Every entry in thePersonafranchise has had a heroic team, built up by the hero and a charismatic friend. Then as the ambition of the story swells and more friends join the party, the team grows to tackle a growing threat.Persona 3had the S.E.E.S. Team,Persona 4had the Investigation Team, andPersona 5had the Phantom Thieves. EveryPersonagame’s party is a team of heroes who build and support each other up from their humble high school beginnings, completely independent from any of its sequels.
The Phantom Thieves fromPersona 5have arguably become the most iconic of teams to come from aPersonagame yet. However, instead ofPersona 6striving for something entirely new, it’s possible the Metaverse could return in the next entry. Considering how popular the Phantom Thieves team has become, thePersonaseries could break tradition and make the “Phantom Thieves” team consistent between newer entries. There are pros and cons to this, but a persistent team and theme to build the narrative could be an interesting twist.
Every Persona Game Has its Team
AsPersona 5ramps up during the storyline’s rising action, there’s one narrative throughline that’s subdued but constantly present throughout the game’s story. It’s a very small detail, but every time the Phantom Thieves take an action, there’s a meter that dictates the group’s popularity rising/falling around the world as they deal with society’s demons.When the gang takes the field trip to Hawaii, it’s inferred that the Phantom Thieves have become a worldwide phenomenon. Even the Americans are praising their work, meaning it’s not just their popularity in Japan that’s getting a lot of attention from the news and the populace.
While it’s arguable whichPersonateam has been the most compelling team-up in the series, the Phantom Thieves have certainly become the most iconic of the franchise. The flashy outfits of each member of the Thieves matches up with the game’s immensely distinctive style, which in turn has made the Phantom Thieves the symbol ofPersona, arguablymoreso than Jack Frost is for the entirety ofShin Megami Tensei. Typically, a newPersonagame would introduce a whole new cast of characters and a new team entirely. New characters and personalities is a given forPersona 6, but what if this new team becomes a new branch of the Phantom Thieves?
Bringing Back the Metaverse and the Phantom Thieves
Assuming allPersonagames are all loosely placed in the same canon, it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch. According toPersona 5, the Phantom Thieves are known the world around for their heroic deeds, especially if Americans in Hawaii are praising them. Theoretically,if the cognitive Metaverse were to return (in Japan or elsewhere), another subsect of the Phantom Thieves could be yet another interesting connection betweenPersonagames. Of course, that’s a risky proposition to take with a whole new cast of characters, but would be an interesting evolution forPersonagames moving forward.
What would bea viable approach forPersona 6could potentially be using the “Phantom Thieves” as an adopted name, one placed on thePersona 6team by tabloids/media, for example. The deeds of the heroes in the next entry could influence members of society to see them as another chapter of the Phantom Thieves, which could play into the cognition of society as well. Narrative aside, it would also be a perfect excuse to give the characters distinctive Metaverse outfits just like Joker and the gang inPersona 5. That way,Persona 6can still emphasize the best parts ofPersona 5without sacrificing its own identity and simply becoming aPersona 5"sequel," as it where.
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A New Persona Motif: the Phantom Thieves
Reusing the Phantom Thieves as a motif for thePersonaseries may eliminate some the subtlety and initial mystery of future titles, but would become an interesting tie between subsequent entries. The Phantom Thieves are simply known as symbols of rebellion at their core, so they don’t necessarily need to follow the Lupin-inspired “thief” designs.Persona 6could find its own aesthetic, but still contextualize them as an indirect subsect of the Phantom Thieves, which in and of itself can serve as the persona of the game’s team of heroes. That’s perhaps a bit too meta, but it does at least hint at the possibilities of making the “Phantom Thieves” a recurring theme forPersona.
Of course,Persona 6would really need to nail the character designs and story to be worthy of the Phantom Thieves moniker.Persona 5, andPersona 5 Royal, have quickly becomethe most popular entries in thePersonaseries to this date. Continuing the Thieves in future titles means they’ll need to be on par or surpassPersona 5’s Phantom Thieves inPersona 6. That being said,Persona 6introducing a new squad of Phantom Thieves could set the game up for success, while also being flexible with the creativity of the visual design and narrative for the next game.
