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Navigating the Moral Maze: Understanding Bad Endings in Persona 5

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Yes, absolutely there are bad endings in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. This acclaimed JRPG isn’t just about stylish battles and building relationships; it’s about making critical choices that determine the fate of the Phantom Thieves and the world around them. Failing to navigate the game’s moral landscape can lead to several undesirable outcomes, each with its own distinct consequences. While the “true” ending offers a satisfying resolution to the overarching narrative, these bad endings serve as stark reminders that every decision carries weight.

The Spectrum of Failure: Exploring the Persona 5 Endings

Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal both offer a multitude of endings, creating a diverse and complex experience. Understanding the various options is key to navigating the challenges that you’ll face in the game.

The Vanilla Persona 5 Bad Endings

In the original Persona 5, there are three primary “bad” endings:

Refusing Igor’s Contract: Early in the game, you are prompted to accept a contract with Igor in the Velvet Room. Declining this offer immediately ends the game, showcasing the protagonist’s initial unwillingness to embrace his destiny. This is the earliest and arguably simplest bad ending to achieve.
Failing to Complete the Final Palace: Allowing the deadline for the final palace to pass results in a somber ending where the Phantom Thieves lose their rebellious spirit. The protagonist succumbs to the false reality created by the antagonist, effectively erasing their progress and rendering their efforts meaningless.
Accepting the False God’s Deal: This ending occurs if the Phantom Thieves accept a deal offered by the final boss. This leads to a world of ease and convenience at the cost of freedom and individual will.

The Royal Treatment: Bad Endings in Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal expands upon the original’s ending structure, adding a layer of complexity and additional opportunities for failure. While the original bad endings remain, Royal introduces new branching paths tied to specific characters and choices:

Failing to Meet the Councillor’s Requirements: To unlock the new content in Persona 5 Royal, you must reach Rank 9 with the Councillor Confidant (Takuto Maruki) before a specific date. Failing to do so locks you out of the new semester and leads to an altered ending that, while not necessarily “bad” in the same vein as the others, is considered less desirable than the true ending.
Accepting Maruki’s Reality: Even with the Councillor Confidant maxed, players are presented with a crucial choice at the climax of the new semester: accept Maruki’s vision of a “perfect” reality, where everyone’s desires are fulfilled, or reject it. Accepting this offer results in an ending where the Phantom Thieves live in a fabricated world, unaware of the sacrifices made for their happiness.
Selling out your comrades: Just like in the original Persona 5, an early game bad ending occurs when you sell out your teammates to Sae Niijima during the interrogation sequence.

Identifying and Avoiding the Pitfalls

Avoiding the bad endings in both versions of Persona 5 hinges on several key factors:

Meeting Confidant Requirements: Particularly in Royal, prioritize leveling up crucial Confidants like the Councillor (Maruki) to unlock the full scope of the game’s content.
Adhering to Deadlines: Meticulously manage your time and ensure you complete each Palace before the stipulated deadline.
Making the Right Choices: Carefully consider the consequences of your decisions, especially during critical dialogue prompts. Often, these choices involve reaffirming your commitment to justice, rejecting manipulative offers, and trusting in your friends.

Why Bad Endings Matter

The existence of bad endings in Persona 5 isn’t merely a design quirk; it’s a fundamental element of the game’s thematic core. They serve to:

Reinforce the Importance of Choice: The bad endings underscore the impact of your decisions, demonstrating that your actions have real consequences within the game’s world.
Highlight the Themes of Rebellion and Freedom: Succumbing to a bad ending often represents a failure to uphold the Phantom Thieves’ ideals, whether through complacency, selfishness, or succumbing to manipulation.
Create Tension and Immersion: Knowing that failure is a distinct possibility adds weight to every decision, increasing the player’s investment in the narrative and characters.

By understanding the nuances of the various endings, players can make informed decisions that lead them toward the true conclusion of Persona 5.

The Games Learning Society recognizes the value of games in developing critical thinking and decision-making skills, as demonstrated by Persona 5’s complex narrative structure. Explore more about the GamesLearningSociety.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Persona 5 Endings

Here are 15 frequently asked questions that will provide additional information about the endings found in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal:

How many endings are there in Persona 5 Royal? Persona 5 Royal has multiple endings, including several bad endings, a good ending, and the true ending. The exact number can be debated depending on how you categorize variations of the same basic ending.
What’s the easiest way to get a bad ending in Persona 5? The easiest way to get a bad ending in the original Persona 5 is to refuse Igor’s contract at the beginning of the game.
Does failing to complete a palace always lead to a bad ending? Yes, failing to complete a Palace by the deadline will always result in a bad ending where the Phantom Thieves lose their will to fight, and the protagonist submits to the distorted reality.
What happens if I accept Maruki’s reality in Persona 5 Royal? Accepting Maruki’s reality in Persona 5 Royal leads to an ending where everyone’s desires are fulfilled in a fabricated world. The Phantom Thieves live in a false paradise, unaware of the true cost of their happiness.
Do I need to max out all confidants to get the true ending? No, you do not need to max out all confidants to achieve the true ending. However, maxing out certain confidants, like the Councillor (Maruki) in Royal, is crucial to unlocking the new content and true ending.
Can I romance multiple characters and still get the true ending? Yes, romancing multiple characters does not prevent you from getting the true ending. However, it can lead to some awkward Valentine’s Day events.
Is there a point of no return where I can’t get the true ending anymore? Yes, there are multiple points of no return. The most significant one in Royal is failing to reach Rank 9 with the Councillor Confidant (Maruki) before the deadline.
What happens in the bad ending where you sell out your friends to Sae? In this bad ending, you betray the Phantom Thieves during the interrogation with Sae Niijima, leading to their capture and the protagonist’s imprisonment. The game ends with the Phantom Thieves being branded as criminals.
Is Akechi alive in the true ending of Persona 5 Royal? Akechi’s fate is somewhat ambiguous in the true ending of Persona 5 Royal. His potential survival depends on certain choices made during his Confidant storyline. Even if he doesn’t reappear physically, Maruki’s existence is proof that it is indeed possible to bring back the dead.
Are the bad endings in Persona 5 Golden similar to Persona 5? While Persona 5 Golden is related, it is a different game. Persona 4 Golden contains its own series of bad endings that are unique to that game. Some of the themes between bad endings are the same, such as selling out your team to save your own skin.
What is the canonical ending of Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal? The canonical ending is considered to be the true ending, where the Phantom Thieves successfully change society, defeat the final boss, and restore justice to the world.
What happens if you don’t complete a request by its deadline? Failing to complete a request by its deadline will result in a bad ending with the person involved. Some requests are required for the main storyline and must be completed.
Can you get locked out of romance options if you make the wrong choices? Some confidants require the player to reach a certain level of character to engage with them. This is typically achieved by using spare time wisely to work on characters stats.
Is Sae Niijima a villain? Sae Niijima is a major antagonist in Persona 5. She is Makoto Niijima’s older sister and legal guardian. She is the main antagonist of the game’s sixth arc. Her Palace is the Casino of Envy.
Can Morgana go back to being human? Morgana doesn’t revert to a human form at the end of Persona 5; he remains a Metaverse being. His story arc revolves around accepting his identity and purpose as a creation born from humanity’s desires.