Persona 5 is one of the most stylish and cool games to ever be released. From the music to the UI it excels beyond expectations and that too goes for its lead mascot, Morgana. Morgana begins Persona 5 with plenty of mystery and intrigue to be unearthed and those answers extend throughout the Persona universe and into the real world! Whereas the initial question over his gender was answered fairly decisively (depending on your dialogue choices) there's still plenty of secrets and information that enhance the little cat-burglar more and more when you dig in.
Throughout Persona 5 you learn plenty about Morgana's true nature, origins, purpose and powers, but that's not close to the whole story. There's more and more interesting things to learn about our erstwhile cat-burglar. There could be even more once Persona 5 Royal comes out, but these are the top picks for now. Let's begin with easily the tastiest tidbit!
10 10. Morgana Was A Dessert!
Japanese Anime-inspired food truck (yes, those exist) Okamoto Kitchen briefly had on its menu an item dedicated to our favorite black cat to help it cross our path rather than Vise versa. The actual makeup of the thing isn't available but twitter comments had it somewhere in the panna cotta, custard, black jello family. Seeing some of their other items, there could be some jellied coffee in there as well. Either way, the deliciousness is evident. Might have to 'phantom-ly thieve' one next time they're in town.
9 9. Morgana Makes Real Cat Noises From A Real Cat. Really.
Lead Sound Designer Kenichi Tsuchiya was quoted in an interview (translated from Famitsu by Play-Asia and posted on Personacentral) saying that Morgana has more real cat in him than first thought. According to Tsuchiya, "a lot of sounds that Morgana makes are edits I created from my very own cat". So when you hear Morgana claiming to hate being called a cat, you can rest assured that there's at least a fleck of feline to prove him wrong. Also, in the Persona 5 anime he goes all purr-y when Joker scritches behind his ears. That's conclusive cat evidence.
8 8. Morgana's Gun Pun
While every other member of the Phantom Thieves has some sort of gun, Morgana uses his version of a slingshot. Slingshots happen to be a very basic form of a catapult. Cat-a-pult. Get it? Li'l pun-meow-ster Morgana would either groan out loud or love this one more than an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. It probably depends, however, on whether Ryuji was the one to point it out or not.
7 7. The Mercurial Cat
Morgana seems defined by mercurial traits to the letter. The term has several meanings and Morgana embodies them all at certain points. Being quick-witted but flighty. Having ingenuity and a tendency for thievery. Not to mention the unpredictable changeability, both in mood and form that Morgana exhibits.
Even the time Morgana temporarily abandons the team out of frustration and doubt fits into this. Therefore, if you have to put Morgana in a nutshell, 'Mercurial' is the nut the developers chose. To top it all off, Morgana's ultimate Persona is in fact, Mercurius!
6 6. The Cat Gets The Birdy
Did you know there's an official Twitter account for the Persona franchise? In 2015 it was being run by the previous game's mascot, Persona 4's Teddie. However, in September of that year Persona 5 began to get its hype-train rolling. Morgana decided then to make himself known. He 'hijacked' the Twitter account away from Teddie in true Phantom Thief style. Morgana would officially take over the Twitter account in May 2016. He should be prepared for the next generation's mascot to potentially snap it away in likewise fashion though.
5 5. A Meow-ster Plan Comes Together
On some promotional material, Morgana is shown smoking a cigar, looking dapper as all hell. In the game, Morgana picks up the stogie again during his All-Out Attack. He spins around in his chair after a 'job well done' with the lit smokable. This is a clear homage to the old A-Team schtick. Team leader Hannibal would light up to celebrate the team's latest success. Flashing the pearly whites with a big ol' smoke is the definition of cool in a game already renowned for its style.
4 4. Fun With Names
There was a lot of fervor before the game's release over whether Morgana was a guy or a girl. The interesting name choice situation only further confused things. However, it's a subtle reference to his inspiration and backstory.
Morgana can be derived from the Irish name Muirgen, indicating he's "born of the sea". As we come to find out, Morgana was indeed born from the 'Sea of Souls', the collective unconscious hope residing in the world against evil and corruption. His look when inside a palace or Momentos is also of a swashbuckling pirate, cutlass and all. Very sea-centric for a cat.
3 3. Fun With Names 2: Electric Boogaloo
Morgana's codename, "Mona" also has layers of cool associations and meaning when you dive under the surface. The real-life island, Isla De Mona, off the coast of the Dominican Republic, was a reputed haven for the notorious 17th-Century pirate, Captain Kidd. Captain Kidd is Ryuji's initial Persona and he is the one who suggests Mona for Morgana's codename. This works, even more, when Morgana is inhabiting his van-form in Momentos. He literally becomes a 'Haven for Pirates/Thieves', just like Isla De Mona was known for. Plus, this adds to the whole 'pirate' vibe Morgana is giving off.
2 2. Morgana's Treasure Trance
Morgana often chides Ryuji because he doesn't know things he couldn't have known or for being incautious. When it comes to treasure Morgana himself routinely falls into a starry-eyed trance of obsession. This again ties into the legend of Isla De Mona and Morgana's piratical penchant. It was not just a rumored haven for Ryuji's Captain Kidd before all his troubles began. It is the long-rumored location of his hidden treasure! A stash on Gardiners Island was attributed to Kidd, but the legend of more buried treasure on Isla De Mona has kept treasure hunters intrigued ever since. Apparently, literal cat-burglars aren't immune to its allure.
1 1. Keep Your Feet Off The Dash!
This one is thanks to Youtuber Shesez's Boundary Break episode on Persona 5. A cool extra feature the player never really gets to see is the interior view of Morgana in van form. Inside is mostly what you'd expect except upfront on the van's dashboard. There, a funky little Morgana setup that could be a radio or speaker or something juts out. It gives the van that stylish little extra something that the series revels in. Even when we wouldn't usually get to see it, there's coolness hidden around every corner. Like Morgana himself, in a way.