Ranking Awakenings in Persona 5

[@Senorish]

The sex gods strike back with another sick ranking

[@Oziach]

Is that what we are?

[@cringecity124]

@@Oziach steamed hams

[@goroakechi6126]

@@cringecity124 I thought we were having steamed Jokers?

[@curabletoxin]

Can I have ice cream with both of you after my good dinner😆

[@ommnon]

@@Oziach indeed, my lord

[@Immortal_Ninja]

One detail that I love about "Kasumi's" awakening is that when she takes her mask off, she doesn't rip it off her face, she pulls it off with no blood underneath, symbolising that there is a mask beneath the mask, it's not until Sumire accepts who she really is that she is able to rip off her mask and reveal her true rebellious will with no facades attached.

[@ShadowOfMassDestruction]

Beneath The Mask heh

[@davidgeorge1943]

My interpretation is that it was a partial awakening, much like Haru's, as it seems that an incomplete one isn't as taxing on the body as a full one, which can take its toll even on Ryuji, who still maintains his fitness despite the busted leg.

[@jijithirdeye]

in 18th place, i never saw blood on akechi's awakening. maybe they're similar? (that isn't his real persona)

[@ShadowOfMassDestruction]

@@jijithirdeye For Akechi his persona's are already awakened so he just busts them out

[@jijithirdeye]

@@ShadowOfMassDestruction oh, thanks for the info!

[@HandsomeFrederickFastbear]

I think Sataneals awakening also really says that no matter how curropt and twusyed someone may be, they can still be silenced with a single bullet.

[@Oziach]

SO TRUE

[@Sk4tman91]

Joker: Begone!

[@anamelesslad4542]

Luigi foreshadowing?!

[@fawn8347]

@@anamelesslad4542 Nah, that was a triple down.

[@PinkelotjeArt]

A detail about the loki awakening that I always adore, it’s the “now lets see you drop dead one at a time” because Akechi is tilting his head to look through his mask in the same way a bird would, there’s something so animal about it, ITS SO PERFECT.

[@Oziach]

He's fully embraced his Crow persona 🙏

[@PinkelotjeArt]

@@Oziach he’s just a silly bird, my little caw caw

[@sesshyandenvyfreak]

@@PinkelotjeArt well crows are both vicious and intelligent birds

[@goldencyclone4984]

My favorite part of Ryuji's Awakening is ironically the line right before it actually starts. The way Max delivers that gutteral, pissed off scream of "Stop looking down on me, with that STUPID SMILE ON YOUR FACE!" always makes me shiver. Max is unironically one of if not the best VAs in P5 and that line by itself is a majority of why I hold his performance so high.

[@kylergriggs6897]

Ryuji’s is one of my favorite awakenings, and it’s honestly one of the only Awakenings I make sure to never accidentally skip. If I skip it, I go back to the last save so I can see it first hand

[@SaviorOfEdge]

I can never get over ryuji's awakening in JP, that scream sends chills every time xD

[@kylergriggs6897]

@@SaviorOfEdge I watched the scene in Japanese, I see your point, it’s pretty incredible

[@zeldalina499]

Yusuke's awakening in the anime is one of the rare good ones. The blood from his fingers forming the red paint on his mask was incredible, and just adds extra points in my book.

[@parzival-bo]

WAIT THEY ACTUALLY DID THAT?! I've been saying they should have done exactly that in the game for _literal _*_years!_* And they relegated it to the ANIME?! Wtf Atlus!

[@madeliefynana]

The Awakening of Yusuke in the anime is one of my all the favorite (maybe even ranked first) for that reason. I think the build up was also executed better with the flashbacks of Yusuke as a kid being happy with Madarame (oh that sweet peecious smile😢). Really makes me realize that Madarame has been there with him from the start and how impressive it is able to stand up against him.

[@gachadan8016]

The fact akechi made himself insane while fighting you when using loki makes the awakening sooo much better i loved the fight

[@gachadan8016]

Wanted to add something. Ryuji and yusuke hade the most painful awakenings making them so much cooler. I got goosbumps seeing them while playing everytime 11/10 game persona 5 is the best game i ever played in my life time

[@taiga738]

The cool thing about Satanael is that Arsène foreshadowed it in a lot of what he says. There's also moment where you see Ryuji's shocked face after Arsène disappears which is nice since he was the only one there to see Joker's first awakening. It's actually sunrise that you see at the end of the fight with Yaldaboth since it was twilight when he appeared and turned to night when Satanael appeared.

[@kevinespada3421]

I'm calling it right now. Yusuke and Joker's Awakening are top 5.

[@dachking6657]

Correct, both in terms of the prediction being accurate as well as just being completely justifiable. Awesome scenes.

[@sleepier9433]

Yusuke’s has so much damn flair in his awakening

[@PupsonaXeno]

Honestly Sophia's scream in Pandora's awakening might be the line delivery that has stuck with me the most in either game, completely cemented a character I already loved into one of my all time favorites.

[@ShycoWar]

29:43 - This. This right here. This exact shot (pun fully intended) is, in my eyes, THE greatest moment in all of Persona 5-not just the one game, but the entire sub-series. From Satanael's pose, to the slow-motion, to the clear duality between the two halves of the screen as you _literally_ shoot a god clean through the head. Everything about this one scene just OOZES style and badassery from every pixel, taking Persona 5's signature flair to its logical extreme in the best possible way.

[@Oziach]

I couldn't agree more

[@metalapplesus]

The thing I like about "Kasumi"'s awakening is it's just that, Sumire isn't the one awakening here, the Kasumi persona herself is due to the stress and struggle that the Kasumi persona herself is experiencing. It's why there's no blood (It's not her body), and why Cendrillon still awakens despite the circumstances, as contrast to Milady still being weak before the confrontation with Cognitive Sugimura, which happens just barely around this moment.

[@Liam_Omega]

Seeing Joker's and Satanael's awakenings back to back is pure euphoria. God this game is fantastic. I want to do Our Beginning synched up to the headshot so BAAAAAD

[@Oziach]

IT'S SO HYPE

[@DaemonKrown]

Man... I love Sophia's awakening I get chills on my spine from that "Can you wield that strength?" And that scream is... ufff I cant put it into words

[@astralguardian5930]

I honestly can't believe I didn't see this sooner, but at 29:20 I finally noticed Sinful Shell actually has it's own "element icon" as it looks super similar to the Almighty attack icon but Almighty has that "traditional sun depiction" for the icon. But Sinful Shell actually has it spiralling, matching up with how the shell actually looks.

[@jolden3283]

hate to break it to you but thats the almighty icon. they changed the icon from the sun because it looked too similar to the imperial japan flag

[@lelouchvi5710]

@@jolden3283 no. no its not the almighty icon only got changed in korea to what sinful shell looks like

[@RedJLP]

@@lelouchvi5710 A change that since the job of porting multiplatform was done by Atlus’ corporate overlords at SEGA was kept for the Steam, Switch, PS5 and Xbox releases worldwide alongside various other downgrades

[@mctigerslug5498]

3:36 sets a perfect tone for the rest of the video, it all feels so celebratory! Haven't played Strikers yet, but that Zenkichi spotlight is making it REAL tempting

[@Oziach]

Love Zenkichi so much

[@alunbuss7877]

@@OziachYep. And as anyone who played P4 will tell you, there's an extra layer to Zenkichi's awakening. That Shadow was about to go berserk until he accepted it.

[@Gallaniel]

Futaba's is by far my favourite, I love how it has the flashiness of P5's awakenings, while retaining the emotional weight of P4's awakenings.

[@ShadowOfMassDestruction]

I loved that Futaba's shadow was antagonistic but also being her guide which was a really cool twist to see.

[@edwardsuou]

@@ShadowOfMassDestruction outstanding call back to P4, also the biggest step forward in character development for any of the awakenings considering it’s her stop being passive after so long and choosing to live once she was already ready to give up and let herself die.

[@allyrose9494]

Yusuke is easily my fave. I was already really liking P5 but the entire section of Yusuke ending up in Maderame's palace, being forced to see how he views his 'students', to Yusuke finally realising he can't defend his Sensei anymore and accepts the truth and stands up for himself, and gets a badass yet elegant awaking that fits him so well, that whole section is what made me absolutely fall in love with the game. This is the one I have memorised word for word for a reason

[@brony4869]

"Can you wield that strength?" and "PANDORAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" sends fucking chills down my spine every time

[@shlrup6154]

the voice acting on the pandora awakening was absolutely brilliant. all robotic affect breaking away from her voice to unleash this amazing strength that was inside sophia the entire time. banger game

[@Bluebatstar]

Despite not being my favourite character, Makoto has my favourite awakening. Not only is the buildup spectacular, her being a suckler for rules and authority makes a rebellious awakening even more powerful, and the sheer cinematography of the awakening itself is masterful. The sheer rage emanating from Makoto as it happens before the contract is sealed is so, so good.

[@incompetentc2542]

maruki's second awakening had me actually popping off for him, it was so damn good

[@incompetentc2542]

another banger video goatziach

[@rayvenkman2087]

What makes Zenkichi’s awakening the greatest of the whole P5 series is how long it takes for it to finally and the gradual build towards the moment from his introduction. I think the fact he doesn’t have to contend with the original P5’s narrative issues *coughs* Ann after Kamoshida Arc *coughs* once he becomes a Phantom Thief and he stays in focus onwards alongside having half a game dedicated to him becoming one versus Haru’s. When he becomes Wolf and how his Persona makes his introduction, it’s an awe-inspiring moment that firmly gives the middle finger to Persona Trinity’s claim of adults unable to become Persona users as well as reestablishing Persona 2’s concept of adult Persona users in a 3D Persona game alongside having a compelling narrative behind him. He is more or less the counter to the original Persona 5’s corrupt cop archetype like everything else with Strikers.

[@pyguy7]

For some reason I really resonate with Yusuke's. His awakening gives me shivers it's so cool.

[@zayn6699]

Thank you for continuing to make content about Persona. I will never stop loving persona 5 ❤

[@Oziach]

💖💖💖

[@ajaysinghdengri]

I think the most inspirational awakening was that of Futaba. It takes the concept of Shadows and Persona from Jungian Theory of Shadows and Personas literally and in a way interrelates the two when the time seems fit. Futaba finally accepting the Shadow that she had been avoiding her whole childhood and adapting to it as a persona made me shiver as I pieced the theory together with her awakening.

[@FirstPlace97]

Joker's awakening is so stylish. Violent, maniacal, rebellious, the perfect intro for his alter-ego. The music is insane, too. Definitely one of my favorites. Sophia's made me emotional the first time I saw it, so I'm glad that got ranked high as well. I really love Kasumi's false awakening because of how raw her emotions are in her defiance against that inner voice of derision. The thing that's brilliant is that she exclaims "I AM Kasumi Yoshizawa!" It's triumphant until you realize that she's technically lying to herself at that moment, so then it becomes sad. Smart idea for a video and great work.

[@stupidcoyote5453]

Sumire's true Awakening is my second favorite, not only because of how it managed to incorporate both plot and fairy tale elements in it, but the subtle ways it's different from the first, and how both of them reminds me of the P2 duology (the third semester as a whole reminds me of it, really) and how it's even better the second time you play the game because of how you can understand the moment better. It's fantastic

[@jethiliusavalar6449]

Thank you for playing the clip of Sophia screaming "Pandora". I would've found a way to sue if you didn't

[@Oziach]

It had to be done

[@meat8768]

Damn oziach, i'll sue!

[@kaoru9829]

Hearing another autistic person find meaning in how ichinose expresses herself and how she believes she's broken means a lot to me :) I love reading into the persona series as an autistic person, especially p5, theres so much i can relate to my own experience, even if it wasn't made with the intention of telling an autistic story.

[@Oziach]

I'm glad you're able to connect with the game through that lense 😊💖

[@cyanariesdw04]

Zenkichi’s Awakening is also legendary for the fact that his Shadow references Les Miserables the musical in a couple of his quotes

[@gossamergreen2787]

glad to see joker and yusuke's at the very top where they belong! and sophia's awakening scream is my favourite one, so i'm glad you included that in here too. always makes me shiver

[@RoseStrohm]

I think a cool little detail about Makoto's awakening is, not only is she stomping on the ground, her feet are spread out apart kinda like how you would on a motorcycle

[@neturalumbrella6688]

God Sophia's interaction really got me in the feels, I was too busy crying not knowing where the scene was going but then the "Can you wield that strength" bit sent me on a 2nd rollercoaster ride of emotion

[@palmerhugh6866]

19:04 One thing I loved about this Awakening (and didn't realize up until that point) was that Pithos isn't a god, deity, trickster, anything like that. "Pithos" is literally the Greek name for a large jar or storage container. Pandora's story consists of her receiving a pithos from the gods, being warned not to open it, and then opening it anyway, releasing all the evils of the world. When Pandora said "Can you cling to the paltry hope that remains?" it references the part of the story where when the evils were released unto the world, Pandora looked into the box to find one thing remaining: hope.

[@Harib_Allz]

gosh the awakenings r so good that just watching them sends that chill down your spine with the feeling shit about to go down

[@shadowstar8619]

I'd say Sophia's Awakening also has a great thematical standpoint when you take note of her Arcana: Hope. the entirety of Sophia's Persona calls back to Pandora and her eponymous box, which is actually a jar called a pithos. I think most if not all people know the story of Pandora opening the thing and all the evil spirits come pouring out of it, while little Hope remains. Seeing the four parts of Pithos stack together behind Sophia like a puzzle and open to reveal Pandora herself as the lingering Hope is such a poetic and incredible thing to see. It's almost like a magic box with the designs and the way that it starts out separate but reveals the person inside when the pieces come together.

[@benwelldone]

Thank you for including Strikers in this 😊

[@plvto1]

The one thing I love about the persona awakenings is how they reflect the character's role in the party. Ryuji's visceral, intense awakening references his physical dmg, and high endurance. Makoto's awakening reminds me of a titan, or a juggernaut, referencing her keeping the team alive while also keeping enemies back.

[@blaquephyrekendra1779]

5:18 - 5:22 [SPOILERS] I really wish more people would referred to Dr Maruki as a villain as opposed to merely an antagonist. Being polite and averse to direct confrontation do not prevent him from being the villain of the story. His plan hinges on using mementos to take control humanities cognition by robbing each individual of their agency. This is on the level (if not beyond) that of the Batman villain Ra's al Ghul's willingness to perform Eco terrorism to destroy humanity. Both characters are charismatic and polite. Yet both are willing to go to extremes to accomplish their goals which would have dire consequences for everyone else.

[@Oziach]

Ultimately I call him an antagonist, not because I believe he's right at all, but because I understand how many people do and understand the logic as to why. It's just a more nuanced middle ground. It's great that discussion is even possible though!

[@rhettmitchell]

It’s just a connotation thing. Hearing the word “villain” makes one think of someone evil, and that’s not Maruki. He’s an antagonist

[@blaquephyrekendra1779]

@@rhettmitchell I understand what you mean but I can't get past "brainwashing all of humanity" and not calling that evil. Even if he means well (which I know he does), that's a threshold I think we should consider over the line.

[@heiiskii]

I'm so happy to see the Pandora awakening so high, I love all of them but that one definitely gets me in a way a lot of the others don't. I don't even know why I love it so much I just..do. It's just so good

[@Mscookieman145]

What I love about Yusukes awakening is that first shot of his piercing eyes, finally coming to his senses and seeing the wretched man Madarame is. He immediately shuts his eyes, withering in pain as I imagine everything despicable he has done to him that he shut away, ignored is flooding through his head. The man that he admired, that raised him, that it was all just an illusion he made up to keep himself tethered to Madarame. He doesn’t open his eyes again til he looks up with his mask, finally accepting what he sees before him. What I also love about the awakenings in general is that the shadows booming voices make it feel like they’re in the room looming over them, even if you don’t see them.

[@Danina_]

Actually I agree with everything you said. I haven't played strikers yet so I can't fully have opinions on those awakenings but for all of the Royal ones I 100% agree. I just just went through Yuske's awakening in my current playthrough and was stricken by just how good it is. I also want to add that Xander Mobus is doing so much in the Arsene awakening conveying how much physical pain Joker would be in ripping the mask off and I don't think that he's getting enough credit for that or the sheer about of character he does give to Joker the few times he speaks and in his little silent protagonist noises throughout the rest of the game.

[@nwghibli]

I see someone who respect’s Zenkichi’s awakening, and I know I can trust that opinion. Incredibly underrated.

[@papyrus4977]

While I respect your opinion on Adam's placement, there was extra details build upon from prior games in which for me, made his awakening so monumental (spoilers for the P3 art book, overall information found in some art books and Persona 2 IS/EP). This is more of a lore post thing, so I understand if you don't want to be bothered by it (I'll just bring up 5 points). Persona 3 and even the guide book alludes to an idea that the world humans live in is based on the world tree, in short: 1. The deity figure of that universe in Amala (persona in this case) directs its influence on humanity in how they will evolve and what they should strive to be (before Collective Unconscious shenanigans). And in turn, humans will then try to evolve into that status that influenced them in the first place, there are many Atlus depictions of how it seems water from the top spreads downward, only for that stream to make its way back up. 2. Why this even matters is what Philemon says in IS and EP: I won't get into exact spoilers but he says something of the lines of that humans subconsciously strive to something beyond, a wholeness that can only be found once someone is not riddled in contradictions (the description that P5R Art book gives for the 3rd tiers or evolutions in general). A state of being and mind that would allow you to write reality in the way you'd transcribe. 3. Now, how THIS relates to Maruki is that when you read descriptions in the game and how Adam describes himself is simply put, what Philemon was talking about. "I am the source, and the destination" (the influence, and the goal). "The First Man and the deficit form of what a human should strive for" (man could someday reach a perfect state that understood its purpose-Phil). 4. Not only has Maruki reached the state Philemon hoped for, but depending on how you interpret it, Adam Kadmon is the deity that influenced humans. (the other interpretation is that anyone could reach this power but considering how Adam is described to be the origin, I like to believe the former). After Maruki had rid himself of false hood, contradiction, and stood firm in his beliefs, he had done it. He had ascertained wholeness for something he thought was the right thing. 5. And when putting all this into perspective and the themes of the 3rd semester, it makes the dilemma of running away from pain and standing up to it a lot more complex than they already are. If humans from the beginning were meant to change their surrounding to benefit them in the long run, is it wrong if this is the way humans were always supposed to be? Or is it right to break away from that influence, is it wrong it live in a world that has been tainted by humans and finding another way? neither of them are incorrect when disciplined, but it's evident enough that when exercised incorrectly, both interpretations can be just as corrupt as they are morally sound. That for me is what makes Maruki's second tier awakening so special to the point of me getting out of my seat, mouth agape. If you read the entire thing, thank you for reading.

[@Oziach]

I adore analysis like this and absolutely appreciate you posting it. Like I said early on, all of these are absolutely godlike, so I'm glad that everyone can have their favorite and be so passionate about it. 🙏💖

[@papyrus4977]

@Oziach :D why thank you kind sir with sticks for a body

[@Cameron088]

Man, i was wondering if you were gonna include Satanael's awakening. Im the same exact way, while I loved Arsène's, Satanael's is just....beautiful. Joker breaks the chains keeping his rebellious spirit locked to Arsène, and unleashed his TRUE rebellious spirit. The fact Joker not only holds his gun, but pukls the trigger is what makes it even better for me.

[@LizardKingRequiem]

BABE WAKE UP NEW OZIACH VIDEO DROPPED!!

[@vadalilmash1875]

Ryuji is my favorite character and has my favorite awakening in my opinion, his “stop looking down on me WITH THAT STUPID SMILE ON YOUR FACE!” Was so raw, his persona talking to him for the first time, the shot of his eyes opening wide, him writhing in pain along with his screams, him gaining his mask then ripping it off with that raw scream followed by the explosion of fire, him panting while Captain Kidd is floating behind him, and then finally lifting his head to reveal a smirk and him saying “Blast him away… Captain Kidd!” God it’s amazing, I love him so much

[@silverstar7187]

Excellent tier list- I actually finished Maruki's palace last night, so I'm glad I did that when I did (though I have to confess, I turned the volume all the way down during the parts about Strikers to avoid spoilers lol) I always get gobsmacked at the voice acting during these awakenings, specifically Akechi's and Ryuji's- those two definitely needed some water after those screams

[@Oziach]

I'm glad you loved the game so much! Strikers is awesome too, so whenever you're feeling up to it, absolutely give it a try!

[@PhantomsnowAlexa]

My personal favorite awakenings easily are both of Joker’s , Haru’s, Sumire’s true awakening although I do really enjoy and appreciate her Sailor Moon transformation. Wolf and Crow’s true awakening are also really really really good. The voice actors did an amazing job.

[@theelementalphoenix5549]

I think that Akechi not having a awakening for Robin Hood is meant to be a red flag for his betrayal

[@ukx7652]

Not he just awakened before and i wonder which persona he awakened too first

[@Vector-jm1qk]

I absolutely ADORE Akechi’s awakening (Akechi haters can burn in hell like attic trash) I knew that Loki was a persona in the previous games, but to see him become a separate persona to a separate character all on his own was a huge shock to me. And yes, Robbie Daymond is a HUGE selling point for his GODLIKE voice acting. Everytime I rewatch the scene, I’m mimicking every single action and word. Persona 5 Royal: 100/10, best game ever

[@ayazi.akechi]

Finally! Someone else who is an Akechi fan! I also rewatch the scene so many times and even try to impersonate him, even did the laughter.

[@Jdudec367]

I was spoiled that he had Loki (I barely manged to avoid the traitor spoiler and I even heard he may be the traitor) but Loki looked pretty crazy and playing P5 and seeing it be a boss exclusive Persona was something

[@Jdudec367]

@@ayazi.akechi Akechi has mostly fans including me! LOOOOOKIII!!!!!! He is honestly one of my favorite P5 characters

[@ayazi.akechi]

@@Jdudec367 He's one of my favorite P5 characters as well

[@hoarauthomas1006]

Never knew pancake boi had haters. Pretty sure everyone love him or love to hate him which is not a haters thing

[@devdutdutta8796]

Futaba's story hit me real hard... Maybe because I was kind of lonely as a child as my parents kept moving so never really had a way to hold onto friends

[@Cirkusleader]

While I would pretty much completely rearrange this list myself, I always love to hear how others view these things. Another awesome video, as usual!

[@debishvebishwish4839]

Haru's proper awakening hit hard for me. She wanted to help Mona, she wanted the power but she was unwilling to betray and go against her father. If she really wanna rebel she need to start by betraying her father's "expectations" of her. That is so beautiful in my opinion. Like Milady said, a beautiful betrayal.

[@ChrisKooltv]

Zenkichis I freakin love I love seeing an adult persona user on the side of the main characters I love how he's like dojima but a persona user and yes loki akechi perfection

[@notlucecos]

Yusuke being second after Joker just shows how much of a GOAT he is

[@Rose_Petals12]

19:17 anybody who doesn't feel like pausing the video, here's what this says. "I say spin-off but strikers is just Persona 5 2 and I will always consider it to be a mainline Persona game. You can't stop me. If you skipped P5S because it's "just a spin-off" then I'll come to your house and say some hurtful words. I'm unstoppable. Anyway you probably paused the video to read all of this. Unless you're like a really fast reader in which case that's amazing, you've got a real talent, kiddo. I hope you're having a good day. Get yourself a nice dinner tonight if you can, you've earned it champ. Maybe we can go out for ice cream and have a nice chat some day. Hey Adam you're gonna put all of this text in the video right?" Anyways, heres a fun fact. The VAs of everyone's personas are the same as the VA for their wielder, further selling the narrative that one's persona is their "other self"

[@Vivi72727]

OZIACH IS MY FAVORITE KZbinR AND PERSON, I LOVE OZIACH!!!!!

[@Oziach]

YOOOOOOO IS THAT V

[@ShadowOfMassDestruction]

​@@Oziach Davinki?

[@Vivi72727]

@@Oziach no

[@loro5275]

AAAAH common oziach and señorish W.

[@Joker_Kirby]

Black Mask Crow is basically the batman who laughs, and Joker is The Joker but as a hero.

[@thechadandthevirgin5823]

babe, wake up Oziach uploaded

[@jijithirdeye]

today was the day i noticed zenkichi's shadow in his awakening actually having eyes

[@BrunoSantos-li7jz]

I love the Futaba awakening. The "i m you and you are me" and the "face one s self and acknowledge the other part of themselves" vibes are amazing. God, persona 4 was such a good game and i love that something from it was used on 5 I cant pick my fav. I love joker's arsene awakening, Makoto's johana awakening, Ryuji's Cpt Kidd and Yusuke s' Goemon ❤️

[@MrFusion]

I like Akechi's Robin Hood reveal purely for the Will Power drop, that song goes so hard and I think it's the only time it isn't paired with the Awakening Theme. I also remember my reaction to the reveal too, my goody ass had no proper suspicions yet so it was cool seeing someone who already had one joining the gang.

[@Evie0133]

I already loved P5R and P5S to death, but this video really boosted my love for this series. Well done :D + Sophia’s awakening hit really hard for me. After being close to her for the entire game and trying to restore her memories, my heart sank after seeing everything Ichinose put both herself and Sophia through. And Sophia desperately wanting a heart of her own and getting the awakening she deserved was just beautiful. P5S really treated the new characters beautifully, and added extra developments for existing Phantom Thieves on top of that, and it was a treat to see :D

[@Oziach]

I'm really glad I could show you even more to love across the games! And yeah, Sophia's story and awakening is so heartfelt (pun half-intended), and I adore it so much.

[@matthewmickle5591]

“After being chased into her palace by the ghost of Christmas past”

[@sev1120]

A note about Satanael's gun, is that unlike Joker's weapon it isn't a pistol, but rather a repeater rifle, as can be told by the lever over Satanael's fingers and extended length. A weapon that, unlike a pistol, which is designed to be concealed, is made to be held loud and proud for all to see, one that Satanael wields with the finesse of a simple handgun, showcasing the raw power of Joker's true rebellion.

[@superiorgamedude]

Akechi's awakening might take the cake for most psychotic mental breakdown in video game history.

[@machodgdon]

Actually such a peak video

[@cannonballking7]

I'm not going to say I expected this video, but just as always the passion you have and the insights you made, pulled this neich topic into something amazing. Keep up the great work, and have a lovely day.

[@Oziach]

Always appreciate your comments, king 🙏💖

[@justanoreo2.0]

Love the new vid! Do you think you could do a ranking of all the bosses in persona 5? (like the palace rulers of course:p)

[@Oziach]

Ooooooh, maybe! 👀

[@okolo22000]

The reason Adachi’s was so bad is likely because that Adachi must’ve had a previous awakening similar to Dr. Maruki but we never have access to his original awakening since it was intended to be a “false” persona awakening plus, we see him again at #5 so that takes care of why it was so bad. Yusuke being so much higher than the rest of the Phantom Thieves is astonishing onto itself. By the way, I also adore the bleeding fingers, the speech that totally stays in character and that Music cue. Not only is there a Persona 5 X, there is also a Persona 5 Tactics as well so there might be at least 2 more Persona awakenings coming from that game alone.

[@omnibeta1876]

Adachi? Wrong faulty sicko there bud

[@okolo22000]

@ I know that it’s “Akechi” now and also made a mistake on “Tactica” not tactics. It is weird that it had taken over a year for someone to correct me; thanks for reminding me of that blunder.

[@crystalpokedude4329]

I will never forgive the anime for making Morgana narrate over Ryuji's Awakening. Seriously, what the heck was that?

[@brodycaldwell9678]

"Through the flowers of evil blossom, be it known... ABOMINATIONS ARE FATED TO PERISH!"

[@sasha1v1]

Robin Hood does have an actual awakening, but it's only in the 1v4 game Identity V, it's a showroom animation exclusive to the players that managed to awaken Goro Akechi to CROW

[@KillaCheeto56]

Everytime I hear Sophia shout out Pandora I get chills. Definitely in my top 3 awakenings beside Makoto's and the Arsene awakening.

[@ancientgearsynchro]

If you would allow me to wax poetically for moment, I like the choice of Satanel over Satan rendering judgement on Yaldabaoth. Since he is still called SatanEL, it mean that it is the un fallen version, the one that did not rebel against god and is rather serving his will. Adding to that, Satanel descends from uphigh rather than Hell. In Judaism, satan is not so much the fallen rebel against God, rather one of his angels, whoes purpose was to temp, but not control, man into doing sin, and if man was weak enough to fall to his temptation, punish him. This all adds up to a what look like a demon lord, who is actually the manifestation of Gods judgement against sinners coming down to smite a false god with enough hubris claiming to be the true God, which is a fitting comparison to Joker, who looks like a thief but is in reality the hero cutting down those who commit evil for their own benefit.

[@Oziach]

I adore this analysis 🙏

[@kylergriggs6897]

Ryuji’s awakening is amazing, though I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I wasn’t upset he wasn’t higher on this list, but I understand the choice.

[@Readers_Menagerie]

I was waiting to play Persona 5 on the switch for so long and I am glad that I was finally able to experience Persona 5 because it has become my favorite game that when it ended and they were all saying goodbye that I started crying because I felt like I was actually saying goodbye to friends that I have known for a long long time and I have never felt that way before that's why I want a Persona 5 tattoo to do my first-ever tattoo

[@AQWpaladan]

Oziach moment

[@raikerthedestroyer4092]

One small-ish problem is the pronunciation of pithos as you say pi-thos when it’s pith-os. Also one super interesting thing about Sumi’s awakening is that her masks (plural) is fake, as she can’t accept what happened with her past which in turn leads her with cendrillon. (Basically Cinderella who also puts on a false persona to well) but once her reality “breaks” it turns into freya/freja, the Norse vanir goddess of fertility and by extension a goddess of war due to leading the Valkyries, which she it on a front to truck Odín. To turn into Ella, the true name of Cinderella AKA Cinder Ella and became her kind of title as princess Ella. I love everything to do with Sumi as a character her way of life, her backstory, her guilt every tiny detail is finally crafted to truly make you feel for her. Which is very persona but as someone who hasn’t played the original 5 the way Sumi fits is so perfect into this role of a main-side character, as she’s dealing with her own life not wanting to join the PT until she’s ready which ends up coming full circle when maruki gives her that insane reality check. When she’s the one who went to him for help and he initially did try but could only do so much with what he could it wasn’t until awaking azathoh, that he could truly change the world for the “better” giving people “perfection” and “peace” which he couldn’t because everything comes at a sacrifice, with maruki it was his mentality and morality he helped people who didn’t want to be helped and did so because he couldn’t handle his own problems he had himself. (Sorry to make a basic plot summary of the third semester in royal but ya kinda need to, to get everything in terms of writing and persona awakenings.)

[@DefinedVines]

the awakenings were some of the best parts of strikers (for the actual personas at least). i kid you not they had me screaming- especially pandora because i totally was not expecting it at all. when i heard the voice call out to sophia you could hear my screech from a mile away. i absolutely LOVE the strikers awakenings and man i could go on and on about how well strikers captured the original game without being a direct copy or uninspired sequel. its so perfect

[@ironick729]

NEW GOATZIACH HYPE!!!

[@TheRealKaibaKingOfDuelMonsters]

8:42 THERES ANOTHER MARUKI FIGHT GOD DAMIT I CANT EVEN BEAT THE FIRST ONE

[@nunyabusiness1058]

22:52 A bit artsy and eccentric? Yep, that's Yusuke all right

[@cardboardbox4093]

robin hoods awakening is a masterpiece i love when akechi moves his arm

[@mr.needlestan2954]

P5 characters: We rip off flesh from our faces with the mask when we acquire our Personas... Everybody: Ooooff Oziach: YOU CAN MAKE A LIST OUT OF THIS!

[@Oziach]

It had to be done 😈

[@archivist_13]

It's telling when any one of these awakenings could be someone's favorite

[@ShadowSorel]

except robin hood

[@archivist_13]

@@ShadowSorel honestly I really like Robin Hood's

[@Joyoboyogomu]

YES!!! I love long form P5 content. I’ve been binging your videos as I study and drive to school. Love your content, I’m so happy to see more of you guys :)

[@Oziach]

Glad you're enjoying the stuff! 🙏💖

[@PSIUser658]

Don’t feel ashamed to keep pushing for your love for Persona 5! I love this game with all my heart! A great banger of a ranking if I say so myself.

[@malcolmlee7875]

Amazing video! I’d say my favorite Persona awakening is Sophia/Pandora, for of course all of the reasons Senorish said in the video but also because the awakening parallels Kingdom Hearts (one of my other favorite series) and specifically KH 358/2 Days, and Re:Coded a ton. I’m the KH series hearts are effectively a stand-in term for souls and of course everyone has one. Except for Nobodies which are beings without hearts that are constantly reminded by Xemnas (the effective ruler of all Nobodies) that they will never have a heart kind of like Ichinose with Sophia. However in both cases that’s not true and we see that through Roxas and especially Xion (who was artificially created to be a puppet for Xemnas’s ulterior plans) and how they learn about the world and their existence and all kinds of emotions like sadness, joy, loneliness, rage, etc. through their short time alive just like Sophia. And in Re:Coded where Data-Sora was created and given a Keyblade, but when he goes up against Maleficent and Pete the Keyblade is broken showing that it’s a fake (cause Keyblade can’t break) and that since Data-Sora is just code that was created he can’t have a heart and thus a real Keyblade, but just like Sophia and Roxas and Xion his experiences made him become his own person not just a copy of the og Sora which allowed him to grow a heart and thus form a real Keyblade of his own. And yeah its all really really cool

[@Oziach]

Love the analysis here 🙏

[@jonasglant4171]

I completely agree with this ranking

[@RealCGH]

Futaba awakening felt more like persona 4 then 5(that isn't a bad thing tho)

[@leonchau345]

One thing I learned.Sumi’s freedom is like maruki’s the freedom is not free will it’s never suffering again

[@GbrBy]

I like how you never see it coming plays in the outro due to P5X being a thing now

[@Oziach]

I personally disagree with your ranking, Mr. Oziach. *You should think twice before saying that again.*

[@Illustrioustaco]

So, this video might be on the older side, but i just want to share that my brother ruined Satanael's awakening for me. He was nearby when i got to that part in my playthrough of p5... and when joker said Begone... my brother added "thot" ... Begone Thot ... every subsequent playthrough i think of that moment with the pride of a troll and the rage of an older sibling.

[@CassArttStudio]

i consistantly tear up when watching sophia's true awakening so. atlus def did something right when making the squishy

[@ocelot15]

Ann's awakening was moment when I realized I'm playing a masterpiece. But my favorite awakening is Yusuke's.