Persona 5 Royal is bursting at the seams with characters. The umpteen different main characters you’ll collect throughout the game like they are Pokemon, and the wonderful cast of side characters, each with their own tragic backstories, truly bring the game’s stunning interpretation of Japan alive.
However, due to the sheer size of the game’s overall cast, it can be difficult to pin down the very best, the cream of the crop so to speak. Fortunately, we’re here to put our foot down and declare who the best side characters truly are, and which are deserving of your time.
8 Igor
Igor is a staple of the Persona series, residing over the Velvet Room in each game. His creepy demeanour and incredibly long nose - someone has been telling a lot of fibs - may seem initially off-putting, or at the very least make him appear antagonistic. Still, for the most part, Igor acts as an intriguing Social Link and fascinating character.
He offers players unparalleled access to the brilliant lore and history behind each game, often acting as a bit of an exposition dump. He is also the key to unlocking more powerful personas, which is hardly a bad thing.
7 Sae Niijima
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Sae Niijima is the older sister of Makoto, one of the many playable characters available. For a significant portion of the game, Sae Niijima is an antagonist, interrogating Joker on how he got into the mess you see during the prologue.
However, it is her overall story arc that makes her one of the best side characters. The twists and turns you’ll experience throughout often involve her, and of course, her connection to Makoto makes her all the more intriguing. Furthermore, if you max out your Social Link with her, then you can unlock the Persona Satan. Yep, you read that right. Of all the Personas to nab, it's the fallen angel himself, Satan.
6 Yuuki Mishima
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Yuuki Mishima is the number one fan of the Phantom Thieves. This kid absolutely adores you and wants to support you in any way he can. What’s not to like about that? He’s like that guy with the flame-orange hair from Oblivion that you could boot off a cliff if you wanted to, only this time he’s not an elf, doesn’t repeat the same nonsense and fortunately, there are no cliffs.
What makes Yuuki Mishima so important in the story is that he creates the Phan-site. You’ll see this all the time, as his popular polls often dictate how the general public perceives the Phantom Thieves throughout the game.
5 Sojiro Sakura
It would be impossible to write this list without including the wonderful Sojiro Sakura. He is practically the first main character that you meet, as he owns the coffee shop you’ll be living above for the next few months.
While he’s initially aloof, he’ll eventually grow close to you, and you’ll end up like family. His coffee shop is undoubtedly very cool, and his infinite wisdom is often extended to you in the form of lessons on coffee and curry making. Indispensable tips for the real world. Trust us. While characters like Ryuji take on the role of the best friend, Sojiro is definitely a close second and your friendship is easily one of the best in an RPG.
4 Munehisa Iwai
Munehisa Iwai is that standoffish guy who sells you the very useful guns you use in combat. Sure, he’s not the most responsible character, but he’s an intriguing one nonetheless. You’ll go to him quite frequently if only to stock up, so he’ll inevitably become a regular in your story.
While his cold attitude toward the player shuts him off from any personal questions, he does nevertheless have a rather interesting backstory. By building up your relationship with him, you can uncover his deeply tragic life and come to understand him a lot better.
3 Toranosuke Yoshida
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Toranosuke Yoshida is a side character you may potentially miss. Sure, he does appear quite regularly throughout the week, but only in the evenings. However, if you do manage to catch up with him, you can learn some truly invaluable life lessons.
He’ll discuss politics with you, both the good, the bad, and of course, the ugly - couldn’t help ourselves - which is what his storyline predominantly revolves around. While almost every side character in Persona 5 offers some form of interesting content for you to engage with - this JRPG really went all out - his storyline is by far one of the more interesting ones.
2 Tae Takemi
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Tae Takemi is the fan-favourite doctor who you’ll find yourself relying on a lot. She’s sort of the potion master of Persona 5 Royal offering you an assortment of more modernised healing items to bring into combat.
She, like a lot of Persona 5 Royal characters, is unsurprisingly initially a little stand-offish. It’s almost like no one enjoys talking to the completely silent Joker. Weird. Eventually, however, it’ll become clear why everyone likes her character so much. Is it because she has a fascinating storyline you can explore? Obviously. This is Persona 5 Royal we’re talking about after all, not Watch Dogs Legion.
1 Hifumi Togo
Hifumi Togo is the Shogi player who has it all. Don’t know what Shogi is? Well, then you clearly haven’t been playing enough of the Yakuza games. Now, wait for it as we’re about to blow your minds away with this one. The reason Hifumi Togo is such a brilliant side character is - drum roll please - she has an interesting storyline. Bet you didn’t see that coming.
Yes, it’s becoming a little tired as the same could be said of most of the game’s characters - and you really wouldn’t be wrong - but in Hifumi’s case, it really, really is true. Hifumi’s struggle to accept the reality of her situation and then coming to realise the importance of losing is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. She is by far one of the more memorable characters as a result and easily one of the most interesting Social Links in the game.