Playable Characters & Key NPCs in Persona 5

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Learn more about the Phantom Thieves & their Confidants

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Last Updated: September 2, 2026

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Phantom Thieves

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NPCs

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Persona 5 is an RPG-style video game that follows a group of vigilante students called the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. The team travels through an alternate dimension called the Metaverse, where they invade the cognitive Palaces of abusive adults in the hopes of changing their hearts. We’re breaking down the game’s playable characters and main NPCs, so let’s get started!

Note: There may be some spoilers for Persona 5 ahead.

Playable Characters in Persona 5: Chart

The playable characters in Persona 5 are members of a vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves. The leader of the group is Joker (whose real name is Ren). Other members include Morgana (Mona), a blue cat-like creature, Skull (Ren’s friend Ryuji), Fox (Yusuke), and Panther (Ann).

Section 1 of 2:

Phantom Thieves (Playable Characters)

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Protagonist / Joker (Ren Amamiya) Joker is the main protagonist in the game Persona 5. His name is customizable, but in the anime, he goes by Ren Amamiya. (In the manga, his name is Akira Kurusu.) Even though he’s the primary character, we actually don’t know much about him—probably so players will be able to project themselves onto him more easily.^{[1]
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- Persona: Arsene, Santanael, Raoul
- Weapons: Knives, Pistols
- Arcana: Fool/World
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Morgana (Mona) Morgana is definitely, 100% for sure, not a cat. According to him, anyway. This little blue not-a-cat can be pretty helpful at times, and annoying at others, but it wouldn’t be quite the same game without him. Plus, he can turn into a Catbus.^{[2]
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- Persona: Zorro, Mercurius, Diego
- Weapons: Curved swords, slingshots
- Arcana: Magician
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Skull (Ryuji Sakamoto) Skull is the type of character who adds comic relief right when you need it. He’s a fun and boisterous teenage boy—although perhaps not the very brightest of them all. His eagerness to talk about the Phantom Thieves regularly puts the identities of the whole group at risk.
- Persona: Captain Kidd
- Weapons: Bludgeons, shotguns
- Arcana: Chariot
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Panther (Ann Takamaki) Ann Takamaki is more than just eye candy—she’s a tough fighter and a good friend. And even though she seems upbeat and bubbly, she goes through a surprising amount of trauma, which leads her to join the Phantom Thieves to expose Kamoshida, the school’s abusive volleyball coach.^{[3]
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- Persona: Carmen, Hecate, Celestine
- Weapons: Whips, submachine guns
- Arcana: Lovers
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Fox (Yusuke Kitagawa) Yusuke is an artist who spends most of his time alone, living under the shadow of his abusive instructor Ichiyusai Madarame. But that starts to change once he meets the Phantom Thieves—as his alter-ego Fox, he gradually starts to become more confident and outgoing.^{[4]
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- Persona: Goemon, Kamu Susano-o, Gorokichi
- Weapons: Japanese swords, assault rifles
- Arcana: Emperor
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Queen (Makoto Niijima) Makoto is a high-achiever at Shujin Academy who never gets into trouble. But she really comes into her own once she discovers her first persona—Johanna, a motorcycle. She’s also most fans’ top pick for the character Ren should date.^{[5]
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- Persona: Johanna, Anat, Agnes
- Weapons: Tekko, revolvers
- Arcana: Priestess
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Oracle (Futaba Sakura) Oracle is a shy, reclusive teen who loves technology. But once she joins the Phantom Thieves, she really starts to shine. Her elite hacking skills make her the perfect Navigator for the team, helping to remotely guide them through Palaces. She also has one of the more emotional storylines in the game, as she searches for information about her mother’s death.^{[6]
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- Personas: Necronomicon, Prometheus, Al Azif
- Weapons: None
- Arcana: Hermit
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Crow (Goro Akechi) Goro is a detective who’s trying to learn more about the Phantom Thieves. He’s one of the most complex characters in the entire game—players are often left wondering if he’s actually a good guy, or if he’s a villain in disguise.^{[7]
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- Personas: Robin Hood, Loki, Hereward
- Weapons: Ray guns, laser sabers, serrated swords
- Arcana: Justice
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Violet (Sumire Yoshizawa) Violet is introduced in Persona 5 Royal, where she quickly becomes one of the most important characters. She’s a hardworking and competitive gymnast who becomes close friends with Ren.^{[8]
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- Persona: Cendrillon, Vanadis, Ella
- Weapons: Rapier, antique rifle
- Arcana: Faith
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Noir (Haru Okumura) Noir is an intriguing character—she’s the daughter of Kunikazu Okumura, who’s a target of the Phantom Thieves. Because she shows up so late in the game, you don’t have as much time to get to know her as you do with some of the other characters. And that’s a shame, because what we do see of her is really cool and funny.^{[9]
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- Personas: Milady, Astarte, Lucy
- Weapons: Axe, grenade launcher
- Arcana: Empress

Section 2 of 2:

Key Non-Playable Characters (NPCs)

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Confidants Confidants are NPCs who can grant you bonuses and additional items if you spend time getting to know them. The more you interact with them, the stronger your relationship (or “social link”) will be. Some of the most notable Confidants in Persona 5 include:
- Igor: Igor is a non-human Confidant who appears in every version of the Persona games. He stays in the Velvet Room, providing information on the Personas. Igor might look like a bad guy—but he isn’t.^{[10]
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- Sae Niijima: Sae is the older sister of Makoto. She’s a pretty controversial character—she definitely has her flaws, but she also seems to genuinely love her sister.
- Tae Takemi: Tae is a back-alley doctor who experiments with different medicines for Ren. But there’s more to Tae than meets the eye—she’s not as much of a mad scientist as she seems at first glance.
- Hifumi Togo: Hifumi is a Confidant who can be dated by the player. She’s shy and humble, but also a world-class shogi player.
- Yuuki Mishima: Yuuki is the definition of an underdog—he’s relentlessly bullied and doesn’t believe in himself. He turns to villainy for a sense of power, but he stops just short of losing himself.
- Sojiro Sakura: Sojiro is the manager of Cafe Leblanc. He’s the primary father figure of the game—he’s the adopted dad of Futaba (Oracle), and he helps take care of Ren after he’s accused of a crime.
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Shujin Academy Shujin Academy is an exclusive prep school in Tokyo. Many of the students there are the children of elite members of the media and corporate world, but the school is generally more concerned with its image than the actual well-being of its students. Some of the most notable staff includes:
- Principal Kobayakawa: The school’s greedy principal; he’s in the pocket of mastermind Masayoshi Shido.
- Sadayo Kawakami: A homeroom teacher who moonlights as a maid because she’s being extorted after Taiki’s death
- Takuto Maruki: The school counselor; genuinely cares about the students
- Mr. Inui: World History teacher
- Mr. Ushimaru: Social Studies teacher
- Ms. Usami: Math teacher
- Shiho Suzui: Ann’s best friend and a victim of the volleyball coach.
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Palace Rulers These are some really bad guys. The Palace Rulers all become the targets of the Phantom Thieves because of their exploitative and abusive practices. The team goes into their virtual Palaces to battle them, hoping to encourage a Change of Heart.^{[11]
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- Suguru Kamoshida: A former Olympic medalist; the gym teacher and volleyball coach at Shujin Academy, where he preys on his female students
- Ichiryusai Madarame: Ichiryusai Madarame is a famous artist who secretly steals the work of his students (including Yusuke Kitagawa, or Fox) while also abusing them
- Junya Kaneshiro: Junya Kaneshiro is a mafia boss .
- Kunikazu Okumura: The father of Haru (Noir) and CEO of Okumura foods; he’s a corrupt businessman and abusive parent
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Masterminds These villains are actually the ones running the whole show. They operate in the background, pulling strings and manipulating anyone and everyone they can to try to accomplish their goals. The biggest masterminds in Persona 5 include:
- Yaldabaoth: A deity born out of humans’ desire for control; he represents all 7 of the Deadly Sins^{[12]
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- Masayoshi Shido: Masayoshi is responsible for framing Joker at the start of the game. He also manipulates public perception to suit his own needs.^{[13]
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- Takuto Maruki: A villain in Persona 5 Royal, the Phantom Thieves have to defeat him after he takes control of the Metaverse.