No but seriously, Aigis literally had already developed romantic feelings for Makoto by November 30th because
Death was no longer inside Makoto by that point. Makoto was just Makoto. So while Aigis definitely first wanted to be by his side to monitor Death, throughout the game being by his side changes from “duty” into her actual very own personal wish. Something she herself confirms two months later.
And I say “romantic” feelings because here Aigis’s words are played straight. That “I don’t know why” is now truly because she simply doesn’t understand her own feelings. And we have already seen other characters tell Makoto the same words... but only in their S-Links, when they confess their love to him:
So Aigis’s words have always been very romantic. What changes is that while she didn’t actually mean them the way they sounded at first, she does mean them by the end of the game, whether you do her S-Link or not.
And this is even brought up in Arena, when Shadow Aigis taunts her about how much it pained her feeling like she could never be a “true partner” for a human and this being why she tries to kid herself into believing she’s happy just protecting him.
Thoughts on Why Aigis’s S-Link Wasn’t Necessary in Vanilla P3
This meta has been sitting in my drafts for months, so I figured it was time to post it! Basically, I realized I have never written any meta about one subject I’m really interested in: Aigis’s S-Link.
Or rather, the place it has in the story. The thing is that I’ve always felt like Aigis didn’t outright have an S-Link in the original game because... the protagonist’s relationship with her develops regardless of player input.
So in a way, to me it’s like the game itself is her social link and her actual social-link is just there to share some insight into her thought process and add even more depth to her final moments with Makoto and to Aigis gaining his Personae.
I mean, in S-Links you usually find out stuff about the characters; stuff that you didn’t know about and that rarely gets brought up outside of them. Like Mitsuru’s engagement for example.
But Aigis’s is completely connected (and dependent) on the main story-line.
First, there’s the fact that she does not develop feelings for Makoto during her S-Link. Her S-link is there to help her understand those feelings, because she already has them.
Secondly, her S-Link completely ties in with her last scene with Makoto. The Rooftop Scene is there whether you do her S-Link or not, but her S-Link adds even more depth to it by explaining Aigis’s viewpoint.
To add to that, in the FES Fan Book, there is a diary entry from Aigis’s POV about her Rank 10 Event. And she says the following: “No matter how your life comes to an end, I will definitely be by your side. And then… I will carry deep within me the evidence of the fact that you lived.”
“Evidence” is written using 証 (proof; evidence; sign; testimony), the exact same word Hashino uses in his About Death and Ties interview:
More over, his quote regarding his near death experience also ties in perfectly with Aigis’s last scene with Makoto, and with her Rank 10 speech:
So, I feel it’s very clear that Aigis’s Social Link serves to tie Aigis’s and Makoto’s relationship even more with the core themes, and the message of the game.
This is only amplified by the fact that Aigis keeps her promise and Makoto literally lives on through her, as she found the same Answer to Life that he did and inherited his personae.
Last but not least, “Memories of You”. The song has always been from Aigis’s POV, but her S-Link makes it even more obvious by outright having her say “I will never leave you”, the most iconic line in the song.
Not to mention that, normally, the played gets one optional scene with every completed Social Link after beating Nyx, and the scene triggers if you talk to the character in question. These scenes serve as closure to their S-Link. But you cannot get one with Aigis because she is nowhere to be found until March 5.
And it fits. Because being by Makoto’s side during his last moments is the closure to Aigis’s S-Link, and this has been there since the very first release of the game. And unlike every other S-Link, her scene with him is not optional.
Aaaaand that’s more of less it in a nutshell! All in all, the fact that a good portion of Aigis’s S-Link is also dedicated to helping her come to grips with life and death also perfectly sets her up for The Answer and for finding The Answer to Life, so it’s once again like it just adds more background to stuff that’s there in the main game lol
One of the things I love most about Aigis is how gradual her development is. Since her introduction in July, Aigis slowly becomes more and more human right before our eyes. It’s on December 30th that we’re told she has changed “from a machine to a human being”, however Aigis starts developing feelings for SEES and, specially, Makoto waaaaaay before that.
So, here’s a timeline with some of the key moments! All taken from The Journey, of course. But there are also interesting connections with the Drama CD, Arena and Persona Q.
I also posted a TL;DR version on Twitter, HERE.
JULY
Aigis "suddenly reactivates” the moment Leader steps foot in Yakushima, and we get told that: "A machine that was considered inoperable suddenly left the facility on its own."
Of course, this is because Aigis unknowingly sensed Death’s presence on the Island. However, Arena revisits this moment and adds another layer of meaning:
Labrys desired for her sisters to find happiness by meeting someone precious to them on that pier. The very same pier Aigis meets Makoto 10 years later.
When I was searching for someone, I found...myself naturally drawn there for some reason...
My memories return to a certain encounter.
That day... on that very same pier, I met him.
My precious person...
“Thank you, Labrys. It's because of you that...I found happiness...”
SEPTEMBER
This becomes even more relevant when we listen to Daylight, a Drama CD that takes place mid-September. In it, Aigis is visited by a “Mysterious Girl” and shows that at that point in time, she did not quite understand human emotions just yet. Specifically, she did not understand what “happiness” and having “someone dear” meant.
Aigis: I still don’t understand what this “happiness” is, however.
Mysterious Girl: [...] Still, if “happiness” had a definite form… I guess it would be in meeting with someone very dear to you, maybe?
Aigis: I don’t fully understand what “having something dear to me” means as well.
Mysterious Girl: It seems that you don’t understand yet, but it’s just that you haven’t realized it yet. But that’s okay. Someday, you’ll definitely come to understand its meaning.
What’s interesting here is that this implies that Aigis was already happy and that she already had someone dear to her by mid-September, it’s just that she had not realized it nor fully understood it yet.
Which takes me to September 20, the night where Aigis sneaks into Makoto’s room to bring him a cold pillow and monitor his state, since he was down with a cold. In the game, we’re shown that Aigis decides to stay and watch him sleep despite realizing he’s pretty much recovered already. The Drama CD goes a step further and shows us her thoughts:
Obvious illogical actions, expressions ah, when I think of it, why do I want to keep a watch for a little longer? I have become illogical.
Do humans possess scale separate than logical reasoning? Is that what a heart is?
If so, I will follow my heart today and keep a watch.
As you can see, even as early as September 20, Aigis’s heart was already developing. What’s more, the way Atlus chose to show it is quite interesting, because watching someone sleep is a classic trope for revealing that a character is falling for another.
“You know you love someone when you can spend the entire night [...] just watching them sleep.”
And I can’t help but mention Persona Q here, because it takes places during the week of the Typhoon, so right before Aigis realizes how illogical her actions can become when it comes to Makoto. And so, what do we see?
Aigis does not yet understand what “love” is, but after realizing that physical touch allows someone to “closely feel” another person’s existence (original wording in Japanese), Aigis tells him that she wants to “be able to closely feel” his existence. In other words, she wanted to be in physical contact with him and even looked sad at the thought of no longer holding his hand.
So it’s safe to assume that yes, by this point, Aigis was already starting to develop romantic feelings for Makoto.
OCTOBER
Our next important date is October, 9th. While Aigis does not seem to have any outward reaction to Shinjiro’s death, if you talk to her after class, you will see that Aigis is indeed affected by it and that she does not understand her own sadness.
“It is rational for students to concentrate on their exams rather than Shinjiro-san's death.
However, for some unknown reason...”
Right then and there, we can see that yes, Aigis has definitely started to develop human emotions. She just did not understand nor realize them.
This is backed up by what Aigis tells you when you talk to her on October, 25. Turns out that Aigis prepared a training regime for Akihiko, who loved it. So, she tells you she was “so happy to have been of service to him."
So, by the end of October, Aigis has already displayed: sadness over losing a comrade, happiness over helping a friend and longing to stay close to a special someone.
What’s more, when Aigis starts going to school she sees no actual use for it. She just wants to be able to assure she’ll be in sync with SEES should an emergency arise. Yet, on October 31st, a thoughtful Aigis tells you that she hopes she’ll be able to keep coming to school even after defeating all the shadows.
NOVEMBER
Then, of course, we have the moment where Ikutsuki betrays SEES. Even while being controlled, Aigis hesitates when she hears Mitsuru begging her to stop. And then, she overrides Ikutsuki’s control by looking into Makoto’s eyes and remembering herself. This alone is big because it shows how much Aigis cares about Makoto and SEES.
But it becomes even more important because of how ashamed and apologetic she was about being controlled by Ikutsuki. This is the first time we see Aigis in such a state.
The range of emotions Aigis shows up to this point speaks for itself. And it leads us to what happens on November, 30th.
“However, I believe I understand the concept of loss...”
She did not understand it on October, when they lost Shinjiro. But she does understand it now. That alone is huge! It shows just how much she’s developed in that short window of time.
And of course, it also says a lot about her feelings for Makoto.
“I do not know why, but I always want to be by your side... I want to protect you.”
It’s easy to look at that quote and think that it’s all due to Death being sealed inside Makoto. Except Death was no longer inside him at that point. Ryoji was already out and about, and Aigis still considered Makoto to be special to her and wished to remain by his side.
And of course, I can’t leave out how Aigis willingly decides to sacrifice herself just to protect SEES’s feelings. Not even to ensure their safety, but to protect their hearts.
Aigis had already grown to deeply care for SEES and to harbor feelings for Makoto by this point, even before he faces Death once more and realizes she’s “afraid”.
JANUARY
What changes between this point and the point when you can actually start a Social Link with her, is Aigis’s level of awareness of her own development. And this is once again shown in the Drama CD, specifically Moonlight, which takes place in January:
Mysterious Girl: (giggles) You understand what it means to find something 'dear’ to you now, don’t you?
Aigis: Ah…!
"Why... am I so powerless...? Can't I protect the one I cherish...?!“
This is why the S-Link with Aigis is not about making her develop feelings for Makoto. It’s about making her understand the nature of the feelings she already harbored for him.
But I digress! All in all, even without including the biggest date, December 30th, it’s really easy to see how Aigis’s heart grows throughout the game. The only one who doesn’t actually realize it, is herself ;-; and honestly, this is one of the reasons why her development is so good and heartwarming to watch unfold.
