Even though its official release in the West was back in 2017, Persona 5 is still an incredibly talked-about title, with many of its characters being beloved to this day. On just about every corner of the internet imaginable, it’s likely for people to see at least one reference to Joker or one of the many colorful Phantom Thieves that make up the game’s core cast. It makes sense, though, for a game that centers around social links and building connections with others.
One of the most popular characters overall is Makoto Nijima, who doesn’t exactly start out that way. In the beginning, she’s seen as a threat to the Phantom Thieves, since the Principal assigns her to investigate the recent change-of-heart incidents. Over time, though, she grows into a powerful asset — both in and out of Palaces. And though a lot of time has passed since the game’s release, there are still some details about her that fans might not know.
9 Her Birthday Is April 23, Making Her A Taurus
Makoto’s official birthday is the 23rd of April, making her a Taurus. Her ruling planet is Venus, while her ruling sign is Earth, with the latter being incredibly fitting for such a grounded individual compared to other members of the Phantom Thieves.
Some of her signs’ positive traits that she embodies include being trustworthy, logical, patient, and organized. On the other hand, the only real negative trait that she exhibits at times is stubbornness.
8 Surprisingly, She’s Okay With Hiding Things From Her Friends
Makoto seems like the type of person who’s straightforward and honest. Being someone who stands for justice, it would make sense that she’d be an honest person who shares everything with her friends.
However, she’s actually surprisingly okay with keeping secrets from her friends if she’s worried that them finding out will affect their image of her. This is most notably seen whenever Akechi reveals that her sister Sae has a Palace, as Makoto had already known that and wanted to go to make Sae repent, but never mentioned it to the others because she felt that it was a selfish reason.
7 She Looks Proper And Refined, But She Is Actually A Tomboy At Heart
Due to her position as the student council president of Shujin Academy, there’s a refined air about Makoto. She gives off the first impression of being a proper person who cares deeply about making a good impression and keeping her appearance neat, but this is only true within the confines of Shujin.
Outside of the academy, Makoto is actually seen to be much more of a tomboy. She’s never pictured wearing skirts outside of her assigned uniform, she’s trained in aikido, and she has a fondness for violent action movies. Her Strikers outfit, pictured above, feels much more tomboyish than the other girls as well.
6 She Has The Worst Temper Of All The Phantom Thieves
Makoto typically appears to be a very kind and well-mannered girl, and this is true, for the most part. However, it’s noted that due to being placed on a pedestal all her life by adults who don’t even follow such standards herself, she has a lot of repressed anger.
She has the worst, most extreme temper by far out of anyone in the Phantom Thieves. It’s not really put on full display in the game or the anime, but in the Mementos Mission manga, it’s shown that even the shady Iwai is afraid of Makoto.
5 Her Relationship With Sae Is Strained After Their Fathers’ Passing
Before Makoto and Sae lose their father, it’s shown during the Third Semester of Persona 5: Royal that the two were incredibly close. However, the loss of their father and the shifting of all the ‘parental’ responsibilities onto Sae strains their relationship to a point where it feels beyond repair at times.
This has an incredibly negative effect on not just Sae, but Makoto, as well. While Sae ends up becoming disgruntled with Makoto and viewing her as a burden, Makoto attempts to please her in any way she can by being a model student, without anyone to vent her true feelings and frustrations to.
4 Her Father Still Influences Her Despite Not Being Around
It’s noted that, while Sae and Makoto’s father was alive, the two of them had a strained relationship with him due to how often he was away from home. However, after his passing, Makoto especially begins to regret her old way of thinking and wishes that she’d have spent more time with him.
Despite the fact that he passed away several years before the events of the game, he can still be seen influencing some of Makoto’s actions and feelings. The main reason she’s willing to give the Phantom Thieves a chance and accept them is because she believes her father would have done the same.
3 She Isn’t A Fan Of Her Own Phantom Thief Attire
Typically, a character’s Phantom Thief attire at least somewhat compliments their true personality. Makoto’s, in particular, gives off a strong feeling of rebellion — which fits her nicely, as she awakens her Persona by essentially shedding her false self and finally being more honest about her true nature.
Despite this, Makoto can actually be heard complaining about her attire if she’s in the party while the player traverses through Mementos. She not only complains about her mask, but she states that she doesn’t care much for her Phantom Thief attire overall.
2 She Can Be Seen Following The Player Outside Madarame’s Palace
If players meet certain conditions during Madarame’s Palace, they’re able to see Makoto following them around outside of the Metaverse. In order to do so, players will have to steal Madarame’s treasure before the deadline and walk back to reality manually rather than using the map.
By doing so, they’ll be able to encounter Makoto following them around. She attempts to be sneaky by holding an open comic book in front of her face, but she’s also shown to be rather mediocre at this, as sometimes the comic book can be seen upside-down.
1 Her Room Contains Close To A Thousand Books
Makoto is by far the most studious out of all of the Phantom Thieves. She takes schoolwork, studying, and tests especially seriously, making the group hold a study session at one point and warning them that she won’t allow anyone to fail any of their finals.
Due to this studious side of hers, it’s no wonder that her bedroom is filled to the brim with all different kinds of books. It’s noted that, in total, there are a whopping eight-hundred-and-thirteen books in her room.
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