PERSONA5 the Animation

Ren begins his new school life, but its tough being a transfer student, especially when he comes with seemingly shady baggage. He meets Ryuji, a classmate whos similarly isolated, and they use a mysterious app to enter a world in which their gym teacher, Kamoshida, is a sadistic king.

The first heist of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts is underway, as the group sends Kamoshida a calling card, threatening to steal away is twisted desires. Ren and the gang begin prepping for their dangerous delve into the cognitive world, and encounter a couple potential allies in the process. Will they be successful in taking the terrible King Kamoshida’s precious Treasure?

Yusuke Kitagawa, an arts student studying under painter Ichiryusai Madarame, asks Ann to be the model for his next art piece. Meanwhile, student council president Makoto Niijima grows suspicious about Rens group of friends. Noticing comments on the phansite about Madarame plagiarising artwork from his pupils, the gang go to Madarames studio to talk with Yusuke, who shows nothing but admiration for him. Initially assuming they were mistaken, the gang discover that Madarame has his own Palace, where they learn he intends to plagiarise Yusukes work just like his other pupils. While Yusuke claims he is letting Madarame use his work willingly, the gang learn the full extent of Madarames crimes from one of his former disciples, along with Yusukes true feelings.

The Phantoms break into Madarames palace to steal his treasure, only to find it is a trap. Revealing the treasure is the original "Sayuri" painted by Yusukes mother, Madarame is defeated by the Phantoms and admits his crimes in the real world, increasing the thieves reputation.

During a class excursion to a television station, the gang spectate an interview with police detective Goro Akechi, who claims that the Phantom Thieves ability to change hearts could be used for evil. Later, Makoto learns of the Phantom Thieves identities and blackmails them with a recording, stating she will only delete it if they can change the heart of a crime sindicate boss who has involving students. Meeting up with reporter Ichika Ohya, Ren learns the boss name, Junya Kaneshiro, which leads the gang to his Palace; a bank flying above Shibuya.

While making steady progress through Kaneshiros Palace, Makoto manages to become closer with the rest of the team. With the route to the Treasure secured, the Phantoms confront Kaneshiros Shadow, taking advantage of his weakness of money in order to defeat him. Before the Palace is destroyed, Kaneshiro informs the Phantoms about a man in a black mask who is able to enter Palaces.

While looking around Shinjuku with Ren, Makoto spots a fellow student named Eiko working at a dubious looking café, becoming friends with her due to their similar taste in goods. Worried about Eiko being scammed by her host boyfriend Tsukasa, Makoto tells Ren about her late father, who was a police officer, and asks for his help. Managing to expose Tsukasas lies to Eiko, the Phantoms defeat his Shadow in the Metaverse, while Makoto aspires to become a police officer like her father.

After Sojiro catches the group sneaking into his home, he explains how Futubas current situation as a shut-in stems from witnessing her mother Wakaba seemingly commit suicide, and how a few months prior started imagining hallucinations. Although he pleads with them not to involve themselves into Futaba further, the gang decide to help and change her heart after discovering she has a Palace. Visiting Futaba as the school holidays commence, they learn that she sees her home as a tomb and that she will die. The group infiltrates Futabas Palace and become aware of her deteriorating mental state. After finding their way blocked by the same door to Futabas room, the group return to reality and convince her to invite them inside. After some more persuasion, Futaba opens up and directly asks the gang to change her heart.

With Futaba now a part of their team, the gang try to help her improve her social skills by taking her to the beach. Futaba then explains what she learned about Wakabas research on cognitive psience, leading the gang to believe it is related to Palaces, mental shutdown cases, and the man in the black mask. As Mementos expands with the Phantoms increasing popularity, Morgana becomes uncertain over whether he is really human while Ann is troubled with problems with her model work.

The gang infiltrate Kunikazus Palace and discover that Morgana has teamed up with a girl calling herself Beauty Thief, who Makoto identifies as Kunikazus daughter, Haru Okumura. Haru explains that she became a phantom thief and teamed up with Morgana in order to find out the truth behind her father. As Morgana remains defiant about rejoining the others, he gets injured while trying to protect Haru from her abusive fiancee, Sugimura, prompting the others to come to their aid. As Morgana becoming honest about his feelings of wanting to stay with everyone, Haru learns that Kunikazu has decided to speed up her engagement to Sugimura.

As public opinion of the Phantoms plummet following Kunikazus death, Haru learns of a fake calling card placed in Kobayakawas office, leading the gang to realise that someone set them up. As Sae is put in charge of investigating the Phantoms, Futaba deduces that someone had imitated Medjed and hacked the Phansite to make the Phantom Thieves more popular on purpose. Later, Ann calls Ren to meet up with her and Shiho, who thanks them for saving her life and reminds them of why they became Phantom Thieves in the first place. Afterwards, the gang, upon discovering Mishima has become too obsessed with the fame he received from the Phansite, find his Shadow in Mementos, choosing not to destroy him but instead urge him to think things through for himself, helping the real Mishima find the right path as a result.

As the gang try to figure out a way to reach the top floor of Saes casino Palace, Soujiro, who discovers a calling card in Futabas room, is under pressure from Futabas uncle, who is demanding that he pay him money or else give up custody of her. Ren gets Akechis help to dig up dirt on the uncle, only for him to accuse Ren of pushing him. When government officials come to question Soujiro, Ren and Futaba manage to assure them that Soujiro is a good guardian, after which they come clean to Soujiro about being Phantom Thieves.

Following a reunion with Arsene, who urges him to remember everything, Ren is captured by the police, leading to his present day interrogation by Sae. As the interrogation draws close to an end, Ren, recalling an important discussion with Morgana and Futaba, asks Sae to show his phone to Akechi as he makes his way towards the interrogation room. After running into Sae and being shown the phone, Akechi reveals his true intentions and shoots Ren, making it look like a suicide.