Beware of unmarked spoilers for the source material.
Canon Characters
The Shadow Operatives
The oldest known generation of Persona users, its members hail from Gekkoukan High School on Tatsumi Port Island. Formerly known as the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES), Wild Card Minato Arisato led the group to destroy the mysterious Dark Hour and prevent the world's end at the hands of Nyx. Minato gave his life to seal the Avatar of Death away and bar Erebus, the will to die incarnate, from calling it again; the Shadow Operatives continue monitoring Shadow-related threats in memory of him. Their Personas are beings from Greek Mythology.
Tropes applying to the Shadow Operatives as a whole:
- Unskilled, but Strong: They have more experience than the Investigation Team and the Phantom Thieves combined, and nobody would call them pushovers. But aside from Minako, they're still only Sage Class Persona-users, making them overall less capable than their successors for the time being.
Mitsuru Kirijo
Arcana: III. Empress
Persona: Artemisia
Element: Ice
Weapons: Rapiers
An Ice Queen who is the leader of the Kirijo Group and the Shadow Operatives, she has dedicated her life to atone for her family's past sins involving the Shadows. She awakened to her Persona while still a child.
- Not So Stoic: She keeps up the appearance of a noblewoman, but she has moments where she'd preferably do something more undignified, like jumping for joy or petting a cute cat-boy.
Akihiko Sanada
Arcana: IV. Emperor
Persona: Caesar
Element: Electricity
Weapons: Fists
A born warrior who prefers solving problems with his fists, he is the Japanese Chief of Police and a reserve member of the Shadow Operatives. He is among the more experienced Persona users, second only to Mitsuru.
- Da Chief: He's the Chief of Police by the time the fic starts.
- Improbable Age: Akihiko is chief of police at 27.
- Student–Master Team: He and Chie struck up this dynamic during the events of Persona 4: Arena, and they maintain it here, best demonstrated in Chapter 15 when they fight a Corporeal Shadow.
Aigis
Arcana:: VII. Chariot
Persona: Athena, Wild Card
Element: Physical
Weapons: Firearms
7th-Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, an android granted sentience through a Plume of Dusk. Over time, her emotional capacity evolved from stoic to mild-mannered. She inherited Minato's Persona and Wild Card abilities after his death and is one of the more active Shadow Operatives.
Labrys
Arcana: X. Fortune
Persona: Ariadne
Element: Physical
Weapons: Axes
5th-Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, an android granted sentience through a Plume of Dusk. A friendly but wild soul, she suffered at the hands of her creators, who sealed her away for seeking to keep her heart; she was released a few years after Minato's death and accepted Mitsuru's offer to join her.
Junpei Iori
Arcana: I. Magician
Persona: Trismegistus
Element: Fire
Weapons: Two-handed Swords
A smart-mouthed sports coach and a reserve member of the Shadow Operatives, he is married to Chidori and has a daughter with her.
- Happily Married: To Chidori.
- Out of Focus: So far, he's only made a few appearances in the story. It gets justified in Chapter 31, as he has to care for Chidori due to her pregnancy. Their daughter is finally born in Chapter 48.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Yukari.
Yukari Takeba
Arcana: VI. Lovers
Persona: Isis
Element: Wind
Weapons: Bow & Arrows
An actress who plays Pink Argus of the Phoenix Rangers and a reserve member of the Shadow Operatives, she has a warm friendship with Mitsuru and is the one who took Minato's death the hardest.
- Deadpan Snarker: She hasn't lost her bite even after several years.
- Love Hurts: Even remembering Minato still causes her grief.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Junpei.
Fuuka Yamagishi
Arcana: II. Priestess
Persona: Juno
Element: Undefined; Navigator
A soft-spoken and kind individual, she serves as the Navigator of the Shadow Operatives and wants to help her friends and other people however she can. Her Persona Juno is the most potent of all known Navigation Personas, able to fully monitor her friends in the Metaverse without leaving the real world.
- Out of Focus: She doesn't seem to show up in the story as much as her group and the other characters.
Ken Amada
Arcana: VIII. Justice
Persona: Kala-Nemi, Víðarr
Elements: Light & Electricity
Weapons: Spears
The youngest human member of the Shadow Operatives and a wise college boy, he has made peace with his troubled past.
- Japanese Honorifics: He addresses almost everyone with honorifics, even his teammates.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Awakened to Víðarr offscreen, sometime between Chapters 6 and 36.
Koromaru
Arcana: XI. Strength
Persona: Cerberus
Elements: Fire & Darkness
Weapons: Knives
The only known animal Persona-user, he's a Shiba Inu who works as a reserve member of the Shadow Operatives even in his old age.
- Old Soldier: Despite being a "very old dog," according to the narration, he fights on the front lines against Sandā Arsenal and seems as strong as ever.
Minako Arisato
Arcana: 0. Fool
Persona: Penelope, Gerda, Wild Card
Elements: Earth & Water
Weapons: Naginatas
Minato's twin sister, who was living elsewhere during the time he attended Gekkoukan High School. Mitsuru learned of her shortly after graduation, but she had only recently joined the Shadow Operatives. She is the first of the Shadow Operatives to reach Phantom Class, and when she realizes that the Outbreaks are giving her an opportunity to free her brother from the Great Seal, she begins her journey as a Wild Card.- Adaptation Deviation: In Portable, she shared the same Personas as Minato. Here, she has Penelope and Gerda instead.
- Adaptation Name Change: While players are free to name her however they want in her home game, the only close canon name is Kotone Shiomi, taken from the stage play. In the fanfic, she's known as Minako Arisato.
- Angsty Surviving Twin: She was devastated by Minato's death, only learning about it weeks after he sacrificed himself to save the world.
- Beware the Nice Ones: She's fully outgoing and kind, but it's best to never, ever piss her off. Just ask Sho.
- Determinator: She hopes to find a way to bring her brother back to life, no matter what.
- Genki Girl: She's as cheerful as she was in canon.
- Lady of War
- Naginatas Are Feminine
- Related in the Adaptation: In canon, she and Minato are counterparts from alternate timelines, having no relation. In this story, however, they are twins.
- Theme Twin Naming: Minako and Minato. The names their aunt and uncle tried giving them, Kotone and Makoto, also fall under this.
The Investigation Team
A group of Persona-users, with its members originating from Yasogami High School in the rural town of Inaba. Also known as the Seekers of Truth, they became involved in a serial murder case that led them to a mysterious world inside the TV where Shadows came to life. After rescuing five victims, they identified and defeated the true culprit, rogue Persona-user Tohru Adachi, and the goddess Izanami, who created the TV world. They later met the Shadow Operatives when Labrys got thrown into the TV World. Their Personas are beings from Japanese Mythology.
Tropes applying to the Investigation Team as a whole:
- True Sight:
Word of God states that the Investigation Team can pierce cognitive illusions, which is how they can understand Morgana without hearing him talk in his anthropomorphic form. Yu is the most adept at using this ability.
Yu Narukami
Arcana: 0. Fool
Persona: Izanagi, Wild Card
Element: Electricity
Weapons: Katanas
A soft-spoken young man who is the leader of the Investigation Team, he frequently transferred schools due to his parents' work. Upon arriving in Inaba, Yu was unknowingly granted passage into the TV World by Izanami and later Awakened to his Persona Izanagi on his second trip.
- The Ace: Shen calls him the strongest Persona-user due to having the best combination of raw power (being a Phantom Class Wild Card) and experience (having completed his Journey). It clearly shows as he can keep up with Joker before he becomes Phantom Class. However, Word of God says that if Minato were still alive, he'd be more powerful.
- Living Lie Detector: He has mentioned that he's been getting good at detecting lies since he defeated Izanami, and with his Zero Skill, nothing slips past him anymore.
- Official Couple: With Rise. Canonically, she's the one who showed the most romantic interest in him.
- Photographic Memory: The gist of his Zero Skill, Perfect Memory.
Yosuke Hanamura
Arcana: I. Magician
Persona: Takehaya Susano-o
Element: Wind
Weapons: Kunai
A young man who moved to Inaba when his father became manager of the department store that opened there, he was the one to suggest investigating the TV world further after the death of his crush, Saki Konishi. Though seemingly more carefree and reckless than Yu, he is a match for him in strength.
- Ship Tease: With Chie in Chapter 25.
Chie Satonaka
Arcana: VII. Chariot
Persona: Haraedo-no-Okami
Element: Physical
Weapons: Greaves
A police officer who fell into the TV World with Yu and Yosuke the first time they went there when they were high school students, she has a passion for kung fu and meat and is best friends with Yukiko Amagi.
- Adaptational Sexuality: She is confirmed to be bisexual by Yu in Chapter 25.
- Ship Tease: With Yukiko in Chapter 25. Although, there is an equal amount of the same with Yosuke in the same chapter.
- Student–Master Team: She still maintains this dynamic with Akihiko, best demonstrated in Chapter 15 when they fight a Corporeal Shadow.
Yukiko Amagi
Arcana: II. Priestess
Persona: Sumeo-Okami
Element: Fire
Weapons: Fans
A dignified young woman who inherited the prestigious Amagi Inn, she had been the first victim that the Investigation Team saved. She is best friends with Chie.
- Adaptational Sexuality: She is confirmed to be bisexual by Yu in Chapter 25.
- Lethal Chef: And rather sensitive about it:Yukiko: My cooking's been getting better! It now takes almost thirty minutes before the kitchen staff kick[s] me out!
- Ship Tease: With Chie in Chapter 25.
Kanji Tatsumi
Arcana: IV. Emperor
Persona: Takeji Zaiten
Element: Electricity
Weapons: Shields
A thug-like individual who grew up in a textile shop, his love of cute things and 'unmanly' habits led to significant insecurities and a tendency to lash out at those around him. He mellowed out after facing himself.
- Official Couple: With Naoto. The Ship Tease between them is immensely prevalent in canon.
Rise Kujikawa
Arcana: VI. Lovers
Persona: Kouzeon
Element: Undefined; Navigator
A famous idol who also goes by her stage name Risette, she serves as the Navigator of the Investigation Team. She grew weary of idol life and planned to retire, but after facing herself in the TV World and growing close to Yu, she gained a new passion for what she did.
- Official Couple: With Yu. Canonically, she's the one who showed the most romantic interest in him.
- Weak, but Skilled: Although she's a Navigator, she developed fighting skills during Ultimax's events with help from Elizabeth; what she lacks in raw power, she makes up for with pinpoint precision and flexible elemental affinities. Every blow she strikes is a critical one.
Naoto Shirogane
Arcana: X. Fortune
Persona: Yamato Sumeragi
Elements: Fire, Ice, Electricity, Wind, & Earth, as well as Bless & Curse
Weapons: Revolvers
A prodigy from the Shirogane family of detectives currently working with the Tokyo Special Investigations Unit; a stoic professional who once hid her gender out of fear of condescension, she opened up more to the Investigation Team when they saved her.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: She's given Earth magic in Chapter 41.
- Official Couple: With Kanji. The Ship Tease between them is immensely prevalent in canon.
- Victor Gains Loser's Powers: Perhaps tying in with Awesome by Analysis, Naoto is able to use the elemental magic of any Shadow she’s fought.
Teddie
Arcana: XVII. Star
Persona: Kamui-Moshiro
Element: Ice
Weapons: Claws
A Shadow who gained sentience due to a desire to be loved, he was the Investigation Team's guide to the TV World and had Awakened to his Persona after helping to save Rise.
- Noodle Incident: In Chapter 31, the Investigation Team immediately rejects his suggestion of joining the Osaka strike team due to an unspecified incident at Junes.
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
The latest, most well-known, and most potent generation of Persona-users, with most of its members hailing from Shujin Academy in Tokyo, these individuals have embraced their Shadows and can fully use their power. They used their access to the Metaverse to fight against individual people's Shadows, forcing changes of heart in distorted people who were otherwise untouchable. They surfaced twice before the Outbreaks: once to dismantle the Antisocial Group led by Masayoshi Shido and masterminded by the false god Yaldabaoth and once to stop a change of heart epidemic caused by Akira Konoe and masterminded by the AI EMMA. Their Personas take the form of societal rebels, romanticized or entirely fictional.
Tropes applying to the Phantom Thieves as a whole:
- Code Name: This has been the standard for the Thieves since their formation to avoid embedding their real names in their victims' cognitions. Now that the Outbreaks have begun, their code names are more valuable than ever to hide their identities from the general public.
- The Musketeer: In both previous groups, each member has one weapon. Each Phantom Thief uses both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon.
Ren Amamiya / "Joker"
Arcana: 0. Fool
Persona: Raoul, Wild Card
Element: Curse
Weapons: Knives & Pistols
The leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and the Trickster destined to save the world from ruin, he's a sly but mild-mannered young man with a strong sense of justice. He first came to Tokyo because of an alleged assault charge by Masayoshi Shido, but the city soon became a home for him with the people he met.
- Affectionate Nickname: He calls Makoto "Mako" now that they're dating.
- Chick Magnet: Even though he only had eyes for Makoto, other girls had brief crushes on him, including Sumire and Ann.
- Foil: To Akechi once Ren's past as an illegitimate child comes to light for this story. Both are the opposing Tricksters in Yaldabaoth's game. However, Ren, unlike Akechi, has no interest in getting acknowledgement from his biological father and is happy and grew up well with his mother and stepfather, and had a strong bond with his Confidants and fellow Phantom Thieves, while Akechi suffered the worst of the stigma as a bastard child growing up after his mother died that eventually fueled him to become Shido's assassin in a convulted mean to get revenge while simultaneously wishing for Shido's acknowledgement, remaining isolated even until he dies. It helps that Ren's mother genuinely loved him and Ren got a Good Stepfather himself so Ren isn't bothered with Bastard Angst as much as he grew up.
- Heroic Bastard: In the story, Ren is revealed to be an illegitimate child due to his birth father raping his mother while she was drunk during a college party. But he nevertheless grew up a heroic individual with a strong sense of justice.
- Official Couple: With Makoto. There's a bit of Ship Tease between them in canon (though Strikers sinks it).
- The Tease: He loves getting affectionate with Makoto by complimenting her and giving her nicknames, much to her embarrassment.
Morgana / "Mona"
Arcana: I. Magician
Persona: Diego
Element: Wind
Weapons: Scimitars & Slingshots
A proud cat-like creature created by Igor from the last dregs of humanity's hope, he is the organizer and specialist of the Phantom Thieves who taught them all they know about the Metaverse. Since he resembles a regular cat in the real world, only those who have entered the Metaverse or heard him speak previously can understand him in this form.
- Become a Real Boy: He's wanted to be human almost since his birth. With the help of Futaba and a Vane of Order, he gains the form of a human boy, albeit with cat ears and tail.
- Hopeless Suitor: With the revelation that his (mostly) human form is that of a twelve-year-old boy, Morgana has zero chance with Ann. In Chapter 32, he finally accepts that she will only ever have eyes for Ryuji.
- If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: He tells Ryuji to make Ann happy lest the former invokes his wrath.
- Intelligible Unintelligible: Normal humans hear Morgana's voice as meows while he's in cat form. Previously, knowingly entering the Metaverse changed that, but with the fusion of the worlds, it changes to be that they can understand him if they've heard him speak in his humanoid form already.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: With the fusion of reality and the Metaverse, he can switch between his three forms—cat, humanoid, and bus—at will.
Ryuji Sakamoto / "Skull"
Arcana: VII. Chariot
Persona: William
Element: Electricity
Weapons: Lead Pipes & Shotguns
A punkish young man with a good heart and a big mouth, he was a former track star of Shujin Academy who became a delinquent due to Suguru Kamoshida breaking his leg. When he found his way to the Metaverse alongside Ren, Kamoshida was the first of many corrupt adults they brought down.
- Affectionate Nickname: He calls Ren "RenRen" due to their close friendship.
- Also, another one with Ann, who he frequently calls "Gorgeous."
- Ship Tease: With Ann. They finally become an Official Couple in Chapter 37.
Ann Takamaki / "Panther"
Arcana: VI. Lovers
Persona: Célestine
Element: Fire
Weapons: Whips & Submachine Guns
A quarter-American model and natural beauty, she aspires to be a ray of light to those around her. When Kamoshida, the lecherous volleyball coach of Shujin Academy, drove her best friend to attempt suicide, she began seeking revenge and soon found her way into the Metaverse.
- He Is Not My Boyfriend: She flat-out denies having a crush on Ryuji when Makoto teases her about this in Chapter 16. Heck, she denies it even in her mind until Chapter 24.
- Letting Her Hair Down: She does this in Chapter 37 for her first date with Ryuji.
- Ship Tease: With Ryuji. They finally become an Official Couple in Chapter 37.
Yusuke Kitagawa / "Fox"
Arcana: IV. Emperor
Persona: Gorokichi
Element: Ice
Weapons: Katanas & Assault Rifles
A quirky and passionate artist who attended Kosei High, he was raised by Ichiryusai Madarame, a conman who plagiarized his students' art. The Thieves accidentally brought him into the cognitive world while targeting Madarame, and Yusuke Awakened when he finally stopped denying the truth about his mentor.
- Adaptational Sexuality: In Chapter 25, Ren says Yusuke might be asexual.
Makoto Niijima / "Queen"
Arcana: II. Priestess
Persona: Agnes
Element: Nuclear
Weapons: Brass Knuckles & Revolvers
A straight-laced and diligent college student who was the Student Council President in her third year at Shujin Academy, she was conditioned to be subservient to her authority figures. When Shujin's principal assigned her to track down the Phantom Thieves, she sent them after the mafia boss Junya Kaneshiro to test their sense of justice; she joined the Thieves after becoming Kaneshiro's target herself and became their chief strategist.
- Number Two: She acts as second-in-command for her group, even temporarily taking the leadership role while Ren is away in Osaka for a mission.
- Official Couple: With Ren. There's a bit of Ship Tease between them in canon (though Strikers sinks it).
Futaba Sakura / "Oracle"
Arcana: IX. Hermit
Persona: Al Azif
Element: Undefined; Navigator
A computer genius and expert hacker who got adopted by Sojiro Sakura, she is the daughter of Wakaba Isshiki, a researcher of cognitive psience. Shido's conspiracy killed Wakaba, stole her research, and framed Futaba for her suicide, traumatizing her. Futaba reached out to the Thieves to ask them to steal her own heart and joined them afterward to avenge her mother's death.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Created an entirely new summoning catalyst from parts she had lying around and a Vane of Order.
- Teleportation: She can use this ability due to being a Navigator and often combines it with Teleport Spam to get around and scares Arisu by using it in Chapter 44. Presumably able to use it as an Extradimensional Emergency Exit as she teleported into the Garden of Hearts.
Haru Okumura / "Noir"
Arcana: III. Empress
Persona: Lucy
Element: Psychokinesis
Weapons: Axes & Grenade Launchers
A compassionate gardener and aspiring café owner, she is the heiress to the Okumura Foods company. She joined the Thieves to change her father's heart and prevent him from attempting to sell her off in an arranged marriage.
- Beware the Nice Ones: She's sweet, demure, compassionate, kindhearted, and dignified. Which only makes it scarier when she's calmly, smilingly threatening someone's well-being while sharpening her massive axe.
Sumire Yoshizawa / "Violet"
Arcana: Faith
Persona: Ella
Element: Bless
Weapons: Estocs & Rifles
A prodigious athlete. Almost destroyed by her twin sister's death, she managed to accept who she truthfully was and find the strength to move forward, all thanks to Joker. Though less experienced than the other Thieves, she fights alongside them readily.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Like in canon, Sumire developed feelings for Ren. However, by the time she confessed to him, he was already in a relationship with Makoto. Luckily, given what Chapter 16 mentioned, Sumire and Ren maintained their friendship.
- A Day in the Limelight: Sumire is the main character in ''A Friendship Revived''
, a Spin-Off fic written by hellothererizal and edited by Raptor, focusing on the events during and after the events of Isobe's Palace concerning her extended family and connections to other Persona-users outside Japan.
Sophia / "Sophie"
Arcana: Hope
Persona: Pandora
Element: Bless
Weapons: Yo-yos & Blasters
A sentient AI created by Kuon Ichinose out of a desire to understand the heart and heal her loneliness. She joined the Phantom Thieves when they discovered the Jails and came to fulfill her purpose while fighting alongside them.
- Become a Real Boy: One of her ultimate goals is to gain a flesh and blood body. She's most of the way there; she has an android body courtesy of the Kirijo Group, and the Thieves have gathered enough Vanes of Order that they can make it happen, but Futaba still needs to figure out how to perform the transformation first.
- Hates Being Touched: She still doesn't appreciate anyone giving her physical shows of affection.
Zenkichi Hasegawa / "Wolf"
Arcana: Apostle
Persona: Valjean
Element: Almighty
Weapons: Greatswords & Dual Revolvers
A Public Security Inspector who got assigned to gain the Phantom Thieves' help with the change of heart epidemic, he became a close ally as they fought the Monarchs of the Jails. When his daughter became a Monarch and trapped the other Thieves, he had Awakened to a Persona to save them all. He is the oldest known Persona user and the only Thief whose identity is public knowledge.
- Papa Wolf: It's in his codename. Mess with his family, and nothing will stop him from hunting you down.
Ren's Confidants
A collection of individuals living throughout the Tokyo area, Ren befriended them through deals during the Phantom Thieves' first period of activity. They are among the people the Thieves had saved and the only ones unaffiliated with the Metaverse or the police who know Joker's true identity.
Sojiro Sakura
Arcana: V. Hierophant
The adoptive father of Futaba Sakura and one of the Thieves' closest confidants, he runs Café Leblanc, a back-alley store with top-notch coffee and curry, and the Thieves' hideout.
- Papa Wolf: He's fiercely protective of the Phantom Thieves to the point that he warns anyone not to give them trouble.
Chihaya Mifune
Arcana: X. Fortune
A fortune-teller with genuine foretelling abilities who runs a modest stand in Shinjuku, she provided fortune-telling abilities for Ren as he proved that fate could change.
Munehisa Iwai
Arcana: XII. Hanged Man
A gruff man who runs the airsoft shop Untouchable in Shibuya, the Phantom Thieves' preferred source for weapons, he's a former Yakuza member who now focuses his life on raising his son, Kaoru. He provided unique customizations for Ren in exchange for help when his past returned to haunt him.
Tae Takemi
Arcana: XIII. Death
A Goth woman who runs a medical clinic in Yongen-Jaya, the Phantom Thieves' preferred medicine source, she's a brilliant doctor whose jealous superior once disgraced her. She provided remarkable medicine for Ren in exchange for his help with clinical trials to perfect treatment for an otherwise-incurable disease.
Sadayo Kawakami
Arcana: XIV. Temperance
A teacher at Shujin Academy dedicated to her job, she was once a victim of extortion and had a second job with Victoria's maid service company to make ends meet. She allowed Ren to slack off in class as long as he kept her second job a secret.
Ichiko Ohya
Arcana: XV. Devil
A bubbly alcoholic woman and passionate journalist who frequents the Crossroads bar in Shinjuku, she provided positive press coverage for the Phantom Thieves in exchange for specific information on the Thieves from Ren.
Shinya Oda
Arcana: XVI. Tower
A smart-mouthed boy and master of the Gun About video game, he taught Ren gun-based skills in exchange for learning about the Phantom Thieves.
Hifumi Togo
Arcana: XVII. Star
A soft-spoken young woman with an acute passion for Shogi, she taught Shogi strategies to Ren that aided the Thieves in the Metaverse in exchange for helping her refine her skills.
- Ascended Extra: All Joker's confidants have higher-than-average potential to Awaken to a Persona, but she and Mishima are the closest to Awakening.
Yuuki Mishima
Arcana: XVIII. Moon
A computer-savvy young man who created and ran the Phantom Thieves' website, his research led the Thieves to many minor but notable targets. Once a victim of abuse by Kamoshida, he was the Phantom Thieves' first and most passionate fan whom Ren helped with his self-esteem issues.
- Ascended Extra: All Joker's confidants have higher-than-average potential to Awaken to a Persona, but he and Hifumi are the closest to Awakening. He finally does so with the help of a Shattering Shackle in Chapter 45, three chains away from being Sage Class.
- Parental Neglect: As was indicated way back with Kamoshida in canon, Mishima's parents don't seem to acknowledge him beyond feeding him and giving him an allowance.
- Suffer the Slings: Uses a sling loaded with various Spellstone in Chapter 45.
Toranosuke Yoshida
Arcana: XIX. Sun
A kindly senior man and formerly disgraced politician, he regularly gave speeches outside the Shibuya subway station; he taught Ren how to deliver them in exchange for helping him with his own.
- Shotguns Are Just Better: Uses a shotgun as his weapon.
Sae Niijima
Arcana: XX. Judgement
A stern-faced young woman. A former prosecutor who's currently a defense lawyer, and Makoto Niijima's older sister, she was once a target of the Phantom Thieves. Her intervention allowed them to escape Masayoshi Shido's trap and bring him down. She remains one of the Thieves' closest confidants.
- Badass Normal: She's not a Persona-user (yet, at least), but one game mentions that she's even better at Aikido than Makoto, and she demonstrates as much by defeating a Shadow unarmed on her way to buy weapons.
Takuto Maruki
Arcana: Councillor
Persona: Adam
Element: Force
A former cognitive psience researcher and formerly rogue Persona-user who contracted with the false god Azathoth to create an "ideal" reality, he had accepted his defeat and led a quiet life as a cab driver until the Outbreaks began. After reuniting with his ex-fiancée, he eventually joined the Shadow Operatives.
- The Atoner: He had initially accepted his defeat and consigned himself to a quiet life. Eventually, however, he decides to resume his cognitive psience research with the help of the Kirijo Group, though having learned his lesson, he also plans to personally ensure nobody abuses the research again.
- Redemption Demotion: At his peak, Takuto Maruki was strong enough to evenly oppose the entirety of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts (besides Sophie and Wolf, who joined later). After his defeat, as part of his graceful loss, he allowed his will to fade, setting him back to square one.
The Velvet Room
A mysterious chamber lined with blue velvet. Existing between dream and reality, mind and matter, the only mortals who may enter it are those bound by a contract. The inhabitants of this room reach out to Wild Cards and help them cultivate the power of their Personas whenever the Metaverse encroaches on reality; the only price is that they accept full responsibility for their actions.
Tropes applying to the Velvet Room as a whole:
- All-Powerful Bystander: As Igor and the attendants cannot interfere with the human world's affairs, they can only offer their assistance to the Wild Cards in developing their Persona abilities and providing hints.
Igor
Master of the Velvet Room; he's a mysterious entity resembling an aged man with a long nose and perpetual smile. Though somewhat creepy and commonly vague, he is a benign entity who always gives Wild Cards no more or less than precisely what they need to succeed.
- Big Good: The closest thing to one that the story has, he empowers Wild Cards with what they need to protect reality from the outbreaks, be it in knowledge or abilities, and is leading the resistance against the Shadows on the other side of things.
Elizabeth
A former attendant of the Velvet Room who was previously assigned to Minato Arisato and briefly to Aigis after Minato's death, she is an eccentric, free-spirited, and somewhat mischievous woman. She has made it her life's goal to free her guest from the Great Seal.
- Walking the Earth: What she does after leaving the Velvet Room. She's currently searching for a way to revive Minato.
Theodore
An attendant of the Velvet Room assigned to Minako Arisato and the only known male among the attendants who is often the butt of his sisters' jokes, he is a gentle fellow attending to Aigis due to Elizabeth's absence.
Margaret
An attendant of the Velvet Room assigned to Yu Narukami, she is seemingly the eldest and most stoic of the attendants.
Lavenza
An attendant of the Velvet Room assigned to Ren Amamiya, she resembles a young girl and usually retains a calm and composed manner.
- Literal Split Personality: When Yaldabaoth took over the Velvet Room, he tore Lavenza into twin individuals: the bellicose Caroline and the stoic Justine. Since regaining her original form, she has been able to re-separate and re-combine at will.
Others
Chidori Iori
Arcana: XII. Hanged Man; XIX. Sun
Persona: Euphrosyne
A former member of the rogue, antagonistic Persona-user group Strega, she switched sides when she fell in love with Junpei Iori. She sacrificed all her power to save Junpei after Strega had killed him.
Shortly after the birth of her daughter, she awakens to a new resolve and becomes a Sage Class Persona-user.
- Happily Married: To Junpei.
- The Power of Love: After a finding a new resolve to live for her new family, the last vestiges of Medea in her soul stir and transform into Euphrosyne.
- Spared by the Adaptation: It is optional and a bit tricky to pull off, but still possible that in Persona 3, after Chidori sacrifices herself to save Junpei, she is revived by the last dregs of her Persona's power, which she had previously used to breathe life into wilting flowers. When hospital staff placed those flowers on her corpse, the power returned to her and restored her life. However, she lost her Persona (which fused with Junpei's) and her memories as a Persona-user. That much is canon; what's left ambiguous is whether or not that stops Junpei from trying to rebuild their relationship. In this story, he very much tried and succeeded; their first child, Chiyome, is born in Chapter 48.
Marie
Arcana: XX. Aeon
The weather reporter of Inaba. A close friend of the Investigation Team and known to most as Mariko Kusumi, her real name is Izanami-no-Mikoto, the TV World and Midnight Channel's creator and the town's guardian goddess.
- Literal Split Personality: Kusumi-no-Okami, Marie's former name, was the half of Izanami who wanted to protect humanity and separated from the half who wanted to grant humanity's desire when the two wishes became incompatible. When the Investigation Team defeated her other half, the two became one again, and she became Izanami-no-Mikoto.
- Physical God: She has the form of a young woman but is legitimately a goddess. Though she rarely has any reason to show it overtly, even with the Outbreaks.
- Weather Manipulation: She literally decides the weather in Inaba and also tends to conjure lightning when she is angry.
Nanako Dojima
Arcana: VIII. Justice
Persona: Kaya-no-Hime
Yu's younger cousin and Ryotaro Dojima's daughter; she recently awakened to a Persona by facing her shadow in the TV World.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Awakened to a Persona offscreen.
Sho Minazuki
Arcana: 0. Fool
Persona: Tsukiyomi, Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Element: Curse
Weapons: Twin Blades
A formerly rogue Persona-user and Wild Card, he first appeared as an antagonist to the Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team. He resurfaced in Tokyo shortly after the Outbreaks began, and with the aid of those around him, he eventually realized the potential of bonds. While technically a member of the Shadow Operatives, he's on his journey as a Wild Card. Currently Sage Class.
- Badass in Distress: He gets captured by Sandā Arsenal goons in Chapter 36.
- Big Eater: In Chapter 36, he orders a ridiculous quantity of food at a diner with the 'allowance' that Mitsuru gave him. He's fully confident in his ability to eat it all; his rationalization?Sho: I never know when my next meal's coming, so if I get the chance to gorge, there's no way I'm missing it!
- Dark and Troubled Past: He was Shuji Ikutsuki's adopted son but was only another test subject to him, growing up in a cell and eventually falling into a coma. When he awakened, Ikutsuki was long-dead, and he became a pawn for a false god. Before the story begins, he seems to have been Walking the Earth for the last six years.
- Heel–Face Turn: He's still belligerent and quick-tempered, but now that he knows that bonds with other people are the key to realizing his full power, he's slowly opening himself to care about others.
- Hot-Blooded: Oh, yes. He instigates fights with others over even the smallest of provocations and recklessly charges into battles without thinking things through.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: How the author portrays him in the fic; justified, as it's been six years since Ultimax's conclusion, allowing Sho to be this.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Played for Laughs. Even he becomes terrified by Noir's sadistic tendencies.
- Split Personality: Formerly, the hot-blooded 'Sho' wasn't a Persona-user; Ikutsuki's experiments created a cold-blooded personality called 'Minazuki' who was protective of Sho, and 'Minazuki' was the one with a Persona. After the events of Persona 4: Arena Ultimax, 'Minazuki' disappeared, and Sho gained the ability to call Tsukiyomi himself.
Rumi Tominaga
A woman who was Takuto Maruki's fiancée, she was traumatized by the murder of her parents. Maruki's strong desire to save her called to Azathoth, sealing away her trauma and her memories of him. The seal breaks not long after the Outbreaks begin.
- Damsel in Distress: She gets imprisoned by a strong Shadow–which took on the form of Eris–at the end of Chapter 28.
- Named by the Adaptation: At least her surname; only her first name was known in canon.
- Trauma Button: She gets a panic attack whenever she sees a gun, despite her memories of her parents' murders remaining suppressed (until Chapter 33).
Miyako Kaburagi
An austere woman with a strong-willed but practical approach to justice, she is a Public Security Commissioner and Zenkichi Hasegawa's boss. Her stern, intimidating demeanor hides a compassionate heart that few besides Zenkichi ever have a chance to see.
- Not So Stoic: Her first scene in the story is when we see her frazzled; she's not quite screaming at Zenkichi, but she's very upset that he didn't tell her that he had superpowers.
Kuon Ichinose
A young woman and computer genius who created Sophia and EMMA, her bubbly exterior hides a core that struggles to express emotions. After beginning to understand the human heart thanks to the Phantom Thieves, she went on a journey with Sophia to fully comprehend it for herself. When the Outbreaks started, she joined the Shadow Operatives to combine her AI skills with the Kirijo Group's android technology.
Akane Hasegawa / "Raven"
Arcana: III. Empress
Persona: Cosette
Element: Curse
Weapons: Dual Ninjaken & Dual Revolvers
A current student of Shujin Academy and Zenkichi Hasegawa's daughter, she had Awakened to her Persona after a group of corrupt police officers abducted her. She serves as Kenzo Okuda's Empress Confidant.
- Ascended Extra: In Strikers, she was a significant side character who briefly served as one of the villains. In this story, the second time someone tries using her against the Phantom Thieves, she Awakens to her Persona, joins the Thieves, and even forms a bond with Kenzo.
- Casting a Shadow: Her Persona, Cosette, uses Curse spells.
- Damsel out of Distress: She breaks free of her bonds and Awakens to her Persona moments before the Phantom Thieves arrive to rescue her in Chapter 12.
Akari and Kazushi Amamiya
Ren's loving parents. Though technically canon, nothing is known of them; their names and descriptions are Raptorclaw's take on the characters.
Tropes that apply to both:
- The Ghost: In canon, they only get a single mention; averted in the story, however, as they make their first appearance in Chapter 17.
- Good Parents: It's clear how much they care about their son; they were the only people who believed him when he got falsely charged with assault.
- Happily Married: Very much so since Ren was twelve.
- Named by the Adaptation: Due to them not appearing in canon proper, their names are unknown; here, they go by Akari and Kazushi.
Tropes that apply to Akari:
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: In Chapter 18, she tells Makoto about Ren's childhood, much to his protest.
- Beware the Nice Ones: She is a sweet and kind woman who is scary when angry or vindictive, even frightening her husband.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She fell in love with Kazushi due to him helping her out during the most challenging part of her life, specifically with one of her jobs and looking after Ren when she couldn't.
Tropes that apply to Kazushi:
- Good Stepfather: While he isn't Ren's biological father, he loves his son dearly.
- Oblivious to Love: Ren mentions in Chapter 18 that his mother dropped hints for years before his father asked to date her.
Original Characters
The Raptor Pack
The first team of Persona-users to form after the Outbreak; its members hail from Shujin Academy.
Tropes applying to the Raptor Pack as a whole:
- Multinational Team: Subverted in the But Not Too Foreign way, as both Kenzo and Shen are part Japanese.
Kenzo Okuda
Arcana: 0. Fool
Persona: Quasimodo, Hephaestus, Wild Card
Elements: Fire (primary) & Earth
Weapons: Wolverine Claws
The narrator, a quiet second-year at Shujin Academy acknowledged as weird by everyone, including himself. He is the first Japanese Wild Card to Awaken after the Outbreaks begin and is the leader of the Raptor Pack. Currently Sage Class.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Before the story's events, he was this.
- All Your Powers Combined: Much like the protagonists of Persona 3, 4, and 5, he has the power of the Wild Card.
- Animal Motifs: Birds. Kenzo is nicknamed "Bird Man" by Satomi before she gets his name in Chapter 39 (though mainly because he had wings from Archangel at the time) and has also liked them for a while. He even describes himself as "moving as fast as a diving falcon" while saving Shen from his admirer's attention.
- Awesome by Analysis: He figured two of the Phantom Thieves' civilian identities out before receiving an invitation to their hideout.
- Brutal Honesty: He admits a few times throughout the story that he's "honest to a fault." One example is when Futaba (under the guise of Alibaba at the time) texts him if he's an utter moron in Chapter 17. He has no problem acknowledging this.
- Deadly Ringer: His initial Persona, Quasimodo, used a giant bell as his weapon.
- Deadpan Snarker: Very much so.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: Played with. He likes western swords and is the leader and Wild Card of his Team, who usually wield swords/bladed weapons (such as Joker, who uses a knife, or Minako, who uses a naginata) but instead uses Wolverine Claws. He briefly uses a summoned sword in Chapter 39 to fight Satomi and Atsuko.
- Imagination-Based Superpower: Magician's Flame. So far, he has created the following:
- An anvil, using Hephaestus.
- Wings with both Pixie and High Pixie, used for hovering at various altitudes.
- A jar with Agathion.
- Various constructs using Archangel, including a sword, armor, and wings, all of which give more control but less speed than High Pixie's.
- The Leader: Well, duh.
- Persona Non Grata: He briefly has this status with the Velvet Room due to the Vane of Order in his hand; Igor invites him after he Awakens to explain his situation but requests that he only returns after getting rid of the Vane.
- Playing with Fire: Quasimodo and Hephaestus are Fire-based, as is his Magician's Flame ability.
- Polyglot: Having grown up on the West Coast of the United States, he's fluent in both Japanese and English.
- Pungeon Master: He enjoys making bad puns.
- The Quiet One: Used to be this.
- Self-Insert: Of the author.
Shen Kurata-Yang
Arcana: I. Magician
Persona: Leigong
Element: Electricity
Weapons: Jians (Chinese Longswords) & Wrist-mounted Crossbows
A half-Chinese boy who lived half his life in Australia, his family moved to Tokyo after the Outbreaks occurred to live in a safer location. He became fast friends with Kenzo and began seeking his Awakening as soon as he learned that Kenzo was a Persona user. He's currently a Hunter Class Persona user.
- Australian Accent: He's said to speak with one (at least when speaking English). It's unclear what version it is, however.
- Chick Magnet: Though not always to his benefit.
- Exceeded the Goal: Loves to surpass his "limits." He'll constantly test them and attempt to reach them.
- Jumped at the Call: Upon finding out Kenzo was a Persona-user, he immediately requested to join him and seek a way to Awaken to a Persona of his own. He also forces Hunter Class Awakening almost immediately after obtaining his Shackle.
- The Lancer: To Kenzo.
- Mixed Ancestry Is Attractive: He's a half-Chinese and half-Japanese who lived in Australia for half his life and is considered very attractive by pretty much everyone in his class.
- Odd Name Out: His name sounds (and is supposed to be) Chinese, compared to most other characters and OCs in the story, who all have Japanese names. Although it may not be a real name, As Long as It Sounds Foreign is in play.
- Polyglot: Having lived in Australia for eight years and because of his mixed heritage, he's fluent in Japanese, English, and Chinese.
- Shock and Awe: His Persona, Leigong, fittingly uses Electricity spells.
Arisu Fukuda
Arcana: II. Priestess
Persona: Chione
Weapons: Carbine Rifles & Poleaxes
A quiet but strong-willed girl who is Kenzo's class representative, she eventually joins Kenzo and Shen to learn how to fight Shadows. She craves the freedom to control the direction of her life. She's currently a Hunter Class Persona user.
- Abusive Parents: Hinted at for a long while. In Chapter 46, Arisu claims they're not that bad, but they decided many things for her and had high standards.
- Class Representative
- Death Glare: Her nickname Storm Girl comes from her regularly invoking this trope.
- Happy Rain: Storm Girl doesn't just refer to her glare, as Chapter 44 reveals:Arisu: I just like storms. The howl of the wind and the roar of the thunder is awe-inspiring, and falling asleep to the sound of rain on your roof… there's no experience like it.
- The Stoic: Having been used to suppressing her emotions, it takes 14 chapters for her to open up enough to try using her Shattering Shackle after getting it.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Chapter 43 reveals that she does desire to wear dresses and jewelry and make males gawk at her good looks, but has long-repressed them out of reservations of people only seeing her for her looks.
Kenzo's Confidants
Tamotsu Kojima
Arcana: XI. Strength
A gruff and sour blacksmith acquainted with Munehisa Iwai, he grudgingly accepts Kenzo as an apprentice in exchange for supplying materials.
- Grumpy Old Man: Even with Iwai's recommendation, it takes a lot of convincing and a few days of thinking for him to agree to mentor Kenzo, and he doesn't pretend he's happy about it.
The Velvet Room
Saraiah
An attendant of the Velvet Room assigned to Kenzo Okuda, she's a young woman with a friendly yet mischievous personality, much like her sister Elizabeth.
Lucy
An attendant of the Velvet Room assigned to Sho Minazuki, she's a belligerent woman with less modest looks than her sisters.
Villains
Shoichi Takada
A stoic and apathetic businessman, he plans to survive the Outbreaks by allying with the Shadows.
- The Corrupter: His survival plan is growing close to and distorting people in positions of power to create Palaces, using the fortifications and his subsequent control over the Shadows to survive whatever happens. Of note, he had been planning on doing this long before the Outbreaks started.
- The Creon: He aims for nothing more or less than being the right-hand man of a Palace ruler, affording him all of the security and power but none of the risk.
- Sarcastic Clapping: He enjoys doing this. It happens twice, just in his introductory scene.
- Smug Snake: A stoic example, he shows no emotion when Persona-users confront him, nor when they lambast his callous viewpoint, nor when they show enough power that he gives up Sandā Arsenal as a lost cause. He's unshakable.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: When he sees the power of the Phantom Thieves, he flees Isobe's Palace, convinced that they will defeat him but unconvinced that they are more likely to survive the Outbreaks than he is.
- Weak, but Skilled: Word of God says that his desires are too weak to manifest a Shadow or a Persona. His only weapons are guile and apathy, and he uses them well.
Others
Mita Eri
A student of Shujin Academy, she becomes fast friends with Akane Hasegawa after her transfer.
Ryouto Yoshino
A timid student of Shujin Academy who is determined to do whatever he must to keep his family safe from the Outbreaks. He spied on Kenzo and his team for a long while; when they noticed him, they gave him an invitation and Shattering Shackle, though he has yet to fully accept either.
- Gadgeteer Genius: After one look at a Shattering Shackle (piercing the Perception Filter by force of will), he makes a solid attempt to build his own, disassembling a chainsaw for parts in the process.
- Low Clearance: He reflects on having this problem frequently due to being tall.
- Shrinking Violet: A rare male example.
Akio Fujita
A student of Shujin Academy, he is close friends with Munehisa Iwai's son Kaoru.
- Dark and Troubled Past: It's all implicit at this point, but his closeness with Iwai and Kaoru, as well as a look at his inner thoughts, give the impression that he's had Yakuza-related trouble in his past.
Toru Arima / "Trench"
Persona: Blackbeard
Element: Water
Weapons: Tridents
A well-mannered mercenary and Phantom Class Persona-user who first appears working under Sandā Arsenal in Osaka, he works tirelessly to earn money for his sister's hospital bills. He soon joins the Shadow Operatives, but shortly thereafter joins Sho on his journey.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He lost his parents to Kelpies when the Outbreaks began, and his surviving sister is comatose.
- Everyone Has Standards: He doesn't pay heed to the nefarious rumors of his employer so long as the money he needs comes in. But when Joker and company arrive to take them down because they've been kidnapping other Persona-users, he immediately (albeit reluctantly) stands aside, accepts a business card for the Shadow Operatives, and helps them bring his employer down shortly afterward.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: He introduces himself by his code name. It takes a couple more chapters before the narration reveals his real name.
Sakiko
Persona: Hippolyta
Element: Nuclear
Weapons: Weighted Chains
A punkish and upbeat skateboarding girl and Sage Class Persona-user from Osaka, she's a proud rebel who fights against the Shadows out of justice.
Ayaka Tani
Persona: Jeanne de Clisson
Element: Fire
Weapons: Daggers
A college-aged girl from Osaka, Phantom Class Persona-user, and Sho Minazuki's girlfriend, she joined the Shadow Operatives and Phantom Thieves in attacking her grandfather's Palace. She joined the Shadow Operatives, but left along with her boyfriend when he began his journey.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: When the idea of dating Sho comes up, she likes the idea. It's unclear when exactly she goes from teasing to serious about it.Ayaka: (teasingly) Handsome, powerful, and violent? I'm going to have to act fast before some other girl snatches you up!
- Gruesome Grandparent: She's the granddaughter of the wicked, controlling CEO of Sandā Arsenal and is adamant about helping the Thieves take him down. Though after his change of heart, she's happy to have her old grandfather back.
- Morality Chain: She is this for Sho, greatly facilitating his rehabilitation.
- Ship Tease: When an agent tries to arrest Sho, he calls Ayaka his girlfriend. Sho doesn't deny it, and she gladly teases the idea. It's not clear exactly when it goes from flirting to sincerity.
Atsuko Maki and Satomi Miura
Personas: Veles (Atsuko) and Psyche (Satomi)
Elements: Curse (Atsuko) & Psychokinesis (Satomi)
A pair of Sage Class Persona-users, lovers, and vagabonds who made ends meet through theft before crossing paths with Kenzo and Yu in Inaba; they feature in the side story Halfway To Tokyo With None Of The Fare.
Tropes that apply to both:
- Big Eater: Like Sho, they eat as much whenever possible due to not knowing when the next meal will be.
- Queer Establishing Moment: Satomi is officially revealed to be pansexual, and Atsuko is non-binary in Chapter 44.
- Reformed Criminal: Kenzo recognizes how they were outlaws only because of a lack of alternatives and sees about setting them up to work with other Persona-users.
- Right-Hand Cat: They have a cat named Birthday Cake that's intelligent enough to send out on scouting missions.
Tropes that apply to Atsuko:
- Ambiguous Gender Identity: Atsuko's gender's left ambiguous even to Satomi, though the latter says that the former's not a he. Chapter 44 reveals them to be non-binary but assigned female at birth.
Tropes that apply to Satomi:
- Dark and Troubled Past: It gets mentioned that Satomi grew up in a less-than-caring home in Kyoto and met Atsuko while escaping the house once, who was already known as an infamous thief in the area.
The Okuda Family
Kenzo's American relatives, most of whom live with him in Japan. They consist of his father, Yoshito; his mother, Shizuko; his older sister, Mira; his younger brother, Tsuneo; his younger sister, Chiyo; and his youngest sister, Mizuki.
- Crazy-Prepared: According to Kenzo, his mother thinks of everything involving arguments.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Tsuneo and Shizuko make their first appearances in Chapter 17, but they aren't named.
- Friendly Rivalry: Chiyo and Mizuki quarrel with each other and whine about it, but everyone is aware that both of them enjoy it.
- The Ghost: Most of them appear in Chapter 38, but Mira's mentioned as being away at college in America.
- Noodle Incident: Apparently, Kenzo zapped Chiyo with his powers at one point, and Mizuki keeps bugging him about doing it again.
- Only Sane Man: Tsuneo is the most 'normal' of the group.
Kiyoko Abe
A female third-year student at Shujin Academy who caught the Phantom Thieves' interest when Akane saved her from her Shadow on patrol. Sumire reached out to her with a hand of friendship, though not revealing her identity as Violet.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Heavily implied with the fact that she rejected her Shadow offscreen. The only thing that's known for sure at the moment is that she used to have friends but no longer does.
- Shrinking Violet: She freezes up when Sumire first approaches her, apparently a common problem that she thought she'd gotten over.
