Every Playable Character in Persona 5 Tactica, Explained

As is usually the case for a Persona 5 spinoff, Tactica boasts a fairly expansive roster of heroes for players to command in battle. Here’s every playable character in Persona 5 Tactica.

Who’s Who in Persona 5 Tactica?

As you can expect from a game boasting the Persona 5 title, the bulk of the controllable characters will be familiar to any player who’s gone through the original game and any of its other spinoffs. That means you’ll be encountering the likes of Joker, Morgana, Ryuji, and even Ann, who made her franchise debut with the expanded re-release Persona 5 Royal. While they may look similar to how they appear in most other titles, each of the characters has been reworked to better fit with the genre of a tactics game, meaning most of the unique abilities have been tweaked to better fit a grid-based movement combat system.

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Having said that, they should all effectively cover the same kinds of roles in Tactica that they usually fill in P5 Royal. You’ll only be able to form squads of three characters, so if you adore the whole crew, be ready to make some cuts here and there. Each hero has unique skills, abilities, and personas they can use to swing the battle in their favor, so creating a squad that synergizes well with one another is vital. Let’s get into the weeds with the various playable characters!

Ren Amamiya, aka Joker

Of course, Joker’s in Tactica. I reckon it’s borderline illegal to release a Persona 5 game that doesn’t feature the suave leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts in a major role. Joker’s iconic pistol returns as his primary weapon, and it’s obviously used to dish out damage to a single target from range. Sounds fairly basic, but Tactica has a system that requires players to avoid enemy firing lines, so any weapon that deals a good chunk of damage from afar is a major boon.

Joker also boasts the skill “Phantom Judge,” which can hurt a group of enemies from a distance, even if they’ve taken the guard action. It’s a good way to soften up targets for some more direct damage in the next turn and even better at dealing with weaker mobs of foes. As can be expected, Ren seems to be taking point as one of the two main characters of Tactica. The other is Erina, who we’ll discuss in a moment, but first, we need to take care of the franchise’s other mascot.

Morgana

Similar to Joker, I highly doubt we’ll ever see a Persona 5 spinoff that doesn’t feature Morgana in some capacity. The bizarre character, who claims to actually be a human despite his feline appearance, is a utility hero that combos well with nearly any other member of the Phantom Thieves. His sweep attacks are excellent for controlling the battlefield by knocking enemies out of cover, making it easier for his squadmates to bring them down. Morgana may not hit hard, but cover control is an essential part of any tactics game.

The ability to shift enemies around is continued in his special skill, “Winds of Time,” which impacts foes within a massive range. It’s effectively a Sweep Attack on a much larger scale and, when used correctly, could be the deciding factor in many games. I wouldn’t be surprised if Morgana becomes a staple of most player’s squads. Just the chance to reshuffle everyone’s positions with a basic attack is huge and will no doubt be a major advantage.

Erina

A fresh face at last! Erina is making her franchise debut in Persona 5 Tactica, and while she may not have the established presence of the other Phantom Thieves, she’s no slouch on the battlefield. She specializes in targeting multiple enemies at once, using her weapons to dish out a huge amount of damage. While that in itself makes her sound like a full-on damage character, you’d be incorrect for making such a bold assumption.

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Using her “Flag of Freedom” skill, Erina plants the titular flag on the field, granting all nearby enemies a debuff to their defense. This obviously combos well with any squad member’s attacks, but it does more than just provide an offensive hand. Allies standing close to the flag will also heal up, meaning the positioning of this ability truly matters.

Ryuji

Irritating to someone and beloved by many more, Ryuji walks the battlefields of Tactica with a gigantic shotgun that’s able to hit multiple enemies within its zone of fire. The damage output is substantial, but you’ll need to get in fairly close if you want to get the most out of this move.

Ryuji’s special skill, the wonderfully titled “Brigantine Blitzkrieg,” is less about dealing and more about area control. Using this ability will immobilize and lock down all enemies within a straight line area-of-effect. It’s excellent for ensuring particularly tricky foes don’t leave their positions, which allows his squadmates to pull off some very effective flanking maneuvers. Oh, and his persona, Captain Kidd, can also inflict shock damage on enemies. Can’t forget about those all-important element attacks!

Ann

Another long-distance damage dealer, Ann is able to damage multiple foes in a single attack thanks to her submachine game. Like Joker, she’s most adept at dishing out the pain from a distance to ensure she’s not struck by any counterattacks. Her persona, Carmen, inflicts fire damage on groups of enemies, which is always a handy skill to have in your back pocket.

Ann’s special skill is “Femme Fatale,” a fairly straightforward ability that sends a highly explosive bomb to enemies stuck behind cover. It’s great for dealing with any foes that have managed to lock down a particular section of the map. Oh, it also does a TON of damage, making it maybe one of the best single-enemy removal tools in Tactica.

Yusuke

Coming into the battle with an assault rifle, it’s no secret that Yusuke is excellent at single-target removal at range. His persona, Goeman, is also able to unleash the ability Bufu, which hits a small area with an ice attack that freezes enemies, slowing down their movement and opening them up for a potential second attack.

Yusuke also boasts one of the most unique special skills in “Like a Phantom,” which allows him to create a series of clones that take up spots on the field. These doppelgangers can trick enemies into wasting a turn firing at them, allowing Yusuke to move to a better location or trick the Legionnaires into moving out of cover to bring down a Phantom Thief that is, well, just a phantom.

Makoto

Who needs guns when you’ve got the force of a small truck in your muscles? Makoto ditches firearms for a more up-close-and-personal approach as she punches enemies for major damage and a small amount of movement. It’s not great for dealing with groups but fantastic when it comes to robbing an opponent of their high-ground advantage.

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She can use her special skill, “Full Throttle,” to rev up her bike and damage any enemies in a straight line, displacing them from cover and knocking them to different parts of the field. It’s effective when it comes to hurting a group of Legionnaires, but it’s also great for separating a clump of foes that just won’t budge.

Haru

She may be shy and introverted, but the gigantic axe and grenade launcher she brings into the fight will do all the speaking for her. Effective at both close range and at a distance, Haru seems like the closest to a balanced, mid-ranged, jack-of-all-trades kind of hero. One that doesn’t necessarily excel in any specific field but makes up for it by doing most other things solidly enough that you can rely on her to take care of any job.

Her special ability, activated with the help of her persona Milady, pulls any enemies caught within its range close together before blasting them with a powerful area-of-effect attack. Makes sense that it’s called “Noble Lady’s Invitation,” then. This also has a chance to hypnotize foes, meaning they’ll be less effective in combat until the status effect wears off.

Futaba

I’ll admit that I’m breaking the rules slightly by including Futaba on this list. Thematically sticking with how fans have come to know Futaba, she won’t actually be a playable character in Tactica. That’s not to say she won’t have a major mechanical impact on the game, though, as she’s constantly monitoring the battlefield and will dish out healing and SP top-ups to characters that are in dire straights.

It’s unclear whether players will be able to directly choose how she factors into a fight, but trailers have shown Futaba to use both of the above abilities and even revive any of the Phantom Thieves that are knocked down in combat. It seems safe to assume that players will have some level of control over how and when she comes into play, but ATLUS has yet to reveal any further details.