Persona 5 Tactica puts the Phantom Thieves in a new scenario where they must utilize strategic movement to help topple unjust rulers of oppressed Kingdoms. Alongside their new allies in the Rebel Corps, the tactical RPG gameplay of Persona 5 Tactica means players get to see Phantom Thieves in a way they have never seen them before. As a result, some of the best characters from past games, like Person 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers have shifted to account for this new gameplay style, making certain Phantom Thieves much stronger than others in party setups.
While most players will be able to complete Persona 5 Tactica using whichever party members they choose, some are better suited for combat than others. A big change in Persona 5 Tactica compared to other titles in the Persona 5 series is the ability to equip players other than Joker with additional Personas. As such, party members can have their skills adjusted to best suit the player’s needs for a given level, and other mechanics such as the character’s movement range and gunfire spread also play a major role in determining their utility.
Persona 5 Tactica’s Erina and Toshiro Explained
Erina and Toshiro serve as two new characters joining the Phantom Thieves in Persona 5 Tactica, helping to propel its narrative forward.
S-Tier
Ann Takamaki
Ann returns in Persona 5 Tactica with her signature Persona, Carmen, blazing-hot Burn-based attacks, and the highest SP total in the game. She has access to a variety of skills that can hit multiple targets, and the bullet spread on her SMG allows her to hit multiple targets as well, meaning she has a variety of skills perfect for downing more than one enemy a turn and capitalizing on Persona 5 Tactica‘s One-More mechanic. What sets Ann apart from the rest of the Phantom Thieves is her passive ability, Soul Synergy, which increases the max SP of all party members.
Yusuke Kitagawa
Yusuke makes a name for himself in Persona 5 Tactica using the Freeze-based attacks from his Persona, Goemon, to hit enemies in a wide area of effect and leave them frozen in place. Being able to down multiple enemies in Persona 5 Tactica is already a huge positive for the character, but Yusuke also comes with the bonus of having a very high movement range. However, the true power of Yusuke is in his Voltage skill, which creates decoy copies of himself that will draw the enemy’s attention and open them up to a follow-up attack.
A-Tier
Makoto Niijima
The Fist of Justice Makoto Niijima and her Persona, Johanna, make a great physical attacker and healer combo in Persona 5 Tactica. Makoto’s Vortex skills can hit enemies in a large area of effect, pulling them together and making them easier to hit for a Triple Threat attack. She also has access to some of the best multi-target healing skills in the game, like Media and Mediarama, and she has the passive ability to increase the party’s physical attack power, making Makoto a character that can dish out damage while keeping the team healed.
Ryuji Sakamoto
The biggest benefit of including Ryuji and his Persona, Captain Kidd, in a party is the wide movement range and large health pool he comes with. Ryuji has some solid Shock-based skills like Zionga and Mazionga thanks to Captain Kidd, but he can also be a physical bruiser with a shotgun who can hit multiple targets if they are close to one another. To top it off, his Voltage skill Brigantine Blitzkrieg can hit all targets in a straight line, including those hidden behind cover, leaving them stunned and unable to move on their next turn.
B-Tier
Morgana
Morgana has some useful tools in his toolkit that allow him to be a solid choice of a party member, including his Sweep-based skills provided by his Persona, Zorro. These skills have the ability to displace their targets, meaning players can push enemies hidden behind cover out into the open and down them with a follow-up attack. Additionally, Morgana does have access to basic healing skills, but these are not as useful as having the best movement stat of all party members in Persons 5 Tactica, making it easy for him to set up Triple Threat combos.
Joker
With Persona 5 Tactica removing Joker’s unique status as the Wild Card who can equip and wield multiple Personas, his utility in combat suffers a bit compared to his fellow Phantom Thieves. While Joker doesn’t have the greatest movement stat in the game, his ability to inflict Despair with Arsene helps make up for this drawback by stealing a target’s movement and adding it to his own. Combine this ability with a skill like Rakukaja and Joker can become a solid support character, but it’s clear he’s not the powerhouse he is in other games.
Haru Okumura
Haru’s appearance in Persona 5 Tactica sees her become a powerful attacker who is ultimately held back by her limited movement ability. Her Persona, Milady, allows her to use Hypno skills that damage multiple enemies at a time while also drawing them closer to her, which can help make up for her subpar movement to a degree. Her grenade launcher is also a powerful weapon, but also lacks the range of other characters’ firearms and puts Haru in a position where her potential is ultimately wasted.
C-Tier
Erina
Unfortunately for the leader of Persona 5 Tactica‘s Rebel Corps, Erina’s inability to use a Persona holds her back far more than other playable characters in Persona 5 Tactica. Her Arts can inflict enemies with Forget and make them unable to attack the next turn, and she has high HP and movement stats. However, without the ability to equip a sub-Persona like the other party members, Erina’s utility is much less flexible and there are ultimately better options for party members who can fulfill similar roles.
Persona 5 Tactica
- Franchise
- Persona
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch
- Released
- November 17, 2023
- Developer(s)
- P-Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
- Genre(s)
- Tactical
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 18 Hours