Atlus’ Persona 5 ranks among the best JRPGs of the current console generation. Released in 2016, the Megami Tensei spin-off game follows a group of teenagers who come together to form the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Through their shared drive for justice and truth, the heroes enter strange Palaces fueled by the evil intent of adults, fight off Shadows, and try to cause the target to have a change of heart.
While there is plenty of dungeon crawling to keep players busy, Persona 5 is also a comprehensive and engrossing social sim. The Phantom Thieves are all great characters and a significant component of their appeal has to be their voice work. Let’s take a look at the English voice actors behind Persona 5’s heroes.
10 Kasumi/Sumire Yoshizawa – Laura Post
Putting aside the characters introduced in Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, which has yet to be released outside of Japan, Sumire Yoshizawa is the most recent character to join the Phantom Thieves. Added in Persona 5 Royal, Sumire has a fun personality and a complicated relationship with the Phantom Thieves.
Sumire was voiced by Laura Post, an accomplished voice actress who fans of Kill la Kill and One-Punch Man should recognize. She also voiced Harley Quinn in Batman: The Enemy Within.
9 Goro Akechi – Robbie Daymond
For a brief time, Goro Akechi was part of the Phantom Thieves. In public, Goro pretends to be a mature and sophisticated detective; in reality, this is only a charade to mask a deeply troubled and angry teenager.
Goro’s voice was supplied by Robbie Daymond. Over the last decade, Daymond has become one of the go-to voice actors for English dubs of anime and games. Among others, he has voiced Sailor Moon’s Tuxedo Mask and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Smokey Brown.
8 Haru Okumura – Xanthe Huynh
Cosplay photo uploaded by Xanthe Huynh.
As Persona 5 is basically an anime, it is hardly surprising there is a lot of overlap between the two mediums. After all, Atlus’ game was also adapted into a series in 2017. The last to join the Phantom Thieves in the original version of the game, Haru is among the most soft-spoken characters on the roster.
Noir was voiced by Xanthe Huynh, an actress that has amassed an impressive array of video game credits over the years. While Haru is her most well-known credit, Huynh also voiced Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ Marianne and Falcom in the Hyperdimension Neptunia series.
7 Futaba Sakura – Erica Lindbeck
Cosplay photo uploaded by Erica Lindbeck.
Persona 5’s definitive support character, Futaba is the Phantom Thieves’ resident hacker. Any crew worth its salt needs someone who is a genius at computers, and Futaba fits that bill splendidly.
Erica Lindbeck accepted the responsibility of voicing Persona 5’s shut-in, and the actress did a brilliant job of conveying Futaba’s sense of humor and surprising depth. Lindbeck has lent her talents to Your Lie in April, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, and the Netflix Dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
6 Makoto Niijima – Cherami Leigh
Initially coming across as unlikeable and uncaring, Makoto proves to be one of the most earnest and honorable members of the Phantom Thieves. Out of all the main characters, Makoto goes through arguably the most growth throughout the story, which is made even more apparent due to her Queen alter ego.
Cherami Leigh is one of those voice actors that anyone remotely familiar with anime or video games should recognize. Her portfolio includes properties like One Piece, Soul Eater, Sailor Moon Crystal, and NieR: Automata. She will also be voicing V in Cyberpunk 2077.
5 Yusuke Kitagawa – Matthew Mercer
Yusuke Kitagawa tends to come across as the most mature Phantom Thief, even if he can seem a bit aloof or strange at first glance. Fox’s personality is reflected by his voice actor, Matthew Mercer, who has been a staple of the gaming industry since the mid-2000s.
Mercer’s portfolio is undeniably impressive, with Street Fighter IV’s Fei Long, Resident Evil 6’s Leon S. Kennedy, and Star Wars Battlefront II’s Luke Skywalker being just the tip of the iceberg.
4 Ann Takamaki – Erika Harlacher
Cosplay photo uploaded by Erika Harlacher.
The victim of Persona 5’s first antagonist and the fourth member to join the crew, Ann Takamaki overcomes her feelings of powerlessness to become a crucial member of the Phantom Thieves.
Erika Harlacher, Ann’s voice actor, has been part of some of the biggest anime of the last 15 years. Along with Netflix’s A Whisker Away, a movie that debuted earlier this year, Harlacher appeared in Toradora!, Hunter × Hunter, Kill la Kill, and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. She also voiced Kyrie in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake.
3 Ryuji Sakamoto – Max Mittelman
Skull is a member of the Phantom Thieves almost right from the start and is pretty outspoken about his desire to take down any adults who are willing to take advantage of others. While he does not change all that much throughout the game, Ryuji brings an infectious energy to most of his scenes.
Ryuji’s effectiveness can be partly credited to Max Mittelman, the voice actor behind Persona 5’s character. An active performer since 2013, Mittelman recently appeared in Borderlands 3 as Troy Calypso.
2 Morgana – Cassandra Lee Morris
Photo uploaded by Cassandra Lee Morris.
Persona 5’s mascot, Morgana’s amnesia storyline and identity issues mean his personality can be a bit all over the place. The character goes through quite a few mood swings throughout the campaign, including one event that leads to Morgana falling out with Ryuji.
Cassandra Lee Morris did a commendable job of conveying Morgana’s complexities and insecurities. The actress’s resume contains a number of high profile JRPGs such as World of Final Fantasy, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II, and two Shin Megami Tensei games.
1 Joker – Xander Mobus
While the leader of the Phantom Thieves might not talk all that much, Joker still got himself a voice actor in the form of Xander Mobus. Compared to some other cast members, Mobus is still relatively new to voice acting, although that still leaves room for credits like Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Detective Pikachu.
Mobus got a lot more to do in Persona 5: The Animation, but the game’s “silent protagonist” did get to utter a few lines during the campaign.
NEXT: Persona 5 Royal: 10 Inconsistencies Most Fans Didn’t Notice
