Minato Arisato

"Penny for your thoughts? Or... hotdog?"

**Minato Arisato** is the main protagonist from ***Persona 3***. He made his series debut in *It's So Wonderful*.

## Canon

For the early years of his life, Minato Arisato was a normal, everyday child, living in a small town in suburban Japan. Everything would change for him, however, when in 1999, when he was just six years old, his parents were driving along the Moonlight Bridge in Tatsumi Port Island on vacation when the clock struck midnight, and the world began to change. Caught up in the middle of an intense battle between Aigis and Death, the Arisato family’s car was destroyed, killing Minato’s parents in a great blaze. Unlike his parents, however, he remained perfectly conscious during the Dark Hour, and escaped the burning car. Meanwhile, Aigis had almost lost the battle against Death, and in a last ditch attempt to defeat it and save the world from the Fall, sealed the Shadow away in the nearest living being: That being Minato Arisato. Shortly afterwards, the child blacked out, and was found once the Dark Hour had passed.

This deeply traumatised the young boy, to the point where his brain seemed to shut out emotions entirely. Arisato, now an orphan, had become totally indifferent, numb to the world and all that happened around him. He cares very little for his own life, lacking in motivation and merely living one day to the next as he was passed from foster home to foster home. That was, until April 7th, 2009, when his life would change forever--And be set on a course towards it’s end.

Minato arrived late to the Iwatodai Dorm on Port Island due to the train colliding with a young man afflicted with the mysterious Apathy Syndrome who had thrown himself onto the tracks. It was on his walk through Port Island that he experienced the Dark Hour, once again: His headphones and MP3 player suddenly lost power, his surroundings changed, and no one else was around: Only tall, imposing coffins remained. Ignoring the bizarre changes and pressing on, Minato arrived at the dorm, where he met Yukari Takeba and Mitsuru Kirijo after signing a mysterious contract with an enigmatic young boy. A few nights later, the newly enrolled Gekkoukan High School student awakened to his Persona, Orpheus, effortlessly slaying the Shadow that attempted to take his life. This proved too much of an exertion for him, and he collapsed unconscious outside of the Dark Hour and entered a week-long coma in hospital. It was here that he learned of the Velvet Room, of Igor and Elizabeth, and of his true power as a Wild Card, which was unknowingly greatly enhanced by his possession of Death within him.

From here, he forms S.E.E.S. with his classmates, the Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad dedicated to unravelling the mystery of the Dark Hour and the labyrinthian Tartarus using the power of their Personas.

Finally, it was revealed that the force behind all the madness was Nyx, the personification of death, contacted by the personification of human apathy and want for death, Erebus, to bring about The Fall, an event that would destroy all human life on Earth. During the final confrontation with Nyx’s Avatar atop the highest floor of Tartarus, Minato was able to call upon the power of the Universe Arcana, and using it’s power, sacrificed his life force to act as a seal, preventing Nyx and Erebus from ever meeting, and preventing The Fall from ever happening so long as he was present as the seal. Now, his soul lies far away from where it should rest, acting as the last bastion of defence for humanity until Erebus is fully destroyed once and for all.

## Pre-ArcRift

Minato resided in the Sea of Souls, acting as the Great Seal preventing the Fall. Without warning, his soul was pulled back into his body, and he was invited to join the Reaper's Game.

## Plot Involvement

*This information will be elaborated upon within further progress of the Arc.*

## Character Relationships

* *The Reapers* - A group of characters from ***The World Ends With You*** who debuted in *It's So Wonderful*. Though not close, Minato gained the Death social link from his interaction with the Reapers.

* *Audric* - A protagonist from ***Dragalia Lost*** who debuted in *It's So Wonderful*. Meeting in the square on the first day, Minato and Audric became allies. Minato gained the Hierophant social link from his interaction with Audric.

* *Sho Minamimoto* - An antagonist from ***The World Ends With You*** who debuted in *It's So Wonderful*. Minato gained the Magician social link from his interaction with Sho. Though they only spoke briefly, Minato was deeply moved by Sho's death on the first day. Entrusted with three Player Pins by Sho, Minato resolved to find out the truth behind the Reapers' Game, causing Jack Frost to evolve into Mina-hee-mot-ho: A new form of Frost created through the power left behind by Sho's soul as it departed.

## Gallery

Orpheus, of the FoolSusano-o, of the FoolAlice, of the DeathThoth, of the HierophantJack Frost, of the Magician
## Trivia

* As of the beginning of *It's So Wonderful,* Minato's Persona roster consisted of Orpheus, Alice and Susano-o. Later on, Minato gained Thoth and Jack Frost.