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While thePersona 5timeline may seem rather straightforward at first, things get rather complicated in a hurry. The simplistic nature of how time passes in the original Persona 5 allows for the timeline to flow in a surprisingly easy way to follow, but the various companion games that have come out can be tougher to place.
With clues based on information provided in-game, there are ways to figure out exactly where each game with the Persona 5 branding fits into the timeline. This means you’ll knowin which order the Phantom Thieves’ adventures play outif you do a little bit of digging, but luckily, that’s what this timeline is for.
Kicking things off, it is important to note thatboth Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal should be considered the same timeline experience, with Royal acting as an expansion upon the original. This is because the events of the story are largely the same, with a third semester being added to the base experience of Persona 5 taking place in January and February.
Persona 5 begins after Joker transfers to Shujin Academyafter stepping in the middle of a situation that resulted in him facing an assault charge. His adventures in Persona 5take place from the months of April to March of the following year.
April 9 - June 30
In April, May, and June, the story truly begins. Joker begins attending Shujin Academy,befriending Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, and Makotoduring this period. The Phantom Thieves changethe hearts of Kamoshida, Madarame, and potentially Kaneshiroas well, ridding a great deal of evil from Tokyo.
July 2 - September 30
In July, August, and September, the Phantom Thieves attempt to enjoy their summer but areinterrupted by Futaba. They change Futaba’s heart,head to the beach, take a trip to Hawaii,and befriend Haru, beginning and potentially finishing Okumura’s palace.
October 1 - December 31
In October, November, and December,the group saves Haru and the story finally catches up tothe point in which Joker relays the story to Sae Niijima in his interrogation following his capture at the casino. The groupsteals Sae’s heart,takes on Shido’s palace, anddives into Mementos to save humanity.
January 1 - March 19
InJanuary, February, and March, you beginthe additional semester that was added in with Persona 5 Royal. Fighting even more control over humanity, The Phantom Thieves take on theirfinal challenge to change Maruki’s heart. From there, you’ll getthe conclusion to the story complete with Joker’s romantic Valentine’s Dayand his bittersweet goodbye with his friends.
The 3DS dungeon-crawler Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is an interesting game as itcombines the casts from Persona 3, 4, and 5. When it comes to the cast of Persona 5, it seems that this gametakes place roughly around the events of Niijima’s Casino palace, putting itsomewhere between October 30 and November 18.
While exploring in Mementos, the cast of Persona 5 winds up stuck inside a film, leaving them to team up with the casts of the other games in order to figure out what is going on and how to return home.
This fun andsurprisingly tricky little rhythm gameis yet another interesting game to place on the Persona 5 timeline because itcould be argued to be in a few different spots.Realistically, there doesn’t seem to be one solid answer for where exactly this game takes place since it’s a rhythm game made solely for the enjoyment of its gameplay rather than its place in the narrative. It does appear to take place in a dream.
With context clues from the cast, it seems like the game takes place atsome point between the third semester at Shujin Academy and the time in which Joker leaves Tokyo. Being a dream, it doesn’t really matter when it takes place exactly, but that is the generally agreed-upon ballpark for when the cast of Persona 5 boogie the night away.
At this point the tactical RPG that is Persona 5 Tacticatakes place after the player-controlled events of Persona 5(not before the actual conclusion of the story of the game),but before the events of Persona 5 Strikers.
One of the biggest clues for a timeline placement is the fact thatit is mentioned that the weather is snowy, something that would indicate the colder months. With a few other added bits of info like upcoming graduations, fans have been able to estimate thatthe game takes place sometime between February and March.
The Phantom Thieves take on the Legionnaires with the help of the Rebel Corps, but it’s up to your strategic mind to ensure Joker’s victory.
The action-packed Persona 5 Strikers isthe latest in the Persona 5 timeline because the game explicitly states that to be the case. Even further down the road from Persona 5 Tactica,Persona 5 Strikers takes place during the summer after Persona 5.
The game starts out with the Phantom Thieves getting back together in order to head out on a camping trip, only for the Phantom Thieves to be brought back intothe world of Shadows and jails. Having to contend with the evil EMMA app seeking to assist humanity in the most twisted way possible,the Phantom Thieves change hearts and break AI in order to save the day.
It’s at this point that the group makes plans tomeet again during Winter break, but only time will tell if thatends up extending the Persona 5 timelineeven further.
