[quote=@stone]sounds good. Generally, we're looking for characters that will make good party members while retaining more agency than a normal Persona game party member. i.e. what the PTs would be like without Joker, what the Investigation team would be like without Yu, etc.

BASICALLY just make characters that are interesting and not blank slates and would slot well into a party and provide their thing and all that jazz
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Also, those side characters in 4 don't need Yu to be absent to have more agency. They have plenty as is? This was a weird take to me.