Persona 3 Reload is set to conclude its post-launch content with the release of Episode Aigis – The Answer, which will allow players to experience the epilogue story originally included with the release of Persona 3 FES on the PlayStation 2. Although it will be exciting to see how this DLC builds upon the improvements Persona 3 Reload made to its base game, series fans are also being treated to an additional feature confirmed to be included in Episode Aigis. A recent trailer for the expansion revealed the inclusion of Persona 5‘s Joker as a Challenge Battle boss, but his inclusion leaves another character begging for a boss fight as well.
The Persona series, and Atlus games in general, are no strangers to bonus boss battles against past protagonists, with these being a common DLC addition in Atlus games. The Shin Megami Tensei series has featured fights against the likes of Raidou Kuzunoha from Devil Summoner in Shin Megami Tensei 3 Remastered, and that game’s own protagonist, the Demi-Fiend appears as a DLC boss in both Shin Megami Tensei 4 and Shin Megami Tensei 5. Persona 5 Royal also notably had DLC boss fights against past protagonists, so the fact that Joker appears in P3R‘s DLC but P4‘s Yu Narukami doesn’t is a head-scratcher.
Persona 3 Reload’s Episode Aigis DLC Should Also Feature a Persona 4 Protagonist Boss Fight
Persona 4’s Yu Narukami Has Appeared as DLC Boss Before
Persona 5 Royal was really the testing ground for DLC bosses in the Persona series, with the game featuring both Persona 3‘s Makoto Yuki and Persona 4‘s Yu Narukami as Challenge Battle DLC additions. The Full Moon (Makoto Yuki) boss does a great job of paying homage to the character’s original incarnation, showcasing his skills with Thanatos, Orpheus, Siegfried, and Attis as his Personas. Persona 3 Reload‘s Joker boss looks like he will return the favor with his use of both Arsene and Satanael as the Personas he utilizes in his DLC fight.
Yu Narukami deserves to get the same love in P3R that his Foggy Day boss fight gave the character in Persona 5 Royal. This boss fight showcased the versatility of his moveset, with him using Personas like Izanagi, Kohryu, Kaguya, and Izanagi-no-Okami. It’s likely Joker will be a challenging boss in Persona 3 Reload‘s DLC, and the expansion would feel incomplete without a fight that lets the SEES party test their skills against Yu Narukami’s impressive moveset too.
Persona 3 Reload Omitting a Yu Narukami DLC Boss Fight Would Be a Huge Missed Opportunity
While Persona 3 Reload‘s DLC will be the first time players will get to face off against the full might of Joker in battle, that doesn’t mean a Yu Narukami boss fight would be any less impressive. Persona 3 Reload‘s new mechanics like Theurgy and Shift would make for a new boss experience against Yu Narukami, differentiating a fight against Persona 4‘s protagonist from his Persona 5 Royal incarnation. This potential inclusion could also be a great opportunity to showcase a new set of Personas used by Yu Narukami to further change up his boss fight.
While Joker’s popularity among Persona fans makes him an obvious candidate for a DLC boss fight, Yu Narukami could serve another purpose as a DLC boss. With rumors suggesting Atlus is planning a remake of Persona 4, including Yu Narukami in Persona 3 Reload‘s DLC would be a great way to introduce players to the character before his appearance in a Persona 4 remake. It’s possible Yu Narukami could be a surprise boss waiting for players in Persona 3 Reload‘s The Answer DLC, but the fact that he was not revealed alongside Joker seems like a missed opportunity.