Like its predecessors in the Persona series, Persona 5 is filled with mysteries. It begins with protagonist Joker attempting to figure out how to stay in school when a power-hungry gym teacher wants him gone and progresses to the Phantom Thieves facing down a god who had infiltrated their ranks from the most unexpected of directions. Updated re-release Persona 5 Royal added to the mystery by introducing Jose, a new character connected to the game-long dungeon Mementos. While Persona 5 Royal's new additions to the game's plot primarily wrapped up neatly by the end, Jose and his true identity were left hanging, leading players to theorize that he may relate to upcoming Persona games and might reappear in Persona 6 or other future titles.
Jose appears as a young boy who is interested in learning more about humanity. He challenges the player to collect flowers and stamps throughout the Mementos dungeon. Flowers can be traded for various items, while stamps let the player reshape Mementos to gain more experience points, money, or items after each battle. If enough stamps are collected, Jose will challenge the player to a boss battle at the bottom of Mementos; he is quite high level and challenging to beat. Unfortunately, nothing more about Jose is explained, even when he is fought, as he simply thanks the player for giving him a new experience. This has led fans to develop a number of theories about Jose's possible origins and role in future games.
Jose Could Hint at the Return of Philemon
One of the few pieces of information given about Jose is that he is studying humanity due to a "promise" he made to a "certain person." Fans suspect that this person may be Philemon, who originated as the leader of the mysterious Velvet Room in the original Persona game. He was a recurring character in the first Persona game and the Persona 2 duology; through his assistant Igor, Philemon has helped Persona users grow in strength. Since then, Philemon has not appeared in person, although the presence of his symbol - blue butterflies - in later Persona games indicates that he is still watching over the characters.
Jose could potentially serve as a way to re-introduce Philemon in Persona 6 or other future titles. Philemon was based on an archetype from the writing of Carl Jung, specifically the "wise guide." Jose could represent another archetype, specifically the Child, which represents curiosity, innocence, and change. Philemon, who cares for and guides humanity, could easily be the person who tasked Jose with studying humankind. He could be training Jose as his replacement, as he has not been able to interact with humanity directly for several games. Alternately, Philemon could make a full return in the next game, with Jose serving as his apprentice or assistant much like Igor once did.
Jose May Become Igor's Replacement
If Philemon is the person Jose promised to learn about humanity for, the reason for this could be to make him the eventual replacement of Igor . In Persona 5, "Igor" turned out to be a false disguise for Persona 5's original final boss Yaldabaoth, a god of control who wished to rule humanity and gave Joker false advice rather than serving as a true mentor throughout his journey.
Although the real Igor was revealed to still be alive at the end of Persona 5 Royal, he may wish to retire following his ordeal. This would be especially poignant given that Igor's Japanese voice actor, Isamu Tanonaka, died in 2010, an event which informed the creation of the "false Igor" plot. Jose, who is young and eager, would make a good replacement for Igor and could easily lead the Velvet Room for the next several games.
Igor and Philemon run the Velvet Room because of their great power and desire to help humanity. In addition to his interest in learning more about Joker and the Phantom Thieves, Jose exhibits great strength during his optional boss battle. Even though he does not have access to a Persona, Jose can use his trusty car and "special fireworks" to do large amounts of physical and Almighty damage. He is also capable of attacking using every element in the game, as well as Confusing all party members. Jose's battle is regarded as one of the most difficult boss fights in Persona 5 Royal - it even uses the climactic Persona track "Rivers in the Desert" as background music. This is definitely a showing worthy of a future Velvet Room leader.
Could Jose Be a Lost Velvet Room Attendant?
If Jose is not Igor's replacement or the future leader of the Velvet Room, he could instead be one of the Attendants who work in the mysterious room and help the protagonist along their journey. Each Persona game since Persona 2 has featured attendants, who assist Philemon and Igor and help the protagonist fuse and enhance Personas. Persona 5 features twin attendants, Caroline and Justine, who later fuse into a single attendant named Lavenza to help Joker through the events of Royal's newly added third semester.
Some fans theorize that Jose was intended to serve as the attendant for Goro Akechi, Joker's rival who also possesses the power of the Wild Card. Jose has the pale hair and yellow eyes typically associated with Velvet Room attendants, although he lacks a name that originates from Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, which may discredit this theory.
It is unlikely that fans will find out anything more about Jose until the release of Persona 6 or other future titles. Persona 6 has been confirmed to be in development by Atlus, but has not been officially revealed despite the ongoing celebration of the series' 25th anniversary. Fans hope that when Persona 6 - or another Persona 5 spinoff - does come out, Persona 5 Royal's biggest mystery will be solved and the true nature of Jose will be revealed.
Persona 5 Royal is currently available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.