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Shocking Revelation: Atlus Confirms Dark Fan Theory Regarding Persona 5 Royal's Conclusion

After years of speculation, Atlus finally confirms a disturbing theory about one of the endings in Persona 5 Royal.
Shocking Revelation: Atlus Confirms Dark Fan Theory Regarding Persona 5 Royal's Conclusion

Highlights

  • Joker and Akechi acknowledge their grim predicament in the alternate ending of Persona 5 Royal.
  • The characters' awareness adds a deeper layer of darkness to the conclusion, especially with Akechi's poignant wish to avoid being controlled by Maruki.
  • This unsettling twist in Persona 5 Royal's storyline aligns with the series' tradition of presenting grim alternate endings that truncate the narrative.

Joker and Goro Akechi are cognizant of their true situation in the alternate ending of Persona 5 Royal, as revealed by Atlus. This confirmation sheds light on a long-debated fan theory, intensifying the somber tone of Persona 5 Royal's conclusion.

With the exception of the Persona 2 series, the mainline titles in this renowned JRPG franchise offer various endings. Typically, these include a true conclusion and multiple alternate outcomes. In Persona games, unfavorable endings often abruptly conclude the story. The primary bad ending in Persona 5 Royal can be classified as such, as players can trigger it several times during the third semester, both before and after finishing the final Palace. In this scenario, Joker opts to embrace Maruki's illusion to remain with his companions indefinitely, despite the mental manipulation.

Insights from Persona 5 Royal's Artbook on the Alternate Ending

The illustrations displayed before the end credits, following this pivotal decision, have fueled speculation among fans that Joker and Akechi retain awareness of their fabricated reality. Their meaningful gazes towards the player, amidst the backdrop of revelry, have now been explicitly validated by Atlus in the Persona 5 Royal Official Design Works, the game's latest art compendium released in Japan on March 28. The caption accompanying the artwork for the alternate ending explicitly states that Akechi and the protagonist are acknowledging that this scene belongs to Maruki's fabricated world, as translated by Twitter user SpecterThieving.

This revelation accentuates the bleakness of Persona 5 Royal's alternate ending. Akechi's repeated declaration that he would prefer death over servitude as a puppet takes on added poignancy in light of his subconscious realization of being manipulated, trapping him in a tragic existence with no apparent escape.

Revisiting New Persona 5 Royal Artbook Excerpts

Although there is ongoing debate among fans regarding Akechi's status in the game's epilogue, the fact that he does not immediately vanish alongside other artificially 'resurrected' characters upon Maruki's defeat in the true ending of Persona 5 Royal has led many to argue against his mere cognitive existence.

Support for this stance was bolstered by a datamined scene from Persona 5 Royal that explicitly confirmed Akechi's survival beyond Shido's Palace. However, this particular cutscene cannot be deemed canonical, as it was excluded from the final game.

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