The release of Persona 5: Royal is just around the corner, so now is the perfect time to explore just what made the original game so beloved. The JRPG was a huge hit for long-term fans of the series and brought a lot of new attention to the franchise in general. Now, with the main character of Persona 5, codenamed Joker, making an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s safe to say that the game has certainly made it into the mainstream.
With so many people gearing up to explore what’s new in Royal, let’s take a look at some of the best Joker memes since the game’s release. There’s almost certainly more to come, as we approach the highly-anticipated March 31st release date.
10 Oh Skull, You’re Pathetic
Throughout the Phantom Thieves’ adventures, they are forced to keep the details of their organization a secret. This is made increasingly difficult by just how loud Ryuji (A.K.A Skull) likes to yell about their upcoming missions when out in public.
Although Ryuji is often portrayed as an idiot and the comedic relief of the group, Skull has a surprising amount of depth to him. Whether you love him or hate him, one thing’s for certain: it would be nice if he could just keep his voice down now and again in Persona 5: Royal.
9 Japan’s Transport System Can Be A Maze
When first picking up Persona 5, there’s so much to do in the game that it’s hard to know where to begin. Strangely enough, although players mostly fast-travel around the map later in the game, the first time Joker goes to his new residence, it has to be done manually.
It’s a frustratingly slow start to Persona 5 which is already criticized by some as being too tedious at the beginning. Thankfully, once the game gets going, it’s worth the wait. Hopefully, returning players should be a little better at navigating Shibuya station the second time around. That Ginza line sure is elusive…
8 Delicious Pancakes
Any Persona 5 fan that has completed their first playthrough is sure to get why Goro Akechi is often referenced alongside a hefty stack of pancakes. What is a little harder to understand is why the internet (in particular Tumblr) has become so obsessed with making it his core character trait.
Akechi never did get his pancakes, but that has not stopped a horde of passionate artists from drawing him with a delicious snack. What’s also weird is how often he’s portrayed as having a romantic connection with Joker, despite acting as a secondary antagonist for much of the game but really it’s the pancake thing that’s most odd.
7 The Velvet Room Gang
The Velvet Room is the area where players can go to fuse personas together, in order to make the strongest possible allies with the best abilities possible. Fans of the franchise may remember that the Persona 4 version had the room appear as a cozy blue limo, complete with a number of friendly characters to aid you throughout the story.
In Persona 5, the Velvet Room took a little bit of a turn for the worse, becoming a hostile prison, and trading out Marie and Margeret for a pair of verbally abusive wardens, Caroline and Justine.
6 Keeping It In The Family
One of the hardest choices in Persona 5, who to date, is a topic of frequent debate in the game’s online community. There is a range of viable candidates, both in and outside of the Phantom Thief gang, with one popular girl being Futaba Sakura (A.K.A Oracle).
A young girl with a passion for technology, Futaba was adopted by Sojiro after her mother passed away. Seeing as Sojiro is also a paternal figure to Joker, dating Futaba comes with a large helping of awkwardness. That said, Joker and Oracle are still one of the cutest couples in Persona 5.
5 How Times Change
Persona 5 and its predecessor are two rather different experiences. Not only did the fifth installment improve on nearly every aspect of Persona 4: Golden, but the main objective of the games’ teams aren’t similar at all.
While Persona 4 has players trying to unravel the mysteries of Inaba and catching criminals, the Phantom Thieves themselves are public enemies for much of Persona 5. It’s only a matter of time before this is explored in one of Atlus’s famous crossover games. It’d be interesting to see which side players would choose to align themselves with.
4 This Story Is Dragging On
Given that Persona 5 can take upwards of 80 hours to complete, the story is certainly a lengthy one. And since the majority of the game’s storyline is a flashback sequence as Joker tells his story to Sae in the interrogation room, the poor prosecutor had an awful lot of listening to do.
At some point, there didn’t even seem to be a point to how much she was being told. After all, why did she need to hear about all the times Joker went to Big Bang Burger or hit on her younger sister?
3 It’s Time For Bed
One of the most frustrating aspects of Persona 5 was, without a doubt, Morgana’s enforcing of Joker’s bedtime. After a busy day of taking hearts, the player’s cat companion will send the protagonist off to bed, with no other option available but sleep.
Thankfully, it seems that this will be a thing of the past with Persona 5 Royal as Morgana will let Joker stay up late, instead allowing them to study or watch DVDs in their room. This is sure to help players feel like they can make the most of their limited time in Tokyo, and are not forced into a mandatory bedtime by a talking cat.
2 Looking… Cool, Joker!
Fans of Persona 5 were beyond hyped when it was first announced that the game would be getting an anime adaptation. After seeing some of the animations next to stills from the game though, there’s no denying that it falls somewhat flat in comparison.
Still, Persona 4 got a second anime when Golden released, so maybe these visuals will get an update in a future animated series. Any Persona content is worth a look though, whether it’s anime or a new musou game. The complete Persona 5 anime series adds a lot of depth to the story and is the perfect way to pass the time until the release of Royal.
1 Take Your Heart
The Phantom Thieves are professionals when it comes to raiding palaces, but who knew that Joker was just as good at stealing hearts solo? Besides the harem of female admirers, the protagonist attracts in-game, that is.
The player can decide exactly how Joker responds in conversation, but who could honestly resist the stoic, leather-clad bad boy? With new social links coming to the game in Persona 5: Royal, the chance for romance is only further increasing. New Phantom Thief Kasumi is sure to be a popular choice when it comes to choosing Joker’s partner, as well as being a great new reason to pick up the updated game.
NEXT: Persona 5: 10 Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting The Game
