WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Persona 5.

Throughout Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves encounter a variety of individuals whose minds have been so corrupted that the masked vigilantes feel compelled to step in to steal their hearts. It's no wonder that, while experiencing something as bizarre and dangerous of the Metaverse together, the group would grow closer and become a found family of misfits who never really belonged anywhere else. However, one theory that's arisen within the fandom suggests that two of the game's characters may actually be biologically related: Goro Akechi and Futaba Sakura.

Akechi's parentage is a crucial factor in his arc, as the fact that his mother died by suicide after being shamed by society for having a child out of wedlock drives him to seek revenge against his father, Masayoshi Shido. As for Futaba, nothing is known about her father, with Sojiro saying her mother Wakaba never mentioned him. This has led fans to speculate that Futaba may also be Shido's child -- a theory that actually provides a motivation for what is otherwise one of the game's most exaggerated and cartoonishly evil acts of cruelty.

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Shido yelling at Akechi over the phone in Persona 5

Gods aside, Masayoshi Shido is the central villain of Persona 5. A ruthless, powerful and ambitious politician, he is the man who accused the protagonist of assault, used Akechi as his personal assassin and ordered hits on various victims -- including Futaba's mother and Haru's father -- to further his own political goals. Shido symbolizes everything the Phantom Thieves stand against, and the revelation that he caused Akechi and his mother so much suffering (plus Goro's heroic sacrifice to allow them to escape) only furthers their desire to stop him from hurting anyone else.

While there is really no solid evidence in the game to support the theory that Shido is Futaba's biological father, it's not outside the realm of possibility. Not much is known is known about Wakaba other than the fact that she was a researcher whose lab worked with the government. At the time, Sojiro was a government official in contact with her lab, and he confirms Shido was his colleague. With that in mind, it's possible the two knew each other -- or at least met at some point.

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Shido being Futaba's father would add another layer to why he wanted Wakaba dead. Though he certainly wanted to steal and use her research on cognitive psience, Shido's plan to scapegoat and kill Akechi shows that he sees any bastard children as a risk to his success. Killing Wakaba would help prevent that information from coming to light. However, Shido may have also had a contingency in place to prevent Futaba from ever learning the truth.

Futaba hallucinating Wakaba in Persona 5

Futaba is a unique case within Persona 5, as she develops a palace not out of her own cruelty or misdeeds against others, but because her heart and mind have been corrupted by severe depression brought on by her mother's apparent suicide. In a forged note, later revealed to have been written by Shido and read to Futaba by his men, Wakaba says she regrets giving birth to her daughter. This caused Futaba to believe she killed her mother, and her feelings of guilt were made worse by her relatives. Blaming her for Wakaba's death, the Isshikis abused Futaba until Sojiro finally stepped in and adopted his friend's orphaned child.

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Though an important part of Futaba's backstory that also demonstrates how cruel and uncaring Shido really is, the forged suicide note stands out as somewhat odd. For one, it's not at all necessary to prove Shido is a despicable person; there are more than enough other moments to make that clear. In a game where each villain generally has some reason (inexcusable as it may be) for their actions, reading a grieving child a note that explicitly says she caused her mother's death is more than needlessly cruel; it's cartoonishly evil.

Persona 5 gives no reason for Shido's actions here. However, if it were the case that Shido was her biological father, his motivation could have been to completely break Futaba -- a mission that nearly succeeds. It's possible that, in faking the note and convincing Futaba that she indirectly murdered her mother, Shido sought to get another liability out of the picture. His plans regarding Akechi show that Shido has no qualms about killing a child, even his own blood.

While not supported by in-game evidence, it's understandable why many fans believe Akechi and Futaba are half-siblings through Masayoshi Shido. The fact that it has the potential to explain an otherwise bizarre, inexplicable moment only makes it harder to write off this fan theory.

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