There's no one right way to play Persona 5, and that's half the charm. And it's impossible to play the game once and achieve every possible outcome the story has to offer. When it comes to confidants, the game's version of social links, this is especially true.
There are 21 Confidants in Persona 5 and some are bound to be neglected. While which characters are worth spending time with partly depends on a gamer's personal preference, there are definitely several confidants who never live up to their potential, be it on the battlefield or within the context of the story.
10 Even in Royal, Akechi Proves Frustrating
Credit where credit is due: In Persona 5 Royal, Akechi is a much better character. On a story front, the time spent with Akechi is entertaining as well as agonizing, knowing the inevitable trajectory of his character arc. And while there has been some justified outcry that Akechi is a prime example of modern queerbaiting, adding more Akechi interactions to the game was a step in the right direction.
But how useful is Akechi in battle, given he's a necessary confidant for anyone who wants to get the best ending during a playthrough? Not especially. Akechi grants the player the potential of learning an opponent's weakness at the start of the match. But often players already know these weaknesses by the time this comes into play. Akechi falls just short as a useful confidant, and just short as a human being.
9 Hifumi Should Have Been a Phantom Thief
While the central cast of Persona 5 is a delight, rumors that Hifumi was once intended to become a Phantom Thief force fans to reimagine what might have been. Hifumi is a likable character, and one of the very few who seem to expand the Persona 5 universe beyond the small sphere Joker and the others operate within.
Hifumi's useful when it comes to gameplay, too: she allows the player to switch members with backups in battle and provides an escape outlet even when surrounded by enemies. What's wrong with Hifumi isn't what she is, but the thought of all she might have and should have been: a true Phantom Thief.
8 Sojiro is Great, But The Story Makes It Hard To Build A Relationship
Sojiro is a curious case. He's the first character Joker has meaningful interaction within the story and the sole character who lives with him. Even so, it's difficult to level up this confidant.
While SP-increasing coffee in Leblanc is accessible early on, after a certain point it's impossible to rank up Sojiro until after Futaba joins the Phantom Thieves. Sojiro's got a great backstory and is among the best characters, but he brings less to the battlefield than he should.
7 Munehisa Iwai Is Interesting, But Guns Aren't Especially Useful
Iwai is far from a boring character, and his backstory is well-worth delving into. However, when it comes to gameplay, Iwai doesn't offer much to make the effort worthwhile, especially if players feel they have to choose between Iwai and other confidants.
For one thing, players have to have high Guts before they can engage Iwai, and even once he becomes a confidant, the benefits he offers aren't always worth the time investment. Iwai helps players upgrade their weapons, but guns are the least useful weapon at a player's disposal, especially so late in the game.
6 Chihaya Doesn't Seem Worth The Fuss
Maybe it's not that Chihaya's potential is wasted, but that she didn't have much potential to begin with. Chihaya, like Hifumi, isn't really part of the central story— but unlike Hifumi, there's not much reason she should be. A fortune-teller who shills her wares in Shinjuku at night, her character is shallower than most. And it takes three meetings with Chihaya and some cash to get her confidant storyline going.
What she offers thereafter is often a disappointment: she'll temporarily increase money after battles. Once she hits level 7, as if cementing her own uselessness, Chihaya offers the player the ability to deepen a relationship with a confidant of their choice. While this is neat, that's a lot of work that may have been better spent deepening those other confidant relationships the traditional way.
5 Mishima Deserved Better In All Departments
Mishima isn't always likable. He's weak to criticism and delusions of grandeur and quickly loses control of his ego when living vicariously through the Phantom Thieves. Abused by a coach and later discluded from the Phantom Thieves, treated like an outsider despite his devotion, Mishima has every reason to feel pathetic.
Players hate characters like Mishima not because he's irritating, but because he's all too familiar: everyone has known or been Mishima at some point in life, and it's not a good feeling. Within the game, ranking up Mishima helps the Phantom Thieves gain more experience. It's a shame Mishima doesn't get an extra boost too, and never becomes more than he is.
4 Yoshida Sends Some Mixed Messages
As far as gameplay goes, Shido offers a decent boon: Players can ask defeated enemies for more items or money. But he's only available on Sundays and proves less interesting than most other confidants, so pursuing him often falls to the wayside.
Yoshida is meant to be the opposite of Shido. The real world is rife with greedy capitalist billionaires who use people up like toothpaste. So on paper, it makes sense to create a character who counteracts the idea that all politicians are monsters. Yoshida has a checkered past, but he learned from his mistakes. As a confidant, Yoshida's story is meant to provide some solace, a reminder that even the most corrupt people can change. Yet this message feels false in a universe where most adults are constantly failing the youth.
3 Ichiko Ohya Helps With Security — But So Does Everything Else
Ohya isn't a flat character, and it's fun visiting crossroads and interacting with both her and Lala Escargot, the barkeep. But what does Ohya, a disgruntled journalist, offer the story that isn't there already? Censorship is an interesting topic, but it doesn't feel explored properly through these meetings at the bar.
In battle, Ohya helps players decrease security levels within Palaces. While this isn't useless, it's not exactly the sort of help players need. Players can craft Calming Aroma or simply battle more enemies to lower the security level. By the time Ohya's skills come into play, they're barely needed. Too little, too late.
2 Yusuke Should Have Been Romanceable
While Yusuke's confidant card system isn't always easy to utilize, it's not the most wasted aspect of his character. Not by a long shot. Fans have always been frustrated by the way the franchise teases the possibility of queer romance, but the Akechi situation really exacerbated the point. It's fine to play Joker as straight, but he shouldn't have to be.
These days even older franchises like Fire Emblem offer players LGBTQ+ romancing options. Yusuke is a better character and a better match for Joker than Akechi ever was, but the creators, apparently, would rather players romance an adult teacher than a boy his own age. That's a failure on Atlus's part, and fans can only hope they'll get with the times in Persona 6.
1 Shinya Shows Up Too Late For the Party
It's not that guns in Persona 5 are are completely useless, but still, Persona 5 Royal went a long way to making them better. Yet as the game progresses, only a select few fliers are susceptible to them. Given this, and given that gun bonuses already come from Iwai, what does Shinya bring to the table?
Shinya isn't a bad character, but again, it's hard to get to know him, as players can't even interact with him in the arcade until mid-September. It's great that Persona gave Joker a surrogate little brother. It's a shame they didn't do more with that dynamic.