In the game Persona 5 Strikers, a new Metaverse threat arises during the thieves’ summer vacation, in the form of a new app called EMMA developed by Madicce (and secretly backed by the last Conspiracy loyalist, Jun Owada).
After a one-on-one fist fight between Joker and Maruki, the Thieves manage to save and redeem Maruki, who starts over as a taxi driver and helps Joker and Morgana return home safely while evading government surveillance. Joined by Akechi, who is now exclusively using Loki instead of Robin Hood, and gymnast Sumire Yoshizawa (whose Persona is Cendrillon), the Phantom Thieves return to the Metaverse to steal Maruki's heart. In the Royal edition, the Phantom Thieves’ battle is not yet over, as they are trapped by Shujin doctor Takuto Maruki, who uses his two Personas (primarily Adam Kadmon, and secondarily Azathoth) to warp reality in order to fulfill everyone's peaceful desires and create a world that sacrifices strife and progress for empty happiness.
After a long and desperate struggle, they banish the false god and free humanity from its control. Soon afterward, they discover that the conspiracy was masterminded by the god-like being Yaldabaoth, who sought to merge the Palaces and the real world so it might seize control of both of them. Ultimately, they end up exposing and ending a conspiracy to elect the corrupt politician Masayoshi Shido to the position of Prime Minister of Japan, who, through sheer coincidence, was the very same person who falsely accused the protagonist initially. Over the course of their exploits, the group grows to include artist Yusuke Kitagawa (whose Persona is Goemon), student council president Makoto Niijima (whose Persona is Johanna), reclusive hacker Futaba Sakura (whose Persona is Necronomicon), heiress Haru Okumura (whose Persona is Milady), and briefly the detective Goro Akechi (whose Personas are Robin Hood and Loki), who tries to stop the group in an attempt to arrest them. The successful defeat of Kamoshida's Shadow, and theft of the treasure, results in a change of heart in the real Kamoshida.įollowing this success, the Phantom Thieves pursue other targets, typically corrupt adults who victimize the young, gaining a large following and reputation. Under guidance from Morgana, the group sends Kamoshida a calling card, announcing themselves as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, causing a treasure to manifest in the palace. Upon return trips to the palace, Ryuji awakens his own Persona, Captain Kidd, and the group is inadvertently joined by another of Kamoshida's victims named Ann Takamaki and her Persona, Carmen. While attempting to escape, the pair meet a catlike creature named Morgana, who also possesses a Persona, Zorro, and mentors Joker in the use of Personas. Joker awakens Arsène in order to save Ryuji in Kamoshida's palace. Joker's initial Persona is Arsène, based on the literary gentleman thief Arsène Lupin. Igor warns Joker that ruin is imminent and that his "rehabilitation," facilitated by himself and the twin wardens Caroline and Justine, is the only way to avoid this ruination. The Metaverse Navigator app and other aid in managing Joker's Personas is provided by Igor, the proprietor of the Velvet Room (a recurring feature of the Persona series). Joker is a user of a rare Persona ability known as the Wild Card, which allows him to hold multiple Personas at once. Wanting no part in this reality, Ren rebels against the oppression of King Kamoshida and awakens his Persona, donning the mask and cloak of "Joker". In this case, Kamoshida sees himself as the king of the academy and treats the rest of the students and faculty like slaves. This “cognition” is the manifestation of an individual’s twisted desires into a dream-like fantasy. After a chance encounter with fellow outsider Ryuji Sakamoto over their lecherous gym coach Suguru Kamoshida, they discover that the app is actually a conduit to a parallel reality called the Metaverse.
While there, he discovers a strange application on his smartphone but brushes it off for the time being. After being falsely accused of assault, he was labeled a delinquent and moved to Tokyo, Japan to attend Shujin Academy as part of his probation while under the care of café owner Sojiro Sakura. Ren Amamiya is the leader of the vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves.