Persona 3 Reload: Every Boss Ranked From Worst To Best
Which P3R bosses brought the player Mass Destruction?
Persona 3 Reload has quickly become one of Atlus' biggest success stories, selling 1 million copies in its opening week alone, with that number only climbing higher in the following weeks. While much of this is thanks to the hype train that Persona 5 started back in 2017, most of its success is owed to the fact that Reload is remaking one of the greatest JRPGs of all time.
While much has been changed from the original to gel with modern sensibilities (getting to control every party member in combat, not having to romance all the female characters just to fill out their social links, and many of Persona 5's QoL improvements to combat), what never required fixing were the boss fights.
Not counting the mini-bosses you face every five or so floors as you explore Tartarus, the 11 main bosses of Persona 3 are some of the most intelligently designed bosses in Atlus' library.
But of course, some are better than others, which is why your faithful scribe has compiled a list ranking every one of them from worst to best. This list was based on the complexity of the boss, the back and forth between it and the player, how satisfying from a story perspective it was to beat them, and just how fun they were to fight.
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NOTE: This article contains full spoilers for Persona 3: Reload.
11. The Priestess
The first boss of the game, and naturally, the least interesting of the bunch.
The Priestess serves as the player's introduction to two important details. First, it shows the damage the 12 Arcana Shadows can do if left alone, as even its weakest member can seize control of a train. Secondly, the ensuing fight demonstrates the first wrinkle in the affinity system: some enemies are just not affected by some elements. These are both important lessons for the player, giving tangible context to the threat, while also hinting at the difficulty of the road ahead.
Such a shame, then, that the fight itself is just kinda meh.
This is to be expected, of course. The Priestess is the very first boss, and thus has to be the easiest boss fight in the game. It is an introduction to gameplay ideas, rather than a test of your knowledge of them. That's by no means a problem, but it does make the boss nowhere near as memorable as what comes after.