Akihiko Sanada

**Akihiko Sanada** is a playable character from *Persona 3*.

## Design

Akihiko has short silver hair, gray eyes (hazel brown in *Persona 3 The Movie*), and wears a white band-aid above his left eye. Oddly enough, he still wears the bandage years later in *Arena*.

He wears a slightly modified school uniform of the Gekkoukan High School, where he replaces the standard jacket with a red sweater vest (long-sleveed for winter, short-sleeved for summer). Additionally, he wears black gloves. He is never seen without his gloves except during the trip to Yakushima while he is on the beach and briefly during the school field trip in Kyoto. In *Persona 3 The Movie*, he wears a different type of gloves.

His standard summer outfit consists of a red v-neck t-shirt and white pants.

His winter outfit is a white jacket and a red scarf and white pants.

During his flashback scene in *The Answer* which occurs sometime before the beginning of *Persona 3*, a much younger Akihiko is depicted, having softer facial features and a band-aid around his nose. He wears a red shirt under his white chemise and black pants.

In *Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight*, he retains his school uniform except he wears a red hoodie zipper jacket instead of the sweater vest, and red and black sneakers. He also wears black headphones around his neck.

In the parallel universe anime spin-off *Persona -trinity soul-*, an older and more mature Akihiko is seen with slightly tanned skin and doesn't wear the band-aid above his left eye. He is seen wearing a black suit with a light brown collar shirt, red tie and black gloves.

In *Persona 4 Arena*, a 20 year-old Akihiko is seen. He has another band-aid on his right cheek, a cross shaped scar on the left side of his head, and stubble. He wears brown pants, and the left thigh of his pants is bandaged, while the right has several tears on it. He wears reddish brown mixed-martial arts gloves and a matching cape. He does not wear a shirt, and he seems to have been injured by a huge animal, as he has three scars on his chest, and a few scars on his arms as well. In addition, he carries a machete, a bottle of water, large knife and an Evoker with him.

In *Persona 4 Arena Ultimax*, his casual attire is a light gray suit with a black collar shirt.

## Personality

A cool and well-respected upperclassman, Akihiko is serious and determined, as well as cracking small jokes on small occasions. Of all members of the group, he is the most prone to sarcasm, one instance being if the protagonist talks to him while he and Junpei are taking a break from studying for first semester midterms, stating that Junpei isn't studying for his exams as Mitsuru told everyone to go back to their routines. He tends to show his excitement for a big challenge, something that eventually rubs off on Junpei. He is eager to train and fight, often to a fault. Early on in the game, when he is injured due to a fight with one of the twelve full moon Shadows, he will repeatedly express interest in fighting despite being unable to. This draws criticism from Mitsuru, who views Akihiko's eagerness to fight as if he treats their work as a game. At one point, Yukari even accuses him of caring more about having a good fight than doing the right thing. However, Akihiko is a kind young man who will go out of his way to help someone, which is shown when he was willing to take any chance to save Fuuka from Tartarus despite having never met her before, even after Junpei and Yukari pointed out that she had been there for ten days (or ten hours from her perspective) and most likely couldn't have survived.
Akihiko also has an aggressive side, which he usually demonstrates when dealing with Shadows. He never gives up and always tries to get stronger in order to protect what is dear to him and feels guilty for not being able to save his sister, Miki, from the fire. As he puts it, he knows what it's like to feel powerless and he never wants to feel that way again, though this often results in him overworking himself due to feelings of self-doubt. Akihiko is also shown to be very smart, if not quite on Mitsuru's level, as he is consistently shown to get good grades and often picks up on things that Mitsuru misses, like giant Shadows appearing during the full moon and why Fuuka disappeared. He even tells the protagonist that a strong mind is just as important as a strong body.

He acts like an older brother for the younger S.E.E.S. members and especially in Persona 3 Portable if the player chooses to play as the female protagonist, Akihiko is shown to care a lot about her. This fits with his Arcana being the Emperor, which represents fathering and relates to leadership and decision-making skills. Akihiko is on good terms with Shinjiro and keeps in touch with him even after he quit SEES. He cares a lot for him, as shown when Akihiko finds out about the drugs Shinjiro uses in order to prevent his Persona from going berserk. However, their conversations are not always civil, as Akihiko will frequently try to convince Shinjiro to come back to S.E.E.S.. He even shows some mild hypocrisy by telling him he can't keep dwelling on the past, prompting Shinjiro to remind him that he isn't any different since he can't let go of his guilt over not being able to save his sister's life, and that it is in fact his precise reason for fighting. Indeed, much like Junpei, Akihiko sees S.E.E.S.'s activities as a form of escapism from his normal life, and so sometimes questions whether he really wants the Dark Hour gone.

While generally caring and straightforward, Akihiko can be quite abrasive at times, such as when he pretty much forces Shinjiro to come back to S.E.E.S. shortly after Ken joins the group. He also expresses deep distrust and hostility towards Metis in the early parts of The Answer, even more so than the rest of the party, as he fully expects her to turn on them again at any time and even suspects her of having an ulterior motive for protecting Aigis. He can be blunt and isn't above making a harsh comment to someone, even to a friend, a trait he shares with Mitsuru.

Akihiko is often depicted as aloof, and, in some cases, completely unaware of his fanbase of female students, who often follow him around school. He finds this irritating and will sometimes complain to the protagonist about it, saying they talk so much that they give him a headache. This is due to the fact that he is extremely shy and awkward when around girls, to the point that he is incapable of talking to any girl outside his teammates. This is especially shown in the female protagonist route, in which he becomes a Social Link. A character video late in the game shows him reading books in his room on how to talk to girls and trying (and failing) to rehearse a conversation without getting flustered. His awkwardness is probably best exemplified by talking to him in Tartarus when playing as a female protagonist in a romance with him. Akihiko is also frequently dragged into Junpei's various antics (usually against his will), where he, unlike his usual self, often starts to panic and completely lose his composure (mostly out of fear of Mitsuru's anger).

After Shinjiro's death, Akihiko is reminded what it's like to feel powerless, just like he had experienced with the death of his sister. Over Shinjiro's grave, he admits that he was a fool to believe that he could protect anyone if he was strong enough and that power was all he really cared about, to the point that it had become an obsession. It's then that he realizes that he can't keep blaming himself and decides to move towards the future, which triggers the evolution of his Persona. This resolution allows him to help Ken recover from his own breakdown, which was caused by him temporarily losing his reason for living e.g. vengeance for the death of his mother. Both become closer as a result of this event, and learn to accept the loss of the people they loved.

In The Answer, during the debate over what to do with the keys, Akihiko is in favor of the most logical choice; having long accepted that the dead are never coming back, he claims that the group have to live with the protagonist's death and accept the present. He believes that the protagonist died because he used all his power to protect everyone, and by tampering with the past, it would be disrespectful to his sacrifice. When Yukari expresses interest in going back to the past, Akihiko criticizes her for not having the strength to face reality, going so far as to say that even if there was a way to undo Shinjiro and Miki's death, he'd flat-out refuse. He believes firmly that nothing in the past was a waste, since all of it made the group who they are now. However, he admits to understanding Yukari's grief, saying it's a natural feeling for anyone, but nevertheless believes that if they saved the protagonist, they would be benefiting themselves rather than him. Above all, he knows what drastic consequences messing with the past can have, and believes it's simply too big of a risk to take. After the group defeat Erebus, however, he admits that he feels better now that he knows for certain what happened, saying it's like the "blinders have been removed."

## Gameplay

#### Playstyle

Akihiko is the token boxer character with a special mechanic dubbed the Cyclone meter and boasts the second highest health in the game. Not only does Akihiko have a snappy offense and multiple ways to close the gap between him and his opponent, he also is blessed with Paralysis on some of his attacks and can ignore projectiles and some normals. He is also not as reliant on his Persona compared to other characters, thus Persona Breaks don't really affect him as much as others but they do provide him with whatever zoning tools he does have. All being said, he has no reliable option against opponents that like to fight at long range and is quite heavy, becoming something of double-edged sword. He's also an example of a Rekka style character, a character that links special moves with other special moves which also affects his Cyclone gauge. This increases the cyclone gauge by one (max of three) for every special move he cancels. This is important as it changes the properties of some of his follow-ups as well as give more damage, for example his Corkscrew follow-up becomes a wall-bounce at level 3. Thus it become imperative that players have his combos on point to take advantage of his moves as some of his most advanced combos on Fatal Counter can push around 7000 points of damage.

In *Arena Ultimax*, due to rarely having to rely on his Persona, Akihiko only has two Persona cards which can be considered a buff/nerf (Persona gets broken easier but recovers faster). His cyclone gauge is increased by two making it a maximum of 5. He has a new rekka move called the 'Sonic Uppercut' and his C attacks has been changed. His 5C is now was his 2C was in *Persona 4 Arena* and his new 2C is an Anti-Air attack that inflicts the ailment Silence upon hit. His B corkscrew now sends the enemy backwards upon contact while his A corkscrew generally remained the same. With the addition of Enhanced SP-skills, Akihiko's three specials have now increased in specialty.

* Enhanced Thunder Fists now has a hitbox and if the enemy is not blocking they will be inflicted with shock
* Enhanced Maziodyne now does extra damage and hits and inflicts shock even on block
* Enhanced Cyclone Uppercut will make Akihiko do two uppercuts. If Akihiko's Cyclone gauge is at 5 then he will do three uppercuts for massive damage.

His leitmotif is called "The Wandering Wolf," which has a remix called the "The Wandering Wolf -Straight Mix-" for the Persona 4 The ULTIMATE in MAYONAKA ARENA Original Soundtrack that features much more heavy guitar chords and instrumentals.

## Battle Quotes

### *Persona 3*

* Polydeuces! (Summoning Persona: Polydeuces)
* Caesar! (Summoning Persona: Caesar)
* That's how it's done! (Summoning Persona for the first time)
* I've been waiting for this. (Prompting All-Out Attack)
* Okay—NOW! (During AOA)
* Well, I guess that's one way to go. (After denying All-Out attack)
* Damn, I couldn't finish it off. (The foe survives from an attack)
* It's still alive.  (The foe survives from an attack)
* I can't lose to an underclassman. (First time summoning in battle)
* I'm fighting for him as well. (While summoning Caesar)
* Let's go! (While summoning Polydeuces)
* Don't mess with me. (While summoning Persona)
* I won't lose!  (While summoning Persona)
* Don't overdo it. (Healing an ally)
* Nice timing! (Being healed by an ally)
* Nice try! (Dodging enemy's attack)
* Amazing as always! (After Mitsuru hits a weak/critical spot)
* You're pretty good too, Takeba! (After Yukari hits a weak/critical spot)
* Good job, Takeba! (After Yukari hits a weak/critical spot)
* There's your chance, go! (After Junpei hits a weak/critical spot)
* Good boy! (After Koromaru hits a weak/critical spot)
* You really are smart! (After Koromaru hits a weak/critical spot)
* Way to go, Ken! (After Ken hits a critical/weak spot)
* Alright, good job! (After anyone hits a weak/critical spot)
* Good job. (After anyone hits a weak/critical spot)
* Now's our chance!  (After anyone hits a critical/weak spot)
* Ok, everything's going according to plan. (Battle Won: Polydeuces)
* We did it. (Battle Won: Polydueces)
* I'll do my best until the very end. (Battle Won: Caeser)
* Did you see that, Shinji? (Battle Won: Caesar)
* Hmph. (Recovering from knockdown)
* I've regained my honor. (Recovering from knockdown)
* Finish... it... (When Instantly knocked out by weakness)
* Man, that's one hell of a foe... (Attack misses)
* How did he dodge that...? (Attack misses)
* Damn you! (Landed a critical hit, Persona: Caesar)
* K.O! (Landed a critical hit, Persona: Caesar)
* Good night! (Landed a critical hit)
* And...! (Getting One More)
* Here's our chance! (Getting One More)
* Say your prayers! (Landed a critical hit, Persona: Caesar)
* I never want to be in a cast again. (Battle won. Low at HP)
* Don't worry. I can still keep going. (Battle won. Low at HP)
* Got it. (When tactics are changed, Persona: Polydeuces)
* Let me try that. (When tactics are changed, Persona: Caesar)
* I won't hold back! (Summoning Persona: Caesar in The Answer when fighting 2-on-2)
* My skills have improved. (Level up)
* Let me pitch in! (Requesting Co-op Attack)
* Tch, Slash attacks aren't working. (Enemy resistant to Slash)
* Strikes are useless against it. (Enemy resistant to Strike)
* Tch, Pierce attacks aren't effective! (Enemy resistant to Pierce)
* It's resistant to Fire. (Enemy resistant to Fire)
* Ice is useless, huh? (Enemy resistant to Ice)
* Wind isn't working? (Enemy resistant to Wind)
* Electricity doesn't seem to work on it. (Enemy resistant to Electricity)
* It's resistant to Light. (Enemy resistant to Light)
* Darkness won't work!? (Enemy resistant to Darkness)
* Don't tell me it's resistant to Almighty attacks?! (Enemy resistant to Almighty)
* Hey, that's Death! (Encountering The Reaper)
* Tch! Look out! Death is coming! (Encountering The Reaper)
* Don't give up! We have to believe in him/her! (Final Nyx battle)
* "The hell...? That's Caesar! (Battle against ???)

### *Persona 4 Arena*

Quotes (English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqFmTbSkqJY

Quotes (Japanese): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMRPH48yrxo

* Looks like it's my turn! (When chosen on the character select screen)
* I'll force my way through! (When chosen on the character select screen)
* Inside the TV huh? Interesting! (at the start of his Arcade Mode)
* Sorry, but I don't pull my punches! (Starting the round)
* Let's have a great match! (Starting the round)
* Let's see which one of us is the stronger fighter! (Starting the round)
* So you're my sparring partner! (Starting the round)
* You'll be laid out in no time! (Starting the round)
* You better not disappoint me! (Starting the round)
* Heh, you remind me of him! (Intro vs. Yu)
* This could be a real brawl. (Intro vs. Kanji)
* Time to knock out the beast. (Intro vs. Teddie)
* Show me what justice is to you. (Intro vs. Chie)
* Now, come at me! (Non-final round victory)
* I'm strong, you know! (Non-final round victory)
* All that's left is for me to win. (Non-final round victory)
* Don't worry. I can still do this. (Non-final round victory)
* I'm particular about my matches. (Non-final round victory)
* That was a good match. See ya. (Final round victory)
* Are you watching Shinji? (Final round victory)
* That costume wasn't much help against my fists! (After defeating Teddie)
* I'm KO'ed...! (KO'ed)
* Those... kicks...! (After being defeated by Chie)
* Not bad! (After successfully blocking an attack)
* Getting distance! (While performing a backdash)
* Corkscrew! (While performing special move Corkscrew)
* Straight punch! (While performing special move Corkscrew)
* Try and hit me! (While performing special move Weave)
* Uppercut! (While performing Furious Action, Double Uppercut)
* I'll exceed my limits! (While entering Awakening mode)
* Time to rally for a K.O.! (While entering Awakening mode)
* Let's go! Uppercut! (While performing super move, Cyclone Uppercut)
* This... is it! (While performing super move, Cyclone Uppercut)
* You're done! (While performing super move, Lv.3 Cyclone Uppercut)
* Here's everything I've got! (While performing super move, Lv.3 Cyclone Uppercut)
* Now! Let's do this! (While performing super move, Thunder Fists)
* Let's see whose lightning is stronger! (While performing super move, Thunder Fists, when fighting Kanji Tatsumi)
* Let's see whose thunder is stronger! (While performing super move, Thunder Fists, when fighting Kanji Tatsumi)
* Go, Persona! Try and dodge this! (While performing Awakening super move, Maziodyne)
* Go, Persona! Bolts of judgement! (While performing Awakening super move, Maziodyne)
* Stay where you are! It's useless to run! (While performing Awakening super move, Maziodyne)
* Stay where you are! Thunder strike! (While performing Awakening super move, Maziodyne)
* I've been waiting for this moment! (While initiating Instant Kill, Earth Breaker)
* Now's the time! (While initiating Instant Kill, Earth Breaker)
* It looks like... I still got a long way to go... (Continue?)

#### Victory Quotes

Generic
* "*It's not in my nature to go easy. Sorry, but I went at you with everything I had.*"
* "*The count's reached 10. Lie there and rest for a while.*"
* "*I think you're not getting enough protein. I can recommend a few brands if you want.*"
* "*Ha... That was a pretty intense fight. Let's do it again sometime if the chance chance comes up.*"

Character Specific
* Chie Satonaka: "*You've got fire in your eyes. Keep sticking up for what you believe in.*"
* Kanji Tatsumi: "*You seemed to know your way around a fight. Though you look like a straight powerhouse, that's not quite true... Hah, you've got potential.*"
* Teddie: "*Can I be blunt? You keep making bear jokes, but be honest... You're not a bear, are you?*"
* Aigis: "*Unlike two years ago, this time we fought to see who's stronger. Actual combat is better than training after all... Thanks for the match.*"
* Yukiko Amagi: "*The secret to dodging projectiles isn't speed. It's determination!*"
* Mitsuru Kirijo: "*I wondered what monsters I'd be dealing with at first, but I ended up fighting you... Well, I didn't hold back at all.*"
* Labrys: "*I won't concede just because you're a rookie. That's not how I do things.*"
* Akihiko Sanada: "*You're just mimicking a fraction of me. There's no way you could beat the real thing.*"

### *Persona 4 Arena Ultimax*

* "*That's what I'm talking about!*" (Character select)
* "*You ready for this?*" (Character select)
* *"Let's have a great match."* (Starting the round)
* *"You'd never understand the significance of my strength."* (Starting the round)
* *"That Shadow on the other day... No, you're just a copy. What a joke."* (vs. Labrys (Shadow Type))
* *"You probably should punish your costume designer first..."* (vs. Yukari Takeba (Shadow Type))
* *"Never holding down!"* (Awakening)
* "*Can you endure this, Junpei!?*" (Awakening vs. Junpei)
* *"I'm particular about my matches."* (Non-final round victory)
* "All that's left is for me to win." (Non-final round victory)
* *"That was a good match. See ya."* (Final round victory)
* "*You've improved your skills, Junpei.*" (After defeating Junpei)

#### Victory Quotes

General
* "*You lacked training and protein. If you want to beat me, you better come back with proper resolve.*"
* "*You need training. I recommend a steady diet of protein to broaden your possibilities.*"
* "*This is the result of us going at it with all our might. You did your best, so there's no need to be embarrassed about how it turned out.*"
* "*It's been a while since I had such an enjoyable fight. I should thank you... Good one!*"
* "*I won this fight, but there's no knowing how it'll go next time. Looks like I still need to train more...*"

Character Specific
* Chie Satonaka: "*Your kicks were pretty impressive. Keep training hard and get to my level! I'll be waiting for you at the next plateau!*"
* Kanji Tatsumi: "*You definitely have talent, but your flaws stand out too. I can't let you beat me just yet.*"
* Naoto Shirogane: "*Amazing skills, Ace Detective. But make sure you don't fall into the trap of scheming too much.*"
* Mitsuru Kirijo: "*Ha... You really are exceptional when you're in serious mode. You're the perfect sparring partner to hone each other's skills.*"
* Junpei Iori: "*Ha... You never change. But your training isn't up to par. I'll make sure to train you better from now on.*"
* Ken Amada: "*Ha, looks like you've really grown. Come at me as many times as you want. I'll welcome it.*"
* Elizabeth: "*To think we'd meet again... It must be another crisis brewing. Oh well...*"
* Tohru Adachi: "*If I remember right, you're that guy from last year's case... No wonder you put up quite the fight.*"
* Labrys: "*It's always nice to see your resolve close up! I can't wait to start fighting alongside you. We'll all be counting on you.*"
* Sho: "*...I won't tell you I understand or show sympathy. All I can do is let my fists do the talking.*"
* Minazuki: "*No matter who you may be, I will crush you with all my strength if you get in my way.*"
* **Shadow Akihiko**: Did you think a copy could surpass the original? Hmph, you're nothing but a cheap fake in the end.

Shadow Akihiko
* "*That was a great match! Is that what you wanted to hear to salve your pride? Hahahahaha!*"
* "*Just yearn for the results... The results called destruction!*"
* "*No matter how much power you gain, it's meaningless. You're inevitably going to meet your end at the hands of a greater power.*"
* "*Hey, I want more... Let me keep fighting! I'll crush you until there's nothing left!*"
* "*Hahaha... Now, cry for joy! I'm telling you that I'll destroy everything!*"
* "*\*chuckle\* Ahhh... the feeling of an opponent being pulped by my fists. I love it so much.*"
* "*The powerless have no reason to exist. The world should be ruled by the law of the jungle. Show me how pathetic you are as you die!*"

Character Specific
* Chie Satonaka: "*There's no need to protect the weak. They should be weeded out... just like you are right now!*"
* Mitsuru Kirijo: "*How does it feel to have your hand bitten by your own dog, Ms. Incompetent Master?*"
* Akihiko Sanada: "*Hahaha... Are you done with that escape from reality you call training? You're about to meet your true death!*"

## Trivia

* Akihiko's Persona, Polydeuces, is a something of a giveaway towards his connection with Shinjiro if looked at in small depth. Polydeuces - other than being a celestial body - is another name for Pollux, who is one of the Gemini Twins with the other being Castor, the latter of whom is the Persona for Shinjiro, both of which share a similar physical stature, facial build, and focus on sheer strength.
	+ This connection also gives away Shinjiro's fate; Polydeuces was immortal and Castor was not, and in their myth, Castor dies (in response, Polydeuces requests to share his immortality with Castor, which leads to the two brothers forming the Gemini Twins constellation).
* Akihiko is left-handed, thus his fighting style represents a southpaw stance, but when using gloves the protagonist uses an orthodox style. He is also one of two Persona-users in the game who use his left hand when handling his Evoker (the other being Jin Shirato of Strega).
* The Shirt of Chivalry, a type of costume for males in *FES* and *P3P*, is noted for the kanji symbols on their back that symbolizes the character. Akihiko's kanji means "Fight" (闘), a very fitting sign for his character.
* One of the portraits in *Persona 4 Arena* is an edited version of the one used in *Persona 3 Portable* during All-Out Attacks and co-op attacks.
* In *The Answer*, when the group is trying to see what is wrong with Aigis, Akihiko voice's turns into Mitsuru's voice, this only happens once and is fixed in the European release.
* Some of Akihiko's early concept art bears a resemblance to Teddie from *Persona 4*.
* According to Zen United, the European publisher of *Persona 4 Arena*, Akihiko's appearance in said game was originally going to be modeled after Jason Statham and how he looks in the *Transporter* movie series. Soejima was asked to redesign him to look more "wild or rugged" by Wada, the game's director, after they noticed that no other character in the roster would be able to fill that role.
* In *Persona 4 Arena*, Akihiko reveals that he learned how to summon his Persona without the aid of an Evoker. He still uses it when executing Maziodyne and his Instant Kill attack, Earth Breaker, however. He also uses his Evoker during his fight against "himself" in story mode.
* In *Persona 4 Arena*, Akihiko's Cyclone Uppercut attack is based on his critical hit animation from *Persona 3*.
* In *Persona 4 Arena*, Akihiko is the only male character (aside from Yu and Teddie) to have his weight a mystery like the female characters.
* In *Persona 4 Arena* Akihiko mentioned possibly joining the police force, this may be an allusion to his role in *Persona -trinity soul-*.
* Akihiko sports a Caesar haircut like his final Persona, Caesar.
* In the second episode of the 2017 anime series Template:W, two characters are shown to be in the middle of a fight in the arcade version of *Persona 4 Arena Ultimax*, using Akihiko and Chie Satonaka.