Morgana

Lore & Background

Morgana was created by designer Shigenori Soejima, who originally envisioned a more feminine design with wide hips, breasts, and a leather catsuit. Early concepts also included hypnotic swirls for eyes and the ability to transform into anything, though he ultimately became limited to taking the form of a bus. His story begins in the Metaverse, where he was locked in a cell while attempting to steal a king's treasure before being freed by Joker and Ryuji Sakamoto. In the real world, they find him as a normal cat who speaks only to those who have visited the Metaverse. He reveals his amnesia but insists he is human, not a cat. The team eventually learns he was created by Igor to assist the protagonist against Yaldabaoth. In Persona 5 Royal, it is revealed that Takuto Maruki had temporarily altered reality to transform Morgana into a human, a change he reverts after being convinced of the truth.

In Their Own Story

After freeing Morgana from his cell in the Metaverse, he joins Joker and Ryuji to defeat Shadow Kamoshida. Following this success, they establish the Phantom Thieves of Hearts with Ann Takamaki, later expanding to include Yusuke Kitagawa and Makoto Niijima as they steal the hearts of corrupt individuals. Morgana briefly leaves the group due to insecurity about his role but reconciles after allying with Haru Okumura. The team travels to Mementos, the collective unconscious, where they encounter a Holy Grail they cannot defeat. This leads to their imprisonment in the Velvet Room by Yaldabaoth. Morgana reveals his origin as a creation of Igor intended to stop Yaldabaoth's replacement of him. Upon reuniting, the group defeats Yaldabaoth, causing the Metaverse's destruction and Morgana's temporary disappearance. He returns later in his normal cat form, accepting this reality.

Reader's Guide

Morgana acts as a 'buddy' character to Joker, though some critics argue he is underutilized due to his amnesia or viewed as a nuisance compared to Persona 3's Koromaru. A notable mechanic involves Morgana preventing the player from performing actions at night; this tendency became a meme and a source of frustration for players who felt it removed agency. Game Informer's Imran Khan and Fanbyte's Kenneth Shepard both criticized this restriction, with Shepard specifically annoyed that he could not rewatch movies for advantages. Persona 5 Royal addressed this by making Morgana less persistent about night-time restrictions, receiving positive reception. In combat and exploration, he provides tactical analysis and drives the getaway van. He is a playable character in sequels like Persona 5 Strikers and Tactica, as well as music games and crossover titles including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Overwatch 2.

Did You Know?

• Morgana's English voice actress, Cassandra Lee Morris, read the book "Go the Fuck to Sleep" in his character voice as a parody of his tendency to tell players to go to sleep.
• Shigenori Soejima originally designed Morgana with a more feminine look featuring wide hips and breasts before finalizing his current design.
• In Persona 5 Royal, Morgana is temporarily transformed into a human by Takuto Maruki's alteration of reality.
• Morgana can only be understood as a cat in the real world by people who have previously visited the Metaverse.
• Morgana was created by Igor specifically to assist the protagonist before Yaldabaoth could replace him.