After putting Persona 4 on our list of the best JRPGs, it should be obvious that we think pretty highly of the game. Still, we accept that it was released late in the PS2’s lifecycle, so many gamers aren’t as familiar with it as we’d like. With Persona 4 Arena, the next game from the team behind BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, about to introduce the characters of Persona to a whole new audience, we’re here to cut down on some of the confusion.

Perplexed by all the names of these Japanese school kids? Not sure what a persona is? Wondering why there’s a talking teddy bear? By the end of this article, at least most of these mysteries will be revealed…

A spin-off of the long-running Shin Megami Tensei series, Persona games are part RPG, part high school simulator. In particular, Persona 3 and 4 both focused on a group of Japanese high school student throughout an entire school year, making new friends and joining clubs, all while investigating dungeons to crack strange occult conspiracies. Assisting the students in battle are their Personas, mystical creatures deeply connected to the characters. In Persona 3 they’re summoned by shooting yourself in the head with a special gun, and in Persona 4 they only join with a character after they defeat it in battle and accept the shadow self as a part of them.

Arena takes place two months after the best endings in Persona 4 and two years after Persona 3: FES, so each character has already experienced everything from those previous games. Now the midnight channel, the portal into that strange other world, is calling on the heroes once more…

First appeared: Persona 3

Seemingly a normal high school student on the surface, Aigis is actually a highly developed (though amnesiac) android. Built by the suspicious Kirijo group to hunt the Shadows that the P3 heroes also battle, Aigis feels a strange connection to the unnamed protagonist and joins up with his squad to protect him. After fighting her programming to adapt a more human quality, Aigis recalls that she has to stop the personification of death from reawakening.

After a costly battle that saves all life on Earth, Aigis decides to resume her life in high school , slowly acclimating to her new humanity. At the start of Arena, Aigis is pulled back into the Shadow-hunting game when a mysterious package disappears in the town of Inaba.

Her playstyle: Like any respectable andriod, Aigis can switch modes from long-range gatling gunner to a super-charged jet-powered attacker. When in this limited-duration mode, she can fire off volleys of missiles and zoom around the screen with her insanely quick, propulsion-boost air dashes.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 3

One of the original members of Persona 3’s Shadow-fighting club known as SEES, Akihiko is dedicated to protecting people and becoming as strong as he can. After the death of his sister at a young age, he’s committed to helping others, training in boxing to strengthen his resolve while also battling the invading Shadows of the twelve Arcana. He’s very close to fellow SEES founder Shinjiro, another person he blames himself for not being able to save.

By the end of P3’s epilogue, Akihiko comes to terms with the people he lost in his life and can even open up to love should you play as a female protagonist and build enough Social Links with him. As Arena begins, Akihiko is in college and continues to train as a fighter, so when he hears of the tournament he goes straight to Inaba to compete.

His playstyle: Akihiko is a true bruiser, who can bob and weave past projectiles to get up close and personal with his fists. Caesar makes things easier for him with some insanely long sword range and a vortex move that pulls in opponents.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4

One of the first students Yu meets at Yasogami High School, Chie has an outgoing personality and is well-trained in martial arts, which no doubt began with her love of classic kung fu films – her persona even looks similar to Bruce Lee in Game of Death. She uses her fighting skills to both protect her childhood friend Yukiko and beat up her teammate Yosuke whenever he says something stupid. She’s one of the first team members that joins up with Yu when investigating the Midnight Channel and its strange connection to the death of Yasogami students.

After getting over her hidden jealousy for the more popular Yukiko, Chie defeats her Shadow Self and adds her Persona to the team. She can befriend or even start dating Yu if you build enough Social Links with her by fighting bullies and taking care of a dog. In Arena she enters the tournament to solve the new Midnight Channel mystery and soon finds a new rival in P3’s Akihiko.

Her playstyle: Chie's high-flying kicks are always the prelude to extremely long combos, in the corner or otherwise. Getting caught by her ferocious feet usually results in big damage, topped off with a pounding from a gigantic astral fist that'll squash weaker opponents flat.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

A resident of the remote and ephemeral Velvet Room, Elizabeth works for Igor, the proprietor of the room and the man who helps humans unlock their Personas. Elizabeth assists him in particular with the compendium of Personas, and she slowly but surely connects with the main character in Persona 3. Despite her commitment to her duties to the Velvet Room, Elizabeth is interested in the outside world as well, connecting with P3’s hero as he shows her other soceties. If she falls in love with the protagonist, she abruptly ends the relationship, refusing to abandon her duties to stay with him.

In Persona 4 her role is replaced by her older sister, Margaret. In Arena, Elizabeth acts as a secret boss, similar to Akuma in Street Fighter and eventually unlocks as a playable fighter. Her persona, Thanatos, is one of the most powerful Pesona fusions in the series, making her a tough boss, though that’s toned down a bit for her playable form.

Her playstyle: Elizabeth is much like Akuma of Street Fighter fame: a glass cannon that's devastating when used correctly. Her HP might be quite low in comparison to other fighters, but if you slip up when she's in range, you're guaranteed to eat a painfully-long 50+ hit combo thanks to her Tarot cards and Thanatos' crazy lasers.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4

Kanji’s is a somewhat off-putting character when you first meet him. Continually starting fights and skipping class, you learn that Kanji tough exterior harbors a softer side that he keeps secret. Trained by his family in textiles, Kanji is a skilled tailor and can even make dolls, though he has to be convinced to stop ignoring his talents because they aren’t “manly.” This is best illustrated when battling Kanji’s Shadow self, a muscular but effeminate man that personifies his fear of his sexuality.

After defeating and accepting his Shadow, Kanji starts to get more comfortable with himself. The game still occasionally jokes around with his sexuality, including an accidental kiss with Teddie and Kanji developing a crush on a male student that turns out to be a girl in disguise. In Arena, Kanji returns to the Midnight Channel via a strange dream while preparing for Yu’s return to Inaba.

His playstyle: Kanji is your classic grappling character - except he's capable of leaping across the entire screen to pull off a devastating grab. Take-Mikazuchi's lightning attacks can also paralyze the enemy in place, leaving them sitting ducks for Kanji's high-damage grab moves and chair slams.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4 Arena

An original character created for Arena, Labrys doesn’t have much of a backstory yet. Seemingly an android similar to Aigis, Labrys wears a costume that’s similar to a Yasogami High uniform. She’s trapped in the Midnight Channel and won’t escape her dungeon until she battles her Shadow in Arena.

Her playstyle: Labrys may not be the fastest fighter, but her devastating axe attacks more than make up for it. With charged-up swings and hugely-damaging supers, close range is not somewhere you want to be against this white-haired high schooler.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 3

Another of the original members of the SEES, Mitsuru is a natural leader, incredibly smart, trained in fencing, the most popular girl in school, and the only child of the Kirijo Group, the company that manufactures weapons to battle Shadows. Very sure of herself, Mitsuru has fought Shadows longer than anyone else in SEES and is out to stop the world-destroying Arcana as a way of regaining some family honor. A good friend of Akihiko, she momentarily loses faith in the mission after the death of her father, but recovers in time to help the team save the world.

By the time Arena rolls around, Mitsuru has graduated to full-time Shadow hunting and heads to Inaba to search for Labrys in the Midnight Channel.

Her playstyle: Mitsuru's charge-move-based fencing can be tricky to come to grips with, but once you get the hang of her combos, you'll be slicing the enemy into swiss cheese. Artemisia makes things significantly easier by roping in enemies with her whip or freezing them solid.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4

Despite her young age, Naoto is probably the most mature of member of the team in Persona 4. An orphan, Naoto is already a skilled private investigator at the age of 15 and heads to Yasogami High to investigate the Midnight Channel murders. She soon teams up with Yu’s team, defeating her Shadow self and unlocking her Persona. Though she’s shy about her feminine side, she comes to accept by the end of the story, whether she dates Yu or not. Kaji is also attracted to Naoto, which scares him at first when he thinks she’s a man.

When Arena begins, Naoto is investigating Mitsuru and the Kirijo group, which causes her to follow Mitsuru into the Midnight Channel and the tournament.

Her playstyle: Naoto is a long-range fighter through and through, sniping enemies with afar with her pistol and protecting herself at close range with shields and traps. Trying to get in on a skilled Naoto player can feel akin to dodging the projectile onslaught of a "bullet hell" scrolling shooter.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4 Arena

For as little as we know about Labrys, we know even less about her Shadow. We’re guessing that in the game’s story mode Labrys goes through the standard Persona 4 narrative of confronting and defeating your Shadow Self to unlock your Persona. At some point the Shadow with its own Persona becomes playable.

Her playstyle: Shadow Labrys has the unique distinction of being the only character with a Persona that stays summoned without being called. Seeing how Asterius takes up a third of the screen, with damage absorption and face-smashing capabilities, fighting this beast can be awfully intimidating.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4

A fan favorite of the series whether in his overgrown stuffed animal form or his human side, Teddie pretty much became the mascot for Persona 4. At first Teddie acts as a guide when Yu and his friends enter the Midnight Channel, but eventually he gains some confidence and shifts away from his advisory role. Soon he not only joins the team in battle, but also goes to Yasogami High in his newly unlocked (and quite striking) human form. Teddie eventually earns some confidence becoming much more than just an empty costume.

For Arena, Teddie has taken on a rather different personality, dressing like some sort of pirate and officiating the fighting tournament in the Midnight Channel. But we’re betting there’s more going on than it seems.

His playstyle: Don't underestimate Teddie - with his Wolverine-like "drill claw" moves and teleportation abilities, he can wreck unwary opponents. Kintoki-Douji does his part by tossing out randomly-generated items, which do everything from restoring Teddie's health to offering extended combo opportunities via rolling oil drums or rockets.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4

One of the first people Yu meets on his first day at Yasogami High, Yosuke becomes fast friends with Yu, though it’s clear from the start he’s a bit of clutz. Often putting his foot in his mouth and usually pissing off Chie in some way that causes her to hit him, Yosuke means well and is a loyal friend. His is one of the first Shadow Selfs you battle inside the Midnight Channel, and once Yosuke overcomes his fears he becomes a dependable, if sometimes awkward member of the team.

In Arena, Yosuke is preparing for Yu’s return to Inaba when he hears about the Midnight Channel’s return with a tournament. He enters to get to the bottom of things.

His playstyle: Yosuke's quite the slippery fighter, with tons of aerial mobility and dash moves that close distance in the blink of an eye. Trying to keep him in locked down in one place is darn near impossible.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4

Yu is his current name, but in Persona 4 the protagonist is whoever you want him to be. After moving to Inaba, being initiated in the ways of Personas by Igor in the Velvet Room, and entering the Midnight Channel to investigate a string of murders, his story is what you make of it. Persona titles are all about the connections and Social Links the hero makes, and that includes which characters he befriends and even falls in love with. By the end of P4’s plot, Yu moves once more, but swears to never forget the friendships he made in Inaba.

For Arena, Yu returns to Inaba to meet with his extended family, but is soon drawn back to the Velvet Room and the Midnight Channel’s tournament.

His playstyle: Electrical sword slashing is the name of Yu's game, who can shoot charged bolts from long range before striking with an diving aerial attack. When used correctly, Izanagi can catch opponents completely off guard with overhead attacks that can be difficult to spot.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

First appeared: Persona 4

Admired not just for her looks but also her friendly nature and intelligence, Yukiko is the heir to the town’s famous hot spring inn. Good friends with Chie, she seems a bit guarded and conflicted over the responsibilities of inheriting the inn, something that comes out when friends save her from the Midnight Channel. Once freed she joins Yu’s team of Shadow battlers, becoming an important part of the team, though the game makes light of her poor cooking skills.

By the time Arena rolls around, Yukiko is training to be a professional chef, but the tournament draws her back into the Midnight Channel, where she befriends Labrys.

Her playstyle: Yukiko's magic can literally fill the screen with fiery pillars of orange flame, and she's got the awesome perk of being able to heal away damage mid-fight. As if that weren't enough, Konohana Sakuya's wavy wing attacks will keep the opponent constantly guessing on how to block.

Watch the tutorial video for the character here!

Now you at least have some idea of what’s going on in Persona 4 Arena, probably enough to enjoy the game’s rich story along with its deep fighting system. But don’t let this discourage you from actually playing Persona 3 or 4, as the real fun is in experiencing the stories first hand. Just set aside 200 or so hours and you’re in for a treat.

Want to find some balance for your love of fighting and role-playing games? Read our list of the best JRPGs and follow that with our countdown of the best current gen fighting games.