Every Persona game since Persona 3 has had an excellent cast of characters. After all, it was the third entry that introduced the now iconic social aspect of this once-niche RPG. Thanks to this, every game that has followed has improved in this regard and thus, the characters now feel more real than ever.

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Sure, these games can be a slow burn, but that’s all part of their charm. They simulate real life and how long it takes to actually bond with people. That’s not to say that some of the fat couldn’t have been trimmed here and there, although doing so would perhaps run the risk of ruining the experience. One area where Persona 5 Royal isn't carrying any dead weight, however, is in its wonderful cast of colorful characters.

Updated October 21, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Persona 5 was already a fantastic game even before the release of its Royal edition. Of course, it was also an incredibly long one and P5R somehow manages to be even longer still. Despite the ridiculous amount of time that's needed to see Joker's journey through to the very end though, it really is a masterpiece of a game. A big part of what makes it so enjoyable is its excellent cast of characters, some of whom were introduced specifically for the Royal edition. They may not be perfect, but the best characters in Persona 5 Royal each bring something different to the table and provide a bit of extra color to an already vibrant adventure. With the game now available on Switch, Xbox, and PC rather than just PlayStation, a whole new subset of gamers will have a chance to find this out for themselves.

10 Ren Amamiya

  • Code Name: Joker
  • Age: 16 / 17
  • Date of Birth: Late 1999 / Early 2000
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Personas: Arsene, Satanael & Raoul

Ren Amamiya is the canon name given to the game's main protagonist, Joker, in the anime. Despite being the main focal point, however, he's far from the most interesting of characters due to him being an almost silent protagonist. He fights using knives and pistols and is the glue that binds the Phantom Thieves together.

Ren was seemingly designed as a blank slate onto which players can project themselves, which is great for immersion but not so much for character development. One could say that he is a good guy given that he knows and helps a lot of people, but much of this comes through the hands of the player. Without input, is he even that cool?

9 Goro Akechi

akechi
  • Code Name: Crow
  • Age: 17 / 18
  • Date of Birth: 06/02/98
  • Height: 5'10"
  • Personas: Robin Hood, Loki & Hereward

Goro is a good foil for the Phantom Thieves. As a fellow student, he presents some logic by pointing out that what they are doing is wrong. However, that also makes him very unlikable. Persona 5 Royal tries to give players more time to relate to him through new confidant encounters, although these don't really offer much more insight into the character.

While they are enjoyable, especially the one that involves putting on a wig, these new scenarios don't really change what eventually happens, so, in a way, just don’t make sense. He does have access to some badass weapons though, including ray guns, laser sabers, and serrated swords.

8 Haru Okumura

  • Code Name: Noir
  • Age: 17 / 18
  • Date of Birth: 12/05/98
  • Height: 5'2"
  • Personas: Milady, Astarte & Lucy

The biggest problem with Haru is the timing of her introduction. The game originally ended in December, at least in terms of real gameplay, anyway, and she doesn’t get introduced as a key player until late September. Even then though, it's still another month before players can actually hang out with her as a confidant.

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That means she has mere months with the player, which, when compared to the rest of the cast, simply is not enough time to make a prominent impression. One thing that does make an impression though is her impressive stockpile of weapons, although perhaps not quite enough of one to make up for her shortcomings elsewhere.

7 Morgana

  • Code Name: Mona
  • Age: Unknown
  • Date of Birth: Unknown
  • Height: 1'8" (2'0" when standing)
  • Personas: Zorro, Mercurius & Diego

Morgana was seemingly created for players to actually have someone to talk to when Ren is alone. He’s a little like Navi from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in that respect and suffers from some of the same problems. While often helpful, he can also be pretty annoying due to his strict rules on what Ren can and can’t do and his tendency to overstate the obvious to the player.

That said, Persona 5 Royal does tone his watchful eye down quite a bit, which is definitely a huge plus. He also has some pretty cool moments like his Catbus transformation, and his curved swords and slingshots provide plenty of comic relief during what can at times be some pretty tense combat.

6 Ann Takamaki

  • Code Name: Panther
  • Age: 16 / 17
  • Date of Birth: 11/12/99
  • Height: 5'5"
  • Personas: Carmen, Hecate & Celestine

At first glance, Ann is the stereotypical model/idol on the outside, but there's an awful lot going on underneath the surface. The very fact that she befriends Ren and Ryuji because of the messed up stuff with Kamoshida is definitely proof of that. She has her demons, but, through her interactions with the rest of the cast, is slowly able to regain her confidence.

There’s a lot to unravel with her, which, again, makes her pretty unique for the stereotypical fan service type of girl that she resembles on the outside. She fights using whips and submachine guns and is a fairly capable combatant in her own right. She's not quite the best playable character in Persona 5 Royal, but she is one of the most memorable.

5 Ryuji Sakamoto

  • Code Name: Skull
  • Age: 16 / 17
  • Date of Birth: 07/03/99
  • Height: 5'7"
  • Personas: Captain Kidd, Seiten Taisei & William

The main character is often paired up with the class clown in games and movies and that is once again the case here. Coincidentally, that's the role that Junpei, Yosuke, and Ryuji all play in P5R. They’re young, dumb, and full of comradely - so, basically, they were born for the job. Their routine still hasn’t gotten old though, thanks in large to Ryuji’s sharp writing.

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Ann and Ryuji are kind of a package deal as she often calls him out on his dumb answers and over-the-top sexual advances. He is more than just a series of slapstick comedic bites though. He has a heart of gold and a selection of blunt objects and shotguns with which to raise hell.

4 Sumire Yoshizawa

  • Code Name: Violet
  • Age: 15
  • Date of Birth: 03/25/01
  • Height: 5'4"
  • Personas: Cendrillon, Vanadis & Ella

Sumire (also known as Kasumi) is the newest addition to the team and one of the central characters in Persona 5 Royal’s extra content. Presumably, it can sometimes be hard to write in a new character to work around pre-existing elements and ideas, but, somehow, the team made it work.

Her struggles with being the best gymnast can really pull hard on the heartstrings, which makes her bonding with an upperclassman like Ren so touching. On top of that, some very cool things happen with her later on in the story which really helps to set her apart from some of the other characters in the game.

3 Futaba Sakura

Futaba Sakura from Persona 5
  • Code Name: Oracle
  • Age: 15 / 16
  • Date of Birth: 02/19/00
  • Height: 5'0"
  • Personas: Necronomicon, Prometheus & Al Azif

Futaba is a character that a lot of gamers, or, just people in general, can probably relate to. Taking her from a shut-in teenager to an adventurous young girl was certainly a process and one that also felt realistic at the same time. Well, apart from the monsters, that is.

It doesn’t take long for her to take a shine to the group and, in the process, have some pretty hilarious interactions which really help to bring her out of her shell. In the case of her headgear, quite literally, in fact. Helping her out also strengthens the bond with Sojiro, which makes for a great trifecta of family time.

2 Yusuke Kitagawa

Yusuke Kitagawa from Persona 5
  • Code Name: Fox
  • Age: 16 / 17
  • Date of Birth: 01/28/00
  • Height: 5'11"
  • Personas: Goemon, Kamu Susano-o & Gorokichi

Yusuke has a lot in common with Futaba in the sense that they are both isolated from certain aspects of life. Yusuke is the strong, silent artist, discovering friends for the first time and finally adjusting to society outside of the art world.

His Fox alter-ego, adorned with his slick katana and backed by the legendary Goemon, is just downright cool and really makes him stand out. His Japanese swords also make him pretty useful in combat, as too does his selection of assault rifles. It's just a shame that his confident ability is so useless.

1 Makoto Niijima

  • Code Name: Queen
  • Age: 17 / 18
  • Date of Birth: 04/23/98
  • Height: 5'5"
  • Personas: Johanna, Anat & Agnes

Be it the best party member or the best confidant, Makoto wins them both. Much like Futaba and Yusuke, there is a fish-out-of-water aspect to her story that makes it incredibly compelling. Unlike the aforementioned, however, she is a lot more put together. She's the stereotypical "perfect" high school student, although one that has been hiding her true self for almost her entire life.

Watching her break free of society’s chains with her motorcycle Persona is arguably one of the most satisfying moments in the game. Dating her feels like a legitimate loving relationship unfolding too, making it difficult to go with anyone else. She fights using tekko and revolvers and is almost as good a fighter as she is a lover.

Persona 5 Royal is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

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