With the US version of Persona 5: Royal finally coming to the USA in March, it's time to start talking about the Phantom Thieves again. For those unaware, the main cast of Persona 5 is a ragtag group of misfits who steal treasure in the form of people's hearts. What does that mean? Well, they use a cell phone app to go inside a person's heart/mind, fight their way through their Inner Palace, and change who they are fundamental. Along the way, they'll use guns, weapons, and Persona in order to combat all types of demons. It's quite a diverse skill set they have, the leader Joker especially. But, he usually fights twisted villains or demons, would his style even work against heroes? Let's talk about it.
10 Can Beat: Nintendo's Icon Mario
There's no better way to start than with one of the most recognizable heroes of any game, Mario himself. This Italian plumber has been across every world imaginable to do the same thing over and over, save the Princess. He's the most milquetoast, white-bread, and carboard cutout character we could imagine. And, range is not his forte. Plus, his repetitive actions are the definition of insanity, so maybe he would have a Palace to steal from.
9 Can't Beat: Doom Slayer From DOOM
Now, in contrast, the Doom Slayer, who coincidentally has a sequel coming out this month, is quite obviously insane. The guy hates demons, and we mean he really hates them. Doom Slayer does two things, breathes, and kills demons. He's ripped, intensely skilled, and has a diehard determination that may truly be unparalleled. So, beating him in a 1 on 1 fight would be impossible. But, even in a 1 v 4, we don't see the Phantom Thieves coming out on top, especially considering most of the Persona are based on demonic folklore and that would just piss Doom Slayer off even more. His inner palace would probably be quite the hellscape to get through as well since they're themed after their owners.
8 Can Beat: Sam Porter Bridges From Death Stranding
Death Stranding might be a rollercoaster of emotion, both because of its amazing cinematography and annoyingly over-complicated mechanics, but it is a fantastic game. Sam Porter Bridges may be a repatriate, but other than that he's a pretty normal dude. He doesn't have great combat ability, he has no other "powers", and he doesn't really have any twisted desires.
Therefore, Joker probably wouldn't need to visit his inner palace, they could just take him on in a fistfight and win. Though he would come back, so Joker and crew might have to explore his palace anyway to steal a hidden treasure in the form of his inner Bridge Baby.
7 Can't Beat: Sekiro From Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
While Sam Bridges in an immortal man that we could see Joker beating, Sekiro is an immortal man we'd advise Joker avoid. Sekiro's a real mad lad, the dude fights all variety of demon, human, and creature for the sake of his Master. He uses ninjutsu, magic, and a mastery of the sword in order to take on his opponents. And if he loses? Well, he just resurrects again. Though, Sekiro probably does have some twisted desires up in there, so he would have an inner palace as well. But, changing Sekiro fundamentally wouldn't make him any less immortal or deadly.
6 Can Beat: The Duo From The Last Of Us
As far as "heroes" go, both Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us aren't exactly textbook examples. Joel is a monster who denied the entire world a cure for the Clicker disease, and Ellie is a rampant murderer by the end of the first game. But, both of them are just humans trying to survive.
That said, they're just normal humans with justifiably warped morals. So Joker who can summon demons and use Magic would easily be able to take them in a fight. Plus, their survival instincts have saved them but also warped their minds a bit, so a Palace absolutely exists for either of them. In either case, Joker could neutralize/immobilize them quickly.
5 Can't Beat: Cal Kestis From Jedi Fallen Order
Cal Kestis from Fallen Order is one of the most overpowered Star Wars characters we've seen in a long time. There haven't been any game canon characters this strong since Starkiller back during the days of the Force Unleashed games. Cal has the ability to use a variety of force powers, like push, pull, slow, and a double jump. He also can use a single, double, or dual lightsaber with no issue. The guy went through the full padawan training and obviously has a very strong mental foundation. So, Joker would have a hard time against him in a fight, and we doubt he'd even have a palace to invade.
4 Can Beat:Â The House Heads From Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a recent addition to the illustrious line of Fire Emblem titles. Awakening basically saved the franchise, but Three Houses re-introduced it into the current gaming ecosystem. The game's main character is Byleth, who is a teacher, demi-god, and overpowered warrior. So, Joker likely wouldn't be able to beat them. But, the heads of each of the three houses the game is named after? That's different. All of them have twisted desires that Joker could exploit, and most are pretty skilled but not masters of combat, at least before the time skip.
3 Can't Beat:Â The Four Vault Hunters From Borderlands 3
Now, on the other hand, these playable characters are a bit superhuman. The playable characters from Borderlands 3 do have a bit more to offer in terms of combat, but they're much more twisted. Still, Joker stealing any of their hearts likely wouldn't make them stop fighting, it would probably just cause them to fight altruistically, instead of for selfish reasons.
And, in a 1 on 1 fight, Joker would lose to any of them. Moze could hide from spells in her mech and blow Joker to kingdom come, Amara has the fortitude and power to blow him away, FL4K would snipe from afar or distract with his pets, and Zane would overwhelm him with drones and clones.
2 Can Beat: Leon Kennedy From Resident Evil 2
Ah, the bright-eyed and fresh-faced Leon on his first day as a Racoon City cop. Leon Kennedy is one of the most recognizable protags from the Resident Evil series. Whether it's from his trademark hair, his quippy lines, or his lack of flirting ability, people know Leon from a mile away. The guy is buff, has great combat instincts, and is sharpshooter, but thats about it. These skills allow him to just barely survive against mostly mindless Zombies, but we don't think they'd stack up to a fully prepared Joker. That said, Leon's pretty pure, he likely wouldn't have a Palace, so Joker would have to beat him in a straight-laced fight or give up.
1 Can't Beat:Â The White-Haired Lads From Devil May Cry 5
And finally, we started by explaining the demonic background of Persona's so we should end by comparing them to literal devils. The boys from Devil May Cry 5, a fantastic 2019 game, are pretty strong, whether its Nero's half robot hand half-demon form combination, Dante's absurd level of combo-potential and weapon variety, or Vergil's never-ending katana slashes. They've all got their gimmick. And, each of them is also half-demon! So, they fit right in thematically with the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. In combat, Joker would have little hope against any of these kids, even V, so it all depends on their inner palace. But, if we had to guess, their inner palaces would most likely resemble a certain Bloody Palace, and we're not sure if Joker is ready for that grind.