Kotone Shiomi, the female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable, is officially coming back – and she is doing it in Persona 5: The Phantom X. Atlus has confirmed she will join the gacha spin-off as a playable character, ending a long stretch in which fans kept asking for her return and kept getting nothing.
When you can get her
Shiomi is part of a bigger celebration tied to Persona’s 30th anniversary. A new trailer has already given you a first glimpse of her and other Persona 3 faces, and the full rundown is scheduled for a special broadcast on September 21. She then officially arrives in the game on September 24, most likely alongside a new side story built around her appearance.
- September 21 – special broadcast with more details
- September 24 – Kotone Shiomi becomes available in the game
Why this matters so much to Persona 3 fans
Shiomi originally debuted in Persona 3 Portable on PSP, where you could pick her instead of standard protagonist Makoto Yuki. She became a fan favorite, but she was completely left out of Persona 3 Reload, the 2024 remake. The producer of Reload explained that her absence came down to a lack of time and budget constraints, and the DLC many players hoped for never materialized.
Outside of Persona 3 Portable, she has only shown up in spin-offs and side media such as Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which uses a chibi art style. She has never appeared in a game with a modern high-resolution 3D model, which is exactly why this crossover is a big deal – it is the first time players have seen her since the late 2010s. If you like following how long-running JRPG series handle their legacy characters, we also covered the structure of Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.
The Persona 3 roster in The Phantom X keeps growing
This is not the first time Persona 5: The Phantom X has pulled from the Persona 3 universe. The global version already added Makoto Yuki along with SEES members Akihiko Sanada and Yukari Takeba in an earlier update. The original Chinese version, which is ahead of the global release for most character debuts, has also received Mitsuru Kirijo, Fuka Yamagishi, Junpei Iori, Koromaru, and Aigis. Whether the remaining Persona 3 characters follow Shiomi to the global version soon has not been confirmed.
The gacha catch
There is a caveat, and it is the reason some players are less than thrilled. Persona 5: The Phantom X is a gacha game, so apart from whatever you get out of the event story, adding Shiomi to your party means testing your luck on pulls rather than simply unlocking her. The counterargument is straightforward enough: a gacha appearance is still more than being left behind in an old handheld game forever. Either way, you will not have to wait long to see her abilities and her in-game look. The game has its own official site if you want to check platforms before the broadcast.
Where to read more
For other release dates and roster news we have been tracking, browse our gaming articles, or take a look at what is coming in Wo Long 2.
FAQ
She officially joins Persona 5: The Phantom X starting September 24. A special broadcast on September 21 is set to reveal more details about her first.
Most likely yes. Persona 5: The Phantom X is a gacha game, so outside of any event story content you will need luck on pulls to add her to your party.
The producer of Persona 3 Reload said she was left out because of a combination of limited time and budget constraints. She was never added as DLC later either.
The global version has Makoto Yuki, Akihiko Sanada, and Yukari Takeba. The Chinese version has additionally received Mitsuru Kirijo, Fuka Yamagishi, Junpei Iori, Koromaru, and Aigis.
No. Before this she only showed up in Persona 3 Portable and in spin-offs and side media like Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which uses a chibi art style.