Joker

Joker
Character art of the protagonist in his Phantom Thief attire from Persona 5. Art by Shigenori Soejima.
Japanese Name	英雄 ("Hero"; Persona 5 Royal & Persona 5 Strikers)
Series	Persona
First Appearance	Persona 5
Species	Human
Age	16-17
Year Created	2016
Created by	Katsura Hashino
Designed by	Shigenori Soejima
Voiced by (English)	Xander Mobus
Voiced by (Japanese)	Jun Fukuyama
Live Action Actor(s)	Hiroki Ino (Persona 5: The Stage)

Joker is the codename used for the main playable protagonist of the Atlus role-playing game, Persona 5. He is a high school student who, as a result of being wrongfully convicted for a crime, has been forced to transfer away from his home town and serve probation in Tokyo while attending Shujin Academy, an oppressive environment where his criminal record draws him the ire of other students and teachers. Upon receiving an app on his phone that transports him to an alternate realm known as the Metaverse, he awakens to his Persona and vows to expose the distorted desires of corrupted adults, teaming with similarly outcast teenagers to form the vigilante group, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Despite the character being able to be freely named by the player in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Strikers, he has been given numerous alternate names in associated media. The name Ren Amamiya, largely considered to be his canon name, is used for both Persona 5: The Animation and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight (2018), as well as in the description for his Amiibo figure, and as a preset name should the player not name him themselves in the re-release of Persona 5 Royal (2022). The name Akira Kurusu is used for the serialized Persona 5 manga adaptation.

Outside of Persona 5, the character has made appearances in other media related to the Persona series, such as the spin-off games Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (2018) for the Nintendo 3DS, and Persona 5 Strikers (2020) for the Nintendo Switch. He also has notable ties to Nintendo's history for being the first paid downloadable content (DLC) character for the Nintendo Switch fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), being added to the roster as part of the Fighters Pass Vol. 1 expansion pack alongside the stage Mementos and various spirits themed around Persona 5, in April 2019.

History

Joker is the leader of the vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves. 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 there, he meets several of his soon-to-be team members, and learns of a world called the Metaverse, which the Phantom Thieves use to target corrupt individuals and change their heart. Joker is a user of a rare Persona ability known as the Wild Card, which allows him to hold multiple Personas at once. Arsene is his initial persona.

Other Appearances

Persona Q2

In Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, he is one of the new playable characters along with the rest of the Phantom Thieves and the female Persona 3 protagonist. He leads the group in navigating the labyrinth, and eventually encounters the other Persona characters

Super Smash Bros. series

As a part Challenger Pack #1 for the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter Pass, he was announced as a fighter for the game at the 2018 Game Awards. He was released on April 17, 2019.

Dragalia Lost

Joker appears as a playable character in Dragalia Lost as part of the Caged Desire event.

Official Description

A third-year at Shujin Academy in Tokyo who awakened to the power of Persona amidst the so-called psychotic breakdown incidents. Formed the Phantom Thieves of Hearts with his friends to reform the corrupt adults who rule their society.

Adventurer Stories

Adventurer Stories Episode 1 The Phantom Thieves Arrive Luca: I tell you, man, all this stuff is ten kinds of crazy. Euden: You mean the Desires and Jails? Or more the Personas? Cleo: Let us not forget the Phantom Thieves themselves. Sophie: What's up? Feel free to ask me anything if something is confusing you. Euden: Well, maybe you can start by telling us what kind of organization the Phantom Thieves actually IS. Euden: I mean, I understand that you're thieves and you steal things, but do you have an actual long-term goal? Mona: Well that...would take a while to explain, but here's the short version: Basically, we go into other realities created by bad people and take their distorted hearts. Mona: In doing so, we trigger a change of heart so the bad guys become better people, and help the ones they were hurting. It's our way of working toward a better world. Panther: That's right! When the law can't touch someone, the Phantom Thieves swoop in to teach 'em some manners! Ranzal: So you're thieves'a justice. Mona: Sort of, yeah—although in Jails we're not trying to steal hearts so much as take back people's stolen Desires. Joker: The objective is the same. Elisanne: You also seem quite familiar with battle. Panther: We run into a few here and there, so we all know our way around a fight by now. Sophie: We can defeat any Shadow! Euden: It's reassuring to have such strong allies. Elisanne: Yes, we've had our share of scuffles with fiends and imperial soldiers, but little experience when it comes to engaging these "Shadow" creatures. Mona: Coulda fooled me—you guys were great! Isn't that right, Joker? Joker: That's true. You fought well. Euden: And you're the leader of the group, Joker? Joker: Yeah. Euden: I can see that. Joker: You can? Euden: It's pretty clear the other members of the Phantom Thieves see you as their leader. Sophie: And you noticed that through observation alone... Fascinating. Mona: But hey, you're the exact same way! Euden: I am? Panther: Sure! I mean, you clearly lead everyone here, right? Ranzal: Oh, he's the boss man for sure! Elisanne: His Highness is both the seventh scion of the Kingdom of Alberia and the leader of New Alberia. Panther: Now THAT sounds impressive. Sophie: Then is this part of the world known as the Kingdom of Alberia? Cleo: Yes. But sadly, it is presently in a state of discord and seemingly endless conflict. Elisanne: Many people suffer greatly in this land, and His Highness is their lone hope. Panther: A real live prince, fighting in a war... It's like a story straight out of another world! Sophie: This IS another world, remember? Panther: Well, sure—but this guy's pretty much my age and he leads a whole COUNTRY. That's insane! Joker: It's hard to imagine something like that being a part of our daily lives. Euden: Are princes and princesses particularly rare in your world? Panther: I mean, they EXIST, but I don't really think there are all that many running around. Say, can you look that up, Sophie? Sophie: Sorry... I'd need a stable internet connection to perform a search. Panther: Oh, whoops! Forgot all about that. Cleo: I'm sorry, but what is the...internet? Joker: Heh. Sounds like we need to fill each other in on a lot of stuff. Maybe we can start by telling you about Jails. Mona: Yeah, if we're gonna be storming Jails together, probably best for you to know what you're getting yourselves into. Euden: I was hoping you might say that. While I'm interested in all kind of things in your world, what I most want to know is— Joker: How to fight in a Jail. Euden: Exactly. Joker: Then we've got you covered. Euden: I appreciate it. Mona: Don't worry—we're gonna get everyone's Desires back. Euden: ...Yeah. Mona: (Making allies in entirely new worlds? This is sure turning into some adventure.) Episode 2 Their Way Euden: ...Desires and Jails are still strange to me, but I think I've got a handle on the basics. Mona: Don't sweat it; there's still a lot about them that even we don't fully understand. Mona: But that's all the information we have at the moment. Joker: The rest will have to be hands-on training. Euden: Come again? Mona: Just talking about fighting Shadows inside a Jail isn't enough. Mona: You have to actually do it— and we're gonna show you how! Luca: Nice! So do we all charge in together right now or what? Mona: Are you nuts? They'd be all over us in no time if we did that! Mona: A Phantom Thief melts into the shadows before erupting on the scene with style and stealing the Treasure! Mona: And THAT'S what we're gonna teach you how to do. Now c'mon! Joker: Let's go, Euden. Euden: Right. Come on, everybody! Mona: Okay, here's how we're splitting up: Mona: Sophie and Cleo, you're a team. Sophie: I hope I can assist you, Cleo. Cleo: I'm certain you can! Mona: Panther and Elisanne, you're team two. Panther: Let's rock this thing, Elisanne! Elisanne: Er, yes. Let us proceed in...rocking with all due haste. Mona: Team three is me and Luca. Mona: Just do what I say and you'll be fine. Luca: Mold me like a clay pot, cat! Mona: In that case, your first lesson is that I am NOT a cat! The things I deal with... Euden: I guess that puts me with Joker, then. Joker: Perfect. Euden: The pleasure is all mine. Mona: All right, team up with your battle buddy and let's get to training. Mona: Each group is to take out 30 Shadows and then meet up back here. Oh, and remember the cardinal rule: Joker: Do it like a phantom thief. Mona: You got it, Joker. Now let's go! Euden: ...... Joker: What is it, Euden? Euden: Oh, I guess I was just worrying about everyone—I tend to do that a lot. Joker: For now, let's just trust them. Euden: Yeah, you're right. Let's go. Elisanne: ...Whew! It was a fearsome battle, but we saw it through. Panther: Great work, Elly! Elisanne: Likewise, Panther—though I must say, fighting in an unfamiliar way certainly uses a lot of energy. Elisanne: Still, if I understand all of this, the way of a phantom thief is to survey a situation from the high ground before unleashing a surprise attack on the enemy. Panther: That's it, all right! Pretty cool, huh? Elisanne: It is "cool" for certain, although it goes against much of my training as a Paladyn, where we are taught to meet an enemy face-to-face in honorable combat. Cleo: Please, no more... Elisanne: Cleo! Are you well? Cleo: I am merely having a difficult time grasping Sophie's lessons. Sophie: Why? You just find the enemy and then give them a wham. Then you follow up with a big kablam and get out of there with a zoooom. Cleo: That, essentially. Elisanne: That sounds...rough. I wonder how His Highness and Luca are faring? Luca: Quit yappin' away like you're some kinda feline genius, kitty cat! Mona: How many times do I have to tell you, bunny boy? I am NOT a cat! Elisanne: Ah. I see. Euden: Uh oh. What's everyone arguing about? Sophie: There's too much tension in the air. We're not coming together as a team. Sophie: My assessment is that it would be quite dangerous to go to the Jail in this state. Joker: Yeah, that's obvious. Euden: Well, we've all only just met each other; it's not much of a surprise that we're not cooperating as well as we could yet. Euden: I think we just need to get to know each other a little bit better. Aether: You there! Freeze! Joker: Damn! They found us. Mona: And there's a LOT of 'em! Luca: Okay, this is PERFECT! Luca: Watch and learn, cat! I'll show you how Luca does things—and it ain't by sneakin' around in the dark like some kinda thief! Mona: Hey! Don't be reckless! Luca: Get your own tongue, cat! Yaaaah! Mona: Stupid bunny! Sophie: The security level's going up! Panther: More Shadows incoming! Mona: What's the plan, Joker? Joker: We can't abandon Luca here. Mona: You're right. He and the Monarch already know each other, plus he's not exactly used to how Jails work yet. Euden: Then what do we do? Mona: Er, okay. Let's split up into two groups. One group will bait the Shadows, and the other will grab Luca and get out of here. Mona: Me, Panther, and Sophie will be the bait. Joker, you lead everyone to the castle. Euden: But— Joker: Let's go. Euden: You're okay with this, Joker?! Joker: There's no time to be indecisive. Mona: Don't worry, Joker—I believe in you. Mona: Hey, Shadows! Over here! Luca: Hey, what do you think you're doing?! Euden: We have to fall back, Luca! Luca: What? No! Joker: They're giving you a chance. Don't throw it away. Joker: The security level's gone up again. We have to leave—now. Luca: Yeah, okay. Fine. Luca: Er, and sorry about that. I was getting annoyed how slow everything was going, and I just kinda...snapped. Euden: Your friends must be in real trouble by now, Joker. I'm very sorry. Joker: I'm going back to help them out. Mind lending a hand? Euden: Of course. But how? Joker: Like a phantom thief, of course. Here's the plan... Elisanne: Do you truly think that will work? Euden: It's too dangerous to go by yourself, Joker. There must be another way. Joker: I'll be fine. Euden: (His desire to save his friends is so strong. I can feel it emanating from him.) Euden: (If anyone can do this, he can.) Euden: All right. We'll do it your way. Joker: Thanks, Euden. Euden: Can I count on the rest of you? Cleo: Of course. Euden: Then let's go. Joker: It's showtime! Episode 3 It's Showtime! Euden: Everyone ready? Luca: Hell yeah! Euden: (Saving everyone is all going to come down to you, Joker. I know you can do it!) Joker: Euden, you and your team will distract the enemy. Euden: What about you? Joker: I'm going in there to rescue everyone. Euden: So your plan is to charge into the enemy's ranks all alone? You really think that is going to work? Euden: It's too dangerous to go by yourself, Joker. There must be another way. Joker: Don't worry. I'll be fine. Euden: All right. We'll do it your way. Elisanne: While we distract the enemy, Joker will head into the center of the enemy ranks and extricate his companions. Elisanne: However, despite Joker's skill, I must once again express my reservations to this plan. It is, in my opinion, far too dangerous. Elisanne: Do you truly think we will succeed? Euden: Mona and the others only stayed behind because they trusted Joker to save them. Euden: And if they believe in him, we should do the same. Elisanne: In that case, let us place our faith in him and do our very best. Euden: Then let's go! Aether: Intruders! Euden: (It's up to you, Joker!) Joker: ...... Joker: (Looks like the coast is clear.) Joker: (Mona, Panther, Sophie... I hope you're all right.) Joker: ! Joker: ! Panther: Wait... Joker?! Sophie: It IS you! Joker: Looks like you're all okay. Mona: We KNEW you'd come back for us! Mona: All of a sudden, the Shadows got all up in arms about something. Even the ones who were keeping watch on us took off. Panther: And then the next thing we knew you were popping out of the air vent! A very Joker entrance, I have to say. Sophie: Are you the reason for their disarray? Joker: Along with the prince and his companions. Mona: Then I guess it's time for us to go out there and join the fray! Joker: Let's do it! Elisanne: *pant* *pant* Is this STILL not over?! Luca: These punks just keep coming! Euden: We have to power through! Euden: (Hurry, Joker!) Cleo: Euden! Euden: ?! Euden: (I think this is the en—) Joker: Sorry to keep you waiting. Euden: You made it! Mona: Ta-daaah! The Phantom Thieves finally make their long-awaited appearance! Joker: Time for an All-Out Attack! Mona: This'll finish it! Crush 'em, Joker! You too, Euden! Joker: You're mine! Joker: It's over. Mona: Well? You probably don't feel too good about everything that happened, huh? Luca: Yeah, I know I screwed up big time. I'm really sorry, everyone. It's all on me. Mona: Whoa, no need to get all serious. I was just messing around. Luca: Nah, you're right. This is what happens when I overestimate how tough I am and go off on my own. Luca: You all had to risk your lives for me, and there's no excuse for it. Mona: Okay, that's enough. No worries! Elisanne: Actually, I also wish to offer up an apology, if that is all right. Elisanne: Something inside me felt your way of doing things was incorrect somehow. In fact, it felt almost...craven. Panther: Harsh. Elisanne: But this incident has shown me that I was wrong; inside a Jail, your methods are indeed the correct ones. Elisanne: I doubted you because your way of thinking was different, and that is inexcusable. You have my most sincere apologies. Sophie: Oh, it's all right. We just had to get to know each other a little better. Cleo: And I should apologize as well for not understanding you at first, Sophie. Cleo: Still, I think we will all understand each other moving forward. Joker: Which is the exact kind of understanding we need to cultivate. Euden: We'll work hard and prove you can rely on us as collaborators. Panther: Collaborators? Ugh, could you BE any more formal? Let's just agree that we're all friends now, 'kay? Euden: You want to be our friends? Joker: Of course we do. Euden: (We shared a handshake then, but I also felt we shared so much more...) Episode 4 The Meaning of Justice Mona: All right, we've got an escape route secured. How are we on supplies? Sophie: Equipment and medicine are prepared. Our plan to take the Jail is ready! Panther: Now we just need to decide the when. What do you guys think? Euden: ...... Panther: Euden? Euden: Oh, sorry. What was that? Panther: I was just asking when we should do this thing. You okay? You look kinda distracted. Euden: Just a little tired, is all. Sorry to worry you. Euden: I'm going to get some rest. Sophie: Hm. The prince does not seem like himself. Mona: He's the linchpin of our strategy, so if he's not up for this... Joker: ...... Euden: ......  ???: Having doubts? Euden: Oh. Hey, Joker. Euden: Yeah, I suppose I am. Joker: About Emile, I assume. Euden: I guess I never thought something like this would happen with him. Euden: I keep wondering if I should have seen it coming—and if there was something I could have done to stop it. Euden: Did I go wrong somewhere? Joker: ...... Arsène: What's the matter? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing. Arsène: Was your previous decision a mistake then? Joker: There's no choice but to resist. Euden: Resist? Joker: Yeah. Euden: Joker...  ???: He's been doing that since before I even met him. Resisting, I mean. Euden: Mona? Why are you here? Mona: You were acting a little weird back there, so I came to check on you. Mona: But it looks like I got beat to the punch. No surprise Joker's already on the case. Euden: What did he mean when he said "there's no choice but to resist?" Mona: ...... Mona: Okay, here's the deal: Before we came here, someone framed him for a crime he didn't commit. Mona: He didn't do anything wrong, but some adult messed up his future anyway. Euden: I had no idea. Mona: Yeah. But Joker stuck to his guns! He followed the path he felt was right, and he helped me and a whole bunch of other people along the way. Mona: Oh, and he also pretty much saved the entire world. So there's that. Euden: He really is impressive. Mona: If there's one thing that's important, it's sticking to the path you believe in. Mona: Joker knows that better than anyone. Euden: The path I believe in, huh? Mona: Maybe try asking yourself if your past decisions were really mistakes. Mona: Ask yourself what kind of justice you want in the world. Euden: (That's a good question...) Episode 5 Will of Rebellion Some time later, in the evening... Euden: Joker. Do you have a moment? Joker: You make up your mind? Euden: I have. I'm going to get the Desires back. Euden: Even if it means coming into conflict with Emile. Joker: I see. Euden: You helped me overcome my doubts, and I appreciate that. Euden: He wasn't always a monster, you know. In fact, back when we were young, Emile taught me all kinds of things. Euden: I've often wondered when exactly he became the twisted person he is now. Euden: But whatever his reasons, they're not enough for me to ignore his actions. Euden: And the fact we're brothers is all the more reason for me to stop him. Joker: So that's where you've landed? Euden: I've always had a hard time when it comes to dealing with this new Emile. Euden: Heck, the Lightwyrm made us fight each other at the Dornith Mountains, and there have been a number of other instances besides. Euden: But I've still always tried to follow the path I felt was right. Euden: And the reason I'm doing that now is because you made me take a look at myself and find a satisfying answer. Joker: That's what friends do. Euden: It is indeed. But seriously, thank you.  ???: Hey! Did you forget about us?! Euden: Oh! Look who's here! Panther: Okay, it's totally not fair for you and Joker to keep hanging out and leaving the rest of us out of it. Sophie: I want to be of assistance to Euden as well. Euden: I didn't hear you all come in. Mona: Well, yeah. That's 'cause we're the Phantom Thieves! Panther: We sneak into rooms like other folks put on socks in the morning. Mona: And sorry for eavesdropping, but we really were just worried about you. Sophie: Are you okay, Euden? Euden: Yes—and I'm sorry to have worried you. Euden: You all have a different set of values, and we've learned so many things because we met you. Mona: Well, we're all best buds now, so let's head out and finish one last job together. And in order to do that... Joker: We'll need a calling card. Euden: Right. Let's seize those Desires! Joker: Glad to hear you back to your old self, Euden. Mona: Seconded! Joker: All right. It's time to go to work.