This article contains MAJOR spoilers for Persona 5 Royal.
Persona 5 is known for its immersive exploration of Tokyo and the Metaverse, and storytelling that explores the moral dilemmas of its characters. It follows the Phantom Thieves, a group devoted to "stealing" and changing the hearts of corrupt adults, especially those in power, in order to reform society. Persona 5 has cemented itself as one of the best games of the modern era, even expanding its universe through various spin-off titles that tackle more moral issues.
One of the cool things about Persona 5's gameplay is that it gives players a deadline to defeat a Palace ruler to change their hearts in the real world. It adds a sense of urgency since there would be serious consequences if the Phantom Thieves failed their missions. Persona 5's world would be entirely different if the Phantom Thieves never existed to take down Palaces in the Metaverse. Not only would it have dire effects on the game's society as a whole, but also on the Persona 5 characters' lives.
Persona 6's Side Quest Structure is a Wild Card After Persona 5
Persona 5 has given Persona 6's developers a lot to think about when it comes to designing a new set of side quests for the game.
Persona 5's World Would Not Be the Same Without the Phantom Thieves
The Palace Rulers of Persona 5 Continue to Abuse Their Power
As mentioned, the whole premise of Persona 5 is to stop adults from abusing their power, be it a teacher like Kamoshida or a politician like Shido. Without the Phantom Thieves, their reign of terror would continue, and people would get hurt. Kamoshida is arguably one of the more disturbing Persona 5 enemies because of the harassment he's done to his students, especially young girls like Ann Takamaki. If the Phantom Thieves didn't intervene, he could still be a teacher at Shujin Academy, unless someone proves that he's responsible for Shiho Suzui's attempted suicide. Regardless, if he doesn't go to jail for his actions, he could continue abusing students in the next school he transfers to.
Meanwhile, the likes of Shido could cause the most damage to society as a whole since he's running for Prime Minister of Japan. He's the founder of the treasonous Antisocial Force sponsored by corrupt politicians, con men, Yakuza members, and other stakeholders, which helped him obtain power by any means necessary. This also means using his power and influence to successfully rig the elections without the Phantom Thieves' intervention. It's possible that Shido could lead the country with an iron fist, and even order to jail or kill any person who went against him during his tenure. This could include Persona 5 protagonist Ren Amamiya, aka Joker, who had already been thrown into jail under a false charge once before.
Some Phantom Thieves' Family Trauma Would Never Be Resolved
Many of the Palace rulers are connected to the Phantom Thieves in some way, and they're often related to their families. Art teacher Madarame, for example, created copies of "Sayuri," the last painting that Yusuke Kitagawa's mother made before she died. Yusuke joining the Phantom Thieves is instrumental in helping him uncover the truth behind "Sayuri" and his mother's passing, but if the group didn't exist, he might still be painting dupes for Madarame.
Futaba Sakura, who is the only Phantom Thief with her own Palace, could also still be a shut-in if she didn't meet Joker and the gang. A combination of her social anxiety and the trauma of losing her mom developed into Futaba isolating herself from the outside world, and constantly blaming herself for her mom's death. If she never overcomes her trauma, she won't take the necessary steps to live a fulfilling life with friends.
Meanwhile, Makoto Niijima and Haru Okumura could continue having strained relationships with their family members, who both have Palaces of their own. Makoto would continue dealing with the strict rules that her older sister, Sae Niijima, had set, but could still achieve a bright future as a top student at Shujin Academy. Haru, on the other hand, could end up taking over Okumura Foods or becoming a political figure of some sort as part of her corrupt father's plans.
Goro Akechi Could Avoid Death
Known as Persona 5's Detective Prince, Goro Akechi sacrifices himself in Shido's Palace to save the Phantom Thieves. He returns in Persona 5 Royal's third semester after Maruki brought him back to life, but it's revealed that he was never revived once players destroy Maruki's Palace.
Although there are ways to make sure that Akechi never dies and players can get Persona 5 Royal's True Ending, not meeting the Phantom Thieves could mean that he can avoid death entirely. He can continue investigating Shido's dealings and other crimes connected to the politician, potentially becoming a full-blown detective once he gets older.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 94 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
