It's filled with distortion, and ruin can no longer be avoided.
Those who oppose fate and desire change...
From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters.
You are the Trickster.
Now is the time to rise against the abyss of distortion.
Persona 5 is an Urban Fantasy Role-Playing Game, and the fifth numbered sequel in the Shin Megami Tensei JRPG franchise's Persona sub-series, developed and published by Atlus for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. It is the first mainline entry in the Persona franchise following Sega's purchase of Atlus in 2013 and the first numbered Persona game to launch on multiple consoles. The game released in Japan on September 15, 2016, in Traditional Chinese on March 23, 2017, with an English dub in the Americas and Europe on April 4, and in South Korea on June 8.
It is the year 20XX. The world is not as it should be. In Tokyo, psychotic breakdowns and catatonic episodes are becoming more common amongst the general public, leading to a string of high-profile accidents and crimes. Public confidence in the government and justice system is falling, and the powerful elites of the city plot to turn these incidents to their advantage.
You are an Ordinary High-School Student who has been falsely convicted of assault and sentenced to a year-long probation in Tokyo. On your first day attending Shujin Academy, you and a fellow outcast accidentally stumble into a mysterious Mental World known as the Metaverse: a place where cognition becomes reality, and real-world locations are twisted by the thoughts of humans. Within this world, the most corrupt humans have subconsciously created mental fortresses called "Palaces" where their innermost vices and desires are allowed to run rampant.
It's not all hopeless, though. On your first visit to this strange world, you meet a creature calling himself "Morgana," and he seems to know what's going on in there. As he explains, stealing the "Treasure" that forms the heart of the Palace will erase the owner's twisted desires, forcing them to confront the horrible things they've done. With the aid of a mysterious smartphone app, an even more mysterious mentor, and the inner power of your Persona, you decide to use the Metaverse to strike back against the rotten society that cast you out. Taking the codename "Joker," you form a crew of Phantom Thieves with those who share this power, dedicated to stealing Treasure and forcibly changing the hearts of the corrupt.
Persona 5's core gameplay is a refinement of the formula established in Persona 3 and Persona 4, with the game being evenly split between turn-based dungeon-crawling and Dating Sim-esque social simulator. However, a few elements from the first Persona and Persona 2 also make their return (though these elements themselves were originally conceived in the main Shin Megami Tensei series); all party members are able to use both melee weapons and firearms, and you can negotiate with enemies for Personas, money, or items. The Social Link system (now renamed to Confidants) has been upgraded; almost every Confidant has unique perks and abilities that are unlocked as you advance them. Additionally, the dungeon-crawling itself has been overhauled; the main Palaces are all 100% pre-made instead of being randomly generated, and feature platforming, puzzles, stealth, and traps, making them much more elaborate than previous games' dungeons. The one exception is Mementos, a sprawling randomly-generated Palace which serves as the main setting for sidequests.
An Updated Re-release, Persona 5 Royal, released for the PlayStation 4 on October 31, 2019 in Japan and on March 31, 2020 in the West. The game features several new additions; such as new areas, new enemies, revamped Palaces, a new party member (Kasumi Yoshizawa), new Confidant (Takuto Maruki), a new Palace, new character portraits for every character, various quality of life features, and new story events set immediately after the main events of the original game. The game also features graphical enhancements on the PS4 Pro. Royal later released on PC (on both Steam and Windows Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch – marking the first time a mainline Persona title is available on non-Sony consoles – on October 21, 2022. These versions were developed by Sega themselves.
Major Spin-offs
- Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight – 2018 Rhythm Game Spin-Off for PS4 and Vita.
- Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth – Dungeon Crawler for Nintendo 3DS; crossover with cast of Persona 3 and Persona 4.
- Persona 5 Strikers – An Action RPG spinoff done in collaboration with Koei Tecmo studio Omega Force, known for the Dynasty Warriors series. Released for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Its story serves as a direct sequel to the events of the original game. It was released in Japan on February 20, 2020, and in the West on February 23, 2021.
- Persona 5 Tactica – A strategy RPG spin-off in which the Phantom Thieves find themselves in a new world and must fight to save it from a tyrant. Released for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC worldwide on November 17, 2023.
- Persona 5: The Phantom X – A Mobile Phone Game spinoff announced for iOS, Android, and PC in March 2023, developed by Chinese developer Perfect World with oversight from Atlus. Set in Shibuya and the surrounding prefecture of Tokyo like the original Persona 5, the game follows a new Protagonist (codenamed "Wonder") and his own band of Phantom Thieves as they delve into the Metaverse and seek to change the hearts of the corrupt and powerful.
Crossovers
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – The protagonist, going under his codename "Joker", serves as the second DLC character, and one of a few non-Nintendo Guest Fighters. His DLC pack includes Mementos as a stage, featuring an assortment of music tracks from the Persona series, including a few new remixes. The rest of the Phantom Thieves make cameos as Spirits in the Mementos stage, and in his Final Smash.
- Another Eden – The game has featured two crossover side stories where the Phantom Thieves are drawn into Another Eden's world (the first based on the original game and the second on the Royal re-release). Each story unlocks some of the Thieves as permanent playable characters; the first one has Joker and Morgana and the second has Skull and Violet.
- AFK Arena – There was a collaboration event where Joker and Queen could be recruited.
- Dragalia Lost – A tie-in to the Strikers spinoff. When a smartphone mysteriously appears in the hands of Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain Prince Emile, he becomes a Jail Monarch and the Phantom Thieves team up with the Dragalia cast to stop him. Joker, Mona, Panther, and Sophie are all recruitable, and the Thieves have their own take on the game's dragon-shapeshifting mechanic where they can instead summon their Personas to fight. Arséne can also be acquired as a "dragon" that any character can shapeshift into.
- Catherine: Full Body – Joker is playable in Colosseum, Babel and Online Arena modes, with the other Phantom Thieves making a cameo.
Other Media
- Persona 5: The Day Breakers – September 4, 2016 anime special.
- Persona 5: The Animation – April 7, 2018 animated TV series.
- Persona 5: The Night Breakers – December 7, 2016 Drama CD tying into The Day Breakers special from Makoto, Futaba and Haru's perspective.
- Persona 5: the Stage – A four-part series of limited-release stage plays. The first was performed in 2019 from December 13–15 in Osaka Mielparque Hall and December 19–29 in Tennoz Galaxy Theater; the second in 2020 from October 1–4 in KT Zepp Yokohama and October 17–18 in Sankei Hall Breeze; the third in 2021 from December 10–12 in Osaka Mielparque Hall and December 16–19 in KT Zepp Yokohama; and the fourth from October 20–23, 2022 in KT Zepp Yokohama. All four parts have been given official DVD releases.
- Persona 5 – Official manga adaptation, published 2016–ongoing, available on both Shogakukan's Manga One app and the Ura Sunday Website. Initially based on the game’s first edition, with Royal content later incorporated.
- Persona 5: comic a la carte – A manga collection of primarily comedic short stories by various doujinshi artists about the Phantom Thieves' everyday lives and their interactions.
- Persona 5 Comic Anthology – Yet another manga collection of primarily comedic short stories by various doujinshi artists about the Phantom Thieves' everyday lives and their interactions.
- Persona 5 Dengeki Comic Anthology – Yet another manga collection of primarily comedic short stories about the Phantom Thieves' everyday lives and their interactions.
- Persona 5: Mementos Missions – A sort of Tie-In Novel in manga form, again by Rokuro Saito (who also wrote/drew the manga for Persona 4: Arena Ultimax).. Revolves around the Phantom Thieves' efforts in solving both the accusations/mysteries regarding their Mementos targets, alongside the circumstances of the abuse victims they intend to save. In the vein of Mystery Fiction, it primarily focuses on their investigative actions in the real world, as opposed to actual combat/exploration in the Metaverse. Expands majorly on actual material and side-missions from in-game, as well as adding supplemental plot elements and characters. Ultimately, it does not conflict with the plot of the game, thus making its canonicity irrelevant.
- For the film's Japanese release, Venom (2018) had an advertisement
that features Joker, who talks about the film's premise.
Previews: Teaser, Teaser 2, Trailer 1, Trailer 2, Trailer 3, Trailer 4, P5R Teaser, Royal Teaser, Royal Trailer 1, Kasumi Yoshizawa Character Trailer, Royal E3 2019 Trailer, Royal Trailer 2, Royal Trailer 3, Royal OP Japanese TV Commercial
You are held captive... a prisoner of Tropes.
Raise your voice against liars
Feed your anger like fire
Why does nobody want change?"
