As beloved as the previousPersonagames are, the Phantom Thieves are definitely the faces of their franchise right now. The originalPersona 5remains an acclaimed best-seller for Atlus and the games that came after it keep getting a lot of love too.Persona 5 Strikerssaw huge international success right out of the gate, reaching 1.5 million copies sold by the middle of 2021.People keep coming back toPersona 5and its satellite games because of the Phantom Thieves, whose diverse stories, personalities, and reasons for their vigilante work result in a memorable cast that’s always worth revisiting.
Persona 5 Strikersmakes a particularly strong case for more media focused on the Phantom Thieves. Subplots and character arcs involving lessons that the Phantom Thieves learned during the events ofPersona 5are major parts ofPersona 5 Strikers' story, and while they serve the game well in their own right, they also show why there’s still cause to use the Phantom Thieves in a future game.Persona 5,the expandedRoyaledition, andPersona 5 Strikersmay explore the complicated lives of the Phantom Thieves in great detail, but as they start to see the world through more mature eyes, the Phantom Thieves will inevitably create more compelling stories.
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How Persona 5 Strikers Explores the Phantom Thieves
Persona 5is structured in large part around story arcs that star a new member of the Phantom Thieves: Madarame’s arc is about Yusuke’s liberation, Kaneshiro’s arc is about Makoto finding her independence, and so on. To a lesser extent,Persona 5 Strikersis structured in the same way.The Monarchs of Jails, who serve as antagonists for the game’s various plot arcs, often have some trait that makes them a good foil for a Phantom Thief, meaning players get to see new sides of the Phantom Thieves through their enemies.
Persona 5 Strikers' Monarchs go far to show how each Phantom Thief has grown. During the Phantom Thieves' trip to Sendai, for instance, Yusuke develops a complicated relationship with the Monarch and star author Ango Natsume. InYusuke’s Confidant arc inPersona 5,players learn about his struggle to create meaningful art without falling prey to greed or desperation for approval. InPersona 5 Strikers,Yusuke is pivotal in convincing Natsume to forfeit a career built on plagiarized work, eventually resulting in Natsume promising to start over by creating work that’s true to him, just like how Yusuke eventually finds his artistic path by the end of his Confidant story.
WhilePersona 5 Strikersshows how the Phantom Thieves have learned from their pasts and how they can use that life experience to help misguided people,Strikersalso emphasizes the fact that the Thieves' journeys are never quite over. Many of them continue struggling with the grief of deceased family members, and relationships with Monarchs likeAnn’s bond with Aliceshow how the trauma the Phantom Thieves have been through still shapes their choices and outlook on the world.Persona 5 Strikersshowcases how the Phantom Thieves have grown as a result ofPersona 5,but it also shows that their internal journeys are far from over.
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New Stories About the Phantom Thieves
Strikersprovides some valuable next steps in the lives of thePersona 5protagonists, but it also doesn’t aim to resolve the difficulties of their lives. That means that futurePersonamedia can continue developing their characters and explore new angles on their lived experiences. The Phantom Thieves' Confidant storylines partially resolve major conflicts in their lives, butStrikersshows how the concepts in those arcs can be used in new ways. Yusuke’s pursuit of true art, Ann’s complicated relationship with her own beauty,Haru’s search for free willwithin high society, and so on can inform futurePersonastories focused on thePersona 5cast.
Persona 5 Strikersages the Phantom Thieves up a little bit, and this is a perfect way fornewPersona 5mediato explore these plot threads in fresh ways. There are only so many stories that can be told about thePersona 5characters while they’re still high schoolers, but as they move on to university life and professional work, new angles for their personal plot threads open up. For instance, Makoto’s quest to become a police officer in her father’s honor might be very different in practice than what she imagines inPersona 5.
FuturePersona 5stories also have the potential to introduce new characters who intersect with the Phantom Thieves' lives in surprising ways.Persona 5hassome truly despicable antagonists in its Palace rulers, butPersona 5 Strikersprefers more morally complicated antagonists who’ve lost sight of an honest path due to relatable struggles. FuturePersonamedia could do the same thing, leaning on more complicated villains that the Phantom Thieves can see themselves in. Relatable enemies who make thePersona 5cast think critically and approach their vigilante work differently will go a long way in developing them further.
The Phantom Thieves' Future
FuturePersonacontent using this model could breathe new life into the Phantom Thieves. Naturally,Persona 5fans want another game that stars the Phantom Thieves, but since it’s unclear if aPersona 5fighting game or any other spinoff is in the future, fans should keep their eyes on other genres too.Atlus says it wants to build thePersonabrandin multiple ways, which could mean Atlus eventually producesPersonamanga or anime telling new stories with the Phantom Thieves at the helm.
Regardless of whether it’s a game or a manga, a newPersona 5follow-up story focusing on the Phantom Thieves' individual journeys has the potential to succeed. After all, that’s the wayPersona 5 Strikersis designed.Strikers' plot may be simpler than that ofPersona 5due to its short length, but it’s still meaningful because of how it reframes several of the main characters. Hopefully, Atlus learns fromPersona 5 Strikers' shifting perspectiveon the Phantom Thieves when building any future narratives for them. With the help of oncoming adulthood and complicated enemies, the Phantom Thieves still have a lot of stories to give.
Persona 5 Strikersis available now for PC, PS4, and Switch.
