Editing Joker

Following this success, the Phantom Thieves pursue other targets, typically corrupt adults who victimize the young, gaining a large following and reputation. Over the course of their exploits, the group grows to include artist [[Yusuke Kitagawa]] (whose Persona is Goemon), student council president [[Makoto Niijima]] (whose Persona is Johanna), reclusive hacker [[Futaba Sakura]] (whose Persona is Necronomicon), heiress [[Haru Okumura]] (whose Persona is Milady), and briefly the detective [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Goro_Akechi Goro Akechi] (who, like Joker, also has the Wild Card ability, but his inability to forge true bonds with people has limited him to two Personas: Robin Hood and Loki), who tries to stop the group from the inside in an attempt to arrest them. Ultimately, they end up exposing and ending a conspiracy to elect the corrupt politician [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Masayoshi_Shido Masayoshi Shido] to the position of Prime Minister of Japan, who, through sheer coincidence, was the very same person who falsely accused the protagonist initially, and for which Akechi secretly works as a hitman, although he pursues his own agenda. Soon afterward, they discover that the conspiracy (up to and including granting the Wild Card ability to Joker and Akechi) was masterminded by the god-like being [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Yaldabaoth Yaldabaoth], who sought to merge the Palaces and the real world so it might seize control of both of them through the apathy of the general population. After a long and desperate struggle, spurred on by the faith of those they helped along the way, Joker summons his most powerful Persona, the gigantic Satanael, leading the Phantom Thieves into banishing the false god and freeing humanity from its control, freeing the real Igor against his impostor and fusing the twins into their true form, [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Lavenza Lavenza], shortly prior to it.

In the ''[https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Persona_5_Royal Royal]'' edition, the Phantom Thieves’ battle is not yet over, as they are trapped by psychologist [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Takuto_Maruki Takuto Maruki], who uses his two Personas (primarily Adam Kadmon, and secondarily Azathoth) to warp reality in order to fulfill everyone's peaceful desires and create a world that sacrifices strife and progress for empty happiness. As both places are wrapped into one, the protagonist sees unusual events around him after New Year's Eve, such as civilians constantly smiling and deceased persons resurrected. This also affects Mementos, as Lavenza weakens from the fusion, and Mementos now features roots all throughout that connects to the [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Path_of_Da%27at Path of Da'at] in place of where the Holy Grail was. Joined by Akechi, who had been mysteriously brought back after sacrificing himself in Shido's Palace and is now exclusively using Loki instead of Robin Hood, and gymnast [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Sumire_Yoshizawa Sumire Yoshizawa] (whose Persona is Cendrillon), whose identity was previously swapped to [https://megatenwiki.com/wiki/Kasumi_Yoshizawa Kasumi Yoshizawa], her elder sister who passed away after an incident that took her life (having had her personality overwritten with Maruki's powers), the Phantom Thieves return to the Metaverse to steal Maruki's heart. During this, Joker also has access to an evolved form of Arsène, called Raoul. After a one-on-one fist fight between Joker and Maruki following the defeat of his Personas, the Thieves manage to save and redeem Maruki, who starts over as a taxi driver and helps Joker and Morgana return home safely while evading government surveillance.