You finally did it. You spent 100 hours—maybe 150 if you’re a completionist like me—fusing Personas, dodging chalk in class, and making sure Sojiro Sakura actually likes you. Then the credits roll on the Persona 5 Royal ending, and instead of the triumphant, high-fiving victory lap you expected from the base game, things feel... weird. It’s bittersweet. It’s quiet. Honestly, it’s kind of a gut punch that leaves you staring at a blank screen wondering if you actually did the right thing by sticking to your guns.
The original Persona 5 was about rebellion. It was loud. It was flashy. But the Royal edition? It shifts the goalposts entirely. It stops being a story about "bad adults" and starts being a story about the ethics of pain and the price of reality. If you're feeling a bit conflicted about how Joker’s journey wrapped up, you aren't alone.
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Maruki’s Reality vs. The Hard Truth
Let’s talk about Takuto Maruki. He isn't your typical JRPG villain. He doesn't want to rule the world or destroy it because he’s bored or "evil." He’s a guy who suffered immense trauma and decided that no one else should ever have to feel that way again. By the time you reach the Persona 5 Royal ending, you’ve spent months talking to this guy, eating snacks in his office, and seeing how genuinely he cares.
It makes the final choice feel disgusting.
In the new semester, Maruki offers a world where everyone is happy. Yusuke’s mother is alive. Wakaba Isshiki never died. Morgana is a human. It’s perfect. It’s also a total lie. The game forces you to decide if a painless, manufactured life is better than a painful, authentic one. Choosing to fight Maruki means you are actively choosing to bring back the grief of your friends. You are telling Futaba that her mom has to be dead again. That’s heavy. Most games wouldn't dare make the player the "bad guy" for wanting truth, but Royal makes you feel every bit of that weight.
The Departure of Sumire Yoshizawa
Sumire (or Kasumi, depending on how far you are in the twist) is the heart of the Royal-specific content. Her character arc is basically a microcosm of the entire third semester conflict. She was living a lie because the truth was too heavy to carry. When you finally reach the climax of the Persona 5 Royal ending, her goodbye feels different than the others.
Some players get annoyed that she barely appears in the final animated cutscene. She’s just... there at the train station for a second. But look at it from a narrative perspective: she’s moving on. She isn't a Phantom Thief in the way the others are; she’s an athlete who found her own feet. Her brief nod to Joker isn't a snub. It’s a sign of growth. She doesn't need to lean on the group anymore. She’s her own person now, which is exactly what Maruki’s reality would have prevented her from becoming.
A Different Kind of Goodbye
In the 2017 version of the game, the ending was a road trip. The whole gang piles into the van, they outrun some government suits, and they drive Joker home. It’s fun! It’s high energy! It feels like a Saturday morning cartoon finale.
The Persona 5 Royal ending trades that van ride for a train platform and a quiet conversation with Maruki, who is now just a taxi driver. It’s a massive tonal shift. Joker goes home alone on a train.
Why change it? Because the Royal content is about maturity. The Phantom Thieves aren't a gang of kids playing superhero anymore. They’ve grown up. They’ve realized that they can’t just rely on the "group" forever. They all have individual goals now—Makoto and Haru are going to college, Ryuji is moving for rehab, Ann is going abroad. The road trip ending suggested they’d stay together forever. The Royal ending acknowledges that life doesn't work like that. It’s lonelier, sure, but it’s more honest.
The Akechi Factor
Then there's the Goro Akechi of it all. If you maxed out his confidant rank, you get that tiny, split-second teaser at the very end. You see a figure in a striped suit walking past the train window. Is it him? Did he survive the engine room? Is he just a figment of Joker’s lingering guilt?
The game stays famously vague here. Director Katsura Hashino and the team at P-Studio love leaving these threads dangling. But the implication matters more than the confirmation. If Akechi is alive, it means Joker’s "rebellion" against Maruki’s reality had a ripple effect that even the protagonist didn't fully understand. It suggests that by choosing a reality where people have the agency to survive (or fail) on their own, Joker actually saved the one person who deserved it the least—and perhaps needed it the most.
Why the Post-Credits Scene Divides Fans
I've seen countless threads on Reddit and ResetEra arguing that the Royal ending "ruined" the original. I get the frustration. The original felt like a clean win. The Royal ending feels like a transition into adulthood, which is rarely clean.
But think about the themes. Persona 5 was about the "Shitty Adults." Persona 5 Royal is about what happens when a "Good Adult" tries to take away your struggle. By refusing Maruki, the Phantom Thieves are basically saying, "We don't need a savior." That's the ultimate form of rebellion. They aren't just fighting a corrupt politician or a god; they’re fighting the temptation to give up.
Things You Might Have Missed
There are layers to this ending that only pop up if you’ve been paying attention to the background NPCs.
- The White Day Event: If you’re playing for the ending, don't skip the White Day date. It’s one of the few moments of pure, unadulterated "normalcy" before the world goes to hell again.
- Maruki’s Counseling: If you didn't finish Maruki’s confidant by November, you actually get locked out of the third semester entirely. You just get the original ending. It’s a harsh lesson in "pay attention to the new guy."
- The True Ending Requirements: You need Maruki at Rank 9 by Nov 18, Akechi at Rank 8 by Nov 24, and Kasumi at Rank 5 by Dec 22. Miss one? No Royal ending for you.
How to Process the Finale
If you just finished the game and you're feeling that post-game depression, take a second to look at the "Checkmate" Joker delivers. It’s not just a game mechanic. It’s a statement. You’ve spent a year of in-game time building a life, and the ending asks you to let go of it so you can go build a real one.
Actionable Steps for Completionists:
- Check your Thieves Den: There are specific gallery unlocks and "Awards" that only trigger if you've seen both the "Accepted" (Bad) ending and the True ending. It’s worth reloading a save just to see Maruki’s "Perfect World"—it’s creepy how nice it is.
- New Game+ Bosses: The ending unlocks the ability to fight Lavenza in New Game+. If you thought the final boss was hard, she will absolutely wreck your world.
- Persona 5 Strikers: If you need more of these characters, play Strikers. Just a heads up though: it was developed alongside Royal, so it doesn't really reference the events of the third semester. Think of it as a sequel to the original story's vibe.
- The Soundtrack: Go listen to "Our Light" (the ending theme). The lyrics are specifically from Joker’s perspective regarding Maruki and the choice they made. It puts the whole experience into context.
The Persona 5 Royal ending isn't supposed to make you feel like a superhero. It’s supposed to make you feel like a human. It’s a reminder that while pain sucks, it’s also the only thing that makes the happy moments mean anything. Now, go take a break. You've earned it after that 100-hour shift.