Aikoto

Aikoto is the het ship between Aigis and Makoto Yuki from the Persona fandom.

Canon
Aigis is introduced during the Yakushima event. She is the first girl that Makoto shows interest in, with a heart above his head when he sees her. Though Akihiko and Junpei lose interest upon finding out that Aigis is an android, Makoto does not react in kind. Aigis tells Makoto that her purpose is to protect him, and that she wants to stand by him.

Eventually, it is revealed that Aigis wanted to be with Makoto in order to monitor Ryoji. Aigis sealed Ryoji into Makoto in order to prevent the Fall, though she did not remember doing so. As Aigis becomes more human, however, she retains her desire to be near Makoto.

During the final month of the game, the player can choose to formally develop their bond through Aigis' Social Link. Aigis struggles with her romantic feelings for Makoto, believing herself to be an inadequate partner due to her nature as a robot.

Regardless of player choices, the two end up quite close. They have several one-on-one scenes towards the end of the game. Most notably is the game's final scene, in which Makoto passes away after falling asleep in Aigis' lap. The ending song, Memories of You, is about Aigis' feelings for Makoto and her heartbreak at his tragic passing.

In the film adaptations, Aigis' relationship with Makoto is a major part of his character. Makoto struggles with the fear of death and losing his friends, and his growing bond with Aigis serves as the greatest source of that conflict. Makoto wants to be close to Aigis, but he is afraid of losing her. The two have several new scenes, including a hug in both Falling Down and Winter of Rebirth.

Moments
The Journey The Answer Persona Q Persona Q2
 * Makoto has a heart above his head when he first sees Aigis. Though Akihiko and Junpei hang their heads in disappointment upon discovering she is a robot, Makoto doesn't react in turn.
 * When Makoto gets sick, Aigis takes care of him. She breaks into his room to check on him, prepares a cold pillow, and keeps watch over him.
 * Looking into Makoto's eyes causes Aigis to break free of Ikutsuki's control.
 * Aigis tells Makoto that she understands the meaning of loss, because she is afraid of losing him.
 * Makoto holds Aigis' hand after her fight with Ryoji leaves her damaged.
 * Aigis begs Makoto not to leave when he leaves to fight Nyx, and cries for joy when he returns alive. Makoto smiles at this.
 * In the ending of the game, Makoto falls asleep in Aigis' lap, wiping her tears and again taking her hand. Aigis promises to protect and stay with him for as long as he lives. This scene has a number of parallels with Chidori's death in the lap of her lover, Junpei, earlier in the game. In New Game Plus of the PSP version, a non-canon alternate ending can replace Aigis with the player chosen love interest, greatly reinforcing the romantic subtext.
 * After Makoto's death, Aigis keeps his evoker. She is said to be so pained by his loss that she wishes to return to a time before she felt emotion.
 * When Metis attacks the party, Aigis fears she will lose yet more of her friends. Makoto is shown in her subconscious, smiling at her. Her persona then transforms into Makoto's persona, Orpheus. Aigis then awakens to Makoto's wild card ability, and his Velvet Room.
 * At the end of the game, Yukari admits that Aigis' feelings for Makoto are strongest. In the Japanese version, she says that Aigis' feelings for him are bottomless.
 * The Game Over screen says: "He who had been your proof, your life itself...The answer has been lost, never to be found again..." Reinforcing the nature of their bond.
 * If the player chooses to play as Yu Narukami, Chie assumes Aigis and Makoto are dating after hearing Aigis describe herself as wanting to be by Makoto's side. Aigis and Makoto are within earshot of Chie's comment, but they don't comment.
 * If the player chooses to play as Makoto, Aigis tells Chie that she and Makoto are "like that", as in, dating. However, she doesn't seem to understand what this means, which Yukari is quick to point out.
 * If Yu Narukami is paired with Aigis in the Group Date Cafe, Aigis will insist that Makoto is most important to her, and that she will not leave him.
 * In a stroll event, Aigis is said to wake Makoto up every morning.
 * Makoto and Aigis are introduced together, having been separated from the others. Aigis protects Makoto until breaking down, at which point Makoto holds her and protects her in turn.
 * Makoto is shown to worry for Aigis. He repeatedly asks to make sure that Aigis is ok, and thanks the others for helping her.
 * In a donut eating contest between Makoto and Narukami, Aigis is the sole observer, shown to cheer Makoto on.
 * When Ribbon asks why the others see Aigis as a person, Makoto replies "It's because she's Aigis" in the Japanese version.

Quotes
"I've decided to continue to protect you. I want to be your strength. I know I'm not the only one who can do this, but that's okay. My life will be worth living if it's for this reason."

- Aigis, Persona 3

"Don't worry. I will always be by your side, protecting you."

- Aigis, Persona 3

[Touch my Heartstrings]
This song was sung by Shouta Aoi (Sakuya Shiomi) and ZAQ (Aigis) in Act 2 from Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade (Male Route). It was about on how they are similar with each other and they don’t know why.

Fanon
The name of the ship came from mixing Aigis with Makoto Yuki, the name for the Protagonist that was used across most adaptations (Persona 3 The Movie, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight). The Aikoto pairing has traditionally had a mixed reaction from the fanbase. The pairing itself is typically well liked, praised for the ways it ties into the game's themes of memento mori. Its status within canon, on the other hand, has been controversial.

Persona 3 is, in theory, a dating sim, and many fans have been unsure how to react to the romantic subtext between supposed self-insert Makoto, and Aigis. Some fans thus ignore the pairing or insist that it can't be canonical. These fans typically point to the fact that Aigis is a robot or that they didn't have a social link in the original Persona 3. This view is typically also shared by fans who believe that Yukari is Makoto's canon love interest, who point to Yukari's similarly confirmed feelings for Makoto and her arcana being "The Lover's", or fans who prefer Makoto with one of the other romantic options.

However, many other fans point to the evidence in favor and assert that the pairing is an important part of Persona 3's narrative, despite it seemingly being contradictory to the game's mechanics. This is sometimes true even of people who dislike the pairing and/or Aigis in general. Indeed, all Persona games have had dating sim elements, but all have also featured a love interest who's bond with the protagonist has special and unchosen emphasis. This includes Marie in Persona 4: Golden, and more recently and to a greater extent, Kasumi in Persona 5: The Royal.

It's also worth mentioning that, though the Lover's Arcana character is confirmed to have feelings for the protagonist in Persona 2, 3, and 4, these feelings aren't given much evidence for reciprocation. In fact, in Persona 2, Lisa's crush on Tatsuya is the most blantant, but it is also the most clearly one-sided. Games that feature breaching romantic paths do sometimes have a confirmed "true" option, such as Kurisu in the VN Stein's Gate. Thus, it remains possible that the same may be the intent with Persona, with Aigis being such for Makoto.

In the years since the original game's release, the spin-offs have increasingly emphasized Makoto and Aigis' relationship. As a result, the number of fans who ship the pair and/or consider it canon have greatly increased.

On AO3, Aikoto is divided based on how one calls Makoto. Between Makoto Yuki (62), Persona 3 Protagonist (238), and his manga name Minato Arisato (111), there are 410 works.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Aigis/Makoto on FanFiction.Net
 * Aigis/Queen tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Aigis/Protagonist tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Aigis/Protagonist tag on FanFiction.Net

TUMBLR

REDDIT
 * In Defense of Aikoto