Fanfic / Wings of Rebellion

"Akechi has had enough. So, he...tries to be a better person. Can he mislead the Conspiracy, and prevent the Phantom Thieves from falling into the trap? He isn't sure, but this is his last chance to do something right for once, and he has no intention of wasting it. His mind is set. This is his resolve. Crow's wings of rebellion."

—Synopsis of Wings of Rebellion

Wings of Rebellion is a For Want Of A Nail Persona 5 Fan Fic that's the sequel to the fanfic Unfiltered, both of which were written by aiyumi where Akira, Akechi and the events that end up happening are because of Akira not going on the school trip.

In Unfiltered, Akira Kurusu goes to attend a three-day entrepreneurship course instead of going to Hawaii, presumably somewhere outside Tokyo since she stays at a hotel. At said hotel, she ends up meeting up with Akechi and offers to let them share their room since there's no more rooms left for him. The next day, Akira finds him sick and hilarity and fluff ensues as she takes care of him and becomes his first friend.

In Wings of Rebellion, it picks up where Unfiltered left off, after Akechi says good-bye to her and on his way to his latest interview. But now that she's become his friend, the first thing he does is warn the Phantom Thieves about The Conspiracy, only to end up joining their side to take them down while still pretending to still be on the Conspiracy's side. Meanwhile, in the real world, Akechi slowly but surely becomes friends with the rest of Phantom Thieves, and closer to Akira as well.

Both Unfiltered and Wings of Rebellion can be found on ff.net and AO3. Unfiltered, posted on September and completed in November of 2017, is a fic at only three chapters long in a total of 15,000+ words and Wings of Rebellion, posted on December 2017, is at 35 chapters and still ongoing as of September 2021.

AO3 link to Unfiltered here and Wings of Rebellion AO3 link here.

Unmarked spoilers for Persona 5 and the previous Persona games, Unfiltered, and Wings of Rebellion.

Tropes in Wings of Rebellion and Unfiltered include:

A - D

• Aborted Arc: Thanks to Akechi's Heel–Face Turn happening before Okumura's Palace, the arc involving the Thieves being framed is completely avoided, and as such also the plan to fool Akechi.
• A Boy and His X: Much like with Akira, Akechi gets very close to Morgana, in fact being one of his highest Confidants.
• Acceptable Breaks from Canon: Because the fic was made before the release of Persona 5: Royal, a few things are different, mainly where Akechi's mother comes from and the lack of interaction between Akira and Royal's new characters, Takuto and Kasumi.
• Accidental Truth: When Mr. Kurusu talks with Akechi for the first time, he asks about how the Phantom Thieves case is going, thinking that Akechi knows more than he lets on and speculates that he might even know the identity of the Phantom Thieves. Which is true, but Akechi can't say that.
• Actually a Good Idea: When the Thieves learn of Apathy Syndrome, its similarities to the incidents Crow caused and that it had been cured, Skull suggests that if that's the case, then perhaps the comatose victims of Crow could be cured too. Panther is dismissive of the idea but Crow thinks otherwise, saying it's actually a good theory.
• Actually, I Am Him: When Sae questions Akechi on the reason for his earlier breakdown, he reveals to her that the culprit behind the shutdowns and breakdowns she had been looking for was him all along.
• Adaptational Backstory Change: In this fic, Akechi's mother comes from a remote village that specializes in wine production instead of being a prostitute.
• Adaptational Heroism: With his Heel–Face Turn, Akechi's now trying to do the right thing and is even more disgusted with the behavior of the members of The Conspiracy.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: In part to Character Development from interacting with Akira and opening up to the rest of her friends, Akechi is more genuine with his kindness than his game incarnation, and though he's still, in Akira's own words, a bit of a "show-off", it's usually because he's glad he's impressed her and thus less condescending.
• Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Akechi has a tendency to be on the receiving end of this, particularly from Akira and then Futaba once she opens up to him, but the fic has the characters do it in general.
• Affectionate Nickname: Futaba likes to call Akechi "lil' big bro" because sometimes he acts like a little brother instead of a big one.
• Air Jousting: Arsène and Loki collide this way when Joker sends the former to stop the latter from listening to Crow's command.
• A Mistake Is Born: Akechi honestly thinks he shouldn't have existed, especially if it meant his mother suffered because of him.
• Archnemesis Dad: Skull points out that some of their targets are specifically people who were fathers to one of the team members, specifically Fox and Noir, that were against them. Crow realizes that there'll be another to add to the list, his own father, Shido.
• Arc Welding: Akechi is revealed to have been one of the affected by Apathy Syndrome during the last three months of Persona 3.
• Armor-Piercing Question: Well, more like questions in this case as Sojiro asks Akira about the nature of her feelings and telling her to think on his questions. Morgana best sums it up with his own question, "How far would you go for him?"
• Ascended Extra: Downplayed with Sae. Originally just a Confidant of Joker, now she's an official member of the Phantom Thieves and is gathering evidence against Shido along with Akechi.
• Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: Conversed and Lampshaded as the Thieves wonder what would be an appropriate appearance for Akechi if he awakens his Persona and gets a Thief outfit.
• Attack Reflector: Crow has Loki, who can use Tetrakarn and Makarakarn, use those two skills a few times, most notably during his and Joker's fight with the twins.
• The Atoner: Akechi, of course, considering he was supposed to be a villain but now is working to clean up his actions.
• Attention Whore: Akechi admits that this was one of the reasons he went on TV, wanting the attention he missed out on in his life. He still wants that attention, but now doesn't care if he gets it or not, especially from people who don't know him really.
• Awesomeness by Analysis: Akechi, although he only recently started playing shogi, already can recognize advance techniques by Hifumi and her opponent after watching a few other matches. This is also how he can tell the weaknesses of enemies.
• Ax-Crazy: Though he's more stoic than crazy now, the Thieves still worry that Crow is going to go nuts and he's still rather unpredicatble with his emotions in the Metaverse.
• Bait-and-Switch: In lieu of a bad ending, the author pretends that Joker is dead by Crow's hand, just like in the game...only to show that, nope, it's not ending and continues the story.
• Bastard Angst: Akechi already had this problem in the game, but Akira gets to see it first hand in her shared dreams with him as he constantly thinks he shouldn't exist and wants revenge against his father.
• Be All My Sins Remembered: Unsurprisingly, Akechi reacts like this whenever he gets any kind of praise, believing he doesn't deserve any considering what he's done.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: In Unfiltered, Akira was the only person at that point to have been nice to him and call him a friend, which causes his Heel–Face Turn and leading him to join the Phantom Thieves in Wings of Rebellion.
• Bedmate Reveal:
  • In Unfiltered, Akechi is shocked and initially freaks out that he's on the same bed as Akira.
  • Played with in Wings of Rebellion as Akira knew Akechi was sleeping beside her, by the time she wakes up after a dream where she meets a child Crow, she realizes Akechi is in the exact same position, his head nuzzled against her neck, as in the dream, but then falls asleep again while Akechi woke up and is just embarrassed and shocked about the position he woke up in.
• Berserk Button: Akechi starts getting mad whenever he sees parents using or abusing their children.
• Beyond Redemption: Akechi thinks he's irredeemable, and the Phantom Thieves feel that way at first, but they soon change their minds.
• Be Yourself: Akechi after so long hiding behind his "celebrity mask" and caring too much about appearances, prefers how he is now, his real self, a young man who is lonely and cynical about life but still tries to be nice anyway. He is also told by Akira this is one of the reasons they're friends now, as now she knows his real self.
• Big "SHUT UP!": Crow utters one when the Thieves are talking about his love life.
• Big "WHAT?!": Makoto says a couple when Akira and Futaba tell her they've been hanging out with Akechi.
• Black Knight:
  • Like in the game and in Royal, Crow's Metaverse attire evokes the theme. As for Crow himself, he acts much like one, being the Thieves' powerful and mysterious teamnate who won't reveal his identity or join the Phantom Thieves (at least "officially"), but still heroic in that he won't join to keep them safe, as well misdirecting others off the Phantom Thieves' trail.
  • When the Thieves discuss and wonder what would Akechi's Metaverse outfit would look like, Akira thinks it would be a rebel knight, which is closer to what a real black knight was. It is because of this and Crow's outfit, among other things, that Akira figures out Akechi and Crow are the same person.
• Blatant Lies:
  • When Makoto is trying to find out Akechi's "plans" involving the Phantom Thieves, he asks why she's bothered and then Makoto says, "I-I'm not bothered," rather unconvincingly.
  • Crow went on ahead and supposedly says that he "got careless" which meant he had to fight some Shadows, but the Thieves thinks it's just an excuse to hide his identity.
• Blow You Away: Sae's Persona, Ma'at, has access to Panta Rhei, the game's strongest wind skill.
• Bold Inflation: Text is often shown in bold when it's supposed to be important information, either to the reader, the characters or both, like the mention of Apathy Syndrome or hints on Akechi's secret identity as Crow.
• Boyfriend Bluff: Akira does this during the Culture Festival when a boy, who's interested in her, asks if she has a boyfriend, she says she does.
• Boyish Short Hair: Because of Akira being the subject of a Gender Flip and not looking that much different from her male counterpart, she is now a Tomboy and thus her short curly hair is this.
• Broken Ace: Akechi is still as skilled, organized and powerful as in the game, helping clear Okumura and Sae's Palaces in just a few days. But he still has his problems from his past, mainly how guilt riddened he is and how he breaks down when remembering it.
• Bullied into Depression: Akechi was bullied from kids in every school he went to, and along with the neglect from foster parents, was lead to believe he doesn't deserve to live and thus was Driven to Suicide, though his attempt failed.
• Bully Magnet: Akechi was often a target of bullying when he was young, until he got into his teens. But now it's worse in the form of people hating him both online and offline, even if he doesn't get physically bullied.
• Bumbling Dad: Akira mentions to Akechi in one of their shared dreams that her dad is rather clumsy.
• Bungled Suicide: Akechi, when he was younger, tried to kill himself by running into traffic. But he didn't get a serious enough injury to kill him.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Crow admits to the Thieves the mastermind, the one who he wanted to take revenge on, probably doesn't realize how much he's ruined his life.
• …But He Sounds Handsome: Inverted for Crow, as when the Phantom Thieves mention Goro Akechi, Crow’s alter ego, Crow will unflinchingly insult Goro, both to avoid the other thieves associating the two and because he genuinely hates how he used to be before his change of heart.
• But Now I Must Go: Crow tells the Thieves, with constant reminders, that once they steal the mastermind's Treasure, he will turn himself in, and most likely die for his crimes.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Futaba can't seem to just tell Crow she's forgiven him, though it makes sense since she has trouble talking to most people in the first place. Sojiro actually lampshades this when he mumbles to Futaba about why can't she just say it outright.
• Can't See a Damn Thing: The maze in Sae's Palace is so dark, only Mona (because he's a cat) and Joker with her Aura Vision can see until they get some lanterns from the guards in there.
• Cassandra Truth: Akira says this is the reason why she doesn't talk about her Wild Card abilities is because whenever she does, no one believes her when she says it. Which makes her glad that Crow does believe her, if partially because he's more logical about it and that he's a Wild Card too.
• Cats Hate Water: Morgana points out cats usually don't like water, but since he's "not a cat", he's completely fine with taking a bath.
• Celebrity Is Overrated: Played with Akechi because on one hand, he honestly doesn't like being a celebrity anymore, but can't quit both for his own safety, as well as the Phantom Thieves'.
• Change the Uncomfortable Subject: Crow tells Joker he is envious of her and she tells him that she doesn't want him to be. Crow then just says that it's going to rain soon.
• Chekhov's Gun: The coin Sae gets from Akechi ends up helping the Phantom Thieves get to her Shadow by being the only and last coin needed to drop the justice scales being used as a bridge. Crow lampshades this when Panther asks why he didn't tell them.
  Crow: "I hadn't thought we'd need that coin for anything, and couldn't have imagined that this detail would become important..."
• Chess Motifs: Akechi compares how he's been manipulating others to playing chess. Akira also likes to call him her " chess knight".
• Clap Your Hands If You Believe: As in the game, one's mind influences what manifests in Mementos. In this case, Crow, not wanting the Phantom Thieves' to find out his secret identity of being Akechi, forms a case around his phone so it isn't recognizable.
• Clear Their Name: Right before Akechi forms his Confidant with Akira, he tells her wants to clear her name, not only as one of the many things he does to atone for his crimes, but because he wants her record clean since she deserves it.
• Cliffhanger: The end of Chapter 29 features Akita waking up in the middle of the night after a dream and realizing that Akechi is in the same position Crow was in the dream, only for the chapter to end before we find out if she made the connection or not.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Elizabeth is as eccentric as always, being nonchalant of her strange subjects and easily eating the very spicy takoyaki at the Culture Festival...and enjoying it.
• Collapsing Lair: As in the game, the Palaces collapse when the Treasure is taken. This causes problems when Okumura's collapses and Oracle is too tired to get to the Monamobile in time. Thankfully she is saved by Crow. Futaba and Akechi also mention about collapsing bases from watching some Featherman episodes.
• Combination Attack: Minerva and Queen do one when the former visits Mementos for the first time, beating a bunch of Shadows to a pulp together.
• Comically Missing the Point: When Akechi compares Morgana to the "Sayuri", both he and Akira are confused. He explains that the "Sayuri" gives a soothing feeling, like how Morgana does the same, and is a ray of light like the ones in Yusuke's painting, "Desire and Hope". But that just confuses them even more as Akira points out that Morgana is black.
• Continuity Cameo:
  • Yukari appears as the guest star actor for Pink Argus in the Culture Festival.
  • Takuto from Royal briefly talks to Akira.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Akira and Akechi make references to the events of Unfiltered a few times throughout the story.
  • Elizabeth theorizes that the only reason she didn't get trapped like her sister is because she had been travelling around Japan on a journey.
  • It's mentioned that while the Thieves were compiling the votes for the special guest for the Culture Festival, there were quite a number of votes for Akechi, though most of it was so they could insult him.
  • Elizabeth also mentions she went to a culture festival that had dungeons as exhibits and had dressed up her brother in an apron and that she was also reminded of the times she spend with a good friend of hers.
  • Later, Elizabeth tells Akechi that the world would've ended if a group of Persona uses lead by a Wild Card hadn't stopped it.
• Cooldown Hug: Akechi gives one to Futaba after she has a nightmare.
• Critical Hit: Mentioned by name in Unfiltered as one of the many things that, well, hit Akechi during his mission the Metaverse to cause his headache.
• Crush Blush: Both Akechi and Akira have these moments, most commonly Akechi.
• Cry into Chest: Akira, heartbroken at Akechi's situation, cries into his chest in one of their shared dreams.
• The Cutie: Akira is still this, with Akechi often calling her cute and even the presenter in the Culture Festival calling her such. Funnily enough, Akechi is now this as well as he's now a genuine Nice Guy, even dorkier and is just as often called cute, mostly by Akira.
• Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Crow's berserking ability (Desperation) becomes this after he promises to Joker to never use it again.
• Dark Magical Girl: Fittingly enough, Gender-Inverted with Akechi. He was a Foil to Akira with a Dark and Troubled Past and was The Dragon to Shido who didn't want her pity and opposed her...but when shown The Power of Friendship and love, he turns to her side and is fiercely loyal to both her and her team.
• Déjà Vu: Happens a few times between Akira and Akechi, with Akira outright thinking the words, whenever they do similar actions as they did in their shared dreams, like Akechi thanking Akira with specific words after she gives him something to eat or Akira being in Akechi's embrace.
• Department of Child Disservices: Played with as on one hand, Akechi is always taken from the care of the foster parents he's under when they're neglecting or abusing him, but on the other hand he's always placed in familaies who accept him at first until they find out he's a bastard child and the cycle begins again.
• Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Morgana does this a lot, most noticeably when thinking about Ann. Akira does this a couple times too, but she ends up either explaining anyway or dismissing it as a silly thought.
• Didn't Think This Through: Akira agrees to help Makoto get info on Eiko's boyfriend, Tsukasa, and to Shinjuku...only to realize it's probably not a good idea for two young girls to wander around shady establishments. Thankfully it goes back on track when Akira thinks up of a solution to that hole.
• Does Not Drive: Lampshaded and Justified by Fox, explaining that the Thieves don't know how to drive since they're minors. Haru gets a special mention as another reason why she doesn't know is because someone else usually drives her to places, thanks to her father's wealth. Akira also uses this to justify on why she's a terrible driver.
• Doorstopper: With 280,000+ words as of Chapter 29 and not even close to the end, it is definitely a long read.
• Dork Knight: Akechi is still smart, powerful in the Metaverse as Crow, and actually a good detective...but not sure how to deal with the antics of the Thieves and blushes like crazy when embarrassed.
• Double Entendre: When Crow and Joker meet by themselves the first time, Crow wonders why she's by herself and she says, suggestively, she won't be if he comes with her. Crow is shocked at her words, which makes Joker laugh and say she was just joking.
• Double-Meaning Title: Wings of Rebellion can refer to the Confidants Akechi now makes since the phrase is said every time he makes one, and it can also refer to that he (Crow) is rebelling against Shido and his organization.
• Dramatic Irony: When Crow reveals to Mona that he's jealous of Joker, Mona wonders if he would oppose her, and Crow says "Probably," to his inner horror. Considering what happens in the game well...it's rather ironic the one who hated Joker the most in the game is the one in this fic who'd be horrified that it actually happened.
• Dreaming of Times Gone By: Akira sees some of Crow's past this way, not realizing it's Akechi.
• Dream Sequence: Morgana dreams of a butterfly, not knowing it's Lavenza, telling him to find Crow in the real world and was about to tell him his identity, but it gets cut off and he wakes up.
• Dream Within a Dream: Akechi has a nightmare of his mother's only to wake up to find a young Akira comforting him, which annoys him since he knows he's still in a dream. Also in the same dream Akira go to sleep in the dream, only to wake up for real.
• Drives Like Crazy:
  • Makoto is crazy behind the wheel, to the point that when Crow asks why she isn't driving in the Metaverse, Ryuji outright tells him she "gets more destructive" whenever she drives. And once Sae joins the team, it's shown she likes to do the same as well. Makoto justifies that the Metaverse is the only place she can do it, while Sae gets similarly excited when driving behind the wheel in the Metaverse.
  • Played with Akira. Though on one hand, the team aren't scared of her driving, but when she does drive, the ride is bumpy and they did crash at one point in the story and she justifies that it's because she doesn't really know how to drive since they're all minors. On the other hand, she isn't terrible with only cars, she's terrible with vehicles in general, as shown with the fact she can't keep a row boat steady.
• Drunk on the Dark Side: Crow says that when he got his power, he laughed hard and felt like he could do anything, which is why when the entity that gave him his powers told him about his father, he jumped on the chance to exact his revenge.
• Dual Boss: Crow and Joker fight both Caroline and Justine together, just in the game. Unfortunately, they weren't strong enough to beat them.
• Dying Town: Grape Village, despite being best known for, well, grapes and wine, is said to be a poor place.

E - H

• Early-Bird Cameo: A random eccentric lady becomes the neighbor of Akechi only to later be introduced as Elizabeth.
• Eating Lunch Alone: Akechi always eats by himself at school, shunned for various reason throughout his life.
• Elevator Failure: The Thieves try to use the elevator to get back down while Sae's Palace collapses, but it doesn't work. So of course Crow makes it fall by having Loki cut off its ropes.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Ironically enough, Akechi doesn't like being called the Detective Prince, which Akira calls him on occassion.
• Emoticon: Akira uses it a couple of times, one of which is a kissing one that renders Akechi speechless and a blushing mess.
• Emotionally Tongue-Tied: There have been a couple of moments where Akechi stops talking because of an onslaught of emotions, most notably during the Culture Festival when Futaba revealed his interest in Akira and would be denying it...except he gets confused on why doesn't want to deny it.
• Escape Battle Technique: Joker uses a Vanish Ball so they can escape from the Reaper.
• Establishing Character Moment: Unsurprisingly, the first thing Elizabeth does before we even know it's her is ask Akechi if his apartment is his detective agency.
• "Eureka!" Moment: While eating extra dumplings Elizabeth made, Morgana says she's very considerate and Akechi has a eureka moment as he realizes he could ask her to teach him to cook.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Because Crow didn't tell the Thieves Shido's name and that he keeps calling him "the mastermind", the Thieves and him just call him "the mastermind" whenever they discuss him.
• Everyone Can See It: Played with since the Thieves didn't notice the feelings of either Akechi or Akira, but Sojiro does and is, in fact, the first to start encouraging them to be together.
• Everyone Has Standards: After Akechi runs into and gets chewed out by a jealous and angry Sae, Morgana responds to Akechi's question of whether or not he's arrogant by commenting that her words were far too harsh.
• Evil Laugh: Inverted since Crow isn't a villain anymore, but when laughs after he realizes why Sae gave them her coin, he internally desribes it as an evil sounding laugh. When he does it again during one of his shared dreams with Akira, she also describes his laugh as evil.
• Exact Words: A couple, mostly from Akechi, as he uses it to try and tell the truth without giving too much on his identity.
  • "This'll be my last year," he says to Akira when he explains why he can't just transfer schools.
  • "I can't wait to put an end to this case," he says to Shido during the second phone call he gets from him.
  • When Akechi asks who Futaba is getting the Jack Frost doll for, Sojiro says with a smirk, "...maybe it's one of the Phantom Thieves?"
• Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Grape Village, a village with grapes and thus uses them to make wines.
• Experienced Protagonist: Crow has had his powers for two years and is much more powerful than the Phantom Thieves by the time he joins as a result.
• Failed a Spot Check: Akira outright passes by Akechi the first time he wears his plain clothes lended to him from one of his old foster families.
• Fainting: Both Joker and Crow faint from too much pain feedback after Arsène and Loki collide, though not before Joker screams from it.
• Famed In-Story: Akechi is still well known and shown on TV, though he's more becoming infamous with his constant "opposition" against the Phantom Thieves.
• Family of Choice: Akechi with the Sakuras, with Futaba deciding to unofficially adopting him because she wants to be family with him after getting to know him and some of his past.
• Fangirl: One of Akechi's few fangirls is seen during the Culture Festival, much to his dismay.
• Fighting Your Friend: Very briefly, but Joker faces against Crow, stopping him from using Loki's berserk powers on himself.
• First Friend: Akira to Akechi as Akechi previously had no friends before her and Akira is the first person to consider him the same.
• First Kiss: In Chapter 33, Akechi finally kisses Akira for the first time.
• First-Name Basis: Akira prefers to be called such by her friends, and Akechi usually calls those he's closest to by their first name, like Futaba. Makoto tries to exploit this to lower his guard when she was still distrustful of him.
• Fix Fic: The fics can be simply summed up as "What if Akira was much closer to Akechi and makes him be good as a result?" and because of that, Akechi now has a chance for a proper redemption and happy ending.
• Five-Man Band: Oracle decides to categorize some of the members of the Thieves as Pheonix Rangers and goes with Joker being The Leader as Red Hawk, Crow being The Lancer as Black Condor, Skull being The Big Guy as Yellow Owl, Panther being The Heart as Pink Argus, and Queen being The Smart Guy as Blue Swan.
• For Want Of A Nail: Because of Akira being a woman, she has a slightly different personality. And because of that, she ends up meeting Akechi in the middle of his mission to kill Principal Kobayakawa.
• Fostering for Profit: Akechi says one of the reasons some of the families took him in even though they didn't like him was because it would increase their payroll.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: One of the reasons Akechi/Crow doesn't think he's redeemable is that he knows now his dark past or being ordered to kill is no excuse for killing. The Phantom Thieves are in the same camp and don't think they should forgive him, but as they get to know Crow, they decide that he at least deserves a chance to do good and make up for his crimes than just dying for them.
• Freudian Slip: A few happen, most of them from Akechi and most of them unnoticed by him and the others...so far.
  • There's the obvious first meeting with Akira and the others that they don't remember from the game.
  • After the Akira and Akechi battle the twins, when Akira asks if she'll see him tomorrow, he nods, except the only way he sees her tomorrow is as Crow.
  • He also slips to Joker that he actually likes her, even if he's also envious of her.
  • When Mona accidentally talks out loud about his crush on Ann to Crow and he tells him that he wouldn't understand, Crow blurts out, "Of course I understand!"
• Full-Body Disguise: One of the reasons the Thieves say they can't figure out Crow's identity is that his thief costume covers him almost completely, leaving only his lower face visble.
• Funny Background Event: While Akira is calling Akechi to help stake out info on Tsukasa, Makoto is described to be flailing her arms in panic.
• Gambit Pileup: Considering now that Akechi is genuinely on the Phantom Thieves' side, it's not surprising that this happens. First we have Akechi himself employing a Batman Gambit against Shido and a Zero-Approval Gambit where he still pretends to be against the Phantom Thieves, much to the hatred of the masses, so that Shido will not realize his actual plans, next we have the Phantom Thieves trying to convince Akechi of their ways so he can join them after they bring him to the Metaverse, not realizing he already is on their side, and last we have Shido himself thinking Akechi is still his Unwitting Pawn in helping him rise to be Prime Minister and his plans to kill him when he does.
• Gameplay and Story Integration: Confidants and their rank-ups are shown in the story and Akechi and Akira are able to feel some of the emotions their Confidants are feeling just like in the game. The recipes Elizabeth has Akechi make are also doable in the game.
• Gender-Blender Name: Akechi is confused and points out that Morgana's name is for girls when he first hears it. Also Word of God says in her notes on the first chapter of Unfiltered this is why she picked Akira Kurusu over Ren Amamiya for the name of fem!Joker, as well as the same reason In-Universe, with Akira telling Akechi that's why her mother picked it.
• Gender Flip: In this universe, Joker is a girl, and because of that, that's how the whole story ends up happening.
• Generation Xerox: Akira is a lot like her mom in that they're both cheerful, give good advice, and are rather mischievous. Akira herselfs says so and when Akechi gets to meet her over the phone, her mom herself says she's basically an older Akira.
• Genre Savvy: Akechi, of course, for someone as smart as him, is easily able to guess whatever happens next while watching episodes of Featherman with Futaba, as well as figure out the puzzles in Sae's Palace.
• Glad He's On Our Side: Both Crow and Mona mention they're glad the former joined the Phantom Thieves as they realize Crow would've opposed the Thieves if he hadn't turned.
• The Glomp: Joker does this during Sae's Palace on Crow after they won the slot machine, and then Oracle does it to him too a little later when Joker wins the rigged tournament.
• Good Feels Good: One of the many reasons why Akechi now wants to stay as a good guy and make up for his mistakes.
• Good Is Not Soft: Ann expresses this view after Akechi does just that, more or less scolding Mika for resorting to dirty tactics to become more popular.
• Good Parents:
  • Akira's parents are this, still keeping in contact with her during her probation and generally being supportive and nice.
  • Akechi's mother, Nanami, is shown to have been a loving mother, at least until she died anyway.
• Go Through Me: When Tsukasa is about to attack Makoto and Akira, Akechi steps in front of them protectively and makes him trip.
• Go to Your Room!: While Akira is looking at Crow's past, there's a scene where his foster parents tell him to go to his room for "getting in trouble" from bullies and so that some visiting friends won't see him and ask questions about him.
• Graceful Loser: Akira doesn't mind when she loses to Akechi in chess or darts, still enjoying playing with him and is in fact impressed by his skills.
• Gut Feeling: While the Thieves are deciding whether Crow is telling the truth or not, Akira believed that he was, with no other reason besides feeling that was. It makes sense since she has a minor Psychic Link with him thanks to her Confidant with him, though she didn't know at the time.
• Happily Adopted: Unofficially, but Akechi is adopted by Futaba as her brother and treated like a son by Sojiro. Sojiro even saying if he knew of his situation a few years earlier, he would've taken him in like he did with Futaba.
• Has a Type:
  • Discussed among the Thieves during the Culture Festival. Ryuji asks Akechi what kind of girls he likes and he says doesn't know as he's never thought of it before. Then Ryuji decides to ask about the girl he likes is like since that's clearly his type, which makes him blush, and Futaba reveals it's Akira.
  • It's brought up again by the Thieves later as they question Crow's preferences, and then Akira's parents as they discuss Akechi's preferences.
• Have We Met?: The second time Akechi uses his plain clothes, he's with Futaba to help her shop. After the purchase, the cashier wonders if she's seen him somewhere, which Akechi denies, before giving up.
• Heel Realization: Akechi has one in Unfiltered, realizing how much of a monster he's become and how pointless his want for revenge is, after being treated kindly by Akira.
• Heroic Bastard: Akechi, the bastard son of Shido, now that he's on the good side and thus nicer and more heroic.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Unsurprisingly, Akechi, from guilt, still doesn't really see himself as good despite him changing for the better. Akira is usually the one who tries to cheer him up.
• Heel–Face Turn: Akechi, though most of the Thieves don't know that since they think Crow is someone else entirely and thus are trying to invoke it after the Thieves become friends with Akechi.
• He Who Fights Monsters: Akira tells Akechi he will become as bad as his father in one of their dreams if he decides to take revenge on him at any cost. But, as Akechi himself noted in Unfiltered, he is already as bad as his father.
• Hey, That's My Line!: Oracle says that to Crow when he says one of her all-out attack lines during an all-out attack.
• Hidden in Plain Sight: Akechi whenever he's wearing his "normal clothes" people don't recognize him. Akira outright passes by him when he's waiting for her at the park the first time he wears them, Mishima doesn't realize it's him until Futaba rats him out and every random person that has interacted with him just treat him like a normal person. Yukari is one of the few people to realize who he is in the Culture Festival but only after paying attention to him. And she had recognized Ann and Yusuke before that.
• High-School Sweethearts: Invoked by Akira's mom, of all people, when she asks Akira if she has a boyfriend yet and encourages her to go after Akechi.
• Hired to Hunt Yourself: Played with as Akechi wasn't exactly asked by Futaba to look for her mother's killer, but he says he'll hunt him down anyway so that justice may be served, knowing full well he'll succeed as he will turn himself to the authorities when everything's settled.
• Hope Bringer: Joker says that this is what she wants the Phantom Thieves to be by changing hearts of criminals and thus inspiring others that the impossible is possible.
• How Do I Shot Web?: Despite having his powers for two hears, he hasn't figured out how to steal a person's Treasure and thus why he asks the Thieves how they do it.

I - L

• I Have My Ways: Akira answers mysteriously or ambigiously to Mishima whenever he asks how she and Thieves are dealing with missions and related things. She also answers the same way when Akechi asks how she found his apartment's address.^note It was thanks to Morgana.
• If Only You Knew: When Akechi asks Futaba who the Jack Frost doll is for during the Culture Festival, he says "It's someone in here, right?" and neither of them know at the time that he was right, because the doll is for Crow, in other words him.
• I Gave My Word: Sae says this is why she won't reveal Crow's identity to the Phantom Thieves.
• I Just Want to Have Friends: In relation to being an Attention Whore and his Friendless Background, this is one of the reasons he continues to hang out with Akira and the others, even though it's logically better that he doesn't since he's a criminal who plans on confessing his crimes later.
• I Just Want to Be You: Akechi tells Akira he still feels this towards her, but likes her too much now to let it consume him.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: Crow is one of, if not the best shot of the Phantom Thieves, being "very cool" whenever he uses his gun and a lot more precise in his shots.
• Inadequate Inheritor: Akechi, know that he's turned, doesn't think he deserves to be called "The Detective Prince" by his fans, or anyone really.
• I Never Told You My Name: In one of their shared dreams, Akira gives Akechi some yakisoba bread and he thanks her, saying her name, which surprises her but she lets it slide.
• Innate Night Vision: Mona volunteers to lead in the dark maze in Sae's Palace, saying he can see fine in the dark. Not because he's a cat, of course.
• Insecure Love Interest: Pretty much why Akechi rejects Akira's initial suggestion to start dating, considering how much he hates himself, thinks he doesn't derserve anything good, and that Akira deserves someone other than him.
• In-Series Nickname: The Thieves like to call Crow their "secret agent".
• In Spite of a Nail: Despite Akira being female, what happens in the first half of the game remains the same.
• Item Farming: Crow mentions sometimes that this is why he visits Mementos, besides getting Personas and fulfilling requests.
• Internal Reveal: After 30 chapters, Akira figures out that Crow and Akechi are the same after one of their shared dreams.
• Intimate Haircut: In their shared dreams, Akira cuts Akechi's hair for him since it's so messy.
• Intoxication Ensues: In Unfiltered, Akechi took some medicine for his headache that ends up getting rid of his "perfect boy" mask.
• Irony:
  • Crow had wanted to be special and was jealous of Joker having his ability of multiple Personas but more, making him question why doesn't he have it. However, after his change of heart, he believes Joker deserves it and that he shouldn't have it for all he's done...and he ends up realizing he does have the Wild Card ability. He notes the irony of this.
  • Ryuji also notes the irony of the Detective Prince falling for The Leader of the Phantom Thieves.
• I Think You Broke Him: When Crow starts to laugh madly at realizing his stupidity after explaining his reason for joining the organization, Oracle says, "He broke..."
• It Runs in the Family: Makoto isn't the only who Drives Like Crazy. Once Sae joins, it's shown she also likes to let loose when driving, and Ryuji thinks she's like that because they're siblings.
• Just Friends: Both Akira and Akechi insist they're friends at first, but then Akira thinks on her feelings thanks to Sojiro and realizes she's in love with Akechi. Akechi realizes the same, but still insists since he thinks she deserves better than him.
• Justice Will Prevail: Akechi says this word-for-word in the interview right after his Heel–Face Turn, which doubles as Exact Words since now he genuinely wants justice to prevail, instead of the "justice" he had been following before, which would've ended with framing the Phantom Thieves.
• Just a Kid: The excuse of "he's just a kid" is used a few times, mostly in disbelief, in situations involved with Akechi, such as when Skull, ironically, defends him from Crow's tirade of insults, saying he's "just a kid" and shouldn't be criticized that much for his actions.
• Just Following Orders: Crow mentions this on why he was killing people, which Skull doesn't buy since he still hurt others. And Crow does agree with that, but it is still true that he was following orders.
• Justified Title: In Unfiltered, the story is about Akira seeing what Akechi is like Beneath the Mask.
• Just Like Robin Hood: In one of Akechi and Akira's shared dreams, Akechi is shocked at the thought that Akira's a thief but she's quick to tell him she's a good one, even saying she's like Robin Hood.
• Keep the Reward: After Okumura's Palace, the Thieves wanted to give the Treasure to Crow as a reward for helping them, but he turns it down, partially because he doesn't want to be found with it.
• Kids Are Cruel: Akechi and Futaba mention being bullied by other kids when they were younger. When Akira sees Akechi's past through a dream, she sees first hand some of those kids in question as they beat Akechi to the ground.
• Kind Hearted Cat Lover: Akechi is closest to Morgana, just behind Akira and Futaba (and Shido, for different reasons) and he's shown to have befriended a cat when he was younger.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Akechi, more noticeable as Crow. Though he's still pretty cynical and logical about things, as he doesn't believe in luck, think well of fate and doesn't think he'll live long, he now wants real justice to be done and tries his best to do good now.
• Lady Looks Like a Dude: Unsurprisingly, Akira being gender flipped, still looks like a bit like a boy. Thus Shido, in his drunkedness, thinks Akira is a boy.
• Laughing Mad: Crow has quite a fit when he realizes, after revealing himself to the Thieves, that his plan for revenge would've been all for nothing and it had no chance of working out in the first place.
• Laser-Guided Amnesia: Akira can't remember the specifics of what happened on March 21st, as shown when she tries to remember during the Culture Festival presentation and nearly faints from doing so.
• Last-Name Basis:
  • Akechi is only ever referred to with his last name. It has gotten to the point that even he's not used to calling himself by his first name alone.
  • Akira's parents are simply called Mr. and Mrs. Kurusu, if not called as Mom or Dad by Akira.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler: Being a Persona 5 fic focusing on Akechi, the fic spoils his backstory, connection to Shido and that he's the Black Mask, which you aren't supposed to know until after November.
• Level Grinding: The Thieves try to do this, but when they Crow tells them the mastermind ordered him to kill Okumura anyway, they try to find quicker ways to get stronger.
• Lightning Bruiser: Minerva, aka Sae, ends up being this as not only does she learn the strongest Wind skill, but also has several other of the strongest skills of their element, including Cosmic Flare, God's Hand and Divine Judgement, having no weaknesses or resistances and being good at both physical and magical attacks. The only downside, as the Thieves have noted, is that she can't join them in fights all the time because of her job.
• Like Brother and Sister: Akechi and Futaba, though unlike other examples, characters more note how they act like siblings instead of mistaking them for a couple. And Futaba (unofficially) adopts him.
• Little Useless Gun: The Thieves theorize that Minerva's gun is small to trick enemies that it's useless on purpose.
• Longing Look: Makoto notices Akira giving Akechi a tender look while he's being embarrassed by Futaba, unknowingly for both of them, during a group study session.
• Long-Lost Relative: At the end of Chapter 33, the Shadow of Youji Isshiki reveals that Futaba's father is Shido, making her and Akechi half-siblings.
• Love Confession:
  • After being mistaken for a couple, Akira tells Akechi she likes him and would like to try dating.
  • Akechi gives an emotional one to Akira in one of their shared dreams, with I Want My Beloved to Be Happy overlapping as he also tells her that he shouldn't be with him and should be with someone else.
• Love Epiphany: Akira had one off-screen after Sojiro tells her to think about her feelings, as when she asks to be Akechi's girlfriend after she does think on it for a few days, she says she realizes she does like him a lot.
• Luminescent Blush: Akechi does this a lot, mostly because of Akira or because he thinks of Akira, but plenty of times when he's embarrassed. Akira has a few moments herself, usually because of Akechi too.

M - P

• Master of All: Akira is still this as the Wild Card, but now that Akechi is a proper one, he's this too, most obviously noticed when a trip to Mementos with just him and Mona goes just fine.
• Meaningful Name:
  • When deciding on a codename for Sae, she decides on Minerva, as the goddess of wisdom who invented the trial system, as well as the one to cast the deciding vote.
  • Conversed when Joker wonders why Crow decided to have that as his codename and they talk about if it has any meaning.
• Meet Cute: Essentially the idea behind Unfiltered as Akira meets Akechi coincidently at the same hotel she's staying at and offers to share a room with him, which is soon followed by a lot of cute moments between the two.
• Messy Hair: Akechi also had this when he was younger and for the same reason his bangs covered his eyes.
• Mirthless Laughter: After revealing himself and explaining his motives to the Thieves, Crow realizes his plan never had a chance to work and starts to laugh at his stupidity for a while.
• The Mole:
  • Discussed when Makoto tells the Thieves that Crow might be just that when he first reveals himself to them and again when Crow tells them he was, indeed, supposed to be this before he decided to help them.
  • Crow becomes this after his Heel–Face Turn and he works for the Phantom Thieves.
• Mundane Utility: Akechi notices Akira has the same expression when using her Aura Vision in the Metaverse while trying to aim with a bow and arrow in game during the Culture Festival.
• My Friends... and Zoidberg: During one of Akechi's stays in Leblanc, Sojiro decides to cook dinner for him and Akira. Morgana is quick to remind him that he's there. Which makes Sojiro say, "Okay, two and a cat."
• Mythology Gag:
  • During the Culture Festival, when the gang goes in the horror house, Akira rips off the mask of one the students trying to scare them, leading to the students and a lot of the gang screaming as a result.
  • Akechi's Confidants Tarot cards are either the same as Joker's in the game, or references previous Persona games. Case in point:
    • His Fool Confidant is with the party, like in Persona 3 and Persona 4.
    • Justine and Caroline's Confidant with Akechi is Aeon, just like with Marie and Aigis's social links from Golden and FES and Portable respectively.
• Named After Someone Famous: Akechi mentions in one of his interviews that he was, indeed, named after Kogoro Akechi, a famous Japanese detective character.
• Nightmare Sequence: Akechi is so scared by the thought of the Thieves' plan of bringing him to the Metaverse and finding out his identity that he has a nightmare about the worst reaction they could have: them feeling betrayed at hiding the fact, hating him as a result and all of his bonds with them breaking.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The tail end of the fight against the twins when they aim for Crow, as Joker was already knocked out at that point and Crow refused to stay down, the twins continuously beat him with everything they have.
• The Nondescript: Discussed. When Futaba says Akechi's good at camouflage, Akechi just says that he think the real reason people don't—and didn't—notice him was because he's just another face in the crowd.
• Not Afraid to Die: Crow doesn't mind the fact he'll most likely be executed for his crimes, telling the Thieves he doesn't mind dying, even though he doesn't want to die anymore now that he has friends.
• "Not So Different" Remark: Futaba notes that she and Akechi have plenty of similarities, mainly that they're bastard children whose mother died and they were passed around people who took them in, but didn't care for them.
• Oblivious to Love: Akechi and Akira. It takes Sojiro to tell Akira to think on her feelings before she realizes that she does like him a bit more than a friend and for her to ask him out for Akechi to think on his own, let alone realize he is, indeed, in love with Akira. Though in the Akechi's case it makes sense he wouldn't know the first thing about it, while Akira herself says she thought an obssessive crush would mean she was in love.
• Official Couple: Akira and Akechi get together after many, many chapters.
• Only Friend: In Unfiltered, Akechi mentions that Akira is his first, and only, friend. That doesn't last for long, thankfully for him, once he hangs out with the rest of the Phantom Thieves in Wings of Rebellion.
• Only Sane Man: Akechi, more often than not, is absolutely exasperated by the Thieves' dynamics and antics, especially Akira, with only Makoto not being part of the ridiculousness...most of the time.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The Thieves don't take the situation they're in after Crow warns them completely seriously...until Akira, their brave and optimistic leader, snaps at them and tells them she's scared of what happened to her could happen to them, but worse.
• Out-of-Character Alert:
  • Makoto and some of the Thieves are initially suspicious of Akechi because of the fact that he's actually genuinely nice for once when he's normally smug in his interactions with them.
  • After leaving Leblanc and Futaba's calling card being revealed to Sojiro, Akechi starts breaking down and crying out of nowhere, which makes Sae demand to know what's wrong, especially when he initially tries to run away.
• Perpetual Poverty: When Akechi's mother was still alive, they had little to go on but had enough to keep surviving and have a few books. The only reason they had a TV was because it was one thrown in the trash.
• The Pollyanna: Akira is this, as noted by Akechi, she's still optimistic and idealistic about things despite being falsely accused and being on probation, not to mention believing she can help people change for the better by inspiring them through the Phantom Thieves' actions.
• Post-Kiss Catatonia: It happens a few times throughout the fics.
  • In Unfiltered, Akira kisses Akechi on the cheek and he zones out for a few moments.
  • It happens again in Wings of Rebellion as Akira is leaving Akechi's apartment.
  • And then it happens to Akira when Akechi gives her a proper, and spontaneous, kiss on the lips.
• Precision F-Strike: Akechi has a few moments of these, usually when he's angry like when Okumura takes Haru hostage or after losing to the twins, where he doesn't want any pity.
• Private Detective: Akechi, just like in the game. Though unlike the game, he also solves some smaller cases given to him by neighbors.
• Psychic Link: Akira and Akechi can sense the feelings their friends have because of their Wild Card ability to make Confidants with them.
• Punch a Wall: Crow does this after talking about his crimes and getting mad at himself for it.

Q - T

• Reactive Continuous Scream: When Akira pulls off the mask of one the students acting in part of the horror house, her scream makes her classmate scream, which then causes some of the Phantom Thieves to scream.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Akechi gives one...to himself, because the Phantom Thieves ask him as Crow what his opinion is on Akechi's interviews, and proceeds to brutally point out what he should be doing if he really wanted to find out the truth.
• Recurring Dreams: Akechi and Akira have their dreams shared several times over the course of the fic, all set in one of Akechi's old homes and when both of them are much younger.
• Related in the Adaptation: Futaba, Akira, and Akechi learn from Futaba’s uncle after the fight with him that Futaba’s biological father was none other than Shido, meaning that she and Akechi are actually half-siblings.
• Rollerblade Good: Crow uses this to move quickly around Mementos when not driving the Monamobile.
• Rousseau Was Right: Yusuke expresses the view that nobody is born good or evil during the presentation on his art piece, Desire and Hope.
• Running Gag: Akira is terrible with vehicles. She even has trouble rowing a boat, unable keep it steady.
• School Festival: The Culture Festival is featured once again, but this time with Akechi as a visitor with Akira and friends, Yukari Takeba from Persona 3 as the special guest, and everyone sans Akira and Akechi leaving the two alone on purpose on the second day.
• Screw Destiny: During one of their visits in the park, Akechi asks Akira if fate can be changed. Akira firmly believes such and while Akechi doesn't believe the same, he thinks there's some merit considering the Phantom Thieves were supposed to fall for the Conspiracy's trap.
• Secret Identity Vocal Shift: The other reason why the Phantom Thieves haven't figured out Crow's identity. In the fic, his voice is slightly deeper than in the game, where Akechi's voice in the Metaverse isn't different from his normal voice.
• Secret Secret-Keeper:
  • Sojiro figures out Crow is Akechi but doesn't say anything about it. He is trying to make Futaba have him reveal it though.
  • Akechi himself is this because the Phantom Thieves don't know he knows their identities. He won't even tell Sae when she asks before she finds out herself.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: During a shopping trip with the twins, said twins have Akira dress up in, well, a dress and Akechi is speechless for a few moments before telling her she's beautiful.
• Security Cling: In fear, Makoto holds on to Akechi while going through the Haunted House section in the Culture Festival.
• She's Not My Girlfriend: Akechi usually denies that he has any interest in Akira whatsoever, though the only time he said it word-for-word was when a stranger thought he and Akira were dating.
• Shipper on Deck: Not just one, but eight. First Sojiro, then Futaba, then Akira's mom, then Morgana, and then the rest of the Phantom Thieves (sans Makoto), particularly Futaba and Morgana, with the former teasing him to get together while the latter gives "romantic advice". This is bumped ten with the addition of Caroline and Justine wanting to get the two Wild Cards together.
• Shout-Out:
  • Sae's Persona, Ma'at, resembles a Gundam while her codename, Minerva, also references the ship from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
  • When Crow fights with the Phantom Thieves for the first time, Oracle says, "His power... i-it... it's over 9000!"
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Akira says she fell for Akechi because of his good qualities, like being kind and gentle. Similarly, Akechi starts falling for her because she's nice to him.
• Smart People Play Chess: When Mona notices Crow saying "checkmate" and confirms he does play chess, Mona isn't surprised, saying that it would explain why he's so good with strategies.
• Something Only They Would Say: After their conversation on the rooftop in chapter 33, Akechi says goodbye to Haru by using her codename, revealing his identity as Crow to her.
• So Proud of You: Akechi feels proud of Futaba for managing to talk with only minimal stuttering to buy something and congratulates her for it. As Crow, he feels the same again when Akira is starting to catch up to him in actual power level, easily beating the rigged tournament in Sae's Palace.
• Spared By Adaptation: Because of Akechi's Heel–Face Turn in Unfiltered, Principal Kobayakawa is still alive, though in a coma. And because it happened before the start of the Okumura arc, when the Thieves steal his treasure, Okumura is also still left alive.
• Spider-Sense: When the Thieves were in the Haunted House during the Culture Festival, Akira senses the students trying to scare them coming, which leads to a hilarious result.
• Struggling Single Mother: Akechi's mother is hinted to have been poor before she had her son and thus it was even harder to stay afloat after she had him.
• Stunned Silence: When Akechi properly forms his Devil Confidant with Shido, he's so shocked he blanks out for a few moments and drops his phone.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Akechi acts like this as Crow because he's trying to be The Stoic but his kindness keeps leaking out as he opens up to the Phantom Thieves in the real world.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: Makoto comments that Akira and Akechi are both spacing out, the latter says:
  Akechi: "Why do you say it as though our reasons for being distracted were related? I have no idea what might be on her mind."
• Take a Third Option: Discussed between Crow and the Phantom Thieves when they are trying to decide whether to go for Shido or the SIU director.
• Talking in Your Dreams: After the fight with the twins, Akira and Akechi share their dreams. Not that they know that yet.
• Tarot Motifs: Like the games, the fic features this.
  • Akechi in the game represents reversed Justice, but with his Heel–Face Turn, he now represents upright Justice more as he realizes the consequences and gravity of his actions, admits that he has been lying—to himself and others—and now, instead of being motivated solely by Revenge, he simply wishes for the truth to come to light about Shido and his organization and for the Phantom Thieves to be safe.
  • Akechi's Confidant with Akira is the Star, which, by itself, means hope, optimism and altruism. In sequence of the tarot deck, it can mean regaining hope after tragedy, learning about your true self and becoming kind, all of which Akechi has gained ever since he became friends with Akira.
• Tears of Fear: Crow starts to cry after Joker intercepts his attempt at boosting himself, absolutely worried he had ruined Joker somehow, if not destroyed her mind.
• Tender Tears: Partially from guilt, but Akechi has cried a few times from the kindness done to him, most notably when Futaba decided to unofficially adopt him.
• Through His Stomach: Ryuji suggests to Akechi to do this to win over the girl he likes.
• Token Adult: Sae, code named Minerva, is this for the Phantom Thieves as the only adult Persona user on the team.
• Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Akira, being gender-flipped, remains similar to her male counterpart, in that she prefers black and red and implied to wear the same kinds of clothes but is a pretty good cook, not only thanks to Sojiro but from baking things with her mother.
• Tragic Dream: Akechi considers the dreams he shares with Akira as this as he wishes they had met much sooner, before he started on his path for revenge, but he knows it can't come true because he already went down that road.
• Tragic Keepsake: It's revealed in one of the shared dreams that Akechi keeps a golden necklace, the last thing he has of his mother, and it's a constant reminder of his goal to exact revenge on his father.
• Tranquil Fury: Justine was quiet but still just as mad as her sister when Crow ended up seriously hurting Joker when she tried to stop him from berserking.
• Trauma Button: Much like with his Berserk Button, Akechi has a tendency to break down whenever he thinks of the deaths he's caused, particularly Futaba's mother.
• Tuck and Cover: Crow grabs Oracle with both arms to cover against falling debris while having Loki destroy a big one that was about to crush her.
• Twitchy Eye: Played with as Akechi has it happen a few times because of hearing something he knows is true and hoping they don't figure it out (like his identity as Crow).

U - Z

• Unwanted Assistance: Played with. When Crow basically one shots all the enemies, Skull tells him to leave some for them so they can get stronger, but otherwise the Phantom Thieves didn't mind him helping for the first time in Okumura's Palace.
• Unstoppable Rage: Akechi tries to do this by making himself go berserk, but Akira sees what he's about to do and stops him before he does.
• Verbed Title: Unfiltered, the fic preceeding Wings of Rebellion.
• Wham Line:
  "My name is Elizabeth. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Akechi is absolutely shocked that Akira doesn't want to look for Morgana, as if she doesn't care, and tells her to go look for him.
  • When Mona tells Crow about how he met Joker and Skull, Crow calls him out on that he had been using them for his own gain, much to Mona's shame.
• Xanatos Speed Chess: In Unfiltered, Akechi changes his original plan of revenge from betraying Shido after he becomes Prime Minister to secretly toppling him down before he does. He continues to change his plans, along with the Phantom Thieves, during Wings of Rebellion as new factors keep coming in, like Shido still ordering a hit on Okumura even though he didn't get a calling card, Sae demanding an explanation for his breakdown, and the realization of the SIU director interfering with Sae's investigation into Shido.
• You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: Akechi has only called Akira by her full name twice, and both times were coming from the heart.
  • First time when he tells Akira after confronting Tsukasa that she had been in serious danger and how worried he had been.
  • And second when he confesses how much she means to him in one of their shared dreams.
• Your Days Are Numbered: Akechi knows he's going to die after confessing his crimes as punishment for them, with Lavenza even describing it as his future being "closed", hence one of the many reasons he doesn't want to get closer to Akira. But Akira and the Thieves do know Crow's going to die and want to prevent that.
• Your Worst Memory: Akechi dreams of his mother's death in one his shared dreams and it's later revealed he used to have that nightmare more often when he was younger.