History YMMV / Persona5AToH

** If you decide to hang out with Makoto or study with her, she'll often say things that could easily be taken the wrong way, such as "Let's do it in the student council room. I'll leave the back entrance open for you," and "Come to the library. I'll drill it into you." Some have joked that her not realizing the implications of her phrasing fits her awkward characterization a little too well to be a complete accident on the localization's part.

** The boss of the Space Station Palace in the Vanilla version, Shadow Okumura, especially since his palace bordered on MarathonLevel with ThatOnePuzzle right before the boss fight. He's a FlunkyBoss who summons mooks that the player has already fought earlier in his palace, with the boss himself hanging out of reach providing support. The mooks all have weaknesses that the player can easily exploit, and once they're all defeated, the boss himself turns out to be a total weakling who goes down with just a regular attack.

** Ryuji's ButtMonkey status is the source of major controversy in the fandom. This type of character was always a staple of the series, but both [[VideoGame/Persona3 Junpei]] and [[VideoGame/Persona4 Yosuke]]'s treatment was far less contentious because of the story context surrounding it. Junpei was [[TookALevelInKindness intentionally written as unlikable initially, but gradually develops into a more thoughtful, mature character]], at which point his comic elements are heavily downplayed outside of spinoffs. His early ButtMonkey moments make his later CharacterDevelopment all the sweeter. Meanwhile, when Yosuke is the butt of a joke, he's usually [[KarmicButtMonkey done something to deserve it]], such as being forcibly entered into a drag pageant after he signed the girls up to a beauty contest without their consent. By contrast Ryuji is one of the catalysts of the Phantom Thieves' formation, remains a likable character through the whole story, and was a victim of physical abuse in his past, making his status [[DesignatedMonkey a lot harder to swallow]] for many fans. This is only controversial in the West though; his ButtMonkey status isn't as disliked in the East, with Japanese fans viewing it as harmless.

** In contrast to Akechi, Ryuji enjoys significantly more popularity in the West than the East, where he consistently ranks at the bottom of the party on popularity polls conducted in Japan and Southeast Asia. Western fans tend to sympathize with his ostracization and leg injury, enjoy his HeterosexualLifePartners dynamic with Joker, and find his IdiotHero moments either hilarious or not bad enough to detract from his better qualities. He also aligns with Western cultural perceptions of rebels against society. Because of this, Ryuji's ButtMonkey status in comedy scenes is [[ValuesDissonance far more contentious with Western fans]], and it's common to see them express outright ''disgust'' for [[WithFriendsLikeThese his treatment]] [[spoiler: after Shido's Palace]]. That particular scene isn't as disliked in the Japanese fanbase, with many viewing it as the [[AngerBornOfWorry Phantom Thieves caring about him.]]

** In contrast to Akechi, Ryuji enjoys significantly more popularity in the West than the East, where he consistently ranks at the bottom of the party on popularity polls conducted in Japan and Southeast Asia. Western fans tend to sympathize with his ostracization and leg injury, enjoy his HeterosexualLifePartners dynamic with Joker, and find his IdiotHero moments either hilarious or not bad enough to detract from his better qualities. He also aligns with Western cultural perceptions of rebels against society. Because of this, Ryuji's ButtMonkey status in comedy scenes is [[ValuesDissonance far more contentious with Western fans]], and it's common to see them express outright ''disgust'' for [[WithFriendsLikeThese his treatment]] [[spoiler: after Shido's Palace]]. That particular scene isn't as disliked in the Japanese fanbase, with many viewing it as the [[AngerBornOfWorry Phatom Thieves caring about him.]]

** Makoto: [[MemeticMutation Yas Queen!]], [[TeamMom Momkoto]], [[PerverseSexualLust Mamakoto]], Midkoto[[note]]Originally coined by the character's [[HypeBacklash detractors]] to describe her as a [[SoOkayItsAverage mediocre]] character before being used more generally both as a meme and to distinguish her from [[VideoGame/Persona3 Makoto Yuki]][[/note]]

** Makoto: [[MemeticMutation Yas Queen!]], [[TeamMom Momkoto]], [[PerverseSexualLust Mamakoto]], Midkoto[[note]]Originally coined by the character's [[HypeBacklash detractors]] to describe her as a boring character before being used more generally both as a meme and to distinguish her from [[VideoGame/Persona3 Makoto Yuki]][[/note]]

** Many fans commonly believe that Ryuji isn't well-loved in the Far East because he usually ranks at the bottom in official character surveys conducted in Japan, and Southeast Asia, in addition to his loud, and extroverted personality being perceived as [[ValuesDissonance rude, and annoying in these regions,]] [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff unlike the West]]. However, popularity polls aren't a tier from beloved to hated. These polls are about fans voting for their single favorite character. Therefore, Ryuji scoring at the bottom indicates, he's the majority's second favorite rather than their personal number one.

** Ryuji's ButtMonkey treatment is the source of major controversy in the fandom. This type of character was always a staple of the series, but both [[VideoGame/Persona3 Junpei]] and [[VideoGame/Persona4 Yosuke]]'s treatment was far less contentious because of the story context surrounding it. Junpei was [[TookALevelInKindness intentionally written as unlikable initially, but gradually develops into a more thoughtful, mature character]], at which point his comic elements are heavily downplayed outside of spinoffs. His early ButtMonkey moments make his later CharacterDevelopment all the sweeter. Meanwhile, when Yosuke is the butt of a joke, he's usually [[KarmicButtMonkey done something to deserve it]], such as being forcibly entered into a drag pageant after he signed the girls up to a beauty contest without their consent. By contrast Ryuji is one of the catalysts of the Phantom Thieves' formation, remains a likable character through the whole story, and was a victim of physical abuse in his past, making his treatment [[DesignatedMonkey a lot harder to swallow]] for many fans. This is only controversial in the West though; his ButtMonkey treatment isn't as disliked in the East, with Japanese fans viewing it as harmless.

** In contrast to Akechi, Ryuji enjoys significantly more popularity in the West than the East, where he consistently ranks at the bottom of the party on popularity polls conducted in Japan and Southeast Asia. Western fans tend to sympathize with his ostracization and leg injury, enjoy his HeterosexualLifePartners dynamic with Joker, and find his IdiotHero moments either hilarious or not bad enough to detract from his better qualities. He also aligns with Western cultural perceptions of rebels against society. Because of this, Ryuji's ButtMonkey treatment in comedy scenes is [[ValuesDissonance far more contentious with Western fans]], and it's common to see them express outright ''disgust'' for [[WithFriendsLikeThese his treatment]] [[spoiler: after Shido's Palace]]. That particular scene isn't as disliked in the Japanese fanbase, with many viewing it as the [[AngerBornOfWorry Phatom Thieves caring about him.]]

* [[AwesomeBosses/VideoGame Awesome Bosses]]: The DiscOneFinalBoss fight against Samael, or [[spoiler:Shadow Shido]], in ''Royal'' is a [[ThatOneBoss brutal]], yet incredibly fun MarathonBoss that blows its original counterpart out of the water. For the first three phases, the Walls of Human Sacrifice constantly evolve to make themselves [[NoSell immune to specific attacks]], resulting in a constant need to change up fighting styles. Following that, [[spoiler:Shido]] activates Samael form and has no weaknesses, allowing you to go no-holds-barred with your attacks as much as he does, before he removes his PowerLimiter and gains access to a whopping 24 attacks. What makes the ''Royal'' version infinitely more awesome than the original version, however, is the added final phase when he reaches 1/4 health: [[spoiler:Shido]] becomes a MasterOfAll, removes all your allies from the battlefield, and challenges Joker to a one-on-one DuelToTheDeath, forcing you to rely on all the Personas you have on hand to save your skin and take him down. It's an unforgiving, yet [[CatharsisFactor thrilling sense of revenge]] [[spoiler:against the man who ruined your entire livelihood and has Tokyo under his control]].

* [[Awesome/VideoGameBosses Awesome Bosses]]: The DiscOneFinalBoss fight against Samael, or [[spoiler:Shadow Shido]], in ''Royal'' is a [[ThatOneBoss brutal]], yet incredibly fun MarathonBoss that blows its original counterpart out of the water. For the first three phases, the Walls of Human Sacrifice constantly evolve to make themselves [[NoSell immune to specific attacks]], resulting in a constant need to change up fighting styles. Following that, [[spoiler:Shido]] activates Samael form and has no weaknesses, allowing you to go no-holds-barred with your attacks as much as he does, before he removes his PowerLimiter and gains access to a whopping 24 attacks. What makes the ''Royal'' version infinitely more awesome than the original version, however, is the added final phase when he reaches 1/4 health: [[spoiler:Shido]] becomes a MasterOfAll, removes all your allies from the battlefield, and challenges Joker to a one-on-one DuelToTheDeath, forcing you to rely on all the Personas you have on hand to save your skin and take him down. It's an unforgiving, yet [[CatharsisFactor thrilling sense of revenge]] [[spoiler:against the man who ruined your entire livelihood and has Tokyo under his control]].

* [[AwesomeLevels/VideoGames Awesome Levels]]:

** For the new demons added in ''Royal'', Atlus really went out of their way to capture Kaneko's distinct style. While those in the vanilla release could look somewhat janky or rough, the new ones end up looking like they walked straight out of his art, being perhaps the closest they have ever gotten to replicating the style fully ingame.

* BestLevelEver:
** Futaba's Palace has received this treatment. Not only is this is a BreatherLevel, but many fans found the Palace interesting due to the Palace ruler not actually being evil, making it a nice contrast to the Phantom Thieves having to change the hearts of HateSink villains. Not to mention the Palace starts out as a nice CallBack to ''VideoGame/Persona4'', but it subverts people's expectations by not having Shadow Futaba be the boss of the Palace and having Futaba actually accept her Shadow.
** The sixth Palace has also received this treatment. Unlike most Palaces where the Phantom Thieves have to sneak their way to the Treasure, [[spoiler:Shadow Sae forces the Phantom Thieves into playing rigged casino games to reach her treasure. This causes the Phantom Thieves to have to rig the games in their favor to reach the treasure, making the Palace interesting]]. Not to mention how the Palace was way easier than [[ThatOneLevel the previous palace]].
** The new Palace in ''Royal'', [[spoiler:[[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Maruki's Palace]], is also very well received -- while it is a fairly long dungeon, it's aesthetically pleasing, the build-up to it is fantastic, its soundtrack ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFhtwQftU0I Gentle Madman]] for the main Palace, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtRmJUI9eDY Out of Kindness]] for the Twilight Corridor portion) is serene yet wonderfully melancholic, and it has plenty of challenge to offer players that have spent their time wisely in Mementos. Add in the fact that Maruki himself is a very challenging but fun TrueFinalBoss (on top of the stakes and circumstances of the fight) and you have yourself one of the best final levels in ''Persona'' history.]]

** Ryuji's ButtMonkey treatment is the source of much controversy in the fandom. This type of character was always a staple of the series, but both [[VideoGame/Persona3 Junpei]] and [[VideoGame/Persona4 Yosuke]]'s treatment was far less contentious because of the story context surrounding it. Junpei was [[TookALevelInKindness intentionally written as unlikable initially, but gradually develops into a more thoughtful, mature character]], at which point his comic elements are heavily downplayed outside of spinoffs. His early ButtMonkey moments make his later CharacterDevelopment all the sweeter. Meanwhile, when Yosuke is the butt of a joke, he's usually [[KarmicButtMonkey done something to deserve it]], such as being forcibly entered into a drag pageant after he signed the girls up to a beauty contest without their consent. By contrast Ryuji is one of the catalysts of the Phantom Thieves' formation, remains a likable character through the whole story, and was a victim of physical abuse in his past, making his treatment [[DesignatedMonkey a lot harder to swallow]] for many fans. This is only controversial in the West though; his ButtMonkey treatment isn't as disliked in the East, with Japanese fans viewing it as a harmless slapstick joke.

* CompleteMonster: While [[spoiler:[[Characters/Persona5Yaldabaoth Yaldabaoth]]]] may have [[TheManBehindTheMan set the plot in motion]], these two villains prove that HumansAreTheRealMonsters:
** [[spoiler:[[Characters/Persona5MasayoshiShido Masayoshi Shido]] is behind the atrocities of the game, profiting off the other villains. Using his abandoned and illegitimate son, [[Characters/Persona5GoroAkechi Goro Akechi]], [[AbusiveParents Shido]] has him assassinate both his enemies and allies who have outlived their usefulness to work his way up to becoming Prime Minister of Japan. Stealing the research of Wakaba Isshiki before having her killed, Shido also uses his influence to ruin peoples' lives, driving Isshiki's daughter into depression and getting [[Characters/Persona5Joker Joker]] placed on probation for trying to stop Shido from harassing a woman. Using Akechi as a mole within the Phantom Thieves, Shido plans to have them arrested for getting in his way and for the Protagonist to be tortured and murdered. After Akechi is defeated by the Thieves, Shido is revealed to be planning to dispose of his son, and pins his own crimes on him after killing the mentally unstable boy. When defeated, Shido's final action is to destroy his own Palace in an attempt to take the Thieves down with him. While Shido claims to be acting for Japan's greater interests, in reality [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist he values only power and glory for himself]].]]
** [[Characters/Persona5SuguruKamoshida Suguru Kamoshida]] is a [[CreepyGymCoach gym coach]] and a dangerous sexual predator. Protected by the school administration due to his past fame as an Olympic gold medalist, Kamoshida perversely [[SexualExtortion extorts sexual favors]] from his female students. He also forces his male students into [[GymClassHell brutal training regimes]] and often beats them, resulting in students of both genders living in constant fear of him. Seeking to shut down the track team, Kamoshida provokes [[Characters/Persona5RyujiSakamoto their star athlete]] into punching him and breaks the boy's leg in "self-defense". When [[Characters/Persona5AnnTakamaki his "favorite" victim]] refuses to sleep with him, Kamoshida rapes her best friend Shiho Suzui in petty vengeance, resulting in Shiho attempting suicide. [[StarterVillain While only a minor threat in the grand scheme of the plot]], Kamoshida's heart is among the most vile stolen by [[Characters/Persona5ThePhantomThievesOfHearts the Phantom Thieves]].

* EvenBetterSequel: It currently boasts a higher rating on Metacritic than its already highly praised predecessor, often being lauded for its many gameplay improvements, pacing and characters, creative dungeon design, and even its DarkerAndEdgier tone. Fans seems to agree, as ''Persona 5'' is the highest-selling title in the entire ''Shin Megami Tensei'' series, with [[https://www.vg247.com/2017/12/01/persona-5-has-sold-2-million-copies-worldwide-the-highest-sales-in-the-series/ over two million copies sold]].

** For one within the series itself, fans of this game aren't in agreement with fans of ''VideoGame/Persona3'' over which of the two games is better. Fans of this game refer it to ''Persona 3'' for having better polished game mechanics, proper cutscenes, a ''much'' larger overworld with more stuff to do, characters and narrative threads that are more relatable, a protagonist that's not just a wooden puppet sitting on the sidelines, better pacing in the main story, actual dungeon designs, and even a soundtrack that highlights the best aesthetics of previous games in the franchise. ''Persona 3'' fans, however, claim that its mechanics aren't as polished and that the CharacterDevelopment works better in the narrative than this game, as well as the final arc having more payoff.
*** A similar debate came up with ''VideoGame/Persona4.'' How much you enjoyed this game could vary on whether or not you felt ''Persona 4'' fell under HypeBacklash. Fans believe ''Persona 4's'' story suffered from serious pacing issues, comedy scenes that were [[OverlyLongGag dragged out]], mean-spirited, and [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment superfluous]], and the characters playing Hot Potato with the IdiotBall. This rivalry would only heat up even more in 2020 when ''Persona 4'''s own, UpdatedRerelease, ''Persona 4 Golden,'' was ported to Platform/{{Steam}} only a few months after the release of ''Persona 5 Royal.''

** [[TheScrappy Due to the Shinjuku creatures being so utterly hated by many fans]], it's common for many fanwork adaptations of the game to have the infamous cutscene AdaptedOut due to how out of place and disliked the scene was. Those that ''do'' include it either adapt it as a TakeThatScrappy moment against the Shinjuku creatures and give them AdaptationalKarma, or use it as a fuel for [[AccusationFic an accusation against Joker]] for hypocritically leaving Ryuji to his fate, with the latter variant often being included in stories adapting the Okumura Palace where it's Ryuji who leaves instead of Morgana.