10 Best Persona 5 Characters, Ranked (2024)

Persona 5 has one of the most delightful casts of any RPG. With an 80+ hour main story and a heavy emphasis on building character relationships, Persona 5 needed to have great characters. The cast has unique personalities, emotional character arcs, and dynamic chemistry. It's a formula that has worked in previous Persona games, which helped vault the Shin Megami Tensei spinoff into mainstream status.

With how massive Persona 5's fanbase is, it's tough to get fans to agree on things like the most annoying character or the best ship. That's a testament to the game's deep roster. There's no correct answer, which always makes these topics fun to discuss. So which Persona 5 character is the best of the best? Who is the most interesting, memorable, and entertaining Persona 5 character? The characters that are tough to imagine Persona 5 without?

10 Sojiro Sakura is a Good, Yet Complicated, Father Figure

Sojiro Sakura is one of the first characters players meet in Persona 5. The manager of Café Leblanc, Sojiro looks after protagonist Ren Amamiya while he's on probation after being framed while trying to stop a sexual assault. Sojiro serves as a stern and eventually caring guardian who provides Ren with a room and even a job at Café Leblanc.

Sojiro is also the adoptive father of Futaba Sakura, who he cares deeply for. Sojiro may be a little overprotective of Futaba, but he fears someone would harm her. He worries over a death similar to Futaba's mother, a woman he loved and knew through his past government work. He's not the standout of the cast, but Sojiro is a good father figure for Ren, Futaba, and the Phantom Thieves, which makes him one of the best and most significant characters in Persona 5.

9 Haru Okumura Is A Delight, But She Joins Too Late In The Game

Haru Okumura is the wealthy and elegant daughter of Okumura Foods CEO Kunikazu Okumura – one of the Phantom Thieves' targets. Haru is initially very shy and reserved, primarily due to growing up in an environment where her day-to-day life is controlled. This includes her arranged marriage to her abusive fiance.

As Haru opens up and pursues independence, she's an absolute delight. She's incredibly fun to have around with some of the funniest interactions in the Mementos. It's a shame Haru is introduced so late in Persona 5. If players were able to spend more time with her, she would be a bigger fan favorite.

8 Ryuji Sakamoto Was Ren's First Friend But Threatened the Phantom Thieves' Cover

Most Persona games steadily introduce the main cast, usually starting with the "bro" character. The male character quickly latches onto the protagonist and serves as an early guide, walking them through the school and the surrounding area. For Persona 5, that bro character is Ryuji Sakamoto.

Ryuji is brash, lazy, upbeat, careless, and a known troublemaker at Shujin Academy. During his time with the Phantom Thieves, he steadily gains purpose and responsibility, allowing him to grow more than most characters. However, his obsession with being a Phantom Thief and his desire to talk about it openly and constantly has been the subject of memes and ire within the Persona fanbase. Ryuji almost blows the Phantom Thieves' cover numerous times, leading to many fans wishing Ryuji would quiet down.

7 Morgana is the Loveable and Endearing Mascot Character

After Persona 4's Teddy, it's no surprise Atlus doubled down with a mascot character. The feline Morgana is introduced to Ren and Ryuji during their first Palace visit. A chatty anthropomorphic cat, Morgana's initial design is inspired by famed fictional vigilante Zorro, who his starting Persona is based on. Outside of the Metaverse, Morgana appears as a normal cat who stays with Ren. In Mementos, Morgana is a hilarious catbus, which Studio Ghibli fans will enjoy.

Like Ryuji, Persona fans didn't hold back on Morgana memes, particularly when Morgana forces Ren to stay in his room for the night and sleep. That can feel frustrating when trying to manage Persona 5's day-to-day schedule. Morgana's affection for Ann can also seem occasionally creepy and obsessive. Still, Morgana's pursuit of learning more about who he is and why he exists is endearing, and it's easy to care for this feline mascot.

6 Yusuke Kitagawa is a Talented and Awkaward Artist

Unlike most Phantom Thieves, Yusuke Kitagawa doesn't attend Shujin Academy. He attends Kosei High School where he excels as an art student. Yusuke was raised by the famed artist Ichiyusai Madarame. Madarame's humble and wholesome public demeanor hides his dark background as an abuser who takes advantage of his students' works to pass them off as his own.

Like Haru, Yusuke lived a sheltered life and exhibited a similar sense of naïveté, which can lead to unintentionally awkward and/or comedic social moments. At the same time, Yusuke is arguably the most intelligent Phantom Thief, which often proves to be pivotal in the group's later successes. Yusuke also proved to be key in getting Futaba more comfortable around the Phantom Thieves despite their frequent and hilarious banter.

5 Makoto Niijima is a Student Who Found True Honor By Prioritizing Justice

Makoto Niijima is the student council president at Shujin Academy and is initially a massive thorn in the side of the Phantom Thieves. Makoto's pursuit of the brightest future for herself allowed her to be manipulated and controlled by Shujin Academy, forcing her to turn a blind eye to things such as Suguru Kamoshida's abuse and investigation of the Phantom Thieves.

Makoto's submissiveness allowed many to take advantage of her, while also constantly feeling like she was a burden to her highly successful prosecutor sister Sae Niijima. Yet underneath her mature honor student exterior is a tomboy who loves action movies. Makoto's journey to be more herself and become more assertive is impressive, which leads to her becoming a key leader and strategist within the Phantom Thieves. Plus, her starting Persona, Johanna, is a motorcycle.

4 Ann Takamaki's Desire to Protect Her Friend Compels Her to Help Everyone

Ann Takamaki is one of the most recognizable characters in Persona 5, if for no other reason than her popularity in the cosplay community. Ann is far more than meets the eye, though. She's mostly a loner at Shujin Academy. Ann knows Ryuji, as they were middle school classmates, but she only has one real friend in Shiho Suzui.

Shino was a member of Shujin's volleyball team, which, unbeknownst to most, were victims of persistent abuse by Kamoshida, who also targeted Ann. Ann's inherent kindness and desire to protect her friend led her to stick close to Kamoshida, hoping he'd ease up on Shiho. This fuels rumors that she's sleeping with him, which further isolates her at school. After Shino's suicide attempt, Ann joins the Phantom Thieves to expose Kamoshida's abuse. Full of guilt for not doing more, Ann is determined to ensure no one preys on the innocent again.

3 Futaba Sakura Is A Very Easy Character To Root For

Futaba's popularity stems from her interest in video games and other technology, which mixes with her social anxieties, and makes her easily relatable. However, Futaba is a recluse because of Sojiro's overprotectiveness and her childhood trauma of her mother's death. Futaba doesn't get out much and has minimal social experience outside of the internet.

Futaba is a world-renowned anonymous hacker and her skills become an immense help while the rest of the Phantom Thieves infiltrate a Palace. Futaba serves as the Navigator, which is a role that doesn't directly battle but offers tips and commentary to aid the party in and outside of battle. Futaba's story arc is easily one of the most emotional as she searches for answers for her mother's deal and her character growth is nothing short of inspirational. Futaba immediately became one of the easiest characters to root for.

2 Goro Akechi Is A Charismatic And Complex Character

Goro Akechi is a prodigious detective whose ability to solve difficult cases at a young age fueled his fame across Japan. Akechi serves as a rival to Ren in hopes of learning about and exposing the Phantom Thieves. On the outside, Akechi is intelligent, polite, charismatic, and humble, which garnered him plenty of fans — not to mention his affinity for pancakes.

Internally, Akechi is a troubled young man who grew up as the secret illegitimate child of corrupt politician Masayoshi Shido. Akechi is full of hatred and self-loathing because of this and knows that if that fact was exposed, he'd have nothing. This made Akechi callous, leading to him being the assassin behind Persona 5's mysterious deaths. Overall, Akechi remains one of the Persona series' most fascinating characters.

Ren Amamiya barely speaks and exhibits little personality. At the same time, he's the character players control and whose day-to-day schedule they dictate. He's the leader of the Phantom Thieves and far and away the game's most important character.

Despite the quieter presence, it's tough to argue that Ren isn't Persona 5's best character. He's the main avatar, so his journey has a strong connection to the player. Outside of player decisions, Ren has a flair for the dramatic, making for some stylish scenes. The hero is who brought the Phantom Thieves together, became the glue that kept them together, and the catalyst that facilitated their and their Confidants' growths. Ren helped make Persona 5 as popular as it is, which is a big reason why he was selected for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate over other Persona protagonists.

Persona 5

Franchise

Persona

Platform(s)

PS3 , PS4

Released

September 15, 2016

Developer(s)

P-Studio

Publisher(s)

Atlus

Genre(s)

RPG , Social Simulation

Engine

Proprietary

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence

How Long To Beat

100 Hours

X|S Enhanced

Yes

File Size Xbox Series

39 GB (May 2023)

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