Persona 3 The Movie: No. 4, Winter of Rebirth

Persona 3 The Movie: #4 Winter of Rebirth
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Keitaro Motonaga
Written by	Jun Kumagai
Story by	Atlus
Starring	Akira Ishida Megumi Toyoguchi Kōsuke Toriumi Rie Tanaka Hikaru Midorikawa Mamiko Noto Maaya Sakamoto Megumi Ogata Kazuya Nakai Isamu Tanonaka Miyuki Sawashiro
Edited by	Takashi Sakurai
Music by	Tetsuya Kobayashi
Production company	A-1 Pictures
Distributed by	Aniplex
Release dates	January 23, 2016 (2016-01-23)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Box office	US$361,950 (Japan)

Persona 3 The Movie: #4 Winter of Rebirth (劇場版「ペルソナ3」第4章, Gekijōban Perusona 3 Dai Yon Shō) is a 2016 Japanese animated film and the fourth installment in a film series based on the Persona 3 video game by Atlus. It is based on the original story by Atlus and distributed by Aniplex. The film is directed by Keitaro Motonaga and written by Jun Kumagai. It stars voice actors Akira Ishida, Megumi Toyoguchi, Kōsuke Toriumi, Rie Tanaka, Hikaru Midorikawa, Mamiko Noto, Maaya Sakamoto, Megumi Ogata and Kazuya Nakai.

Plot

Ten years ago, Makoto survived a car crash that killed his parents. In the aftermath, he watched the battle between Aigis and Ryoji, who back then was a Shadow known as Death. Unable to defeat Death, Aigis sealed Death within Makoto, who then lost the memories of the incident. In the present day, Makoto remembers the incident as the rest of SEES members arrive. Upon finding out Ryoji's true identity, they attack him, but are easily defeated. Before leaving, Ryoji reveals that a being known as Nyx will come and bring the end of the world. Ryoji gives them one month to decide whether to kill him, which will erase their memories and allow them to live the remainder of their lives in blissful ignorance, or spare him and attempt a fruitless battle against Nyx.

The revelation drives everyone into depression. The SEES members discuss Ikutsuki's files on Nyx and the choice that Ryoji has given to them, but the team's fears quickly drive them apart. On December 20, Aigis regains her consciousness after her battle against Ryoji and apologizes to Makoto for what happened ten years ago. Not wanting to see her friends suffer, Aigis begs Makoto to kill Ryoji. Mitsuru and Akihiko visit a church and find Takaya and Jin spreading the knowledge of Nyx's arrival. On December 22, Yukari's neglect for eating causes her to hallucinate her Persona attacking her, and she is hospitalized.

Makoto is approached by Elizabeth, who asks him to give her a tour around the town. At their last destination, Elizabeth questions Makoto's experience in the town over the past year. As Makoto reminisces about his good times, he realizes that the time he spent with his friends has made him feel truly alive for the first time after the incident ten years ago, and he regains his resolve to live. At the same time, the other SEES members also regain their respective resolve to keep living not only for themselves but also for their loved ones. On the promised day, Ryoji comes to hear their answer, and Makoto refuses to kill him. Respecting his decision, Ryoji tells SEES that Nyx will appear at the top of Tartarus on January 31. Horrified by her friends' choice, Aigis runs away to Gekkoukan High. Makoto follows her and encourages her, giving her the resolve to fight Nyx. Realizing that they may lose their memories of their battles, Makoto and his friends make a promise to gather on the school rooftop on graduation day as a sign that they remember what they have gone through.

On the day of Nyx's arrival, SEES fights their way to the top of Tartarus, also encountering Takaya and Jin on the way. While SEES holds the line against their enemies, Makoto goes on ahead to confront Nyx alone. After a lengthy battle, SEES is able to defeat their enemies with their newly transformed Personas and reach Makoto. However, Makoto is unable to defeat Nyx, and the prophesied Fall begins. SEES is rendered immobile by Nyx's massive gravitational wave, and are cornered by a massive group of Shadows. Determined to go through with his decision, Makoto fuses Orpheus and Thanatos into Messiah and flies into the moon where Nyx's core is located. With powers and encouragement from his friends, Makoto seals Nyx away and eliminates both Tartarus and the Dark Hour.

A month after the battle against Nyx, Makoto and the others head to school to attend Mitsuru and Akihiko's graduation ceremony, having lost all memories of the Dark Hour after the battle. Makoto spots Aigis and regains his memories, stumbling to the roof where Aigis is waiting to fulfill the group's promise; not long after, the rest of SEES regain their memories and also head the roof. The movie ends with a smiling Makoto watching the rest of his friends arrive as he falls alseep in Aigis's lap, having finally fulfilled their promise.

After the ending credits, Elizabeth is seen leaving the Velvet Room, which has disappeared now that Makoto's contract has been fulfilled.

Promotion

Previews

#4 Winter of Rebirth was first teased at the end of the Persona 3 The Movie: #3 Falling Down feature film which began screening in Japan from April 4, 2015.

Reception

As of January 24, 2016, the film had grossed US$361,950 in Japan.

External links

• Official website

Persona series
Main series	Revelations: Persona • Persona 2 (Innocent Sin • Eternal Punishment) • Persona 3 • Persona 4 • Persona 5
Spin-offs	Persona 4 (Arena • Arena Ultimax • Dancing All Night) • Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Characters	Recurring characters	Philemon • Nyarlathotep • Joker
	Revelations: Persona	Boy with Earring • Maki Sonomura • Masao Inaba • Kei Nanjo • Hidehiko Uesugi • Eriko Kirishima • Yuka Ayase • Reiji Kido • Yukino Mayuzumi
	Persona 2	Tatsuya Suou • Maya Amano • Lisa Silverman • Eikichi Mishina • Yukino Mayuzumi • Jun Kurosu • Tatsuya Suou • Katsuya Suou • Ulala Serizawa • Baofu • Kei Nanjo • Eriko Kirishima
	Persona 3	Makoto Yuki • Aigis • Yukari Takeba • Junpei Iori • Akihiko Sanada • Mitsuru Kirijo • Fuuka Yamagishi • Koromaru - Ken Amada • Shinjiro Aragaki • Metis
	Persona 4	Yu Narukami • Chie Satonaka • Kanji Tatsumi • Yosuke Hanamura • Yukiko Amagi • Rise Kujikawa • Teddie • Naoto Shirogane • Tohru Adachi
	Other	Zen • Rei • Margaret • Marie • Elizabeth • Theodore • Sho Minazuki • Labrys
Groups and concepts	Investigation Team • SEES • Shadow Operatives • Personas • Shadows • Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon
Locations	Midnight Channel • Yasogami High School • Inaba
Related media	Persona: Trinity Soul (Episodes) • Persona 4: The Animation (Episodes • The Golden Animation) • Persona 4 manga • Persona × Detective Naoto • Persona 3 The Movie (#1 Spring of Birth • #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream • #3 Falling Down • #4 Winter of Rebirth

Works by A-1 Pictures
Television series	Zenmai Zamurai (2006–2010) • Robby & Kerobby (2007–2008) • Big Windup! (2007) • Persona: Trinity Soul (2008) • Birdy the Mighty: Decode (2008) • Black Butler (2008–2009) • Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens (2008) • Birdy the Mighty: Decode 2 (2009) • Valkyria Chronicles (2009) • Fairy Tail (2009–2016) • Sound of the Sky (2010) • Ōkiku Furikabutte ~Natsu no Taikai-hen~ (2010) • Working!! (2010) • Night Raid 1931 (2010) • Black Butler II (2010) • Occult Academy (2010) • Togainu no Chi (2010) • Fractale (2011) • Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011) • Blue Exorcist (2011) • Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 1000% (2011) • The Idolmaster (2011) • Working'!! (2011) • Space Brothers (2012–2014) • Tsuritama (2012) • Sword Art Online (2012) • From the New World (2012–2013) • Chōsoku Henkei Gyrozetter (2012–2013) • Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic (2012–2013) • Oreshura (2013) • Vividred Operation (2013) • Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 2000% (2013) • Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai. (2013) • Servant × Service (2013) • Silver Spoon (2013) • Magi: The Kingdom of Magic (2013–2014) • Galilei Donna (2013) • Silver Spoon II (2014) • World Conquest Zvezda Plot (2014) • Nanana's Buried Treasure (2014) • Aldnoah.Zero (2014–2015) • Sword Art Online II (2014) • Persona 4: The Golden Animation (2014) • Black Butler: Book of Circus (2014) • Magic Kaito 1412 (2014–2015) • The Seven Deadly Sins (2014–2015) • Your Lie in April (2014–2015) • Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (2015) • The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls (2015) • Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid (2015) • Gunslinger Stratos: THE ANIMATION (2015) • Ultimate Otaku Teacher (2015) • Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love Revolutions (2015) • Gate (2015–2016) • Working!!! (2015) • The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls: 2nd Season (2015) • The Asterisk War (2015–2016) • Subete ga F ni Naru (2015) • Erased (2016) • Fairy Tail Zero (2016) • Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash (2016) • Ace Attorney (2016) • B-Project: Kodou*Ambitious (2016) • Qualidea Code (2016) • The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War (2016) • Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love Legend Star (2016) • The Seven Deadly Sins II (2016) Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat (2017) • Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Impure King Arc (2017) • Eromanga Sensei (TBA) • Granblue Fantasy (TBA) • WWW.Working!! (TBA)
Feature films	Welcome to the Space Show (2010) • Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess (2012) • Blue Exorcist: The Movie (2012) • Saint Young Men (2013) • Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2013) • The Idolmaster Movie: Beyond the Brilliant Future! (2014) • Persona 3 The Movie: #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream (2014) • Space Brothers #0 (2014) • Persona 3 The Movie: #3 Falling Down (2015) • The Anthem of the Heart (2015) • Garakowa: Restore the World (2016) • Persona 3 The Movie: #4 Winter of Rebirth (2016) • Doukyuusei (2016) • Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic (2017) • Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (2017)
OVAs/ONAs	Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens (2009) • Birdy the Mighty: Decode - Cipher (2009) • Night Raid 1931 (2010) • Sound of the Sky (2010) • Fairy Tail (2011–present) • Valkyria Chronicles III (2011) • The Idolmaster Shiny Festa (2012) • Saint Young Men (2012–2013) • Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai. (2013) • Sword Art Online: Extra Edition (2013) • Black Butler: Book of Murder (2014) • Moments (2015) • The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls (2016) • Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV (2016)