| Ann Takamaki | Gallery | Quotes | Confidant | Party |
"...You're right. I could never abandon her. If I whine like this now, I'd just be betraying Shiho... ...No, I'd be betraying myself! I could never forget how I felt that day. I... I never want anyone to have to go through what I did!
I've made up my mind. I'm going to keep looking forward. Things like dying or losing aren't important now. All that matters is that I don't return to my old self. ...I'll never make a mistake like that again. I swear it!"
Ann Takamaki is a playable character from Persona 5. She is a student at Shujin Academy who lives a double life as a Phantom Thief.
After ridden with guilt over her helplessness to protect others and herself, which led to her letting her best friend Shiho Suzui fall victim to Suguru Kamoshida, she would sacrifice herself to support her friends while facing, overcoming and promising not to return back to her old self.
Quick Answers
What is the significance of Ann Takamaki's double life as a Phantom Thief in Persona 5?
How does Ann Takamaki's guilt influence her actions and development in Persona 5?
Who is Ann Takamaki's best friend in Persona 5 and how does their relationship evolve?
What is the meaning behind Ann Takamaki's 'Lovers Confidant' role in Persona 5?
What changes are there to Ann Takamaki's character in Persona 5 Royal compared to the original game?
Appearances
- Persona 5 / Royal: Playable Character; Lovers Confidant
- Persona 5 (Manga): Major Character
- Persona 5: Mementos Mission: Major Character
- Persona 5 Dengeki Comic Anthology: Major Character
- Persona 5 Comic à La Carte: Major Character
- Persona 5 The Animation The Day Breakers: Major Character
- Persona 5 The Animation: Major Character
- Persona O.A.: Major Character
- Persona 5 The Stage
- Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight: Playable Character; Lovers Social
- Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth: Playable Character
- Persona 5 Strikers: Playable Character
- Persona 5 Tactica: Playable Character
- Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight: DLC support voice
- Persona 5: The Phantom X: Side/Playable Character
Design
Ann has wavy platinum blonde hair that is styled in bushy pigtails with parted side bangs on the right side of her face where she accessorizes with a single yellow hair clip above her left ear as well as small circular earrings on both ears and bright blue eyes. She is of mixed ethnicity: her surname is Japanese, and her profile mentions she is 1/4 American. She is a relatively tall young woman, standing taller than both Haru Okumura and Makoto Niijima, who are both a full year older than her.
Her winter school uniform is modified to fit her taste: the standard black blazer over a white varsity-like hooded sweatshirt, worn long to cover most of her short plaid skirt. Her sweatshirt has a red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, an S symbol near the front bottom on one side and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood. She wears red tights and brown boots with yellow laces. Her summer school uniform is a white shirt with a blue jacket wrapped on her waist, making her skirt more visible. She has black socks with white lining and dark brown shoes. Her hairpin is red instead of yellow, and she wears a gold necklace with a clover pendant.
Her summer casual clothes consist of a black tank top with "U2O" written on it over a white shirt with red sunglasses hanging from the middle of her chest. She wears blue denim short shorts with a red plaid shirt wrapped around her waist, black cropped socks and red sneakers.
Her winter casual clothes consist of a lavender blue button-up shirt under a red and white varsity jacket with an S symbol near the front bottom on one side. She has a white skirt, black leggings and red Converse shoes. She also wears big red round earrings.
For Persona 5 Royal, Ann has two new outfits. For school she keeps her winter outfit the same, but now wears the standard Shujin turtleneck with a black bow, in addition to a cream and brown varsity overcoat with multiple pins and patches and a black hood. For her days off, she wears a black leather jacket over an orange and purple plaid shirt, faded ripped jeans with a heart patch on the left pocket, and red ankle boots. When she is outside, she wears a red scarf and earmuffs.
Her Phantom Thief outfit consists of a skin-tight red latex catsuit with a cleavage cutout and zippers, a matching red panther mask, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots, and a clip-on tail on the back of her catsuit.
Her cognitive copy in Kamoshida's Palace appears as a scantily clad version of her in a provocative, fuchsia bikini with panther-like patterns on it and wears high heels and wears a pair of cat ears and a gold crown with fuchsia jewels on top of her head.
In Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, she sports bright pink highlighting on each pigtail and retains some part of her Shujin Academy school uniform, except that she wears a long red crop top sweater that exposes her midriff and navel, red fingerless gloves, fishnet stockings and red sneakers. She wears a pair of silver headphones around her neck, a black basketball hat on her head, light-blue nail-polish, golden hoops earrings, a spike bracelet on her left wrist and two matching gold bracelets on each wrist and a pink bracelet on her right wrist.
In Persona 5 Strikers, her hairstyle remains unchanged, although she generally wears red sunglasses (albeit above her eyes) and large heart-hoop earrings. She wears a white short-sleeved crop top with a neon rainbow comic design over pink and red camisole, seafoam green denim shorts, a red belt with a star buckle, and high-heeled white shoes with pink heels and pink socks. While at the festivals, she wears a red yukata with flowers on it, a yellow sash, and a blue line in the middle. For the beach, she wears a pink tied up bikini with an orange, green, yellow and pink pattern, white sunglasses with tinted shades, pink and white bracelets on her right arm and sandals.
Personality
"I hear you... Carmen. You're right. No more holding back...!"
Ann is a very kind and compassionate girl, enough for it to be noted by both Morgana and Sojiro Sakura. Years of isolation due to her looks have left her very withdrawn, with the belief that she's lost her place in the world, but this hasn't stopped her from opening up to the people close to her and have fun. She's able to press on without caring about the opinions of others due to her friendship with Shiho Suzui, who was her first real friend in Japan before joining the Phantom Thieves. She is shown to be a good judge of character, as she was the first person able to look past the rumors of the protagonist and see him for who he really is. Her good judgement of others is also shown by her willingness to forgive Makoto after learning her side of the story in the incident with Suguru Kamoshida, namely that she wanted to do something but felt powerless to stop him, having realized it wasn't too different from her own situation. Before this, she also comforts Makoto when she calls herself "scum of the Earth" due to her failure to help Kamoshida's victims, saying that if she really was scum, she wouldn't call herself such.
Ann as as a pseudo-villainess.
Although Ann is outwardly good and kind-hearted, and she genuinely wishes to help people in need, it comes at the cost of opening up her heart to inherent wrongness, evil and unforgiveness all at the ultimate result of making things better for others. She doesn't lose sight of this worldview for the sake of petty vengeance, especially when against Suguru Kamoshida, a terrible man that would try to hide in shallow honor and goodwill, even trying to offer his life to save himself. She does forgive the other students who ended up falling for rumors towards her, but she is especially hard on her closest friends when they instead engage in cowardly or self-destructive behavior, which includes Shiho and Alice Hiiragi. The common theme is that these people allowed their lives to be controlled by an outside source, such as Kamoshida or Hiiragi's bullies, as neither realized that they don't need their permission to live their lives. Again, she does so with sympathy towards their situations and the end result of helping them. In Ann's case, she disliked being someone who could only look on while other people suffered instead of stepping in: she explicitly did not want to return to the coward she used to be.
As a Phantom Thief, Ann becomes far more lively and energetic, with a strong will to never be abused or let abuses run unchecked. She agrees with Ryuji's desire to help those in need because she believes that if she doesn't, she'll go back to being the same as she was before. Although she understands that Kamoshida is ultimately the one at fault for what happened to Shiho, she can't help but feel partially responsible as well, due to frequently pushing Shiho to keep with the volleyball team despite the effect it was having on her. She also believes that she should have dared Kamoshida to take Shiho off the team when he threatened, as he wouldn't have done anything that would risk costing him games, but ultimately feels that she didn't believe in Shiho's ability. She reacts better to being told that she may be right rather than she can't blame herself, implying that she prefers people to be honest rather than sympathetic. Her Confidant deals largely with Ann's attempt to become a stronger person and come to terms with her guilt.
Artwork of Ann, the protagonist & Morgana celebrating the Western release of Persona 5, by Shigenori Soejima.
Ann's personable nature allows her to get along extremely well with her friends in the Phantom Thieves, and acts as a mediator to needless infighting between members of the group, especially between Ryuji and Morgana, ensuring they get along and remember they have a common goal. She is particularly considerate and kind towards Morgana in early encounters once she gets somewhat used to him, and may stand up to him at times if he gets provoked into a fight. She can still use a casual and sarcastic tone, such as with Ryuji, as on occasions they frequently bicker and exchange jabs with each other.
Ann can also be rather scornful when annoyed or upset, particularly during her early encounters with Makoto, and isn't even above using profanity when pushed over the edge. Ann can be cruel as well, as although she spares Kamoshida's life so he can confess his crimes and atone, she explains later that she did it not out of kindness, but so he would end up suffering and beg for forgiveness for the rest of his life, which she considers to be a fate worse than death, much to Ryuji's shock.
Ann's hobbies include shopping and playing video games, and she in particular considers the former to be "a great stress reliever." When Futaba points out that anything can be bought online, Ann is shocked by her approach, and says that "seeing and feeling it are the most important parts." She also has a massive sweet tooth for food such as cake, and has a weakness for crepe special menus like "extra extra cream." It gets to the point that she will sometimes eat nothing but dessert and neglect normal meals. However, she dislikes carbonated drinks and seems to prefer soy milk over cow milk. As revealed in a Mementos conversation, Ann has friends from overseas, who she seems to regularly keep in contact with.
While not as bad as Ryuji, Ann tends to struggle academically, performing poorly in every subject except English, which she mainly aces due to being bilingual. She can also be rather air-headed, particularly when it comes to her attempts to "strengthen her heart." Nevertheless, Ann is very smart in her own right. She is a good judge of character and has a keen eye for detail, such as when she senses anger and frustration coming from a painting at Ichiryusai Madarame's exhibit, and finds it hard to believe such a "cheerful and gentlemanly" man could have painted such a piece. Ultimately, she figures out that it was actually painted by Yusuke Kitagawa, who gave it to Madarame to pass off as his own. On a side-note, her acting skills are noted to be terrible, yet somehow fool people often. In Mementos, she reveals that her poor grades are actually the result of a lack of willingness to study, saying that whenever she tries, she ends up playing games instead.
In the beginning of the game, Ann has a modeling side-job as a hobby, although she doesn't want to make a living out of it just yet, as she is unsure how serious she wants to take it. Despite this and being generally confident about her body and physical appearance, Ann becomes flustered and embarrassed when she is forced into a situation that exposes her skin without her prior consent or desire. She has a tendency to mock or prank people who are ogling (such as Ryuji) and is disgusted with the idea of being used as a nude model for Yusuke's art. Ann can't stand it when people superficially value her for her body and nothing else, as if she is a thin-shelled, hollow doll with nothing on the inside or no other redeeming qualities.
She is also embarrassed by her Phantom Thief outfit at first, believing the tail is the only fine part of it, and commenting that she could never wear something like it out in public. Ann also vehemently rejects the Phantom's attempt to give her a "classy cat burglar" codename as they sound too "cute," instead deciding on the name "Panther," as it sounds "more ferocious." Her outfit is implied to be inspired by an anime Ann watched, in which she admired a "sexy" villain who was strong and confident, and took whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. In Mementos, she states that she likes using whips, and has gotten pretty good at handling one, before adding that she's not sure if that's something to be proud of. Ryuji even compares her to a dominatrix.
Profile
Persona 5
"You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with... you scumbag. You stole everything from Shiho... You destroyed her... Now it's your turn! I will rob you of everything...!"
Ann is a second year high schooler at Shujin Academy. Ann is the classmate of the protagonist in 2-D, and she and Ryuji Sakamoto were classmates in middle school. Due to her foreign blood and living abroad before the story, she does not have many friends there and is considered an outcast in Shujin. According to the art book, her parents are away from home and she lives with "servants." Ann mentions she had a live-in caretaker, so these "servants" are likely caretakers. Both her parents are fashion designers who put on extravagant shows, and they jump from country to country, so Ann does not see them that often. It is revealed that Ann also used to live in Finland.
Her only friend is Shiho Suzui. Ann met Shiho when she told Ann her painting sucked during art class. Despite this, as they were both outcasts, they became friends. Ann is being targeted by the volleyball coach Suguru Kamoshida who had a sexual interest towards her after he spotted her in a modeling magazine. Kamoshida constantly harasses her, threatening her that if Ann refuses to be with him, Shiho will be removed from the frontlines of his team.
Because of the coercion threats, she reluctantly makes appearances with Kamoshida in order to protect her friend, although she rejects any sexual advances Kamoshida makes. Vicious rumors then began to spread around the school that she was sleeping with him, further tarnishing her name around the school. Presumably because of her mistreatment at the school before Kamoshida became the volleyball coach of Shujin, worsened by Kamoshida's sexual harassment, Ann began to call Shujin a "sorry excuse of a school" and tried to convince herself that there was nothing wrong with her toxic coping regarding her predicament, as Shiho was her sole person of solace within the school.
First Heist: Suguru Kamoshida
The protagonist meets Ann Takamaki.
The protagonist first meets Ann while both are waiting for the rain to stop before school. She is then picked up by Kamoshida, and reluctantly goes with him. The protagonist and Ryuji later talk to her to ask about Kamoshida, in attempt to expose his wrongdoings, but like other students, Ann is reluctant to talk out of fear that Kamoshida will kick Shiho out from being a regular in the volleyball team, but also because of bad rumors about the protagonist.
During the second infiltration in Kamoshida's Palace, a scantily-clad, cognitive copy of Ann, known as "Princess Ann," appears after the party defeats some Shadows with the help of Ryuji, who has awakened his Persona. Initially, Ryuji thought she was the real Ann, although Morgana, despite being seduced by her looks, points out she was a fake created from Kamoshida's cognition. The behavior of the cognitive copy is based on Kamoshida's distorted sexual desires towards her, not her actual self.
The actual Ann later meets the protagonist again by coincidence, when the protagonist overhears her talking with Kamoshida on the phone. It was heavily implied that Kamoshida was asking Ann to go to bed with him, so she claims that she's not feeling well so she can't meet up with him which angered Kamoshida: out of spite, Kamoshida declares to her that he's going to take Shiho's starting position on the volleyball team away. After much persuasion, Ann finally reveals to the protagonist how Kamoshida is trying to force himself on her, as she finally expresses her frustration and disgust towards the teacher, refusing to do as he says. Feeling better, Ann's view of the protagonist changes, as she realizes how horrible rumors are when in reality it's not true, being the subject of them herself. Unbeknownst to her, Kamoshida sexually assaulted Shiho that day as revenge for Ann rejecting his advances.
Ann comforts Shiho after her suicide attempt.
The next day, Shiho attempts suicide by jumping off the school roof, although she survived the fall. Upon learning of it, Ann is shocked and saddened. Before she passed out, Shiho implies to Ann that Kamoshida has something to do with it. After an injured and comatose Shiho is hospitalized, Ann vows to seek the answers behind the reasons and get revenge for her friend. Overhearing that the protagonist and Ryuji want to expose Kamoshida's crimes, Ann asks to join them, but Ryuji harshly tells her not to get involved.
Not giving up, she secretly follows the two boys. As a result, she accidentally enters Kamoshida's Palace along with them. To keep Ann from danger, the protagonist, Ryuji and Morgana send her back to the real world. Unfortunately, the navigation app appears on her cellphone. Since she overheard Ryuji saying the necessary keywords to enter his Palace, she ends up returning soon after they sent her away. Kamoshida's knights find her, mistaking her for "the princess," and keep her in captivity inside the castle, which she believed to simply be a studio.
Ann screaming and crying in pain as she awakens to her Persona.
Later, the three find her on a torture device, surrounded by Kamoshida's knights. Kamoshida is also there with "Princess Ann." The real Ann is almost thrown into despair when Kamoshida tells her that not only did he sexually assault Shiho, but that Ann is to blame for repeatedly rejecting his advances, "forcing" him to take out his frustrations on her only friend. Trapped by Kamoshida, Ann could only run away from herself or her guilt, leaving her completely powerless no matter what she does.
Ann would blame herself for not having done anything to help Shiho, but with the help of the protagonist's motivating words, she finds the inner strength and determination to avenge her friend and all other victims, and utterly destroy Kamoshida for his heinous crimes. In doing so, she breaks free from the device and awakens to her Persona, Carmen, "killing" her cognitive copy and helping the party fight a Guard Captain Shadow that manifests as Belphegor. Since then, she joins the protagonist, Ryuji and Morgana to expose Kamoshida.
Despite being generally disgusted by Kamoshida's shadow and how she (as well as Shiho in Royal) was portrayed in his Palace, she and the party manage to defeat Kamoshida and take his treasure. After his defeat, Kamoshida pleads with Ann to kill him, but Ann refuses to, despite her hesitation to do so, since if he died, he would be unable to confess his crimes. Later on, Ann reveals that the decision wasn't out of mercy, but she wanted him to suffer as much as he lived.
In the real world, on May 2nd, Kamoshida tearfully condemns his own self and confesses to his crimes, being subsequently arrested and charged shortly thereafter, much to Ann's satisfaction and relief. Following his confession, her classmate Yuuki Mishima apologizes for not saying anything, despite knowing what happened. The two girls who spread rumors about Ann also apologize to her for their actions.
If the group fails to complete Kamoshida's Palace in time, it is never explained what happens to Ann, Ryuji or Mishima afterwards, but Kamoshida files charges against the protagonist and he is arrested for violating his probation. The scenario is a false recollection during the protagonist's interrogation due to the drugs he was administered by the police. Sae Niijima leaves the interrogation room to give the protagonist time to recover, at which point Goro Akechi takes the opportunity to assassinate him.
Second Heist: Ichiryusai Madarame
Ann trying to avoid nude modeling.
Ann is relieved to see Shiho recovering in the hospital and decides to stay a Phantom Thief so that she can save others from cruel fates that she and Shiho once suffered. While thinking of their next target, she is approached by Yusuke Kitagawa, an art student whom she initially thought to be a stalker until he clears the misunderstanding, telling her he wants her to be his next model for his art. After receiving request to steal Yusuke's teacher, Ichiryusai Madarame's heart for plagiarizing his students' artworks, Ann uses this opportunity to find out more about Madarame so they can enter his Palace and reveals to Yusuke that Madarame is not an honorable man he seems to be. She manages to do so by entering Madarame's studio where Madarame makes and keeps copies of "Sayuri" paintings to gain money, exposing him as a fraud. Before Madarame can call the police, Ann escapes with Yusuke and Morgana, accidentally taking the former with her into Madarame's Palace.
Third Heist: Junya Kaneshiro
After their success in stealing Madarame's corrupt heart and celebrating with Yusuke, Ann and her friends are approached by Makoto Niijima, the school's student council president. Having heard rumors that Makoto knew Kamoshida's true nature but, like everyone else, opted to stay out of it since she doesn't truly care about the students at the school, Ann begins to deeply resent her and is openly hostile towards her. Ann was, however, running away from her guilt involving Shiho, excusing Makoto's accusations of exaggerated hypocricy towards her as how she couldn't do anything to save her friend.
After Makoto blackmailing the group into taking down mafia head Junya Kaneshiro without leads of even his name, it escalates into Makoto making a reckless move to identify Kaneshiro out of pressure and stress, only to lead herself and the rest of the group in debt by Kaneshiro himself, founded on blackmail. Makoto, while blaming herself for the consequences of her actions, would be forgiven by the group without a shred of resentment, and even Ann herself would insist that she wouldn't be calling herself scum if she actually were.
Ann apologizing to Makoto.
"Anyway, um... I wanted to apologize. I'm... really sorry for everything. You know how I blamed you for Kamoshida's sexual harassment? Well, I wanted to apologize for that... I've honestly been meaning to this whole time. I realized later that Shiho was calling out for me... and I wasn't there to help her... I didn't want to admit my own guilt... so I took it out on you, Niijima-senpai. I'm... very sorry."
Ann later arranges a meeting with Makoto so they can have a heart-to-heart: Ann wanted to apologize for blaming her for Kamoshida, as she was running away from her guilt from not helping Shiho. There, the two realize they're similar, as Makoto was also powerless and wanted to shift the blame. The girls start to call each other by their first names, becoming friends in the process.
Fifth Heist: Kunikazu Okumura
"Whoa, whoa, you want us to show our faces...!? ...I guess that might be OK?"
With the Phantom Thieves' rising popularity, Ann would become gradually indecisive, and her kindness would lose its edge. Her opinion on their popularity would be absent-minded, and as Morgana was undergoing an identity crisis, believing he was useless, she would give him a tactless response, as if he was simply embarrassed of who he is. Morgana's loneliness and having no one to lend him a hand would culminate into him eventually running away from the group.
Ann apologizing to Morgana, setting up Ryuji in the process.
"We're sorry too, Morgana. We weren't taking your feelings into consideration at all. Ryuji didn't mean what he said, you know? He wants to apologize..."
In the midst of the group's attempts at retrieving Morgana, Ann would establish a plan to give Morgana an apology in an attempt to redeem their relations. She would go as far as to force Ryuji to play along. Later, after the group's successfully retrieved Morgana, Ann would act as his source of encouragement in his opening up to the group.
Seventh Heist: Masayoshi Shido
In the midst of the party's plan of collecting letters of introduction within Shido's Palace, Ryuji comes up with the idea of making the girls dress up in swimsuits to garner the attention of a Former Noble, one of their targets. He doesn't ignore them, but is indifferent to their beauty because of their ancestry, and believes it's something a commoner cannot attain.
Because of that, Ann comes up with a lie to say she's the descendant of British royalty, and her last name is "Windsor." Meanwhile, her friends are the "daughters of her retainers." In irony to what the Noble's said, he's been successfully deceived and would give Ann his letter of introduction, but she's been forced to drop the act once he tries to molest her, ignoring her polite pleas to stop.
Ann calling for Ryuji after he gets caught up in an explosion.
Meanwhile, Ann would have developed a bond towards Ryuji and would gradually care for him, in spite of their frequent bickering. This is highlighted best during their escape from Shido's sinking ship, where Ryuji would risk his life to nab a lifeboat for the rest, only to get caught in an explosion and presumed dead by Ann and the others.
Ann slapping Ryuji out of anger.
It was implied Ann was blaming herself for Ryuji's death: however, after realizing it's a misunderstanding and Ryuji survived the explosion. Unfortunately, Ryuji does not pick up on the mood and makes fun of Ann's crying, causing her to lash out at him and beat him up with the other girls. Without any remorse, Ann and the rest of the group leave him behind on the sidewalk.
Final Heist: Mementos
With the group's final mission in Mementos met with failure against an invincible Holy Grail, backed by the will of the people, erasing the group from the fused reality.
Ann reclaiming herself.
When the protagonist searches for his imprisoned friends within the Velvet Room, he'll find Ann in her cell, regretting her lifestyle of helping other people, as it was fruitless. Shiho, however, would make Ann realize she'd be betraying not only her friend, but herself, and discards any worries about failure. Ann would in turn restore her rebellious spirit and free herself from her cell.
Confidant
To check Ann's Confidant skills and dialogue options, see Confidant/Ann Takamaki
"I doubt something as dangerous as your group could've been pulled off with orthodox methods. It wouldn't be odd if you had someone that was proficient in deceiving the eyes of others... ...If you're listening, then answer me!"
Maxing this Confidant makes Carmen evolve into Hecate and unlocks the fusion of Ishtar. However, while the protagonist does receive the first rank of her Confidant as part of the plot, he cannot advance it until after clearing Kamoshida's Palace and raising his Kindness to "Considerate" (rank 2).
Ann's Confidant revolves around coming to terms with the aftermath of Shiho's incident with Kamoshida as Ann resolves to improve her personal character for Shiho's sake. Ann makes the decision to go into acting only to find herself constantly upstaged by Mika as Ann thinks of ways to improve herself. Throughout the confidant, she would discuss her relationship with Shiho and how it changed her as a person and gives the protagonist details about her recovery.
Ann and Shiho embracing on Shujin's roof.
In Rank 9 of her Confidant, she learns that Shiho plans on transferring to another school. Looking for closure herself, Shiho returns to the rooftop where she jumped, revealing that she did not truly desire to do so, but an unseen force goaded her into it. Having restored their bond with each other, Ann is finally able to say goodbye to Shiho and the two promise to keep in touch. Left alone with the protagonist, Ann is finally able to let her emotions go, expressing sadness at her friend's departure. Depending on the protagonist's actions, he can either hug her and confirm that he'll always be by her side or tell her that she still has friends in the Phantom Thieves. Choosing the former causes Ann to accidentally whisper that she loves the protagonist. Flustered, she will push the protagonist away and ask him to tell her what she said. Telling her that she said "I love you" will cause her to be embarrassed, but she ultimately tells him that she meant what she said. Denying that he heard it will cause Ann to get angry at him for not paying attention and she tells him she loves him again. Either way, the protagonist will hug her again and they both enter a relationship.
At the end of the Confidant, Mika's dirty tactics have been brought to light and Ann finally stands up for herself to Mika, causing Mika to finally take Ann seriously as a rival model, vowing to compete with her in an honest manner. Ann, having realized that she is becoming the strong type of woman she always desired to be, vows to maintain her relationships as they help give her strength. Her gratitude to the protagonist and her strengthened resolve causes Carmen to transform into Hecate. Ann promises to use her power to help him out with whatever he chooses to do. If the confidant ends with the two staying close friends, they will share a meal at the diner, where Ann tells him that she'll be counting on him as an eternal member of her fan club. If it ends with them as lovers, they share a romantic afternoon together, where they kiss on the Seaside Park Ferris Wheel.
Ann's farewell gift after maxing her Confidant is the Fashion Magazine, allowing Ann the ability to use Crocodile Tears and Sexy Technique from the start in New Game+. If the protagonist pursues a romantic relationship with Ann, she will gift the protagonist Earmuffs on Christmas, allowing the protagonist to earn more points when using a Lovers Persona during their Confidant in NG+, and Ann's Chocolate on Valentine's Day, which fully restores SP to one ally when consumed.
Persona 5 Royal
Taking Back Reality
Ann and Shiho together in the credits of the bad ending.
During the Third Semester, Ann can be first seen happily hanging out with Shiho Suzui in the Shibuya underground mall. According to her, Shiho has transferred back to Shujin and is now a Japan-famous volleyball ace. This however, is actually a new reality created by Takuto Maruki, for Ann subconsciously yearns for the incident of Shiho being sexually and physically abused by Kamoshida to never have happened. Once the protagonist talks her through and the illusion snaps, Shiho is never heard from again.
If the protagonist accepts Maruki's offers to accept his reality at any point, Ann will be seen reading a magazine with Shiho where the latter becomes a volleyball ace in the credits.
If Ann's confidant is maxed, she will invite the protagonist to her home for a talk, in which she regrets accepting Maruki's reality so easily, admitting that while she might wish for this reality to be true, it is ultimately still false and by escaping to there, she disappointed Shiho and went against the very motivation she decided to go against Kamoshida. Realizing this, she continues to call the protagonist a trustworthy friend and this allows Hecate and Carmen to evolve into Celestine.
Persona 5 Strikers
Ann reunited with the former Phantom Thieves members during their summer vacation. She got past her final terms with one failed subject. It's unknown if she did depart overseas to study abroad but returned to Japan.
Shibuya Jail
When the party are gathering intel on what happened to the people seen within Alice Hiiragi's Jail, they discover that those who got their desires stolen by her shadows turned out to be obsessive towards Alice, insane and sometimes pose a hazard to themselves and other people. They also wanted to investigate her personally. Fortunately, Ann booked and cancelled a tour to a talk show with Alice in the TV Station, and it's not too late to re-book the event.
On the next day, the protagonist, Ann and Morgana attend Alice's talk show to gain intel. Alice acts completely normal and friendly at first, only for the talk show host to mention her crush and suddenly confess his love for Alice despite being married before. Due to the abrupt abnormalities, the show was abruptly halted. Ann and the protagonist then come across Alice and her manager in the hallway, whom she harasses and physically attacks by stomping on him. This shocks and disgusts Ann, considering beforehand Alice said that she wanted to become the light of everybody and motivate young people to move forward with their life. Ann and the protagonist arrive and stop her for the time being.
The situation had put Ann in much concern, considering that while Alice never met her before, she did had the same goal as her, to become a fashion designer and Alice did saw her in a magazine before, yet unlike Ann, Alice had been constantly driving people berserk with Change of Hearts and has psychopathic tendencies. When disabling the Jail's security, the protagonist picks up a magazine with Alice on its cover, making Ann wonder if she had ulterior motives for doing such a thing, considering that she did have the natural qualities to succeed.
When Alice's true nature as a former outcast student from Shujin unravels in front of the Phantom Thieves, Ann gains a new resolve to help Alice move forward by changing her heart. Upon confronting shadow Alice, Ann mentions her past in Shujin, causing her to snap and attack them in the form of a monstrous rabbit-like creature. During the battle, Alice repeatedly insults Ann. When she's finally down for good, Ann calls Alice foolish and the same as her bullies for her desire for retribution. But she also encourages Alice and promises to become her friend once Alice surrenders and promises to atone.
Persona 5 Manga
In the manga adaptation of the game, Ann's role is slightly altered. She doesn't learn of Ryuji's and the protagonist's intent to take down Kamoshida until after the calling card is posted on the bulletin board and sent to the Palace. Despite being told to stay put, Ann is kidnapped by Shadow Kamoshida and used as a hostage in order to get back his recently stolen treasure.
Persona 5 The Animation The Day Breakers
"Come here, Carmen!"
Ann is first seen at the subway with the protagonist, Morgana, Ryuji and Yusuke. They transform into their Phantom Thief outfits and enter the Mementos.
After discussing with the group, Ann and Ryuji talk loudly at a restaurant and lure one of the members of the criminal gang to Café Leblanc.
Later, she engages in battle with Kazuya Makigami directly and changes his heart.
Persona 5 The Animation
In the anime adaptation of the game, Ann's role is nearly identical to her game counterpart. However, when she hears about Ryuji and Ren's intent of punishing Kamoshida, Ann sneaks behind them and goes to the Palace for the first time without their knowledge. The trio doesn't learn about Ann's kidnapping until after they have secured a route to Kamoshida's treasure.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Ann is a default member of the team. She gets along well with the P3P heroine as they are the only girls in the party at that point, and makes quick friends with Rise Kujikawa. During a side quest, she also began to respect Chie. She asks Chie to teach her kung-fu during a side quest and after defeating a couple of Shadows, she begins to respect Chie's style and even goes as far as to call her "master."
Etymology
- The name Ann means "apricot" (杏).
- Both Ann and Anne could be considered correct names for her. The English localization uses Ann, while promotional material for the Japanese version uses Anne. This is similar to Aigis from Persona 3, who is known as Aegis in the Japanese version. It's not that one is correct while the other is not, it is simply an artistic localization choice.
- Ann's surname Takamaki means "tall, high" (高) (taka) and "roll" (巻) (maki).
In Other Languages
| Language | Titles | |
|---|---|---|
 English
|
Ann Takamaki | Panther |
 Japanese
|
高巻 杏 (Takamaki An) | パンサー (Pansā) |
 Korean
|
타카마키 안 (Takamaki An) | 팬서 (Paenseo) |
  Traditional Chinese
|
高卷 杏 (Gāojuǎn Xìng) | PANTHER |
Trivia
- Apparently, the reason why Ann wears red tights is because she doesn't care about standing out.[6]
- This also explains her unique "uniform," and how Ann has given up trying to appease Japanese society.
- On the official Japanese site, Panther is given the mocking title of "Phantom Thieves' Method Acting(?) Actress" (怪盗団の演技派(?)女優, Kaitō-dan no engi-ha(?) Joyū)?. This possibly refers to her stiff acting skills when she is tasked with deceiving or negotiating with the gang's target.
- Ann's Zodiac sign, Scorpio, which is noted for being a sign representing mysteriousness, may align with the fact that Carmen, her initial Persona, was a Romani woman who used her charm to win over the hearts of unsuspecting men and then twist them to her will, and her ultimate Persona, Hecate, was the goddess of magic and witchcraft in Greek mythology.
- Ann is disgusted upon encountering Mara for the first time.
- Additionally, much like all of the Thieves' starting Personas, Carmen is symbolic with Ann's own story; Carmen foresaw her fate in her cards, namely that she would be killed by a former lover of hers, but accepted her fate as she refused to let herself be controlled by anyone. Similarly, Ann was well aware of the consequences of going against Kamoshida, but did so anyway as she refused to be his slave, which led to Shiho being sexually abused to the point that she attempted suicide.
- All of Ann's personas have physical attack animations despite having no access to any physical skills. These can still be viewed when Ann learns a new skill.
- After Marie's romance in Persona 4 Golden, Ann's romance is the second/third romance within the Persona 3-5 games to include a definite kissing scene with the protagonist, the other being Margaret.
- Ann is Soejima's favorite main character in the game.[7]
- Just like with Makoto Niijima, Goro Akechi and Ryuji Sakamoto, the official twitter account for the Persona series posted a "Happy Birthday" message for Ann on November 12, 2017, JST.
- Lyn Inaizumi, along with Game Symphony Japan, played the Happy Birthday song for Ann, as a request from Morgana.[8]
- Ann's trailer for Persona Q2 was posted on her birthday, November 12, 2018.
- In Persona 5 Royal, if Ann levels up after her Showtime with Morgana is activated, her Level-Up portrait will change. The same applies for Morgana.
Appearances in Other Media
| Title | Details | Date | External Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon's Dogma Online | Collaboration event: * Panther |
October 13, 2016 - November 10, 2016. | |
| Lord of Vermilion Re:3 | Collaboration event * Panther |
December 12, 2016 - December 25, 2016.[9] | |
| Chain Chronicle | Collaboration event * Panther, Archer class, 5-star |
January 19th, 2017 - January 31st, 2017.[10] | Article in Chain Chronicle Wiki |
| Granblue Fantasy | Collaboration event * Panther, NPC |
June 18th, 2018 - June 29th, 2018[11] | Article in Granblue Fantasy Wiki |
| Wonderland Wars | Collaboration event * Ann, Special Assist Card (Level 4) |
August 27th, 2018 - September 17th, 2018[12] | |
| BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle | * Color swap for Yukiko Amagi | * May 31, 2018 (Japan) * June 5, 2018 (North America) * June 22, 2018 (Europe) |
|
| Puyo Puyo!! Quest | Collaboration event for Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth * Ann, Attack Type, 6-star |
December 3rd, 2018[13] | Article in Puyo Nexus |
| BanG Dream! Girls Band Party | Collaboration event * Outfit for Uehara Himari |
February 17th, 2019 - March 6th, 2019[14] | |
| Catherine: Full Body | DLC * NPC |
* February 14, 2019 (Japan) * September 3, 2019 (Western countries & Europe) |
|
| Kyoutou Kotoba RPG | Collaboration event * Ann (Kotodaman); Normal (5-star), Phantom Thief (6-star) |
March 5th, 2019 - March 28th, 2019[15] | |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Part of the Joker DLC * Cameo during Joker's Final Smash and Mementos * Primary Spirit (Advanced Class, Attack type) |
April 17th, 2019 | Article in SmashWiki |
| Identity V | Collaboration event * Panther skin for Dancer |
August 8th, 2019 - August 29th, 2019[16] | |
| Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag | Collaboration event * Panther, Thrust type, Fire element, 6-star |
February 17th, 2020 - March 10th, 2020[17] | |
| Sword Art Online: Integral Factor | Collaboration event * Panther, NPC, Panther outfit for avatar, Panther skin for Leafa |
February 28th, 2020 - March 10th, 2020 | |
| Dragalia Lost | Collaboration event for Persona 5 Strikers * Panther, Playable Character |
January 2021 | |
| Knives Out | Collaboration event * Panther, Playable character |
October 1st - 15th 2023[18] | Persona Channel new post |
References
- ↑ 11月12日はアン殿の誕生日だぜ！！ この日のためにいろいろプレゼントとか考えたんだが、喜んでもらえるか心配だ… いや、みんなの力も借りたし大丈夫だよな！ #ペルソナ５ #高巻杏, @p_kouhou (November 12th, 2017)
- ↑ 今日11月12日は、パンサーこと #高巻杏 の誕生日だ！ おめでとう！ アン殿〜〜〜！ #ペルソナ5, @p_kouhou (November 12th, 2018)
- ↑ きょう11月12日は、パンサーこと高巻杏の誕生日！おめでとう！ アン殿との初めての出会い、思い出すたびワガハイ胸がときめいちまうぜ。ハッピーバースデー、アン殿！ #P5R #P5S, @p_kouhou (November 12th, 2019)
- ↑ 今日11月12日はパンサーこと高巻杏の誕生日！おめでとうアン殿！ #P5R #P5S 今年はもひとつおめでとう！！ どうか体と心を大事に、健やかで穏やかな日々を過ごせるよう、怪盗団一同応援してるぜ！, @p_kouhou (November 12th, 2020)
- ↑ Persona 5 Royal height chart
- ↑ Persona 5 Official Design Works Youtube.com (Xcompr; February 25, 2017)
- ↑ Persona 5 Official Design Works Artbook Review. LH Yeung.net Blog - AniGames (February 25th, 2017; Morgana translation notes added on March 10th, 2017)
- ↑ Persona5 11.12 Happy Birthday Anne! Youtube.com (atlustube; November 12, 2017)
- ↑ Persona 5 and Lord of Vermilion Re:3 Collaboration Details. Persona Central (Reggy, December 7th, 2016)
- ↑ Persona 5 Collaboration Festival. Chain Chronicle Wiki.
- ↑ Persona 5: Thievery in Blue. Granblue Fantasy Wiki.
- ↑ Persona 5 x Wonderland Wars Arcade Game Collaboration Teased for August 27, 2018 (Update) Persona Central (Reggy, August 19th, 2018)
- ↑ Persona 3, 4, 5 Popular Scene Vote Results, Persona Q2 Line Stamps Announced, Persona Q2 x Puyo Puyo!! Quest Collaboration. Persona Central (Reggy, November 24th, 2018)
- ↑ BANG DREAM! GIRLS BAND PARTY! X PERSONA SERIES COLLABORATION. BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Official Website (February 11th, 2019)
- ↑ Persona 5 x Kyoutou Kotoba RPG: Kotodaman Collaboration Trailer, Starts on March 5, 2019. Persona Central (Reggy, March 4th, 2019)
- ↑ Persona 5 x Identity V Collaboration Begins on August 8, 2019. Persona Central (Reggy, August 5th, 2019)
- ↑ Persona 5 Royal x Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag Collaboration to Start on February 17, 2020. Persona Central (Reggy, February 13, 2020)
- ↑ https://p-ch.jp/news/11705/
| Characters | |
| Playable | Ren Amamiya - Ryuji Sakamoto - Morgana - Ann Takamaki - Yusuke Kitagawa - Makoto Niijima - Futaba Sakura - Haru Okumura - Caroline & Justine |
| DLC | Shinjiro Aragaki - Goro Akechi - Theodore - Lavenza - Sho Minazuki - Labrys |
| Locations | |
| Tokyo | Café Leblanc - Shibuya - Shujin Academy |
| Palace | Kamoshida's Palace - Madarame's Palace - Kaneshiro's Palace - Futaba's Palace - Okumura's Palace - Niijima's Palace - Shido's Palace - Mementos |
| Other | Velvet Room - Hawaii |
| Music | |
| Songs | GROOVY - One Nightbreak |
| Albums | Persona Dancing P3D & P5D Soundtrack Advanced CD |
| Archive | |
| Lists | Social - Trophies - Patches and Updates |
| Development | |
| Corporate | Atlus Co., Ltd. |
| Personnel | Kazuhisa Wada - Shigenori Soejima - Ryota Kozuka - Shoji Meguro Toshiki Konishi - Atsushi Kitajoh - Jazztronik - tofubeats - Mito - Yukihiro Fukutomi - KAIEN - Shacho - Taku Takahashi |