At the core of the Persona 5 experience is the player's relationship with the Phantom Thieves, the group of Metaverse travelers stealing the hearts of those who deserve it. The bonds you form with your friends throughout the 100+ hour game make the narrative and story hit that much harder.
It almost seems crazy to suggest that the Phantom Thieves would even benefit from another member, but with Persona 5 Royal promising a new thief in Kasumi Yoshizawa, the door is clearly open for new applicants. Considering all the capable characters across gaming, it stands to reason that a few crossovers would bring something special to the group. Here are 10 video game characters that would make for great Phantom Thieves:
10 Revolver Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid Series)
If there's anyone who knows crime, it's Shalashaska himself. Or Adam. Or maybe just Ocelot? Despite having the Metal Gear curse of harboring several different names, Revolver Ocelot would fit right into the Phantom Thieves. He's got the style, he's got the gun, and, most importantly, he's already got a code name.
The alliance would probably be an uneasy one, however. If his actions in the Metal Gear series prove anything, it's that Revolver Ocelot is always one step ahead, and will probably end up double-crossing his team at some point.
9 Atlas (Portal 2)
If there's one thing we know about Atlas, it's that he's a team player. One-half of the iconic co-op team from Portal 2, Atlas proves through his interactions with his partner, P-Body, that he's great at problem-solving and abstract thinking.
It's no easy task working through the Aperture Science test lab, and, if you think about it, there's not a lot separating GLaDOS's "science" experiments with, say, Madarame's palace. The only reason Atlas gets the candidacy edge over P-Body? His blue tone complements the Phantom Thieves' color scheme better than P-Body's orange.
8 Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Uncharted Series)
The Phantom Thieves already have some fatherly guidance in the form of Sojiro, but what if he knew how to use a gun? That's basically what you'd be getting with Uncharted's Sully. Everyone's favorite Hawaiian-shirt-wearing, cigar-chomping, and mustache-having father figure would surely be helpful to a group of teens trying to find their way in the world.
Even though he may not know how to brew the perfect cup of coffee or balance flavors in a bowl of curry, he does know how to handle himself in a fight. After all, he's gone on numerous adventures with Nathan Drake and somehow managed to walk out of all of those alive!
7 The Joker (Arkham Series)
To be honest, The Joker probably wouldn't make that good of a Phantom Thief. In all likelihood, he'd probably be a target of the group (side note: what will it take to get an Arkham Asylum-themed Metaverse palace?). So why is he on this list?
Because (and I think he would agree with me here) it would be funny! Having two tricksters named Joker on the Phantom Thieves would lend itself to all kinds of meta-jokes and a darkly humorous (not to mention antagonistic) between the idealistic teens and the Clown Prince of Crime.
6 Tingle (The Legend of Zelda Series)
Who's to say that "Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!" couldn't become the next "Looking cool, Joker"? Everyone's favorite 35-year-old man would bring a lot to this team of youths. His cartography skills would help the Phantom Thieves with their initial infiltration, and his ability to ride around on a balloon makes him incredibly mobile.
While not universally loved, Tingle has grown beyond his beginnings as a side character in The Legend of Zelda, starring in his spin-off series of games on the DS. Certainly, that makes him popular enough to join the party!
5 Tom Nook (Animal Crossing Series)
What the Phantom Thieves have in terms of fighting prowess and infiltration tactics, they lack in financial management. Giving Joker all the money after battle might work at first, but that method of business just isn't sustainable. That's where Tom Nook comes in.
Nook probably wouldn't be able to contribute much inside a palace, but he'd definitely be a useful ally in the real world. Based on his long-running businesses in Animal Crossing, he's obviously got an eye for investment. Joker's yen isn't doing anything just sitting in his wallet. Nook could invest the money and work to grow the profits of the Phantom Thieves, which they could in turn use to reinvest in themselves.
4 Mr. Drippy (Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch)
In Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Mr. Drippy is basically a Welsh Morgana to Oliver. He may not be much help in a fight, but he's always around to provide moral support and the occasional heal to the entire party. Morgana can't always be relied upon to do all the planning, and having Mr. Drippy around would take a load off his shoulders.
The plot of Persona 5 can also get pretty heavy from time to time. Having the comedic stylings of Mr. Drippy to cheer up the group when awful things happen would be a great asset to those beloved moody teens.
3 The Prince (Katamari Series)
Listen, sometimes keeping track of all the treasure in a palace can be a tough task. That's where the Dashing Prince comes in! Bringing him and his persona (a Katamari, obviously) into a palace to roll up everything from shadows to treasures alike would help the Phantom Thieves make sure they haven't missed a thing.
The Prince also has a secret weapon in his back pocket: his father, the King of All Cosmos. In case the group ever needed to make a hasty escape from a palace, the Prince could call upon the King to send a Royal Rainbow their way to get them to safety.
2 Greninja (Pokémon Series)
The Pokémon of the Year itself, Greninja embodies the core capabilities of the Phantom Thieves. It's quick, it's stealthy, and it's got style! Its tongue scarf loosely matches Joker's costume, and its ability to teleport would make scouting palaces a breeze.
It does make one wonder, though, what Greninja's persona would be. Would it be another Greninja? Or a different Pokémon? A human being? Regardless of the answer to this existential question, one thing's for sure: adding Greninja to the team would give a whole new meaning to "you never see it coming!"
1 Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza Series)
For all of their stealth and fighting capabilities in the Metaverse, the Phantom Thieves are at a bit of a loss when it comes to fighting in Shibuya itself. That's where the Dragon of Dojima comes in.
Having a little extra muscle around to protect them from real-world forces like the police and the Yakuza would do the Phantom Thieves a ton of favors. With Kiryu in the mix, Kaneshiro might not have ever been a problem for them! His underworld connections and no-nonsense attitudes could give the party a lot of information when dealing with their targets.