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Development Start: Persona 3 development began in 2004 after the completion of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga.

First Details: In March 2006, Famitsu magazine unveiled the first details, including the Japanese release date (July 13), premise, combat systems, and the Social Link system (known as "Community"). It also profiled the Protagonist, Junpei, and Yukari, along with their Personas: Orpheus, Hermes, and Io.

Art Direction: Shigenori Soejima was the main character artist and art director. Kazuma Kaneko passed the job to Soejima for experience. Soejima aimed to gratify fans of the Megami Tensei series, comparing the game's aesthetic to a fantastical manga with mecha-like Personas and flamboyant styling. The UI was designed to be stylish with a blue color scheme. Anime cutscenes were animated by Point Pictures.

AI Party Members: Lead director Katsura Hashino explained that AI-controlled party members were chosen to highlight their personalities, though this was not well-received by players. This choice was later described as a stylistic representation of conquering the fear of death through "bonds."

Negotiation System: Persona 3 removed direct negotiation with enemies for recruitment or items, but the social elements were considered its equivalent by the development team, with Nich Maragos stating it was "disguised, but it's there."

Localization: Handled by Yu Namba and Nich Maragos, the localization aimed to retain as much original Japanese content as possible, serving as a medium to introduce Japanese culture. Honorifics were kept for added meaning. Japanese humor was replaced with parallels for Western audiences. School tests were adapted, and Mitsuru's second language changed from English to French. In-game references to Shin Megami Tensei were changed to Revelations: Persona.

Music Composition: Shoji Meguro composed almost all the soundtrack, with Yosuke Uda contributing "Adventured Act." The soundtrack was released in Japan, with a selection bundled in North America. An arranged album, "Burn My Dread -Reincarnation: Persona 3-" was also released. Meguro felt the PlayStation 2 allowed for uncompromised music expression.

FES and Portable Music: Meguro returned for Persona 3: FES, which included new arrangements. Persona 3 Portable features new background music for the female protagonist.