As December 31 approaches in Persona 3 Reload, a pivotal choice awaits that will determine the fate of your journey: Will you kill Ryoji and forget the looming apocalypse, ending the game abruptly, or spare him to face the monstrous Nyx and unlock the true ending with an epic final month of gameplay? Discover how to make the right decision to experience the full story, including the climactic battle atop Tartarus and the emotional conclusion that defines the true ending on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
In this Persona 3 Reload guide, we’ll break down the choices for the decision. We’ll also tell you how to get the good ending in Persona 3 Reload, and summarize what happens whether you get the good ending or the bad ending.
[Spoiler Warning: This post contains major spoilers for the endings of Persona 3 Reload. If you want to stay as spoiler-free as possible, bookmark this guide and return to it once the Leader wakes up on the morning of 12/31 in-game. In the meantime, check out our guides for classroom answers and social link requirements.]
Should you kill or spare Ryoji in P3R?
When deciding whether to kill or spare Ryoji on December 31 in Persona 3 Reload, your choice directly determines which ending you receive. Killing Ryoji leads to the bad ending: the protagonist and most of the team lose all memory of the Dark Hour and the impending threat, living out their final days in ignorance before the world ends, and the game abruptly concludes without the chance to finish Social Links or face the final boss. In contrast, sparing Ryoji unlocks the good (true) ending, allowing you to play through the final month, confront Nyx, complete unfinished content, and experience the full conclusion of the story. For the best and most complete experience, you should spare Ryoji.
In the opening days of December, you learn that the mysterious transfer student, Ryoji, is not only Pharos from earlier in the game, but also Death itself. He explains that if you kill him on Dec. 31, the entire party will lose their memories and be able to live a normal life. That is until Nyx, the game’s real villain, essentially ends the world. He implores you to kill him and not try to defeat Nyx, as they’re unbeatable.
Killing Ryoji activates the bad ending for Persona 3 Reload, while sparing him gives you the good ending.
How to get the good ending in P3R: Spare Ryoji
To get the good (true) ending in Persona 3 Reload, you must spare Ryoji on December 31. When Ryoji visits you in your room and asks you to kill him, choose to let him live. He will then transform into his shadow form and plead with you again-stand firm and spare him a second time. This decision allows you to continue playing into January, giving you access to the final month of the game, the climactic boss battle against Nyx, and the complete conclusion to the story. Killing Ryoji instead will immediately trigger the bad ending, skipping the final content and leaving the fate of the world unresolved.
When you and Ryoji go up to your room on Dec. 31, say you’ll spare him. He’ll then transform into a Persona and beg you to end him once again. Deny his request a second time and you’ll set the real, good ending in motion. You’ll wake up in January with a few more days left of winter vacation and a new quest: climb to the top of Tartarus and defeat Nyx before the end of January. Following through on that quest will lead you to Nyx.
Defeating Nyx will give you the canonical ending to Persona 3 Reload, the one that the Episode Aigis DLC – a remake of Persona 3’s The Answer expansion – will continue from when it launches September 2024.
How to get the bad ending in P3R: Kill Ryoji
On December 31 in Persona 3 Reload, you are faced with a pivotal decision that determines the game’s outcome. To get the bad ending, choose to kill Ryoji when he asks you to decide his fate. After you make this choice, the protagonist and the rest of the SEES team (except Aigis) will forget everything about the Dark Hour, Nyx, and the impending end of the world. The story then skips ahead to the graduation ceremony on March 5, where the group discusses their future, unaware of the true danger they narrowly escaped. The game ends abruptly after a few conversations, leaving the world doomed to destruction by Nyx, as the team lives out their final days in ignorance.
So if sparing Ryoji gives you the good ending, what happens if you do what he wants and kill him? If you’d like to see the ending for yourself, you can make a second save on Dec. 30th and reload once you get back to the main menu. Or you can just watch the bad ending video above from Duck360Gaming on YouTube.
If you tell Ryoji you’ll kill him, you stand up, evoke your Persona, and the screen fades. The game then skips forward several months, all the way to March 4th, 2010. You, Junpei, and Yukari meet up outside of school, and make comments about a girl – Aigis – staring at you from a distance. The party doesn’t remember her and everyone just goes about their day like normal high schoolers for once.
At the assembly that marks the end of the school year on March 5, the group sits in the school auditorium and listens to a speech from Mitsuru. She gives a sad speech – showing how important her relation with the SEES crew was – before walking off stage. After a brief chat in the seats, Junpei and Yukari talk about Aigis again and then decide to drag you to karaoke.
What secret choices lead to the true ending in Persona 3 Reload
Secret Choices for the True Ending in Persona 3 Reload
To achieve the true ending in Persona 3 Reload, everything hinges on a critical decision made on December 31. Here’s what you need to do:
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When Ryoji visits you on December 31, he will offer you two choices: to kill him (erasing everyone’s memories of the Dark Hour and impending apocalypse) or to spare him (retaining knowledge of the coming threat and facing Nyx).
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Choose to spare Ryoji. When prompted, select the option to “Spare Ryoji and stay as is” or its equivalent wording.
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Ryoji will transform into his shadow form and ask you again if you’re sure of your decision. You must choose to spare him a second time. This double confirmation is essential to proceed toward the true ending.
By sparing Ryoji twice, you unlock the final month of the game, allowing you to prepare for and ultimately confront Nyx, leading to the climactic and canonical conclusion of the story. No other secret choices or hidden requirements are necessary-this pivotal decision is the sole gateway to Persona 3 Reload’s true ending.
What hidden choices unlock the true ending in Persona 3 Reload
Hidden Choices to Unlock the True Ending in Persona 3 Reload
To unlock the true ending in Persona 3 Reload, you must make a specific series of choices on December 31. Here’s exactly what you need to do:
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When Ryoji confronts you on December 31, he will ask you to decide his fate: kill him (which erases everyone’s memories and leads to the bad ending) or spare him (which allows you to face the coming threat).
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Choose to spare Ryoji. This is the only way to continue the story into January and unlock the true ending.
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After you choose to spare him, Ryoji will reveal his true form and ask you again if you’re sure. You must confirm your decision and spare him a second time. This double confirmation is crucial-choosing to kill him at either prompt will end the game prematurely with the bad ending.
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There are no other hidden or secret choices required. This single, pivotal decision is the only requirement for unlocking the true ending.
By sparing Ryoji both times, you gain access to the final month of gameplay, allowing you to prepare for the last battle against Nyx and see the full, canonical conclusion to the story.
