Ever since its initial release in 2016, the cast ofPersona 5have become some of the most recognizable characters in gaming. The Phantom Thieves have appeared in a countless number of collaborations, crossovers, and even their own gacha game centered entirely around them.
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With characters this popular and a fanbase as diverse as Persona’s, the question of who the best Phantom Thief is can be nearly impossible to answer. However, if one focuses on the Phantom Thieves' role as party members in the gameplay of Persona 5 and initial fan reaction to them, the following list ranking the Phantom Thieves can be put together.
12Goro Akechi
At the very bottom of the list is Goro Akechi, also known under the codename Crow. While Akechi is by far one of the most popular characters In the Persona franchise, when constructing a list of the best Phantom Thieves he must place dead last for one huge reason: He betrays the Thieves after less than a month.
One of the biggest plot twists of the original Persona 5 is that Akechi is actually a traitor who lured them into a trap in an attempt to kill Joker. While Akechi gets somewhat of a redemption arc in Persona 5 Royal’s third semester if players complete hisSocial Link, it doesn’t make up for the initial betrayal in terms of ranking him on a list like this.
Go to Sleep
Next up on the list is Persona 5’s resident mascot character: Morgana. Morgana is the third party member the player obtains in Persona 5 and is in possession of the Magician Arcana Persona Zoro. For most of the game, Morgana plays the role of team healer with several great spells to recover the party’s health and cure status effects. Unfortunately, that is not enough to place Morgana any higher on the list.
Morgana falls very low on this list for one simple reason: the Persona fanbase is really annoyed by him. Whether it be because Morgana keeps pestering them to go to sleep or because of his arguments with Ryuji, many fans of the game cannot stand this cat. Thus, he places tenth on this list.
10Ryuji Sakamoto
The next character on this list ranks low for the complete opposite reason that Morgana did. While the Persona fanbase as a whole loves Ryuji, and he has plenty of great moments in the story as well as hisSocial Link, he falls behind the other party members in one crucial area: gameplay.
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The Persona franchise has a long track record of including party members who specialize in both physical attacks as well as electricity, and it also unfortunately has a track record of making these party members less useful than others, with Ryuji being no exception to this. Ryuji’s physical attack role is surpassed by other party members like Yusuke and his lightning elemental attacks aren’t much to write home about compared to Personas Joker can obtain. Dooming him to a low position on this list.
9Kasumi Yoshizawa
The Violet
Next up on the list is the new party member introduced in Persona 5 Royal: Kasumi. Kasumi has also been a controversial character, as while many fans love her, an equal amount think her addition to the game felt forced. Regardless of how fans feel about her, one truth prevails: she isn’t in the Phantom Thieves for long.
Similar to Akechi from the original version of Persona 5, Kasumi is only in the party for a single dungeon of Persona 5 Royal. To make things worse for her, the one dungeon she’s in is the final dungeon of the game. This late in the game, most players will likely have already formed their preferred party and strategies by now, leaving very little room for Kasumi to shine and dooming her to a low placement on this list.
8Haru Okumura
The Beauty Thief
Next up on the list is the last proper Phantom Thief to join the team in the original version of Persona 5: Haru. While Haru has by far the best fashion sense out of the Phantom Thieves, she is sadly brought down by how late in the game she debuts. By the time Haru is a full member of the team, the plot of Persona 5 has already begun leading to its climax, leaving her very little time to make an impression on most players.
While Haru may not have much of a role in the plot, she is very useful when it comes to gameplay. As her Persona Milady can cast reflective spells that not only protect the party from incoming attacks but also deal massive damage to enemies. Haru has a great placement in end-game parties and thus places higher on the list than others.
Haru is my personal favorite thief in the game, but she still must rank low.
7Ann Takamaki
The Panther
Next up on the list is a party member who gets an equally large portion of the story and gameplay dedicated to her: Ann. Ann joins the party during the first dungeon of the game and is a constant presence in the plot for the entirety of Persona 5. When it comes to gameplay, she also holds her own in battle with fantastic fire abilities and is the first party member to learn an AoE magic move.
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What sadly docks Ann points on this list is her design, treatment in the game’s animated cutscenes, and how many players feel this portrayal of her goes against Ann’s personal character arc and the themes of her dungeon. While it is up to individual players to decide where they stand on this, the controversy existing at all places Ann in the middle of this list.
6Zenkichi Hasegawa
Placing 5th on the list is a party member who didn’t debut in either version of Persona 5, but rather in its spinoff, Persona 5: Scramble. Zenkichi appears early in the game as a police officer character who is willing to cooperate with the Phantom Thieves, but as the game progresses and his faith in the police wavers, he soon joins the team proper.
When it comes to the gameplay in Scramble, Zenkichi immediately makes his mark with one of the most unique Musou mechanics ever, as he must sacrifice health to perform strong attacks, risking death at any moment. This gimmick adds a great risk vs reward mindset to battles in Scramble that leads to many fun situations. This unique gameplay mechanic and a fantastic character design places Zenkichi in the upper half of this list.
5Makoto Niijima
The next Phantom Thief on the list is the fifth to join the party: Makoto Niijima. When Persona 5 was first released over eight years ago, Makoto was one of the most popular characters in the game, to the point where some fans would debate if she was the canonical love interest. While that particular debate has died down, Makoto’s major role in the plot of Persona 5 cannot be denied.
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Aside from her major role in the plot, Makoto also won the hearts of players with her excellently writtenSocial Linkand her amazing Persona design where she rides it like a motorcycle as she casts Nuke-element attacks on enemies. While Makoto has no major flaws to place her lower on this list, there are a few characters placed above her because they’re more special.
4Yusuke Kitagawa
Placing fourth on the list is the talented artist of the Phantom Thieves: Yusuke. Yusuke is one of the most important and influential party members in Persona 5. Not only is he a great person with plenty of great drama and comedy scenes throughout the game, but in the story, he is also the one who designs the Phantom Thieves’ iconic logo! That alone would be enough to put him high in this light, but Yusuke also shines in gameplay.
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When it comes to battles, Yusuke is a dodging and critical hit machine. It isn’t uncommon for enemies to spend entire turns trying to hit Yusuke only for him not to take a single bit of damage. Often, the following phase involves Yusuke getting multiple turns in a row due to him either taking advantage of ice weaknesses or getting extra actions from crits. In an end-game party, Yusuke can be a true killer and deserves this high placement on the list.
The Computer
Next up on the list is the other Phantom Thief who debuted in Persona 5’s Musou spinoff: Sophie. This adorable AI joins the Phantom Thieves at the beginning of the game, but doesn’t obtain her actual Persona until near the end of the game. That doesn’t hold her back though, as she’s more than capable of helping the team with yo-yo attacks and other non-battle methods like running the game’s shop.
Her character development throughout the course of Persona 5 Scramble is some of the best writing in anyPersona spinoffand elevates her high above other spinoff-exclusive characters. Her ability to naturally fit in among the already existing Phantom Thieves and the excellence of Persona 5 Scramble itself places her very high on this list.
