Fanfic / Phantom Thieves of Hope

Phantom Thieves of Hope is an in-progress crossover fic between Persona 5 and the Danganronpa series, written by the user Creepercraftguy, author of Danganronpa Re:Programmed, on Archive of Our Own (here) and Watt Pad (here).

Makoto Naegi is the Ultimate Lucky Student at the esteemed school of Hope's Peak Academy. Now beginning his second year with little to no problems, Makoto's life is turned upside down when he and his classmate Toko Fukawa discover a cognitive realm known as the Metaverse. Through the metaverse, he discovers many hidden and dangerous controversies behind Hope's Peak Academy, and with some newfound powers, and new friends by his side, he endeavors to take the ringleaders of the academy down.

The story features original storylines, as well as artwork of the Phantom Thieves and their Personas illustrated by Creepercraftguy himself.

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Contains examples of:

Tropes A-M

• 20 Minutes into the Past: While the fic was first published in 2023, it takes place around 2010, which is when Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc was first released in Japan.
• Abusive Parents:
  • Just like in Ultra Despair Girls, the parents of the Warriors of Hope are Grade-A assholes who abuse and torment their children in the most horrific ways imaginable.
  • Toko's two mothers are stated to be this. Many of Toko's innate fears, such as her fear of bathing or fear of the dark, originate from their abuse.
  • Fuhito Kirigiri is a manipulative monster, who manipulates his granddaughter's feelings and coerces her into hating her father, Jin, for blatantly untrue reasons.
  • Kirie Akamatsu, Kaede Akamatsu's mother, isn't above physically harming her daughter when she's pushed to her breaking point and was already harshly controlling her in hopes of piggybacking off her fame, while casually disregarding her other daughter when she didn't have any exploitable talents.
  • Hajime's parents, as seen in Chapter 47, are a right piece of work, with them both outright hating Hajime's Ridiculously Average Guy status and wholeheartedly dismissing him, fueling his inferiority complex.
• Accidental Discovery:
  • In Chapter 1, The first time Makoto and Toko enter the Metaverse, it happens by Makoto accidentally opens the nav app and Toko unknowingly speaks the keywords.
  • Toko again, in Chapter 12, accidentally figures out Kirigiri's keywords in this same manner.
  • In Chapter 36, Makoto discovers the Steering Committee's secret lab under the statue of Izuru Kamukura by activating the mechanism completely on accident. Just like how Nagito Komaeda did in Danganronpa 3.
  • Chiaki accidentally sends herself into a random palace in Tokyo in a manner reminiscent of how Kasumi did it.
• Accidental Hug: In Chapter 14, a malfunction with the doll machine causes Komaru to land on top of Toko in a compromising position.
• Acquired Situational Narcissism: As the reputation of the Thieves grows, so too does their hubris. This is seen especially with Komaru.
• Acting Unnatural: The Phantom Thieves, especially the Naegi siblings, are very bad at playing dumb when it comes to hiding their secret identities. It's a wonder how none of them have been caught yet.
• Action Girl: Makoto makes note of how most of the women in his life are more manly than he ever will be.
• Actor Allusion: Kaede's role as a Phantom Thief, as well as her getting a Race Lift to be part English, makes her similar to canonical Persona 5 character Ann Takamaki, whom Kaede shares a voice actress with.
• Adaptation Name Change:
  • Zigzagged with Monomi. In Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, the rabbit's name is Usami, with Monomi being the name Monokuma forced upon her after remodeling her into his "little sister." Here, her real name is Monomi, with Usami being her Phantom Thief code name.
  • As of Chapter 40 the Monobeasts that originally appear in Danganronpa 2 as Monokuma's killing machines make an appearance as Shadows that must be defeated by the Phantom Thieves to progress through the Palace. Due to Monokuma's lack of a presence in the narrative, they are instead referred to as "Mechabeasts"
• Adaptational Badass: The characters from the main Danganronpa series, who were previously ordinary high-school students with special talents, now have Personas and all the powers that come with them.
• Adaptational Sexuality: Chapter 20 confirms Komaru is a lesbian. Additionally, Toko gradually comes to realize she is bisexual.
• Adopting the Abused: After Kotoko's parents are arrested for their assistance with Towa's abuse, Komaru has the Naegis take her in as a foster child.
• Adrenaline Makeover: Applies to a lot of the character arcs, but is taken figuratively and literally with Toko. She gradually comes out of her shell, becoming a slightly more sociable person, and then in Chapter 27, is given a complete makeover by Kaede, with some hilarious results.
• Adults Are Useless: Shinichi Saihara, Shuichi's uncle, falls victim to both Fuhito Kirigiri and Kirie Akamatsu and whatever resistance he puts up is futile.
• Air-Vent Passageway: Inverted. When trying to expose Fuhito's corruption to Shuichi and Kyoko, Monomi crawls through the Kirigiri Detective Agency's ventilation to break into his private study.
• Alternate Timeline: While some canon events are shown in the story, the order and timing of each event are different. For example, Twilight Syndrome Murder Case happened the year before Makoto and his classmates joined Hope's Peak, but in this story, Makoto is in his second year at Hope's Peak and Twilight Syndrome hasn't happened yet. Additionally, the cast of Danganronpa V3 did not exist in the same timeline as the casts of Danganronpa 1, 2, and Ultra Despair Girls, but they are present here as first-year students at Hope's Peak.
• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: In a manner, applies to most of the Phantom Thieves.
  • Takao Naegi privately talks to Kyoko behind Makoto's back, telling her how much she is admired by his son.
  • Shinichi and Tsubaki Saihara are this to Shuichi in most of the chapters where they are shown.
  • Kirie Akamatsu's introduction features her teasing Kaede about her relationship with Shuichi.
• And Mission Control Rejoiced: Downplayed with Chihiro and subverted with Mukuro. Every time the thieves succeed, Chihiro becomes increasingly overjoyed and proud, whilst Mukuro becomes increasingly irate.
• Animal Reaction Shot: Monomi's reactions to unexpected scenarios are typically hilarious and she exhibits many traits that real-world rabbits do when she's outside of the Metaverse, particularly when she is called a Demon Rabbit.
• Ascended Extra: This applies in quite a few cases.
  • In the original Danganronpa series, Fuhito Kirigiri serves as a background character in both Ultra Despair Girls and the Kirigiri light novel series. In this story, he is the second Palace ruler, and his detective agency takes the form of a theater.
  • The Hope's Peak Steering Committee members serve as the lead antagonists for most of the story and are given names. Tomita, Wakaba, Uragami and Ashikawa.
  • The parents of the Warriors of Hope are given names and play a more active role, as opposed to just appearing in flashbacks. The same goes for Tokuichi Towa, Monaca and Haiji's father.
  • Kaede Akamatsu's twin sister is only briefly mentioned in Chapter 6 of Danganronpa V3, and it's unclear whether she even existed. In this universe, she does. Kaori Akamatsu.
  • Shuichi's uncle and his wife are shown looking after Shuichi and running their own detective agency within their home.
  • Jin Kirigiri does not make many appearances in the canon series, save for one or two scenes in the first game, and a few scenes in the light novels, like Zero and Kirigiri. In this, he's still a background character but has many more scenes than he does in the original media, and more of an attachment to his daughter, Kyoko.
  • Makoto and Komaru's parents, who are rarely ever shown in the series, take much more active roles. They're more involved in their children's lives and agree to foster Kotoko following Towa's exposure.
• Assembly Line Fast-Forward: When Toko tries to change Komaru back from her doll form, the conveyer malfunctions, resulting in Komaru flying off the conveyer and landing on her in a suggestive position.
• Asshole Victim: Toshiro Uzawa is one of many detectives who falls victim to the manipulation and abuse of Fuhito Kirigiri, who practically fires him for doing his job how he's supposed to. However, Uzawa becomes warped as a result of him being let go, and becomes an irrationally violent person, targeting members of the KDA specifically, and serving as the Phantom Thieves' first Mementos target.
• Attack Failure Chance: A running gag in the story is that Toko hates Monomi's signature attacking move Lucky Punch, due to how it has a chance to land a devastating attack, but an equally high chance to do no damage at all, and always seems to do the latter in a pivotal moment.
• Atrocious Alias: Makoto is originally outraged by his thief code name of Leprechaun before Toko explains it.
• Badass Normal: Kyoko, unlike the rest of the Phantom Thieves, has no Persona or powers in the Metaverse. This does not stop her from joining them in the Palaces or helping out where she can.
• The Bait: Komaru does this twice. Once in Towa's Palace to help her team get the jump on a Shadow in possession of a security badge, and again in Kirigiri's Palace where she distracts the enemies to allow Toko to fiddle with the stage controls.
• Big Damn Heroes: Shuichi practically sacrifices himself to save the Phantom Thieves from Kirigiri's Shadow guards. This ultimately leads him to awaken his Persona.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Between Shuichi and Kaede in chapter 33, after officially confirming their feelings.
• Big "WHY?!": Komaru when she believes Shuichi has been turned to ash.
• Big "SHUT UP!":
  • Makoto when Shadow Towa and the cognitive versions of the Warriors of Hope's parents are calling Komaru useless and talentless.
  • Kaede when she finally decides to speak up against Shadow Kirie.
• Bland-Name Product: In Chapter 12, when Shuichi asks her about detective-themed anime, Komaru mentions watching "Bungalow Stray Cats"
• Bodyguard Babes: Downplayed with Towa's cheerleader harem, which he eats to heal himself.
• Bond One-Liner: Quotes the thieves say every time they perform an All-Out Attack.
• Book Dumb: Komaru is suggested to not be very intelligent, and to score badly on her school grades. Even if she's on an average level, she's clearly the least intelligent member of the Phantom Thieves.
• Bottled Heroic Resolve: Seiko's medicine has an increased healing effect in the Metaverse, and has gotten the Thieves out of tons of scrapes.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: In Chapter 19, Makoto and Shuichi assure the girls that they didn't make any attempt to peek at them from their side of the bathhouse. Toko responds by pointing out that both Danganronpa and Persona franchises feature multiple scenes of the main characters in that exact situation, where they either accidentally stumble on the girls while bathing, or peek in on them on purpose.
• Breaking the Bonds: Komaru does this in Towa's Palace when she awakens.
• Breather Episode: Chapter 44 is one, taking place during the tense infiltration of Izuru/Hajime's Palace, dealing with Makoto inviting Kyoko to his home for lunch only for his luck to cause his family to be out and for Sayaka and Mukuro to pop up, with the girls' feelings for Makoto being the forefront. The chapter title is even called "The Obligatory Chapter where Makoto becomes a Harem Protagonist". Yes, really.
• Brick Joke: Before entering Kirie's Palace properly, Kyoko asks Kaede if she knows any self-defense techniques. When Kaede replies by saying she knows how to pole dance, it confuses Toko for multiple reasons. Not soon after when Kaede awakens, she uses a polearm as her primary melee weapon.
• Brutal Honesty: Toko and Kyoko are both known to be very blunt and realistic compared to the optimistic attitudes of their teammates.
• Bumbling Dad: Most dads in the story.
  • Takao Naegi, Makoto's father, is very clumsy, both in his actions and his words, which is more than likely where his children got the same trait.
  • Though not really Shuichi's father, Shinichi Saihara is most of the time, a rather silly, fun-loving middle-aged man who acts pretty carefree despite the issues in his life.
  • Jin Kirigiri is just a good man trying to do the right thing, but ends up getting headache after headache with the repeated scandals the Phantom Thieves cause, and he can only laugh at his own situation.
• Celeb Crush: Both Naegi siblings with Sayaka Maizono.
• Cerebus Rollercoaster: The story can quickly go from calm or silly scenes to tense and threatening scenarios. i.e. Chapter 19, when the group are relaxing in the bath and enjoying each other's company, followed immediately by the revelation that someone might be using the Metaverse to kill and torture people.
• Chance Meeting Between Antagonists: This happens almost every time the team comes across a new Palace ruler.
  • Makoto only hears rumors about Haiji Towa's evil side, but sees it for himself when he accidentally wanders into Towa's Palace in the Metaverse.
  • Fuhito Kirigiri is revealed to have a Palace when the Metaverse Navigator reacts to Toko's words during a casual conversation.
  • The group meets Kirie Akamatsu by complete coincidence when she arrives at the park near their meeting spot to pick up her daughter. At the time, they had no idea she would be their next target.
  • Izuru Kamukura is discovered by the Phantom Thieves accidentally when Makoto activates the mechanism to the lab underneath the statue. Only after Kazuo Tengan explains who Izuru is do they even get the full context.
• Cheshire Cat Grin: Junko and Kokichi are both stated to pull this face on frequent occasion
• Chirping Crickets: Kaede's reaction to discovering that Makoto, Komaru, Toko, and Shuichi are the Phantom Thieves is surprisingly bare bones, as she claims it just makes a lot of sense in hindsight. This disappoints Komaru, who was building up for a Dramatic Unmask.
• Climb, Slip, Hang, Climb: Komaru falls off a wall in Towa's Palace after she tries to scale it without the use of a grappling hook.
• Clown Car: Monomi's Bus Form - The Usamobile. All things considered, it's way too small to fit 8 people inside it, but it manages somehow.
• Code Name: Like in the original Persona 5, this group of Phantom Thieves has their own code names.
  • Makoto: Leprechaun
  • Monomi: Usami
  • Toko: Razor
  • Komaru: Highwayman
  • Shuichi: Sleuth
  • Kaede: Mozart
• Commie Nazis: The Steering Committee.
• Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Non-videogame example, but in chapter 42, the members of the Phantom Thieves confess to sometimes forgetting the Metaverse and the real world are very different things. Makoto's instance of this, trying to vault over the school gate and faceplanting on the ground, was shown in an earlier chapter, but Toko and Komaru both confess to pressing themselves against the wall when rounding a corner to scout for danger, Shucihi feels weird in doorways due to his Metaverse outfit having a cape and Kaede unintentionally walks like she's still wearing a large ballroom dress, even when in the real world. Even Monomi turns out to sometimes try to stand on her hind legs in the real world.
• Danger with a Deadline: Like in standard P5, the team always has a limited number of days to steal their big targets' hearts and stop them for good.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Many examples.
  • Toko suffered a lot as a child, from both her family and people around her, which ended up leading to her developing a split personality, one of which is a serial killer.
  • Shuichi's trauma from the case he solved as a boy makes it difficult for him to expose the truth. He overcomes this after Fuhito Kirigiri uses this to manipulate him.
  • Kaede's troubles all originate from the death of her father, Kai. Her mother and sister changed as people due to how they were unable to cope, and she's left as the only responsible one to clean up the other's mess.
  • Kyoko spent most of her young life not only being manipulated into hating her father, but she also still evidently feels guilt from the death of her partner, Yui Samidare, as the events of the Kirigiri light novel still happened in this universe.
  • Monomi suffers from amnesia, and constantly deliberates on where she came from and who she is.
  • The Warriors of Hope are freed from their parents and now have to live a new life with the trauma. This is shown mostly with Kotoko, given that she lives with the Naegi family now.
  • Mukuro claims that spending most of her life on the battlefield has warped her perception of the world and resulted in a complete lack of social skills.
• Deadpan Snarker: Toko.
• Death Course: The Palaces.
• Delayed Reaction:
  • In Chapter 20, it takes Komaru almost a full minute to realize that Sayaka, her hero, is standing in their house next to Makoto dressed in pajamas.
  • In Chapter 25, Makoto hesitates for a long time, stunned and locked in place by the price of Kirie Akamatsu's fine demand.
• Delivery Guy Infiltration: Shuichi, Makoto, and Komaru try to trick Kaede into letting them into her house by acting like she forgot her textbooks at school. Kaede does not fall for this but lets them in anyway.
• Destroy the Evidence: In Chapter 21, Bunami Toyosuke attempts to do this when he realizes someone might have caught onto him. He fails, and Shuichi catches him before he can get away with it.
• Discriminate and Switch: In Chapter 22, Makoto is worried that Mukuro Ikusaba is going out of her way to avoid talking to him because she holds a grudge against him. In reality, Mukuro wants to talk to him but is too socially inept and struggles to hold a conversation with anyone.
• Double Entendre: In Chapter 13, when Makoto asks Monomi where she was keeping the rope they used to descend into Kirigiri's Palace, Monomi's response is "Even teachers have a secret side to them that they don't want their students to know about~"
• Drama Bomb: In Chapters 4-5, the Warriors of Hope attempt to commit suicide on the roof of the Hope's Peak building. They are fortunately saved by Junko Enoshima.
• Dramatic Irony:
  • Fuhito Kirigiri, a corrupted detective, confessed to his crimes in a television show hosted by Taka Takahiro. Taka Takahiro is a character from a Danganronpa fangame (Danganronpa: Antebellum) where he is guilty of tampering with evidence in murders to make them more interesting for his crime-based television show.
  • The Steering Committee freaks out whenever the Phantom Thieves act, believing that their use of the Metaverse has somehow leaked and that the Phantom Thieves could come for them at any time. Meanwhile, the reader knows that not only do the Phantom Thieves have no idea what they are up to, but they happen to be students at Hope's Peak, meaning that both groups are operating under each other's noses. It isn't until Chapter 35 that the Phantom Thieves even begin to suspect that the Steering Committee are involved with the Metaverse.
• Dream Reality Check: Makoto the first time he enters the Velvet Room at the beginning of the story.
• Dungeon Crawling: Basically the entire premise of the story and the game it's based on.
• Easy Come, Easy Go: When they first awaken to their Persona, both halves of Toko, herself and Genocide Jack, seem to take control of Toko's body at the same time, combining their personalities. However, this only applies to Toko in the Metaverse, and when she returns to the real world, they split again.
• Elemental Powers: As is the norm with Persona, each of the characters specializes in a particular element.
  • Makoto possesses the power of the Wild Card and has multiple Personas, but his initial Persona, Mickey, specializes in Light skills
  • Monomi's Mr. A uses Psyhokinesis
  • Toko's Barrow uses Electricity
  • Komaru's Parker uses Wind
  • Shuichi's Casanova uses Ice
  • Kaede's Irene uses Fire
  • The Phantom Knight's Spartacus also uses Light
    • Kyoko and Chiaki are exceptions to this. Kyoko has no Persona, and Chiaki is a support unit
• Embarrassing Nickname: Makoto is originally appalled by Toko's suggestion to name him Leprechaun in the Metaverse, made worse when Komaru starts cackling with laughter over it. Later, the code name makes Kyoko laugh when she hears him say it for the first time, which flusters him again.
• Enemy Mine: Mukuro, Sayaka and Kyoko are all annoyed at the other two for their crushes on Makoto. However, when some bullies start harassing and insulting him, all three quickly put that aside to ensure they go down.
• Epic Fail: In Chapter 20, Fuyuhiko gives Makoto a million yen to spend at his leisure. Makoto ends up using the money to help random strangers around him but ends up losing all the money in a day because he's too nice to say no to people, and he ends up sulking about it for the rest of the chapter.
• Especially Zoidberg: When Makoto informs Komaru that he knows she's gay, Komaru demands that he not tell anyone, especially not their parents, and also Toko.
• Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting: None of the Phantom Thieves have any combat training, besides perhaps Kyoko, but when in the Metaverse, they are unnaturally proficient with their respective weapons.
• Evil Is Petty: Kirie Akamatsu especially. She fines the Phantom Thieves a total of 20,000,000 yen just for entering her house while she's away, and it's suggested she's done much worse in the past purely out of spite. This includes Toko, who wasn't even present at the scene.
• Expy: Several aspects of the world of this fanfic parody the original Persona 5 with a Danganronpa-like spin.
  • Makoto is the first to awaken his Persona and becomes the leader of his own troupe, just like Joker.
  • Monomi is a chubby little amnesiac animal companion who is everyone else's guide to the Metaverse, just like Morgana.
  • Kaede is a blonde, 1/4 foreign girl with good looks and a fire-based Persona, just like Ann. (They also share an English VA)
  • Agatha takes the same role as the other Velvet Room Attendants for Makoto.
  • Mahiru Koizumi is a photographer and the lead editor for Hope's Peak's school newspaper, who aids the Thieves by adding to their reputation, just like Ichiko Ohya. She also lives in the Red-Light District.
  • Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu is a member of the Yakuza and helps run a pawn shop that sells the team guns, just like Munehisa Iwai.
  • Seiko Kimura fills the role of Tae Takemi, in providing the team with medicine and healing items.
  • Chihiro Fujisaki, much like Yuuki Mishima, runs the Phantom Thieves fan site and is their number one supporter.
  • Haiji Towa is a scumbag man who abuses and takes advantage of young children, having his own Palace which is based on a school, just like Suguru Kamoshida.
  • Fuhito Kirigiri is an old man who manipulates younger people in his industry just to assert his authority, just like Ichiryusai Madarame.
  • Hajime Hinata is in a similar situation to Futaba Sakura, in that they are non-antagonistic Palace rulers who are trapped in a prison made of their own mind that is ruled by a cognition over them (Izuru Kamukura and Wakaba Ishiki respectively) whom the Phantom Thieves change the heart of to rescue instead of eliminate a corrupt figure from society.
  • Chiaki ends up getting pulled into the Metaverse due to somehow having the Metaverse Navigator on her phone and accidentally saying the correct keywords, like "Kasumi" Sumire Yoshizawa.
• Exotic Weapon Supremacy: Toko is one the more powerful physically powerful members of the team. Her primary weapons are scissors and a taser gun.
• Extendo Boxing Glove: The physical appearance of Mr. A's signature attack, Lucky Punch/Miracle Punch.
• Family Theme Naming:
  • The Akamatsu Family all have names that start with the letter K. Kai, Kirie, Kaede, and Kaori.
  • Downplayed with the Saihara Family, who have similar-sounding names with three syllables. Tsubaki, Shinichi, and Shuichi.
• Fake Rabies: Almost every time someone sees Monomi in the Metaverse for the first time, they call her a "Demon Rabbit." This upsets her immensely.
• Fight for the Last Bite: In Chapter 18, when Komaru makes everyone hot pot, Shuichi and Toko are offended when the other thieves take their food.
• First-Name Basis: The Phantom Thieves try to keep things informal between them and refer to each other by their given names when they're alone.
• Fed to the Beast: After she unwillingly trespasses into his prison Palace, Shadow Towa tries to feed Komaru to the cognitive beastly version of Monaca Towa.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Downplayed with both the Naegi siblings and the Akamatsu twins.
  • Makoto is unquestionably the more mature and responsible of the two, but Komaru still takes important matters into her own hands when she needs to, especially when it comes to looking after Kotoko and helping the family.
  • Kaede is a well-behaved girl who does as she's told, while Kaori is a punk who smacks trash cans with an iron pipe as a hobby. However, it's due to Kirie's own personality that the two take their respective paths.
    • This dynamic is surprisingly reversed in Chapter 43. With Kaede becoming bitter and belligerent due to her jealousy of Momoji, Kaori responsibly assesses the situation, calms her down, and solves the problem.
• Forced from Their Home: Kirie Akamatsu attempts to do this with the Naegi family, Saihara family, and Toko, for no good reason either.
• Friendless Background: Toko's tragic backstory where she's hurt and betrayed by so many people in her life remains the same here, unfortunately.
• Frivolous Lawsuit: When looking for information on her sister, Kaede willingly lets the Phantom Thieves into her home. Despite this, her mother Kirie frames it as breaking and entering, and fines each of them 5,000,000 yen.
• Genre Savvy: Toko, being the Ultimate Novelist, is well aware of certain cliches such as schools having secret passages in detective novels, and lampshades it when the Phantom Thieves find the passageway beneath the Izuru Kamukura statue.
• Gibberish of Love: Komaru, twice. First when she tries to talk to Sayaka Maizono when she cooks her dinner, and second when Toko gets her makeover and she sees how pretty she is.
• Give Geeks a Chance: Makoto, Komaru, and Shuichi are all notably dorky and socially anxious. Despite that, they end up catching the eye of a few people.
  • Makoto is suggested to be the object of affection for Kyoko Kirigiri, Sayaka Maizono, and Mukuro Ikusaba (which is basically confirmed in Chapter 44); possibly a few more people.
  • While it's a slow process, Toko gradually concludes that she might have romantic feelings for Komaru, and the same is true vice versa.
  • Kaede Akamatsu starts to slowly fall head over heels for Shuichi the more time they spend together, and she thinks he's the coolest guy in the world despite his anxiety. They eventually get together in Chapter 33.
• Giver of Lame Names: Komaru, to the point of being a Running Gag where nobody will try to factor in her names.
• Gladiator Games: The final battle against Shadow Kirigiri fits the theme of his dollhouse-based Palace, by turning the battle into a central stage show with several Shadows in the audience cheering the doll maker on.
• Great Escape: This ends up happening almost every time after a party member first awakens to their Persona, and again whenever the Palace ruler is defeated.
• Greater-Scope Villain: The Steering Committee serves this role, being the ones who were working with Towa in the first place and commenting on how much the Phantom Thieves' interference affects their own plans.
• Grew a Spine: This applies to the majority of Persona Awakening scenes.
  • Toko bites back against Towa after he threatens her and embraces the darker side of herself, while she previously rejected it.
  • Komaru stands up for herself with some pushing from Makoto, when she is kidnapped and tormented by Shadow Towa and his posse.
  • Shuichi, upon seeing the true evils of Fuhito Kirigiri, abandons his meek ways and fights back, even taking a blast for the Phantom Thieves, which nearly kills him.
  • Kaede snaps and sadistically berates her mother's Shadow when she enters the Palace for the first time.
• Guilt by Association Gag: Put in a much more serious context. Despite how she doesn't go with the group to the Akamatsu household, Kirie still sues Toko for 5,000,000 simply by association.
• Ham-to-Ham Combat:
  • Shuichi blows up on the Phantom Thieves prior to him joining the group when they accuse him of being silent about Fuhito Kirigiri's manipulation.
  • Kaede has this a few times with both her sister Kaori, and her mother, Kirie, as well as Kirie's Shadow.
• Haven't You Seen X Before?: A lot of the things Monomi does while in the Metaverse completely boggle the minds of the Phantom Thieves, especially when she turns into a bus for the first time. Monomi however, acts as all of it's normal.
• Heroic RRoD: Through the combination of being on a power high, as well as fueled by determination to stop her mother, Kaede tries to singlehandedly destroy Shadow Akamatsu's onslaught of Shadows, only to end up expending herself off all energy and collapsing, later wake up in the real world.
• Historical Domain Superperson: Applies to most of the Personas and Shadows.
• Hitchhiker Heroes: Every time a new character joins the Phantom Thieves and Makoto's cause.
• Honor Among Thieves: The Phantom Thieves are vigilantes who act outside of the law, but they use their powers with the intention of doing good.
• Hypocritical Humor: When picking a code name for Kaede, Komaru asserts that the name "Symphony" is too long. Shuichi retorts by reminding her that "Highwayman" has the same number of syllables.
• Identical Stranger: Kaede and her twin sister Kaori look almost identical, leading to some confusing situations.
• Idiot Hair: Same as in Danganronpa, all of the Phantom Thieves have at least one bit of hair that sticks up on their heads. This includes Toko but excludes Monomi and Kyoko.
• Ignoring by Singing: Komaru does this to block out any mention of her midterm exams.
• I Know Mortal Kombat: Before she awakens to her Persona, Kaede asks Kyoko when the group first infiltrates Kirie's Palace, if she knows how to fight. Kaede responds by saying she knows how to pole dance, which confuses Toko immensely.
• I'm Taking Her Home with Me!: Kaede has an intense fascination with Monomi and how fluffy and cute she is. She's also the only person who doesn't panic and get scared when they see her Metaverse form, instead hugging her like a stuffed animal and coddling her like a pet.
• Interdimensional Travel Device: The Metaverse Navigator, which works the same here as it does in the original Persona 5.
• Irony: Chiaki's Persona is Alexy Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris. Danganronpa canon establishes that Tetris is the one game Chiaki is notoriously bad at, which is why Monokuma uses it for Alter Ego Chiaki's execution in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Applies to Toko. She's undoubtedly the most sour of the main heroes and never hesitates to make note of everyone else's shortcomings (Komaru especially), but she loves them all dearly and becomes protective of them when things get dire.
• The Jinx: In Chapter 23, Makoto is saved by Nagito Komaeda from a speeding car. Nagito explains he was in the area after just getting out of a hostage situation, then falling down a ditch after a tire burst on his ride home.
• Joke Name Tag: Applies to the nicknames the thieves use in their chatroom after Chapter 28.
  • Makoto is "OneTrueEgg"
  • Toko is Bookworm
  • Komaru is Shoot2Thrill
  • Shuichi is Sweetchi
  • Kaede is Pian0Fr3ak
• Just Between You and Me: The first three Palace rulers, Towa, Kirigiri, and Akamatsu, do this prior to the final confrontation. Kirigiri also does this earlier before Shuichi awakens.
• Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Every time the Phantom Thieves need to explain the workings of the Metaverse to a new member, Komaru tries to act intelligent and studious in front of them. Every time, Kyoko is quick to point out that she doesn't know half of what she's talking about.
• Law Enforcement, Inc.: Kyosuke Munakata, despite being the head of innovation, has a clear degree of power over most of Hope's Peak's industries, including the security firm, where Juzo Sakakura responds to his beck and call.
• Lazy Alias: Kyoko is the only member of the team who doesn't use a code name, or a chat nickname, instead just keeping her real name for both.
• Local Hangout: Like in the original Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves have a hideout where they meet to discuss plans and strategies. Initially, they use a random bench in a park near their school before they convert Toko's old apartment into the Thieves Den.
• Love Interest: Makoto potentially has three of them: Kyoko, Sayaka, and Mukuro.
  • Hilariously, all three fight for his attention in Chapter 44 and 45.
• Magnetic Hero: Makoto is a surprisingly charismatic main character, earning a variety of close friends, teammates, and confidants without much effort.
• Mission Briefing: Literal. Every time the Thieves find a new target in Mementos, there is a scene where they discuss the plan to change their hearts.
• Moment Killer:
  • Komaru and Toko are entranced when they accidentally fall on each other in Kirigiri's Palace before Makoto's commentary snaps them out of it.
  • Makoto is enjoying his time alone with his middle school crush Sayaka, until Komaru and Kotoko come home.
  • Makoto, again, accidentally walks in on Shuichi and Kaede's first kiss.
• Moral Dilemma: Makoto has one of these in Chapter 20, following the revelation that someone may be using the same power as them to commit crimes and kill people.
• My Friends... and Zoidberg: Downplayed with Kyoko. She joins the main group and oftentimes accompanies them on Metaverse missions, but she doesn't feel like a real member of the group. She doesn't have a Persona, or a code name, and really is just there to provide insight and support.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Komaru's weapon in the Metaverse is a megaphone, much like in Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls.
  • Sayaka ends up representing the Lovers Arcana amongst Makoto's Confidants, much like fellow idol Rise.
  • Much like Ann, who she shares a voice actress with, Kaede winds up becoming a Phantom Thief (albeit as the team's sixth member rather than the fourth).
  • Kaede's Phantom Thief outfit is identical to the outfit she wears in her Argument Armament.
  • The way Chiaki Nanami first enters the Metaverse is similar to how Kasumi Yoshizawa did in Persona 5 Royal.
  • Izuru Kamukura/Hajime Hinata's Palace is basically Jabberwock Island, with it being played like a Persona version of Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp.

Tropes N-Z

• Named After Somebody Famous: Much like with the original Phantom Thieves, the Phantom Thieves Personas are based on historical or fictional thief characters.
  • Makoto's initial Persona, Mickey, is based on Mickey Spillane, the "last gentleman thief in Hell's Kitchen."
  • Usami's Persona, Mr. A, is based on a vigilante character created by Steve Ditko.
  • Toko's Persona, Barrow, is based on Clyde Barrow, one-half of Bonnie and Clyde.
  • Komaru's Persona, Parker, is based on Bonnie Elizabeth Parker, the other half of Bonnie and Clyde.
  • Shuichi's Persona, Casanova, is based on an infamous Italian adventurer and spy.
  • Kaede's Persona, Irene, is based on an infamous trickster woman from Sherlock Holmes stories.
  • The Phantom Knight's Persona, Spartacus, is based on an infamous Thracian rebel and gladiator.
  • Chiaki's Persona is based off of Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris (and interestingly enough the first Persona ever to be based off of a living person).
• Neon Sign Hideout: Kirie's Palace is very lively and flashy compared to the rest of the Palaces in the story. The front entrance, in fact, is a red carpet with several camera-flashing Shadows gathered around it.
• Nerf Arm: The Phantom Thieves' guns are just well-made replicas. However, due to the nature of the Metaverse, they fire real bullets against Shadows.
• The Nicknamer: Junko likes coming up with snazzy nicknames for everyone. For example, she calls Makoto "Koters."
• No Animals Allowed: To satiate her curiosity, Makoto often brings Monomi to places where he's not supposed to, including in class and on the school trip.
• "No. Just… No" Reaction: The default reaction to any code name idea Komaru comes up with.
• No One Should Survive That!: Shuichi takes a full-force blast of fire for the Phantom Thieves in Kirigiri's Palace. Just before it kills him, he awakens to his Persona and turns the tables on them.
• No OSHA Compliance: The Palaces are twisted realms where anything can happen. In Chapter 27, the Phantom Thieves even tell Kyoko and Kaede that they can never predict what might happen unless they see for themselves.
• Not Me This Time: The Phantom Thieves help Kyoko track down Kaori Akamatsu because she and her group of punks, the Broken Instruments, are harassing and extorting people. They are proven wrong thanks to Kaede's testimony, as well as discovering that she doesn't have a Shadow or a Palace, serving as the first time the group are wrong about a target.
• Not What It Looks Like: This happens twice in Chapter 20. Sayaka brings Makoto into his bedroom, with Makoto believing she intends to get frisky with him when in reality, she merely wants to give him a massage. Not long after, Komaru walks in on them and comes to the same conclusion, leading her to freak out.
• Not So Above It All: Kyoko comes across as a no-nonsense figure who doesn't hang around for idle chit-chat and likes to get the job done. However, be it due to the team's influence or not, she often approves of their ridiculous schemes and even participates in some of them.
• Oblivious Transformation: It isn't until after the fighting is over that Toko and Komaru notice their outfits have changed. It takes Kaede much longer, as she doesn't get a good enough look at her outfit until the team go into Mementos the next time.
• Oh, Crap!: Makoto suffers a Freak Out in Chapter 46 when he meets "Ryota Mitarai," recognizing his voice and suspecting him to be the elusive Phantom Knight. He voices his concerns quickly to Kyoko and Monomi.
  Makoto: Him! Mitarai! He's the one who attacked us and Nanami-senpai the night we got swept into that strange Palace! HE'S the PHANTOM KNIGHT...!
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The first clue Shuichi gets that something is wrong with Kaede's home life is when he sees her, who he knows to be an upbeat Genki Girl, crying.
  • When Izuru Kamukura freaks out about something, it might be best to pick a god and pray, something Chiaki does when the Fifth Monobeast appears to kill them both for Sequence Breaking.
• "Open!" Says Me: After encountering Kirie Akamatsu's Shadow for the first time, she locks the doors of her Palace to prevent the Phantom Thieves from escaping. Kaede, having just awakened to her Persona, simply obliterates the roadblock.
• Opt Out: Toko oftentimes doesn't participate in the group's hair-brained schemes, even if she does give her stamp of approval. This happens most often in the Akamatsu Arc.
• Original Generation: The story features some original characters as part of the main plot that never appeared in either franchise.
  • Kirie Akamatsu; Kaede's mother and a completely original character who plays an important role in her backstory for this fic.
  • Agatha, a mysterious woman who takes the place of the likes of Lavenza and Margaret, serves as Makoto's Velvet Room Attendant.
  • Kai Akamatsu; Kaede's father whom passed away prior to the main story.
  • Tani Kiyoshi, Bunami Toyosuke, and Suno Kanabe are three original characters who play a role in a case Shuichi takes in in Chapter 21.
  • Some detectives at the Kirigiri Detective Agency are given names, like Tachibana, Okita, and Kujo.
  • Momoji Utsukuyakuzurami, a new hire of the Saihara Detective Agency and Shuichi's work partner.
• Otaku: Komaru. She's a huge fangirl of Sayaka Maizono, draws anime characters as a hobby, and supposedly has lots of figurines in her room.
• Packed Hero: Downplayed. In Fuhito Kirigiri's Palace, there are conveyor machines that turn those who pass through them into tiny wooden dolls. This happens to Komaru first and is played for banter and laughs, as well as aiding the thieves in their exploits, like helping them fit through small vents and holes. When in doll form, the thieves' weapons and physical strength are useless, but Shuichi later finds out they can still summon their Personas due to their souls and will still being intact.
• Parental Favoritism: Kirie with Kaede over Kaori. Unlike her twin sister, Kaori had no interest in music, and since Kirie couldn't use her to make money or get famous, she was cast aside.
• Pet the Dog: A few examples...
  • Kirie promises Kaede she will treat her to something nice once the Tokyo Dome performance is over. This regrettably never happens, as she is arrested and charged for her crimes. Kaede instead goes out with her sister Kaori.
  • Later on Izuru allows Chiaki to explore his Palace and gives advice to keep her safe before fighting to protect her and himself from the Fifth Monobeast
• Promotion to Parent: Downplayed with Mr and Mrs Naegi, when they become Kotoko Utsugi's foster parents.
• Protectorate: One of Komaru's driving character motives is to protect Kotoko Utsugi, whom the Naegi family starts to foster post the events of Towa's Palace, and whom Komaru acts as an older sister figure for.
• Punch! Punch! Punch! Uh Oh...: Happens twice in Kirigiri's Palace, both times with Shiki-Ouji. During the initial fight, the teams fail to take it down with physical blows until Shuichi awakens, and the second time, a string-controlled Makoto uses it as a shield to deflect damage done to him.
• Queer People Are Funny: Komaru being a disaster lesbian is often played for laughs.
• Race Lift: Kaede and her sister are 3/4 Japanese and 1/4 English.
• Resized Vocals: When the characters shrink into doll form in Kirigiri's Palace, their voices become much higher pitched.
• The Runt at the End: Monomi compared to the rest of the thieves, though is slightly subverted as she is among the more mature members of the group.
• Same Surname Means Related: Upon discovering that the leader of the Broken Instruments is named Kaori Akamatsu, Kyoko immediately comes up with three theories as to what that could mean. Either she's Kaede's sister (which turns out to be right), an alias of Kaede's, or a completely unrelated person who just happens to share a surname with her.
• Satellite Character: With the cast of this fic featuring the main casts of almost every iteration of Danganronpa, including 1, 2, 3, V3, Ultra Despair Girls, and even several other media outside of that, many of the weird and wacky cast only get one or two scenes in the limelight. The only ones who don't are the confidants and other characters featured in them, like Sato in Mahiru's confidant, and Kaito in Maki's.
• The Scream: Komaru when she walks in on Sayaka massaging Makoto.
• Seven Deadly Sins: Much like in core Persona 5, the Palace Rulers throughout the story represent these.
  • Haiji Towa is Lust represented by both his lust for power and his lust for younger girls.
  • Fuhito Kirigiri is Pride due to his egotism and need for authority over everyone else.
  • Kirie Akamatsu is Envy or Jealousy as it's stated she's envious of the potential of youth and takes advantage of Kaede's for her own benefit.
  • Izuru Kamukura is a variation of Sloth due to the subjugation of Hajime Hinata's personality, leaving just Izuru; a being so talented and overpowered, he can find no meaning or fun in anything he does.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: After getting a makeover from Kaede, Toko is noted by several characters to be extremely good-looking, with several boys who made fun of her even asking her out.
• Ship Tease: Many notable examples.
  • Makoto with multiple, most notably Kyoko, Sayaka, and Mukuro.
  • Shuichi with Kaede.
  • Komaru with Toko.
  • Maki with Kaito.
  • Sato with Mahiru.
• Shout-Out: Multiple references to both franchises are made, as well as multiple franchises outside of that.
  • In Chapter 5, when she joins the cheerleading squad at her school, Komaru and Kanon Nakajima mention a "Tomori-senpai", a reference to Kizuna Tomori from Danganronpa Another.
  • In Chapter 12, Shuichi figures out Komaru is an Otaku by pointing out that her bag has a pin of Sailor Mercury on it. Komaru then admits to watching an anime called "Bungalow Stray Cats".
  • In Chapter 13, Komaru adopts a disguise and pretends to be an informant of the Phantom Thieves, adopting the name "Kurumi." This is a reference to a character from another game created by the makers of Danganronpa, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, named Kurumi Wendy. She is the lead information broker in Kanai Ward where the game takes place.
  • Shuichi's entire Thief Outfit is based on Kaito Kid with Komaru name-dropping it when thinking up his codename.
  • In Chapter 20, the host of the TV breakfast show that Fuhito Kirigiri confessed on is named Taka Takahiro. Taka Takahiro is a character from the Danganronpa fangame known as Danganronpa Antebellum, in which he is known as the Ultimate TV Personality.
  • Kaori Akamatsu is originally from Three-Point Shot, and in both stories, her name is based on Kaori Miyazono from Your Lie in April.
  • Kaede's primary weapon as a Phantom Thief is a polearm. Kaede also uses a polearm as her primary weapon in Danganronpa Survivor, a Danganronpa ask blog on Tumblr which Creepercraftguy also created and writes for.
  • In Chapter 23, Komaru brings the rest of the team to Karaoke. The scene in the karaoke booth opens with her singing "Fake Off" from D4DJ.
  • In Chapter 33, Komaru and Makoto have an exchange lifted straight out of Community.
  • In Chapter 45, to deal with some bullies trying to hit on her and Sayaka, Kyoko stabs one in the eyes, and when that doesn't dissuade them offers to hang out with them, not unlike what Nano did to some creeps during the pool date.
• Skewed Priorities: Toko chews Komaru out in the first Palace as she seemingly worries more about losing her hat than losing her life.
• Smart Jerk and Nice Moron:
  • Toko and Komaru
  • Downplayed with Kyoko and Makoto.
  • Maki Harukawa and Kaito Momota.
• Sneeze of Doom: Just like in the original Danganronpa series, sneezing is the primary way Toko's personality shifts between herself and Genocide Jack, her serial killer alter ego.
• Spanner in the Works: Shadow Towa is on the cusp of defeating the Phantom Thieves, but right as he fires a deadly laser beam, Makoto awakens to his Wild Card power and defeats him with a combination of Mickey and Pixie.
• Spit Take: Makoto's reaction upon Fuyuhiko casually giving him 1 million yen.
• Split-Personality Merge: Upon getting her persona, Toko fuses with Genocide Jack, although this only works in the Metaverse.
• Stage Mom: Kirie Akamatsu, Kaede's mother, is constantly pushing her daughter towards becoming famous with her piano skills and has even sabotaged some of her previous rivals in order to ensure no one stops her rise to the top if only so Kirie can piggyback off that fame.
• Storming the Castle: Taken somewhat literally. After a calling card is sent, the team has 24 hours to steal their prize or lose their chance to change a heart forever.
• Straight Man: Toko, primarily to Komaru, but also to plenty of other characters.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Badass Normal she may be, Kyoko is still kind of a liability in fights due to not having a persona, and while it's not usually a big deal due to staying in the rear guard, it does get pointed out when she (and Makoto) get seriously injured by the Tiger Mechabeast
• Take Off Your Clothes: Sayaka to Makoto when she offers him a professional massage.
• That's What She Said: Toko in Chapter 8 to Komaru.
• The Team Normal: Kyoko, post-2nd Palace, joins the team as an advisor and The Commissioner Gordon (and a dash of being an Item Caddy) but she (and Word of God) makes it clear she will NOT get a Persona and join the frontlines.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Makoto gives this sort of speech to every Palace ruler at least once.
• This Explains So Much: Played for drama.
  • Shuichi when he finally opens up to the Phantom Thieves about his past.
  • Kaede when she explains her living situation to the group.
• This Way to Certain Death: Downplayed. In Chapter 13, the Phantom Thieves infiltrate Fuhito Kirigiri's Palace for the first time and come across an exhibit labeled "Le Cimetière", which features hanging puppet bodies of people Fuhito has already victimized.
• Tired of Running: Proverbially with Kaede and Shuichi towards Kirie and Fuhito.
• Tribal Carry: Presumably, what happens to Komaru when she accidentally slips into Towa's Palace.
• Troublemaking New Pet: Downplayed with Monomi, who pulls pranks and goofs around to cheer people up.
• Underestimating Badassery: An interaction in Chapter 20 between Makoto and a bunch of Loan Sharks who are harassing a woman for payment. Makoto, without showing a hint of fear on his face, gives them the money and tells them to get lost. His bravery stuns the leader of the group, and he complies.
• Unwanted Harem: Played for laughs. After spending most of her life either being ignored or being bullied for her looks and smell, Toko is understandably in anxiety central after Kaede gives her a makeover which makes her immensely more attractive, to the point that people she doesn't even know are approaching her to ask her out on dates.
• Vocal Dissonance: Makoto makes note of this the first time he meets Ryoma Hoshi.
• Watch Out for That Tree!: Makoto, the first time he drives Monomi in Mementos, and almost hits a Shadow, saved by Komaru's warning shout.
• We Can Rule Together: Shadow Akamatsu attempts this with her daughter after her defeat. It does not work.
• We Used to Be Friends: Kaede and Kaori Akamatsu's relationship as sisters. They eventually begin to make up by Chapter 31 after their mother's confession.
• Wham Episode:
  • The end of Chapter 31 reveals that Izuru Kamukura is already present.
  • Chapter 37: The Thieves learn about Izuru Kamukura Project and MEET Izuru Kamukura AKA Hajime Hinata, with Tengan fully revealing the truth to them.
  • Chapter 46: Chiaki enters Hajime's Palace and meets Shadow Izuru Kamukura and begins exploring the islands.
• Wham Line: Kaede's suggested target at the end of Chapter 37.
  "Let's change Hajime-kun's heart!"
• Wham Shot: At the end of Chapter 38, Makoto, Monomi, and Chiaki end up in a Palace that looks identical to the Future Foundation's headquarters.
• What Does This Button Do?: Makoto, without thinking about it, presses the button on a machine in Kirigiri's Palace, which ends up turning Komaru into a wooden doll, much to her dismay.
• What If?: The premise of the story. What if two different Japanese video game franchises collided?
• What the Fu Are You Doing?: Genocide Jack gets decked when she tries to fight a Shadow in Towa's Palace.
• Won't Take "Yes" for an Answer: Makoto fully expects Kyoko to turn his invitation down when he invites her over to his house for a celebration feast after Fuhito Kirigiri's defeat. To his pleasant surprise, his expectations are subverted, and she agrees.
• Worse with Context:
  • The crimes of the Palace rulers get worse the more information is shown about them, especially Haiji Towa.
  • As Toko gradually opens up more about her own backstory with her early life and her parents, it just gets sadder.
• Worth It: Despite the depression he feels upon losing the million yen Fuyuhiko gave him, Makoto eventually decides that it was worth getting to hang out with Sayaka so casually.

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