7 Video Game Character Deaths That Carried Real Weight

Persona 3 is your typical JRPG in many ways, whilst it's the contemporary setting and themes that set the series itself apart.

Instead of a medieval world of swords and sorcery, you step into Japan circa 2004 with magic powers. The emphasis on forming relationships and learning about the world around you provide a focus on the characters and the bonds between them, making the Persona games feel so personal to so many, and no character embodies that theme better than Shinjiro Aragaki.

Aragaki has history with the two senior members of the group, and will even provide favors for them when needed. After rejoining the group and becoming a playable character, Shinjiro's past starts to unfold in conversation.

In battle, he quickly establishes himself as a very defensive oriented character that can take hits better than anyone else, making him an mainstay in the party. Of course, if that were all, he wouldn't be on this list... unfortunately.

On October 4th, Shinji meets with Ken to confront his guilt over the death of Ken's mom. However, he ends up not only talking Ken down, but takes a bullet meant for Ken as well. As Shinjiro dies, he sparks the growth of the rest of the team in how they deal with tragedy, ultimately bringing them closer together and challenging the player to move on without him, both as a character and in battle.

All in all, it grounds the narrative and makes things personal for the player, giving them even more reason to fight.