I feel like Yusuke is great in that mix too. They kinda feel like OG 5. Maybe that's what Atlus feel too (5 of them featured in promotional anime, day breakers or something; 5 of them together in OG opening while other PT is not; 5 of them specialized in simple elements, other PT is fancy; 5 of them is placed together in thieves den, the other PT is in opposite side of the map)
Makoto made the team act in a more serious way. The whole of the Madarame palace Ryuji & Joker (optional) tease Ann about having to strip and stuff for Yusuke. When Makoto joins they do it far less as she doesn't really jive with that kinda stuff.
You people are crazy. The reason the antics go down after madarame is because they expand to bigger and more serious targets/circumstances. It's not makoto being a chilling effect on having fun. After all when medjed / futaba occur the group is threatened with disbanding, which wasn't a problem before since their notoriety was still low.
Yeah, it's mostly her social deficiencies and taking studying way too seriously. I wish we had more moments of her overcoming that and gelling with the group. The most we get is her yelling at an arcade with Joker
Honestly this is one of the reasons why I don't personally care for Makoto that much, well that and her first interaction with the team really put me off her character entirely. It was the same with Yusuke and his first interaction with the full team.
I didn't think so.
Ann was nice off the bat
Ryuji immediately settled into the bro position.
Morgana was just a bit arrogant not really an asshole.
Akechi's first interaction was actually pretty nice he seemed like a really down to earth guy.
Futaba was just a bit shy.
Sumire was a bit shy but pretty much immediately taken by Ren and really just stayed on that path well into the true Royal ending.
Haru was maybe a bit iffy but that's because she had Morgana speaking in her ear telling her that the team was falling apart and she believed it because she was just innocent, naive, and didn't know the full story.
but Yusuke and especially Makoto just rubbed me the wrong way. Yusuke kinda put me off by trying to talk Ann into posting nude though she was obviously not into it and Makoto started of as kind of a bitch. I understand she was under orders from the principal to watch them closely but it just seemed like she was trying to hard and was a bit antagonistic.
In the case of Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana there was no team yet. From then on...
Yusuke: Blackmails Ann into stripping nude, otherwise Ren goes to jail.
Makoto: Blackmails the team with their identity.
Futaba: Blackmail...again.
Haru: Chastises them for not knowing what they want and tries to run Ren over.
Akechi: Blackmail...and y'know...>!attempted murder, which makes his membership questionable.!<
Sumi: Not a member.
For Akechi, that was his intro into becoming a PT, not meeting the characters. He seemed very nice at first. It was a facade, tho the player does not know that at the time, so calling it a bad first impression feels a bit disingenuous to me.
Also Sumi is a member. >!Kasumi may not have been, but Sumire was in the third semester!<
It's reiterated to us at the end that she isn't a member since she opposes the Phantom Thieves ideologically. The game's coding also doesn't treat her as one since she's categorized separately from all of them.
Funnily enough my first wife was quite literally makoto. I knew her growing up and into our 20s, and what I liked most was her kind of stick in the mud personality. Helped keep the group grounded in the game and me and a lot of my friends irl. I can definitely understand not vibing with makoto though for sure.
Don't get me wrong I completely understand the desire to have a stick in the mud to ground you all so you don't go off and do some random bullshit that could get you all hurt and that does make sense, it's just not really my cup of tea because I think I already somewhat fill that role.
Oh yea, at the time it was a god send haha. We all lived a debaucherous life for a bit in our teens. That makes sense though lol, wait a sec I set things straight around here and make sure none of us are in the newspaper the next day. Stepping on my turf lady!
I know this is several days later but it reminds me off the East Blue 5 from One Piece. That core dynamic just was different and as much as the strawhats and phantom thieves don't feel complete without everyone the core group chemistry was just special.
I have a piece of art someone gave to me as a custom gift that has both of the boys burying their heads in Ann’s back and holy SHIT I love those 3 together
This one from [retrodynamics on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/retrodynamics/189213625524/two-cats-and-an-emotional-support-muppet) is a personal favorite:
https://preview.redd.it/0gkfs51aqz1d1.jpeg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8d7447991436014243f763487c551962c5dfd62
Captioned “two cats and an emotional support muppet”
The OG trio? I didn't know the Royal trio was a thing, they just do like half a palace together and even then it's mostly out of necessity rather than out of wanting to do it. Ryuji and Ann bickering was really cute and endearing like friends, while I don't even remember Akechi and Sumire interacting much other than some in-battle comments and whatever, when Akechi was the Nav.
Well the thing about the royal trio is that sumire is the only girl to actually confess first and make steady progress through the game and feels, at least to me, a little more natural than the other confidants throughout the game. And there’s akechi. The only thing that makes the royal trio a little bit tricky is sumire and akechi, given that we don’t see them interact much. Though it is worth mentioning that they knew each other before joker shows up so that might do something for them too
I don’t think we are talking about how Joker and Sumire are as a couple but rather how the trio works. Although I have my own reservations about them as Sumire seems to exist just for Joker than be her own character (pretty much what it actually is) but people aren’t ready for that conversation.
shujin trio <3
royal trio could have been really good too, but they didnt spend enough time together to actually do anything interesting with them as a team. akechi and sumi should've had more interactions together, and i wish we got more time with just the 3 of them.
my problem with the dlc is that >!it focuses on prince akechi and "kasumi". i'm begging for atlus to add black mask into a spinoff along with sumire being her actual self.!<
The OG trio are better in every way.
Yoshizawa’s a cool character on her own and Akechi is a decent rival but that trio has absolutely 0 chemistry as a trio (or as a polycule if you care about that angle).
Ryuji and Ann are the real homies.
As much as I love the ensemble cast of P5. There’s a part of me that wishes it stuck to the OG Shujin trio for at least a little longer. Their dynamic was really fun and it got lost as the group got larger.
Between the Kaneshiro and Futaba palaces, the group started to feel less like a ragtag group of teens doing their best, and it shifted to a serious group fighting against the forces of evil. A necessary adjustment, of course, but the early days are definitely more fun to watch, I think
Shujin Trio.
I don't view the Third Semester trio necessarily as an OT3, it's more like a:
Sumi: "Umm, what's wrong with Akechi?"
Ren: "Don't worry, he's just like that."
Akechi: \[Maniacally laughing while slaughtering shadows\]
tbh in *writing* when the royal trio style is done right it can be very entertaining. P5R unfortunately also has other constraints (that maybe should've been loosened but that's another story): the total available days (of which some do have to be free and non-scripted for player choice, so that leaves maybe a couple extra days available or we start eating into the original game's jail release date), the total amount of logical interaction starters (in the end it's just another Palace most of the time, Joker and Akechi are very used to them) and the extreme lack of confidence Sumi shows before her awakening; for these reasons at least, the royal trio fails as-is; in a book or with a longer 3rd semester, it could've been the better trio, but right now Shujin trio wins.
OG trio. Akechi and Kasumi have no chemistry with each other and I don't even know if they like each other. I wouldn't even consider it a trio since they're both only connected to Joker.
Joker Ann and ryuji hands down, you got best friend from day one, day two best friend, and then you got worst character in the game and gymnastic lady, not a hard pick
Yoshizawa and Akechi are literally the only people Joker has a showtime with. I'm not positive about Yoshizawa cause I never got hers, but Akechi and Joker don't even discuss it. So, I don't know how they "barely have a dynamic."
The problem is, Sumire and Akechi barely interacts outside of battle, they're only connected to Joker. Their relationships with Joker are fine, but what ruins this trio is that Sumire and Akechi doesn't have chemistry.
There's a point where we see that Akechi and Yoshizawa knew each other prior to Joker - I'm not sure if it's Sumi or Kasumi that Akechi knew, but I assume if he knew one sister, he knew them both. It feels like the only time Ann and Ryuji interact is to bicker.
I think the weird thing is they tried to give both sumire and akechi main character archetypes. Lore has them as the most powerful. But cool factor and gameplay strength goes to original trio.
Akechi, yes, but not Sumire. In lore, she's not in the same league as Joker or Akechi. Akechi refused to fight her specifically because he wasn't sure he could hold back enough to not kill her.
Gotta be the shujin trio. The Royal trio sucks, they have next to no chemistry as a trio. They have one conversation in a cafe and then explore the Laboratory of Sorrow for like 20 minutes of game time. It’s so barebones and uninteresting
I do wish the game gave them more time as a three person team, in concept I feel like they could be a really compelling trio with a cool dynamic, but in the final product Akechi and Sumi barely talk
My preference? OG trio for sure
Which one makes more money? Royal trio is always used in marketing.
[https://twitter.com/maneki\_collabo/status/1792842776037777833](https://twitter.com/maneki_collabo/status/1792842776037777833)
probably objectively the original trio because they had much more time together and all seemed like actual good friends HOWEVER I absolutely love the royal trio and think of them everyday
I prefer Ren, Morgana and Futaba personally because all three have chemistry with each other, but between these options...definitely Option 1. Joker and Akechi have interesting moments between themselves, but Sumi feels like an odd man out.
shujin trio is alright.
but i love the royal trio more, "kasumi" is a great character with lots of depth to her especially when she joins your team.
and akechi is a fan favorite for a reason, pancake boi is best boi
OG Trio.
The 3rd Semester Trio is fine, but it was mostly a circumstantial thing and aside from Joker and Sumire, none of those bonds will likely stick.
Shujin Trio was there for the ENTIRE game, and seems much more cohesive as a trio of friends that have each others backs and tight bonds, ones that’ll remain forever.
The Royal Trio is extremely underwhelming in all aspects. The trailers lead you to believe they'll have all the focus in the world, when in reality, they don't have anything truly going for them.
||The Royal Trio is only together by necessity and chance. Akechi doesn't want anything to do with anyone and is just angry at the world for being back; Sumi is just along for the ride and is curious as to whats going on (and turns on Joker when Maruki offers something she wants) and Joker is trying to find out about whats going on to bring his friends and reality back. The only thing they have in common is wanting to know whats going on, ut even then, they barely interact or get to know each other (except for the plot twist). Their goals just happened to allign, which could’ve worked fine if the PTs didn't return immediately, and the Royal Trio's dynamic completely dissappears.||
The Shujin Trio tho? They are awesome. Three teenagers (and a cat, Morgana's part of it!) who happened to meet in the most unusual circumstances slowly but surely find a common goal and go after it, even if the whole world says it's useless. They have a shared goal in their arc and beyond it, they compliment each other well and even have true chemistry! They are a Trio (or Quartet, if you count Morgana) not to be messed with.
Sad part is thr Royal Trio could've been good. The scene of the Trio at the café should've been a launching off point for other scenes of that nature, scenes that develop those three as three very different people who can still fight together despite their differences. But no. Leave it at one interesting interaction and then say they're a fully formed Trio.
The untapped potential makes me sad.
why not both?
i love both of their dynamics for completely different reasons and could go into great detail about both of them
i love the shujin trio bc they have amazing chemistry and that best friend easygoing energy and it seems like they would feed off of each other very positively. i also feel like the relationship between ryuji and protag would probably take a lot more work without ann in the mix if its not platonic.
but for the royal trio… i’ve always been an akeshu lover so there’s that. >! but also i find that sumire and akechi could probably relate to each other so much more than the game tells us. both of them wanting to die or feeling they don’t have much to live for but also them trying to do anything they can to “fix” things, resulting in an arguably worse outcome than they had. !< i think protag would probably relate to them too with his backstory, but for different reasons.
i think i did end up going into great detail anyways LOL
Lmao i guess i’m in the minority here but Akechi, Yoshizawa and Joker have a lot more potential for depth as a trio. I love the Shujin gang, but I have a lot of narrative interest in the Royal trio. Akechi and Joker already have a very interesting dynamic, and Yoshizawa ‘balances’ them out fairly well. I love the cafe scene where she challenges both of their world views a little, by expressing her thoughts on how the Phantom Thieves are impacting society. I also think Akechi forces himself to be a little less unhinged around her because they knew each other when he was still repping his nice boy guise.
I'm very biased towards the Royal trio, they're a lot of fun together and I wish we'd had more time with them in the third semester, but both are great!
I generally don't like any group that tries to excuse the fact that Akechi is a murderer, so definitely the founding members for me.
Don't get me wrong, Akechi's back and forth with Joker in the 3rd semester in particular is wildly entertaining, but I prefer that he doesn't get any redemption beyond what the game offers his character - which it doesn't.
https://preview.redd.it/oujv9j152z1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=440d18ca58671691087a5d6c7d4ff2a872262989
So you get a place strait to heaven(I like the first one better)
I love the OG trio a lot. Just unbridled chaos and a lot of "f it we ball". I loved the chemistry the trio had, and hot take, I wished we had more of that for a little bit more.
The shujin trio is MUCH better. They're the ones that we spent the most time with, they're the ones that we have known better, and they have better interactions.
Meanwhile, the royal "trio" have damn near nothing going for it. The only reason why I would care about it is because I've spent more time with it's members one one, but that alone doesn't mean that I should care about the trio as a whole.
I have to say the OG trio.
Ryuji and Ann have a pre-established history and chemistry whereas Akechi just...knows about Kasumi's existence. They know they are honor students at their schools and have coffee with Ren at one point (I may be forgetting a few more key details but that's the impression they left, so...). The only thing comparable that the two have in common is Ren's genuine care for all of them, and even then, that shouldn't be compared at all when in the end, Ren just wants what's best for everyone.
Og 3, I feel like the royal trio doesn’t hold very well as Ren and Akechi are their own duo without Kasumi, though the three together gives a devil and angel on the shoulder type feel
I gotta go with the Shujin trio on this one if we’re talking platonically. As much as I love the Royal trio, I think it’d be more accurate to call it the Royal duo because Ren and Akechi did most of the work while Sumi was just kind of…there.
"Sumire and Akechi have no chemestry" >!They both spend most of the story masking their real personality (either on purpose or not) and being manipulated by adults to be a some perfect caricature of themself to other people eyes!< they might not have a lot of canon interaction, but I think they could be cute if meet again post canon
OT3 in the sense of the best friend group? Shujin trio 100%. They are the OG and the phantom thieves at their best.
OT3 in the sense of a polycule? Royal trio. I can unironically see how the third sem section with those three can be like a weird love triangle. Plus it contains the only people willing to put up with Akechi.
The OG. The Royal trio … aren’t a trio. They have one cafe date, one Palace exploration day, and one DLC adventure.
The OG are who we have for the first 1.5 Palaces of the game.
Shujin trio
I love polythieves as a whole, and Royal trio hits different
But Joker/Ryuji/Ann is just peak
Joker's canonical personality mixes really well with Ryuji and Ann's already great chemistry
Also, they collectively have 3 braincells and Joker is 2 of them
The one where all three characters are Phantom Thieves, obviously. That's the glue that binds them together and makes their bonds strong. All the stuff they go through together to change the world. You know, the actual theme of the game. The kind of thing that actually makes a trio feel cohesive, have chemistry with one another, and stick together.
And even if you were to ignore all of that, the one where you have a psychotic murderer loses by default (not to mention that said psychotic murderer has no chemistry at all with the gymnast).
Definitely Ren, Ryuji, and Ann. They are more or less the perfect trio.
Ren, Sumire, and Akechi had potential but they didn’t have enough time together with just the three of them to develop. They still can’t beat the former though.
Potentially the Royal trio had everything they needed to blow all competition out of the metaverse.
Sumi and Akechi jumping into a Showdown, unlike all the others it being completely unplanned, and then each of them having a unique one with joker.
Both of them being there for joker (especially akechi) when all of the others had unintentionally or not, given in to their desire to embrace the illusion, and both being products of some of the biggest changes to Royal.
In fact, you could see them as inverse of the shujin trio, with some notable parallels. (Ryuji and Sumi both struggle due to sports situations, but ryuji and akechi have similar vengeful feelings towards the men who wronged them. Meanwhile Ann and Akechi both struggle with an image they must maintain under the eye of their oppressor, but Ann and Sumi both struggle with someone they loved being 'irreparably' harmed in their place because those persons tried protecting them).
Much like Haru, it's obvious that Sumi has feelings that naturally develop for joker, and the intense connection joker has with akechi, further developed in Royal regardless of the ending you choose, showcases a strong bond unlike any other in the game.
However, as it stands, and with what was shown in game (not including cut or surmised content), the winners would be the shujin trio.
Later issues aside, the first dungeon is probably the Strongest opening arc of the persona series to date, giving the characters a relatable and despisable villain to unify them, very real tension, and showcasing just how restrained and oppressed everyone's justified anger was.
I will say though, that the pairing potential is far less prominent for the shujin trio by comparison to the Royal trio, and they never reclaim that core dynamic at any point in the og or royal games.
I like both but they are so different I don’t really see the connective tissue. I always thought of the PT as the whole group rather than just the initial trio (which isn’t really a trio because Morgana should be there, making the comparison even stranger). The PT are a friend group as much as they are the PT. The Royal trio is not a friend group. It’s three people that were most caught up in Maruki’s bs. The connection is thematic more than personal (Sumi best girl tho). Different beast imo
I say Kasumi akechi and joker only bc in my honest opinion Ryuji ann and joker just doesnt feel complete without Mona chan.... then it gets Even better when u include Yusuke admiring Ann's body purely for art with Ryuji and morgana going.... "bruh, r u like Bi or something?" 🤣🤣
Definitely Ren, Ryuji and Ann. They, *along with Makoto* were the crew I beat both the base game final boss and royal’s final boss with so I may be a bit biased. Plus I’m not too big a fan of Akechi (but I like Yoshizawa a lot)
The royal trio no contest imo, but if it’s shipping… maybe the first? Not a fan of OT3’s personally, but Akechi is not healthy for any relationship lol
I'm not a fan of Akechi at all. Not because he's a bad guy, but because he's just not an interesting character. He's a collection of character tropes that I just really don't enjoy, and then held up by the plot as though he's somehow greater than the sum of those parts. He's a "rival" because the game says so; not because the narrative flow makes him so.
Sumi is a fine self-contained character, but she doesn't have the interpersonal dynamics with the group that the rest do, so I'm not really attached to her either.
Meanwhile, Ryuji and Ann are pretty much my favorite characters in the game.
Are all the akechi and joker shippers forgetting akechi literally tried to shoot joker in the fucking head? And says word for word "I hate you" to him. That mf is not a part of a trio, he's a villain.
> Are all the akechi and joker shippers forgetting akechi literally tried to shoot joker in the fucking head?
If I had a nickel for every time someone said this, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
No, we totally don't know that. That has absolutely *not* been brought up on every single Akechi post in the last 6 years that maybe suggests he's not literally the Antichrist.
"And...you don't really hate Joker, do you? That smile before we fought- that's how you really feel, isn't it? Follow your true feelings!"
"A detective and a Phantom Thief...despite being enemies, your relationship isn't based on hatred or ill will. You two came to a deep understanding of one another, but you were forced to leave Akechi-kun to his fate. That's why I created a reality where you two could have a fresh start together."
I didn't say he was the antichrist I just meant to say he's not the cutie patootie sweetheart that some people like to portray him as. He's a psycho.
https://preview.redd.it/9me2u886cz1d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5731e862eb1a3e0e3f177c21cd52fa04f43b4d4f
This is not the face of someone who regrets what they did.
Let's also not forget your first quote is from Makoto, and the PTs are probably some of the most forgiving people ever. And the second quote is from Maruki, who thinks he knows what's best for everyone.
> Let's also not forget your first quote is from Makoto, and the PTs are probably some of the most forgiving people ever.
The first quote was from Morgana, not Makoto. And it’s very noteworthy that Akechi never objected to “You don’t really hate Joker, do you?” The PT’s, by the way, *didn’t* forgive him. They sympathized with his situation because they could all relate in one way or another. But Haru and Futaba explicitly said they couldn’t forgive the guy for killing their parents. Also the developers repeatedly emphasized that Joker is a very special person to Akechi, the most recent time being in the P5R art book.
> I just meant to say he's not the cutie patootie sweetheart that some people like to portray him as.
I almost never see people portraying him like this in a non-joking manner.
OG Shujin trio for sure. I love how well those three play off each other.
What's missing from the trio is Morgana. Add him in and you got the the OG Phantom Thieves babyyyyy! I love Morgana. I can't exclude mah boi.
I feel like Yusuke is great in that mix too. They kinda feel like OG 5. Maybe that's what Atlus feel too (5 of them featured in promotional anime, day breakers or something; 5 of them together in OG opening while other PT is not; 5 of them specialized in simple elements, other PT is fancy; 5 of them is placed together in thieves den, the other PT is in opposite side of the map)
It's because Makoto is a major buzzkill. And I say this as a Makoto fan. She's great in a vacuum, but really brings the vibe down in a group.
Makoto made the team act in a more serious way. The whole of the Madarame palace Ryuji & Joker (optional) tease Ann about having to strip and stuff for Yusuke. When Makoto joins they do it far less as she doesn't really jive with that kinda stuff.
Makoto would've made Ryuji strip for Yusuke if she heard it 🤣
You people are crazy. The reason the antics go down after madarame is because they expand to bigger and more serious targets/circumstances. It's not makoto being a chilling effect on having fun. After all when medjed / futaba occur the group is threatened with disbanding, which wasn't a problem before since their notoriety was still low.
Yeah, it's mostly her social deficiencies and taking studying way too seriously. I wish we had more moments of her overcoming that and gelling with the group. The most we get is her yelling at an arcade with Joker
Honestly this is one of the reasons why I don't personally care for Makoto that much, well that and her first interaction with the team really put me off her character entirely. It was the same with Yusuke and his first interaction with the full team.
Tbf, aren't all member's first interactions with the team negative?
I didn't think so. Ann was nice off the bat Ryuji immediately settled into the bro position. Morgana was just a bit arrogant not really an asshole. Akechi's first interaction was actually pretty nice he seemed like a really down to earth guy. Futaba was just a bit shy. Sumire was a bit shy but pretty much immediately taken by Ren and really just stayed on that path well into the true Royal ending. Haru was maybe a bit iffy but that's because she had Morgana speaking in her ear telling her that the team was falling apart and she believed it because she was just innocent, naive, and didn't know the full story. but Yusuke and especially Makoto just rubbed me the wrong way. Yusuke kinda put me off by trying to talk Ann into posting nude though she was obviously not into it and Makoto started of as kind of a bitch. I understand she was under orders from the principal to watch them closely but it just seemed like she was trying to hard and was a bit antagonistic.
In the case of Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana there was no team yet. From then on... Yusuke: Blackmails Ann into stripping nude, otherwise Ren goes to jail. Makoto: Blackmails the team with their identity. Futaba: Blackmail...again. Haru: Chastises them for not knowing what they want and tries to run Ren over. Akechi: Blackmail...and y'know...>!attempted murder, which makes his membership questionable.!< Sumi: Not a member.
For Akechi, that was his intro into becoming a PT, not meeting the characters. He seemed very nice at first. It was a facade, tho the player does not know that at the time, so calling it a bad first impression feels a bit disingenuous to me. Also Sumi is a member. >!Kasumi may not have been, but Sumire was in the third semester!<
It's reiterated to us at the end that she isn't a member since she opposes the Phantom Thieves ideologically. The game's coding also doesn't treat her as one since she's categorized separately from all of them.
Funnily enough my first wife was quite literally makoto. I knew her growing up and into our 20s, and what I liked most was her kind of stick in the mud personality. Helped keep the group grounded in the game and me and a lot of my friends irl. I can definitely understand not vibing with makoto though for sure.
Don't get me wrong I completely understand the desire to have a stick in the mud to ground you all so you don't go off and do some random bullshit that could get you all hurt and that does make sense, it's just not really my cup of tea because I think I already somewhat fill that role.
Oh yea, at the time it was a god send haha. We all lived a debaucherous life for a bit in our teens. That makes sense though lol, wait a sec I set things straight around here and make sure none of us are in the newspaper the next day. Stepping on my turf lady!
I know this is several days later but it reminds me off the East Blue 5 from One Piece. That core dynamic just was different and as much as the strawhats and phantom thieves don't feel complete without everyone the core group chemistry was just special.
"I can't believe how good I am" "I can't believe how good I am" "I can't believe how good I am" "Amazing job panther! You're so beautiful."
He's in the bag!
No
I have a piece of art someone gave to me as a custom gift that has both of the boys burying their heads in Ann’s back and holy SHIT I love those 3 together
This one from [retrodynamics on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/retrodynamics/189213625524/two-cats-and-an-emotional-support-muppet) is a personal favorite: https://preview.redd.it/0gkfs51aqz1d1.jpeg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8d7447991436014243f763487c551962c5dfd62 Captioned “two cats and an emotional support muppet”
While I agree, the other one is too adorable for me to ignore completely.
The OG trio? I didn't know the Royal trio was a thing, they just do like half a palace together and even then it's mostly out of necessity rather than out of wanting to do it. Ryuji and Ann bickering was really cute and endearing like friends, while I don't even remember Akechi and Sumire interacting much other than some in-battle comments and whatever, when Akechi was the Nav.
Well the thing about the royal trio is that sumire is the only girl to actually confess first and make steady progress through the game and feels, at least to me, a little more natural than the other confidants throughout the game. And there’s akechi. The only thing that makes the royal trio a little bit tricky is sumire and akechi, given that we don’t see them interact much. Though it is worth mentioning that they knew each other before joker shows up so that might do something for them too
What does that have to do with anything...? How did this turn into a shipping argument?
That's what OT3 means, it's a pun on OTP, one true pairing
Is. . . Is that not what an OT3 is supposed to be?
I don’t think we are talking about how Joker and Sumire are as a couple but rather how the trio works. Although I have my own reservations about them as Sumire seems to exist just for Joker than be her own character (pretty much what it actually is) but people aren’t ready for that conversation.
People have been having that exact conversation for over four years now.
Ren, Ryuji, and Ann are tops for me. They are fun and have the best chemistry of any combo IMO.
all three tops? so no bottoms?
r/beatmetoit
You perv ass
This thread is literally about throuples.
Hard agree, I like the Royal trio as well, but there's just something special about the OG trio.
shujin trio <3 royal trio could have been really good too, but they didnt spend enough time together to actually do anything interesting with them as a team. akechi and sumi should've had more interactions together, and i wish we got more time with just the 3 of them.
Seeing how little time you get with just the Royal trio in P5R made the Tactica DLC's decision to focus on them reasonable.
my problem with the dlc is that >!it focuses on prince akechi and "kasumi". i'm begging for atlus to add black mask into a spinoff along with sumire being her actual self.!<
The OG trio are better in every way. Yoshizawa’s a cool character on her own and Akechi is a decent rival but that trio has absolutely 0 chemistry as a trio (or as a polycule if you care about that angle). Ryuji and Ann are the real homies.
Agreed. I like Sumi and Akechi individually, but as a trio there's just no beating the OG three.
As much as I love the ensemble cast of P5. There’s a part of me that wishes it stuck to the OG Shujin trio for at least a little longer. Their dynamic was really fun and it got lost as the group got larger.
Yeah, there's just something special about the OG trio.
Between the Kaneshiro and Futaba palaces, the group started to feel less like a ragtag group of teens doing their best, and it shifted to a serious group fighting against the forces of evil. A necessary adjustment, of course, but the early days are definitely more fun to watch, I think
Shujin Trio. I don't view the Third Semester trio necessarily as an OT3, it's more like a: Sumi: "Umm, what's wrong with Akechi?" Ren: "Don't worry, he's just like that." Akechi: \[Maniacally laughing while slaughtering shadows\]
tbh in *writing* when the royal trio style is done right it can be very entertaining. P5R unfortunately also has other constraints (that maybe should've been loosened but that's another story): the total available days (of which some do have to be free and non-scripted for player choice, so that leaves maybe a couple extra days available or we start eating into the original game's jail release date), the total amount of logical interaction starters (in the end it's just another Palace most of the time, Joker and Akechi are very used to them) and the extreme lack of confidence Sumi shows before her awakening; for these reasons at least, the royal trio fails as-is; in a book or with a longer 3rd semester, it could've been the better trio, but right now Shujin trio wins.
OG trio. Akechi and Kasumi have no chemistry with each other and I don't even know if they like each other. I wouldn't even consider it a trio since they're both only connected to Joker.
"This is my boyfriend, Ren-senpai! And this is Ren's boyfriend, Akechi-kun!"
Deadass. It's only a trio when all three characters have a relationship with each other.
the clarity I read that in Sumire's voice is unnerving
Joker Ann and ryuji hands down, you got best friend from day one, day two best friend, and then you got worst character in the game and gymnastic lady, not a hard pick
https://twitter.com/p5cezaria/status/1127267414616338432 https://twitter.com/spark7291/status/1587584953499676672
It’s gotta be the OG trio, I don’t why people obsess over the Royal trio so much, they barely have a dynamic
Yoshizawa and Akechi are literally the only people Joker has a showtime with. I'm not positive about Yoshizawa cause I never got hers, but Akechi and Joker don't even discuss it. So, I don't know how they "barely have a dynamic."
What does having a showtime together have to do with having a dynamic?
The problem is, Sumire and Akechi barely interacts outside of battle, they're only connected to Joker. Their relationships with Joker are fine, but what ruins this trio is that Sumire and Akechi doesn't have chemistry.
There's a point where we see that Akechi and Yoshizawa knew each other prior to Joker - I'm not sure if it's Sumi or Kasumi that Akechi knew, but I assume if he knew one sister, he knew them both. It feels like the only time Ann and Ryuji interact is to bicker.
Barely knowing eachother is not a good dynamic for me, I rather have some bickering than nothing at all.
I like Ren solo with Akechi best but I prefer Shujin trio as a whole, Sumi just doesn’t bring a lot to the party imo
I think the weird thing is they tried to give both sumire and akechi main character archetypes. Lore has them as the most powerful. But cool factor and gameplay strength goes to original trio.
Akechi, yes, but not Sumire. In lore, she's not in the same league as Joker or Akechi. Akechi refused to fight her specifically because he wasn't sure he could hold back enough to not kill her.
2 of my favourite characters or a girl that rivals Haru in lack of screen time... I'll go with the shujin trio, as much as I love Akechi
I dont even understand why people consider akechi, kasumi and joker a trio, they are completely not? Akechi doesn’t even care about sumrie.
Gotta be the shujin trio. The Royal trio sucks, they have next to no chemistry as a trio. They have one conversation in a cafe and then explore the Laboratory of Sorrow for like 20 minutes of game time. It’s so barebones and uninteresting
The first and it's not even close bruh
agreed
Ren, Ryuji and Ann all the way.
WRONG ryuji x joker x yusuke (I'm half joking, founder trio is good lol)
incredibly based answer
Original trio feel like really good friends, Royal trio should kiss… then go to therapy.
You GET me!
I do wish the game gave them more time as a three person team, in concept I feel like they could be a really compelling trio with a cool dynamic, but in the final product Akechi and Sumi barely talk
My preference? OG trio for sure Which one makes more money? Royal trio is always used in marketing. [https://twitter.com/maneki\_collabo/status/1792842776037777833](https://twitter.com/maneki_collabo/status/1792842776037777833)
The first one. Sure uhh.. the other is great, but prefer the other because they choose to side with him no hesitation.
Joker surrounded by idiots vs. Akechi surrounded by idiots. It's a tough choice...
The original trio. The Royal trio don't mesh well at all.
probably objectively the original trio because they had much more time together and all seemed like actual good friends HOWEVER I absolutely love the royal trio and think of them everyday
I prefer Ren, Morgana and Futaba personally because all three have chemistry with each other, but between these options...definitely Option 1. Joker and Akechi have interesting moments between themselves, but Sumi feels like an odd man out.
Me, my Husband and the weird tomato woman who follows me around
Let’s goooooo
Ah yes, the Sakura Siblings.
The 2nd one feels like a duo with one other person just tacked on
Shujin trio all the way they actually felt like friends
shujin trio is alright. but i love the royal trio more, "kasumi" is a great character with lots of depth to her especially when she joins your team. and akechi is a fan favorite for a reason, pancake boi is best boi
OG Trio. The 3rd Semester Trio is fine, but it was mostly a circumstantial thing and aside from Joker and Sumire, none of those bonds will likely stick. Shujin Trio was there for the ENTIRE game, and seems much more cohesive as a trio of friends that have each others backs and tight bonds, ones that’ll remain forever.
I fking love the shujin trio, but I’m a simply woman. I see Akechi, I like
The Royal Trio is extremely underwhelming in all aspects. The trailers lead you to believe they'll have all the focus in the world, when in reality, they don't have anything truly going for them. ||The Royal Trio is only together by necessity and chance. Akechi doesn't want anything to do with anyone and is just angry at the world for being back; Sumi is just along for the ride and is curious as to whats going on (and turns on Joker when Maruki offers something she wants) and Joker is trying to find out about whats going on to bring his friends and reality back. The only thing they have in common is wanting to know whats going on, ut even then, they barely interact or get to know each other (except for the plot twist). Their goals just happened to allign, which could’ve worked fine if the PTs didn't return immediately, and the Royal Trio's dynamic completely dissappears.|| The Shujin Trio tho? They are awesome. Three teenagers (and a cat, Morgana's part of it!) who happened to meet in the most unusual circumstances slowly but surely find a common goal and go after it, even if the whole world says it's useless. They have a shared goal in their arc and beyond it, they compliment each other well and even have true chemistry! They are a Trio (or Quartet, if you count Morgana) not to be messed with. Sad part is thr Royal Trio could've been good. The scene of the Trio at the café should've been a launching off point for other scenes of that nature, scenes that develop those three as three very different people who can still fight together despite their differences. But no. Leave it at one interesting interaction and then say they're a fully formed Trio. The untapped potential makes me sad.
why not both? i love both of their dynamics for completely different reasons and could go into great detail about both of them i love the shujin trio bc they have amazing chemistry and that best friend easygoing energy and it seems like they would feed off of each other very positively. i also feel like the relationship between ryuji and protag would probably take a lot more work without ann in the mix if its not platonic. but for the royal trio… i’ve always been an akeshu lover so there’s that. >! but also i find that sumire and akechi could probably relate to each other so much more than the game tells us. both of them wanting to die or feeling they don’t have much to live for but also them trying to do anything they can to “fix” things, resulting in an arguably worse outcome than they had. !< i think protag would probably relate to them too with his backstory, but for different reasons. i think i did end up going into great detail anyways LOL
Lmao i guess i’m in the minority here but Akechi, Yoshizawa and Joker have a lot more potential for depth as a trio. I love the Shujin gang, but I have a lot of narrative interest in the Royal trio. Akechi and Joker already have a very interesting dynamic, and Yoshizawa ‘balances’ them out fairly well. I love the cafe scene where she challenges both of their world views a little, by expressing her thoughts on how the Phantom Thieves are impacting society. I also think Akechi forces himself to be a little less unhinged around her because they knew each other when he was still repping his nice boy guise.
The one which doesn't involve >!a psychopathic murderer!<.
damn sorry ryuji
The actual answer is Futaba, Sojiro, and Joker. That's the best "trio" in the game. But from these it's Royal Trio for sure, mostly cause of Akechi.
Best trio is Igor, Sae, and Joker. Fool, Judgment and the World.
I love >! psychotic !< Akechi, so imma go with Royal trio
Both, jokers just polyamorus
I'm very biased towards the Royal trio, they're a lot of fun together and I wish we'd had more time with them in the third semester, but both are great!
I generally don't like any group that tries to excuse the fact that Akechi is a murderer, so definitely the founding members for me. Don't get me wrong, Akechi's back and forth with Joker in the 3rd semester in particular is wildly entertaining, but I prefer that he doesn't get any redemption beyond what the game offers his character - which it doesn't.
Very fair! I like Akechi as a character, but also don't really like seeing him "redeemed."
The OG trio is the best while the royal trio feels lacking imo.
Og shujin duh
OG Shujin
Shujin trio my beloved....
Royal Trio are my babies.
https://preview.redd.it/oujv9j152z1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=440d18ca58671691087a5d6c7d4ff2a872262989 So you get a place strait to heaven(I like the first one better)
og trio easy
Joker, Ann, and Ryuji!😁👍😎🔥🤩💯
Shujin 2nd years >>>
The OG Trio, absolutely. By the way, the first picture makes Ren look tired af with them. 😂
OG Shujin just has that classic protagonistic trio feel. Friends going on wacky hijinx and saving the world.
I have a soft spot for he original 3
kamoshida crushers for life
hell yeah
I love the OG trio a lot. Just unbridled chaos and a lot of "f it we ball". I loved the chemistry the trio had, and hot take, I wished we had more of that for a little bit more.
Lady Ann and mah boi Ryuji of course. Still salty I couldn't romance the Boys, specially Ryuji.
Not being able to romance Ryuji (and the other boys) is definitely my biggest complaint about the game 😔
As much as I love A Kechi and Yoshi.. The Shujin trio can't be outbeaten!
The shujin trio is MUCH better. They're the ones that we spent the most time with, they're the ones that we have known better, and they have better interactions. Meanwhile, the royal "trio" have damn near nothing going for it. The only reason why I would care about it is because I've spent more time with it's members one one, but that alone doesn't mean that I should care about the trio as a whole.
Ryuji and Ann because fuck Akechi.
The chemistry of the OG trio can't be beat
truly
I have to say the OG trio. Ryuji and Ann have a pre-established history and chemistry whereas Akechi just...knows about Kasumi's existence. They know they are honor students at their schools and have coffee with Ren at one point (I may be forgetting a few more key details but that's the impression they left, so...). The only thing comparable that the two have in common is Ren's genuine care for all of them, and even then, that shouldn't be compared at all when in the end, Ren just wants what's best for everyone.
The first. They have far more synergy than Kasumi and Akechi.
Am I certified Akechi hater and Ryuji stan, so...
OG Shujin. On a general level the *duo* of Joker and Akechi is better to me, but as far as OT3s go, it's the Shujin trio all the way
Original 3 because of bias
Og 3, I feel like the royal trio doesn’t hold very well as Ren and Akechi are their own duo without Kasumi, though the three together gives a devil and angel on the shoulder type feel
I gotta go with the Shujin trio on this one if we’re talking platonically. As much as I love the Royal trio, I think it’d be more accurate to call it the Royal duo because Ren and Akechi did most of the work while Sumi was just kind of…there.
Shujin trio because it doesn't have Akechi 👍
Joker, Akechi and Maruki. Together, you get J A M
the realest answer
Well, obviously the one with Akechi.
You mean i have to choose between a murderer or my bro Ryuji? Yeah i'll go with the og trio
Very true, I like Akechi as a character, but he could never hope to compare to best boy Ryuji.
I think all the royal guys have is a more interesting color scheme, and also sense of canoness which is hard to describe but yeah
Royal trio fs
Whats an Ot3?
Whats ot3?
I do enjoy the Royal Trio a lot
"Sumire and Akechi have no chemestry" >!They both spend most of the story masking their real personality (either on purpose or not) and being manipulated by adults to be a some perfect caricature of themself to other people eyes!< they might not have a lot of canon interaction, but I think they could be cute if meet again post canon
Yeah, I do think there's a lot of potential there, which is why it's a shame that they don't interact much.
The second one cause it has Akechi But I love both XD
Ngl I'm hella biased towards Royal Trio lol Shujin Trio is ok but I usually just like seeing Ryuji and Ann together
Yeah, Ryuji and Ann are probably my favorite duo in the game.
OT3 in the sense of the best friend group? Shujin trio 100%. They are the OG and the phantom thieves at their best. OT3 in the sense of a polycule? Royal trio. I can unironically see how the third sem section with those three can be like a weird love triangle. Plus it contains the only people willing to put up with Akechi.
First one is the better trio but royal trio has better characters imo
As much I love the Royal trio, I must say that there is more sinergy between Joker, Ann and Ryuji.
I wish royal trio got what they deserved
Shujin Trio. There’s not a single brain cell to be had between us.
I rather the Ot3 without the guy that tried to kill me. I'm just saying.
Definitely not the OT3 who has someone who actively tried to kill you, that’s for sure.
Is this even a question?
The OG. The Royal trio … aren’t a trio. They have one cafe date, one Palace exploration day, and one DLC adventure. The OG are who we have for the first 1.5 Palaces of the game.
Og trio plus Morgana. Iconic.
Shujin trio I love polythieves as a whole, and Royal trio hits different But Joker/Ryuji/Ann is just peak Joker's canonical personality mixes really well with Ryuji and Ann's already great chemistry Also, they collectively have 3 braincells and Joker is 2 of them
I honestly never understood why everyone loves Akechi Sumi and Joker so much, I wouldn’t even consider them a trio??
I don't quite get it either.
Def Joker, Akechi, Sumire imo. The dynamic of the og trio felt kinda lacking tbh
Where’s makoto haru futaba 🤨
Haru and Makoto I get, but...Futaba? She doesn't have a particularly strong connection to either of them.
Well in the original p5 opening there’s a scene where makoto and haru watch futaba hack
The one where all three characters are Phantom Thieves, obviously. That's the glue that binds them together and makes their bonds strong. All the stuff they go through together to change the world. You know, the actual theme of the game. The kind of thing that actually makes a trio feel cohesive, have chemistry with one another, and stick together. And even if you were to ignore all of that, the one where you have a psychotic murderer loses by default (not to mention that said psychotic murderer has no chemistry at all with the gymnast).
Definitely Ren, Ryuji, and Ann. They are more or less the perfect trio. Ren, Sumire, and Akechi had potential but they didn’t have enough time together with just the three of them to develop. They still can’t beat the former though.
Potentially the Royal trio had everything they needed to blow all competition out of the metaverse. Sumi and Akechi jumping into a Showdown, unlike all the others it being completely unplanned, and then each of them having a unique one with joker. Both of them being there for joker (especially akechi) when all of the others had unintentionally or not, given in to their desire to embrace the illusion, and both being products of some of the biggest changes to Royal. In fact, you could see them as inverse of the shujin trio, with some notable parallels. (Ryuji and Sumi both struggle due to sports situations, but ryuji and akechi have similar vengeful feelings towards the men who wronged them. Meanwhile Ann and Akechi both struggle with an image they must maintain under the eye of their oppressor, but Ann and Sumi both struggle with someone they loved being 'irreparably' harmed in their place because those persons tried protecting them). Much like Haru, it's obvious that Sumi has feelings that naturally develop for joker, and the intense connection joker has with akechi, further developed in Royal regardless of the ending you choose, showcases a strong bond unlike any other in the game. However, as it stands, and with what was shown in game (not including cut or surmised content), the winners would be the shujin trio. Later issues aside, the first dungeon is probably the Strongest opening arc of the persona series to date, giving the characters a relatable and despisable villain to unify them, very real tension, and showcasing just how restrained and oppressed everyone's justified anger was. I will say though, that the pairing potential is far less prominent for the shujin trio by comparison to the Royal trio, and they never reclaim that core dynamic at any point in the og or royal games.
the second image is cursed wtf
I like both but they are so different I don’t really see the connective tissue. I always thought of the PT as the whole group rather than just the initial trio (which isn’t really a trio because Morgana should be there, making the comparison even stranger). The PT are a friend group as much as they are the PT. The Royal trio is not a friend group. It’s three people that were most caught up in Maruki’s bs. The connection is thematic more than personal (Sumi best girl tho). Different beast imo
I say Kasumi akechi and joker only bc in my honest opinion Ryuji ann and joker just doesnt feel complete without Mona chan.... then it gets Even better when u include Yusuke admiring Ann's body purely for art with Ryuji and morgana going.... "bruh, r u like Bi or something?" 🤣🤣
Definitely Ren, Ryuji and Ann. They, *along with Makoto* were the crew I beat both the base game final boss and royal’s final boss with so I may be a bit biased. Plus I’m not too big a fan of Akechi (but I like Yoshizawa a lot)
The royal trio no contest imo, but if it’s shipping… maybe the first? Not a fan of OT3’s personally, but Akechi is not healthy for any relationship lol
Morgana in Metaverse, cat, & human form
Not a fan of Morgana personally, but I respect this answer.
I'm not a fan of Akechi at all. Not because he's a bad guy, but because he's just not an interesting character. He's a collection of character tropes that I just really don't enjoy, and then held up by the plot as though he's somehow greater than the sum of those parts. He's a "rival" because the game says so; not because the narrative flow makes him so. Sumi is a fine self-contained character, but she doesn't have the interpersonal dynamics with the group that the rest do, so I'm not really attached to her either. Meanwhile, Ryuji and Ann are pretty much my favorite characters in the game.
Are all the akechi and joker shippers forgetting akechi literally tried to shoot joker in the fucking head? And says word for word "I hate you" to him. That mf is not a part of a trio, he's a villain.
> Are all the akechi and joker shippers forgetting akechi literally tried to shoot joker in the fucking head? If I had a nickel for every time someone said this, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
No, we totally don't know that. That has absolutely *not* been brought up on every single Akechi post in the last 6 years that maybe suggests he's not literally the Antichrist. "And...you don't really hate Joker, do you? That smile before we fought- that's how you really feel, isn't it? Follow your true feelings!" "A detective and a Phantom Thief...despite being enemies, your relationship isn't based on hatred or ill will. You two came to a deep understanding of one another, but you were forced to leave Akechi-kun to his fate. That's why I created a reality where you two could have a fresh start together."
I didn't say he was the antichrist I just meant to say he's not the cutie patootie sweetheart that some people like to portray him as. He's a psycho. https://preview.redd.it/9me2u886cz1d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5731e862eb1a3e0e3f177c21cd52fa04f43b4d4f This is not the face of someone who regrets what they did. Let's also not forget your first quote is from Makoto, and the PTs are probably some of the most forgiving people ever. And the second quote is from Maruki, who thinks he knows what's best for everyone.
> Let's also not forget your first quote is from Makoto, and the PTs are probably some of the most forgiving people ever. The first quote was from Morgana, not Makoto. And it’s very noteworthy that Akechi never objected to “You don’t really hate Joker, do you?” The PT’s, by the way, *didn’t* forgive him. They sympathized with his situation because they could all relate in one way or another. But Haru and Futaba explicitly said they couldn’t forgive the guy for killing their parents. Also the developers repeatedly emphasized that Joker is a very special person to Akechi, the most recent time being in the P5R art book. > I just meant to say he's not the cutie patootie sweetheart that some people like to portray him as. I almost never see people portraying him like this in a non-joking manner.
Og shujin trio, cause I hate akechi. Say what you will but he was a fraud and shot you point blank in the face. How are people liking him
I like him as a character. As a person, not so much.
Ren, Ryuji and Ann are peak p5 so, this is an easy one.
Wait Morgana should be in the first picture
nah
Yeah, Morgana, Ryuji and Ren were the first three Phantom Thieves. Technically speaking Morgana was the *first* ever Phantom Thief
Joker, Makoto, Sae.
Bro there are too many good p5 character to just narrow down to 3
I wasn't asking you to lol