Persona 6 Should Break a Franchise Staple for the Phantom Thieves
Every entry in the Persona franchise has had a heroic team, built up by the hero and a charismatic friend. Then as the ambition of the story swells and more friends join the party, the team grows to tackle a growing threat. Persona 3 had the S.E.E.S. Team, Persona 4 had the Investigation Team, and Persona 5 had the Phantom Thieves. Every Persona game's party is a team of heroes who build and support each other up from their humble high school beginnings, completely independent from any of its sequels.
The Phantom Thieves from Persona 5 have arguably become the most iconic of teams to come from a Persona game yet. However, instead of Persona 6 striving for something entirely new, it's possible the Metaverse could return in the next entry. Considering how popular the Phantom Thieves team has become, the Persona series could break tradition and make the "Phantom Thieves" team consistent between newer entries. There are pros and cons to this, but a persistent team and theme to build the narrative could be an interesting twist.
As Persona 5 ramps up during the storyline's rising action, there's one narrative throughline that's subdued but constantly present throughout the game's story. It's a very small detail, but every time the Phantom Thieves take an action, there's a meter that dictates the group's popularity rising/falling around the world as they deal with society's demons. When the gang takes the field trip to Hawaii, it's inferred that the Phantom Thieves have become a worldwide phenomenon. Even the Americans are praising their work, meaning it's not just their popularity in Japan that's getting a lot of attention from the news and the populace.
While it's arguable which Persona team has been the most compelling team-up in the series, the Phantom Thieves have certainly become the most iconic of the franchise. The flashy outfits of each member of the Thieves matches up with the game's immensely distinctive style, which in turn has made the Phantom Thieves the symbol of Persona, arguably moreso than Jack Frost is for the entirety of Shin Megami Tensei. Typically, a new Persona game would introduce a whole new cast of characters and a new team entirely. New characters and personalities is a given for Persona 6, but what if this new team becomes a new branch of the Phantom Thieves?
Assuming all Persona games are all loosely placed in the same canon, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch. According to Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves are known the world around for their heroic deeds, especially if Americans in Hawaii are praising them. Theoretically, if the cognitive Metaverse were to return (in Japan or elsewhere), another subsect of the Phantom Thieves could be yet another interesting connection between Persona games. Of course, that's a risky proposition to take with a whole new cast of characters, but would be an interesting evolution for Persona games moving forward.
What would be a viable approach for Persona 6 could potentially be using the "Phantom Thieves" as an adopted name, one placed on the Persona 6 team by tabloids/media, for example. The deeds of the heroes in the next entry could influence members of society to see them as another chapter of the Phantom Thieves, which could play into the cognition of society as well. Narrative aside, it would also be a perfect excuse to give the characters distinctive Metaverse outfits just like Joker and the gang in Persona 5. That way, Persona 6 can still emphasize the best parts of Persona 5 without sacrificing its own identity and simply becoming a Persona 5 "sequel," as it where.
Reusing the Phantom Thieves as a motif for the Persona series may eliminate some the subtlety and initial mystery of future titles, but would become an interesting tie between subsequent entries. The Phantom Thieves are simply known as symbols of rebellion at their core, so they don't necessarily need to follow the Lupin-inspired "thief" designs. Persona 6 could find its own aesthetic, but still contextualize them as an indirect subsect of the Phantom Thieves, which in and of itself can serve as the persona of the game's team of heroes. That's perhaps a bit too meta, but it does at least hint at the possibilities of making the "Phantom Thieves" a recurring theme for Persona.
Of course, Persona 6 would really need to nail the character designs and story to be worthy of the Phantom Thieves moniker. Persona 5, and Persona 5 Royal, have quickly become the most popular entries in the Persona series to this date. Continuing the Thieves in future titles means they'll need to be on par or surpass Persona 5's Phantom Thieves in Persona 6. That being said, Persona 6 introducing a new squad of Phantom Thieves could set the game up for success, while also being flexible with the creativity of the visual design and narrative for the next game.
Persona 6 is rumored to be in development.
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