Persona 5is a widely popular JRPG that stole the hearts of millions of players soon after its release. Though the Persona series has had a few notable entries before, it wasPersona 5that truly revitalized the franchise, making it a global phenomenon. The game follows a transfer student and his group of quirky friends as they tackle the daily tribulations of high school, all while saving the world from a supernatural, world-ending phenomenon.
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Throughout their journey, each of the main cast members awakens special abilities as they overcome their personal adversities, in the form of spiritual beings known as a Persona. Each Persona awakening serves as a key point in the game, pushing the narrative forward.
8Ann/Panther
After having followed Ryuji and Jokerinto Kamoshida’s palace, Ann gets captured. As she tries to make sense of the strange occurrences around her, Joker and the gang arrive to save her. However, Kamoshida’s belittling remarks push Ann towards a negative train of thought where she starts to blame herself for her friend Shiho’s misfortune.
But after a little encouragement from Joker, Ann finally snaps out of it, and the Persona within her starts to call her out. Ann decides that she has had enough of Kamoshida’s bullying and harassment and forges a contract with her Persona, Carmen. Together with Carmen’s aid, Ann then joins the battle along with Joker, Ryuji, and Morgana.
7Ryuji/Skull
While roaming around Kamoshida’s palace, Joker, Ryuji, and Morgana are backed into a corner by Kamoshida’s strong underlings. Kamoshida then confronts Ryuji about him being the reason for his track team’s failure. After repeatedly being verbally abused by Kamoshida,Ryuji decides to finally stand up for himselfand take revenge for all the things Kamoshida did to him.
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Ryuji then starts to hear a strange voice offering him the power he needs to take on Kamoshida’s guards. As he forms a contract with his Persona, a skull mask appears on his face. Ryuji rips out the mask calling forth Captain Kidd and joining the battle against Kamoshida.
6Haru/Beauty Thief
Haru Okumura grew up with her father Kunikazu Okumura who was the head of a giant company named Okumura Foods. Though her father was not always a corrupt man, he soon got engulfed in his greed for power and wealth. Eventually, things went so far that he ended up offering his own daughter to be wed off as a political bribe. Thankfully, after meeting the Phantom Thieves Haru was able to rebel against her father when they infiltrated Okumura’s palace.
During the infiltration, Haru is seen having great trouble awakening her true Persona, but after she realizes that her father only cares for profit, she finally comes to terms with her situation and calls forth her true Persona, Milady, and takes on a distorted version of her fiance.
5Yusuke/Fox
Yusuke was an aspiring artist who had high regard forhis mentor and caretaker, Ichiryusai Madarame. However, the events of the game soon reveal that Madarame had actually exploited Yusuke’s talent from an early age, even taking credit and profiting from his mother’s finest work, the Sayuri. While Joker and the rest of the gang are infiltrating Madarame’s palace, Yusuke accidentally tags along and upon encountering Madarame’s shadow learns the truth about his own abuse.
After finally seeing his teacher for who he really is, Yusuke becomes enraged and decides to take revenge on behalf of all those that Madarame exploited. A breathtaking sight then unfolds as Yusuke forges a contract with his Persona, Goemon, and joins the battle.
4Futaba/Navi
Futaba lost her mother in an alleged suicide case when she was very young. The officials that came to disclose the tragic news to Futaba brought with them a forged suicide letter filed with blatant lies, causing Futaba to believe that she was the reason for her mother’s unfortunate demise. However, Futaba was able to finally acknowledge the truth about her mother’s death together with the help of the Phantom Thieves, while they wereinfiltrating Futaba’s palacein an attempt to change her heart.
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During the infiltration, Futaba finally decides to never be led astray by anyone again and wins control over her mind. Her shadow self then transforms into a UFO-inspired persona named Necronomicon. Futaba then proceeds to aid the Phantom Thieves as they take on a distorted shadowy form of her mother.
3Akechi/Crow
Akechi plays an integral role throughout the game, serving as a rival for Joker. He is initially depicted as a strong and confident person with a high sense of justice. After investigating the occurrences surrounding the Phantom Thieves, Akechi is finally able to learn their true identities. He then decides to align himself with the thieves as a fellow persona user and help them in their war against the criminals.
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However, during the final act of the game Akechi’s need for approval by his father and the masses, and his jealousy of Joker and the Phantom Thieves drive him insane. This leads Akechi to fully embrace his other, darker Persona Loki.
2Makoto/Queen
All her life Makoto felt like a burden for others, and even though she tried her best to excel, she believed that she could never live up to the expectations of others. Makoto eventually uncovers the truth about the Phantom thieves, but instead of disclosing their identities, she enlists their help to take on a mafia boss named Kaneshiro who had been manipulating students all over the city.
While the phantom thieves, along with Makoto confront Kaneshiro in his palace, Makoto’s determination is put to the test as Kaneshiro tries to blackmail her into prostitution. Fortunately, though, Makoto decides to take a stand for herself and forges a contract with her inner self Johanna. Having found her own true sense of justice, Makoto joins the battle on top of her bike-shaped Persona.
1Protagonist/Joker
Joker is the first of the bunch toawaken his Personaafter being thrown into the cell together with Ryuji by Kamoshida and his henchmen. As Kamoshida orders to have Ryuji executed, Joker hears a strange voice from within, asking him if he is simply going to watch his friend die. Joker, being someone who can never simply be a bystander, then forms a contract with his alter self known as Arsene, who then helps him stop Kamoshida.
This is by far the most thrilling persona awakening as the game features a fully animated cut scene for this specific awakening. The scene sees Joker don a strange mask and undergo a severe headache. As he rips out the mask from his face, blue flames start to engulf him which then take the form of Arsene.
Persona 5is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
