#councillor confidant(takuto maruki)

[social-link-showdown]

SOCIAL LINK SHOWDOWN ROUND 2 PART 4!

Takuto Maruki (Councillor) VS Kasumi/Sumire Yoshizawa (Faith)

[latenitewaffles]

What are the confidants like in your arcanaswap?

This has been sitting in my inbox since March 1st of last year ANYWAY

Councillor - Sadayo Kawakami. Shujin High's student counselor. Takes her job very seriously and hopes to lead students to their dreams.

Hierophant - Munehisa Iwai. Futaba’s ward and Ryuji’s adoptive father. Owner of A.C.D. Diner, and a damn good chef with a gruff exterior.

Strength - Elizabeth + Theodore. The twin velvet room attendants. Elizabeth is energetic and unpredictable, whereas Theo is calm and soft-spoken.

Wheel of Fortune - Tae Takemi. A crystal healer who operates in Shinjuku. Secretly knows what she's doing is a scam but needs money.

Hanged Man - Ichiko Ohya. Manager and Co-Owner of Untouchable. A weapons enthusiast who has yakuza connections. Secretly has a son named Kaoru.

Death - Takuto Maruki. Futaba’s therapist. A kind soul with a rough exterior and a dark past. He specializes in newer methods for his practice, much to his peer's chagrin.

Temperance - Toranosuke Yoshida. Futaba’s homeroom teacher. Moonlights as a butler-for-hire to make end's meet. He used to work at a different school but had to leave due to a scandal.

Devil - Sojiro Sakura. A sardonic journalist who frequents a cafe in Shinjuku. He's currently investigating the disappearance of his friend and coworker, Asami Magario.

Tower - Hifumi Togo. A live-streamer from Shujin High. Known for her skills in shooters, and has recently been spending a lot of time at an arcade.

Star - Chihaya Mifune. A shrine maiden who plays Shogi at the Meiji Shrine. She secretly enters tournaments and has gained a rival in Yuichi Fukurai.

Moon - Shinya Oda. The young head moderator of the Phan-Site. He has as a sarcastic disposition that gets on the nerves of his mother and classmates.

Sun - Yuki Mishima. Former Student Council VP of Kosei. Got involved in an bullying incident and was removed, but plans on running again next year.

Judgment - Kasumi Yoshizawa. Sumire's older sister and legal guardian. Formerly a top gymnast but suffered a debilitating injury, and is now a public prosecutor.

[a-mel-tomelts]

For newcomers to P5R

It’s been barely a month since the release of Persona 5 Royal on other platforms. Officially freeing it from the chains of being Playstation exclusive.

What it improved from the Vanilla?:

You are given significantly more time in the real world compared to Vanilla. Evenings are not going to waste now, because you can spend time inside of Leblanc making it efficient to raise Social Stats by reading, watching DVDs or playing videogame which are available after baying a console from the second-hand shop in Yongen-Jaya.

There is a new place called Kichijoji! Ther eyou can play Darts to raise your Baton Pass level, which now i available from the beginning and doesn’t require the Confidant Rank. Billiards, to raise your Technical damage when an enemy doesn’t have a weakness. Or spend time with Akechi and a new Royal girl, Kasumi.

Thieves Den, or, My Palace in Japanese, is a place which doesn’t add to your game time, is a fun area where you can watch videos, concept arts, customize or play Tycoon. Everything gets open with you moving forward through the plot or raising Confidants. I greatly advice you to raise every Confidant to rank 10 because then on a New Game+ you will get unique interactions between characters. Be it Takemi and Kawakami, Iwai and Shinya or my favourite, Akechi. 

To gain coins to open stuff, you can get achievements or play aforementioned Tycoon. A cool card game that is WORTH. Best game. Bought P5R just for this game. And you can play with your favourite Phantom Thieves!! But fyi, Akechi can’t play with certain character for… plot reasons. You will understand later why.

As for the story, Royal adds a complete new third semester that becomes accessible after reaching rank 9 with the Councillor Confidant, Takuto Maruki. You don’t have to raise Confidant with Akechi, which in the original was automatic, or Kasumi - but it will make the third semester better if you do. Mostly I recommend raising Kasumi’s Confidant if you are going for Royal content immediately. If you want to see Persona’s original ending, then scrap hanging out with Maruki. Kasumi would be a bit of a waste without a third semester but the decision is yours. Akechi though? If you want to make your strangers-to-rivals-to-friends fantasies true, just spend time with him. I swear, even without shipping thing his Confidant is awesome. Rank 8 absolute slayer and keeps bringing me chills down my spine every time. (Althought it’s confirmed he has a crush on Protagonist by one of the developers)

Other few changes: 

Guns are now not limited to Palaces but battles, making them easily accessible at any new battle without worrying to waste them.

New Showtime ability that becomes available along with the plot. Showtime is a special attack of two characters from your party. The best ones involving Joker are the ones available only in third semester which means almost at the end of the game. Sadge.

New portraits for the characters. 

Book for fast reading which allows to read two sections instead of one is now available in your School library instead of Jinbocho bookstore on the first of July(7/1)

A new game, Featherman Seeker is available in Akihabara game shop. I recommend playing all the games but this one in particular after December Palace.

More welcoming interface when crafting infiltration tools.

Grappling Hook. Best thing, thank you Sakurai-sama.

Persona now has traits when fusing or catching them. Traits are the ones similar to Pokemon. An additional passive skill that can strengthen your Persona if you have a build for it. 

A Red Alert for Velvet room which helps itemize shadows for an evolved version of an item and fuse into a more powerful version of a Persona. On the second and third attempt of doing something, though, you’ll get an accident for better or worse and then get kicked out instantly. But then you are free to come back at any time and trigger the Red Alert again with the help of Fortune Confidant, Chihaya Mifune, or by just killing shadows.

Places have been changed for the better and Bosses gained new abilities and attacks. Which I would describe without spoilers as:

Lust is really your sin, huh, Atlus?

BRICK. Cough I mean- BATOP PASS. BATON PASS. BATON PA-

Money money money. It’s so funny-

Pyramid: Press X to win

Hey it’s actually pretty g- *uncanny mr fantastic*

And I think that sums up the whole experience. Lol. Feel free to ask me about the game. I’ll be glad to!~

Ply a reel SMT gam. 

[diamondverse-swapann]

CHARACTERS YOU CAN ASK FROM DIAMONDVERSE!

This is an Arcana-Swap AU featuring Protagonist!Ann. The list of characters who you can ask about will be down below.

You can ask a character to recount their whole storyline, if you want.

Please don't ask anything spoiler-y or mean. Otherwise, go wild!

If I get enough asks, more characters will be added!

You can ask the Phantom Thieves:

Fool/World!Ann Liekki a.k.a. Diamond

Magician!Futaba a.k.a. Hamham

Lovers!Morgana Kurusu a.k.a. Jaguar

Chariot!Akira Kurusu a.k.a. Knight

Emperor!Makoto Niijima a.k.a. General

Priestess!Sumire Yoshizawa a.k.a. Zinnia

Hermit!Haru Mifune a.k.a. Mystic

Empress!Goro Akechi a.k.a. Marquis

Justice!Ryuji Sakamoto a.k.a. Clubber

Faith!Natsuhiko Nakanohara a.k.a. Wily

Hope!Hifumi a.k.a. Mimi

Apostle!Toranosuke Yoshida a.k.a. Tiger

Or the following of Ann's Confidants:

Councillor!Ichiko Ohya

Hierophant!Chihaya Mifune

Fortune!Sae Fukurai

Strength!"Ernest"

Hanged Man!Sadayo Kawakami

Death!Sojiro Sakura

Temperance!Tae Takemi

Devil!Lavenza Scimia

Tower!Takuto Maruki

Star!Sophia & Kuon Ichinose

Moon!Shinya Oda

Sun!Zenkichi Hasegawa

Judgement!Munehisa Iwai

We even have some extra Confidants! All Arcana are taken from the Osho Zen Tarot!

Awareness!Mika Chishiya

Breakthrough!Momiji Sakamoto

Change!Shiho Suzui

Silence!Amanda Liekki

Courage!Alice Hiiragi

Aloneness!Wakaba Isshiki

Hope to get all sorts of asks from y'all!!!

[aestheticallergist]

Does Lavenza sound almost desperate in all her Confidant speeches, or is that JUST with Akechi’s.

Edit: I know it’s weird, but it’s little things like this that catch my attention. What’s weird is the fact Lavenzas desperate dialogue is only heard with the three new confidants, which happen to be Akechi, Maruki and Sumi. It only stands out to me, bc they obviously re-recorded it, but didn’t re-record any of the other confidant rank ups, whether that be to save time or what. It’s just weird. You would’ve thunk that they would’ve just kept the original two sentences & then voiced the final line, but they didn’t. I know I’m just digging a fruitless hole, but it’s something that’s stuck out to me time & time again. I knew it sounded different and I was absolutely right.

For comparison; I just find this hella interesting.

[1-800-c0sm1c]

꒰phantom thief masterlist !꒱

JOKER - REN AMAMIYA

┊i.    groovy !

┊ii.   i will always love you !

┊iii.   bad dracula !

┊iv.   baby im yours !

CHARIOT - RYUJI SAKAMOTO

┊i.    groovy !

┊ii.   i will always love you !

┊iii.   blue lemonade !

┊iv.   baby im yours !

LOVERS - ANN TAKAMAKI

┊i.    groovy !

EMPEROR - YUSUKE KITAGAWA

┊i.   groovy pt.2 !

┊ii.   i will always love you !

┊iii.   baby im yours !

PRIESTESS - MAKOTO NIJIMA

┊i.   groovy pt.2 !

HERMIT - FUTABA SAKURA

┊i.   groovy pt.2 !

EMPRESS - HARU OKUMURA

┊i.   groovy pt.2 !

JUSTICE - GORO AKECHI

┊i.    groovy !

┊ii.   i will always love you !

┊iii.   baby im yours !

FAITH - SUMIRE YOSHIZAWA

┊i.    bad dracula !

꒰confidant masterlist !꒱

STAR - HIFUMI TOGO

┊i.    

JUDGEMENT - SAE NIJIMA

┊i.    

COUNCILLOR - TAKUTO MARUKI

┊i.    

updated as of 11/15/2022 <3

[queen-ofsunflowers]

Literal Theatre Kid AU: Confidants

I don’t go into detail about Ren’s Confidants within the story itself for the most part. This is mostly for fun, and mostly because as of posting this, Confidant events are still a work in progress.

Here’s the list that we have.

0. The Fool - The Mankai Company: A theater company situated at the end of Veludo Way that's indebted to the yakuza. You've been staying with them since your arrival.

I. The Magician - Morgana: An amnesiac talking cat who moved in with you after meeting you in the Metaverse.

I. The Councillor - Takuto Maruki: A counselor recently hired by Hanasaki Academy. He reaches out to students to help ease their burdens.

II. The Priestess - Makoto Niijima: Hanasaki Academy's student council president. Dropping her mask of an honor student, she joins the group.

III. The Empress - Haru Okumura: Third-year student of Hanasaki Academy and heiress to a conglomerate. She rises to avenge her father.

IV. The Emperor - Yusuke Kitagawa: Japanese art-genius and Ouka High student. He is resentful of adults who leech off the talents of others.

V. The Hierophant - Sakyo Furuichi: The yakuza member who is responsible for Mankai's debt. He has joined the Autumn Troupe in order to assist in saving the company.

VI. The Lovers - Ann Takamaki: A quarter-American who spent time abroad. She stood up to save those like herself and her friend.

VII. The Chariot - Ryuji Sakamoto: A fellow Persona User and former star of the track team. He is resentful of selfish adults.

VIII. Justice - Goro Akechi: A third year "high school detective" from another school. He looks for the culprit behind the psychotic breakdowns.

IX. The Hermit - Futaba Isshiki: A genius hacker who is a year younger than you. She opened her heart to the group that saved her.

X. The Wheel of Fortune - Taichi Nanao: A member of Mankai Company's Autumn Troupe. He has a puppy-like personality that puts him on high-alert.

XI. Strength - Justine and Caroline: The twin wardens of the Velvet Room. Under their master's orders, they test your skills and help you fuse.

XII. The Hanged Man - Omi Fushimi: An actor in Autumn Troupe as well as the photographer for Mankai Company. You invited him to auditions after noticing his interest.

XIII. Death - Tsumugi Tsukioka: The leader of Winter Troupe who aimed to be an actor in the past. He returned to Veludo Way to give his acting career another shot.

XIV. Temperance - Izumi Tachibana: The Mankai Company's current director who is working to keep the company afloat. She is your current guardian.

XV. The Devil - Juza Hyodo: A former lone wolf that auditioned for Autumn Troupe. Despite his outward appearance and attitude, he has a strong passion for acting.

XVI. The Tower - Banri Settsu: The leader of Autumn Troupe who auditioned to get revenge for his only defeat. Despite being a delinquent, he is considered a prodigy.

XVII. The Star - Misumi Ikaruga: One of Summer Troupe's actors who settled down in the dorms without anyone's knowledge. It's often hard for you to completely understand him.

XVIII. The Moon - Tenma Sumeragi: The leader of Summer Troupe who has been acting since he was a child. Though he's talented, he lacks the ability to understand others.

XIX. The Sun - Sakuya Sakuma: The leader of Spring Troupe and the first member of the rebooted Mankai Company. Out of everyone, he works the hardest during rehearsal.

XX. Judgement - Sae Niijima: A young, talented prosecutor of the Special Investigations Unit. Makoto's older sister and a regular theater-goer.

Faith - Sumire Yoshizawa: A first year at Hanasaki who becomes your apprentice to improve her gymnastics and teach you moves.

[secondchanceofficialblog]

About The Author and Characters Who Asks Are Open For

My name is Inkwell1013, but you can call me Inkwell or Ink. I use She/Her and They/Them pronouns, and generally prefer masculine or neutral terms. My main tumblr account is Inkwell1013 and my Ao3 is also Inkwell1013. I primarily write for Persona 5 but do dabble in other fandoms. 

Characters you can currently ask questions are beneath the read more, along with their arcana. There will also be a link to a mood board for each character who currently has one, as well as mood boards for Palaces. You are also welcome to ask me any questions you have about the fic, provided they aren’t major spoilers. All picrews used for mood boards are made with this.

Phantom Thieves Ryuji Sakamoto / Captain - The World  Haru Okumura / Wraith - The Chariot Chihaya / Chichi - The Magician Sumire Yoshizawa / Libero - The Lovers Goro Akechi / Lord - The Emperor Futaba Sakura / Glitch - The Moon

Canon Confidants Igor - The Fool Arcana Mayumi Sakamoto - The Hierophant Makoto Wukuri - The Justice Shinya - The Strength Sophia - The Hanged Man Takuto Maruki - The Death Munehisa Iwai - The Temperance Sadayo Kawakami - The Sun Zenkichi Hasegawa - The Judgement Akira Kurusu - The Faith Tae Takemi - The Councillor

Additional Confidants Jose - The Aeon Kasumi Yoshizawa - The Charity  Lala Escargot - The New Perspective Sojiro Sakura - The Priest Palaces Suguru Kamoshida’s Castle of Lust Mugaiko Gōin’s Junkyard of Greed

[brokenhardies]

Fool!Yusuke AU - Confidants

okay so remember how i said in my previous post that i was keeping 3 confidants the same??? well that was a fuckin lie. once again, this posts format was inspired by @wildcard-rumi so thanks for checking it out! here we go;

Name: Toranosuke Yoshida

Arcana: Hierophant

Location: Yoshida Residence

Description: 

The man who takes Yusuke in following Madarame's arrest. A former member of the National Diet, who quit politics all together after a scandal caused him to be made a pariah by the group. He's a genuinely nice person, although he is a little disheartened by the public's lack of attention/care towards issues that are affecting the youth

Name: Sojiro Sakura

Arcana: Sun

Location: Leblanc Cafe, Yongen-Jaya

Description:

The legal guardian of Futaba and Akira who owns the small hole in the wall cafe Leblanc. He's a bit of a cynic, and while he offers cooking lessons for Yusuke (mainly because the boy is starved af), he's initially hesitant to trust anyone outside his close circle. This is because he feels guilty for not believing Wakaba when she said her life was in danger, as well as for not using his role as a government employee to prevent Shido's rise to power

Name: Togo Hifumi

Arcana: Moon

Location: Desk in Kosei Class 2-A

Description: 

A rather socially awkward teenager in Yusuke's class who discovers that he is a member of the Phantom Thieves and secretly starts a website to promote their antics. She was once a prodigy Shogi player, until she discovered that her mother had been rigging her matches, and basically resigned herself to a life of isolation to atone for her mother's actions 

Name: Yuuki Mishima

Arcana: Star

Location: Gym on Central Street

Description:

A volleyball player from Shujin who was physically assaulted by Kamoshida, but acts like it doesn't bother him. He's a genuinely cheerful young man, but often finds himself failing to live up to his own lofty expectations for what he's supposed to be. Even though he isn't very athletic, he offers Yusuke tips and techniques to help increase SP and HP at the gym on central street, in exchange for Yusuke helping him with his love problems

Name: Sadayo Kawakami

Arcana: Death

Location: Yongen-Jaya Clinic

Description: 

An aloof and standoffish doctor who runs a clinic in Yongen-Jaya. While she can be seen as rather intimidating, she secretly has a lot of time for her patients, and gives Yusuke discounts on her medicines in exchange for helping her with research. This is because one of her previous clients, a boy named Taiki, died of a respiratory illness due to working himself to death. This lead to his greedy aunt and uncle suing Sadayo for the damages, which lead her to look for the cure for the illness instead

Name: Takuto Maruki

Arcana: Temperance

Location: Yongen-Jaya Backstreets (via payphone)

Description:

Yusuke's homeroom teacher and a once well known researcher. He's incredibly approachable and friendly, although he has a habit of zoning out during class and not really paying attention to things. This is because, as Yusuke found out thanks to Akira, Takuto has been secretly working as a live in 'butler' to pay off his girlfriend Rumi's hospital bill. He adores his girlfriend, even though she's been in a catatonic state for almost half a year now thanks to the incident

Name: Tae Takemi

Arcana: Councillor

Location: Shujin Nurse's Office

Description: 

Following Madarame's arrest, Yoshida grants Yusuke contact details for Tae Takemi, a councillor who works out of Shujin. She's initially hesitant to take Yusuke on, believing that facing his trauma head on will make it worse, but instead offers him a position as an apprentice to help with her research. Tae has a lot of knowledge about Cognitive Psience for someone so young, and intends to use that knowledge to help with her role as a councillor

Name: Munehisa Iwai

Arcana: Wheel of Fortune

Location: Streets of Shinjuku

Description:

A rather blunt and aggressive fortune teller who has a booth on the streets of Shinjuku. He sells all of his clients a thing called a 'Holy Stone', which is actually a scam set up by a group called the ADP. Iwai knows that it is a scam, but has been selling 'holy stones' due to his adopted son Kaoru having been caught up in the ADP's mess. He's quite a fatalist, believing that the future cannot be changed, only to be shocked when Yusuke turns a client of his's fate around

Name: Chihaya Mifune

Arcana:  Hanged Man

Location: Untouchables on Central Street

Description:

A former Yakuza analyst who helped with running money laundering schemes after she was picked up by the group on one following her move to Tokyo. Now she is the owner and proprietor of Untouchables, an airsoft and military surplus shop.  She's rather sweet and a bit of an airhead, which is surprising for an ex-Yakuza, but she has an intimidating air about her. She offers Yusuke a job with her in exchange for discounts. When she’s stressed, she slips into her natural country accent

Name: Shinya Oda

Arcana: Devil

Location: Outside the Electronics Store, Akihabara

Description:

A precocious middle school wannabe journalist who's researching the Phantom Thieves for a school project - or so he claims. In reality he's a massive fan of the group, admiring their strength and power. He's a bit of a loner, and can be very hostile and bratty, with an obsession with getting a good story at all costs due to his mother forcing it on him. He offers the Phantom Thieves good publicity in exchange for information

Name: Ichiko Ohya

Arcana: Tower

Location: Crossroads Bar, Shinjuku

Description: 

Once a well renowned political journalist, Ichiko's hubristic belief that she could get away with being lazy on stories lead to her falling from grace hard and fast. She is found drowning her sorrows in Crossroads Bar, and Yusuke offers to help her get her groove back by offering to stalk and find information on Jun Owada for her. Can also be found in the arcade on Akihabara, and is considered to be a wiz at shooting games

Name: Zenkichi Hasegawa

Arcana: Judgement

Location: Interrogation Room

Description: 

A somewhat jaded police inspector who once was starry eyed in relation to solving crimes and saving people, until his wife was murdered in a hit and run and he was unable to hunt down the killer. This is due to the fact he was blackmailed by an unknown source, and his daughter was put in danger. He's stayed in Tokyo to try to find the killer, and eventually got roped into the Phantom Thieves case. His overwhelming guilt towards being unable to solve his wife's murder, as well as his anger towards the system, manifests in in a casino-styled palace over the SIU HQ

[radiantresplendence]

Doctor Takuto Maruki Was Right

Maruki is the Councillor Arcana in Persona 5 Royal and is a fantastic character that the original game was sorely lacking. I’ll be talking some spoilers here. Be warned. 

We can talk about how Demiurge/Yaldabaoth/Yagor/Jägermeister (or whatever you want to call him) is straight trash and shouldn’t be the overarching antagonist of Persona 5 another time, but that’s not what’s important here. 

What’s important here is that Maruki wasn’t in the original game and that does a disservice to everyone who played it. 

For the vast majority of P5R, Maruki is just the high school counselor who was brought in to the school in the aftermath of the Kamoshida incident as a means of damage control. He’s kind, emphatic and insightful and genuinely wants to help anyone seeking his services. 

The Phantom Thieves, due to their involvement in the Kamoshida incident are mandated by the school to talk to him; as the game progresses, most of the team members form some sort of connection to him, save for Akechi and Futaba (I believe) as Akechi is only a Phantom Thief when his goals align with the team and Futaba isn’t a student. 

Even Yoshizawa and Yusuke interact with Maruki, as Yusuke goes out of his way to do so after hearing about him from the other thieves and he was Yoshizawa’s counselor after the death of her sister. 

Over the course of his confidant, Joker gives Maruki his perspective on some of Maruki’s research, which is later revealed to be Cognitive Psience. At the end of his confidant arc, Maruki reveals that he’s known that Joker’s group were the Phantom Thieves since he saw them exit the Cognitive world during the first heist. He says he supports the thieves and their justice but he has to go a separate way. He then exits the story until after the defeat of the God of Control.

If you finish Maruki’s Confidant Arc by the time that he leaves the school, Maruki completes a belated Cognitive Psience paper that he was working on with funding from a college in Toyko and winds up applying his theory when Mementos merges with the real world. 

In short, Maruki fully awakens to his persona with the special ability to rewrite cognition. When the cognitive world and the real world are merged, however this power becomes absurdly potent, and Maruki begins to warp reality in order to make a world where no one suffers. 

Maruki’s machinations affect all of the Phantom Thieves positively: Joker doesn’t go to prison because... Akechi is alive and confesses to his crimes in Joker’s stead. Akechi is let off the hook for his crimes. Morgana is a human. Ryuji was never injured and is still the star of the track team. Ann’s friend Shiho never attempted suicide. Yusuke was never exploited by Madarame, who instead acts as a passable father figure to him. Makoto and Sae’s dad was never assassinated. Futaba’s mother is alive and is presumably in some sort of relationship with Sojiro. Finally, Haru’s father wasn’t executed after his bossfight and he was never an exploitative egoist. 

There’s a lone exception to this: the girl who the game refused to let join the Phantom Thieves; a girl who had been receiving therapy from Dr. Maruki since before the start of the game due to her trauma from the death of her sister, Sumire Yoshizawa.

In a way, “Kasumi” was Maruki’s prototype for the world he wanted to create. She couldn’t process the guilt she felt for surviving the crash that killed her allegedly more talented sister and consequently wished that she was her late sibling. 

Now the world that Maruki creates is essentially a utopia, where no one suffers and crippling psychological harm is unable to befall anyone. Now we can consider the value of free will that Maruki is removing by becoming a new “God of Control”, but as a card carrying deterministic nihilist, I see it as more or less as trading the whims of an uncaring chaotic universe for those of a benevolent eccentric. The game frames this as a stagnation of humanity, something I don’t entirely agree with. Maruki understands that physical wounds (aka hardship) are inescapable (and can provide adversity to fuel growth) and his big theory revolves around altering cognition to inoculate against mental illness. Any issue with Maruki’s world revolves more around his personal flaws and lack of moderation than it does with his theoretical framework. Regardless, Maruki’s world is more ethical than what it replaces. 

In the third semester, if we ignore some of the alterations like reviving the dead as they’re more of a condition of the world than an effect of it, many people who would otherwise be sick or destitute are not, and the natural conclusion of Maruki gaining full control (as evidenced in the bad ending where you side with the doctor) is a world where no one is. Essentially, the Phantom Thieves in the third semester who fight against Maruki are condemning these people to poverty, despair and a miserable death. Ethically, for the sake of their own morality, the Phantom Thieves are the bad guys. 

Maruki’s motivations need to be examined closer. He is someone who has been largely unable to move past his own trauma (as evidenced by the entire third semester and foreshadowed in the scene where he runs into a college friend) so he has come to the conclusion that he should dedicate himself to moving others past theirs. I mean, mind-wiping your fiance of most of her life with you to cure her of her PTSD and having your life’s work stolen by Shido as you try to pick up the pieces would probably leave a guy feeling pretty empty. Essentially Maruki has resigned himself to his own sorrow after repeatedly being dealt a bad hand, so to speak. 

I think we can safely say that at the very least, Maruki has been emotionally displaced (if not worse) since the incident with Rumi and having his life's work defunded has led him to a place where his only real desire is the pursuit of a singular goal: obliterating sadness. Not his mind you, but everyone else's. 

Basically, Maruki is not well, emotionally or mentally, despite him being able to function as a productive member of society. Completing his contract with a cosmic entity and taking the throne of the god of control, enables him to pursue his goal far beyond what he was capable as a mere doctor with a special power. He infests the human subconscious to further his goal and relentlessly tightens his grip on the world. Despite having augmented physiology in the fused metaverse as a persona user, I feel that he's a mentally ill man who's burning the candle at both ends, so to speak. I think, if anything, fully awakening to Azathoth’s power exacerbated his preexisting mental state. 

To evidence my claim of Maruki’s declining illness, allow me to cite: putting a friend and confidant into a vegetative state because he couldn’t solve a moral dilemma in a month’s time, tentacling a teenage girl and brainwashing her because her dissent is a rejection of your life’s work, picking a fistfight with a high schooler while screaming about stuff unrelated to him, choosing to martyr yourself in resignation to your own suffering when you have the power to avert it. 

Imagine a world where Maruki became the new ruler of the Cognitive World, but acted in a more limited capacity that is more in line with his original research, than the extreme conclusion of it. Consider him acting more like the collective subconscious's guardian angel than the god of control, possibly with the blessing of the Phantom Thieves. I think that’s more what a sane Maruki would settle on, feeling responsible to use the powers he was granted by his contract with an outer god. 

With that out of the way, let’s discuss the way that Maruki implements his agenda.

While working at Shujin, Maruki isn't anything particularly special as a counselor, as it's neither something that he's particularly skilled at, nor is it something that he's passionate for. It's more or less a case of his job being something that he is qualified to do. 

We know that his real passion was cognitive psience research. In essence, he's a scientist over a health professional, even though the funding for his area of expertise was slashed to bits forcing him to take an alternate career path. Especially early on, the way he’d approach his job would certainly be influenced by his passion. To that end, I think you need to analyze his session with Yoshizawa from a research perspective. He rewrote her cognition to be that of her sister’s because he thought it would help her move on. His actions here were absolutely unethical, as he was experimenting on a minor without guardian consent or full disclosure of information, but initial results of his cognition rewrite were positive (especially in the short-term, despite Yoshizawa struggling more in the long term than she otherwise may have). 

"Kasumi" in a lot of ways is a proof of concept for the world he creates in the third semester, even if she isn't necessarily an optimally-functioning prototype. Now, I think Maruki was definitely acting as a bad counselor, and a "mad psientist", if you'll allow my pun, in the flashback. In the third semester however, there's no validity in examining him as a counselor, as he's not actively doing counseling. You can't even really examine him under the lens of ethical science, as he's essentially beyond morality. The man has the power to massively warp reality, raise the dead and alter memories. Essentially, his powers are such that only the end result of any action he takes really matters. If Maruki were to harm or kill someone, regardless of intent, he could make it never happen. So, only the ends of his actions can really be taken into account. 

The ends of his actions are, of course, to obliterate human misery, and he proved effective at this. The exceptions being Sumire Yoshizawa (albeit before the full implementation of his agenda) and himself (his palace is the Laboratory of Sorrow after all.) I guess what I'm getting at here is that, Maruki has to be judged as a god for all of his actions in the third semester, as that’s really the only lens applicable to his role there. 

With that in mind, the questionable actions that he takes in the third semester are basically just holding Akechi’s life hostage and forcing Yoshizawa to be Kasumi. He avoids physical altercation with the Phantom Thieves until they literally approach him with a mutual agreement of force. The Akechi situation is one that Maruki claims to be unintentional, and I do believe him. I think the awkwardness of that reveal is more due to Maruki’s social ineptitude and difficulty revealing that sensitive piece of information than it is anything nefarious. As for the Kasumi situation, Maruki has every ability to revive the real Kasumi and adjust Sumire’s life to become one more satisfying to her. In the end I think that that unfortunate situation has more to do with an ill man with unlimited power unable to distance Yoshizawa’s rejection of his initial gift as a personal sleight to everything he’s spent his life working towards. With his work being pretty much the only thing he’s currently attributed meaning to in his life his swift rejection of dissent makes a little more sense. 

This leads to something I consider mandatory, Yoshizawa needs to rebel against the fate Maruki assigned to her, or every member of the Phantom Thieves would be working against their and all of humanity’s best interests. 

I think no one would disagree with me when I say that his role in the third semester is that of a god antithetical to the themes of Persona 5, and thus narratively has to be deposed for a satisfying conclusion. Looking objectively at his grand plan however, even with his hiccups, I can’t really say he’s wrong, even if his implementation isn’t as clean as I (or even himself in a better frame of mind) would like.

[rollthedice-playthecards]

WHAT CHARACTERS YOU CAN ASK RIGHT NOW:

From T.N.T.:

Kanji Tatsumi - The Fool: Rank 7!

Yu Narukami - The Magician: Rank 7!

Yosuke Hanamura - The Priestess: Rank MAX!

Marie - The Empress: Rank 5!

Chie Satonaka - The Emperor: Rank 6!

Sayoko Uehara - The Hierophant: Rank 5!

Yukiko Amagi - The Lovers: Rank 2!

Rise Kujikawa - The Chariot: Rank 7!

Shu Nakajima - Justice: Rank 5!

Shrine Fox - The Hermit: Rank 9!

Naoki Konishi - Strength: Rank 4!

Ai Ebihara - The Hanged Man: Rank 4!

Eri Minami - Death: Rank 1!

Ryotaro Dojima - Temperance: Rank 5!

Hisano Kuroda - The Devil: Rank 8!

Naoto - The Star: Rank 4!

Yumi Ozawa - The Moon: Rank 2!

Kou Ichijo & Daisuke Nagase - The Sun: Rank 6!

Margaret - The Aeon: Rank 5!

Tohru Adachi - The Jester: Rank 6!

Hanako Ohtani - Adjustment: Rank 5!

From A.R.R.:

Makoto Orokana - The Fool/The World: Rank 3!

Goro - The Magician: Rank 2!

Tae Takemi - The Hierophant: Rank 3!

Akira Kurusu - The Lovers: Rank 2!

Futaba Isshiki - The Chariot: Rank 7!

Caroline & Justine - Strength: Rank 1!

Takuto Maruki - Death: Rank 3!

Hifumi Togo - The Moon: Rank 2!

Chihaya Mifune - The Sun: Rank 1!

Munehisa Iwai - The Councillor: Rank 3!

Wakaba Isshiki - Sustenance: Rank 1!

Eiko Takao - The Seeker: Rank 1!

Unknown But Named Social Links/Confidants:

Haru Okumura

Ichiko Ohya

Nanako Dojima

Ren Kurusu

Ryuji Sakamoto

Sojiro Isshiki

Teddie Kumagai

Toranosuke Yoshida

I request you try not to ask anything that might spoil things; please use discretion.

[ffamranxii]

Finally updated my playables and arcana!

All relevant info under the cut! (There be spoilers)

UPDATED ARCANA

All confidants/social links from P3, P4, and P5. Also included the arcana for P1 and the P2 duology because I can never remember who’s what. Arcana did not exist in this framework for Shin Megami Tensei If...

FOOL

P3: - (technically this is SEES, but I did not include groups) (also the protagonists for P3-5, Elizabeth, and Aigis)

P4: Tohru Adachi. (Adachi technically holds two arcana, though he starts as one and becomes the other: the Hunger Arcana, which does not exist in a standard tarot deck, but comes from the Thoth deck. I did not include it because he switches from one arcana to the other)

P5: Igor

MAGICIAN

P1: Yuka Ayase

P3: Kenji Tomochika (male protagonist)/Junpei Iori (female protagonist)

P4: Yosuke Hanamura

P5: Morgana

COUNCILLOR

P5: Takuto Maruki (does not exist in standard tarot, from El Gran Tarot Esoterico) (Royal only)

HIGH PRIESTESS

P1: Maki Sonomura

P2: Maki Sonomura

P3: Fuuka Yamagishi

P4: Yukiko Amagi

P5: Makoto Niijima

EMPRESS

P1: Yukino Mayuzumi

P2: Yukino Mayuzumi

P3: Mitsuru Kirijo

P4: Margaret

P5: Haru Okumura

EMPEROR

P1: Naoya Toudou (P1 protagonist)

P3: Hidetoshi Odagiri

P4: Kanji Tatsumi

P5: Yusuke Kitagawa

PRIEST

P5: Zenkichi Hasegawa (does not exist in standard tarot deck, from Thoth deck) (Scramble only, no art available for card at time of posting)

HIEROPHANT

P1: Kei Nanjo

P2: Kei Nanjo

P3: Bunkichi and Mitsuko

P4: Ryotaro Dojima

P5: Sojiro Sakura

LOVERS

P2: Lisa Silverman/Ginji Sasaki

P3: Yukari Takeba

P4: Rise Kujikawa

P5: Ann Takamaki

CHARIOT

P1: Masao Inaba

P3: Kazushi Miyamoto (male protag)/Rio Iwasaki (female protag)

P4: Chie Satonaka

P5: Ryuji Sakamoto

JUSTICE

P1: Hidehiko Uesugi

P2: Katsuya Suou/Hidehiko Uesugi

P3: Chihiro Fushimi (male protag)/Ken Amada (female protag)

P4: Nanako Dojima

P5: Goro Akechi

HERMIT

P3: Isako Toriumi (male protag)/Saori Hasegawa (female protag)

P4: Fox

P5: Futaba Sakura

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

P2: Jun Kurosu

P3: Keisuke Hiraga (male protag)/Ryoji Mochizuki (female protag)

P4: Naoto Shirogane

P5: Chihaya Mifune

STRENGTH

P3: Yuko Nishiwaki (male protag)/Koromaru (female protag)

P4: Kou Ichijo (protag joins basketball)/Daisuke Nagase (protag joins soccer)

P5: Caroline and Justine

HANGED MAN

P2: Baofu/Yasuo Inoe

P3: Maiko Oohashi

P4: Naoki Konishi

P5: Munehisa Iwai

DEATH

P1: Reiji Kido*

P2: Eikichi Mishina/Hiroki Sugimoto

P3: Pharos

P4: Hisano Kuroda

P5: Tae Takemi

TEMPERANCE

P3: Andre Laurent Jean Gerraux

P4: Eri Minami

P5: Sadayo Kawakami

DEVIL

P1: Reiji Kido* (Reiji is the only canonical non-protagonist to hold more than one arcana at the same time. He is both Death and the Devil in P1, and makes a minor appearance in P2, where he is still Death and the Devil. However I didn’t have enough space to squish him into the Death slot for P2)

P3: President Tanaka

P4: Sayako Uehara

P5: Ichiko Ohya

TOWER

P1: Takahisa Kandori

P2: Anna Yoshizaka

P3: Mutatsu

P4: Shu Nakajima

P5: Shinya Oda

STAR

P2: Ulala Serizawa

P3: Mamoru Hayase (male protag)/Akihiko Sanada (female protag)

P4: Teddie

P5: Hifumi Togo

MOON

P2: Maya Amano

P3: Nozomi Suemitsu (male protag)/Shijiro Aragaki (female protag)

P4: Ai Ebihara

P5: Yuuki Mishima

SUN

P2: Tatsuya Suou/Tatsuya Sudou

P3: Akinari Kamiki

P4: Yumi Ozawa (protag joins drama)/Ayane Matsunaga (protag joins band)

P5: Toranosuke Yoshida

JUDGEMENT

P1: Eriko Kirishima

P2: Eriko Kirishima

P5: Sae Niijima 

AEON

P3: Aigis (does not exist in standard tarot, from Thoth deck)

P4: Marie (does not exist in standard tarot, from Thoth deck) (Golden only)

FAITH

P5: Kasumi/Sumire Yoshizawa (does not exist in standard tarot, from Visconti-Sforza deck) (Royal only)

HOPE

P5: Sophia (does not exist in standard tarot, from Visconti-Sforza deck) (Scramble only, no art available at time of posting)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

ALL PLAYABLE AND IMPORTANT CHARACTERS

PERSONA 5 SCRAMBLE: THE PHANTOM STRIKERS

Sophia, Zenkichi Hasegawa

NOTE: P5S was released in Japan in February 2020.

PERSONA 5 THE ROYAL

Kasumi Yoshizawa 

TRIVIA: Kasumi’s real name is Sumire. She assumed the identity of her twin sister Kasumi after Kasumi’s tragic death.

PERSONA Q2

Hikari

PERSONA 5

Ren Amamiya / Akira Kurusu, Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Morgana, Yusuke Kitagwa, Makoto Niijima, Futaba Sakura, Haru Okumura, Goro Akechi

TRIVIA: The protagonist is named Ren Amamiya in the anime and Akira Kurusu in the manga. Futaba’s codename is Navi in Japanese and Oracle in English.

PERSONA 4 ARENA ULTIMAX

Labrys, Sho Minazuki

PERSONA 4 / PERSONA 4 THE GOLDEN

Yu Narukami / Souji Seta, Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi, Rise Kujikawa, Teddie, Naoto Shirogane

TRIVIA: The protagonist is named Yu Narukami in the anime and Souji Seta in the manga. Teddie is named Kuma in Japan.

PERSONA Q

Zen, Rei

PERSONA 3 FES

Metis

PERSONA 3 PORTABLE

Minako Arisato / Hamuko Yuki / Kotone Shiomi

TRIVIA: The female protagonist has no canon name, but has been called Minako Arisato and Hamuko Yuki by fans, and Kotone Shiomi in the stage play.

PERSONA 3 

Minato Arisato / Makoto Yuki / Sakuya Shiomi, Yukari Takeba, Junpei Iori, Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, Fuuka Yamagishi, Aigis / Aegis, Koromaru, Ken Amada, Shinjiro Aragaki

TRIVIA: The protagonist is named Minato Arisato in the manga, Makoto Yuki in the anime, and Sakuya Shiomi in the stage play. Aigis’s name is spelled Aegis in Japan.

PERSONA 2 ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

Maya Amano, Ulala Serizawa, Katsuya Suou, Baofu, Tatsuya Suou, Eriko Kirishima, Kei Nanjo

TRIVIA: Maya was a playable character in the first Persona 2 installment, as was Tatsuya. Eriko Kirishima and Kei Nanjo return from Persona 1.

PERSONA 2 INNOCENT SIN

Tatsuya Suou, Maya Amano, Lisa Silverman, Eikichi Mishina, Yukino Mayuzumi, Jun Kurosu

TRIVIA: Yukino Mayuzumi returns from Persona 1.

MEGUMI IBUNROKU PERSONA

Naoya Todo / Yuya Narumi / Jihei Suzakurin, Maki Sonomura, Masao Inaba, Kei Nanjo, Hidehiko Uesugi, Eriko Kirishima, Yuka Ayase, Reiji Kido, Yukino Mayuzumi

TRIVIA: The protagonist is only referred to as “the pierced boy” (Japanese)/”boy with earring” (English) within the games themselves; in the manga he is Naoya Todo, in the drama CD he is Yuya Narumi, and in the novel he is Jihei Suzakurin. Along with Maki, the protagonist makes a minor appearance in Persona 2, while Eriko, Kei, and Yukino return in P2 as playable characters once again.

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI IF…

Tamaki Uchida, Nobu Akiyama / Jin Aoki, Reiko Akanezawa, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji Kuroi, Ideo Hazama, Akira Miyamoto

TRIVIA: SMT If… was released only in Japan and is considered the originator of the Persona series. The series features a protagonist whose gender is decided by the player, something not seen again until P3P, though the female protagonist is canon in the games and the male protagonist is canon in the manga. Tamaki makes a cameo appearance in P1 and P2. The male protagonist is called Nobu Akiyama in both the manga and its sequel and Jin Aoki in the novel.

[brokenhardies]

RUNAWAY AU CONFIDANTS

Name: Tae Takemi

Likes: Philosophy, Goth Fashion, Lollipops

Dislikes: Isolation

Arcana: I. The Councillor (Le Consultant)

Service: Increased SP During Battle, Status Infliction Reduction, Automatic Concentration Effect

A councillor hired by Shujin Academy in the wake of Kamoshida’s change of heart, Takemi is an incredibly charming young woman who the student body likes due to her youth and high energy. Due to Yusuke being deemed a ‘delinquent’, they’re given mandatory counselling sessions, leading to them striking up a bond with Takemi. Takemi also has interests in cognitive psience, which leads her to share her research with Yusuke 

Name: Ichiko Ohya

Likes: Gossip, Alcohol, Curry

Dislikes: Perverts, Sobriety

Arcana: V. The Hierophant (Le Pape)

Service: SP Increasing Curry in the Metaverse

An ex-government employee (secretary) turned owner of Goethe Café and legal guardian of two (2) children. A bit of a shameless flirt who loves to talk, but deeply cares about both of her charges as if they were her own children. Is very protective of her kids and can and will fight Ryuji’s biological father, who’s pressuring her to give him back

Name: Munehisa Iwai

Likes: Divination, Sweets, Peace & Quiet

Dislikes: The Assembly of Divine Power

Arcana: X. The Wheel of Fortune (La Roue De Fortune)

Service: Increased Social Stat Growth Rate, Increased Money Earned From Battle, Affinity Readings

Found in Shinjuku’s Red Light District, Iwai is an incredibly threatening fortune teller who often competes with the teller set up by the Assembly of Divine Power, well known for his surprisingly accurate readings. He has a rivalry with the Assembly, due to the fact that it was their scams that caused his adopted son Kaoru to become debt ridden, but believes he doesn’t have the ability to change that fortune 

Name: Sae

Likes: Execution, Wine, Mystery Novels

Dislikes: Interruptions

Arcana: XI. The Strength (La Force)

Service: Increased Access to Velvet Room Services, Increased Access to Fusion Services

Yusuke’s Velvet Room attendant, a very serious young woman who acts as Igor’s right hand woman in the locale. She secretly appreciates the outside world, but often feels as though she has to stay inside the Velvet Room to keep track of Yusuke’s behaviour. Thanks to them, however, she finds herself repeatedly going outside for ‘field trips’ in order to satiate her curiosity about the real world

Name: Chihaya Mifune

Likes: Guns, Chocolate, Yakuza Movies

Dislikes: Scammers

Arcana: XII. The Hanged Man (Le Pendu)

Services: Discounts on Weapons, Increased Weapon Selection

Owner of Untouchables on Central Street, Chihaya is a very soft and kind young woman with a dark past. She was forcibly given a ‘job’ as a Yakuza analyst due to her amazing deduction skills, as well as her position as a innocent woman being great for scamming people, however, quickly left due to her naivety getting the better of her. She offers Yusuke a job at Untouchables in exchange for discounts on weapons

Name: Sadayo Kawakami

Likes: Tea, Punk Music, Fashion

Dislikes: The Takases

Arcana: XIII. Death

Services: Medicine and SP Replenishing Items, Discounts on Said Items

Once a promising figure in the medical field, Sadayo was blacklisted due to the death of a patient from a respiratory illness believed to be caused by her medications - when in actuality it was caused by his guardians working him to death. Now working out of an illegal clinic in Yongen-Jaya, Sadayo tries to keep a hands off approach to her clientele, but often ends up getting attached to specific clients. She reluctantly takes on Yusuke as her ‘guinea pig’ in exchange for discounts on medicine

Name: Takuto Maruki

Likes: Snacks, Photography, Learning

Dislikes: The Night Shift

Arcana: XIV. Temperance

Services: ‘Slacking Off’ Time in Class, Cleaning Services & Cooking Services

Maruki was to become a researcher in the field of Cognitive Psience, however, following his girlfriend Rumi falling into a coma, he returned to his teaching job as a way to pay the hospital bills. Alongside this, he also gained a secondary job due to money being tight for teaching - that being working at a butler service under the name Adam. He’s Yusuke’s homeroom teacher, and eventually Yusuke becomes one of his clients - by accident of course

Name: Hifumi Togo

Likes: Gossip, Good Journalism, Dramatics

Dislikes: Her Mother

Arcana: XV. The Devil (La Diable)

Service: Lowered Palace Security, Special Item Drops in Mementos

A member of the journalism club who writes for the Shujin Academy newspaper and is one of the main gossip centres of Shujin Academy. Has a rivalry with a fellow journalism club member that causes her work to often be released fast without much emphasis on the truth. Is also a former child star thanks to her mothers prodding

Name: Lavenza Beaufort

Likes: Shooting Games, Tea, Plushies

Dislikes: Loud Noises

Arcana: XVI. The Tower (La Mason Dieu)

Service: Increased Gun Skills

A foreigner who recently moved to Tokyo with her family due to her father’s work. While somewhat of a bored and lonely girl, she fell in love with the arcade at Akihabara and became a surprisingly well known name in the Gun About video game. She can be a bit of a drill sergeant when it comes to playing, and often feels neglected by her family

Name: Shinya Oda

Likes: Competition, Swearing, Strategy

Dislikes: Cheaters

Arcana: XVII. The Star (L’Etoile)

Service: Party Swapping, Follow Up, Easier Escape from Combat

A Shogi prodigy called the King of Shogi by his peers, Shinya is actually a rather aggressive child who is confident in his abilities and can back it up with his skills. Unknown to him, his mother has been secretly rigging his matches and paying off his rivals so she can have the glory from his successes 

Name: Shiho Suzui

Likes: Athletics, Soda, the Phantom Thieves

Dislikes: Being Ignored, Bullies

Arcana: XVIII. The Moon (La Lune)

Service: EXP Bonus + Gains, Mementos Requests

An athletic student who was a frequent target for Kamoshida’s debauchery, now a super fan of the Phantom Thieves who saved her and several other students. She created a website to promote their behaviour, but has her own insecurities she doesn’t want to address

Name: Zenkichi Hasegawa

Likes: Talking, Coffee, Mentorship

Dislikes: Corruption

Arcana: XVIV. The Sun (Le Soleil) 

Service: Increases In Charm, Increased Persuasion Options for Shadows

An independent politician who’s surprisingly popular with the youth of Japan, Zenkichi began his career as a part of the infamous Kuramoto Children, placing a black mark on his record for the rest of his life. He’s a bit of a sarcastic asshole, but is surprisingly caring and courageous when the chips are down, as well as when it comes to the beliefs of the youth 

Name: Wakaba Isshiki

Likes: Research, Literature, Psychology

Dislikes: Corruption in the SIU, the Phantom Thieves

Arcana: XIX. The Judgement (Le Judgement)

Service: True Justice

The head prosecutor of the SIU, often stepped on and ignored because of her gender. Wakaba can be incredibly spacy and easily distracted, but has a hot temper that shouldn’t be ignored. She acts as Ann Takamaki’s superior, and is Futaba’s mother. She’s introduced as an enemy to the Phantom Thieves, and had enough distorted desires in relation to the SIU’s treatment of her as more an entertainer than a worker that it formed a funhouse palace overlaid over the courthouse 

tagging my arcanaswap friends! 

@jokers-boyfriend @oddlybitter & @latenitewaffles