Atlus always stocks the Persona games with a cast of iconic characters, and Persona 5 is no exception to the rule. Each of the Phantom Thieves has a compelling personal narrative to explore, and that includes the Phantom Thieves' most dubious member: Goro Akechi. Although he eventually cooperates with the Phantom Thieves, Akechi spends most of Persona 5 as a minor antagonist who opposes the Phantom Thieves' vigilante justice, serving as a foil for Joker. Sadly, the ending of Persona 5 makes it unclear if Akechi has any chance of appearing in a future game, but Atlus could still find a way to give Akechi further appearances.
Perhaps one of the best ways to bring Akechi back into Persona would be to give him his own game. Persona characters don't generally get their own games, but for a character like Akechi, an exception could be made. His unique relationship with Joker, his strong character arc, and the actions he takes in the background of Persona 5 all form a strong case for Akechi to get his own game. A new Persona 5 spinoff starring Akechi could explore his character in greater depth than ever before while bringing refreshing new type of spinoff to the Persona series. Persona 5 spoilers ahead!
Why Akechi Deserves a Persona 5 Spinoff
Every Persona 5 fan knows that Akechi has led a dark, difficult life. Born out of wedlock and orphaned in his youth, Akechi has spent much of his life plotting revenge on his absent father, Masayoshi Shido. In order to earn Shido's trust, Akechi has used his Persona powers and detective skills to control and eliminate Shido's enemies. Fans only rarely get to see Akechi at work in Persona 5, but an Akechi game could bring his grim deeds into the light, providing more insight on how working for Shido before and during the events of Persona 5 has changed Akechi.
Persona games often include at least a minor human antagonist that the player's party has to deal with, but Akechi's role stands out within the franchise. Although he's an enemy to the Phantom Thieves for most of the game, he's very close with Joker, the Persona 5 player character. He simultaneously appreciates Joker as a peer with a different worldview and despises Joker for having everything Akechi wants in life without the same effort. Akechi's complicated relationship with Joker weighs heavily on him throughout the game, but Persona 5 players don't get to see that up close until the game's final act. An Akechi spinoff could give these feelings center stage, letting fans watch Akechi's perspective on Joker and the Phantom Thieves evolve over time.
While an Akechi game shouldn't try to redeem him, since Akechi's refusal to seek redemption is crucial to his character, it could still reflect his character arc in some interesting ways. For instance, a Persona 5 spinoff about Akechi might see the Detective Prince ask himself what he wants out of life after he exacts vengeance on Shido. Akechi may not regret sacrificing everything to destroy Shido, but his ties to Persona 5's other characters could still make him contemplate his direction in life. All in all, Akechi's highly multifaceted character arc provides more than enough material to inspire a game that retells Persona 5 from Akechi's perspective.
Possible Features of an Akechi-Based Persona Game
Akechi's complicated place in Persona lore provides all kinds of storytelling opportunities, but an Akechi spinoff could be highly mechanically distinct too. For instance, Akechi is famously a teenage detective. While many of the crimes he investigates are manipulated for Shido's benefit, his work alongside Sae Niijima and the Tokyo police would've undoubtedly led Akechi to investigate some real crimes. Akechi shows off some strong logic and deduction skills in Sae's Palace, and that could inspire some investigative segments in an Akechi game. Atlus could take inspiration from one of its Sega peers: the Yakuza spinoff series Judgment, where players must use Takayuki Yagami's detective skills to find clues and solve mysteries.
A Persona spinoff about Akechi also opens the opportunity for action-heavy dungeon crawling. Akechi works alone while serving Shido, which means he must have spent many hours soldiering through Palaces and Mementos on his own. Atlus could experiment with an action RPG model that compromises between Persona 5 Strikers' hack-and-slash combat and traditional Persona fare. Fans might find themselves switching off between Robin Hood and Loki in combat to make use of each Persona's explosive skills, clearing formidable Shadow opponents with Akechi's raw power, rather than the help of a party.
Akechi's two signature Personas could also lead to some creative new Persona progression systems. Akechi likely wouldn't gather new Personas like Joker, despite having the Wild Card. Instead, players might slowly unlock new attacks and abilities for Robin Hood and Loki through skill tree progression, investing resources in certain stats, and so on. A Persona 5 spinoff about Akechi would lend itself well to Soulslike gameplay elements, given Akechi's status as a lone wolf, the dark tone of his backstory, and the daunting tasks he had to complete for Shido.
Persona Spinoffs are Timeless
There's certainly some cause to doubt that Akechi will get a spinoff in the near future. Atlus is working on Persona 6 right now, and the release of Soul Hackers 2 during the Persona anniversary year suggests that Atlus isn't prioritizing new Persona spinoffs right now. Still, that doesn't mean Akechi will never get his own game. Atlus has a habit of revisiting old chapters of the Persona franchise well after their time, such as the 2018 release of Persona 3: Dancing in Starlight, a spinoff that came 12 years after Persona 3.
A new game about Akechi likely isn't right around the corner, but there remains a sliver of hope that Atlus will make such a game in the future. Persona 5's characters are extremely popular, so it stands to reason that Atlus will try to spotlight them in creative new ways in the future. Akechi's life story would be an unorthodox lens through which to view the world of Persona 5, but that could make it all the more interesting. Whether it happens before the launch of Persona 6 or well into another Persona generation, Atlus should strongly consider giving Goro Akechi the chance to tell his own story.
Persona 5 is available now for PS3 and PS4.
