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"It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself."
—Akihiko Sanada, Persona 3

Akihiko Sanada is a character in the Persona series. He is a student at Gekkoukan High School and a member of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad.

Appearances

Design

Akihiko has short silver hair, gray eyes (hazel brown in Persona 3 The Movie), pale skin and wears a white band-aid above his left eye. He wears a slightly modified school uniform of the Gekkoukan High School, where he replaces the standard jacket with a red sweater vest. Additionally, he wears black leather gloves. His standard summer outfit consists of a red v-neck t-shirt and white pants, while he is seen wearing a white jacket and a red scarf, as well as white pants on winter days. 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.

During his flashback scene in Persona 3 FES which takes place of an unspecified amount of time 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 The Movie, he wears different type of gloves.

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 (such as with Junpei, though this happens not as often), and tends to show his excitement for a big challenge. He 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. He acts like an older brother for the younger SEES 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. Akihiko is on good terms with Shinjiro and keeps in touch with him even after he quit SEES, and 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. This part of Akihiko's personality is demonstrated once again after Shinjiro gets killed (or falls in a coma, in case the player manages to max Shinjiro's Social Link before his demise in the female protagonist's storyline in Persona 3 Portable), when he is seen grieving his death (or desperately begging Shinjiro to wake up, in the case of the coma). Despite his rather cool and disciplined demeanor, Akihiko is 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 (often due to fearing Mitsuru's anger). 

Akihiko is often depicted as aloof, and in some cases, completely unaware of the fanbase of female students, who often follow him around school. He finds this irritating and will sometimes complain to the protagonist about it. He is eager to train and fight, 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.

Profile

Persona 3

Akihiko Sanada is the captain of the Gekkoukan High School boxing team and, along with Mitsuru Kirijo and Shinjiro Aragaki, one of the original member of SEES. He and Shinjiro grew up in an orphanage together with Akihiko's little sister, Miki, who died in a fire that destroyed the orphanage. Devastated by her death and feeling powerless that he could not save her, Akihiko vowed to become stronger. He took up boxing so he could learn how to fight, becoming a champion student boxer in the process.

Shinjiro and Akihiko remained friends after Miki's death. However, an incident occurred during an early SEES mission which put a strain on Akihiko and Shinjiro's relationship. Shinjiro's Persona went berserk while combating a Shadow, killing an innocent bystander (Ken Amada's mother) in the process. Feeling guilty, Shinjiro immediately left SEES. Akihiko used the incident as a springboard to focus even more on his strength and fighting the shadows. He began to criticize his friend for retreating when others needed his help. Throughout the game, Akihiko repeatedly tries to talk Shinjiro into joining SEES again. When Ken Amada joins the party, Akihiko, with the aid of the protagonist, forces Shinjiro to join.

During the events of the Strength and Fortune full moon battles, Akihiko is unsettled and distracted by the absence of Ken and Shinjiro. He later realizes the date: October 4, the day Shinjiro's persona killed Ken's mother. He leaves the others in search of Ken and Shinjiro, finding them both behind Port Island Station along with Strega member Takaya Sakaki, who has interrupted Shinjiro and Ken's conversation and intends to kill them both. He has already shot Shinjiro and was aiming to shoot Ken, but Shinjiro stops Takaya from killing Ken by taking another bullet despite knowing that Ken has made a vow to kill him to avenge his mother's death. Shinjiro's last words are a request that Akihiko take care of Ken, and he states that his death is how things should be.

P3M Akihiko grieving over Shinjiro's funeral

Akihiko mourning at Shinjiro's memorial.

Mourning the loss of his friend, Akihiko nonetheless finds himself amazed that Shinjiro could face death so bravely and vows to face difficulty head on. This resolution causes his Persona to evolve into into Caesar. He is one of the first characters to express his determination to fight Nyx, despite knowing she cannot be defeated.

Portable

Akihiko is a new Social Link if the player pursues the female protagonist's route, representing the Star Arcana. The Social Link is initiated by talking to him starting on May 25 with level 4 Charm or higher.

In this Social Link, Akihiko will express his desire to gain strength in order to protect others and concern for the well-being of the protagonist, who at earlier parts of the game he treats her as a little sister. As time passes, the player sees Akihiko as not just a "cool upperclassman" that many of the girls in school fawn over, but as a man who cannot cope with the darkness of his past and cannot socialize well with others because of it. He later on grows more anxious towards the Female Protagonist, to the point of asking her if there was any way for her to stop fighting.

The Social Link then freezes until after the events on October 4, where Akihiko admits that his treatment of the Female Protagonist, that is similar to the treatment of his deceased sister Miki, would be considered as opening up and sharing the burden with her. Thus his resolution to stop the Dark Hour now serves a different purpose: to protect the people he loves and cherishes, including the Female Protagonist.

At the end of the social link, Akihiko gives the player a rabbit doll (stating that the doll is reminiscent of her and of his memories of a happier Miki) and finally comes to terms with his own past, at last looking forward to creating a better future. The rabbit doll grants the ability to fuse Helel, the lightbringer.

It is possible for the player to have a romantic relationship with him, though the player has to choose special dialogue choices that are scattered throughout certain ranks of his Social Link. If the player chooses all of the correct dialogue and has accepted the offer to be Akihiko's "girl" at Rank 9, the Lovers Route for this Arcana will be triggered.

The Answer

Persona_3_FES_The_Answer_Boss_Akihiko_and_Ken_Colosseo_Purgatorio

Persona 3 FES The Answer Boss Akihiko and Ken Colosseo Purgatorio

Akihiko and Ken boss fight.

Akihiko does not originally come to see the closing of the Dorm. He only arrives after Mitsuru calls him over, and he becomes trapped in the dorm with them. During the debate over how to use the keys to the past or the present, Akihiko chooses the present with the support of Ken Amada.

A door to Akihiko's past reveals how he was recruited to SEES After a boxing match during his years as a middle school student, Mitsuru Kirijo approaches him with a gun (an Evoker) and offers him a new way of fighting.

Persona -trinity soul-

TrinitySoul-Akihiko

Akihiko in -trinity soul-

In the parallel universe anime spin-off, Persona -trinity soul-, Akihiko is an informant to Ryo Kanzato, shown only as the man Ryo discusses Reverse cases with over the cellphone. He appears in person after Ryo's confrontation with Keisuke Komatsubara leads to his disappearance, taking up the role of superintendent in his absence. He reveals that as an adult, he no longer possesses the ability to use persona, but worked alongside Ryo and Noboru Inui to cover up persona-related incidents and prevent their occurrence. To fight Marebito, he enlists the help of Shin Kanzato, Jun Kanzato, Megumi Kayano, and Takuro Sakakiba.

Persona 4 Arena

After graduating from Gekkoukan High, Akihiko went to college. He decided, however, to perfect his punch and traveled the world in his pursuit of becoming stronger. Around that time, he had also become associated with Mitsuru's Shadow Operatives and is called upon to help retrieve Labrys in the TV world in Inaba. During the "tournament", he comes across Chie Satonaka and becomes impressed by her resolve to protect Labrys, though he has never seen her before and reminds him of his reasons for fighting. After the incident, Akihiko decides that he'll eventually, in the far future, leave the Shadow Operatives and become a police officer. Mitsuru tells him, however, he needs to go back to college so she assigns Aigis to help manage Akihiko. With a new resolve, Akihiko is determined to find the mastermind behind the incident and put an end to their plot. 

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.

Score Attack

Akihiko is the eighth character in Score Attack. His Cyclone meter will always be at 3 levels and will always have Thunder Fists active.

Persona 4 Arena (Manga)

Akihiko's faces off against Yu Narukami. Though he puts up a tough fight and gets in several hits that would affect Yu later, Akihiko was ultimately defeated by Yu when he unleashes Izanagi. When the possessed Labrys attempts to crush Aigis' neck, both Akihiko and Mitsuru smash through a wall and hit her, releasing Aigis from her grasp.

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Akihiko's co-op attack is a piercing attack, which hits the target and pierces through, damaging one of the enemies behind it in the back row.

Stats

The Answer

Arcana Level HP SP
Strength 90
Magic 78
Endurance 34
Agility 45
Luck 44
Emperor 77 2000
-
Slash Strike Pierce Fire Ice Elec Wind Light Dark Almi
- - - - - Null - Null Null -
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Power Charge Doubles physical damage dealt next turn. (2x damage)
Mind Charge Doubles magic damage dealt next turn. (2x damage)
Megidolaon Deals severe Almighty damage to all foes.
Gigantic Fist Deals heavy Strike damage to one foe.
Masukunda Decreases all foes' Hit/Evasion rate.
Ziodyne Deals heavy Elec damage / Shocks one foe. (10% chance)
Counterstrike Counter physical attacks (med odds). (30% chance)
Apt Pupil Increases user's Critical Rate.
Sharp Student Lowers odds of sustaining critical damage.


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

  • 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 isn'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)

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)
  • "Can you endure this, Junpei!?" (Awakening vs. Junpei)
  • "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!"

Gallery

Persona 3
 
AkihikoClose
Akihiko Close Up
 
Akihiko Sanada
Concept art of Akihiko
 
AkihikoP3P
All-Out Attack cut-in portrait for Persona 3 Portable
 
Persona 5
Akihiko's school uniform, two casual attires, swimsuit, and Kyoto yukata
 
Persona 3 Akihiko anime
Concept artwork of Akihiko (cinematic)
 
Art19 2
Akihiko's various expressions
 
Persona 3 Akihiko
Early concept art for Akihiko
 
Persona 3 Akihiko 2
Early concept art for Akihiko
 
Persona 3 Akihiko 3
Early concept art for Akihiko
 
Young Akihiko
A younger Akihiko in Persona 3 FES
 
P3-Vol.5
Akihiko with Shinjiro and Koromaru
Persona 3 (Manga)
 
Persona 3 Cover 3
Akihiko appears on a cover for Volume 3
 
Persona 3 Manga 4
Chapitre Trois
 
Persona 3 Cover 5
Cover for Volume 5
 
Akihiko when he was a child
Akihiko as a child
Persona 3 The Movie
 
P3M concept art of Akihiko Sanada
Concept artwork from Persona 3 The Movie
 
Ch sanada-1-
Akihiko Sanada's character info
 
Weapon sanada01
Concept artwork of Akihiko's main weapon
 
Persona 3 Spring of Birth character postcard 02 by Watanabe Keisuke
Illustration of Akihiko Sanada and the others by Watanabe Keisuke
 
P3M Akihiko Illustrated by Yukio Hasegawa and Painted by Saori Goda
Illustration of Akihiko by Yukio Hasegawa and Painted by Saori Goda
 
P3M Spring of Birth Countdown 05
Illustration countdown of Spring of Birth
 
P3M Midsummer Knight's Dream Countdown 05
Illustration countdown of Midsummer Knight's Dream
 
P3M Winter of Rebirth Countdown 05
Illustration countdown of Winter of Rebirth
 
Akihiko Sanada in Persona 3 The Movie
Akihiko Sanada in Persona 3 The Movie
 
AkihikoEvoker
Akihiko using an Evoker
 
P3M - Dying Shinji
Shinjiro dies beside Akihiko
 
PERSONA3 THE MOVIE Finale Event visual art
Visual art of Akihiko and SEES of PERSONA3 THE MOVIE Finale Event
Live Action
 
P3 WM - Akihiko
Akihiko as he appears in Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Ao no Kakusei-
 
GnM Akihiko
Akihiko as he appears in Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Gunjou no Meikyuu-
 
SnK Akihiko
Akihiko as he appears in Persona 3: the Weird Masquerade -Souen no Kesshou-
 
Sanada Arena Stageplay
Akihiko as he appears in the Arena stageplay
 
Akihiko Sanada Ultimax Stageplay
Akihiko as he appears in the Ultimax stageplay
Persona -trinity soul-
 
First-appearance
Akihiko's first appearance in Persona Trinity Soul
Persona 4 Arena
 
P4U concept artwork of Akihiko
Concept art
 
Concept sprite of Akihiko
Concept art
 
Akihiko close up with ski goggles
Akihiko's close up with ski goggles
 
Akihiko various emotions
Akihiko's various expressions
 
Akihiko battle face
 
Akihiko arcade artwork
Concept of Akihiko in acrade mode
 
Akihiko in P4A opening
Akihiko in the opening
 
Ichigeki0akihiko
Akihiko's Instant Kill: Earth Breaker
 
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Akihiko Sanada in Persona 4 Arena's Story Mode
 
Akihiko Sanada (Persona 4 Arena, Story Mode Illustration, 2)
 
Akihiko Sanada (Persona 4 Arena, Story Mode Illustration, 3, Type A)
 
Persona4a12
Akihiko fighting Chie
 
Akihiko Idle P4Ugif
Idle stance
 
AkiGlasses
Akihiko's ski goggles sprite.
 
Akihiko Palette
Palette swap
 
Akihiko portrait in Persona 4 Arena
Akihiko's portrait
 
Akihiko P4AM
Akihiko as he appears in the Arena Manga
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
 
Akihiko in P4U2 trailer
Akihiko Sanada in the "trailer" for the P1 Climax
 
Akihiko in P4Au opening
 
P4AU (2)
Akihiko in Arcade Mode
 
AkihikoHelmet
Akihiko wearing Yukari's helmet
 
AkihikoCross
Akihiko on a cross
 
P4AU Akihiko Casual Attire
Akihiko's casual attire
 
P4 Arena Ultimax (P3 Mode, Epilogue 06)
Kurosawa and Akihiko
 
Shadow Akihiko P4A Ultimax Artwork
Shadow Akihiko as he appears in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
 
P4AU Shadow Akihiko render
Shadow Akihiko's render in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
 
Akihiko P3PQ
Artwork of Akihiko
 
Persona Q Shadow of the Labyrinth Roundabout (DengekiComicsEX) cover
Akihiko appears on the -Roundabout- volume cover
 
Shinji Akihiko Side P3
Akihiko and Shinjiro in Side P3
 
PQ P4 Side Akihiko Sanada
Akihiko in Side P4
Other
 
P4D Chie Satonaka P-color Selection 2 DLC
Chie as Akihiko in Persona 4: Dancing All Night

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.
  • It can be noted that some of Akihiko's early concept art bears a striking 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-.


Characters
Playable Male protagonist - Female protagonist - Yukari Takeba - Junpei Iori - Akihiko Sanada - Mitsuru Kirijo - Fuuka Yamagishi - Aigis - Koromaru - Ken Amada - Shinjiro Aragaki - Metis
Social Link Kenji Tomochika - Hidetoshi Odagiri - Bunkichi and Mitsuko - Kazushi Miyamoto - Chihiro Fushimi - Isako Toriumi - Keisuke Hiraga - Yuko Nishiwaki - Maiko Oohashi - Pharos - Bebe - President Tanaka - Mutatsu - Mamoru Hayase - Nozomi Suemitsu - Akinari Kamiki - Rio Iwasaki - Saori Hasegawa - Ryoji Mochizuki
Major Igor - Elizabeth - Theodore - Shuji Ikutsuki - Officer Kurosawa - Takaya Sakaki - Jin Shirato - Chidori Yoshino - Takeharu Kirijo - Kouetsu Kirijo - Eiichiro Takeba - Natsuki Moriyama - Nyx - Erebus - Margaret
Minor Maki - Kiyoshi Sakuma - Mr. Edogawa - Mr. Ekoda - Ms. Miyahara - Ms. Ounishi - Mrs. Terauchi - Kikuno Saikawa - Yuu Kimijima - Souta Aizawa - Kyouka Sayama
Cameo Yukiko Amagi - Noriko Kashiwagi - Man Drinking Alone
Location
Port Island Gekkoukan High School - Paulownia Mall - Iwatodai Station - Port Island Station - Naganaki Shrine - Dorm - Moonlight Bridge - Velvet Room
Tartarus Blocks: Thebel - Arqa - Yabbashah - Tziah - Harabah - Adamah - Monad Depths
Abyss of Time Malebolge - Cocytus - Caina - Antenora - Ptolomea - Judecca - Empyrean
Other Kyoto - Great Seal
Music
Albums Original Soundtrack (JP / US / FES / Portable) - Bonus CD - Burn My Dread -Reincarnation- - Spring of Birth OST - Midsummer Knight's Dream OST - Falling Down OST - Winter Of Rebirth OST - Persona 20th Anniversary All Time Best Album
Songs "Burn My Dread" - "Aria of the Soul" - "Want To Be Close" - "When the Moon Reaches for the Stars" - "Iwatodai Dorm" - "Mass Destruction" - "Color Your Night" - "Deep Breath Deep Breath" - "The Meaning of Armbands" - "Deep Mentality" - "It's Going Down Now" - "Changing Seasons" - "Current Net Price Tanaka" - "Battle Hymn of the Soul" - "Kimi no Kioku" - "P3 FES" - "Mass Destruction -P3fes version-" - "Heartful Cry" - "Brand New Days" - "Soul Phrase" - "A Way of Life" - "Time" - "Wiping All Out" - "More Than One Heart" - "Fate is In Our Hands" - "One Single Word" - "One Hand, One Heartbeat" - "One Determination" - "Sound of the Beast" - "Storm for a Butterfly" - "Light in Starless Sky" - "My Testimony" - "Self Redemption"
Archives
Terminology Persona (Initial / Prime / Ultimate) - Persona user - Shadow - Wild Card - Evoker - Attack Properties - Tactics - All-out Attack - Shuffle Time - Dark Hour - Moon Phase System - Full Moon Operations - SEES - Kirijo Group - Nanjo Group - Strega - Artificial Persona user - Suppressants - Apathy Syndrome - The Fall - Death - Who's Who - Phoenix Ranger Featherman R - Plume of Dusk
P3RE: Shift - Theurgy - Combat Characteristics
Lists Arcana - Personas (P3 - FES - P - R) - Shadows - Bosses (P3 - FES) - Skills - Items (Heart Items / Vending Machines) - Status Effects - Elizabeth's Requests - Activities - Calendar - Trophies (Portable / Reload) - Steam Profile Items - Patches and Updates
School Life Daily Life - Seasons - Social Link - Social Stats - Yen - Class - Studying - Movie Theater - Bed - Part-time Jobs - Shrine - Tanaka's Amazing Commodities - Crane Machine - Chagall Café - School Club - Cooking - Walking Koromaru - Linked Episode - Computer - Refrigerator - Gardening - Books - DVDs - Studying - Fortune Telling
Other Media
Games FES - Portable - Reload - Dancing in Moonlight
Productions The Movie - The Movie: Escape from the Dark Hour - the Weird Masquerade: -Ao no Kakusei- / -Gunjou no Meikyuu- / -Souen no Kesshou- / -Ai no Seiyaku- / -Hekikuu no Kanata e- - Persona Stalker Club - 「PERSORA AWARDS」 - PERSORA AWARDS 2 - PERSORA AWARDS 3 - Persora -The Golden Best-
Drama CDs A Certain Day of Summer - Daylight / Moonlight - Character Drama CD Vol. 1 / Vol. 2 / Vol. 3 / Vol. 4 / Vol. 5 - New Moon / Full Moon - Portable Vol. 1 / Vol. 2
Publications Manga - Shadow Cry - Memento Mori - Owari no Kakera - Alternative Heart - Velvet Blue - Persona Magazine - Dear Girls Comic Anthology - Dengeki Comic Anthology - Tartarus Theater - Persona VS
Mobile Games The Night Before - Persona Ain Soph - Social - Escape - Illust Puzzle - Broken Shadow - Aegis: The First Mission - Qix - Chaining Soul - Em
Events Music Live 2008 - Music Live 2009 - Music Tour 2010 - Music Live 2012 - Music Fes 2013 - Music Box 2014 - Super Live 2015 - Livehouse Tour 2015 - Super Live 2017 - Super Live 2019- 25th Anniversary Symphonic Concert
20th Anniversary Festival - 25th Anniversary - 25th FES
Miscellaneous Merchandise
Novel
Characters Shin Kanzato - Ryo Kanzato - Jun Kanzato - Yuki Kanzato - Haruka Kanzato - Shigeru Kanzato - Takuro Sakakiba - Megumi Kayano - Yumi Tasaka - Noboru Inui - Kunio Ito - Eiko Nikaido - Tomohiro Narasaki - Touma Shikura - Yuji Kimoto - Soutarou Senou - Saki Tachibana - Taiichi Udo - Wakasa Kusu - Shiiba Kusu - Kanaru Morimoto - Keisuke Komatsubara - Ayane Komatsubara - Akihiko Sanada - Igor
Personas AbelAditi - Astarte - Cain - Devi - Diana - Gozanze - Guukyou - Hermod - Nebuchadnezzar - Nebuzaradan - Qin Shubao - Seth - Spartacus - Utnapishtim - Yuchi Jingde
Locations Ayanagi City
Terms Persona - Persona user - Apathy Syndrome - Kagenuki - Marebito - Persona Suppressors - Reverse cases - Ayanagi Investigation Squad - Sea of Souls
Albums Original Soundtrack
Songs "Breakin' Through" - "Burning Men's Soul" - "Found Me" - "Mellow Dream" - "Reverse the Destiny" - "Somewhere" - "Soul Drive"
Concerts Music Live 2008 - Music Live 2009 - Music Tour 2010 - Music Live 2012
Archive Episodes - The Sound of Christmas - Persona Radio
Ultimax - Manga (Arena) - Manga (Ultimax) - Stageplay (Arena) - Stageplay (Ultimax)
Characters
Playable Arena Yu Narukami (Izanagi - Regular / Izanagi-no-Okami - Instant Kill) - Yosuke Hanamura (Jiraiya) - Chie Satonaka (Tomoe) - Yukiko Amagi (Konohana Sakuya) - Kanji Tatsumi (Take-Mikazuchi) - Naoto Shirogane (Sukuna-Hikona) - Teddie (Kintoki-Douji) - Aigis (Pallas Athena - Regular / Palladion - Instant Kill) - Mitsuru Kirijo (Artemisia) - Akihiko Sanada (Caesar) - Elizabeth (Thanatos) - Labrys (Ariadne) - Shadow Labrys (Asterius)
Playable Ultimax Yukari Takeba (Isis) - Junpei Iori (Trismegistus) - Sho Minazuki (Tsukiyomi) - Rise Kujikawa (Himiko) - Ken Amada & Koromaru (Kala-Nemi & Cerberus) - Tohru Adachi (Magatsu-Izanagi) - Marie (Kaguya-Hime) - Margaret (Yoshitsune - Cu Chulain - Ardha - Regular / Helel - Instant Kill)
Non-Playable Unit #024 - Igor - Theodore - Nanako Dojima - Ryotaro Dojima - Detective Kurosawa - Fuuka Yamagishi - Eri Minami - Yuuta Minami - Malevolent Entity - Erebus - Kikuno Saikawa - Shuji Ikutsuki - Minoru Inoue
Locations
Inaba Midnight Channel - Velvet Room - Yasogami High School - Tartarus
Music
Albums Original Soundtrack (Arena / Ultimax) - Original Arrange Soundtrack
Songs "Best Friends" - "Now I Know" - "Aria of the Soul" - "Reach Out To The Truth" - "Mass Destruction" - "Break Out Of..." - "Today"
Archives
Terminology Dark Hour - Evoker - Midnight Channel - P-1 Grand Prix - Persona - Persona user - Plume of Dusk - Shadow - Shadow Self - Shadow Operatives - Investigation Team - Wild Card - Persona Fragments - Red Fog
Lists Status Changes - Skills - Trophies (Arena / Ultimax) - Steam Profile Items
Productions The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena Stageplay - Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold Stageplay
Characters
Playable - P3 P3 hero - Yukari Takeba - Junpei Iori - Akihiko Sanada - Mitsuru Kirijo - Fuuka Yamagishi - Aigis - Koromaru - Ken Amada - Shinjiro Aragaki
Playable - P4 P4 hero - Yosuke Hanamura - Chie Satonaka - Yukiko Amagi - Kanji Tatsumi - Rise Kujikawa - Teddie - Naoto Shirogane
Playable - PQ Rei & Zen
Non-playable Elizabeth - Margaret - Theodore - Marie - Nanako Dojima - Queen of Hearts - Merciful Clergyman - Kind Doctor - Best Friend - Clockwork God - Chronos - Zeus
Locations
Origin Tartarus - Yasogami High School
Main Hub Handcrafted Workshop - Nurse's Office - Velvet Room
Labyrinths You in Wonderland - Group Date Cafe - Evil Spirit Club - Inaba Pride Exhibit - Clock Tower
Music
Albums Original Soundtrack - Sound of the Labyrinth
Songs "Maze of Life" - "Light the Fire Up in the Night" - "Laser Beam" - "Changing Me"
Archives
Terminology Persona (Sub-Persona) - Persona user - Velvet Room - Fusion (Sacrificial Fusion) - Shadow (F.O.E) - Wild Card - Dark Hour - Evoker - Boost - Power Spot - Skill Card - SEES - Investigation Team - Cut-in - All-out Attack
Lists Arcana - Personas - Shadows - Bosses - Skills (Skill Cards) - Items - Ailments - Requests - Patches and Updates
Other Media
Manga -Roundabout- - Side:P3 - Side:P4
Productions Escape From Persona Q: Cyber Labyrinth - Official Visual Material
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