Persona 5: The Phantom X brings the Phantom Thieves into the world of gacha games, mixing stylish battles with collecting powerful characters. But not all thieves are created equal. Some stand out for damage, others for keeping your team alive, and some are best left on the bench.
How This Tier List Works
Unlike some games where one strong unit can carry your whole team, P5X is all about synergy. A character might be amazing on paper, but they’re only as good as the team you build around them. Element types matter too, since many bosses have specific weaknesses.
This list ranks characters based on:
- How useful they are in story, trials, and boss fights
- How well they fit into teams
- Whether they need extra investment to shine
- How rare their element or skill type is
Let’s break down each tier and why these characters land where they do.
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S-Tier Characters
These characters are the cream of the crop. They’re strong in almost every situation and often form the backbone of top teams.
| Character | Role | Story Tier | Boss Tier | Strengths & Roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joker (Ren Amamiya) | Curse DPS | S | S | Wild Card makes him flexible; top reroll choice. |
| Ann Takamaki (Panther) | Fire DPS | A | A | Free 5-star choice from Newcomer banner. |
| Morgana (Mona) | Healer / Support | A | C | Only character with revive skill. |
| Yaoling Li (Rin) | Debuffer / DPS | S | A | Rare Curse damage outside Joker; strong debuffer. |
Joker (Ren Amamiya)
Joker’s the star for a reason. He’s the best Curse damage dealer and his Wild Card ability lets him switch Personas, making him super flexible. Once you level up his special abilities, he can attack twice in one turn and do massive damage. He’s the top choice for tough fights and definitely worth pulling for.
Ann Takamaki (Panther)
Ann is one of the best Fire DPS units in the game. A ton of enemies are weak to Fire, so she’s useful almost everywhere. She also deals great AOE damage, making her helpful for clearing waves fast. If you get her early, she’ll carry you through a lot of content.
Morgana (Mona)
Morgana is hands down the best healer and support. He can even revive fallen allies, which is huge in longer battles. Plus, he deals Wind damage, adding some extra versatility. Just be careful—his abilities work best if you don’t spam healing too quickly in a row.
Yaoling Li (Rin)
Yaoling Li might not be from the original Persona 5 crew, but she’s amazing. She’s one of the few other Curse damage dealers besides Joker and is also the best debuffer right now. Her skills can stop enemies from using buffs, heals, or attacks for a few turns. She’s great in any team.
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A-Tier Characters
These characters are strong and worth using, even if they’re not quite as dominant as S-tier units. Many shine once you unlock higher Awareness levels.
| Character | Role | Story Tier | Boss Tier | Strengths & Roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lufel | Support | S | A | Great attack buffs; needs Awareness upgrades. |
| Ryuji Sakamoto | Physical DPS | B | A | Crit-heavy; lacks taunt to draw enemy attacks. |
| Leo Kamiyama | Nuclear DPS / Buffer | A | S | Rare source of Nuclear damage. |
| Miyu Sahara | Navigator (Defensive) | S | A | Adds defensive buffs to team. |
| Kayo Tomiyama | Navigator (Offensive) | A | S | Adds offensive buffs to team. |
| Seiji Shiratori | Single-target DPS | S | B | High damage but less utility than S-tier units. |
Lufel
Lufel is the best 4-star support after Morgana. He boosts your team’s attack power and becomes much stronger if you pull duplicates to unlock his Awareness skills. He’s a solid pick for F2P players.
Ryuji Sakamoto (Skull)
Ryuji is a single-target Physical DPS with a crit-heavy playstyle. He has a cool mechanic where he hits back if he takes damage, but the problem is he doesn’t have a taunt to make enemies hit him on purpose. You’ll have to build your team around helping him get hit safely.
Leo Kamiyama
Leo is one of the few characters who deals Nuclear damage, which makes him useful in some specific fights. He also buffs the team. He’s not as flashy as the top DPS characters, but he has his niche.
Miyu Sahara and Kayo Tomiyama
These two are the best Navigators in P5X. Miyu focuses on keeping your team safe with defensive buffs, while Kayo boosts offense. Both are super handy, depending on your team’s needs. If you invest in them early, they’ll pay off big time.
Seiji Shiratori
Seiji is a strong single-target DPS who’s reliable in boss fights. He just doesn’t have the extra tricks that push characters into S-tier. Still, he’s a solid pick if you’re looking for pure damage.
B-Tier Characters
These characters can still be useful but often need higher investment or specific team setups to shine.
| Character | Role | Story Tier | Boss Tier | Strengths & Roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shun Kano | Situational DPS | C | S | Excels in specific elemental matchups. |
| Haruna Nishimori | Support | B | A | Weakest 5-star overall; improves with Awareness. |
| Motoha Arai | Electric DPS | C | D | One of few free Electric options, but lacks synergy. |
| Kotone Montagne | Ice DPS | C | C | Ice lacks strong support in the current meta. |
| Yukimi Fujikawa | Bless DPS | B | B | Fills rare Bless role but with low base damage. |
| Morgana (Mona) | Healer / Support | A | C | Solid sustain in story, lower ranking in boss fights. |
Shun Kano
Shun can do decent damage in the right setups, but outside certain elemental matchups, he’s pretty average.
Haruna Nishimori
Haruna is a bit disappointing for a 5-star. Her support skills just don’t keep up with stronger options like Morgana or Lufel. She does get better at Awareness Level 2, but investing that much in her isn’t usually worth it.
Motoha Arai
Motoha is one of the few Electric DPS characters available for free players. She’s okay, but her kit isn’t very exciting and she’s easily outclassed.
Kotone Montagne (Mont)
Kotone is an Ice DPS who can follow up attacks if she builds up Ice Crystal stacks. Sadly, there’s not a lot of good support for Ice damage right now, so she ends up feeling a bit underpowered.
Yukimi Fujikawa
Yukimi is one of the few Bless DPS options besides Joker. She’s handy in certain trials but has lower damage overall, making her less reliable for everyday use.
Morgana (Mona)
Morgana remains strong as a healer but ranks lower for bosses because his sustain falls off compared to other options in high-pressure fights.
C-Tier Characters
These characters struggle to keep up with the rest of the roster. They might be useful in very specific situations, but generally, they’re outclassed.
| Character | Role | Story Tier | Boss Tier | Strengths & Roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toshiya Sumi | Curse DPS | D | D | Only 4-star Curse unit but weak damage overall. |
| Kiyoshi Kurotani | Fire Support | D | C | Boosts Burn effects but low raw damage. |
| Tomoko Noge | Weak Support | C | B | Considered weakest support unit in game. |
Toshiya Sumi
Toshiya is the only 4-star Curse DPS, but he can’t match Joker’s power. His single-target damage just isn’t enough for harder fights.
Kiyoshi Kurotani
Kiyoshi can boost Burn damage in Fire teams, but most other Fire characters simply do more damage overall. He’s very niche.
Tomoko Noge
Tomoko is easily the weakest support in the game. Her buffs don’t help much, and there’s rarely a reason to put her in your team when there are better options.
Reroll Tips for P5X
If you’re starting out, rerolling is the best way to set yourself up for success. Joker is the top reroll pick thanks to his amazing Curse damage and flexibility. But if you’re tired of seeing Joker’s face or miss his banner, try for Yaoling Li, Miyu Sahara, or Lufel instead.
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Your best bet is to pull on the Newcomer Contracts – The Phantom Thieves of Hearts banner. After 50 pulls, you’re guaranteed either Morgana, Ann, or Ryuji. Ann is usually the best choice because she’s such a strong Fire DPS and helps clear content quickly.
One thing to remember: P5X limits you to 100 account creations per device, and linked accounts can’t be deleted for 14 days. So reroll using guest accounts, and don’t link your account until you’re happy with your team.
Bonus Tips
- Awareness Levels are a big deal. Many 4-star characters only become amazing once you unlock their extra skills.
- Some elements, like Nuclear, Bless, and Electric, are rare, making certain characters valuable even if they’re lower tier.
- New characters and seasonal versions, like Summer Motoha Arai, could shake up the tier list in future updates.
Persona 5: The Phantom X is a fun mix of stylish battles and smart team-building. Characters like Joker and Ann are clear standouts, but even lower-tier units can be strong if you build your team right. Keep an eye out for new characters, save your resources wisely, and don’t be afraid to try out different combos. Good luck pulling your favorites!
