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True ending is the P5R ending.
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** [[spoiler:Even on the True Ending route, the police beat him, isolated him in a room deep in the police station, and drugged him with a TruthSerum while interrogating him.]]
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** [[spoiler:Even on the True Good Ending route, the police beat him, isolated him in a room deep in the police station, and drugged him with a TruthSerum while interrogating him.]]
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** [[spoiler:Played a bit straighter in the True Ending, as his friends' actions are instrumental in securing his eventual release from juvenile hall.]]
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** [[spoiler:Played a bit straighter in the True Good Ending, as his friends' actions are instrumental in securing his eventual release from juvenile hall.]]
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* BattleCouple: At his choice, he can become one with Ann, Makoto, Haru, or any combination of the three girls. Futaba doesn't count since her dynamic with Joker strictly falls under CombatAndSupport.
** In ''Royal'', he can be one with Kasumi as well.
** In ''Royal'', he can be one with Kasumi as well.
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* BattleCouple: At his choice, he can become one with Ann, Makoto, Haru, Kasumi or any combination of the three girls. four. Futaba doesn't count since her dynamic with Joker strictly falls under CombatAndSupport.
** In ''Royal'', he can be one with Kasumi as well.CombatAndSupport.
** In ''Royal'', he can be one with Kasumi as well.
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* CharClone: Wears a Mask and is part of the organization that resists society's current state and serves as a BigBrotherMentor to one of the confidants with red colored gloves and a red colored persona with the potential power that makes him stand out from the rest of the group as their ace.
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** He can simultaneously gain the affections of every last female party member and most female Confidants, for a total of nine potential romantic partners. In addition to Ann, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru, this includes a famous shogi player from another school, a journalist, a fortune teller, a medical doctor, and even his [[TeacherStudentRomance homeroom teacher]]. [[spoiler:Cheating ''will'' get you punished, albeit not permanently (thanks to Sojiro)]]. Even if one opts for the 'friendship' route during the penultimate stage of their Confidants, it's highly evident in their behavior that most of the girls end up falling for him anyway, and are just unwilling to act on their feelings unless ''he'' makes the first move. Ann, for example, admits to Joker (if you are dating her and bring her to his room) he was already making her heart race the first time she took him to Inokashira Park. Haru sounds outright heartbroken if you choose to stay platonic with her, and has to retreat to her room after her Rank 9 event. [[spoiler:And while he can't actually romance the Velvet Twins, [[PrecociousCrush it's obvious that Caroline and Justine also fall for him]], and their "fused" form, Lavenza, will even give him a heartfelt LoveConfession if he talks to her with the reward for beating the twins in his inventory]]. {{Justified}} because... well, [[{{Bishonen}} have you SEEN him?]]
*** Make it ''ten'' girls as of the release of ''Royal'' with the new girl Kasumi.
*** Make it ''ten'' girls as of the release of ''Royal'' with the new girl Kasumi.
to:
** He can simultaneously gain the affections of every last female party member and most female Confidants, for a total of nine potential romantic partners. In addition to Ann, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru, this includes a famous shogi player from another school, a journalist, a fortune teller, a medical doctor, and even his [[TeacherStudentRomance homeroom teacher]]. ''[[UpdatedRerelease Royal]]'' adds in another romantic partner for Joker to pursue, the accomplished gymnast and Phantom Thieves' AloofAlly Kasumi Yoshizawa. [[spoiler:Cheating ''will'' get you punished, albeit not permanently (thanks to Sojiro)]]. Even if one opts for the 'friendship' route during the penultimate stage of their Confidants, it's highly evident in their behavior that most of the girls end up falling for him anyway, and are just unwilling to act on their feelings unless ''he'' makes the first move. Ann, Haru, for example, admits to Joker (if you are dating her and bring her to his room) he was already making her heart race the first time she took him to Inokashira Park. Haru sounds outright heartbroken if you choose to stay platonic with her, and has to retreat to her room after her Rank 9 event. [[spoiler:And while he can't actually romance the Velvet Twins, [[PrecociousCrush it's obvious that Caroline and Justine also fall for him]], and their "fused" form, Lavenza, will even give him a heartfelt LoveConfession if he talks to her with the reward for beating the twins in his inventory]]. {{Justified}} because... well, [[{{Bishonen}} have you SEEN him?]]
*** Make it ''ten'' girls as of the release of ''Royal'' with the new girl Kasumi.
*** Make it ''ten'' girls as of the release of ''Royal'' with the new girl Kasumi.
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* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:In the first bad ending, all his killer gets from him is a stoic glare. Averted in the NonStandardGameOver, where he is visibly shaking with fear, and subverted in the route to the true ending, where he doesn't actually face death at all.]]
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* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:In the first bad ending, all his killer gets from him is a stoic glare. Averted in the NonStandardGameOver, where he is visibly shaking with fear, and subverted in the route if he doesn't sell out his teammates to the true ending, Sae, where he doesn't actually face death at all.]]
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* ForcedSleep: One of Raoul's signature skills, Phantom Dance, forces all foes to sleep, rendering them vulnerable to an Eigaon or a Maeigaon for an easy All-Out Attack.
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* ForcedSleep: One of Raoul's signature skills, skill, Phantom Dance, Show, forces all foes to sleep, rendering them vulnerable to an Eigaon or a Maeigaon for an easy All-Out Attack.
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* GoodWingsEvilWings: His Persona Arsène sports black angel wings, to match his AntiHero personality. The wings of [[spoiler:Satanael]], his Ultimate Persona, are feathered at their base but become bat wings at the end.
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* GoodWingsEvilWings: His Persona Arsène sports black angel wings, to match his AntiHero personality. The wings of [[spoiler:Satanael]], his Ultimate Persona, are feathered at their base but become bat wings at the end. Raoul, his third-tier Persona, wears a pair of mechanical bat wings.
** In ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'', he was made available as a recruitable character during a 2018 crossover event.
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** Joker is DLC for ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}: Full Body'', which has him replace Vincent with the other Phantom Thieves providing running commentary.
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** Joker is DLC for ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}: Full Body'', which has him replace Vincent with the other Phantom Thieves Thieves, except Akechi, providing running commentary.
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* NiceHat: Arsene wears an extremely tall metallic top hat.
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* NiceHat: Arsene wears an extremely tall metallic top hat.hat, while Raoul wears a red fedora.
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** Finally {{subverted}} in the True Ending. [[spoiler:Getting Masayoshi Shido convicted means he has to admit he violated his probation as part of his testimony against him, and he's consequently arrested and sent to juvenile hall the day after Christmas. However, the woman who falsely accused him of assault later recants her statement, his record is wiped, and he's able to walk out of juvenile after serving only two months.]]
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** Finally {{subverted}} in the True Good Ending. [[spoiler:Getting Masayoshi Shido convicted means he has to admit he violated his probation as part of his testimony against him, and he's consequently arrested and sent to juvenile hall the day after Christmas. However, the woman who falsely accused him of assault later recants her statement, his record is wiped, and he's able to walk out of juvenile after serving only two months.]]
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* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand, Arsene and [[spoiler:Satanael]] both actually have red eyes.
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* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand, Arsene and Arsene, [[spoiler:Satanael]] both and Raoul actually have red eyes.
* SecretArt: [[spoiler:Sinful Shell, a skill unique to Satanael which only sees use in-game to dispose of Yaldabaoth]] and that cannot be used outside of that one scene. Likewise, his third-tier Persona Raoul is the only Persona who can use Phantom Show.
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* ThenLetMeBeEvil: In the "Bad Ending" where [[spoiler:he sides with Yaldabaoth, his newfound LackOfEmpathy to the consequences his actions have on the world in light of the realization that humans are simply too lazy, incompetent, or scared to take care of themselves pushes him to [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the brink]] of becoming a ''KnightTemplar peace broker'']], whereas in the "True Ending" where [[spoiler:he rejects Yaldabaoth's [[WeCanRuleTogether offer]], his restored faith in humanity's ability to change allows him to use the collective hope of the citizens of Tokyo to summon the ultimate symbol of freedom to set everyone free from the Demiurge's totalitarian order.]]
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* ThenLetMeBeEvil: In the "Bad Ending" where [[spoiler:he sides with Yaldabaoth, his newfound LackOfEmpathy to the consequences his actions have on the world in light of the realization that humans are simply too lazy, incompetent, or scared to take care of themselves pushes him to [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the brink]] of becoming a ''KnightTemplar peace broker'']], whereas in the "True Ending" Good Ending where [[spoiler:he rejects Yaldabaoth's [[WeCanRuleTogether offer]], his restored faith in humanity's ability to change allows him to use the collective hope of the citizens of Tokyo to summon the ultimate symbol of freedom to set everyone free from the Demiurge's totalitarian order.]]
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* UnkemptBeauty: A male example; he looks like he's never touched a hairbrush in his life, has terrible posture, and is referred to as looking messy and disheveled more than a few times in-game (most notably during Makoto's Confidant), but that said, he's probably the prettiest ''Persona'' protagonist, and is ''by far'' the sexiest.
to:
* UnkemptBeauty: A male example; he looks like he's never touched a hairbrush in his life, has terrible posture, and is referred to as looking messy and disheveled more than a few times in-game (most notably during Makoto's Confidant), in-game, but that said, he's probably the prettiest ''Persona'' protagonist, and is ''by far'' the sexiest.
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** He's only a year older than her, but he certainly acts this way with Futaba -- aside from being her LivingEmotionalCrutch, he cooks for her, plays video games with her, and lets her barge into and monopolize his room. You can play a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]], though, if you romance her, in which case the protagonist becomes an UnderstandingBoyfriend.
** Played straighter with Shinya Oda, a troubled grade-schooler who the protagonist acts as a surrogate brother to in his Confidant link.
** Played straighter with Shinya Oda, a troubled grade-schooler who the protagonist acts as a surrogate brother to in his Confidant link.
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** He's only a year older than her, but he certainly acts this way with Futaba -- aside from being her LivingEmotionalCrutch, he cooks for her, plays video games with her, and lets her barge into and monopolize his room. You can play a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]], though, if you romance her, in which case the protagonist Joker becomes an UnderstandingBoyfriend.
** Played straighter with Shinya Oda, a troubled grade-schooler whothe protagonist Joker acts as a surrogate brother to in his Confidant link.
** Played straighter with Shinya Oda, a troubled grade-schooler who
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* HelloInsertNameHere: Like previous games, the protagonist has no given name other than using "Protagonist" or "Yourself" in previews. His title "The Phantom", used outside of the game itself, however, is static, as is his heist code name "Joker". In spoken dialogue, the characters will avoid saying his name in various ways when it's included in text by using "Joker," "this guy," "him," or just skipping his name altogether.
-->'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, text box:''' So, you're (player's chosen name)?\\
'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, spoken line:''' So, you're the guy?
-->'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, text box:''' So, you're (player's chosen name)?\\
'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, spoken line:''' So, you're the guy?
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* HelloInsertNameHere: Like previous games, the protagonist Joker has no given name other than using "Protagonist" or "Yourself" in previews. His title "The Phantom", used outside of the game itself, however, is static, as is his heist code name "Joker". In spoken dialogue, the characters will avoid saying his name in various ways when it's included in text by using "Joker," "this guy," "him," or just skipping his name altogether.
-->'''Sojiro meetingthe protagonist, Joker, text box:''' So, you're (player's chosen name)?\\
'''Sojiro meetingthe protagonist, Joker, spoken line:''' So, you're the guy?
-->'''Sojiro meeting
'''Sojiro meeting
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* KarmaHoudini: Zig-zagged. If he [[YourCheatingHeart romances more than one girl at once]], they eventually find out on Valentine's Day and beat his ass the proceeding day. However, Sojiro then convinces them off-screen that it was a misunderstanding, and on the final day, the girls the protagonist romanced act like they never discovered his cheating, meaning that he got away with his infidelity in the long run.
to:
* KarmaHoudini: Zig-zagged. If he [[YourCheatingHeart romances more than one girl at once]], they eventually find out on Valentine's Day and beat his ass the proceeding day. However, Sojiro then convinces them off-screen that it was a misunderstanding, and on the final day, the girls the protagonist Joker romanced act like they never discovered his cheating, meaning that he got away with his infidelity in the long run.
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* ParentalIssues: Possibly. In the beginning, Sojiro mocks the protagonist by saying that his parents "got rid of him for being a pain in the ass", and, as with his predecessors, it's true that his parents ''are'' completely absent from the game, but this is hardly conclusive -- we know the least about his homelife prior to the events of the game as we do about any post-''Persona 2'' lead so far, and it's as likely as not that Sojiro was just picking on him, and that all the calls/visitation with his parents happened off-screen.
to:
* ParentalIssues: Possibly. In the beginning, Sojiro mocks the protagonist Joker by saying that his parents "got rid of him for being a pain in the ass", and, as with his predecessors, it's true that his parents ''are'' completely absent from the game, but this is hardly conclusive -- we know the least about his homelife prior to the events of the game as we do about any post-''Persona 2'' lead so far, and it's as likely as not that Sojiro was just picking on him, and that all the calls/visitation with his parents happened off-screen.
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[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]] ([[Characters/Persona5Joker Joker]]) / [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsSecondHalf Later Members]] | [[Characters/Persona5Confidants Confidants]] | [[Characters/Persona5Targets Targets]] - [[Characters/Persona5MajorTargets Major]] / [[Characters/Persona5MinorTargets Minor]] | [[Characters/Persona5OtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]]]
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[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]] ([[Characters/Persona5Joker Joker]]) ('''Joker''') / [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsSecondHalf Later Members]] | [[Characters/Persona5Confidants Confidants]] | [[Characters/Persona5Targets Targets]] - [[Characters/Persona5MajorTargets Major]] / [[Characters/Persona5MinorTargets Minor]] | [[Characters/Persona5OtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]]]
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* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: In ''Royal'', we get to know from Kasumi about some crimes Kamoshida fabricated for him using Mishima. These include Murder, Rape and....'''Smuggling Ivory'''. Now this is just ridiculous.
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[[WMG:[[center: [- ''VideoGame/Persona5'' '''[[Characters/Persona5 Main Character Index]]'''\\
[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]] ('''Joker''') / [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsSecondHalf Later Members]] | [[Characters/Persona5Confidants Confidants]] | [[Characters/Persona5Targets Targets]] - [[Characters/Persona5MajorTargets Major]] / [[Characters/Persona5MinorTargets Minor]] ([[Characters/Persona5TargetsFirstHalf First Half]] / [[Characters/Persona5TargetsSecondHalf Second Half]]) | [[Characters/Persona5OtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]]]
[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]] ('''Joker''') / [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsSecondHalf Later Members]] | [[Characters/Persona5Confidants Confidants]] | [[Characters/Persona5Targets Targets]] - [[Characters/Persona5MajorTargets Major]] / [[Characters/Persona5MinorTargets Minor]] ([[Characters/Persona5TargetsFirstHalf First Half]] / [[Characters/Persona5TargetsSecondHalf Second Half]]) | [[Characters/Persona5OtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]]]
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[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]]
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[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]] ('''Joker''') / [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsSecondHalf Later Members]] | [[Characters/Persona5Confidants Confidants]] | [[Characters/Persona5Targets Targets]] - [[Characters/Persona5MajorTargets Major]] / [[Characters/Persona5MinorTargets Minor]] | [[Characters/Persona5OtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]]]
to:
[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]] ('''Joker''') / [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsSecondHalf Later Members]] | [[Characters/Persona5Confidants Confidants]] | [[Characters/Persona5Targets Targets]] - [[Characters/Persona5MajorTargets Major]] / [[Characters/Persona5MinorTargets Minor]] ([[Characters/Persona5TargetsFirstHalf First Half]] / [[Characters/Persona5TargetsSecondHalf Second Half]]) | [[Characters/Persona5OtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]]]
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** [[spoiler:Finally, Ryuji passes by the cafe on Valentine's and hands Joker a chocolate while complaining about girls. In ''Royal'', any female Confidants he's completed but opted to remain PlatonicLifePartners with hand him obligation chocolates on the 15th; at the very least, Sae will always pass by [=LeBlanc=] to deliver her chocolate personally due to being a mandatory maxed-out Confidant.]]
to:
** [[spoiler:Finally, Ryuji passes by the cafe on Valentine's and hands Joker a chocolate while complaining about girls. In ''Royal'', this gets expanded to include Yusuke, Morgana and Sojiro, who lays down some relationship knowledge on the boys. Additionally, any female Confidants he's completed but opted to remain PlatonicLifePartners with hand him obligation chocolates on the 15th; at the very least, Sae will always pass by [=LeBlanc=] to deliver her chocolate personally due to being a mandatory maxed-out Confidant.]]
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* AdaptationalBadass: [[spoiler:In the anime, Ren took on Akechi without any help from the rest of the Thieves. The same goes for Arsene too when Ren summoned him since the Shadow Kamoshida fight.]]
to:
* AdaptationalBadass: [[spoiler:In the anime, Ren took on Akechi without any help from the rest of the Thieves. Thieves and ''won''. The same goes for Arsene too too, who overpowered Loki with little effort when Ren summoned him since the Shadow Kamoshida fight.]]
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* AdaptationalBadass: [[spoiler:In the anime, Ren took on Akechi without any help from the rest of the Thieves. The same goes for Arsene too when Ren summoned him since the Shadow Kamoshida fight.]]
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* AlwaysWithYou: Even if Arsène isn't part of Joker's inventory, he makes it apparent to him that he won't permanently disappear. [[spoiler:At least until he becomes Satanael and the Metaverse gets destroyed.]]
to:
* AlwaysWithYou: Even if Arsène isn't part of Joker's inventory, he makes it apparent to him that he won't permanently disappear. [[spoiler:At least until the Akechi fight in ''Dark Sun'' or he becomes Satanael and the Metaverse gets destroyed.]]
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Changed line(s) 97 (click to see context) from:
** In Hawaii, he's stuck hanging out with Ryuji, Yusuke and Mishima by default. If Makoto and Hifumi's respective Confidants are at a high enough level by the time the trip takes place, they can also invite Joker out to the beach, although they do it more as a close friend and not as a romantic partner.[[note]]Due to the timing of the school trip and the steep requirements to progress in either Confidant, it is next to impossible to properly court either Makoto or Hifumi, hence why their own events are more platonic in nature. Contrast with Ann and Kawakami, both of whom can be romanced well before Hawaii and are explicitly more affectionate about it if Joker chooses to spend time with them.[[/note]]
to:
** In Hawaii, he's stuck hanging out with Ryuji, Yusuke and Mishima by default. If Makoto and Hifumi's respective Confidants are at a high enough level by the time the trip takes place, they can also invite Joker out to the beach, although they do it more as a close friend and not as a romantic partner.[[note]]Due to the timing of the school trip and the steep requirements to progress in either Confidant, it is next to impossible to properly court either Makoto or Hifumi, hence why their own events are more platonic in nature. Contrast with Ann and Kawakami, both of whom can be romanced well before Hawaii Hawaii, have to be dating him for their events to show up and are explicitly more affectionate about it if Joker chooses to spend time with them.[[/note]]
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** In ''Royal'', he can be one with Kasumi as well.
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*** Make it ''ten'' girls as of the release of ''Royal'' with the new girl Kasumi.
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'''P4 hero:''' Ah--This maelstrom I'm sensing in them...\\
'''P3 hero:''' Yeah... Joker, you might want to watch your back.
'''P3 hero:''' Yeah... Joker, you might want to watch your back.
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'''P4 hero:''' Hero:''' Ah--This maelstrom I'm sensing in them...\\
'''P3hero:''' Hero:''' Yeah... Joker, you might want to watch your back.
'''P3
Changed line(s) 192 (click to see context) from:
** Joker will also spout impressive peals of impish laughter when certain villainous DLC Personas such as Tsukiyomi gain new skills through leveling up.
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** Joker will also spout impressive peals of impish laughter when certain villainous DLC Personas such as Tsukiyomi gain new skills through leveling up. This is even more noticeable with his third-tier Persona, Raoul, as he bursts into maniacal laughter while using its signature skill.
* ForcedSleep: One of Raoul's signature skills, Phantom Dance, forces all foes to sleep, rendering them vulnerable to an Eigaon or a Maeigaon for an easy All-Out Attack.
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* InformedAttractiveness: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. While he ''is'' really good-looking and his fangirls [[RealLife IRL]] are a testament to that (see ''Bishonen'' above), in addition to the fact that the artbook reveals the character designer intended him to be "polished and sexy", in-game, he's instead been described as looking disheveled at times, and once got the nickname "frizzy hair".
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* InformedAttractiveness: InformedAttractiveness:
** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. While he ''is'' really good-looking and his fangirls [[RealLife IRL]] are a testament to that (see ''Bishonen'' above), in addition to the fact that the artbook reveals the character designer intended him to be "polished and sexy", in-game, he's instead been described as looking disheveled at times, and once got the nickname "frizzy hair".
** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. While he ''is'' really good-looking and his fangirls [[RealLife IRL]] are a testament to that (see ''Bishonen'' above), in addition to the fact that the artbook reveals the character designer intended him to be "polished and sexy", in-game, he's instead been described as looking disheveled at times, and once got the nickname "frizzy hair".
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His third-tier ultimate Persona in ''Royal'' is Raoul, which is Arsene Lupin's middle name. In ''The Damsel with Green Eyes'', Lupin uses the alias Viscount Raoul D'Andresy and was referred as such in the entire book.
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[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Arsène]]\\
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[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Arsène]]\\Arsene]]\\
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!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]], [[Literature/ArseneLupin Raoul]] (DLC)
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!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], Arsene]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]], [[Literature/ArseneLupin Raoul]] (DLC)
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->'''Arsène:''' ''"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"''
The game's main character, a second-year high school student who is transferred to Shujin Academy in Tokyo after being put on probation for assaulting a molester. While he seems meek and passive, this behavior hides the heart of a trickster that eventually leads to him becoming "Joker", a notorious GentlemanThief. He is aligned with the Fool Arcana, and is subsequently the resident holder of the [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]]. As such, he can switch between hundreds of Personas at will, and said Personas can grow stronger through fusion and through bonding with others.\\\
His Persona is Arsène, the hero of Maurice Leblanc's ''Literature/ArseneLupin'' novels. One of fiction's most famous thieves, Lupin is the [[TropeCodifier archetypal]] PhantomThief, a [[GentlemanThief gentleman]] who steals [[AntiHero from criminals]] [[KarmicThief worse than himself]], both for profit and for the fun of it. As a Persona, Arsène looks like an almost demonic version of the original hero, combining his standard [[SharpDressedMan classy attire]] with massive black wings, long-fingered hands, and a constant CheshireCatGrin, all topped off with red and black attire.\\\
The game's main character, a second-year high school student who is transferred to Shujin Academy in Tokyo after being put on probation for assaulting a molester. While he seems meek and passive, this behavior hides the heart of a trickster that eventually leads to him becoming "Joker", a notorious GentlemanThief. He is aligned with the Fool Arcana, and is subsequently the resident holder of the [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]]. As such, he can switch between hundreds of Personas at will, and said Personas can grow stronger through fusion and through bonding with others.\\\
His Persona is Arsène, the hero of Maurice Leblanc's ''Literature/ArseneLupin'' novels. One of fiction's most famous thieves, Lupin is the [[TropeCodifier archetypal]] PhantomThief, a [[GentlemanThief gentleman]] who steals [[AntiHero from criminals]] [[KarmicThief worse than himself]], both for profit and for the fun of it. As a Persona, Arsène looks like an almost demonic version of the original hero, combining his standard [[SharpDressedMan classy attire]] with massive black wings, long-fingered hands, and a constant CheshireCatGrin, all topped off with red and black attire.\\\
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The game's main character, a second-year high school student who is transferred to Shujin Academy in Tokyo after being put on probation for assaulting a molester. While he seems meek and passive, this behavior hides the heart of a trickster that eventually leads to him becoming "Joker", a notorious GentlemanThief. He is aligned with the Fool
His Persona is
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* NiceHat: Arsène wears an extremely tall metallic top hat.
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* NiceHat: Arsène Arsene wears an extremely tall metallic top hat.
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* ThePowerOfHate: Arsène advises Joker to channel his hatred for his enemies into the power of his Persona.
-->'''Arsène:''' Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it!
-->'''Arsène:''' Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it!
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* ThePowerOfHate: Arsène Arsene advises Joker to channel his hatred for his enemies into the power of his Persona.
-->'''Arsène:''' -->'''Arsene:''' Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... power… and unleash it!
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* RedBaron: Arsène introduces himself in his first appearance as "the pillager of twilight."
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand, Arsène and [[spoiler:Satanael]] both actually have red eyes.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand, Arsène and [[spoiler:Satanael]] both actually have red eyes.
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* RedBaron: Arsène Arsene introduces himself in his first appearance as "the pillager of twilight."
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand,Arsène Arsene and [[spoiler:Satanael]] both actually have red eyes.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand,
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* RoundhouseKick: One of Arsène's attack animations is a roundhouse kick, which brings emphasis to his literal stiletto heels.
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* RoundhouseKick: One of Arsène's Arsene's attack animations is a roundhouse kick, which brings emphasis to his literal stiletto heels.
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** He does this when Arsène talks to him the first time as it's pretty much the equivalent of painful MindRape.
** [[spoiler:Arsène does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
** [[spoiler:Arsène does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
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** He does this when Arsène Arsene talks to him the first time as it's pretty much the equivalent of painful MindRape.
**[[spoiler:Arsène [[spoiler:Arsene does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
**
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* WaistcoatOfStyle: Arsène, a Persona reflecting Joker's stylish GentlemanThief tendencies, wears a black waistcoat.
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* WaistcoatOfStyle: Arsène, Arsene, a Persona reflecting Joker's stylish GentlemanThief tendencies, wears a black waistcoat.
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* WeWillMeetAgain: If Arsène is not one of Joker's Persona during the Casino heist, he will appear before and after the battle with Moloch. Arsène warns Joker that his destiny is approaching, and promises to meet Joker again if he survives it.
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* WeWillMeetAgain: If Arsène Arsene is not one of Joker's Persona during the Casino heist, he will appear before and after the battle with Moloch. Arsène Arsene warns Joker that his destiny is approaching, and promises to meet Joker again if he survives it.
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* WingedHumanoid: His Persona, Arsène, is a masked man with giant bird wings.
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* WingedHumanoid: His Persona, Arsène, Arsene, is a masked man with giant bird wings.
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* WolverineClaws: Arsène has metal claws on the ends of each of its fingers.
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* WolverineClaws: Arsène Arsene has metal claws on the ends of each of its fingers.
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** [[spoiler:Finally, Ryuji passes by the cafe on Valentine's and hands Joker a chocolate while complaining about girls.]]
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** [[spoiler:Finally, Ryuji passes by the cafe on Valentine's and hands Joker a chocolate while complaining about girls. In ''Royal'', any female Confidants he's completed but opted to remain PlatonicLifePartners with hand him obligation chocolates on the 15th; at the very least, Sae will always pass by [=LeBlanc=] to deliver her chocolate personally due to being a mandatory maxed-out Confidant.]]
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!!!'''Arcana:''' 0. Le Mat (The Fool), XXI. Le Monde (The World)
!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]], [[Literature/ArseneLupin Raoul]] (DLC)
!!!'''Weapons:''' [[KnifeNut Knives]] and [[{{Handguns}} semi-automatic pistols]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunFukuyama (JP), Creator/XanderMobus (EN)
!!!'''Stage actors:''' Hiroki Ino (''[=The Stage=]'')
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!!!'''Arcana:''' 0. Le Mat (The Fool), XXI. Le Monde (The World)
!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]], [[Literature/ArseneLupin Raoul]] (DLC)
!!!'''Weapons:''' [[KnifeNut Knives]] and [[{{Handguns}} semi-automatic pistols]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunFukuyama (JP), Creator/XanderMobus (EN)
!!!'''Stage actors:''' Hiroki Ino (''[=The Stage=]'')
!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]], [[Literature/ArseneLupin Raoul]] (DLC)
!!!'''Weapons:''' [[KnifeNut Knives]] and [[{{Handguns}} semi-automatic pistols]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunFukuyama (JP), Creator/XanderMobus (EN)
!!!'''Stage actors:''' Hiroki Ino (''[=The Stage=]'')
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Joker is confirmed to have a third-tier Persona named Raoul. Look at Megami Tensei wiki for more details.
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!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]]
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!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]]Satanael]], [[Literature/ArseneLupin Raoul]] (DLC)
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* UnwittingPawn: Up until he [[spoiler:knows that the "Igor" that he interacted with was Yaldabaoth in disguise all along]], he's just playing into his plan of [[spoiler:stealing the souls of corrupt moguls that Yaldabaoth designated him to remove for annoyances against his absolute order.]] It isn't until [[spoiler:he realizes that he rebels against Yaldabaoth that he becomes a true rebel.]]
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* UnwittingPawn: Up until he [[spoiler:knows that the "Igor" that he interacted with was Yaldabaoth in disguise all along]], he's just unbeknowingly playing into his plan of [[spoiler:stealing the souls of corrupt moguls that Yaldabaoth designated him to remove for annoyances against his absolute order.]] It isn't until [[spoiler:he realizes that he rebels against Yaldabaoth that he becomes a true rebel.]]
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* UnwittingPawn: Up until he [[spoiler:knows that the "Igor" that he interacted with was Yaldabaoth in disguise all along]], he's just playing into his plan of [[spoiler:stealing the souls of corrupt moguls that Yaldabaoth designated him to remove for annoyances against his absolute order.]] It isn't until [[spoiler:he realizes that he rebels against Yaldabaoth that he becomes a true rebel.]]
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For the main index, see [[Characters/Persona5 here.]]
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[[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts The Phantom Thieves of Hearts]] - [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsFirstHalf Founding Members]] ('''Joker''') / [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHeartsSecondHalf Later Members]] | [[Characters/Persona5Confidants Confidants]] | [[Characters/Persona5Targets Targets]] - [[Characters/Persona5MajorTargets Major]] / [[Characters/Persona5MinorTargets Minor]] | [[Characters/Persona5OtherCharacters Other Characters]]]]-]]]
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* SkywardScream: [[spoiler:Arsène does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
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* SkywardScream: SkywardScream:
** He does this when Arsène talks to him the first time as it's pretty much the equivalent of painful MindRape.
** [[spoiler:Arsène does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
** He does this when Arsène talks to him the first time as it's pretty much the equivalent of painful MindRape.
** [[spoiler:Arsène does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
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* SpannerInTheWorks: What started out as [[spoiler:a plan to use Akechi's plan to kill Joker via turning it into a faked death was relatively simple on paper, as all he had to do was get arrested and interrogated by Sae and convince her to show his phone to Akechi and Futaba will do the rest. Then things go wrong when the police inject him with a TruthSerum, wrecking his memory in several point which causes him to forget that there ''was'' a plan. He does pull through eventually before Sae leaves.]]
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* SpannerInTheWorks: What started out as [[spoiler:a plan to use Akechi's plan to kill Joker via turning it into a faked death was relatively simple on paper, as all he had to do was get arrested and interrogated by Sae and convince her to show his phone to Akechi and Futaba will do the rest. Then things go wrong when the police inject him with a TruthSerum, wrecking his memory in several point points which causes him to forget that there ''was'' a plan. He does pull through eventually before Sae leaves.]]
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* TranquilFury: Heavily implied near the end of most Confidants, where they've been belittled by someone to the point of reaching a DespairEventHorizon, prompting Joker to coldly or angrily ask for their name so he can arrange for them to be targeted in Mementoes later.
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[[foldercontrol]]
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* MasterOfAll: He has the power of the Wild Card, allowing him to wield multiple Personas. This means he can basically has ever elemental affinity in the game, all buffs and debuffs, and can be geared to do just about anything and everything. Personas fused or found at the endgame also usually have above average stats, making them quite well-rounded. His HP and SP stats might be middle-of-the-road among the Thieves, but even that can be remedied if he takes the time to train in the attic or the gym.
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* MasterOfAll: He has the power of the Wild Card, allowing him to wield multiple Personas. This means he can basically has ever every elemental affinity in the game, all buffs and debuffs, and can be geared to do just about anything and everything. Personas fused or found at the endgame also usually have above average stats, making them quite well-rounded. His HP and SP stats might be middle-of-the-road among the Thieves, but even that can be remedied if he takes the time to train in the attic or the gym.
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** In Hawaii, he's stuck hanging out with Ryuji, Yusuke and Mishima by default. If Makoto and Hifumi's respective Confidants are at a high enough level by the time the trip takes place, they can also invite Joker out to the beach, although they do it more as a close friend and not as a romantic partner.[[note]]Due to the timing of the school trip and the steep requirements to progress in either Confidant, it is next to impossible to properly court either Makoto or Hifumi, hence why their own events are more platonic in nature. Contrast with Ann and Kawakami, both of whom can be romanced well before Hawaii and are explicitly more affectionate about it if Joker chooses to spend time with them.]]
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** In Hawaii, he's stuck hanging out with Ryuji, Yusuke and Mishima by default. If Makoto and Hifumi's respective Confidants are at a high enough level by the time the trip takes place, they can also invite Joker out to the beach, although they do it more as a close friend and not as a romantic partner.[[note]]Due to the timing of the school trip and the steep requirements to progress in either Confidant, it is next to impossible to properly court either Makoto or Hifumi, hence why their own events are more platonic in nature. Contrast with Ann and Kawakami, both of whom can be romanced well before Hawaii and are explicitly more affectionate about it if Joker chooses to spend time with them.]][[/note]]
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Added folders
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[[folder:Tropes A-M]]
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[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tropes N-Z]]
[[folder:Tropes N-Z]]
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[[/folder]]
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* GrayEyes: Strong-willed, calm, reliable, and handsome, yet also quite cheeky and resistant to corrupt forms of control-based authority.
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!!!'''Stage actors:''' Hiroki Ino (''[=The Stage=]'')
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For the main index, see [[Characters/Persona5 here.]]
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Isn't Joker the canon name since in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and other media that's what he is called more than Ren Amamiya? In Persona 5 Tropes he was called Joker not protagonist, Ren or even Akira.
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!!The Protagonist / Joker / [[CanonName Ren Amamiya]] / [[ComicBookAdaptation Akira Kurusu]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/protag.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Joker]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1abtxxr.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Arsène]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arsene.png The Great Thief[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Satanael]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/satanael.png The Rebel Archangel[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''The Leader of the Phantom Thieves'']]
!!!'''Arcana:''' 0. Le Mat (The Fool), XXI. Le Monde (The World)
!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]]
!!!'''Weapons:''' [[KnifeNut Knives]] and [[{{Handguns}} semi-automatic pistols]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunFukuyama (JP), Creator/XanderMobus (EN)
->''The show's over.''
->'''Arsène:''' ''"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"''
The game's main character, a second-year high school student who is transferred to Shujin Academy in Tokyo after being put on probation for assaulting a molester. While he seems meek and passive, this behavior hides the heart of a trickster that eventually leads to him becoming "Joker", a notorious GentlemanThief. He is aligned with the Fool Arcana, and is subsequently the resident holder of the [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]]. As such, he can switch between hundreds of Personas at will, and said Personas can grow stronger through fusion and through bonding with others.\\\
His Persona is Arsène, the hero of Maurice Leblanc's ''Literature/ArseneLupin'' novels. One of fiction's most famous thieves, Lupin is the [[TropeCodifier archetypal]] PhantomThief, a [[GentlemanThief gentleman]] who steals [[AntiHero from criminals]] [[KarmicThief worse than himself]], both for profit and for the fun of it. As a Persona, Arsène looks like an almost demonic version of the original hero, combining his standard [[SharpDressedMan classy attire]] with massive black wings, long-fingered hands, and a constant CheshireCatGrin, all topped off with red and black attire.\\\
His ultimate Persona is Satanael, the UsefulNotes/{{Gnostic|ism}} equivalent of [[{{Satan}} the Devil]]. Depending on the tradition, Satanael is either [[IHaveManyNames another aspect]] of {{God}} himself, or the greatest of God's angels, who rebelled against his creator in an attempt to steal back his freedom, only to be cast down from Heaven for his pride. In ''Persona 5'', Satanael combines aspects of both, sporting elements of Yaldabaoth the Demiurge and ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'''s standard interpretation of Lucifer, the Rebel King of Hell.
----
* TheAce: To be fair, the previous two protagonists in the series were good at pretty much everything they did, but Joker takes it to new heights with sheer ''style''.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Not him, but rather [[spoiler:his Ultimate Persona; Satanael. This is played straight twice in terms of his FallenHero status, but also his first appearance in a ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' game called ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'' had him [[DemonicPossession possess Spooky]].]]
* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: While his personality is all up to the player in the game, the anime adaptation portrays Joker in his civilian life as somewhat shy and awkward, as opposed to the brash, confident troublemaker he's implied to be in the game. Conversely, the manga adaptations play up Joker's heroic DeadpanSnarker tendencies.
* AdjustingYourGlasses: He's got a habit of pushing up his glasses by the bridge with his index finger. While it's generally done in a semblance of nonchalance, [[spoiler:it becomes much more sinister when he does it in the bad ending where he cuts a deal with [[EldritchAbomination Yaldabaoth]].]]
* {{Adorkable}}: He's got the spirit of a troublemaker, can be a bit of a {{Troll}} at times, and is [[LargeHam given to theatrics]], but in his public mild-mannered persona, he can be rather gawkish yet very humble. In between Metaverse escapades, he can spend hours playing retro video games on a crappy secondhand console, eagerly brew coffee, and work out, with his first attempt at using a treadmill ends in an EpicFail. [[https://twitter.com/km_smitty/status/867469942744068096 Case in point]].
* AdultFear:
** [[spoiler:The events of the bad endings during his recollection of events to Sae are his FridgeHorror moments about the real-world consequences that would have occurred if he had failed to use his supernatural abilities to change events.]]
** [[spoiler:Even on the True Ending route, the police beat him, isolated him in a room deep in the police station, and drugged him with a TruthSerum while interrogating him.]]
* AffectionateNickname: Since he can get under-the-counter pharmaceuticals at a shady back-alley clinic in exchange for his assistance in various clinical trials to help develop a new medicine, Dr. Tae Takemi christens him "my little guinea pig", almost exclusively refers to him as such, and continues to do so even if they start [[RomanceSidequest dating]].
** Also in the anime where Ryuji occasionally calls him Renren. His reaction to it makes it cross over into EmbarrassingNickname.
* AllAccordingToPlan: [[spoiler:The Phantom Thieves orchestrated the entire casino heist, up to and including Joker's arrest by the authorities, to give him the chance to convince Sae to cooperate with them directly, while also exposing [[TheDragon Akechi]] and [[BigBad Shido]] as members of TheConspiracy. That said, it apparently never crossed his mind (or the other Thieves' for that matter) that the police would drug him in captivity just before his interrogation, turning the whole 'fake your death' thing into an insane GambitRoulette.]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in-game to an extent. He has a record and looks the part, but all of the female cast members he can enter relationships with fall for him not for being sexy, or distant, or dangerous, but because [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan he's a supportive, compassionate person who helps them learn to handle and overcome their own issues]].
* AllLovingHero: Despite being dealt a bad hand and subject to injustice at such a young age, he not only helps twenty-odd people from all walks of life deal with their personal issues, but specifically forms his own CaperCrew that [[HeelFaceBrainwashing forcefully reforms]] corrupt members of society in order to galvanize abused people like himself to stand up for themselves.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: He starts the game with pretty much everyone wanting nothing to do with him due to his "record"; fellow students, teachers, police officers, his legal guardian, even his ''own parents'' (though we only hear this interpretation from Sojiro early on; it's unclear how true it actually is). While his situation never changes completely, at least his classmates eventually stop spreading rumors about him. Sojiro gradually warms up to him, to the point that he starts treating him [[LikeASonToMe like a son]].
* AllYourPowersCombined: Like previous protagonists following ''VideoGame/Persona3'', Joker has access to the "Wild Card" ability, which allows him to control hundreds of different Personas and increase their power through the bonds he forms with his friends and accomplices.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Unintentionally becomes this to [[spoiler:Goro Akechi, whose refusal to stand down during his boss fight stems from jealousy over Joker's good fortune in both the friends and love he gained despite being near-condemned by his false record. On top of that, there's his general refusal to believe that Joker is [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex better]] than him]].
* AlwaysWithYou: Even if Arsène isn't part of Joker's inventory, he makes it apparent to him that he won't permanently disappear. [[spoiler:At least until he becomes Satanael and the Metaverse gets destroyed.]]
* AnimalMotif: It's not as prominent as Yusuke's fox or Ryuji's monkey, but WordOfGod noted that Joker was designed to be reminiscent of a cat (despite his mask being bird-themed), possibly due to him being deceptively docile, elegant, hiding mysteries, and the fact that he often wanders through town like a stray cat.
* ArmedLegs: Arsène's CombatStilettos, which he uses in his attack animations.
* AsleepInClass: Like in ''VideoGame/Persona3'', it's possible for him to do this with enough ranks in Kawakami's Confidant, granting him points with a certain other Confidant or a random social parameter rather than putting him in good condition for DungeonCrawling.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: [[spoiler:Satanael as summoned in the final battle is ''massive'', towering above the entire party and seems to be even bigger than the building-sized BigBad. His summon-able version in a NewGamePlus is significantly smaller, though.]]
* AuraVision: His "Third Eye" ability allows him to detect the danger level of Shadows, see which receptacles are hiding treasure, identify otherwise interactable places like gaps and ledges, and even determine the identity of potential Confidants, by displaying various color-coded auras around the object or person in question.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: His Wild Card ability in combination with the Personas he can access late in the game easily allow him to sweep all manner of encounters before his team has a chance to act.
* BadassAdorable: His {{Adorkable}} mannerisms and personality, handsome looks and overall badassery certainly makes him this.
* BadassBaritone: Both Creator/JunFukuyama and Creator/XanderMobus give him a reasonably deep voice, particularly Mobus, which is more evident in his rather aggressive battle quotes (as seen [[https://youtu.be/pbTt0iz-Wvc here]]). Arsène, for his part, speaks in a MagnificentBastard version of Joker's voice.
* BadassDriver: [[DownplayedTrope Sort of]]. He's the Morganamobile's designated chauffeur in Mementos, but Makoto seems to be the crew's getaway driver since she actually has taken driving lessons.
* BadassFingerSnap: Joker uses items in battle by snapping his fingers.
* BadassInANiceSuit: Joker's Metaverse outfit consists of a fancy suit complete with a double-buttoned vest and pocket handkerchief and a pair of red gloves. His Persona, Arsène, wears a [[ClassyCravat white cravat]], waistcoat, and an oversized top hat.
* BadassInCharge: Although forming the Phantom Thieves was Ryuji's idea, Joker is TheLeader, and a OneManParty to boot. Gameplay-wise, he leads the Shadows he subjugates and turns them into his own Personas, and he has the best level gain curve.
* BadassInDistress:
** At the end of TheCaper that serves as the game's ActionPrologue, he's cornered by a triple wall of police officers carrying riot shields while acting as a decoy to allow the other Thieves to escape, and is subsequently captured, beaten, bound to a chair, drugged, and [[PoliceBrutality beaten again]]. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that [[ThePlan he was supposed to get captured]], and eventually he mostly rescues himself, provided you don't get a bad ending.]]
** [[spoiler:Played a bit straighter in the True Ending, as his friends' actions are instrumental in securing his eventual release from juvenile hall.]]
* BadassLongcoat: His thief outfit incorporates a stylish high-collared black trench coat that goes down to his ankles, the coattails of which beautifully flap behind him as he runs.
* BattleCouple: At his choice, he can become one with Ann, Makoto, Haru, or any combination of the three girls. Futaba doesn't count since her dynamic with Joker strictly falls under CombatAndSupport.
* BattleCry: When attacking a Shadow's weakness, Joker will frequently order his persona to "Ravage them!". When using one of the DLC Personas, he will instead use the battle cry of the Persona's past user, such as shouting "[[JustForPun It's Sho-Time!]]" when using [[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax Tsukiyomi]].
** His canon battle cry is "It's Showtime!", according to various sources (when he initiates an All Out Attack that wins the battle, his quote is "The Show's Over", referring back to it), but he doesn't say it much in the actual game itself.
* BewareTheQuietOnes:
** A fairly silent, humble figure in his day-to-day life, Joker regularly tucks himself into an invisible space while making himself small and out of the way: his greatest strength in the real world is helping others become stronger by helping them recognize and overcome their weaknesses. Even then, many of the responses he can give in-game are quite sassy and dismissive -- and ''God help you'' if you are a target.
** Depending on which options are chosen in dialogue, he can be quietly confident or snidely brash. But when he's confronted with actual injustice, he ''still'' holds himself back, even up to the point of [[spoiler:potentially giving Akechi a second chance after Akechi tries repeatedly to kill him]]. But in battle, he has no qualms about going all out, and he will absolutely not stand for injustice even when he's trying to keep a low profile.
* {{BFG}}: [[spoiler:Taken UpToEleven in the final battle, where Satanael carries a ''skyscraper-sized lever-action rifle''.]]
* BigBrotherMentor: To Shinya Oda from the Tower Confidant. Shinya himself notes halfway through the confidant that he sees Joker as an older brother. Amusingly, the Confidant starts with Shinya acting as a sort of mentor to Joker on how to handle gun fights. This dynamic reverses when Shinya's personal problems come to light, with Joker being there for him to listen and/or offer advice, guiding him through his problems. Unlike all of the other Confidants, [[spoiler:who manage to figure out Joker's identity as a Phantom Thief, Joker actually explicitly tells Oda by the end of his Confidant, [[SoProudOfYou particularly because of how much Oda had grown]].]]
* BigEater: Joker can eat his way through all of Big Bang Burger's colossal burger-eating challenges if he has enough Guts, Knowledge, and Proficiency (Level 2 in each for the first challenge, Level 3 for the second, and Level 4 for the final challenge). He has virtually no trouble with eating large amounts of food. Morgana expresses appropriate amounts of disbelief when Joker finishes the Cosmic Tower Burger.
-->'''Morgana:''' Y-you've done it again! Come on, we should head home. I'm full just from watching you...
* BilingualBonus: A bird motif is appropriate for a monster based the archetypical French PhantomThief because the French uses the same verb ("voler") is used to mean both "to steal" and "to fly".
* {{Bishonen}}: Joker may be the prettiest ''Persona'' protagonist yet.
* BloodKnight: Shows hints of this from time to time, from awakening his Persona in a [[https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/f/fb/Mask_transform.gif/revision/latest?cb=20170226130206 bloody frenzy of smirking insanity]] to flashing scornful leers at his enemies when landing a CriticalHit. When ambushing Shadows, he launches himself several feet into the air to plant the heels of his boots into their shoulders and tear their masks off their faces, grinning while his enemy violently bursts into a tar under his hand. Arsène also seems particularly eager about killing his foes.
-->'''Arsène:''' Kill them however you desire. Run wild to your heart's content!
%% * ABoyAndHisX: His relationship with Morgana is a perfect example, though Morgana is more of a MentorMascot and less of your regular animal sidekick. For bonus points, [[spoiler:Morgana was created by Igor specifically for the purpose of aiding Joker]]. %% Add more context to describe their relationship and what effect it has on them. %%
* BreakingTheFourthWall: In February 2015, Atlus put out a CutAndPasteNote newspaper ad where Joker declared he would crash an upcoming ''Persona'' concert. Sure enough, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxLpadvQOPE near the end of the event,]] the lights were "shot out", and he proceeded to [[StealthPun steal the show]] with ''P5''[='=]s first gameplay trailer.
** A similar stunt occurred when Joker shut down and "infiltrated" the 2018 Video Game Awards theater to announce his participation in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.
* BrilliantButLazy: As long as the player is maxing stats, he's absolutely this. Rarely does he ever pay attention to lectures, and almost every single time he's shown in class, he's either staring out the window or on his phone. Nevertheless, he's still considered one of the more intelligent members of the Phantom Thieves, and regularly makes anywhere from above-average to top-of-the-class grades. It becomes even more pronounced on a NG+, where he does little to no studying outside of school, unless Makoto is nagging the team to prepare for exams.
* ButNowIMustGo: Like the ''VideoGame/Persona4'' main character, he has to go back home at the end of the game, because he's no longer on probation. Unlike in ''P4'', this doesn't stop Joker's friends from tagging along with him.
* CallBack: Interestingly, he's the third character in the series to be named "Joker", the other two being [[AgentPeacock Jun Kurosu]] and [[AxCrazy Tatsuya Sudou]] from the ''Persona 2'' duology. Like his predecessors, he also responds to people who have a wish to be made true by calling their phones and wears a mask to protect his identity. However, ''P5'''s Joker is the only one who genuinely helps people, albeit still through illegal means.
* CallToAgriculture: Starting Haru's Confidant quest chain allows him to harvest vegetables with her at the school's rooftop.
* CanonName: While he has no [[HelloInsertNameHere static given name]], he does have an official ''[[CanonIdentifier nom de guerre]]'' in "Joker." It's the code name that Morgana picks for him, and as with most Atlus games, in promotional material the creators enter his name as "Protagonist" even though they would address him often as "The Phantom" instead which doesn't come up often in the game itself. The manga adaptation, which began serialization shortly after the game's Japanese release, goes with "Akira Kurusu," after he just went unnamed throughout the ''Anime/Persona5TheDayBreakers'' OVA, where he's referred only by his heist codename; similarly, ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'': ''[[UpdatedRerelease Full Body]]'' simply refer to him as "Joker", with no mention of any alter-ego. The odd thing here is that "Akira" is actually spelled with the kanji for "Daybreak". [[ProtagonistTitle Huh]]. Though it's still unknown if Atlus came up with the name and named the OVA as such. The anime and the ''Dancing in Starlight'' have both given him the name Ren Amamiya, making that his canonical name since.
* CapeWings: The image is invoked in Arsène's design. His wings are meant to simultaneously symbolize the dark cowls of thieves and the freedom they have to go wherever they please.
* CassandraTruth: As part of his interrogation, he tells Sae everything she needs to know about him working with a talking cat, stealing hearts, and wandering around mental landscapes, while leaving out details that would incriminate his friends and confidants. It takes him explaining half a dozen incidents for her to actually believe it.
* CastingAShadow: As the resident [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]], Joker can switch Personas at will, but his initial (and most iconic) Persona, Arsène, starts off with Eiha, which is a regular, dark-element attack spell.
* CatSmile: His in-game character model occasionally sports a smirking version of this, most easily observed when he obtains a new mask.
* CelibateHero: There is the option to play him this way, and the player is stuck with certain default choices if Joker does not enter a relationship:
** In Hawaii, he's stuck hanging out with Ryuji, Yusuke and Mishima by default. If Makoto and Hifumi's respective Confidants are at a high enough level by the time the trip takes place, they can also invite Joker out to the beach, although they do it more as a close friend and not as a romantic partner.[[note]]Due to the timing of the school trip and the steep requirements to progress in either Confidant, it is next to impossible to properly court either Makoto or Hifumi, hence why their own events are more platonic in nature. Contrast with Ann and Kawakami, both of whom can be romanced well before Hawaii and are explicitly more affectionate about it if Joker chooses to spend time with them.]]
** If he has no relationship during the Cultural Festival, Haru acts as the game's default choice to have both get to know each other, although Ryuji can tag instead if his Confidant (much like Joker's potential girlfriends) has been maxed out.
** [[spoiler:He spends Christmas Eve with Sojiro and Futaba if he doesn't date anyone around that time.]]
** [[spoiler:Finally, Ryuji passes by the cafe on Valentine's and hands Joker a chocolate while complaining about girls.]]
* ChainedByFashion: Arsène is surrounded by totally aesthetic, ornate iron chains which Joker grips onto whenever he's summoned. [[spoiler:Joker breaks these chains when he [[EvolutionPowerUp evolves]] into Satanael.]]
* CharacterTics: Has quite a few. He can regularly be seen pushing up his glasses, playing with a lock of his hair, spinning his phone on his fingers, or shoving his hands into his pockets during his [[IdleAnimation idle animations]] or in cutscenes, and he will often appear to rub the back of his neck when choosing certain DialogueTree response or doing an activity that raises a social stat. He also taps the floor with the tip of his shoe when nervous or bored and habitually tightens his gloves during his PhantomThief activities, to the point it's part of his All-Out-Attack VictoryPose, IdleAnimation, ''and'' running animation.
* CharClone: Wears a Mask and is part of the organization that resists society's current state and serves as a BigBrotherMentor to one of the confidants with red colored gloves and a red colored persona with the potential power that makes him stand out from the rest of the group as their ace.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: A borderline example. Unlike his predecessors, Joker can regularly engage in various human parameter-increasing activities like martial arts workouts with a fighting dummy and pull-ups in his room; gameplay-wise, this actually boosts his stats.
* CheshireCatGrin: Arsène has a constant grin made of hellish flames plastered across his face. In fact, the highest level of [[CastingAShadow curse magic]] he can use to kill his foes with forms the same blood red flame-smile on use.
* ChickMagnet:
** He can simultaneously gain the affections of every last female party member and most female Confidants, for a total of nine potential romantic partners. In addition to Ann, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru, this includes a famous shogi player from another school, a journalist, a fortune teller, a medical doctor, and even his [[TeacherStudentRomance homeroom teacher]]. [[spoiler:Cheating ''will'' get you punished, albeit not permanently (thanks to Sojiro)]]. Even if one opts for the 'friendship' route during the penultimate stage of their Confidants, it's highly evident in their behavior that most of the girls end up falling for him anyway, and are just unwilling to act on their feelings unless ''he'' makes the first move. Ann, for example, admits to Joker (if you are dating her and bring her to his room) he was already making her heart race the first time she took him to Inokashira Park. Haru sounds outright heartbroken if you choose to stay platonic with her, and has to retreat to her room after her Rank 9 event. [[spoiler:And while he can't actually romance the Velvet Twins, [[PrecociousCrush it's obvious that Caroline and Justine also fall for him]], and their "fused" form, Lavenza, will even give him a heartfelt LoveConfession if he talks to her with the reward for beating the twins in his inventory]]. {{Justified}} because... well, [[{{Bishonen}} have you SEEN him?]]
** It gets lampshaded in ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight''. Ryuji and Yusuke are jealous of the fact that Joker is getting friendly with the ladies and interrogate him to learn his secret.
--->'''Ryuji:''' You bastard, getting all of the sweet experiences alone. Speaking of which, this guy's relations with women is a real mystery, right? He's acquainted with people like that [[HospitalHottie beautiful female doctor]]. There are others, aren't there? It'd be fine if you introduced them to us, right?\\
'''Joker:''' Look for one yourself.\\
'''Ryuji:''' You can't tell us? As expected, you're hiding something from us, eh?\\
'''Yusuke:''' People say that "great men are fond of sensual pleasures". We should make that clear on this occasion. ''[flexing his fists]'' I'll have you confess everything. Are you ready?\\
'''Ryuji:''' That's right! Let the interrogation begin! ''[Ryuji and Yusuke subject Joker to a rapid-fire series of questions]''
** In ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', the girls confront him about his womanizing with thinly veiled threats should he choose to flirt with Hikari.
--->'''Morgana:''' Seriously... If you keep getting carried away like that, you're going to end up in some real trouble someday.\\
'''Haru:''' ''[[[DissonantSerenity giggling]]]'' You're fussing too much, Mona-chan. There's no way Joker would ever do that--right?\\
'''Ann:''' That's right. You'd never make a girl cry--huh, Joker?\\
'''Joker:''' ''[EyeTake]'' ''[breaks into a cold sweat]''\\
'''Makoto:''' Yes, the rumors about him being sleazy turned out to be false accusations... [[RuleOfThree Isn't that so?]]\\
'''P4 hero:''' Ah--This maelstrom I'm sensing in them...\\
'''P3 hero:''' Yeah... Joker, you might want to watch your back.
* ChivalrousPervert:
** He checks out Ann along with the other boys during two animated cutscenes, and can potentially flirt with ''and'' tap nearly every girl he interacts with, but still, he's quite protective of the girls -- especially Futaba, with whom he's shown to be very accepting of her general eccentricity and goes out of his way to protect her from her EvilUncle -- and there's no doubt that all of his female Confidants would be knee-deep in shit (if not ''dead'') if it wasn't for his constant help.
** He can also be very conscientious of the girls he's interested in if you choose to play him that way. In ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight'', Ryuji asks what Joker's type is. Joker can respond by saying that the girl he's dating is his type, which Ryuji immediately lampshades.
--->'''Ryuji:''' Alright, you're next! What type of girl are you interested in?\\
'''Joker:''' The girl I come to like is my type.\\
'''Ryuji:''' There it is! The model answer that offends nobody!
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Over the course of the game, he's betrayed on ''three'' separate occasions: by the woman he protected from assault, by the Traitor who sells him out at the Casino, and by [[spoiler:"Igor" himself, who turns out to be an impostor manipulating him to sate his own god-complex.]]
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Arsène himself notes this -- as the last time Joker tried to help someone in need, the penal system slapped an assault charge on his record for his trouble -- and even wonders if the resolve he showed in the past was genuine or not. This in turn proves to be the catalyst for his Persona Awakening, as his desire to help the helpless is the basis of his rebellious will, allowing him to form a contract with Arsène and summon him to save Ryuji from Kamoshida.
* ClarkKenting: In a literal sense, as he wears PurelyAestheticGlasses outside of his "Joker" persona. He's also the only one of the Phantom Thieves ''not'' to [[NonuniformUniform customize his school uniform]].
* ClarkKentOutfit: Kawakami's massages reveal his gallivanting around the Metaverse has given him a rather ripped physique, which is normally concealed by his outfit.
** Taken UpToEleven in the ''Mementos Missions'' manga. [[https://s3.mkklcdnv3.com/mangakakalot/v2/vt917687/vol1_chapter_2_a_tasteless_story/1.jpg Just]] [[https://s3.mkklcdnv3.com/mangakakalot/v2/vt917687/vol1_chapter_2_a_tasteless_story/2.jpg look.]] How his clothes conceal ''that'' physique is a mystery!
* ClassyCravat: Arsène wears a long white cravat around its neck, to go with its classy top hat and other fineries.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: You have the option to play him as this, as there's a weird or joke response option in most {{Dialogue Tree}}s.
** While trying to get into Kamoshida's Palace via the Metaverse app:
--->'''Ryuji:''' What's this eyeball-lookin' thing?\\
'''Joker:''' Cute logo, huh?
** After Morgana shows up in the real world:
--->'''Ryuji:''' A cat's speaking! Can you hear it too?\\
'''Joker:''' Meow?\\
'''Ryuji:''' ''This is no time to be jokin' around!''
* ClearMyName: [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveCOnnections Given who got him in the whole mess in the first place]], Joker doesn't make any effort to do this as well as knowing nothing else about the guy who has also seemingly disappeared. [[spoiler:Upon realising that it's Shido and he's marked as the next target, Joker is given the opportunity to get the assault charge marked off, but Sae points out that it's going to be difficult to do that. He's officially given a blank slate at the end.]]
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Plays this to both Yusuke and Futaba during their Confidants, but moreso with Futaba.
* CluelessChickMagnet: The manga has him unknowingly charming girls.
* ColdHam: Joker rarely speaks, but while in the Metaverse, his dramatic facial expressions, mannerisms, and penchant for flashiness say plenty.
* CombatParkour: Fights quite stylishly with his knives and guns, shredding his enemies with nimble, curving movements, and can learn a showy GunFu special skill that can knock even [[BonusBoss The Reaper]] off his feet.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter:
** The ''P3'' protagonist works for the express purpose of saving the world from Shadows, while the ''P5'' protagonist and his crew are imparting justice on those they believe deserve it. The ''P3'' protagonist is a relative newcomer to S.E.E.S. [[note]]At the start of the game, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Yukari are already members, while Shinjiro is a former member[[/note]], while the ''P5'' protagonist founds the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. The ''P3'' protagonist is a relatively well-respected student, and the majority of his/her friends are from the school, while the ''P5'' protagonist has a bad reputation, and only two of his Confidants outside of the party are from Shujin Academy (and one is a teacher).
** He makes a bigger {{Foil}} to the ''P4'' protagonist, Yu Narukami:
*** Yu is a model student who works in secret to help the police solve a series of crimes. He wears his uniform in a casual style, but in contrast, his hair is neatly styled. Meanwhile, Joker is a delinquent on probation who ''commits'' crimes against the real crooks because the local police can't or won't do anything about it. He wears his uniform quite professionally, but his hair is unkempt.
*** Yu puts on glasses while fighting Shadows because said glasses help him see through the fog of the Shadow world, where he also wears his school uniform. Joker wears PurelyAestheticGlasses to make himself look harmless, and he removes them while fighting Shadows in the Metaverse to reveal a stylish thief outfit modeled by his own Persona.
*** [[spoiler:Both remove their glasses when they become unnecessary at the end of the game. Yu can see through Izanami's fog, and Joker's name is cleared and he no longer has to live a lie.]]
*** Yu has a pretty clunky fighting style that leaves the impression that his WeaponOfChoice is more heavy than he would like, awkwardly swinging his swords like a baseball bat, and he only gets any proper fighting skills in the fighting game spin-offs. In stark contrast, Joker displays highly choreographed attacks and ultra-proficency with knives and handguns.
*** Yu went from a big city to a small town for a fairly mundane reason (his parents are overseas and he's living with his uncle), while Joker had to go from a small town to a big city because he's on probation after being WronglyAccused for "assaulting" a CorruptPolitician, his parents apparently "got rid of him for being a pain the ass", and he had to transfer schools.
*** Yu's school life is extremely important, and the fun times he has at Yasogami High are a major part of the good times he has during his time in Inaba, as is his predecessor from ''P3'' for whom after-school clubs were integral to keeping up Social Links. Joker's school life, in contrast, is almost non-existent (albeit not to [[VideoGame/Persona2 Tatsuya's]] level), and all of his Confidants are with people around town who are similarly shunned by society. Some of the most ''unpleasant'' parts of the game take place at Shujin, [[spoiler:and he even ''stops attending school altogether'' for a month after Sae frees him from his interrogation, although that's justified due to having to fake his own death]]. However, school does remain an integral for a few stat-boosting reasons (along with one of his confidants being his homeroom teacher) and often provides hints and foreshadowing in the game.
*** Both Yu and Joker [[spoiler:have the option of pulling a FaceHeelTurn by cutting a deal with the main villains of their respective games; Yu with Adachi, and Joker with Yaldabaoth. Yu has to take the initiative in making the deal by willfully concealing Adachi's guilt and then privately confronting him about it later. Adachi is outright shocked when Yu willingly destroys evidence linking him to the crime and gleefully taunts Yu over it. Yu is visibly distraught by his actions, knowing that he'll remain under Adachi's thumb for the rest of his life. In Joker's case, it's Yaldabaoth who offers him a deal after a failed attempt to have him killed, and once Joker accepts, he keeps his word, not appearing to be particularly surprised by the outcome (though he does comment that Joker ultimately succumbed to his own desires). Joker, in turn, seems to have no issues whatsoever with his decision, and in fact sports a sinister smirk knowing that the city is effectively under his control]].
*** In the animation versions, both used dragon-like Personas in specific scenes. Yu used the Kohryu Persona based on an Eastern dragon, while Joker used the Seth Persona shaped like a Western wyvern.
*** In a flashback, it's shown that Yu's old classmates did not take the news of him transferring well, showing that he's well-liked. Joker, however, is treated as a pariah following the incident.
** Previous protagonists generally tend to lean towards swordsmanship. Joker is a [[TheGunslinger Gunslinging]] KnifeNut.
** [[spoiler:The ultimate Personas of the ''P3'' and ''P4'' protagonists are [[TheMessiah Messiah]] and the GodOfGods Izanagi-no-Okami respectively. ''P5'''s protagonist's ultimate Persona is an analogue to the FallenAngel [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] and an enemy of God.]]
** Unlike his predecessors' anime counterparts, Ren is rather shy and introverted, and doesn't have a dry sense of humor or serves as a StraightMan when joining his friends' hijinks. While the anime adaptations of Persona 4 and 3 focus more on the protagonists' personal developments, Ren is mostly a non-entity in his anime, like in the game.
* ConvenientlySeated: On the second-last seat next to the window with Ann directly in front of him, usually to show them both whip out their phones in class.
* CoolBigBro:
** He's only a year older than her, but he certainly acts this way with Futaba -- aside from being her LivingEmotionalCrutch, he cooks for her, plays video games with her, and lets her barge into and monopolize his room. You can play a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]], though, if you romance her, in which case the protagonist becomes an UnderstandingBoyfriend.
** Played straighter with Shinya Oda, a troubled grade-schooler who the protagonist acts as a surrogate brother to in his Confidant link.
* CulturedBadass: You can't increase the Knowledge stat without hitting the books. When he's not bashing Shadow skulls or making crooks repent for their crimes, he's likely back at Leblanc brewing some coffee or picking up shogi with Hifumi.
* TheCutie: The first male Persona protagonist to hold this trope (preceeded by [[VideoGame/Persona2 Maya]]) since his {{Adorkable}} personality makes him both adorable and endearing.
* DarkIsNotEvil: He and his Persona wear black clothing, and Arsène naturally uses darkness spells and has a sinister, demonic appearance fit for a messenger of hell, but are actually anti-heroes fighting [[TheHeartless Shadows]] and far worse criminals, rather than outright villains.
* DarkMessiah: [[spoiler:In the second bad ending. After making a deal with Yaldabaoth, Joker keeps up his activities as the Phantom Thief, effectively taking over the town and turning it into his own police state.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: There is almost always a sarcastic dialogue option available, even towards the snobbish CreepyTwins who act as his prison guards in the Velvet Room. Caroline always seems to get the blunt of it, though.
-->'''Caroline:''' Hey, are you laughing at us!?\\
'''Joker:''' [[BluntYes I sure am]].
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:In the second bad ending, Joker is able to make a deal with Yaldabaoth in which in exchange for not interfering with his plans with the Holy Grail, he will stop the worlds from merging and leave control over the city to the Phantom Thieves.]]
* DeathGlare: Gives an especially icy one to [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth]] in the final battle just before [[spoiler:he blows the god's head off with a bullet empowered by the Seven Deadly Sins.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:In the first bad ending, rather than give his killer the dignity of a response, he merely glares right at them right up until they pull the trigger.]]
* DependingOnTheArtist: While mostly consistent, Joker's appearance varies slightly in some of the spin-off material. Namely his hair and glasses. His hair can be very defined and on the shorter side, or it can be a solid black shaggy mess. Are his glasses square? Round? Large? Small? There really doesn't seem to be an answer.
* {{Determinator}}: Massively so. Whether it be an [[spoiler:unfair and unjust probation, two supernatural twins beating down on him, or the living embodiment of man's desire for social order erasing him from existence, he doesn't quit.]]
* DidTheyOrDidntThey: Like the last two games, romancing a female party member or Confidant and then reaching the 10th rank of their Confidant link will heavily imply that Joker and his lady companion of choice were physically intimate, but this time, the game lays the suggestion [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex every single time he brings a girlfriend to his room]]. This sometimes gets more blatant than usual, like, for example, Ann's dialogue during her Valentine's Day event:
-->'''Ann:''' Argh, enough of this! I came here to have fun with you!...You've kept me waiting way too long. I'll smack you if you say I'm too heavy...
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler:Did he just nail ''a physical god'' in the head to save Christmas? Nah, he just shot the godlike, corporeal manifestation of Tokyo's collective desire for social order to save Christmas. No big deal.]]
* DivingSave: When first attacked by the [[spoiler:Sphinx in Futaba's Palace, Joker leaps to push Makoto out of the way of flying debris before she gets squashed.]]
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: An inversion, given that he's the viewpoint character, but [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist Sae]] probably didn't expect the mastermind of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to be that random kid in the background during one of her arguments with Sojiro.
* DominoMask: His bird-styled MaskOfPower covers around his eyes and the bridge of his nose, but leaves the rest of his face visible.
* DownloadableContent:
** In ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', his mask and longcoat are available as DLC costume pieces.
** In ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}} Full Body'', he is a DLC character for the Babel and Coliseum modes, and the other Phantom Thieves provide running commentary.
** He is the second DLC character to be revealed for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Like the ''P4'' protagonist, Joker is also one of the few ''SMT'' protagonists to receive a happy ending in his game. With his probation complete, he is now a free man.
* EquippableAlly: Not Joker himself, but he can execute one of his Personas to turn them into items or skill cards once-per-day. Many of the best weapons and armor in the game can only be obtained by itemizing his Personas this way. For instance, executing Lucifer along with a Model Gun as a base (which can be obtained from the Dark Net or by trading Mothman figures in Akihabara) will produce the Tyrant Gun, a weapon for Joker with a whopping 390 attack power, far exceeding any of the guns purchasable or customizable at Untouchable.
* EtTuBrute: After his capture in the prologue, he struggles as he's pinned to the ground... but when he's told that he's been sold out (presumably by one of his friends), he gives up. [[spoiler:And then it's massively [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] when it's revealed that his behavior was all an act -- he knew ''exactly'' who the traitor was from the very beginning and had anticipated ''every single one'' of their actions.]]
* EvilLaugh:
** As a demonic AntiHero, Joker's Persona Arsène is capable of very convincing evil laughs.
** Joker will also spout impressive peals of impish laughter when certain villainous DLC Personas such as Tsukiyomi gain new skills through leveling up.
* ExpelledFromEveryOtherSchool: He was expelled from the school in his hometown when he was convicted of assault. Shujin Academy, a stuffy, elite preparatory school looking to gain some good publicity for "reforming a criminal", warily accepts him on the condition that he behave himself while he's enrolled there. If he doesn't, his next stop is juvenile detention.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:In the first bad ending, all his killer gets from him is a stoic glare. Averted in the NonStandardGameOver, where he is visibly shaking with fear, and subverted in the route to the true ending, where he doesn't actually face death at all.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:In the second bad ending via DealWithTheDevil with Yaldabaoth.]]
* FakeMemories: [[spoiler:The details of how he is arrested in the NonstandardGameOver endings -- usually as an indirect consequence of failing to reform a target's heart in time, along with terrible things happening to some of his friends -- are these due to his drugged state during the interrogation.]]
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:In order to avoid the bad ending where he dies, Joker exploits a phone modified by Futaba using the Casino's [[RealityWarper reality warping ability]] to activate the [[InterdimensionalTravelDevice Metanav App]] when Akechi attempts to kill him and tries to make it look like suicide, making him kill a mental projection instead while Joker calmly sits in the interrogation room MagnificentBastard-style with a smug grin on his face. Once his "death" is broadcasted, he escapes the police building with Sae's help, and has to remain in Leblanc without showing his face until the Thieves can send Shido's CallingCard.]]
* FallenAngel: His Ultimate Persona is the UsefulNotes/{{Gnostic|ism}} version of the TropeCodifier, [[spoiler:{{Satan}}ael.]]
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: At the beginning of the game, he rescues a woman from being sexually harassed by a drunkard. She thanks him by testifying that he randomly assaulted her. Justified as the drunkard is actually a powerful politician, and promised that he would make her life a living hell if she didn't. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, she retracts her statements and confesses what really happened, which helps Joker go free.]]
* FighterMageThief: Fits the third mold in relation to his two immediate predecessors, being a gunslinging, knife-wielding PhantomThief with the ability to LeParkour, [[StealthExpert sneak around Palaces]], FlashStep between various forms of cover, [[GunboatDiplomacy hold enemy Shadows at gunpoint]], and OneHitKill Shadows on surprise attacks. He also has the best tactics of the three, such as [[ExtraTurn Baton Pass]], [[CombinationAttack Random Fire]], and [[GunFu Down Shot]].
* TheFixer: His team role outside of combat. Need to turn a pirate's hoard worth of gold and jewels into cash? Need to snap up an assault rifle or a medieval battle ax? Want an article on the front page of tomorrow's paper? Or a backpack's worth of experimental drugs? Joker knows the people to call and will happily take care of all of it.
* FlashStep: In a step up from previous protagonists, Joker can jump from cover to cover during DungeonCrawling, flying forward several feet in a flash of SpeedLines.
* TheGadfly: Depending on how you characterize him, he's either this, a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, or a mixture of both. Since choosing the weirder or more joking dialogue options tends to net a response, he could very well be saying them just to get a rise out of people.
-->'''Makoto:''' Honestly though, I'm in shock. She thought I was a robot...\\
'''Joker:''' Beep boop.\\
'''Makoto:''' Don't tease me!
* GenderBlenderName: Both official names (Akira and Ren) are unisex names.
* GentlemanThief: His "Joker" identity certainly seems to evoke this, judging by his [[BadassInANiceSuit Nice Suit]], DominoMask, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxLpadvQOPE dramatic performance]] at the ''Night of the Phantom'' event.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: His Persona Arsène sports black angel wings, to match his AntiHero personality. The wings of [[spoiler:Satanael]], his Ultimate Persona, are feathered at their base but become bat wings at the end.
* GrayEyes: Strong-willed, calm, reliable, and handsome, yet also quite cheeky and resistant to corrupt forms of control-based authority.
* GrinOfAudacity: His signature expression as Joker, fitting given his stance as a defiant rebel who stands against overwhelming odds.
* GuestFighter:
** He was the first revealed downloadable character in the "Fighters Pack" for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
** Joker is DLC for ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}: Full Body'', which has him replace Vincent with the other Phantom Thieves providing running commentary.
* GuileHero: Besides his talents as a pseudo-therapist, he's constantly noted to be a trickster at heart. He can bribe, manipulate, and negotiate with enemy Shadows to get them do what he wants, and [[spoiler:he's even able to play the Traitor like a fiddle]]. Even more impressive, though, is the fact that he managed to [[spoiler:earn the trust of jaded prosecuting attorney Sae by appealing to her lost sense of justice during an interrogation in which he was exhausted, beat-up, and blitzed on an unknown drug.]]
* GunFu: His "Down Shot" ability (which you learn by befriending the Tower Arcana Confidant) allows him to knock down nearly any foe by unloading all his shots - or just six with Tower Rank 6 - while flipping all over the place like an acrobat.
* {{Handguns}}: His firearms of choice.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like previous games, the protagonist has no given name other than using "Protagonist" or "Yourself" in previews. His title "The Phantom", used outside of the game itself, however, is static, as is his heist code name "Joker". In spoken dialogue, the characters will avoid saying his name in various ways when it's included in text by using "Joker," "this guy," "him," or just skipping his name altogether.
-->'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, text box:''' So, you're (player's chosen name)?\\
'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, spoken line:''' So, you're the guy?
* HeroicMime: Downplayed. Unlike previous protagonists, he actually has a number of voiced lines, even in some cutscenes, and will often drop several StockPhrases in in-game menus and battles. Likewise, most of the in-game narration is actually his InnerMonologue, instead of the second-person narration used in the previous games. However, he still never voices his DialogueTree lines, and has the fewest spoken lines of any main character in the game, for a total of about seven minutes of voiced dialogue in a 100-plus hour game. Zigzagged in the anime adaptation, where he's still quiet and at first visibly depressed, but in just two episodes, he manages to speak more than he did in the whole game. Despite that, however, he's still treated as a non-character in the anime and he only speaks short sentences in response to other characters, with some notable exceptions.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: At the start of the game, he helps a woman being sexually assaulted, only to be treated as a violent delinquent by those around him due to the molester having connections with the local police.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Forms such a bond with Ryuji and Morgana, but specially the latter due to their ABoyAndHisX dynamics.
* HiddenInPlainSight: [[spoiler:Throughout the month of December, when Joker is forced to fake his death due to Akechi's betrayal, he still manages to operate without much trouble even despite the Japanese Government now knowing his identity. Thanks to Shido's obsession with subterfuge to keep anything from linking back to him, Joker's identity remains anonymous to the public at large and even most officials are largely in the dark.]]
* HolyHalo: [[spoiler:Inverted since it's treated as a symbol of how [[{{Satan}} Satanael]] ''was'' holy before his fall from grace, rendering it now a demonic halo ringed with bat wings, but he still firmly falls under DarkIsNotEvil, making it visually contrasting [[LightIsNotGood Yaldabaoth's]] more classical halo with angel wings.]]
* HornedHumanoid: Arsène has the appearance of a crimson man with two black and red horns coming out of its forehead.
* HotBlooded: Underneath the cool exterior he puts on in his day-to-day life, he's a smug daredevil who leads a group of stylishly-dressed vigilantes with great gusto, has a flair for the dramatic, and is variously referred to as a passionate trickster, a gambler, and someone who never takes "no" for an answer.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: He's OneHeadTaller than Futaba and the two can be a couple. FanArt took this hard and [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/871cf1d9-85fb-456a-a2f4-13b3e0a6c33c ran with it]].
* IKnowMortalKombat: He polishes his marksmanship by playing an arcade shooter with Shinya, letting him do things like hit someone whose cognition is supposed to make him "invincible" by dodging every attack.
* InfinityPlusOneSword:
** His Ultimate Persona is [[spoiler:Satanael, the Gnostic equivalent of the devil. It starts off at level 95, has top-tier skills like Maeigaon, Megidolaon, and Victory Cry, and at least resists every element.]]
** His best melee weapon is Paradise Lost, gained by itemizing his Ultimate Persona. It gives him increased resistance to Curse damage.
** His best ranged weapon is either Natarja (itemize Metatron to gain +5 to all stats) or the Tyrant Pistol (itemize Lucifer to gain +10 Magic and deal more gun damage).
* InformedAttractiveness: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. While he ''is'' really good-looking and his fangirls [[RealLife IRL]] are a testament to that (see ''Bishonen'' above), in addition to the fact that the artbook reveals the character designer intended him to be "polished and sexy", in-game, he's instead been described as looking disheveled at times, and once got the nickname "frizzy hair".
** Interestingly, the ''Mementos Mission'' manga averts this. Ren is attractive enough that he catches the attention of a talent scout.
* InnerMonologue: The game's narration consists primarily of his own thoughts as he's being interrogated by Sae.
* InnocentCohabitation: With Futaba, after she joins the party. They can both start staying at Leblanc during afternoons and on weekends without ending up in a romantic relationship for most of her Confidant quest chain. The player can then decide if they want to pull a RelationshipUpgrade or play the trope straight.
* InstitutionalApparel: During visits to the Velvet Room, he is dressed in black and white pinstripes.
* InTheHood: He starts wearing a gray hoodie with the hood up after [[spoiler:he's "killed" late in the game, and has to stay incognito so the police and the Conspiracy don't realize the truth]]. It's deconstructed slightly in that wearing the hood in public with the other Phantom Thieves actually makes him stand out more next to his friends who are wearing their school uniforms, which draws the suspicion of a nearby police officer.
* IWillWaitForYou: On his last day, some of the girls he romanced say this to him before he leaves.
* JustAKid: At the beginning of the game, Sojiro mocks him by telling him his probation is what he deserves for sticking his nose into a dispute between adults, even if he did prevent a woman from being raped or physically assaulted.
* KarmaHoudini: Zig-zagged. If he [[YourCheatingHeart romances more than one girl at once]], they eventually find out on Valentine's Day and beat his ass the proceeding day. However, Sojiro then convinces them off-screen that it was a misunderstanding, and on the final day, the girls the protagonist romanced act like they never discovered his cheating, meaning that he got away with his infidelity in the long run.
* KnifeNut: Wields a surprising hodgepodge of knives ranging from [[KukrisAreKool kukri knives]] to kopis and skinning knives, as well as various daggers, [[MacheteMayhem machetes]], and at least one ''scalpel'' as his melee weapons, in contrast to most ''Persona'' protagonists, who [[HeroesPreferSwords prefer swords]].
* LargeHam:
** Shown in full flux as he dramatically introduced himself at the first ''Persona 5'' gameplay trailer unveiling, and even in the game proper he's incredibly theatrical with a penchant for tactical taunting. You can tell he's ''really'' enjoying the whole "Phantom Thief" angle. Futaba even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it, calling him a showoff when he decides to jump headfirst outside of a stained glass window while the Casino's cognitive guards chase after him, all with a cocky smile on his face, and gracefully falling several stories below in a fall that would otherwise kill him. ''Even as a mouse, he's over-the-top.''
** It's worth noting that his [[BattleCry battle cries]] are among the most aggressive out of the entire party, which is saying something. Particularly when using a DLC Persona to attack an enemy's weakness, Joker will dramatically shout stuff like "Face my fury!"/"It's Sho-Time!" when using [[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax Tsukiyomi]]/Tsukiyomi Picaro's Abyssal Wings, or even something as over-the-top as "DIE, DIE, DIE!" with Asterious/Asterious Picaro's Titanomachia.
* TheLeader: A more prominent example than his predecessors, as he exemplifies all four types at one point or another throughout the story. Of the four, he most often demonstrates his skills as the [[MagneticHero Charismatic type]] while occasionally dipping into the [[GuileHero Mastermind type]]. Generally speaking though, he'll always trust his more knowledgeable (read: vocal) teammates when it comes to the plans, usually deferring to Morgana, Makoto, and Futaba depending on the situation.
* LightningBruiser: Joker can become this at higher levels, with the right Persona or combination of skills. With the Nataraja Gun and the Crystal Skull accessory, he can get +10 to all stats, making him quite formidable. [[spoiler:His ultimate Persona, Satanael, has well-rounded stats and literally no weaknesses; in fact, Satanael resists everything and learns some of the best skills in the game.]]
* LikesOlderWomen:
** All but three of his nine potential romance options are older than he is. Four of them are women in their twenties, one even being his homeroom teacher. Makoto and Haru are both a year older, being third-year students. And of the remaining three that aren't older, two of them are the same age (Ann and Hifumi), making Futaba the only love interest younger than him.
** Lampshaded during Chihaya's Confidant, where she straight up asks him if he is into older women, with one of the responses, which starts her romance, being an enthusiastic "Hell yeah I am."
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Played straight, though increasingly downplayed, in [[{{Hikikomori}} Futaba's]] Confidant link. Having taken a shine to him almost immediately, Joker starts out as one of the only people she's comfortable with, and at the beginning of her link, he's the thin line standing between her and crippling panic attacks whenever she's faced with social interaction, but as her link progresses, and Joker helps engage her in situations further out of her comfort zone, she becomes less and less dependent on him for emotional support. Her Confidant link eventually ends in her being capable of socializing on her own (barring her romance path, where she says she doesn't want to be ''entirely'' independent of Joker, although, for the most part, she still is).
* LooksLikeCesare: His disheveled appearance during the interrogation sequences fits all corners: sunken eyes, deathly pale skin, and a menacing scowl to go along with his already thin frame and scraggly black hair.
* MageMarksman: All of the Thieves can be considered this, but Joker stands out for two reason: one, he's a [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]] which gives him [[{{Understatement}} a little bit of an edge]] over his peers in the mage category, and two, if Shinya's Confidant is completed, he becomes the ''best'' marksman in the team bar none.
* MagikarpPower: With a lot of trial-and-error and fine tuning, it's entirely possible to get early Personas like Arsène to have ''much'' higher stats than any high-level Persona as well as some very powerful skills. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4731CLf2h9g Like so]].
* MagneticHero: He's able to assemble an incredibly diverse list of people to his cause by the end of the game, from his friends at school to a gamer genius pre-teen, to an IntrepidReporter, to a disgraced back-alley doctor, to a politician running for a seat on the national government to supernatural beings.
* MasterOfAll: He has the power of the Wild Card, allowing him to wield multiple Personas. This means he can basically has ever elemental affinity in the game, all buffs and debuffs, and can be geared to do just about anything and everything. Personas fused or found at the endgame also usually have above average stats, making them quite well-rounded. His HP and SP stats might be middle-of-the-road among the Thieves, but even that can be remedied if he takes the time to train in the attic or the gym.
* MeaningfulName: His Phantom Thief name, Joker. In a poker deck, the Joker is the wild card, representing infinite possibility, and is considered the equivalent to the tarot deck's Fool card, Joker's reigning arcana.
** His CanonName Amamiya Ren 雨宮 蓮: 雨 means rain, 宮 means palace and 蓮 means lotus. The double meaning here is that not only is he the leader of the Phantom Thieves come to rain on the palace, but the lotus in Buddhist teachings is symbolic of purity and cleansing.
** The surname from the manga, Kurusu 来栖, translates to "coming to roost". This applies to how he finds a FamilyOfChoice in Sojiro and the Phantom Thieves over the course of the story.
* MessyHair: Lampshaded frequently throughout the game. He's still [[UnkemptBeauty quite attractive]], though.
* MistakenForGay: In one of Yusuke's social links, they mistake a pair of siblings for a couple... and it turns out ''they'' thought Joker and Yusuke were a couple.
* MrFanservice: [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8MfoBZXcAAcBr6.png:large You judge]]. Between his [[TallDarkAndHandsome looks]], [[BadassLongcoat outfit]], [[ArousedByTheirVoice voice]], and [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys attitude]], he's definitely got a devoted female fanbase and more than a few fanboys.
* MundaneUtility:
** He can use his Third Eye skill in the real world to identify fish and find the winner's tags at the fishing pond, and to slow down pitches in the batting cages.
** While giving you a massage, Kawakami can make the observation that Joker is deceptively buff and muscled under his clothes, the implication being that running around in the Metaverse keeps him in shape.
* NamedByTheAdaptation: The manga adaptation gave him the name "Akira Kurusu", while the 2018 AnimeOfTheGame and the rhythm-game sequel ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight'' both use "Ren Amamiya" for him. Averted in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''; he has no proper given name there and has only been referred to as Joker thus far.
* NervesOfSteel: Lampshaded by Mishima when being confronted by two violent street thugs didn't even do so much as make Joker ''flinch'' (whereas Mishima himself was practically crapping his pants). He's also fully willing to stand in the way of Futaba's uncle to defend her, even with the knowledge that another confrontation could lead to his probation getting revoked, simply side-stepping an oncoming punch and letting the guy fall flat on his face.
* NewTransferStudent: Becoming a trend for ''Persona'' protagonists. In his case, however, he gets sent away to Tokyo after a MiscarriageOfJustice lands him on probation. You join him as he's forced to transfer from his local school to Shujin Academy.
* NiceGuy: While he can be quite TheGadfly and something of an obnoxious show-off, he's also deeply caring and is constantly getting into trouble because he wants to help people even when they refuse him or if it's dangerous for him. He is also quick to stick up for people close to him and is willing to risk life-and-limb to change the world that has wronged him for the better.
* NiceHat: Arsène wears an extremely tall metallic top hat.
* NiceShoes: Joker's Metaverse outfit includes a neat pair of winklepickers, a type of Cuban-heeled boot with an elongated, pointed toe box.
-->'''Random Shadow Dialogue:'''''"Come at me, Clown-Shoes!"''
* NighInvulnerable: After beating the game's ultimate {{Superboss}}, [[spoiler:Caroline and Justine]], on New Game+, Joker obtains the Omnipotent Orb, allowing him to NoSell literally any damaging attack in the game except for Almighty attacks. Though, by this point, it's more of an InfinityPlusOneSword and a BraggingRightsReward since you've beaten the greatest challenge the game has to offer.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished:
** He ends up in Tokyo after he attempts to help a screaming woman who's being assaulted by a drunken man, only for the man to end up injured. The man threatens the woman into lying to the police about Joker's involvement, eventually getting him sentenced to a year on probation. Joker is expelled, and forced to transfer to the only school that will accept him as a juvenile offender, and the man who landed him in criminal court walks away scot-free.
** Finally {{subverted}} in the True Ending. [[spoiler:Getting Masayoshi Shido convicted means he has to admit he violated his probation as part of his testimony against him, and he's consequently arrested and sent to juvenile hall the day after Christmas. However, the woman who falsely accused him of assault later recants her statement, his record is wiped, and he's able to walk out of juvenile after serving only two months.]]
* OhCrap:
** You can see a few shocked exclamation marks above his head after he hears about [[spoiler:the fact that testifying against Shido means that he'll be sent to juvenile hall.]]
** He's also always taken aback whenever his non-team Confidants make it clear that he's given away his identity as a Phantom Thief.
* OneHitKill: "Instant Kill", Ryuji's Rank 7 Arcana Bonus, is a skill that allows Joker to instantly defeat nearly any Shadow that's significantly weaker than him during an Ambush. Joker will then receive a free Persona so long as the player has an open slot and doesn't already have it, though he won't receive money, EXP or items. He is also one of the two Thieves who have access to the insta-kill Hama and Mudo spells.
* OneManParty: A properly-equipped Joker can beat any boss by himself and rip through Shadows that outnumber him 6 to 1 like a lawnmower through grass, only ten times as fast. In fact, upon playing a NewGamePlus, he can even challenge [[DualBoss Caroline and Justine]] by himself, and ''he can actually win'' (provided you know what you are doing, of course).
* OneNoteCook: A downplayed example; he can learn to make a mean curry and coffee from Sojiro, but he's not going to be cooking the same variety of dishes as his immediate predecessor.
* OpaqueLenses: Tying into the meek personality he adopts in public, the lenses on his glasses sometimes seem to block out his eyes entirely.
* PairTheSmartOnes:
** By increasing his Knowledge stat, Joker can pursue a romance with Makoto, the student council president and Hifumi, the champion Shogi player.
** This trope also applies to a romance with Futaba, albeit to a lesser extent -- her route isn't stat-locked by intelligence, but by ''kindness''.
* TheParagon: As has been the case since ''Persona 3''. He's the leader and the person who inspires and helps the rest of the cast to work through their issues and become better versions of themselves.
* ParentalIssues: Possibly. In the beginning, Sojiro mocks the protagonist by saying that his parents "got rid of him for being a pain in the ass", and, as with his predecessors, it's true that his parents ''are'' completely absent from the game, but this is hardly conclusive -- we know the least about his homelife prior to the events of the game as we do about any post-''Persona 2'' lead so far, and it's as likely as not that Sojiro was just picking on him, and that all the calls/visitation with his parents happened off-screen.
** Also worth considering is the possibility of his parents deliberately maintaining distance from him to give him a home to come back to once his probation is over, simply because of how ''damaging'' a criminal conviction is in Japan, in a way that's unheard of in the West.
* LeParkour: Thanks to the nature of the [[EldritchLocation Metaverse]], Joker can navigate Palaces at a constant sprint, jump between various kinds of platforms, perform one-handed pull-ups when climbing walls that are twice as he is tall with little visible effort, and even jump out of buildings several feet high without having anything to break his fall. The trailers and opening sequences have him effortlessly leaping off high-rise buildings and [[WallJump wall jumping]] between obstacles without a care in the world.
* PhantomThief: As the leader of the supernaturally untraceable Phantom Thieves, he gets the title "The Phantom."
* PlayingCardMotifs: His Persona has multiple hearts on its shoulders, and his heist code name is Joker. In card games, the Joker can act as either the ultimate trump card, the beneficial Wild Card, or harmful unmatched card such as in the Old Maid game; this reflects his role in the story quite nicely.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Like previous Persona protagonists, the variety and power of Joker's Personas is directly proportional to the number of bonds he is able to forge with his friends, which is reflected in being able to fuse increasingly more powerful Personas with more devastating skills as his Confidants progress.
* ThePowerOfHate: Arsène advises Joker to channel his hatred for his enemies into the power of his Persona.
-->'''Arsène:''' Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it!
* PreMortemOneLiner:
** PlayedForLaughs in the beginning of the game when the party talks to a pixie as part of the demon negotiation tutorial. She begs Joker to let her go and he has the option of telling her she can go... to hell. It's so bad she forgets the guns pointed at her and calls him out on it.
** Played straight with the FinalBoss [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth]], right before [[spoiler:blowing his brains out with his Ultimate Persona Satanael.]]
-->'''Joker:''' Begone!
* PsychoticSmirk: He [[http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/p5_150623.jpg strikes]] [[http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/p5_1506231.jpg these]] [[http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/p5_1506233.jpg a lot]]. [[spoiler:In the bad ending where he sides with Yaldabaoth, he gives a partcularly sinister one, complete with an impish chuckle.]]
* PurelyAestheticGlasses: He doesn't appear to need his glasses for vision correction, performing heists and firing guns with pinpoint accuracy even when he isn't wearing them in the Metaverse. As an equippable accessory, they are described as being just to make you look smart. [[spoiler:He goes without them at the very end of the game, no longer needing to hide his true self.]]
* TheQuietOne: Played with and invoked. His seemingly quiet nature is actually a ruse to hide his true self and keep himself out of trouble in the public eye, this being Japanese society where people are quicker to judge. He's significantly wilder when in Phantom Thief mode, but still never speaks more than a single sentence at a time.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: He has light skin to contrast with his messy black hair and dark gray eyes, and is undeniably handsome.
* RedBaron: Arsène introduces himself in his first appearance as "the pillager of twilight."
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand, Arsène and [[spoiler:Satanael]] both actually have red eyes.
* RefusalOfTheCall: He attempts to delete the Metanav app from his phone for a few days, before unwittingly using it to enter Kamoshida's Palace. At the time, Joker didn't know it was a call in the first place.
* ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: [[spoiler:During the Phantom Thieves' calling card message to Shido, after it was reported earlier that their leader was dead, all the thieves appear at the end of the message in shadows and say they are all alive and well. He also is the only one to step out of the shadows and show everyone his face, and personally calls out Shido.]]
* RippleEffectProofMemory: In ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', he's supposed to have forgotten everything that happen due to the laws of space-time resetting themselves when he returned to his world. But his eyes widen and he smirks when he sees Hikari walk on stage at the end of her movie, implying that he recognizes her when no one else can.
* RoundhouseKick: One of Arsène's attack animations is a roundhouse kick, which brings emphasis to his literal stiletto heels.
* SanitySlippage: Throughout his entire interrogation, Joker is quite clearly under a lot of stress as he struggles with the effects of the drug in his body while trying to recount eight whole months of events to Sae on nothing more than sheer willpower. If the player [[EarnYourBadEnding ignores the deadline of any given Palace without getting the treasure inside]], Joker will lose it to a point where his own mind fabricates horrific memories vaguely depicting what would have happened to each of his friends if he actually had failed to save them.
* SatanIsGood: [[spoiler:His version of Satanael is heavily inspired by the ''Shin Megami Tensei'' interpretation of Lucifer, down to having the same character outline and sporting the same arms open wide AssKickingPose.]]
* ScaryShinyGlasses: Can definitely power these up at will.
* SecretRelationship: All of his possible relationships are kept secret for varying reasons, such as the stigma associated with a teacher-student relationship (Sadayo), the stigma associated with relationships to minors (Chihaya, Takemi, Ohya, as well as Sadayo), the girl in question having an ArrangedMarriage (Haru), because he lives with his girlfriend's OverprotectiveDad (Futaba), or simple preference (Ann, Makoto, and Hifumi). None of the other Phantom Thieves are even made aware if Joker has begun dating one/some/all of their female members, with the girl(s) in question opting to display her affections for him in private (e.g. Ann and/or Makoto inviting him for an afternoon stroll on the Hawaiian beach once "nobody else is looking").
* SevenDeadlySins: [[spoiler:The ultimate attack used by Satanael, Sinful Shell, combines the power of all the deadly sins to kill Yaldabaoth, the God of Control.]]
* SexierAlterEgo: Normally he presents himself as a mild-mannered high school student with dorky glasses, but becomes a cocky, exquisitely dressed GentlemanThief during his illicit activities to reform corrupt members of society.
* ShirtlessScene: Doesn't wear a shirt while fighting a training dummy at the gym or doing inverted crunches in his room. There's also any time he visits the local public bath.
* ShrinkingViolet: In contrast to his [[TheStoic stoic]] and resigned behavior at the start of the game and the manga, Ren Amamiya in the anime is far more timid and overly-deferential when he first moves to Tokyo, going so far as to [[VocalDissonance soften and up his vocal pitch]] around adults.
* SignatureScent: He lives, and occasionally works, in a coffee shop, so the scent tends to follow him around. Apparently, the other thieves can tell when he's nearby due to the smell alone (much to his embarrassment).
* SkywardScream: [[spoiler:Arsène does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
* TheSlacker: He takes a few crap jobs, doesn't seem too invested in class, and can, by the player's choice and with one of his teacher's help, nap, craft tools, or read during class, and unlike the previous two protagonists, Joker actually never gets involved in any school clubs outside of assisting Haru with her gardening during her Confidant link. Depending on what the player chooses, this could instead be BrilliantButLazy.
* TheSocialExpert: A low-key example. While his "school life" is practically non-existent, Joker has the best people skills in the party, and he also maintains a small but effective network of characters who owe him favors in some fashion, including a doctor who keeps him supplied with barely-legal drugs, an alcoholic ex-political reporter who personally delivers him contact info and writes puff pieces about the Thieves, a washed-up politician who teaches him oration, and even the owner of a {{Yakuza}}-affiliated "airsoft shop" who supplies the Phantom Thieves with most of their equipment.
* SpannerInTheWorks: What started out as [[spoiler:a plan to use Akechi's plan to kill Joker via turning it into a faked death was relatively simple on paper, as all he had to do was get arrested and interrogated by Sae and convince her to show his phone to Akechi and Futaba will do the rest. Then things go wrong when the police inject him with a TruthSerum, wrecking his memory in several point which causes him to forget that there ''was'' a plan. He does pull through eventually before Sae leaves.]]
* TheStoic: He's quite unflappable, though this is just how he acts in public as to not draw attention to himself. He becomes NotSoStoic around his teammates and confidants, and moreso in the Metaverse, where he drops all subtlety and is a HotBlooded LargeHam BloodKnight.
* StoicSpectacles: Invoked. After the MiscarriageOfJustice that lands him on probation at the start of the story, he starts wearing big, clunky circular glasses to appear more mild-mannered. He only takes them off whenever he's in the Metaverse, and he can see perfectly fine and whoop Shadow ass without them.
* SummonBiggerFish: Unlike his predecessors, he defeats the BigBad by [[spoiler:summoning a Persona physically bigger than him.]]
* SuperWindowJump: He escapes the casino by jumping backwards straight out a window without even pausing to grimace and landing completely unscathed several stories below. Futaba implies the only reason he did it was because it was "a stylish way to end the job", even calling him out for showing off.
* TakingTheHeat: He [[spoiler:ultimately turns himself in as the Phantom Thief in order to prevent his friends from being implicated along with him and to testify against Shido to ensure his conviction. His friends' efforts manage to get him out early, allowing him to go free and is cleared of his probation in two months.]]
* TeacherStudentRomance: Potentially with Sadayo Kawakami, the Temperance Confidant and his homeroom teacher. On the side she moonlights as a [[PlatonicProstitution call-in girl]], with Joker becoming her main client after discovering her secret. Though slightly suggestive, most of the activities she does are practical in nature, such as cooking, cleaning and giving him massages. She does this dressed as a {{Meido}}, though, so it's not entirely innocent. Towards the end of her plotline, however, they can enter into a romantic relationship.
* ThenLetMeBeEvil: In the "Bad Ending" where [[spoiler:he sides with Yaldabaoth, his newfound LackOfEmpathy to the consequences his actions have on the world in light of the realization that humans are simply too lazy, incompetent, or scared to take care of themselves pushes him to [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the brink]] of becoming a ''KnightTemplar peace broker'']], whereas in the "True Ending" where [[spoiler:he rejects Yaldabaoth's [[WeCanRuleTogether offer]], his restored faith in humanity's ability to change allows him to use the collective hope of the citizens of Tokyo to summon the ultimate symbol of freedom to set everyone free from the Demiurge's totalitarian order.]]
* TraumaCongaLine: Remarkably little seems to go right for this kid, and ''how''. The reason he's in Tokyo in the first place is because the woman he personally tried to protect from being assaulted by a drunken man lied to the police about his involvement out of fear, dragging him through a criminal court case that puts an assault conviction on his record. When he gets there, his guardian doesn't trust him, and neither does anyone else at his new school, who all know about his past thanks to a slandering coach who threatened another student into leaking the information online. Once that's out of the way, he himself is [[spoiler:blackmailed (arguably more than once), framed for murder (twice), betrayed a second time, and allows himself to be [[PoliceBrutality arrested, drugged to the point of incoherence, and nearly crippled]] to keep his RagtagBunchOfMisfits from being caught by the authorities. Then, while he's still doped up out of his mind, he's put through a protracted interrogation where his testimony serves as the linchpin for a GambitRoulette plan which, if executed successfully, will save him and his friends from being killed off by a sociopathic murderer. He's then betrayed a ''third'' time by the mentor figure who had, up until this point, been assisting him in honing the supernatural skills that allow him to alter other peoples' psyches, and is nearly wiped from existence. Even after saving the world, he's still forced to serve two months in a juvenile detention center to ensure that the man who got him convicted for assault goes to prison, and he undoubtedly would have had to serve for longer if not for the dedicated lobbying of his friends]]. He may get his happy ending, but even after all that, the police are ''still'' surveying him and his team for any signs of suspicious activity.
* TreadmillTrauma: Joker will get shot right off the treadmill if he fails at it. The fall is nasty enough that Morgana has to ask if he's still alive.
* TheTrickster: An oft-lampshaded trope, and discussed a few times, with Lavenza outright asking him to take the role of a "Trickster".
* {{Troll}}: He can definitely show hints of this. For example, when arranging an interview between Ohya and Mishima, none of the options available to the player do anything to dissuade Mishima that it isn't a blind date.
* UnkemptBeauty: A male example; he looks like he's never touched a hairbrush in his life, has terrible posture, and is referred to as looking messy and disheveled more than a few times in-game (most notably during Makoto's Confidant), but that said, he's probably the prettiest ''Persona'' protagonist, and is ''by far'' the sexiest.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: His and Kawakami's early interactions are changed to be much more awkward and heavy on the ShipTease in the anime and all of it is PlayedForLaughs. Since Ren now has his own personality he gets very flustered and panicked around her, and freaks out at some of her more fanservicey moments.
* WaistcoatOfStyle: Arsène, a Persona reflecting Joker's stylish GentlemanThief tendencies, wears a black waistcoat.
* WarriorTherapist: A literal example -- his work as a Phantom Thief involves him and his friends directly affecting a target's psyche to induce a specific psychological shift, i.e. ridding them of their (self-)destructive tendencies.
* WeaponsOfChoice: As befitting a flamboyant phantom thief with a flair for the dramatic, Joker uses [[KnifeNut knives]] and [[TheGunslinger pistols]].
* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: It's an instant game over if he dies in a fight.
* WeWillMeetAgain: If Arsène is not one of Joker's Persona during the Casino heist, he will appear before and after the battle with Moloch. Arsène warns Joker that his destiny is approaching, and promises to meet Joker again if he survives it.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark:
** Near the end of the game, [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth makes an offer to Joker, offering him the return of his friends, as well as making them all the gods of the new world he intends to create. Nobody would ever know what really happened]]. It's up to the player to choose the outcome, but of course, [[spoiler:the good ending involves Joker refusing Yaldabaoth's offer, citing how it goes against everything he and the Phantom Thieves stand for.]]
** It's not really obvious without RewatchBonus or by [[FridgeBrilliance making the right question]], but the entire opening sequence is this. It turns out that when Joker is intercepted by a SWAT team while escaping from the casino, those were regular police officers facing a high-leveled Persona User in the Metaverse. Joker could have easily moped the floor with them with his Personas, but he didn't even try to despite knowing [[PoliceBrutality what would happen]] [[BadassInDistress to him after his capture]]. That showed some real commitment to the ThouShaltNotKill aspect of the Phantom Thieves' brand of justice, and [[spoiler:to their plan to catch the real mastermind behind the Mental Shutdown cases.]]
* WifeBasherBasher: At the start of the story, Joker ends up on probation after getting arrested for confronting a man attempting to assault a woman. It's later shown that Joker only tried to pull him off of her.
* WingedHumanoid: His Persona, Arsène, is a masked man with giant bird wings.
* AWolfInSheepsClothing: He shows up in public quiet and reserved, wearing NerdGlasses he doesn't need and even carrying an air of penitence he doesn't feel, but when he lets the mask slide away, he can be cheeky, stubborn, and hard to control, and as Joker, he becomes a flashy, passionate, gun-toting, Shadow-eviscerating GentlemanThief with incredible powers.
* WolverineClaws: Arsène has metal claws on the ends of each of its fingers.
* YourCheatingHeart: He can juggle several lovers at a time, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgW41uwP8co will inevitably drop the balls come Valentine's Day]].
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/protag.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Joker]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1abtxxr.png[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Arsène]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arsene.png The Great Thief[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see Satanael]]\\
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/satanael.png The Rebel Archangel[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''The Leader of the Phantom Thieves'']]
!!!'''Arcana:''' 0. Le Mat (The Fool), XXI. Le Monde (The World)
!!!'''Persona:''' [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]]
!!!'''Weapons:''' [[KnifeNut Knives]] and [[{{Handguns}} semi-automatic pistols]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunFukuyama (JP), Creator/XanderMobus (EN)
->''The show's over.''
->'''Arsène:''' ''"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"''
The game's main character, a second-year high school student who is transferred to Shujin Academy in Tokyo after being put on probation for assaulting a molester. While he seems meek and passive, this behavior hides the heart of a trickster that eventually leads to him becoming "Joker", a notorious GentlemanThief. He is aligned with the Fool Arcana, and is subsequently the resident holder of the [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]]. As such, he can switch between hundreds of Personas at will, and said Personas can grow stronger through fusion and through bonding with others.\\\
His Persona is Arsène, the hero of Maurice Leblanc's ''Literature/ArseneLupin'' novels. One of fiction's most famous thieves, Lupin is the [[TropeCodifier archetypal]] PhantomThief, a [[GentlemanThief gentleman]] who steals [[AntiHero from criminals]] [[KarmicThief worse than himself]], both for profit and for the fun of it. As a Persona, Arsène looks like an almost demonic version of the original hero, combining his standard [[SharpDressedMan classy attire]] with massive black wings, long-fingered hands, and a constant CheshireCatGrin, all topped off with red and black attire.\\\
His ultimate Persona is Satanael, the UsefulNotes/{{Gnostic|ism}} equivalent of [[{{Satan}} the Devil]]. Depending on the tradition, Satanael is either [[IHaveManyNames another aspect]] of {{God}} himself, or the greatest of God's angels, who rebelled against his creator in an attempt to steal back his freedom, only to be cast down from Heaven for his pride. In ''Persona 5'', Satanael combines aspects of both, sporting elements of Yaldabaoth the Demiurge and ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'''s standard interpretation of Lucifer, the Rebel King of Hell.
----
* TheAce: To be fair, the previous two protagonists in the series were good at pretty much everything they did, but Joker takes it to new heights with sheer ''style''.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Not him, but rather [[spoiler:his Ultimate Persona; Satanael. This is played straight twice in terms of his FallenHero status, but also his first appearance in a ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' game called ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'' had him [[DemonicPossession possess Spooky]].]]
* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: While his personality is all up to the player in the game, the anime adaptation portrays Joker in his civilian life as somewhat shy and awkward, as opposed to the brash, confident troublemaker he's implied to be in the game. Conversely, the manga adaptations play up Joker's heroic DeadpanSnarker tendencies.
* AdjustingYourGlasses: He's got a habit of pushing up his glasses by the bridge with his index finger. While it's generally done in a semblance of nonchalance, [[spoiler:it becomes much more sinister when he does it in the bad ending where he cuts a deal with [[EldritchAbomination Yaldabaoth]].]]
* {{Adorkable}}: He's got the spirit of a troublemaker, can be a bit of a {{Troll}} at times, and is [[LargeHam given to theatrics]], but in his public mild-mannered persona, he can be rather gawkish yet very humble. In between Metaverse escapades, he can spend hours playing retro video games on a crappy secondhand console, eagerly brew coffee, and work out, with his first attempt at using a treadmill ends in an EpicFail. [[https://twitter.com/km_smitty/status/867469942744068096 Case in point]].
* AdultFear:
** [[spoiler:The events of the bad endings during his recollection of events to Sae are his FridgeHorror moments about the real-world consequences that would have occurred if he had failed to use his supernatural abilities to change events.]]
** [[spoiler:Even on the True Ending route, the police beat him, isolated him in a room deep in the police station, and drugged him with a TruthSerum while interrogating him.]]
* AffectionateNickname: Since he can get under-the-counter pharmaceuticals at a shady back-alley clinic in exchange for his assistance in various clinical trials to help develop a new medicine, Dr. Tae Takemi christens him "my little guinea pig", almost exclusively refers to him as such, and continues to do so even if they start [[RomanceSidequest dating]].
** Also in the anime where Ryuji occasionally calls him Renren. His reaction to it makes it cross over into EmbarrassingNickname.
* AllAccordingToPlan: [[spoiler:The Phantom Thieves orchestrated the entire casino heist, up to and including Joker's arrest by the authorities, to give him the chance to convince Sae to cooperate with them directly, while also exposing [[TheDragon Akechi]] and [[BigBad Shido]] as members of TheConspiracy. That said, it apparently never crossed his mind (or the other Thieves' for that matter) that the police would drug him in captivity just before his interrogation, turning the whole 'fake your death' thing into an insane GambitRoulette.]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in-game to an extent. He has a record and looks the part, but all of the female cast members he can enter relationships with fall for him not for being sexy, or distant, or dangerous, but because [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan he's a supportive, compassionate person who helps them learn to handle and overcome their own issues]].
* AllLovingHero: Despite being dealt a bad hand and subject to injustice at such a young age, he not only helps twenty-odd people from all walks of life deal with their personal issues, but specifically forms his own CaperCrew that [[HeelFaceBrainwashing forcefully reforms]] corrupt members of society in order to galvanize abused people like himself to stand up for themselves.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: He starts the game with pretty much everyone wanting nothing to do with him due to his "record"; fellow students, teachers, police officers, his legal guardian, even his ''own parents'' (though we only hear this interpretation from Sojiro early on; it's unclear how true it actually is). While his situation never changes completely, at least his classmates eventually stop spreading rumors about him. Sojiro gradually warms up to him, to the point that he starts treating him [[LikeASonToMe like a son]].
* AllYourPowersCombined: Like previous protagonists following ''VideoGame/Persona3'', Joker has access to the "Wild Card" ability, which allows him to control hundreds of different Personas and increase their power through the bonds he forms with his friends and accomplices.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Unintentionally becomes this to [[spoiler:Goro Akechi, whose refusal to stand down during his boss fight stems from jealousy over Joker's good fortune in both the friends and love he gained despite being near-condemned by his false record. On top of that, there's his general refusal to believe that Joker is [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex better]] than him]].
* AlwaysWithYou: Even if Arsène isn't part of Joker's inventory, he makes it apparent to him that he won't permanently disappear. [[spoiler:At least until he becomes Satanael and the Metaverse gets destroyed.]]
* AnimalMotif: It's not as prominent as Yusuke's fox or Ryuji's monkey, but WordOfGod noted that Joker was designed to be reminiscent of a cat (despite his mask being bird-themed), possibly due to him being deceptively docile, elegant, hiding mysteries, and the fact that he often wanders through town like a stray cat.
* ArmedLegs: Arsène's CombatStilettos, which he uses in his attack animations.
* AsleepInClass: Like in ''VideoGame/Persona3'', it's possible for him to do this with enough ranks in Kawakami's Confidant, granting him points with a certain other Confidant or a random social parameter rather than putting him in good condition for DungeonCrawling.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: [[spoiler:Satanael as summoned in the final battle is ''massive'', towering above the entire party and seems to be even bigger than the building-sized BigBad. His summon-able version in a NewGamePlus is significantly smaller, though.]]
* AuraVision: His "Third Eye" ability allows him to detect the danger level of Shadows, see which receptacles are hiding treasure, identify otherwise interactable places like gaps and ledges, and even determine the identity of potential Confidants, by displaying various color-coded auras around the object or person in question.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: His Wild Card ability in combination with the Personas he can access late in the game easily allow him to sweep all manner of encounters before his team has a chance to act.
* BadassAdorable: His {{Adorkable}} mannerisms and personality, handsome looks and overall badassery certainly makes him this.
* BadassBaritone: Both Creator/JunFukuyama and Creator/XanderMobus give him a reasonably deep voice, particularly Mobus, which is more evident in his rather aggressive battle quotes (as seen [[https://youtu.be/pbTt0iz-Wvc here]]). Arsène, for his part, speaks in a MagnificentBastard version of Joker's voice.
* BadassDriver: [[DownplayedTrope Sort of]]. He's the Morganamobile's designated chauffeur in Mementos, but Makoto seems to be the crew's getaway driver since she actually has taken driving lessons.
* BadassFingerSnap: Joker uses items in battle by snapping his fingers.
* BadassInANiceSuit: Joker's Metaverse outfit consists of a fancy suit complete with a double-buttoned vest and pocket handkerchief and a pair of red gloves. His Persona, Arsène, wears a [[ClassyCravat white cravat]], waistcoat, and an oversized top hat.
* BadassInCharge: Although forming the Phantom Thieves was Ryuji's idea, Joker is TheLeader, and a OneManParty to boot. Gameplay-wise, he leads the Shadows he subjugates and turns them into his own Personas, and he has the best level gain curve.
* BadassInDistress:
** At the end of TheCaper that serves as the game's ActionPrologue, he's cornered by a triple wall of police officers carrying riot shields while acting as a decoy to allow the other Thieves to escape, and is subsequently captured, beaten, bound to a chair, drugged, and [[PoliceBrutality beaten again]]. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that [[ThePlan he was supposed to get captured]], and eventually he mostly rescues himself, provided you don't get a bad ending.]]
** [[spoiler:Played a bit straighter in the True Ending, as his friends' actions are instrumental in securing his eventual release from juvenile hall.]]
* BadassLongcoat: His thief outfit incorporates a stylish high-collared black trench coat that goes down to his ankles, the coattails of which beautifully flap behind him as he runs.
* BattleCouple: At his choice, he can become one with Ann, Makoto, Haru, or any combination of the three girls. Futaba doesn't count since her dynamic with Joker strictly falls under CombatAndSupport.
* BattleCry: When attacking a Shadow's weakness, Joker will frequently order his persona to "Ravage them!". When using one of the DLC Personas, he will instead use the battle cry of the Persona's past user, such as shouting "[[JustForPun It's Sho-Time!]]" when using [[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax Tsukiyomi]].
** His canon battle cry is "It's Showtime!", according to various sources (when he initiates an All Out Attack that wins the battle, his quote is "The Show's Over", referring back to it), but he doesn't say it much in the actual game itself.
* BewareTheQuietOnes:
** A fairly silent, humble figure in his day-to-day life, Joker regularly tucks himself into an invisible space while making himself small and out of the way: his greatest strength in the real world is helping others become stronger by helping them recognize and overcome their weaknesses. Even then, many of the responses he can give in-game are quite sassy and dismissive -- and ''God help you'' if you are a target.
** Depending on which options are chosen in dialogue, he can be quietly confident or snidely brash. But when he's confronted with actual injustice, he ''still'' holds himself back, even up to the point of [[spoiler:potentially giving Akechi a second chance after Akechi tries repeatedly to kill him]]. But in battle, he has no qualms about going all out, and he will absolutely not stand for injustice even when he's trying to keep a low profile.
* {{BFG}}: [[spoiler:Taken UpToEleven in the final battle, where Satanael carries a ''skyscraper-sized lever-action rifle''.]]
* BigBrotherMentor: To Shinya Oda from the Tower Confidant. Shinya himself notes halfway through the confidant that he sees Joker as an older brother. Amusingly, the Confidant starts with Shinya acting as a sort of mentor to Joker on how to handle gun fights. This dynamic reverses when Shinya's personal problems come to light, with Joker being there for him to listen and/or offer advice, guiding him through his problems. Unlike all of the other Confidants, [[spoiler:who manage to figure out Joker's identity as a Phantom Thief, Joker actually explicitly tells Oda by the end of his Confidant, [[SoProudOfYou particularly because of how much Oda had grown]].]]
* BigEater: Joker can eat his way through all of Big Bang Burger's colossal burger-eating challenges if he has enough Guts, Knowledge, and Proficiency (Level 2 in each for the first challenge, Level 3 for the second, and Level 4 for the final challenge). He has virtually no trouble with eating large amounts of food. Morgana expresses appropriate amounts of disbelief when Joker finishes the Cosmic Tower Burger.
-->'''Morgana:''' Y-you've done it again! Come on, we should head home. I'm full just from watching you...
* BilingualBonus: A bird motif is appropriate for a monster based the archetypical French PhantomThief because the French uses the same verb ("voler") is used to mean both "to steal" and "to fly".
* {{Bishonen}}: Joker may be the prettiest ''Persona'' protagonist yet.
* BloodKnight: Shows hints of this from time to time, from awakening his Persona in a [[https://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/f/fb/Mask_transform.gif/revision/latest?cb=20170226130206 bloody frenzy of smirking insanity]] to flashing scornful leers at his enemies when landing a CriticalHit. When ambushing Shadows, he launches himself several feet into the air to plant the heels of his boots into their shoulders and tear their masks off their faces, grinning while his enemy violently bursts into a tar under his hand. Arsène also seems particularly eager about killing his foes.
-->'''Arsène:''' Kill them however you desire. Run wild to your heart's content!
%% * ABoyAndHisX: His relationship with Morgana is a perfect example, though Morgana is more of a MentorMascot and less of your regular animal sidekick. For bonus points, [[spoiler:Morgana was created by Igor specifically for the purpose of aiding Joker]]. %% Add more context to describe their relationship and what effect it has on them. %%
* BreakingTheFourthWall: In February 2015, Atlus put out a CutAndPasteNote newspaper ad where Joker declared he would crash an upcoming ''Persona'' concert. Sure enough, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxLpadvQOPE near the end of the event,]] the lights were "shot out", and he proceeded to [[StealthPun steal the show]] with ''P5''[='=]s first gameplay trailer.
** A similar stunt occurred when Joker shut down and "infiltrated" the 2018 Video Game Awards theater to announce his participation in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.
* BrilliantButLazy: As long as the player is maxing stats, he's absolutely this. Rarely does he ever pay attention to lectures, and almost every single time he's shown in class, he's either staring out the window or on his phone. Nevertheless, he's still considered one of the more intelligent members of the Phantom Thieves, and regularly makes anywhere from above-average to top-of-the-class grades. It becomes even more pronounced on a NG+, where he does little to no studying outside of school, unless Makoto is nagging the team to prepare for exams.
* ButNowIMustGo: Like the ''VideoGame/Persona4'' main character, he has to go back home at the end of the game, because he's no longer on probation. Unlike in ''P4'', this doesn't stop Joker's friends from tagging along with him.
* CallBack: Interestingly, he's the third character in the series to be named "Joker", the other two being [[AgentPeacock Jun Kurosu]] and [[AxCrazy Tatsuya Sudou]] from the ''Persona 2'' duology. Like his predecessors, he also responds to people who have a wish to be made true by calling their phones and wears a mask to protect his identity. However, ''P5'''s Joker is the only one who genuinely helps people, albeit still through illegal means.
* CallToAgriculture: Starting Haru's Confidant quest chain allows him to harvest vegetables with her at the school's rooftop.
* CanonName: While he has no [[HelloInsertNameHere static given name]], he does have an official ''[[CanonIdentifier nom de guerre]]'' in "Joker." It's the code name that Morgana picks for him, and as with most Atlus games, in promotional material the creators enter his name as "Protagonist" even though they would address him often as "The Phantom" instead which doesn't come up often in the game itself. The manga adaptation, which began serialization shortly after the game's Japanese release, goes with "Akira Kurusu," after he just went unnamed throughout the ''Anime/Persona5TheDayBreakers'' OVA, where he's referred only by his heist codename; similarly, ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'': ''[[UpdatedRerelease Full Body]]'' simply refer to him as "Joker", with no mention of any alter-ego. The odd thing here is that "Akira" is actually spelled with the kanji for "Daybreak". [[ProtagonistTitle Huh]]. Though it's still unknown if Atlus came up with the name and named the OVA as such. The anime and the ''Dancing in Starlight'' have both given him the name Ren Amamiya, making that his canonical name since.
* CapeWings: The image is invoked in Arsène's design. His wings are meant to simultaneously symbolize the dark cowls of thieves and the freedom they have to go wherever they please.
* CassandraTruth: As part of his interrogation, he tells Sae everything she needs to know about him working with a talking cat, stealing hearts, and wandering around mental landscapes, while leaving out details that would incriminate his friends and confidants. It takes him explaining half a dozen incidents for her to actually believe it.
* CastingAShadow: As the resident [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]], Joker can switch Personas at will, but his initial (and most iconic) Persona, Arsène, starts off with Eiha, which is a regular, dark-element attack spell.
* CatSmile: His in-game character model occasionally sports a smirking version of this, most easily observed when he obtains a new mask.
* CelibateHero: There is the option to play him this way, and the player is stuck with certain default choices if Joker does not enter a relationship:
** In Hawaii, he's stuck hanging out with Ryuji, Yusuke and Mishima by default. If Makoto and Hifumi's respective Confidants are at a high enough level by the time the trip takes place, they can also invite Joker out to the beach, although they do it more as a close friend and not as a romantic partner.[[note]]Due to the timing of the school trip and the steep requirements to progress in either Confidant, it is next to impossible to properly court either Makoto or Hifumi, hence why their own events are more platonic in nature. Contrast with Ann and Kawakami, both of whom can be romanced well before Hawaii and are explicitly more affectionate about it if Joker chooses to spend time with them.]]
** If he has no relationship during the Cultural Festival, Haru acts as the game's default choice to have both get to know each other, although Ryuji can tag instead if his Confidant (much like Joker's potential girlfriends) has been maxed out.
** [[spoiler:He spends Christmas Eve with Sojiro and Futaba if he doesn't date anyone around that time.]]
** [[spoiler:Finally, Ryuji passes by the cafe on Valentine's and hands Joker a chocolate while complaining about girls.]]
* ChainedByFashion: Arsène is surrounded by totally aesthetic, ornate iron chains which Joker grips onto whenever he's summoned. [[spoiler:Joker breaks these chains when he [[EvolutionPowerUp evolves]] into Satanael.]]
* CharacterTics: Has quite a few. He can regularly be seen pushing up his glasses, playing with a lock of his hair, spinning his phone on his fingers, or shoving his hands into his pockets during his [[IdleAnimation idle animations]] or in cutscenes, and he will often appear to rub the back of his neck when choosing certain DialogueTree response or doing an activity that raises a social stat. He also taps the floor with the tip of his shoe when nervous or bored and habitually tightens his gloves during his PhantomThief activities, to the point it's part of his All-Out-Attack VictoryPose, IdleAnimation, ''and'' running animation.
* CharClone: Wears a Mask and is part of the organization that resists society's current state and serves as a BigBrotherMentor to one of the confidants with red colored gloves and a red colored persona with the potential power that makes him stand out from the rest of the group as their ace.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: A borderline example. Unlike his predecessors, Joker can regularly engage in various human parameter-increasing activities like martial arts workouts with a fighting dummy and pull-ups in his room; gameplay-wise, this actually boosts his stats.
* CheshireCatGrin: Arsène has a constant grin made of hellish flames plastered across his face. In fact, the highest level of [[CastingAShadow curse magic]] he can use to kill his foes with forms the same blood red flame-smile on use.
* ChickMagnet:
** He can simultaneously gain the affections of every last female party member and most female Confidants, for a total of nine potential romantic partners. In addition to Ann, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru, this includes a famous shogi player from another school, a journalist, a fortune teller, a medical doctor, and even his [[TeacherStudentRomance homeroom teacher]]. [[spoiler:Cheating ''will'' get you punished, albeit not permanently (thanks to Sojiro)]]. Even if one opts for the 'friendship' route during the penultimate stage of their Confidants, it's highly evident in their behavior that most of the girls end up falling for him anyway, and are just unwilling to act on their feelings unless ''he'' makes the first move. Ann, for example, admits to Joker (if you are dating her and bring her to his room) he was already making her heart race the first time she took him to Inokashira Park. Haru sounds outright heartbroken if you choose to stay platonic with her, and has to retreat to her room after her Rank 9 event. [[spoiler:And while he can't actually romance the Velvet Twins, [[PrecociousCrush it's obvious that Caroline and Justine also fall for him]], and their "fused" form, Lavenza, will even give him a heartfelt LoveConfession if he talks to her with the reward for beating the twins in his inventory]]. {{Justified}} because... well, [[{{Bishonen}} have you SEEN him?]]
** It gets lampshaded in ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight''. Ryuji and Yusuke are jealous of the fact that Joker is getting friendly with the ladies and interrogate him to learn his secret.
--->'''Ryuji:''' You bastard, getting all of the sweet experiences alone. Speaking of which, this guy's relations with women is a real mystery, right? He's acquainted with people like that [[HospitalHottie beautiful female doctor]]. There are others, aren't there? It'd be fine if you introduced them to us, right?\\
'''Joker:''' Look for one yourself.\\
'''Ryuji:''' You can't tell us? As expected, you're hiding something from us, eh?\\
'''Yusuke:''' People say that "great men are fond of sensual pleasures". We should make that clear on this occasion. ''[flexing his fists]'' I'll have you confess everything. Are you ready?\\
'''Ryuji:''' That's right! Let the interrogation begin! ''[Ryuji and Yusuke subject Joker to a rapid-fire series of questions]''
** In ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', the girls confront him about his womanizing with thinly veiled threats should he choose to flirt with Hikari.
--->'''Morgana:''' Seriously... If you keep getting carried away like that, you're going to end up in some real trouble someday.\\
'''Haru:''' ''[[[DissonantSerenity giggling]]]'' You're fussing too much, Mona-chan. There's no way Joker would ever do that--right?\\
'''Ann:''' That's right. You'd never make a girl cry--huh, Joker?\\
'''Joker:''' ''[EyeTake]'' ''[breaks into a cold sweat]''\\
'''Makoto:''' Yes, the rumors about him being sleazy turned out to be false accusations... [[RuleOfThree Isn't that so?]]\\
'''P4 hero:''' Ah--This maelstrom I'm sensing in them...\\
'''P3 hero:''' Yeah... Joker, you might want to watch your back.
* ChivalrousPervert:
** He checks out Ann along with the other boys during two animated cutscenes, and can potentially flirt with ''and'' tap nearly every girl he interacts with, but still, he's quite protective of the girls -- especially Futaba, with whom he's shown to be very accepting of her general eccentricity and goes out of his way to protect her from her EvilUncle -- and there's no doubt that all of his female Confidants would be knee-deep in shit (if not ''dead'') if it wasn't for his constant help.
** He can also be very conscientious of the girls he's interested in if you choose to play him that way. In ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight'', Ryuji asks what Joker's type is. Joker can respond by saying that the girl he's dating is his type, which Ryuji immediately lampshades.
--->'''Ryuji:''' Alright, you're next! What type of girl are you interested in?\\
'''Joker:''' The girl I come to like is my type.\\
'''Ryuji:''' There it is! The model answer that offends nobody!
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Over the course of the game, he's betrayed on ''three'' separate occasions: by the woman he protected from assault, by the Traitor who sells him out at the Casino, and by [[spoiler:"Igor" himself, who turns out to be an impostor manipulating him to sate his own god-complex.]]
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Arsène himself notes this -- as the last time Joker tried to help someone in need, the penal system slapped an assault charge on his record for his trouble -- and even wonders if the resolve he showed in the past was genuine or not. This in turn proves to be the catalyst for his Persona Awakening, as his desire to help the helpless is the basis of his rebellious will, allowing him to form a contract with Arsène and summon him to save Ryuji from Kamoshida.
* ClarkKenting: In a literal sense, as he wears PurelyAestheticGlasses outside of his "Joker" persona. He's also the only one of the Phantom Thieves ''not'' to [[NonuniformUniform customize his school uniform]].
* ClarkKentOutfit: Kawakami's massages reveal his gallivanting around the Metaverse has given him a rather ripped physique, which is normally concealed by his outfit.
** Taken UpToEleven in the ''Mementos Missions'' manga. [[https://s3.mkklcdnv3.com/mangakakalot/v2/vt917687/vol1_chapter_2_a_tasteless_story/1.jpg Just]] [[https://s3.mkklcdnv3.com/mangakakalot/v2/vt917687/vol1_chapter_2_a_tasteless_story/2.jpg look.]] How his clothes conceal ''that'' physique is a mystery!
* ClassyCravat: Arsène wears a long white cravat around its neck, to go with its classy top hat and other fineries.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: You have the option to play him as this, as there's a weird or joke response option in most {{Dialogue Tree}}s.
** While trying to get into Kamoshida's Palace via the Metaverse app:
--->'''Ryuji:''' What's this eyeball-lookin' thing?\\
'''Joker:''' Cute logo, huh?
** After Morgana shows up in the real world:
--->'''Ryuji:''' A cat's speaking! Can you hear it too?\\
'''Joker:''' Meow?\\
'''Ryuji:''' ''This is no time to be jokin' around!''
* ClearMyName: [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveCOnnections Given who got him in the whole mess in the first place]], Joker doesn't make any effort to do this as well as knowing nothing else about the guy who has also seemingly disappeared. [[spoiler:Upon realising that it's Shido and he's marked as the next target, Joker is given the opportunity to get the assault charge marked off, but Sae points out that it's going to be difficult to do that. He's officially given a blank slate at the end.]]
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Plays this to both Yusuke and Futaba during their Confidants, but moreso with Futaba.
* CluelessChickMagnet: The manga has him unknowingly charming girls.
* ColdHam: Joker rarely speaks, but while in the Metaverse, his dramatic facial expressions, mannerisms, and penchant for flashiness say plenty.
* CombatParkour: Fights quite stylishly with his knives and guns, shredding his enemies with nimble, curving movements, and can learn a showy GunFu special skill that can knock even [[BonusBoss The Reaper]] off his feet.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter:
** The ''P3'' protagonist works for the express purpose of saving the world from Shadows, while the ''P5'' protagonist and his crew are imparting justice on those they believe deserve it. The ''P3'' protagonist is a relative newcomer to S.E.E.S. [[note]]At the start of the game, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Yukari are already members, while Shinjiro is a former member[[/note]], while the ''P5'' protagonist founds the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. The ''P3'' protagonist is a relatively well-respected student, and the majority of his/her friends are from the school, while the ''P5'' protagonist has a bad reputation, and only two of his Confidants outside of the party are from Shujin Academy (and one is a teacher).
** He makes a bigger {{Foil}} to the ''P4'' protagonist, Yu Narukami:
*** Yu is a model student who works in secret to help the police solve a series of crimes. He wears his uniform in a casual style, but in contrast, his hair is neatly styled. Meanwhile, Joker is a delinquent on probation who ''commits'' crimes against the real crooks because the local police can't or won't do anything about it. He wears his uniform quite professionally, but his hair is unkempt.
*** Yu puts on glasses while fighting Shadows because said glasses help him see through the fog of the Shadow world, where he also wears his school uniform. Joker wears PurelyAestheticGlasses to make himself look harmless, and he removes them while fighting Shadows in the Metaverse to reveal a stylish thief outfit modeled by his own Persona.
*** [[spoiler:Both remove their glasses when they become unnecessary at the end of the game. Yu can see through Izanami's fog, and Joker's name is cleared and he no longer has to live a lie.]]
*** Yu has a pretty clunky fighting style that leaves the impression that his WeaponOfChoice is more heavy than he would like, awkwardly swinging his swords like a baseball bat, and he only gets any proper fighting skills in the fighting game spin-offs. In stark contrast, Joker displays highly choreographed attacks and ultra-proficency with knives and handguns.
*** Yu went from a big city to a small town for a fairly mundane reason (his parents are overseas and he's living with his uncle), while Joker had to go from a small town to a big city because he's on probation after being WronglyAccused for "assaulting" a CorruptPolitician, his parents apparently "got rid of him for being a pain the ass", and he had to transfer schools.
*** Yu's school life is extremely important, and the fun times he has at Yasogami High are a major part of the good times he has during his time in Inaba, as is his predecessor from ''P3'' for whom after-school clubs were integral to keeping up Social Links. Joker's school life, in contrast, is almost non-existent (albeit not to [[VideoGame/Persona2 Tatsuya's]] level), and all of his Confidants are with people around town who are similarly shunned by society. Some of the most ''unpleasant'' parts of the game take place at Shujin, [[spoiler:and he even ''stops attending school altogether'' for a month after Sae frees him from his interrogation, although that's justified due to having to fake his own death]]. However, school does remain an integral for a few stat-boosting reasons (along with one of his confidants being his homeroom teacher) and often provides hints and foreshadowing in the game.
*** Both Yu and Joker [[spoiler:have the option of pulling a FaceHeelTurn by cutting a deal with the main villains of their respective games; Yu with Adachi, and Joker with Yaldabaoth. Yu has to take the initiative in making the deal by willfully concealing Adachi's guilt and then privately confronting him about it later. Adachi is outright shocked when Yu willingly destroys evidence linking him to the crime and gleefully taunts Yu over it. Yu is visibly distraught by his actions, knowing that he'll remain under Adachi's thumb for the rest of his life. In Joker's case, it's Yaldabaoth who offers him a deal after a failed attempt to have him killed, and once Joker accepts, he keeps his word, not appearing to be particularly surprised by the outcome (though he does comment that Joker ultimately succumbed to his own desires). Joker, in turn, seems to have no issues whatsoever with his decision, and in fact sports a sinister smirk knowing that the city is effectively under his control]].
*** In the animation versions, both used dragon-like Personas in specific scenes. Yu used the Kohryu Persona based on an Eastern dragon, while Joker used the Seth Persona shaped like a Western wyvern.
*** In a flashback, it's shown that Yu's old classmates did not take the news of him transferring well, showing that he's well-liked. Joker, however, is treated as a pariah following the incident.
** Previous protagonists generally tend to lean towards swordsmanship. Joker is a [[TheGunslinger Gunslinging]] KnifeNut.
** [[spoiler:The ultimate Personas of the ''P3'' and ''P4'' protagonists are [[TheMessiah Messiah]] and the GodOfGods Izanagi-no-Okami respectively. ''P5'''s protagonist's ultimate Persona is an analogue to the FallenAngel [[{{Satan}} Lucifer]] and an enemy of God.]]
** Unlike his predecessors' anime counterparts, Ren is rather shy and introverted, and doesn't have a dry sense of humor or serves as a StraightMan when joining his friends' hijinks. While the anime adaptations of Persona 4 and 3 focus more on the protagonists' personal developments, Ren is mostly a non-entity in his anime, like in the game.
* ConvenientlySeated: On the second-last seat next to the window with Ann directly in front of him, usually to show them both whip out their phones in class.
* CoolBigBro:
** He's only a year older than her, but he certainly acts this way with Futaba -- aside from being her LivingEmotionalCrutch, he cooks for her, plays video games with her, and lets her barge into and monopolize his room. You can play a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]], though, if you romance her, in which case the protagonist becomes an UnderstandingBoyfriend.
** Played straighter with Shinya Oda, a troubled grade-schooler who the protagonist acts as a surrogate brother to in his Confidant link.
* CulturedBadass: You can't increase the Knowledge stat without hitting the books. When he's not bashing Shadow skulls or making crooks repent for their crimes, he's likely back at Leblanc brewing some coffee or picking up shogi with Hifumi.
* TheCutie: The first male Persona protagonist to hold this trope (preceeded by [[VideoGame/Persona2 Maya]]) since his {{Adorkable}} personality makes him both adorable and endearing.
* DarkIsNotEvil: He and his Persona wear black clothing, and Arsène naturally uses darkness spells and has a sinister, demonic appearance fit for a messenger of hell, but are actually anti-heroes fighting [[TheHeartless Shadows]] and far worse criminals, rather than outright villains.
* DarkMessiah: [[spoiler:In the second bad ending. After making a deal with Yaldabaoth, Joker keeps up his activities as the Phantom Thief, effectively taking over the town and turning it into his own police state.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: There is almost always a sarcastic dialogue option available, even towards the snobbish CreepyTwins who act as his prison guards in the Velvet Room. Caroline always seems to get the blunt of it, though.
-->'''Caroline:''' Hey, are you laughing at us!?\\
'''Joker:''' [[BluntYes I sure am]].
* DealWithTheDevil: [[spoiler:In the second bad ending, Joker is able to make a deal with Yaldabaoth in which in exchange for not interfering with his plans with the Holy Grail, he will stop the worlds from merging and leave control over the city to the Phantom Thieves.]]
* DeathGlare: Gives an especially icy one to [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth]] in the final battle just before [[spoiler:he blows the god's head off with a bullet empowered by the Seven Deadly Sins.]]
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:In the first bad ending, rather than give his killer the dignity of a response, he merely glares right at them right up until they pull the trigger.]]
* DependingOnTheArtist: While mostly consistent, Joker's appearance varies slightly in some of the spin-off material. Namely his hair and glasses. His hair can be very defined and on the shorter side, or it can be a solid black shaggy mess. Are his glasses square? Round? Large? Small? There really doesn't seem to be an answer.
* {{Determinator}}: Massively so. Whether it be an [[spoiler:unfair and unjust probation, two supernatural twins beating down on him, or the living embodiment of man's desire for social order erasing him from existence, he doesn't quit.]]
* DidTheyOrDidntThey: Like the last two games, romancing a female party member or Confidant and then reaching the 10th rank of their Confidant link will heavily imply that Joker and his lady companion of choice were physically intimate, but this time, the game lays the suggestion [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex every single time he brings a girlfriend to his room]]. This sometimes gets more blatant than usual, like, for example, Ann's dialogue during her Valentine's Day event:
-->'''Ann:''' Argh, enough of this! I came here to have fun with you!...You've kept me waiting way too long. I'll smack you if you say I'm too heavy...
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler:Did he just nail ''a physical god'' in the head to save Christmas? Nah, he just shot the godlike, corporeal manifestation of Tokyo's collective desire for social order to save Christmas. No big deal.]]
* DivingSave: When first attacked by the [[spoiler:Sphinx in Futaba's Palace, Joker leaps to push Makoto out of the way of flying debris before she gets squashed.]]
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: An inversion, given that he's the viewpoint character, but [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist Sae]] probably didn't expect the mastermind of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts to be that random kid in the background during one of her arguments with Sojiro.
* DominoMask: His bird-styled MaskOfPower covers around his eyes and the bridge of his nose, but leaves the rest of his face visible.
* DownloadableContent:
** In ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', his mask and longcoat are available as DLC costume pieces.
** In ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}} Full Body'', he is a DLC character for the Babel and Coliseum modes, and the other Phantom Thieves provide running commentary.
** He is the second DLC character to be revealed for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Like the ''P4'' protagonist, Joker is also one of the few ''SMT'' protagonists to receive a happy ending in his game. With his probation complete, he is now a free man.
* EquippableAlly: Not Joker himself, but he can execute one of his Personas to turn them into items or skill cards once-per-day. Many of the best weapons and armor in the game can only be obtained by itemizing his Personas this way. For instance, executing Lucifer along with a Model Gun as a base (which can be obtained from the Dark Net or by trading Mothman figures in Akihabara) will produce the Tyrant Gun, a weapon for Joker with a whopping 390 attack power, far exceeding any of the guns purchasable or customizable at Untouchable.
* EtTuBrute: After his capture in the prologue, he struggles as he's pinned to the ground... but when he's told that he's been sold out (presumably by one of his friends), he gives up. [[spoiler:And then it's massively [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] when it's revealed that his behavior was all an act -- he knew ''exactly'' who the traitor was from the very beginning and had anticipated ''every single one'' of their actions.]]
* EvilLaugh:
** As a demonic AntiHero, Joker's Persona Arsène is capable of very convincing evil laughs.
** Joker will also spout impressive peals of impish laughter when certain villainous DLC Personas such as Tsukiyomi gain new skills through leveling up.
* ExpelledFromEveryOtherSchool: He was expelled from the school in his hometown when he was convicted of assault. Shujin Academy, a stuffy, elite preparatory school looking to gain some good publicity for "reforming a criminal", warily accepts him on the condition that he behave himself while he's enrolled there. If he doesn't, his next stop is juvenile detention.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler:In the first bad ending, all his killer gets from him is a stoic glare. Averted in the NonStandardGameOver, where he is visibly shaking with fear, and subverted in the route to the true ending, where he doesn't actually face death at all.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:In the second bad ending via DealWithTheDevil with Yaldabaoth.]]
* FakeMemories: [[spoiler:The details of how he is arrested in the NonstandardGameOver endings -- usually as an indirect consequence of failing to reform a target's heart in time, along with terrible things happening to some of his friends -- are these due to his drugged state during the interrogation.]]
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:In order to avoid the bad ending where he dies, Joker exploits a phone modified by Futaba using the Casino's [[RealityWarper reality warping ability]] to activate the [[InterdimensionalTravelDevice Metanav App]] when Akechi attempts to kill him and tries to make it look like suicide, making him kill a mental projection instead while Joker calmly sits in the interrogation room MagnificentBastard-style with a smug grin on his face. Once his "death" is broadcasted, he escapes the police building with Sae's help, and has to remain in Leblanc without showing his face until the Thieves can send Shido's CallingCard.]]
* FallenAngel: His Ultimate Persona is the UsefulNotes/{{Gnostic|ism}} version of the TropeCodifier, [[spoiler:{{Satan}}ael.]]
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: At the beginning of the game, he rescues a woman from being sexually harassed by a drunkard. She thanks him by testifying that he randomly assaulted her. Justified as the drunkard is actually a powerful politician, and promised that he would make her life a living hell if she didn't. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, she retracts her statements and confesses what really happened, which helps Joker go free.]]
* FighterMageThief: Fits the third mold in relation to his two immediate predecessors, being a gunslinging, knife-wielding PhantomThief with the ability to LeParkour, [[StealthExpert sneak around Palaces]], FlashStep between various forms of cover, [[GunboatDiplomacy hold enemy Shadows at gunpoint]], and OneHitKill Shadows on surprise attacks. He also has the best tactics of the three, such as [[ExtraTurn Baton Pass]], [[CombinationAttack Random Fire]], and [[GunFu Down Shot]].
* TheFixer: His team role outside of combat. Need to turn a pirate's hoard worth of gold and jewels into cash? Need to snap up an assault rifle or a medieval battle ax? Want an article on the front page of tomorrow's paper? Or a backpack's worth of experimental drugs? Joker knows the people to call and will happily take care of all of it.
* FlashStep: In a step up from previous protagonists, Joker can jump from cover to cover during DungeonCrawling, flying forward several feet in a flash of SpeedLines.
* TheGadfly: Depending on how you characterize him, he's either this, a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, or a mixture of both. Since choosing the weirder or more joking dialogue options tends to net a response, he could very well be saying them just to get a rise out of people.
-->'''Makoto:''' Honestly though, I'm in shock. She thought I was a robot...\\
'''Joker:''' Beep boop.\\
'''Makoto:''' Don't tease me!
* GenderBlenderName: Both official names (Akira and Ren) are unisex names.
* GentlemanThief: His "Joker" identity certainly seems to evoke this, judging by his [[BadassInANiceSuit Nice Suit]], DominoMask, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxLpadvQOPE dramatic performance]] at the ''Night of the Phantom'' event.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: His Persona Arsène sports black angel wings, to match his AntiHero personality. The wings of [[spoiler:Satanael]], his Ultimate Persona, are feathered at their base but become bat wings at the end.
* GrayEyes: Strong-willed, calm, reliable, and handsome, yet also quite cheeky and resistant to corrupt forms of control-based authority.
* GrinOfAudacity: His signature expression as Joker, fitting given his stance as a defiant rebel who stands against overwhelming odds.
* GuestFighter:
** He was the first revealed downloadable character in the "Fighters Pack" for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
** Joker is DLC for ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}: Full Body'', which has him replace Vincent with the other Phantom Thieves providing running commentary.
* GuileHero: Besides his talents as a pseudo-therapist, he's constantly noted to be a trickster at heart. He can bribe, manipulate, and negotiate with enemy Shadows to get them do what he wants, and [[spoiler:he's even able to play the Traitor like a fiddle]]. Even more impressive, though, is the fact that he managed to [[spoiler:earn the trust of jaded prosecuting attorney Sae by appealing to her lost sense of justice during an interrogation in which he was exhausted, beat-up, and blitzed on an unknown drug.]]
* GunFu: His "Down Shot" ability (which you learn by befriending the Tower Arcana Confidant) allows him to knock down nearly any foe by unloading all his shots - or just six with Tower Rank 6 - while flipping all over the place like an acrobat.
* {{Handguns}}: His firearms of choice.
* HelloInsertNameHere: Like previous games, the protagonist has no given name other than using "Protagonist" or "Yourself" in previews. His title "The Phantom", used outside of the game itself, however, is static, as is his heist code name "Joker". In spoken dialogue, the characters will avoid saying his name in various ways when it's included in text by using "Joker," "this guy," "him," or just skipping his name altogether.
-->'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, text box:''' So, you're (player's chosen name)?\\
'''Sojiro meeting the protagonist, spoken line:''' So, you're the guy?
* HeroicMime: Downplayed. Unlike previous protagonists, he actually has a number of voiced lines, even in some cutscenes, and will often drop several StockPhrases in in-game menus and battles. Likewise, most of the in-game narration is actually his InnerMonologue, instead of the second-person narration used in the previous games. However, he still never voices his DialogueTree lines, and has the fewest spoken lines of any main character in the game, for a total of about seven minutes of voiced dialogue in a 100-plus hour game. Zigzagged in the anime adaptation, where he's still quiet and at first visibly depressed, but in just two episodes, he manages to speak more than he did in the whole game. Despite that, however, he's still treated as a non-character in the anime and he only speaks short sentences in response to other characters, with some notable exceptions.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: At the start of the game, he helps a woman being sexually assaulted, only to be treated as a violent delinquent by those around him due to the molester having connections with the local police.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Forms such a bond with Ryuji and Morgana, but specially the latter due to their ABoyAndHisX dynamics.
* HiddenInPlainSight: [[spoiler:Throughout the month of December, when Joker is forced to fake his death due to Akechi's betrayal, he still manages to operate without much trouble even despite the Japanese Government now knowing his identity. Thanks to Shido's obsession with subterfuge to keep anything from linking back to him, Joker's identity remains anonymous to the public at large and even most officials are largely in the dark.]]
* HolyHalo: [[spoiler:Inverted since it's treated as a symbol of how [[{{Satan}} Satanael]] ''was'' holy before his fall from grace, rendering it now a demonic halo ringed with bat wings, but he still firmly falls under DarkIsNotEvil, making it visually contrasting [[LightIsNotGood Yaldabaoth's]] more classical halo with angel wings.]]
* HornedHumanoid: Arsène has the appearance of a crimson man with two black and red horns coming out of its forehead.
* HotBlooded: Underneath the cool exterior he puts on in his day-to-day life, he's a smug daredevil who leads a group of stylishly-dressed vigilantes with great gusto, has a flair for the dramatic, and is variously referred to as a passionate trickster, a gambler, and someone who never takes "no" for an answer.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: He's OneHeadTaller than Futaba and the two can be a couple. FanArt took this hard and [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/871cf1d9-85fb-456a-a2f4-13b3e0a6c33c ran with it]].
* IKnowMortalKombat: He polishes his marksmanship by playing an arcade shooter with Shinya, letting him do things like hit someone whose cognition is supposed to make him "invincible" by dodging every attack.
* InfinityPlusOneSword:
** His Ultimate Persona is [[spoiler:Satanael, the Gnostic equivalent of the devil. It starts off at level 95, has top-tier skills like Maeigaon, Megidolaon, and Victory Cry, and at least resists every element.]]
** His best melee weapon is Paradise Lost, gained by itemizing his Ultimate Persona. It gives him increased resistance to Curse damage.
** His best ranged weapon is either Natarja (itemize Metatron to gain +5 to all stats) or the Tyrant Pistol (itemize Lucifer to gain +10 Magic and deal more gun damage).
* InformedAttractiveness: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. While he ''is'' really good-looking and his fangirls [[RealLife IRL]] are a testament to that (see ''Bishonen'' above), in addition to the fact that the artbook reveals the character designer intended him to be "polished and sexy", in-game, he's instead been described as looking disheveled at times, and once got the nickname "frizzy hair".
** Interestingly, the ''Mementos Mission'' manga averts this. Ren is attractive enough that he catches the attention of a talent scout.
* InnerMonologue: The game's narration consists primarily of his own thoughts as he's being interrogated by Sae.
* InnocentCohabitation: With Futaba, after she joins the party. They can both start staying at Leblanc during afternoons and on weekends without ending up in a romantic relationship for most of her Confidant quest chain. The player can then decide if they want to pull a RelationshipUpgrade or play the trope straight.
* InstitutionalApparel: During visits to the Velvet Room, he is dressed in black and white pinstripes.
* InTheHood: He starts wearing a gray hoodie with the hood up after [[spoiler:he's "killed" late in the game, and has to stay incognito so the police and the Conspiracy don't realize the truth]]. It's deconstructed slightly in that wearing the hood in public with the other Phantom Thieves actually makes him stand out more next to his friends who are wearing their school uniforms, which draws the suspicion of a nearby police officer.
* IWillWaitForYou: On his last day, some of the girls he romanced say this to him before he leaves.
* JustAKid: At the beginning of the game, Sojiro mocks him by telling him his probation is what he deserves for sticking his nose into a dispute between adults, even if he did prevent a woman from being raped or physically assaulted.
* KarmaHoudini: Zig-zagged. If he [[YourCheatingHeart romances more than one girl at once]], they eventually find out on Valentine's Day and beat his ass the proceeding day. However, Sojiro then convinces them off-screen that it was a misunderstanding, and on the final day, the girls the protagonist romanced act like they never discovered his cheating, meaning that he got away with his infidelity in the long run.
* KnifeNut: Wields a surprising hodgepodge of knives ranging from [[KukrisAreKool kukri knives]] to kopis and skinning knives, as well as various daggers, [[MacheteMayhem machetes]], and at least one ''scalpel'' as his melee weapons, in contrast to most ''Persona'' protagonists, who [[HeroesPreferSwords prefer swords]].
* LargeHam:
** Shown in full flux as he dramatically introduced himself at the first ''Persona 5'' gameplay trailer unveiling, and even in the game proper he's incredibly theatrical with a penchant for tactical taunting. You can tell he's ''really'' enjoying the whole "Phantom Thief" angle. Futaba even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it, calling him a showoff when he decides to jump headfirst outside of a stained glass window while the Casino's cognitive guards chase after him, all with a cocky smile on his face, and gracefully falling several stories below in a fall that would otherwise kill him. ''Even as a mouse, he's over-the-top.''
** It's worth noting that his [[BattleCry battle cries]] are among the most aggressive out of the entire party, which is saying something. Particularly when using a DLC Persona to attack an enemy's weakness, Joker will dramatically shout stuff like "Face my fury!"/"It's Sho-Time!" when using [[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax Tsukiyomi]]/Tsukiyomi Picaro's Abyssal Wings, or even something as over-the-top as "DIE, DIE, DIE!" with Asterious/Asterious Picaro's Titanomachia.
* TheLeader: A more prominent example than his predecessors, as he exemplifies all four types at one point or another throughout the story. Of the four, he most often demonstrates his skills as the [[MagneticHero Charismatic type]] while occasionally dipping into the [[GuileHero Mastermind type]]. Generally speaking though, he'll always trust his more knowledgeable (read: vocal) teammates when it comes to the plans, usually deferring to Morgana, Makoto, and Futaba depending on the situation.
* LightningBruiser: Joker can become this at higher levels, with the right Persona or combination of skills. With the Nataraja Gun and the Crystal Skull accessory, he can get +10 to all stats, making him quite formidable. [[spoiler:His ultimate Persona, Satanael, has well-rounded stats and literally no weaknesses; in fact, Satanael resists everything and learns some of the best skills in the game.]]
* LikesOlderWomen:
** All but three of his nine potential romance options are older than he is. Four of them are women in their twenties, one even being his homeroom teacher. Makoto and Haru are both a year older, being third-year students. And of the remaining three that aren't older, two of them are the same age (Ann and Hifumi), making Futaba the only love interest younger than him.
** Lampshaded during Chihaya's Confidant, where she straight up asks him if he is into older women, with one of the responses, which starts her romance, being an enthusiastic "Hell yeah I am."
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Played straight, though increasingly downplayed, in [[{{Hikikomori}} Futaba's]] Confidant link. Having taken a shine to him almost immediately, Joker starts out as one of the only people she's comfortable with, and at the beginning of her link, he's the thin line standing between her and crippling panic attacks whenever she's faced with social interaction, but as her link progresses, and Joker helps engage her in situations further out of her comfort zone, she becomes less and less dependent on him for emotional support. Her Confidant link eventually ends in her being capable of socializing on her own (barring her romance path, where she says she doesn't want to be ''entirely'' independent of Joker, although, for the most part, she still is).
* LooksLikeCesare: His disheveled appearance during the interrogation sequences fits all corners: sunken eyes, deathly pale skin, and a menacing scowl to go along with his already thin frame and scraggly black hair.
* MageMarksman: All of the Thieves can be considered this, but Joker stands out for two reason: one, he's a [[MasterOfAll Wild Card]] which gives him [[{{Understatement}} a little bit of an edge]] over his peers in the mage category, and two, if Shinya's Confidant is completed, he becomes the ''best'' marksman in the team bar none.
* MagikarpPower: With a lot of trial-and-error and fine tuning, it's entirely possible to get early Personas like Arsène to have ''much'' higher stats than any high-level Persona as well as some very powerful skills. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4731CLf2h9g Like so]].
* MagneticHero: He's able to assemble an incredibly diverse list of people to his cause by the end of the game, from his friends at school to a gamer genius pre-teen, to an IntrepidReporter, to a disgraced back-alley doctor, to a politician running for a seat on the national government to supernatural beings.
* MasterOfAll: He has the power of the Wild Card, allowing him to wield multiple Personas. This means he can basically has ever elemental affinity in the game, all buffs and debuffs, and can be geared to do just about anything and everything. Personas fused or found at the endgame also usually have above average stats, making them quite well-rounded. His HP and SP stats might be middle-of-the-road among the Thieves, but even that can be remedied if he takes the time to train in the attic or the gym.
* MeaningfulName: His Phantom Thief name, Joker. In a poker deck, the Joker is the wild card, representing infinite possibility, and is considered the equivalent to the tarot deck's Fool card, Joker's reigning arcana.
** His CanonName Amamiya Ren 雨宮 蓮: 雨 means rain, 宮 means palace and 蓮 means lotus. The double meaning here is that not only is he the leader of the Phantom Thieves come to rain on the palace, but the lotus in Buddhist teachings is symbolic of purity and cleansing.
** The surname from the manga, Kurusu 来栖, translates to "coming to roost". This applies to how he finds a FamilyOfChoice in Sojiro and the Phantom Thieves over the course of the story.
* MessyHair: Lampshaded frequently throughout the game. He's still [[UnkemptBeauty quite attractive]], though.
* MistakenForGay: In one of Yusuke's social links, they mistake a pair of siblings for a couple... and it turns out ''they'' thought Joker and Yusuke were a couple.
* MrFanservice: [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8MfoBZXcAAcBr6.png:large You judge]]. Between his [[TallDarkAndHandsome looks]], [[BadassLongcoat outfit]], [[ArousedByTheirVoice voice]], and [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys attitude]], he's definitely got a devoted female fanbase and more than a few fanboys.
* MundaneUtility:
** He can use his Third Eye skill in the real world to identify fish and find the winner's tags at the fishing pond, and to slow down pitches in the batting cages.
** While giving you a massage, Kawakami can make the observation that Joker is deceptively buff and muscled under his clothes, the implication being that running around in the Metaverse keeps him in shape.
* NamedByTheAdaptation: The manga adaptation gave him the name "Akira Kurusu", while the 2018 AnimeOfTheGame and the rhythm-game sequel ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight'' both use "Ren Amamiya" for him. Averted in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''; he has no proper given name there and has only been referred to as Joker thus far.
* NervesOfSteel: Lampshaded by Mishima when being confronted by two violent street thugs didn't even do so much as make Joker ''flinch'' (whereas Mishima himself was practically crapping his pants). He's also fully willing to stand in the way of Futaba's uncle to defend her, even with the knowledge that another confrontation could lead to his probation getting revoked, simply side-stepping an oncoming punch and letting the guy fall flat on his face.
* NewTransferStudent: Becoming a trend for ''Persona'' protagonists. In his case, however, he gets sent away to Tokyo after a MiscarriageOfJustice lands him on probation. You join him as he's forced to transfer from his local school to Shujin Academy.
* NiceGuy: While he can be quite TheGadfly and something of an obnoxious show-off, he's also deeply caring and is constantly getting into trouble because he wants to help people even when they refuse him or if it's dangerous for him. He is also quick to stick up for people close to him and is willing to risk life-and-limb to change the world that has wronged him for the better.
* NiceHat: Arsène wears an extremely tall metallic top hat.
* NiceShoes: Joker's Metaverse outfit includes a neat pair of winklepickers, a type of Cuban-heeled boot with an elongated, pointed toe box.
-->'''Random Shadow Dialogue:'''''"Come at me, Clown-Shoes!"''
* NighInvulnerable: After beating the game's ultimate {{Superboss}}, [[spoiler:Caroline and Justine]], on New Game+, Joker obtains the Omnipotent Orb, allowing him to NoSell literally any damaging attack in the game except for Almighty attacks. Though, by this point, it's more of an InfinityPlusOneSword and a BraggingRightsReward since you've beaten the greatest challenge the game has to offer.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished:
** He ends up in Tokyo after he attempts to help a screaming woman who's being assaulted by a drunken man, only for the man to end up injured. The man threatens the woman into lying to the police about Joker's involvement, eventually getting him sentenced to a year on probation. Joker is expelled, and forced to transfer to the only school that will accept him as a juvenile offender, and the man who landed him in criminal court walks away scot-free.
** Finally {{subverted}} in the True Ending. [[spoiler:Getting Masayoshi Shido convicted means he has to admit he violated his probation as part of his testimony against him, and he's consequently arrested and sent to juvenile hall the day after Christmas. However, the woman who falsely accused him of assault later recants her statement, his record is wiped, and he's able to walk out of juvenile after serving only two months.]]
* OhCrap:
** You can see a few shocked exclamation marks above his head after he hears about [[spoiler:the fact that testifying against Shido means that he'll be sent to juvenile hall.]]
** He's also always taken aback whenever his non-team Confidants make it clear that he's given away his identity as a Phantom Thief.
* OneHitKill: "Instant Kill", Ryuji's Rank 7 Arcana Bonus, is a skill that allows Joker to instantly defeat nearly any Shadow that's significantly weaker than him during an Ambush. Joker will then receive a free Persona so long as the player has an open slot and doesn't already have it, though he won't receive money, EXP or items. He is also one of the two Thieves who have access to the insta-kill Hama and Mudo spells.
* OneManParty: A properly-equipped Joker can beat any boss by himself and rip through Shadows that outnumber him 6 to 1 like a lawnmower through grass, only ten times as fast. In fact, upon playing a NewGamePlus, he can even challenge [[DualBoss Caroline and Justine]] by himself, and ''he can actually win'' (provided you know what you are doing, of course).
* OneNoteCook: A downplayed example; he can learn to make a mean curry and coffee from Sojiro, but he's not going to be cooking the same variety of dishes as his immediate predecessor.
* OpaqueLenses: Tying into the meek personality he adopts in public, the lenses on his glasses sometimes seem to block out his eyes entirely.
* PairTheSmartOnes:
** By increasing his Knowledge stat, Joker can pursue a romance with Makoto, the student council president and Hifumi, the champion Shogi player.
** This trope also applies to a romance with Futaba, albeit to a lesser extent -- her route isn't stat-locked by intelligence, but by ''kindness''.
* TheParagon: As has been the case since ''Persona 3''. He's the leader and the person who inspires and helps the rest of the cast to work through their issues and become better versions of themselves.
* ParentalIssues: Possibly. In the beginning, Sojiro mocks the protagonist by saying that his parents "got rid of him for being a pain in the ass", and, as with his predecessors, it's true that his parents ''are'' completely absent from the game, but this is hardly conclusive -- we know the least about his homelife prior to the events of the game as we do about any post-''Persona 2'' lead so far, and it's as likely as not that Sojiro was just picking on him, and that all the calls/visitation with his parents happened off-screen.
** Also worth considering is the possibility of his parents deliberately maintaining distance from him to give him a home to come back to once his probation is over, simply because of how ''damaging'' a criminal conviction is in Japan, in a way that's unheard of in the West.
* LeParkour: Thanks to the nature of the [[EldritchLocation Metaverse]], Joker can navigate Palaces at a constant sprint, jump between various kinds of platforms, perform one-handed pull-ups when climbing walls that are twice as he is tall with little visible effort, and even jump out of buildings several feet high without having anything to break his fall. The trailers and opening sequences have him effortlessly leaping off high-rise buildings and [[WallJump wall jumping]] between obstacles without a care in the world.
* PhantomThief: As the leader of the supernaturally untraceable Phantom Thieves, he gets the title "The Phantom."
* PlayingCardMotifs: His Persona has multiple hearts on its shoulders, and his heist code name is Joker. In card games, the Joker can act as either the ultimate trump card, the beneficial Wild Card, or harmful unmatched card such as in the Old Maid game; this reflects his role in the story quite nicely.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Like previous Persona protagonists, the variety and power of Joker's Personas is directly proportional to the number of bonds he is able to forge with his friends, which is reflected in being able to fuse increasingly more powerful Personas with more devastating skills as his Confidants progress.
* ThePowerOfHate: Arsène advises Joker to channel his hatred for his enemies into the power of his Persona.
-->'''Arsène:''' Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it!
* PreMortemOneLiner:
** PlayedForLaughs in the beginning of the game when the party talks to a pixie as part of the demon negotiation tutorial. She begs Joker to let her go and he has the option of telling her she can go... to hell. It's so bad she forgets the guns pointed at her and calls him out on it.
** Played straight with the FinalBoss [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth]], right before [[spoiler:blowing his brains out with his Ultimate Persona Satanael.]]
-->'''Joker:''' Begone!
* PsychoticSmirk: He [[http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/p5_150623.jpg strikes]] [[http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/p5_1506231.jpg these]] [[http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/p5_1506233.jpg a lot]]. [[spoiler:In the bad ending where he sides with Yaldabaoth, he gives a partcularly sinister one, complete with an impish chuckle.]]
* PurelyAestheticGlasses: He doesn't appear to need his glasses for vision correction, performing heists and firing guns with pinpoint accuracy even when he isn't wearing them in the Metaverse. As an equippable accessory, they are described as being just to make you look smart. [[spoiler:He goes without them at the very end of the game, no longer needing to hide his true self.]]
* TheQuietOne: Played with and invoked. His seemingly quiet nature is actually a ruse to hide his true self and keep himself out of trouble in the public eye, this being Japanese society where people are quicker to judge. He's significantly wilder when in Phantom Thief mode, but still never speaks more than a single sentence at a time.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: He has light skin to contrast with his messy black hair and dark gray eyes, and is undeniably handsome.
* RedBaron: Arsène introduces himself in his first appearance as "the pillager of twilight."
* RedEyesTakeWarning: His eyes are dark gray, but in the stylized red and black scenes and his All-Out-Attack finisher, as well as some official art, they're depicted as bright red. Considering his rebellious nature, it's fitting. On the other hand, Arsène and [[spoiler:Satanael]] both actually have red eyes.
* RefusalOfTheCall: He attempts to delete the Metanav app from his phone for a few days, before unwittingly using it to enter Kamoshida's Palace. At the time, Joker didn't know it was a call in the first place.
* ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: [[spoiler:During the Phantom Thieves' calling card message to Shido, after it was reported earlier that their leader was dead, all the thieves appear at the end of the message in shadows and say they are all alive and well. He also is the only one to step out of the shadows and show everyone his face, and personally calls out Shido.]]
* RippleEffectProofMemory: In ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', he's supposed to have forgotten everything that happen due to the laws of space-time resetting themselves when he returned to his world. But his eyes widen and he smirks when he sees Hikari walk on stage at the end of her movie, implying that he recognizes her when no one else can.
* RoundhouseKick: One of Arsène's attack animations is a roundhouse kick, which brings emphasis to his literal stiletto heels.
* SanitySlippage: Throughout his entire interrogation, Joker is quite clearly under a lot of stress as he struggles with the effects of the drug in his body while trying to recount eight whole months of events to Sae on nothing more than sheer willpower. If the player [[EarnYourBadEnding ignores the deadline of any given Palace without getting the treasure inside]], Joker will lose it to a point where his own mind fabricates horrific memories vaguely depicting what would have happened to each of his friends if he actually had failed to save them.
* SatanIsGood: [[spoiler:His version of Satanael is heavily inspired by the ''Shin Megami Tensei'' interpretation of Lucifer, down to having the same character outline and sporting the same arms open wide AssKickingPose.]]
* ScaryShinyGlasses: Can definitely power these up at will.
* SecretRelationship: All of his possible relationships are kept secret for varying reasons, such as the stigma associated with a teacher-student relationship (Sadayo), the stigma associated with relationships to minors (Chihaya, Takemi, Ohya, as well as Sadayo), the girl in question having an ArrangedMarriage (Haru), because he lives with his girlfriend's OverprotectiveDad (Futaba), or simple preference (Ann, Makoto, and Hifumi). None of the other Phantom Thieves are even made aware if Joker has begun dating one/some/all of their female members, with the girl(s) in question opting to display her affections for him in private (e.g. Ann and/or Makoto inviting him for an afternoon stroll on the Hawaiian beach once "nobody else is looking").
* SevenDeadlySins: [[spoiler:The ultimate attack used by Satanael, Sinful Shell, combines the power of all the deadly sins to kill Yaldabaoth, the God of Control.]]
* SexierAlterEgo: Normally he presents himself as a mild-mannered high school student with dorky glasses, but becomes a cocky, exquisitely dressed GentlemanThief during his illicit activities to reform corrupt members of society.
* ShirtlessScene: Doesn't wear a shirt while fighting a training dummy at the gym or doing inverted crunches in his room. There's also any time he visits the local public bath.
* ShrinkingViolet: In contrast to his [[TheStoic stoic]] and resigned behavior at the start of the game and the manga, Ren Amamiya in the anime is far more timid and overly-deferential when he first moves to Tokyo, going so far as to [[VocalDissonance soften and up his vocal pitch]] around adults.
* SignatureScent: He lives, and occasionally works, in a coffee shop, so the scent tends to follow him around. Apparently, the other thieves can tell when he's nearby due to the smell alone (much to his embarrassment).
* SkywardScream: [[spoiler:Arsène does this near the end of the final boss as he becomes Satanael.]]
* TheSlacker: He takes a few crap jobs, doesn't seem too invested in class, and can, by the player's choice and with one of his teacher's help, nap, craft tools, or read during class, and unlike the previous two protagonists, Joker actually never gets involved in any school clubs outside of assisting Haru with her gardening during her Confidant link. Depending on what the player chooses, this could instead be BrilliantButLazy.
* TheSocialExpert: A low-key example. While his "school life" is practically non-existent, Joker has the best people skills in the party, and he also maintains a small but effective network of characters who owe him favors in some fashion, including a doctor who keeps him supplied with barely-legal drugs, an alcoholic ex-political reporter who personally delivers him contact info and writes puff pieces about the Thieves, a washed-up politician who teaches him oration, and even the owner of a {{Yakuza}}-affiliated "airsoft shop" who supplies the Phantom Thieves with most of their equipment.
* SpannerInTheWorks: What started out as [[spoiler:a plan to use Akechi's plan to kill Joker via turning it into a faked death was relatively simple on paper, as all he had to do was get arrested and interrogated by Sae and convince her to show his phone to Akechi and Futaba will do the rest. Then things go wrong when the police inject him with a TruthSerum, wrecking his memory in several point which causes him to forget that there ''was'' a plan. He does pull through eventually before Sae leaves.]]
* TheStoic: He's quite unflappable, though this is just how he acts in public as to not draw attention to himself. He becomes NotSoStoic around his teammates and confidants, and moreso in the Metaverse, where he drops all subtlety and is a HotBlooded LargeHam BloodKnight.
* StoicSpectacles: Invoked. After the MiscarriageOfJustice that lands him on probation at the start of the story, he starts wearing big, clunky circular glasses to appear more mild-mannered. He only takes them off whenever he's in the Metaverse, and he can see perfectly fine and whoop Shadow ass without them.
* SummonBiggerFish: Unlike his predecessors, he defeats the BigBad by [[spoiler:summoning a Persona physically bigger than him.]]
* SuperWindowJump: He escapes the casino by jumping backwards straight out a window without even pausing to grimace and landing completely unscathed several stories below. Futaba implies the only reason he did it was because it was "a stylish way to end the job", even calling him out for showing off.
* TakingTheHeat: He [[spoiler:ultimately turns himself in as the Phantom Thief in order to prevent his friends from being implicated along with him and to testify against Shido to ensure his conviction. His friends' efforts manage to get him out early, allowing him to go free and is cleared of his probation in two months.]]
* TeacherStudentRomance: Potentially with Sadayo Kawakami, the Temperance Confidant and his homeroom teacher. On the side she moonlights as a [[PlatonicProstitution call-in girl]], with Joker becoming her main client after discovering her secret. Though slightly suggestive, most of the activities she does are practical in nature, such as cooking, cleaning and giving him massages. She does this dressed as a {{Meido}}, though, so it's not entirely innocent. Towards the end of her plotline, however, they can enter into a romantic relationship.
* ThenLetMeBeEvil: In the "Bad Ending" where [[spoiler:he sides with Yaldabaoth, his newfound LackOfEmpathy to the consequences his actions have on the world in light of the realization that humans are simply too lazy, incompetent, or scared to take care of themselves pushes him to [[HeWhoFightsMonsters the brink]] of becoming a ''KnightTemplar peace broker'']], whereas in the "True Ending" where [[spoiler:he rejects Yaldabaoth's [[WeCanRuleTogether offer]], his restored faith in humanity's ability to change allows him to use the collective hope of the citizens of Tokyo to summon the ultimate symbol of freedom to set everyone free from the Demiurge's totalitarian order.]]
* TraumaCongaLine: Remarkably little seems to go right for this kid, and ''how''. The reason he's in Tokyo in the first place is because the woman he personally tried to protect from being assaulted by a drunken man lied to the police about his involvement out of fear, dragging him through a criminal court case that puts an assault conviction on his record. When he gets there, his guardian doesn't trust him, and neither does anyone else at his new school, who all know about his past thanks to a slandering coach who threatened another student into leaking the information online. Once that's out of the way, he himself is [[spoiler:blackmailed (arguably more than once), framed for murder (twice), betrayed a second time, and allows himself to be [[PoliceBrutality arrested, drugged to the point of incoherence, and nearly crippled]] to keep his RagtagBunchOfMisfits from being caught by the authorities. Then, while he's still doped up out of his mind, he's put through a protracted interrogation where his testimony serves as the linchpin for a GambitRoulette plan which, if executed successfully, will save him and his friends from being killed off by a sociopathic murderer. He's then betrayed a ''third'' time by the mentor figure who had, up until this point, been assisting him in honing the supernatural skills that allow him to alter other peoples' psyches, and is nearly wiped from existence. Even after saving the world, he's still forced to serve two months in a juvenile detention center to ensure that the man who got him convicted for assault goes to prison, and he undoubtedly would have had to serve for longer if not for the dedicated lobbying of his friends]]. He may get his happy ending, but even after all that, the police are ''still'' surveying him and his team for any signs of suspicious activity.
* TreadmillTrauma: Joker will get shot right off the treadmill if he fails at it. The fall is nasty enough that Morgana has to ask if he's still alive.
* TheTrickster: An oft-lampshaded trope, and discussed a few times, with Lavenza outright asking him to take the role of a "Trickster".
* {{Troll}}: He can definitely show hints of this. For example, when arranging an interview between Ohya and Mishima, none of the options available to the player do anything to dissuade Mishima that it isn't a blind date.
* UnkemptBeauty: A male example; he looks like he's never touched a hairbrush in his life, has terrible posture, and is referred to as looking messy and disheveled more than a few times in-game (most notably during Makoto's Confidant), but that said, he's probably the prettiest ''Persona'' protagonist, and is ''by far'' the sexiest.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: His and Kawakami's early interactions are changed to be much more awkward and heavy on the ShipTease in the anime and all of it is PlayedForLaughs. Since Ren now has his own personality he gets very flustered and panicked around her, and freaks out at some of her more fanservicey moments.
* WaistcoatOfStyle: Arsène, a Persona reflecting Joker's stylish GentlemanThief tendencies, wears a black waistcoat.
* WarriorTherapist: A literal example -- his work as a Phantom Thief involves him and his friends directly affecting a target's psyche to induce a specific psychological shift, i.e. ridding them of their (self-)destructive tendencies.
* WeaponsOfChoice: As befitting a flamboyant phantom thief with a flair for the dramatic, Joker uses [[KnifeNut knives]] and [[TheGunslinger pistols]].
* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: It's an instant game over if he dies in a fight.
* WeWillMeetAgain: If Arsène is not one of Joker's Persona during the Casino heist, he will appear before and after the battle with Moloch. Arsène warns Joker that his destiny is approaching, and promises to meet Joker again if he survives it.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark:
** Near the end of the game, [[spoiler:Yaldabaoth makes an offer to Joker, offering him the return of his friends, as well as making them all the gods of the new world he intends to create. Nobody would ever know what really happened]]. It's up to the player to choose the outcome, but of course, [[spoiler:the good ending involves Joker refusing Yaldabaoth's offer, citing how it goes against everything he and the Phantom Thieves stand for.]]
** It's not really obvious without RewatchBonus or by [[FridgeBrilliance making the right question]], but the entire opening sequence is this. It turns out that when Joker is intercepted by a SWAT team while escaping from the casino, those were regular police officers facing a high-leveled Persona User in the Metaverse. Joker could have easily moped the floor with them with his Personas, but he didn't even try to despite knowing [[PoliceBrutality what would happen]] [[BadassInDistress to him after his capture]]. That showed some real commitment to the ThouShaltNotKill aspect of the Phantom Thieves' brand of justice, and [[spoiler:to their plan to catch the real mastermind behind the Mental Shutdown cases.]]
* WifeBasherBasher: At the start of the story, Joker ends up on probation after getting arrested for confronting a man attempting to assault a woman. It's later shown that Joker only tried to pull him off of her.
* WingedHumanoid: His Persona, Arsène, is a masked man with giant bird wings.
* AWolfInSheepsClothing: He shows up in public quiet and reserved, wearing NerdGlasses he doesn't need and even carrying an air of penitence he doesn't feel, but when he lets the mask slide away, he can be cheeky, stubborn, and hard to control, and as Joker, he becomes a flashy, passionate, gun-toting, Shadow-eviscerating GentlemanThief with incredible powers.
* WolverineClaws: Arsène has metal claws on the ends of each of its fingers.
* YourCheatingHeart: He can juggle several lovers at a time, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgW41uwP8co will inevitably drop the balls come Valentine's Day]].
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