Persona 5: The Phantom X's global release has been quite a success so far, and now that more fans are finally able to dive into the latest JRPG spin-off, everyone has been left baffled by its first big villain – the Subway Slammer.
The Phantom X carries forward the original Persona 5's concept of the Phantom Thieves venturing into the manifestations of people's warped hearts, to make them face their wrongdoings and atone for what they've done.
There were a number of big bads in Persona 5 and its Royal re-release, many of whom had done some truly horrendous stuff, with the very first one that the protagonists tackle being a teacher who physically assaults and sexually harasses his students. So, you can understand why some are struggling to take The Phantom X's first antagonist seriously, as he declares that "the whole subway's mine for the slammin'!"
Meet Takeyuki Kiuchi – the Subway Slammer. As his name would suggest, his whole deal is that he aggressively shoves into people on the subway, and he's very dramatic about doing so, delivering supervillain-style laughs and threatening characters by saying he's "gonna get you too."
He could be anywhere… he’s gonna SLAM you when you least expect it… pic.twitter.com/isZQApNRKqJune 28, 2025
It should be noted that Kiuchi's villainy is an example (albeit, perhaps a bit of an exaggerated one) of an actual issue in Japan. As one player points out, butsukari otoko (or 'bumping man') is a term used to describe men who purposely bump into women in crowded places like train stations, and it's obviously a "disgusting thing" to do.
However, it's largely The Phantom X's writing that's quickly sent the Subway Slammer into meme status. With dialogue like the examples above, it feels like the writers might have leaned a bit too far into the dramatics with him.
"I loved when the Subway Slammer said it's slammin time and subway slammed all over the place," jokes one player, sharing a screenshot of Kiuchi's now infamous "the whole subway's mine for the slammin'" line. Another fan declares the same moment as "genuinely the funniest fucking line in any Atlus game."
i loved when the subway slammer said it’s slammin time and subway slammed all over the place pic.twitter.com/S245pvX1VUJune 28, 2025
Others are jokingly calling the guy "the best Atlus antagonist ever created," while one says: "He does not run, he does not rush. Takeyuki Kiuchi simply skips with a jovial cadence, knowing that nary a soul on earth nor heaven can condemn the Subway Slammer."
He does not run, he does not rush. Takeyuki Kiuchi simply skips with a jovial cadence, knowing that nary a soul on earth nor heaven can condemn the Subway Slammer. pic.twitter.com/HxOIAm2iW2June 29, 2025
Not everyone thinks Kiuchi's villainy marks "a bad start to the game," though, as one fan argues: "He sort of represents the smaller injustices that go ignored around us. Nobody would notice or care about this guy and his misogyny in real life."
However, as another puts it, "the problem with the P5X Subway Slammer isn't his crime, it's a real problem in Japan. It's how unseriously it's written, and how he's meant to be this story's parallel to Kamoshida despite not even coming close."
As they suggest, Kiuchi feels like the kind of guy who might have been featured in Persona 5's sprawling Mementos dungeon as a smaller quest boss, rather than having his own dedicated Palace dungeon. Regardless, he's made quite an impression, and I'm sure my Twitter timeline isn't the only one full of screenshots of his crimes.
