't exactly sit around twiddling her thumbs. She is mentioned to be very generous with her money, and at one point Ken's narration mentions that she donates several million yen to various charities and she has pushed for more scholarships to be offered to students who come from poor and/or broken families.
Prim and Proper Bun: Her hairstyle in this story.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Everyone in the Shadow Operatives know not to mess with Mitsuru. Akihiko in particular is still terrified of her, which Shinjiro mocks him for.
Vitriolic Best Buds: She and Shinjiro. While Shinjiro is very loyal to her, he doesn't hold back on barbs.
You Remind Me of X: Upon meeting her for the first time, Makoto immediately notes to herself how much Mitsuru reminds her of her sister Sae.

Minako Sanada

Minako Sanada (nee Arisato)

Arcana: 0. Fool

Persona: Eurydice, Hemera, Wild Card

Weapons: Naginatas

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/minako_commission.png

Art by Jadeart1324

^{Click here to see Hemera}

One of the two Wild Card leaders of SEES, Minako is now married to Akihiko and expecting their first child. She works solely for the Shadow Operatives, serving as Mitsuru's lieutenant. She kickstarts the plot by suggesting Ken as an undercover agent. She is 24.

Adaptational Deviation: Her initial Persona in the fic’s universe is Eurydice, giving Minako Divergent Character Evolution from her twin while still being connected to the myth of Orpheus. Additionally, her Ultimate Persona is Hemera instead of Messiah.
Adaptational Name Change: Downplayed. While she's named by the player in the game itself, she's called Kotone Shiomi in the stage play adaptation, which would later be canonized in a collaboration with Puzzle & Dragons and the 2023 port of Portable. Here, she's named Minako Arisato.
Affectionate Nickname: Mina. The Persona Q2 fic reveals that Minato was the one who gave it to her. Later on, her husband Akihiko uses it. In the main story, only he calls her that, though Junpei calls her Mina-tan.
Ambiguous Situation: It hasn't been confirmed if she's also a wielder of the Universe Arcana like Minato was before he died, or if it only went to Minato.
Angsty Surviving Twin: It's implied that she didn't take her twin brother's death very well at first, especially during the events of The Answer, in the immediate aftermath of Minato's Heroic Sacrifice. Though by the present day she's come to terms with her grief and is generally quite happy.
- The Minako featured in the Persona Q2 fic plays it straight, as her Minato died when they were children and she's never quite gotten over it.
Ascended Extra: Since she's usually Adapted Out. But in this story, she's essentially the second in command of the Shadow Operatives, advising Mitsuru. In fact, she kickstarts the plot, by suggesting to Mitsuru that they send Ken to investigate the Phantom Thieves.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Given that Minako is a Wild Card and is essentially Number Two amongst the Shadow Operatives' ranks, she definitely has the power to back up her rank.
Babies Ever After: She's pregnant with her and Akihiko's child. It's hinted that she'll give birth around December. Though she unexpectedly goes into labor prematurely on the night of the casino heist, due to her having a mental breakdown upon finding out that Shido's men kidnapped Ken.
- She gives birth to her and Akihiko's daughter, Kiyomi, in Chapter 40.
Cool Big Sis: Minako has developed into an older sister figure to Ken.
Dude Magnet: Was one when she was younger. Ken himself used to have a crush on her.
Fiery Redhead: In contrast to Mitsuru, she's quite feisty.
The Gadfly: In contrast to her brother, Minako is rather teasing and playful.
Happily Married: She's been married to Akihiko and according to Ken, they were the first to get married out of SEES. They're now expecting their first child.
Heroic BSoD: Lapses into one after discovering that Ken was in Shido's custody. Minako, as the one who suggested that Ken go undercover, takes it the hardest. Unfortunately, the resulting stress causes her to go into labor prematurely.
Master of All: Naturally, as she is a Wild Card. She definitely has the power to back up her rank as Mitsuru's Number Two in the Shadow Operatives.
Maternity Crisis: When she sees that Shido's men had kidnapped Ken to blackmail Mitsuru, she is so distraught (since it was her idea to send Ken to Tokyo in the first place) that she goes into premature labor.
My God, What Have I Done?:
- Minako was the one who suggested that Ken go undercover to investigate the Phantom Thieves but starts to regret it upon realizing that she has endangered Ken with the Phantom Thieves becoming more and more targeted by Shido, the "Black Mask", and the police.
- An even more serious one happens in Chapter 39 after they discovered that Ken had been abducted by Shido. The stress from her breakdown causes her to go into labor prematurely, three weeks before the baby was supposed to be born.
Number Two: She's the second-in-command of the Shadow Operatives.
Polar Opposite Twins: She was this with Minato before he died. Their father has also been cited as comparing the two of them with the sun and moon.
Related in the Adaptation: While Atlus has established that the two Persona 3 protagonists are not related, here, she is the twin sister of Minato, who died and became the Great Seal.
Right for the Wrong Reasons: Upon hearing from Ken that the leader of the Phantom Thieves is a Wild Card, Minako fears that he could be a Wild Card who had gone rogue, who may be responsible for the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. Minako is technically right that a rogue Wild Card is responsible, but not her assumption of who said Wild Card is.
Spared by the Adaptation: She doesn't die and become the Great Seal due to Minato taking up that position.

Junpei Iori

Arcana: I. Magician

Persona: Trismegistus

Weapons: Two-handed swords

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jundori.jpg

Art by pinka_lala

Now a baseball coach and PE teacher, Junpei is still a reserve member of SEES. He is now married to Chidori Yoshino. He is now 23.

Butt-Monkey: His friends still love to tease Junpei. Even Miyuki and Kaito tease him, with his Embarrassing Nickname being their first word.
Happily Married: He's happily married to Chidori, though Chidori is rather embarrassed when Kaito and Miyuki ask her if she and Junpei are going to have a child as well.
Out of Focus: Junpei is not as featured as some of the Persona 3 characters.
Vitriolic Best Buds: Has this dynamic with Yukari. They'll bicker and argue, but will always have each other's backs. Minako recalled an incident while they were still in high school where Junpei got into a physical altercation with a student who was badmouthing Yukari for being a teen mother.

Yukari Takeba

Arcana: VI. Lovers

Persona: Isis

Weapons: Bows and Arrows

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yukari_4.png

Art by ciarre_arts

Still a famous actress and model, Yukari is a mother in this story, having given birth to her and Minato's twin children during her last year of high school. She's a reserve member of the Shadow Operatives and is seen in a couple of scenes discussing the events with her fellow former members of SEES.

Absurdly Youthful Mother: Became a mother at 18.
Action Mom: A mother of two, yet is still a member of the Shadow Operatives. This applies to her career as well, with Futaba saying that she performs her own stunts.
Babies Ever After: During her last year of high school, she had twin children, Kaito and Miyuki.
Continuity Cameo: Chapter 17 focuses on the Phantom Thieves meeting her during a Feathermen Rangers fan event.
Foil: Has this with Akechi's mother, both becoming mothers to bastard children. While Akechi's mother gave into despair and died, Yukari is living her life to the fullest. According to Ken, Yukari's mother supported Yukari's decision to raise her children. In contrast, Akechi's grandparents disowned their daughter.
Glamorous Single Mother: Downplayed. While she's become a well-regarded actress and model, she still experiences the baggage that many single parents faced in Japanese society. Word of God mentions that her status as a single mother initially gave her difficulties in finding a foothold in her modeling career. She is also often the subject of criticism of Gossipy Hens jealous of her fame, using her illegitimate children as ammunition.
Good Girls Avoid Abortion: When she becomes pregnant with Minato's children, she refuses to get an abortion despite knowing the social stigma she will receive for being a teen mother.
Head-Turning Beauty: Many guys have commented on how attractive she is on different occasions.
Her Heart Will Go On: Yukari is mentioned to still love Minato, but she is moving on with her life, doing her best to raise her twin children.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: Yukari seems to have this with both Mitsuru and Minako.
In-Series Nickname: Junpei still calls her Yuka-tan.
The Lost Lenore: Yukari still wistfully remembers Minato, but she also doesn't let his memory stop her from living her life to the fullest.
Mama Bear: She becomes absolutely livid when she discovered that some women insulted her children as bastards, and gets angry with Akechi for bluntly explaining why society looks down on illegitimate children.
Not in Front of the Kid: Gets annoyed when someone (particularly Shinjiro) cusses in front of her kids.
Out of Focus: Due to her job, she's usually away from her friends. However, she takes a more proactive role as the conflict between Shido and S.E.E.S. reaches its peak.
Pink Means Feminine: Yukari is described to wearing a pink top like she does in Persona 3.
Someone to Remember Him By: Minato got Yukari pregnant not long before his Heroic Sacrifice, leaving her to raise their twin children by herself.
Stronger Than They Look: Apparently, she managed to beat Akihiko once in an arm-wrestling match.
Teen Pregnancy: Yukari became pregnant at 17, giving birth to the twins the month before she turned 18.
Took a Level in Cheerfulness: Yukari's shown to be happier than she was back in high school, thanks to a combination of motherhood and receiving closure over her issues.
Tragic Keepsake: Yukari wears a ring that was among Minato's things before he died, which was meant to be his White Day present for her. She wears it like a wedding ring.

Akihiko Sanada

Arcana: IV. Emperor

Persona: Caesar

Weapons: Gloves and Knuckles

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/akihiko.jpg

Art by Artistic_Madman

Akihiko is a police officer now, but he still involves himself with the Shadow Operatives business. However, he's not as featured compared to his wife.

Amazon Chaser: Akihiko is married to Minako, who is almost without a doubt the most powerful Shadow Operative.
Big Brother Mentor: Still plays this role to most of the members of SEES.
Fair Cop: Akihiko is a good-looking young man and a police officer. When he takes off his shirt, Futaba outright drools at how ripped he is.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Pulls this on Shinjiro when the latter is freaking out about Ken's kidnapping in Chapter 39.
Happily Married: He's married to Minako. He's looking forward to becoming a father.
Henpecked Husband: His niece and nephew declare him to be this, as does Shinjiro, much to his annoyance.
Innocent Fanservice Girl: Gender-inverted. He has no issue changing into his disguise as one of Shido's cronies in front of the others, particularly the girls.
Oblivious to Love: In Persona Q2: The Ace Edition, it's implied by the alternate Minako that he's oblivious to her feelings for him, something that she's frustrated by.
Older and Wiser: Compared to how he's depicted in his previous incarnations of Persona 3 and Persona 4: Arena Akihiko becomes far more level-headed and mature. In one scene, he comforts Minako about her fears, showing how much he's matured from the guy with No Social Skills. Additionally, there's his Get a Hold of Yourself, Man! moment, when he shows that he realizes that this is not the time to fly off the handle.
Police Are Useless: Averted. Ken cites Akihiko as one of the police officers that are not corrupt.
Rugged Scar: He has a scar on his chest.

Fuuka Yamagishi

Arcana: II. Priestess

Persona: Juno

Weapons: N/A

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fuuka_4.jpg

Art by Lynnie015

Fuuka has returned to Port Island, now working as a computer engineer. However, when the proposed mission comes up, it's ultimately decided that Fuuka should remain on Port Island. But she does come up and visit Shinjiro and Ken from time to time.

The Ace: While her abilities are not as varied as Rise's and Futaba's, she's probably the most powerful scanner still.
Braids of Action: Maintains her braid from Arena/Ultimax.
Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: Has shades of this with Shinjiro. Ann also notes their contrasting appearances when they first meet.
Curtains Match the Window: Fuuka is described to have light turquoise hair with matching eyes.
Dating What Daddy Hates: Late in the story, Ken mentions that Fuuka's parents greatly disapproved of her dating Shinjiro, deeming him as just a distraction for Fuuka's studies. They demanded she break up with him. Fuuka ended up choosing Shinjiro, however.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Her significant other Shinjiro towers over her.
I Choose to Stay: Unlike Ken and Shinjiro, she remains in Port Island, due to being busy with her job. Still, she occasionally takes a train out to Tokyo to visit them.
Lethal Chef: Averted by the start of the story, as Shinjiro's guidance has helped improve her cooking skills significantly.
Mission Control: It's shown in the prologue that with the help of technology, Fuuka can scan for Shadows in Tokyo all the way from Port Island. It's also stated that it takes a few hours to get there by train, to boot. She does lament that she doesn't have a very clear view, but it really shows how much her abilities have grown.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Fuuka is generally a very sweet girl. Minako notes that for Fuuka to speak about Shido with such vehemence meant that Shido must have done something horrible to Ken.
Opposites Attract: She and Shinjiro. Shinjiro is tough as nails (albeit with a heart of gold), while Fuuka is sweet and gentle. Shinjiro is talented in cooking, a skill that is usually considered feminine, while Fuuka is very handy with technology which is usually considered more masculine. Shinjiro and Fuuka's abilities in cooking used to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, but given the mention that they enjoy cooking together, that is no longer the case.
Private Tutor: Shinjiro mentions that Fuuka helped tutor him when he was forced to repeat his third year by Mitsuru. It's part of how they became closer and developed romantic feelings for each other.
Team Mom: She acts quite motherly to Ken.

Aigis

Arcana: VII. Chariot/0. Fool

Persona: Pallas Athena, Orpheus, Wild Card

Weapons: Firearms

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aith_aigis.png

Edited by Pinigo

The seventh-generation Shadow Suppression Unit, Aigis is an android created to fight Shadows. However, after meeting SEES, she started to become more human.

Classy Cravat: Instead of a ribbon or tie, she now sports a bow-cravat.
Master of All: Although she wasn't this during the events of the Persona 3 main storyline after Minato passed away on her lap, he passed his Wild Card, and Orpheus, down to her.
Out of Focus: She's only appeared in a handful of scenes.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: She's the Blue Oni to Labrys' Red Oni.
Robo Family: Besides being a member of SEES, Labrys is referred to as her older sister.
Small Role, Big Impact: Despite being Out of Focus, Shido's threat of confiscating her for his own purposes was one of the primary catalysts for Ken going undercover.
Team Mom: In her first scene she's seen scolding Ken for behaving recklessly. Also, it's stated later on that she's extended her protectiveness of Minato and Minako to include their families as well.

Labrys

Arcana: X. Wheel of Fortune