Persona 5's Phantom Thieves of Hearts use a variety of skills in the Metaverse. From melee and gun skills to elemental Persona abilities, each phantom thief is brimming with potency. One of these abilities, first introduced in Persona 5, involves two phantom thieves teaming up for special attacks called Showtimes.
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After finding the Wishing Star from the mysterious Jose in Mementos, the Phantom Thieves can begin learning Showtimes. Brought about procedurally as you progress through the story, they are introduced during cutscenes where two characters brainstorm a team-attack near the Wishing Star. These team attacks are aesthetic cutscenes that showcase personality and combat flair.
8 Gun With the Wind - Mona and Panther
The Showtime between Morgana and Ann is the first Showtime you unlock in the game, being able to use it against the third boss, Kaneshiro. This team attack involves Mona pulling out a bouquet of roses, professing his eternal love for Panther yet again, who reaches into the blossoms to pull out two submachine guns.
After Ann shoots a flurry of bullets at the foe, Morgana ends the attack by tossing a bomb to obliterate the opponent. Posing against the explosion, the cutscene ends. While charming and creative, this Showtime lacks some of the personality and creativity of others, instead focusing on hammering home Mona's unrequited love yet again.
7 Max Moxie - Queen and Skull
One of the stranger Showtime pairings, this attack sees Queen and Skull align for a strategic melee blitz. After Makoto stops Ryuji from completing a Fist of the North Star reference, she launches forward to disorient the foe before Ryuji swings his club down on them.
Queen then charges up for a flurry of punches, which decimate the opponent before Skull hands her a grape soda to crush as he bows out of respect. While this Showtime is charming and showcases Makoto and Ryuji's personality and abilities well, the attack lacks some of the same impact that other pairings possess.
6 PTE ThwackDown - Queen and Noir
This Showtime attack pairs Makoto and Haru together for a wrestling-inspired take-down. Climbing into a wrestling ring, the girls rush their opponent by performing a lariat and a dropkick before Makoto hits them with a folded chair. Showboating and smiling, the two girls propel themselves into the air, bouncing off the ring's ropes before coming down for a pulverizing double attack.
After posing near their bruised opponent, the Showtime ends. This attack has personality and is amusing in its usage of wrestling references; it's also delightful to see how excited Haru gets at all the action. While a great idea as a premise, the execution comes off a smidge unpolished. It would be welcome news to see a little more sparkle for an attack like this.
5 Drive Hard - Mona and Noir
Drive Hard sees the iconic Beauty Thief duo return for an explosive dual attack. Beginning under spotlights, Morgana and Haru appear on top of a roof in a silhouetted city. The two Thieves jump from a height while Mona transforms into his signature Morgana-Car form.
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Driving erratically down a street towards the opponent, Haru fires off several shots from her grenade launcher before leaping off Mona and posing, leaving him to crash into the opponent, consumed in explosions. Incorporating the Morgana-Car and the fast-paced driving mechanic elevates this Showtime, and the in-story significance of this duo strengthens this pairing as well. This Showtime nails a solid balance of both personality and action.
4 The Kabuki Kid - Panther and Fox
The muse and the artist unite for this aesthetic and elegant Showtime attack. Set in an artistic and traditional Japanese home, Yusuke and Ann begin the attack by posing with their respective katana and paper parasol. After twirling and posing, Ann strikes the ground with her whip to create a flurry of tatami sheets.
Using them as cover, Yusuke goes in for a strike with his katana, the sheets splitting in half and the slice cutting through the opponent, before posing with Ann at the end. As artful and enchanting as you'd expect for this pair (an artist and a model), this Showtime is creative in its usage of traditional Japanese imagery and in terms of the strike itself. Though it could do with touching on the relationship between the two a little more, it's certainly one of the stronger Showtimes.
3 Inglorious Beefbowls - Skull and Fox
Perhaps the funniest premise for a Showtime, Ryuji and Yusuke's combo attack is born out of a cardinal sin: interrupting Ryuji while he's trying to eat. Skull laments his hunger as he enters a ramen shop presumably owned by Fox. Artistic Yusuke saves the day by assembling a curated ramen bowl with 'sauce and a touch of red.'
As the foe barges in on their feast, the two immediately pull out their shotgun and assault rifle and tear through the disrupter. Finishing them off with Ryuji's grenade, detonated by Yusuke's marksmanship, the two are left to revel in the glory of their beef bowl at long last. While the combat is not too impressive, the personality and humor of this Showtime more than compensate for it.
2 Dances with Thieves - Joker and Violet
Introduced in Royal, this Showtime sees Joker team up with the new Phantom Thief Sumire (formerly Kasumi) in an elegant barrage. As Joker approaches the foe using his grappling hook, Sumire hangs on his back as they circle the arena suspended. Joker delivers a barrage of gunshots before throwing Violet into the air above the target.
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Falling gracefully, we see Sumire imagining her gymnast sister Kasumi and harnesses her acrobatic abilities to unleash a quick blitz of elegant sword strikes. As the illusion ends, she declares that this is who she is and falls into Joker's arms. This is perhaps the Showtime that is most significant to the story, as it touches on Sumire's identity crisis, which is one of the most important arcs of the final chapter. On top of that, this Showtime is just a joy to watch, from Joker's gunshot bombardment to Sumire's speedy slicing.
1 Bladed Runners - Joker and Crow
Another late-game Showtime, the partnership of Joker and Crow is also an incredibly significant pairing. Taking place on a rainy rooftop, Bladed Runners begins with Akechi using Berserk before rushing toward the opponent in a frenzied haze, sword in hand. Joker coolly grapples the opponent to provide one disorienting slice with his knife before jumping backward.
Crow maniacally slices through the opponent, screaming that he despises weaklings before Joker lands beside him to provide a finishing shot from his pistol to punctuate the slaughter. This Showtime's sharp character work highlights both the differences and similarities to how Joker and Akechi approach combat and it's always fascinating to see rivals unite. This short but sweet attack sequence featuring these two fated souls can't be beat in terms of both personality and combat.
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