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With Persona 3 Reload, the remake almost felt like a fresh take on a familiar and beloved JRPG, and that included new voice actors like Alejandro Saab taking on existing roles. It almost feels like looking toward the future, given that we do see spin-offs. To learn what it’s like taking on such a role, Siliconera had a chance to ask him some questions about stepping into the character’s shoes following the Switch 2 version’s debut.
Jenni Lada: What did the audition process look like for the role of Akihiko in Persona 3 Reload? Did you know it was this game and part?
Alejandro Saab: Like any other audition really. I got the email through my agent, looked it over and did my best. Based off the content of the audition I did gather that it was Persona, but I didn’t know if this was a remake or potentially the next game in the franchise at the time. It read like P3, but I didn’t know if they were just using it as placeholder.
What is it like stepping into the shoes of an established character in a series and taking over as the voice actor for them?
Alejandro Saab: Quite nerve-wracking. I mean, I never thought I’d get the chance to play Akihiko! I always thought he was cool and a bit of a dork, when I played P3 FES. But knowing the legacy it had and also stepping into the Persona franchise, it’s both exciting and a bit anxiety-inducing because I wanted to do a good job and do it right by the original cast and fans.
How did Liam O’Brien’s performance as Akihiko in other Persona series games affect your take on the character in Persona 3 Reload?
Alejandro Saab: Liam’s performance is iconic, but I was also told to do my own interpretation. I mainly took inspiration from his more solemn and somber beats. Aki presents himself as this cool badass who wants to fight to get stronger, but his reason for fighting is to not repeat his mistakes, and I wanted that to shine through as you progressed in the game, which is something I think Liam managed to do as well!
While we as players obviously weren’t aware of Episode Aigis right away, what did the recording process look like for you for the main game and DLC?
Alejandro Saab: For the main game, I was one of the first people to record and one of the first of the main cast to wrap on the project. Aki has his big scene on October 5th and that was probably the roughest session I had. But then for the DLC it was interesting cause one day we were just like “HEY! DLC! We start next week,” it honestly took us, the cast, by surprise. But a very pleasant one. I loved getting to return as Aki after the game was out and have gone through that entire journey not just from recording it but having already played through the entirety of P3R.
We see quite a bit of personal development for Akihiko between Persona 3 Reload and the Episode Aigis DLC. How did you incorporate that into your performance?
Alejandro Saab: I know not every actor has the time, but for me something that helped was playing through the entirety of the base game. I tend to be very forgetful and by the time the game came out, it had been two years since we had recorded. So playing through it, and reliving what we had done, I got to re-experience the growth within Aki, and that’s honestly what recording through Episode Aigis felt like… growth. Looking back on what I had done and how I can continue to move forward.
In addition to performing as Akihiko in Persona 3 Reload, you also did a reaction stream to your role on CyYu. What was the reception like, and how does it feel to stream games where you play a major role?
Alejandro Saab: Hahaha I suuuuure did. I’m aware of the reception for my performance as Aki was very hit or miss before the game came out, and it definitely stuck with me. Wondering if I was doing the character justice.
So when I was playing through the game, a lot of people started to change their minds. In and out of my streams, folks getting to experience my performance and making opinions, not just from snippets in trailers. And I understand, first impressions are everything so I can’t fault folks for feeling the way they did, especially following Liam. But it was cool getting to play through the game, sharing stories with my viewers. Some funny, some sad ones, but overall a great time.
As for streaming a game that I play a major role in, it’s honestly fun! I get a lot of fans asking me if it’s weird hearing my own voice, but I play so many video games that I’ve gotten used to it. But it’s very surreal hearing my voice come out of a series like Persona. I’m very fortunate in that regard, especially because it’s one of my favorite ones.
With how many anime and game roles you’ve taken on so far, which types of assignments do you find most challenging?
Alejandro Saab: I’ve been very lucky in my career and have had the chance to play a number of characters. But at the moment, I think auditioning for Motion Capture Performance. It takes me longer than most, I think, to memorize lines. I’ll usually just end up fumbling lines because I’m overthinking it. Something that I’m continuing to work on!
Is there any particular dream series or show you’d like to get involved in going forward?
Alejandro Saab: OH, absolutely!! A number of them actually. There’s Super Mario, the Sonic franchise, Mega Man, Psychonauts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and most recently Daemons of the Shadow Realm and Dispatch if they ever make another new one. I’m just a big ol nerd who’s lucky enough to get to do the thing he loves: Play pretend.
Persona 3 Reload is available for the Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. You can find more information about Alejandro Saab’s roles on his official site and see his Vtuber streams as CyYu on Twitch. Atlus is also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the series in 2026.
