  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page Phantom Thieves of Hearts contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature articles are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
The Phantom Thieves of Hearts, also known simply as the Phantom Thieves (abbreviated PTs) are a vigilante group that serves as the main protagonists of the 2016 action-adventure video game, Persona 5 (as well as its re-released expansion, Persona 5 Royal) and its multiple spin-offs.
They are a group of young teenagers who possess mysterious abilities known as Persona and are able to change the corrupted heart and desires of an individual. Sick of the deception, hypocrisy and corruption around them, the Phantom Thieves are devoted to "stealing" the corrupt hearts of "evil and rotten" adults in order to change and reform society for the better (although they have also targeted teenagers such as Kazuya Makigami and Futaba Sakura, prior to her rehabilitation).
They are led by Ren Amamiya, better known by his code name Joker, who also serves as the "trump card" of the group, due to his leadership, intelligence, and his ability to possess multiple personas.
Biography[]
The group is initially founded by Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki and Morgana, when the volleyball teacher of Shujin Academy, Suguru Kamoshida, is revealed to have abused many of his students and molested Ann's friend, Shiho Suzui, which leads to the girl's attempted suicide, as well as being responsible for leaking Ren's criminal record, breaking Ryuji's leg and therefore ending his track career and blackmailing Ann to act as his girlfriend just to make sure her best friend could stay on the volleyball team. However, since Shiho is in a coma, and no other student is willing to speak against Kamoshida, nor having any proof, the four decide to make Kamoshida confess his own crimes by stealing the arrogance in his heart in infiltrating his Palace in the Metaverse.
After their success, they initially intend to end the Phantom Thieves after the Kamoshida debacle, but after encountering an arrogant politician, Masayoshi Shido, as well as seeing the apathy and arrogance of the adults around them, they decide to continue their activities, eventually being known worldwide and being joined by various other members throughout their activities.
It is subjective whether or not the Phantom Thieves are "right" or "wrong." While some view them as heroes who fight criminals and save the day, others, including Goro Akechi, deem them to be criminals themselves who have no right to forcefully change the hearts of people. With the increasing numbers of their target's hearts changed, the Phantom Thieves begin to struggle with the question of whether the end justifies the means, questioning the morality of their "justice," and their determination to reform society often wavers as a result. This is especially true after Kunikazu Okumura's death, as the Phantom Thieves are labelled violent murderers by society and become despised by many.
Despite public opinion on them still being divided after the defeat of Yaldabaoth, however, the PTs have become less morally ambiguous, especially during the extra campaign of Persona 5 Royal and the events on Persona 5 Strikers, where they are willing to steal the hearts of anyone who attempts to cause disorder and stagnation within the public, including those doing so with well-intent, and actually make them atone as better people through less forceful means compared to their tenure of the base story of Persona 5. Additionally, several members of the police began to open up to them, those being Zenkichi Hasegawa and Miyako Kaburagi.
List of Phantom Thieves[]
Founding Members[]
- Ren Amamiya/Joker (Leader; Trump Card)
- Morgana/Mona (Second in command/Transport/Initial navigator)
- Ryuji Sakamoto/Skull
- Ann Takamaki/Panther
Later Members[]
- Yusuke Kitagawa/Fox
- Makoto Niijima/Queen (Strategist)
- Futaba Sakura/Oracle (Navigator; Team Support)
- Haru Okumura/Noir
- Goro Akechi/Crow/Black Mask (Temporary Navigator; returned during the Third Semester Arc)
- Kasumi Yoshizawa/Violet
- Sophia/Sophie
- Zenkichi Hasegawa/Wolf
Allies and Supporters[]
- Igor
- Lavenza
- Sojiro Sakura
- Yuuki Mishima (Admin of the Phan-Site)
- Sae Niijima
- Tae Takemi (Medical Doctor)
- Munehisa Iwai (Weapons Dealer)
- Ichiko Ohya (Journalist)
- Sadayo Kawakami
- Hifumi Togo
- Chihaya Mifune
- Toranosuke Yoshida
- Shinya Oda
- Dr. Takuto Maruki
- Miyako Kaburagi
- Kuon Ichinose
Gallery[]
.png "Joker 2nd Art (Granblue).png (243 KB)")
Founding Thieves[]
.png "Morgana (Original).png (151 KB)")
Later Thieves[]
Trivia[]
- Every member of the Phantom Thieves is written as a contrast/foil to one or two of the main characters in the previous two games, Persona 3 and Persona 4.
- Ren contrasts Makoto Yuki and Yu Narukami.
- Ann contrasts Yukari Takeba.
- Ryuji contrasts Junpei Iori and Yosuke Hanamura.
- Morgana contrasts Koromaru and Teddie.
- Yusuke contrasts Ken Amada and Kanji Tatsumi.
- Makoto contrasts Akihiko Sanada and Chie Satonaka.
- Futaba contrasts Fuuka Yamagishi and Rise Kujikawa.
- Haru contrasts Mitsuru Kirijo and Yukiko Amagi.
- Akechi contrasts Naoto Shirogane.
- As a group, the Phantom Thieves contrast the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad and the Investigation Team in many ways.
- While S.E.E.S. are a group of special agents trying to save the world from an otherworldly threat, and the Investigation Team are a group of amateur detectives trying to solve a series of mysterious murders, the Phantom Thieves are a group of vigilantes enforcing their own form of justice on those they believe deserve it.
- S.E.E.S. and the Investigation Team react to the situation around them, while the Phantom Thieves decide their path by themselves.
- S.E.E.S. and the Investigation Team have a single headquarters for their entire story, while the Phantom Thieves change their headquarters several times over the game.
- S.E.E.S. and the Investigation Team are united by a common goal from the beginning, while the Phantom Thieves all initially join the group for their own reasons and are only united by a common goal later on.
- Several members of S.E.E.S. and the Investigation Team are very popular at their respective schools, while all of the Phantom Thieves are outcasts who are shunned by society (with the slight exception of Akechi, who is a celebrity, but whose fans easily turn on him when he's proven wrong).
- The Investigation Team gain their Personas by accepting their own Shadows, while the Phantom Thieves gain their Personas by standing up to the Shadows of their enemies (with the exception of Futaba, who gains her Persona the same way as the Investigation Team).
- The Investigation Team explore labyrinths based on their friends' deepest insecurities, while the Phantom Thieves explore labyrinths based on their enemies' deepest desires (with the exception of Futaba).
- S.E.E.S. and the Phantom Thieves both explore a massive, mysterious labyrinth, but while S.E.E.S. explores Tartarus, a structure that's based on a single building and goes upwards, the Phantom Thieves explore Mementos, a structure based on an entire area and goes downwards.
- S.E.E.S. are very professional and so rarely converse during operations, while the Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team are more laid-back and so banter frequently.
- Every Persona of the Phantom Thieves is tied to thieves, tricksters, and rebels from mythology, literature, and history:
- Ren has Arsene (including the Third-Tier Raoul) and Satanel.
- Ryuji has Captain William Kidd (including the Third-Tier William) and Sun Wukong.
- Morgana has Zorro (including his civilian name Don Diego de la Vega as Third-Tier) and Hermes/Mercury.
- Ann has Carmen and Hecate.
- Yusuke has Ishikawa Goemon (including the Third-Tier Gorokichi) and Kamu Susanoo (an alternate version of Susanoo).
- Makoto has Johanna (also known as Pope Joan and Agnes with the latter being Third-Tier) and Anat.
- Futaba has the Necronomicon (including it's author Al Azif for Third-Tier) and Prometheus.
- Haru has Milady (including her real life inspiration Countess Lucy Hay as Third-Tier) and Astarte (otherwise known as Ishtar).
- Goro has Robin (including his possible inspiration Hereward the Wake as Third-Tier) and Loki.
- Kasumi has Cendrillon (The alternate name for Cinderella alongside Ella) and Vanadis (also commonly referred to as Freya).
- Zenkichi has Valjean.
- Sophia has Pithos and Pandora.
[]
 Heroes
| ||
|
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona Persona 2 Eternal Punishment Persona 3 Persona 3 Social Links Persona 4 Persona 4 Social Links Persona 4 Arena Persona 4: Dancing All Night Persona 5 Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers Persona 5 Tactica Persona 5 Confidants Persona 5: The Phantom X Velvet Room Attendants Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth | ||
