Persona 3: Reload Removes an Infamously Transphobic Line of Dialogue
By Alex Stedman
Updated: Jan 31, 2024 1:20 AM
Posted: Jan 31, 2024 1:05 AM
Warning: The below story contains a potential spoiler for Persona 3 and Persona 3: Reload.
The Persona series has long had issues with gay and trans panic, but Persona 3: Reload at least removes the transphobia from one scene in particular.
The Persona 3 scene in question had the party trying to hit on women at the beach, with Akihiko, Junpei, and the protagonist approaching a character referred to as “Beautiful Lady.” After some back-and-forth, Akihiko points out a bit of facial hair on her chin, to which Beautiful Lady responds, “I-I missed a spot?!” Junpei then exclaims “she’s a he?!”
The dialogue is very slightly changed in Persona 3 Portable (the character is named “Pretty Lady” instead of “Beautiful Lady”), but still includes the same trans panic.
As first reported by Kotaku and verified by IGN, however, Persona 3: Reload changes the dialogue quite a bit. The end result is the same – the party running away from the woman – but instead of it being played for laughs at the expense of a transgender person, the focus is shifted to the party’s awkwardness and discomfort in the situation.
