History VideoGame / Persona4Arena

Has a sequel, ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax''. Characters from ''Persona 4: Arena'' are featured in the MassiveMultiplayerCrossover ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'' along with ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'', ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' and ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'' characters.

This page contains spoilers from both ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}''. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

!!This game provides examples of:

* AnIcePerson: Interestingly, despite three ice-based Persona-users, only Mitsuru has any actual ice skills. Elizabeth also has an ice skill, along with every other element.

* CliffHanger: Each of the "true" routes in story mode will stop on a "To Be Continued" cliffhanger the first time through, and can only be completed after unlocking and then clearing Labrys's route.

** AnIcePerson: Mitsuru. Teddie also has an ice-wielding Persona, but he doesn't use them, opting for ConfusionFu instead. Nor does Chie, who uses mostly [[KickChick kicks]] instead.

* {{Flanderization}}: The in-universe character introduction trailer makes sweeping generalizations about the fighters' personalities, as The General wants to annoy them. Additionally, several characters' previously minor quirks get blown up to insane proportions:
** Akihiko's favorite food being 'Anything with Protein' in ''[=P3=]'' becomes an overblown obsession PlayedForLaughs.

** Chie's favorite food being steak in ''[=P4=]'' mutates into her being willing to blow the entire investigation to chase after a beef bowl in her "joke" ending.

* GuideDangIt: Some of the methods needed to 100% story mode are rather obtuse [[spoiler: (namely, there being a secret scene in Yu's story that gets unlocked if you only pick the top choice for every choice in his story)]].

* ImaginedInnuendo: In Yosuke's Story Mode, when he comes across Chie, she immediately requests to eat him. Yosuke spends a few moments trying to figure out if she meant it sexually. She meant it [[ImAHumanitarian literally]]. [[spoiler: Then, when Yosuke brings it up after their battle, Chie thinks it's he who is trying to say something sexual.]]

* InformedAbility: The Wild Card has sort of become this for Yu and Aigis. While the game still emphasizes the Wild Card's PowerOfFriendship, the ability to use multiple Personas is absent [[note]]aside from Yu evolving Izanagi for his instant kill; Aigis does the opposite, summoning her starter persona, Palladion, in her Instant Kill[[/note]]. The game even claims several times that both Yu and Aigis go all out for their fights, which should imply that they switch to their more powerful Personas, such as [[GameBreaker Yoshitsune or Messiah]].
* InterfaceSpoiler: Good luck avoiding [[spoiler:the fact that Fuuka Yamagishi is in the game. Her]] name appears in the voice cast and the DLC page features the new character art.
* {{Interquel}}: Both ''Arena'' and its sequel ''Ultimax'' take place between the ending of ''Persona 4'' and ''Golden'''s epilogue.

* LampshadeHanging: Mitsuru's [[SpyCatsuit catsuit]] and [[PrettyInMink white fox coat]] combo and Akihiko's [[WalkingShirtlessScene shirtless]] and [[BadassCape cape]] combo got plenty of these.

** Labrys is also the name for a type of ancient Cretan double-headed axe.

* MiniBoss: [[spoiler:The Malevolent Entity.]]

** Each character has a set of [=DLC=] pallete swaps that serve as individual shout outs to ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', and three from ''Persona'' games:

*** Yosuke: [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Chipp Zanuff]], [[VideoGame/BlazBlue Jin Kisaragi]], [[VideoGame/{{Persona 2}} Eikichi Mishina + Hades]], [[VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} Jin Shirato]], [[VideoGame/Persona4Arena Junpei Iori (Ultimax costume)]]

** Yu's room in the story mode now has a [[MascotMook Jack Frost]] figurine and a ''{{VideoGame/Catherine}}'' calendar.

* NotAsYouKnowThem: Aigis and Akihiko both play ''very'' differently from what you'd expect from their showing in ''Persona 3''. Aigis, then a MightyGlacier StoneWall with buffing abilities, is a GlassCannon with high mobility while Akihiko, one of the more "balanced" characters between magic and physical output, is almost entirely reliant on his fists.
* NoHuggingNoKissing: None of ''Persona 4'''s several optional [[RomanceSidequest Romance options]] are outright included in ''Arena''.
** ShipTease: However, while it isn't exactly confirmation, in Naoto's story, she does refer to Yu in a manner that would seem to be out of character without having done her romantic social link.
** In Story or Arcade modes, when you fight Yu Narukami, Rise's background announcing will [[InUniverse refer to him]] as "The Legendary Ladies-man of Inaba". As with the Naoto example though, this is little more than teasing as Rise herself will [[DoggedNiceGirl chase Yu regardless of whether he's interested or not]] and is aware that, at the very least, Marie is also interested.
** There's also Elizabeth's continued quest to save the Protagonist of ''Persona 3'' from being a BarrierMaiden. She's got [[DevotedToYou quite the devotion to him.]]

* NoodleIncident: You never do find out exactly what your character's JerkAss illusion says to the opponent in any of the story modes, leading to some amusing moments afterwards.
-->'''Naoto''': I understand. We were shown illusions to goad us into fighting each other.
-->'''Mitsuru''': In that case, I'll... well, I'm willing to forget all the things you said about my body.
-->'''Naoto''': ''Wait, what?''

* OffTheRails: Elizabeth's story mode, as this all-powerful nigh-god just waltzes onto the scene and takes down whoever she feels like, with no regard for the other events going on within the story. Her only reason for participating in a fighting tournament was her vague agenda of finding out about the Wild Card power. It follows its own plot, in which she is [[spoiler:trying to come up with a way to save the protagonist of ''Persona 3'']], but at the cost of coherence with the other characters' stories. RuleOfFunny precedes all here, where she even walks through the invisible barriers that were hindering the cast from progressing, which she calls simple parlor tricks.

** Continuing Creator/ArcSystemWorks tradition, the game has instant kills in the form of "Mortal Blows" (localized as [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Instant Kills]]). Not counting the original Guilty Gear where you could spam them as much as you want until the opponent failed to counter one and allowed you to win the entire match instantly, they have the most lenient requirements out of any Creator/ArcSystemWorks fighters: while they require 100 SP to perform and they can only be performed if doing so would win the match, your opponent does not need to be have low health for your insta-kill to work (like ''Guilty Gear'') and there's no permanent cost associated with performing them such as disabling your Persona or Burst for the rest of the match like in ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': thanks to the Offensive Burst, which completely fills the SP gauge, you even can do things like using them twice in rapid succession.
** Both Naoto and Elizabeth also have classic [=SMT=] series insta-kills (Ma)Hamaon and (Ma)Mudoon as super moves:

* PlayingWithFire: Yukiko with Konohana Sakuya, coordinating the Persona's fire attacks with her fan.

* PromotionalConsideration: Parodied. The Atlus and Arc System Works developer credit screen that can be seen when the game starts up is in the form of the PromotionalConsideration screen that appears before a majority of Japanese TV programs, with a different character reading the standard "This program is brought to you by the following sponsors" announcement each time.
* PuppetFighter: Everyone who has a Persona. Which amounts to everyone. The C and D buttons allow the characters to control their Personas separate from themselves, though the amount of control the player has over their Personas varies.

* RayOfHopeEnding: For the [[spoiler: Persona 3 Protagonist]], as the story ends with Elizabeth deciding to [[spoiler: embark on a journey to save him from being the Great Seal]]. Given that she is immortal and one of the most powerful beings in the universe she ''may'' eventually succeed in her quest.

** Elizabeth's decision to [[spoiler: embark on a journey to save the Persona 3 Protagonist from being the Great Seal]].

* SidelinedProtagonistCrossover: Characters from ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' appear, but the former's protagonist is absent because [[spoiler: he died sealing Nyx away at the end of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}''.]]
* SNKBoss: Everyone in Score Attack mode, but Elizabeth in particular.

* ThemeNaming: The name of Labrys's Boss theme, ''The Ultimate'' (''The Arena'' in international versions), keeps with the names of Persona 4's FinalBoss themes ''The Almighty'' and ''The Genesis''.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: Did anyone expect the latest ''Persona'' game, a series of {{RPG}}s that are a spinoff of [[Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei yet another series of RPGs]], to come in the shape of a fighting game developed by Arc System Works?

* WeaponForIntimidation / ShootHimHeHasAWallet: The hijackers were reported to be using pistols, which gave the [=SAT=] legitimacy to intervene. But the [=NPA=] ordered them to pull back and boy did they do the right thing when the Shadow Operatives were deployed. [[spoiler:The hijackers were hypnotized to do the attack and the pistols were nothing but air guns.]]

-->[[spoiler: '''Kanji's Shadow(?)''':]] [[spoiler: Did I not push him far enough? No, I didn't make any mistakes...the power he drew from his bonds was just stronger. There's still something missing to turn a Persona back into a Shadow...]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Eerie Voice''':]] [[spoiler: [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle It's not over yet!]]]]

* AWinnerIsYou: Used in Elizabeth's, Labrys', and Shadow Labrys' arcade modes. All the other characters have a cliffhanger ending for their arcade modes (which is meant to get you to play [=P4A=]'s story mode), but the three aforementioned characters end in an actual "CONGRATULATIONS!" screens with their character images. Elizabeth herself [[BreakingTheFourthWall compliments you on beating Arcade Mode and using her tricky and clever special moves.]] (Labrys and Shadow Labrys give more "conventional" congratulatory messages.)

-->'''Mitsuru Kirijo''': ''All I told them was to give us a car with "enough space"…''

The game hit Japanese arcades in March of 2012, with a UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/XBox360 release on July 26 and August 7 in Japan and America, respectively. The European release date [[ScheduleSlip was eventually confirmed for May 10 2013]], being published by [[VideoGame/BlazBlue Zen United]]. The Xbox 360 version of the game can be played on UsefulNotes/XboxOne via backwards compatibility.

** Elizabeth's Instant Kill is the same [[ThatOneAttack 9999 damage Megidolaon]] she uses as a BonusBoss in ''Persona 3''. It even includes a ''Persona 4'' version of the unconscious icon.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* RayOfHopeEnding: For the [[spoiler: Persona 3 Protagonist]], as the story ends with Elizabeth deciding to [[spoiler: embark on a journey to save him from being the Great Seal]].