Helping propel the series into stardom, the various adventures ofPersona 5’s cast helped solidify the JRPG series' popularity worldwide. Games likePersona 3andPersona 4saw positive reception in the US before, but that was generally from JRPG audience.Personanever really saw widespread acclaim beforePersona 5, which would sell record numbers for the franchise and introduced a whole new fanbase toPersona. However, all good things come to an end, as the studio presumably moves on to thePersona 6.
Unfortunately for new fans,Personais very much likeFinal Fantasyin one key aspect: every mainline entry is completely separate from one another. The Phantom Thieves fans have come to know and love have appeared in several ofPersona 5spin-off games, but oncePersona 6receives an official announcement, that marks the end of their adventures. There’s already been hints ofPersona 6being announced soon, but at the very least, the game is presumably in development. Saying goodbye at the end ofPersona 5was painful enough, but knowing the Phantom Thieves won’t come back could be worse.
The Phantom Thieves' Rise to Fame in Persona 5
For Atlus and Sega,Persona 5andPersona 5 Royalended up selling record numbers for thePersonafranchise. Previously, Atlus West had done pretty well localizing and releasingPersona 3/4/Golden, but the majority of fans in the west were generally from the niche JRPG audience. Thanks to a lot of positive media coverage and praise from fans,Persona 5’s success ended up ballooning far beyond expectations. The stylish art style alongside a flashy turn-based combat system, paired with the endearing qualities of the social simulator, madePersona 5much more approachable than previous entries.
Most of all,Persona 5was host to an incredible cast of characters and character designs that very quickly became iconic. “Best girl” arguments aside, the main cast ofPersona 5andRoyalhad incredibly unique personalities, Personas, weapons, and abilities.Even Joker, the blank-slate protagonist forPersona 5, had his own aesthetic qualities and personality that made him stand out. Players enjoyed getting to know (most of) these characters over the hundred-hour playthroughs, as the Phantom Thieves ensemble was a big part as to whyPersona 5was so enjoyable by so many.
Still Some Persona 5 Spin-off Potential Left
While aPersona 6announcement could be coming in the next few years,the crew fromPersona 5certainly aren’t done yet. As with everyPersonagame, Atlus generally enjoys expandingPersonagames with multiple spin-off titles. The same has proved true withPersona 5, with theDancingseries spin-off as well asPersona 5 Scramble. There’s still the potential for a few more spin-offs as well, such as theArenafighting game spin-off that came out forPersona 4. Not to mentionPersona 5 Scramblehasn’t been localized to other territories yet, so there’s still time.
That being said, oncePersona 5 Scrambleis localized, thePersonaseries is presumably going to go dark for a while. As production ramps up on the nextPersonagame, the marketing drip feed will begun and news will be sparse for a while. Granted,Persona 5’s development was elongated drastically due to a number of limiting factors like Index’s bankruptcy, soPersona 6’s development time ideally won’t take as long. Then again, issues with the pandemic could essentially do the same thing, so it’s a toss up for now.Persona 6is rumored to be in development, but for now nothing official has been confirmed.
Losing the Thieves Is Still Bittersweet
Personahas generally always moved on to a new cast with the next mainline entry, but this time it will be especially sad.The Phantom Thieves became iconic forPersona, more so than any other main cast previously. ConsideringPersona 5was the most popular game to date, losing the Phantom Thieves will hurt at first. That being said, Atlus and P-Studio will take all of the beneficial improvements and innovations fromPersona 5and incorporate them into a true next-gen experience withPersona 6.
Persona 5started life as a PS3 title in Japan, so there’s potential for a big jump in graphical fidelity and power forPersona 6. The next entry will be better for it, butPersona 5and Phantom Thieves fans will still miss their heroes moving into the next game.
