Kenjiro

Kenjiro is the friend ship between Ken Amada and Shinjiro Aragaki from the Persona fandom.'''

Canon
Ken met Shinjiro two years ago on Oct 4th after Shinjiro’s Persona went berserk and killed Ken’s mother. After Ken was taken to the police for questioning, he asked to tell the two police officers about his mom’s murder, but they didn’t believe him since Kirijo Group covered up the truth and made the report think his mom died in a car crash. This results in Ken distrusting adults and vowing to find Shinjiro and kill him.

Two years later, he found out the name of his mother’s killer after he overheard Akihiko and Shinjiro’s conversation in the summer. This leads Ken to join S.E.E.S., and Shinjiro decides to rejoin S.E.E.S. in September, mainly because Ken joined S.E.E.S. willingly.

During the October full moon operation, both Ken and Shinjiro abandon the operation to meet up at the same place where Ken’s mother was murdered. Ken confronted Shinjiro to remind him of murdering his mother, and his life was suffocating for being alive. He was considering killing himself, but his mother wouldn’t want that, so he decided to search for his mother’s killer. Ken coldly tells him that he will make him pay by killing him. Shinjiro encourages him to kill him since he won’t stop him. Shinjiro admits he wanted to forget it, but his body still remembers. This is why he left the group and tried to suppress his powers. He warns him if he kills him, he will end up like him. Ken doesn’t care; he only wants to avenge his mother. When Takaya informs Ken about Shinjiro, the pills he has been taking are slowly killing him, and he doesn’t have much time left, which shocked him greatly. Ken is willing to lie to Takaya, who shares the power of Chidori. He quickly gave up killing Shinjiro since there was no point either way and lost his reason for willing. Shinjiro sacrifices himself to protect Ken from Takaya. Dying, he reminds Ken that he is still a child with a whole life ahead of him and a future that can be about more than vengeance. Shinjiro's death devastates Ken and snaps him to reality, but his last words inspire Ken to fight for the future his mother would have wanted for him.

After Shinjiro sacrifices himself to save him, Ken becomes depressed and guilty. However, Akihiko confronts Ken by giving him the freedom to choose what he wishes to do from that point onward, allowing him to overcome his past and forgive Shinjiro. This event changes Ken dramatically, allowing him to obtain his ultimate Persona. Also, thanks to Akihiko, the group would understand his situation more and stop treating him like a child.

The manga adaption is much darker as they don’t get along at all before Ken finds out Shinjiro is his mother’s killer. During the October full moon operation, Ken injured Shinjiro by slashing his left face when he tried to warn him of the consequences of killing someone. After Akihiko informed Ken that Shinjiro had unintentionally saved Ken from his mother’s shadow, killing him, Ken felt guilty, and he didn’t realize it.

Film
In the film adaption, Ken is kinder to Shinjiro before discovering Shinjiro is his mother’s killer. Ken admires Shinjiro as an older brother figure. Ken doesn’t remember Shinjiro when he first met in person during Dark Hour in July due to a suppressed memory from two years ago. In August, Takaya informs Shinjiro about Ken joining S.E.E.S. This results in Shinjiro saving Ken and the others from being killed by Arcana Justice and Arcana Chariot. Ken is the first person Shinjiro to check up and see if he is alright. Ken remembers him from the previous day, and he kindly thanked him for saving his life. In August, Ken first invites Shinjiro to go to the Summer Festival with him but denies it until Aigis translates Koromaru’s words about Shinjiro making him meals and decides to accept Ken’s offer. At the summer festival, Shinjiro won a pair of goldfish for Ken in one of the booths. Later, Shinjiro, Ken, Makoto, and Aigis watched the fireworks.

During the September full moon operation, when Shinjiro loses control of his Persona, Ken tries to save him. However, Castor’s rampage causes Ken to fully remember the incident from two years ago and lose his admiration towards Shinjiro.

The Weird Masquerade
In Act 2, Shinjiro saves Ken from Arcana Hietrophant by using Akihiko’s Evoker to summon Castor. In September, Shinjiro secretly decides to make a fried omelet for Ken after he overhears him wanting to eat again, just like his mother used to make for him. After Ken found out about it thanks to Aigis translating Koro's language, he tried it, and he liked it since it reminded him of his mother's cooking. During the Summer Festival, Shinjiro holds Ken’s hand so he won’t get lost in the crowd. Ken comments on how warm his hands are which makes Shinjiro embarrassed. After Ken accidentally overhears Akihiko and Shinjiro’s conversation, Ken loses all respect for him and goes back to vow to kill him.

Female Route
In Act 4, it was revealed Akihiko and Ken have been Shinjiro at the hospital for some time. In Act 5, in the final scene when Ken along with Akihiko reunited with now awakened Shinjiro, Ken hugs him heartily. He also helps Shinjiro to catch up with the others due to recently woke up from his coma.

Fanon
Kenjiro has the lowest fanship of the Persona 3 fanbase. There have been mixed reactions towards them in the original game. Their fanship increases, as seen in both the film and the stage play, on how Ken gets along with Shinjiro very well before Ken finds out the dark truth that Shinjiro was responsible for his mother's death. There have been some fanfictions where Shinjiro is alive in Kotone's route. He and Ken grow closer as friends.

On AO3, there are 20+ written works.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION