Let’s be real. If you’ve played any version of Persona 3—whether it’s the original PS2 grind, the visual novel style of Portable, or the shiny new Reload—you know the Velvet Room isn't just for fusion. It’s for chores. Elizabeth, the quirky, elevator-dwelling attendant with a penchant for bizarre human artifacts, is basically the game's primary source of side content. Elizabeth requests in Persona 3 aren't just optional flavor text; they are the backbone of your progression, your wallet, and your sanity.
Most players treat these as a grocery list. Find a Pine Resin. Bring a Jack Frost with Dia. Fetch some weirdly specific Oden Juice. But if you ignore them, you're essentially playing the game on hard mode without any of the cool rewards. You miss out on the best gear, the most powerful Personas, and honestly, some of the funniest writing in the entire Megami Tensei franchise.
The Logic Behind the Madness
Elizabeth wants to understand the human world. That’s the "lore" reason for why she asks you to bring her a handheld game console or take her on a date to the local shrine. Mechanically, these requests serve as a soft tutorial and a progress gate. They force you to engage with the fusion system. They make you explore the nooks and crannies of Tatsumi Port Island that you’d otherwise ignore.
The variety is actually kind of wild. Some are "fetch quests" that happen automatically as you climb Tartarus. Others are "fusion puzzles" that require a deep understanding of inheritance rules. Then there are the "timed requests." These are the ones that kill 100% completion runs. If you don't give Elizabeth that specific item by the deadline, it's gone. You're locked out of the ultimate reward chain. It's brutal, but it keeps the stakes high in a game that’s already obsessed with the passage of time.
Why You Can’t Just Wing the Fusion Requests
Fusion is the heart of the Velvet Room. Elizabeth will eventually ask you to show her specific Personas with specific skills. For example, she might want an Orthrus with Dodge Ice.
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You can't just find a "Dodge Ice Orthrus" in the wild.
You have to breed it. You find a Persona that naturally learns Dodge Ice, then you fuse it with something else to create a chain that ends with Orthrus. It sounds simple until you realize you're three fusions deep and realize you accidentally deleted the skill two steps ago. This is where most players hit a wall. In the older versions of P3, skill inheritance was semi-random. You’d spend forty minutes backing out of the fusion menu and re-entering it just to get the right "shuffle." Thankfully, the modern ports and Persona 3 Reload fixed this, letting you pick skills. But the mental gymnastics required to figure out the "recipe" still feels like a high-level math exam.
Those Weird Dates and "Outside World" Requests
Honestly, the best part of the Elizabeth requests in Persona 3 isn't the loot. It's the dates. Once you hit certain milestones, Elizabeth asks to visit the real world. These scenes are legendary. Seeing this incredibly powerful, supernatural entity get confused by a fountain or try to stick her head into a donation box is peak Atlus humor.
These requests usually don't have a combat reward. Instead, they give you "Key Items" that unlock special fusions. You want to fuse the ultimate Persona of the Death Arcana? You better take the lady in blue to the mall. It’s a clever way to bridge the gap between the dungeon crawling and the social sim aspects of the game. It makes the Velvet Room feel less like a menu and more like a part of the world.
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The Dreaded "Defeat the Ultimate Opponent"
We have to talk about Request #55 (or its equivalent in other versions). This is the "secret boss" request. After you've cleared almost everything else, Elizabeth basically says, "Okay, show me what you've got."
This is arguably the hardest fight in JRPG history.
It’s not just about being level 99. It’s about following a strict, invisible set of rules. If you use a Persona that nullifies her current attack? She kills you instantly. If you take too long? She kills you instantly. If you bring friends? She kills you instantly. It’s a solo duel that requires a spreadsheet to win. You have to count turns, track her HP perfectly, and pray to the RNG gods that you don't get a "miss" at the wrong moment. Completing this request is the ultimate badge of honor for a Persona fan. It’s the difference between someone who played the game and someone who conquered it.
Essential Tips for Managing Your Requests
Don't let the list overwhelm you. The UI can get cluttered, especially when you have 20 open tasks. Here is the move:
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- Check the Velvet Room every time Tartarus opens. New requests usually trigger after a full moon or when you reach a new block.
- Keep a "Fusion Stock." Don't just delete low-level Personas. Sometimes they carry a rare skill that a future request will demand.
- Prioritize the Dates. These are time-sensitive in some versions. If you miss the window to hang out with Elizabeth, you miss some of the best dialogue in the game.
- Don't ignore the "Human World" items. Talk to NPCs. Check the school lab. Look at the sink in your dorm. Items like the "Powerful Protein" or "Potent Medicine" are usually hidden in plain sight.
The Reward for Your Suffering
What do you actually get? Well, besides the feeling of a job well done, you get the Omnipotent Orb (in some versions) and the ability to fuse Orpheus Telos. You get high-end armor that makes the final boss feel like a joke. You get millions of Yen.
But really, you get the full story. The requests are Elizabeth’s character arc. Through these tasks, she goes from a cold observer to someone who genuinely loves—and is heartbroken by—the human experience. By the time you reach the end of the game, those chores don't feel like chores anymore. They feel like memories.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
If you are currently sitting in front of your console wondering where to start, do this:
- Open your menu and check the "Deadlines" column. If a request has a date next to it, stop everything and do it now.
- Go to the pharmacy in Paulownia Mall. There is almost always a request tied to an item there that requires multiple visits.
- Start hoarding gems. In the later stages, Elizabeth will ask for specific stones (Topaz, Amethyst, etc.) that only drop from specific shadows. Don't sell them at the police station for quick cash; you'll regret it later when you're grinding for six hours just to find one more Garnet.
- Visit the school nurse. If you’re tired or sick, he gives you a "weird drink" that completes one of the earliest requests and boosts your Courage. It's the most efficient way to start the chain.
The grind is real, but in Persona 3, the grind is the point. Elizabeth is waiting.