persona 4 characters' descriptions
Souji Seta
The Protagonist of Persona 4, Souji Seta (his name in the manga), is a silent protagonist typical of the Shin Megami Tensei games. In most forms of media, Souji is described as a friendly yet distant loner who is typically reserved in front of others. Sent to Yasoinaba to live with his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, and cousin, Nanako Dojima, for a year, Souji finds himself being embroiled in a quest to uncover the truth behind the serial murders in the sleepy little town. He is typically supportive and compassionate, helping his friends overcome their shadows and find themselves after the crisis. Souji is most definitely the brains and soul of the Investigation Team, the one to rally others to join his cause to put a stop to the murders. He is charismatic, stoic, an all out nice guy and strangely humorous (as seen in his dialogue options).
Yosuke Hanamura
A major character in Persona 4 and arguably Souji's best friend, Yosuke Hanamura is the son of the manager of the Junes chain that has caused the shopping district to lose its business. Dorky, determined and lovably perverted, Yosuke is often the butt of the many jokes in the game. Deep down, as revealed by his shadow, he feels that Yasoinaba is a boring place and he is the one to rally Souji into action, with the death of his senpai Saki Konishi, wanting to play hero. Yosuke never fully forgives himself for being jealous of Souji's obvious talents and requests that Souji punch him to get even with Yosuke's jealousy. Yosuke's arcana is that of the Magician, as seen from how he's usually the dynamic person who rallies people to action.
Chie Satonaka
A major character in Persona 4 and one of Souji's key comrades, Chie Satonaka is a bubbly, active tomboy who somehow manages to retain her feminine side. She is a big fan of martial arts as shown from how she mainly uses kicks in battle. Chie always finds herself squabbling with Yosuke, although they do care for each other deep down. She has a short fuse and a passionate demeanor, shown from how she would often create groups and titles in hopes of fighting against juveniles and protecting the weak. Her best friend is Yukiko Amagi, and they've been friends for a long time. Deep down, however, Chie is jealous of Yukiko's beauty and talents, and hides her need to control Yukiko. She gets over it and becomes a valuable asset to Souji. Her arcana is Chariot, signifying victory and her drive and passion to pursue it.
Yukiko Amagi
A major character in Persona 4 and one of Souji's key comrades, Yukiko Amagi is the sole heiress of Yasoinaba's renowned Amagi Inn. Yukiko is, at first glance, a well mannered and polite female with both brains and beauty. She behaves every part like a well-to-do inn heiress, while being distant from other people besides Chie, her best friend. Her obvious beauty, as well as her intellect and feminine nature, has attracted many boys in Inaba, prompting the "Amagi Challenge". Deep down, Yukiko is secretly resentful of the fact that her family has deprived her of the chance to lead a life like a normal teenager, and she wishes to leave Inaba instead of becoming the next manager of the Inn. She feels "trapped" in her situation, and is even more despondent when her secret desire to be rescued by a "dashing prince" seems unlikely to be fulfilled. Her arcana is Priestess, which shows her side of feminine mystery and wisdom at the end of her social link.
Kanji Tatsumi
A major character in Persona 4 and one of Souji's key comrades, Kanji Tatsumi is, at first glance, a delinquent with a tendency for violence. His family runs a textile shop, and are pretty well acquainted with the Amagis. Kanji is first mentioned when he appears on the news due to his beating up of a local biker gang, prompting the group to tail him in an attempt to catch the murderer. Deep down, Kanji is secretly fond of feminine hobbies like sewing, which prompts him to doubt himself and his own sexuality. He hides his sensitive side under that gruff, tough exterior, so as to convince others and, most importantly, himself that he is "manly". Overall, Kanji is a good-hearted, well meaning friend who proves to be a very good asset to the team with his astoundingly powerful physical abilities. His arcana is Emperor, which shows his desire to be a manly, macho man.
Rise Kujikawa
A major character in Persona 4 and one of Souji's key comrades, Rise Kujikawa is "Risette", an up and coming idol and actress. Rise, at the height of fame, suddenly quits her job and decides to settle down in Yasoinaba with her grandmother. It is revealed that she has become disenchanted with the world of fame and entertainment because she believes that people are not seeing the real "her". It is revealed that when Rise was younger, she was a shy and lonely child, with nobody having any expectations of her. She was constantly bullied, and once fate moved to make her an idol, she believed that with her popularity, she would have more friends. She realized that her "friends" were only interested in "Risette", not Rise Kujikawa and is despondent over that reason. She eventually realizes that her many personalities are all part of her, and that she had nothing to find at all. Her arcana is Lovers, depicting her at the crossroads of her life, forcing her to make a choice.
Naoto Shirogane
A major character in Persona 4 and one of Souji's key comrades, Naoto Shirogane is dubbed the "Detective Prince" by the media. At first glance, she is a refined, serious youth who is completely focused on her job as a teenage detective. In the beginning, she is a mystery, often appearing before victims such as Kanji Tatsumi before they get kidnapped and thrown into the world of the TV. Eventually, she uses herself as bait to get the murderer to come after her, and it is revealed that she is a female. Due to her gender, she is not recognized as a detective and can never truly achieve her dream. She has more masculine hobbies too, and her gender complicates matters for her. She soon realizes that what she desired was not to become a man, but to find her true self. With that, Naoto joins the Investigation Team, serving as the voice of reason alongside the stoic Souji Seta. Her arcana is the Wheel of Fortune, reflecting how her gender (which is like Fortune, uncontrollable and unpredictable) has caused her whole life to be turned upside down.
Teddie
A major character in Persona 4 and one of Souji's key comrades, Teddie is a mysterious stuffed animal first met at the start of the investigation, when Souji, Yosuke and Chie find themselves falling into the television. Teddie is the comic relief of the game, often flirting with the girls of the Investigation Team like Yukiko and Chie. He's bubbly, cute and is known to cheer up the mood during investigations. Teddie is eventually revealed to have been a lost, lonely shadow who has learnt human language and became friendly with humans. His bear-like form, actually, is so that people would like him upon meeting him. By understanding this truth about himself, he gains a persona of his own, and proves to be a powerful member of the Investigation Team. His arcana is Star, shown from how he obtains hope and self-confidence as he progresses through the journey (which is one big Star S.Link.)
Tohru Adachi
The antagonist of Persona 4, Adachi is a detective working under Ryotaro Dojima. Taking on the facade of a cheerful and jovial (if mostly incompetent) detective, Adachi is a source of information for the Investigation Team about the police team's progress. He is revealed to have hidden a malevolent, childish and cruel personality deep down, being the mastermind behind Namatame's actions in the TV world. Adachi, like Yosuke, believes that Yasoinaba is a terrible place where there's nothing to do at all. He believes that humanity should turn into shadows so as to not suffer any pain in the real world. In fact, the true reason behind his entry into the police force was to carry a gun. He is disgusted and contemptuous with society, saying that everyone is condemned to live with restrictions, with only the lucky talented few being able to get out, everyone else having to live with the fact that they'll never achieve their dreams. He represents Emptiness, much in the same way how Souji represented Hope. He refused to see the truth and chose to live in despair, causing his version of Izanagi to become corrupted.
Ryotaro Dojima
A side character in Persona 4, Ryotaro Dojima is Souji's uncle, his guardian during his one year stay in Yasoinaba. Dojima is a serious, hardworking detective who is often not at home. Needless to say, this workaholic trait of his causes him to have severe problems in being a good father for his daughter, Nanako, even more so after his wife, Chisato, passed away. In his social link, Ryotaro did not understand what a true "family" really was until Souji arrived and gently pointed out the problems that Dojima was ignoring. He gets stressed easily (especially since Souji's numerous actions caused Dojima to grow increasingly suspicious of him), and tends to lose his temper easily. He realizes that he was trying to find the one who knocked over his wife, and in doing so, he has neglected the one who was truly important to him: Nanako. Dojima realizes that Nanako and Souji are his personality, and he needs to care more about them than his work. His arcana is Hierophant, fitting his nature as a lawful guide and mentor to Souji, playing the role as an uncle and father.
Nanako Dojima
A side character in Persona 4, Nanako Dojima is Souji's cousin and the daughter of Detective Ryotaro Dojima. Nanako is extraordinarily mature for someone her age, taking on the task of cooking and looking after the family after her mother, Chisato, died in a hit and run accident. When she first meets Souji, she was shy and awkward around him, but she soon opens up to him and becomes very close to her "Big Bro". Many characters have been inspired by her personality, showing Nanako's extremely likable nature, and her kidnapping causes the Investigation Team great sorrow and regret for the hardship that she had to go through. Nanako is revealed to have a very strained relationship with her father, and she manages to mend their familial ties and cope with her mother's passing with some help from Souji. Her arcana is Justice, showing her genuine and compassionate nature, especially for a girl of six years old.
Credit: These descriptions were written by steer2justice