After the resounding success ofPersona 5, fans of the Atlus RPG franchise have unsurprisingly hoped for sequels or spinoffs that make continued use of the Phantom Thieves. Atlus has delivered a fair bit of that already, from the extended editionPersona 5 Royalto the hack-and-slash action RPGPersona 5 Strikers,but fans still hope that there’s morePersona 5content around the corner as a part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary celebration. While it’s unclear how much more Atlus wants to do with the Phantom Thieves, one persistent rumor offers an enticing possibility. Atlus could still create a fighting game forPersona 5in the style ofPersona 4 Arena.
A theoreticalPersona 5 Arenaseems more believable now that fans know the firstArenagame’s sequelPersona 4 Arena Ultimaxis getting PC, Switch, and PS4 versions in 2022. The Phantom Thieves certainly have distinct fighting styles that would make all of them just as suited for one-on-one battles as theirPersona 3and4peers. However,Persona 5 Arenawould have to address one important character ofPersona 5:Goro Akechi. The Phantom Thieves' rival andPersona 5antihero may be difficult to integrate into the game due to his unknown fate, butPersona 5 Arenawould lose out on a crucial part of thePersona 5brand by excluding him.
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Persona 5 Arena’s Akechi Dilemma
Akechi’s status at the end of bothPersona 5andPersona 5 Royalis ambiguous.Persona 5strongly suggests that Akechi gives his life to save the Phantom Thieves in Shido’s Palace, but strictly speaking, that’s never explicitly confirmed.Persona 5 Royalbrings Akechi backfrom the brink to participate in its third semester, and while the game’s true ending suggests Akechi may be alive, it also doesn’t offer much clarity about where he is now or what he’s doing.Persona 5 Strikersgot around including Akechi by focusing on a couple of new characters, butStrikers' refusal to even mention Akechi in his absence causes his specter to hang over the game’s events.
Persona 5 Arena,should Atlus decide to make it, would certainly want Akechi there. He could contribute a lot to a fighting game spinoff thanks to his twin Personas. It’d be great to see two playable versions of Akechi inPersona 5 Arena,one wielding Robin Hood while wearing the red mask disguise, and one wielding Loki while wearing Akechi’s true Metaverse outfit. What’s more, it’s almost impossible to imaginePersona 5 Arenawithout Akechi to a certain extent.His close relationship with Jokerand his role as the Phantom Thieves' nemesis are pivotal toPersona 5’s story, and he’s a major face of the franchise now.Persona 5 Strikerssuffered from his absence, so anArenagame would too.
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However, as much as Akechi would contribute both mechanically and asaPersonabrand ambassador, it’s hard to imagine how he could possibly fit intoPersona 5 Arenaelegantly. Both thePersona 4 Arenagames have narratives, but at the end of the day, the main draw of fighting games isn’t usually the plot. If Akechi ever appears again, his dark past and various crimes will inevitably need to be addressed, butPersona 5 Arenamay not be the right place to do that. Akechi’s story deserves to be unpacked in a more narrative-focused genre than a fighting game. Unfortunately, that meansPersona 5 Arenamay be better off without him.
Atlus' Next Steps
Of course, the part Akechi plays will only ever matter if Atlus confirms aPersona 5fighting game. The rumored game is in a precarious position now that Atlus fans know the studio is starting work onPersona 6, and yet,Persona 5 Arenadoesn’t seem wholly unlikely. BetweenPersona 5’s cultural capital,the ongoingPersonaanniversary, and Atlus' apparent intention to release a major game in 2022, there’s still hope for a fighting game spinoff.
Persona 5is available now for PS3 and PS4.
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