It is rare for a single project to define a decade of a performer's life, but for Erica Lindbeck, Persona 5 is the gift that keeps on giving. Sitting down with Naomi Kyle on the latest episode of TheBestWarGames’s Character Select, Lindbeck took a trip down memory lane to discuss how playing the shut-in hacker Futaba Sakura changed her trajectory. With the original game’s release now nearly ten years in the rearview, the actress shared a surprising revelation: she never actually had to audition for the part.
The "Asahi" Connection
While most actors spend their careers in the trenches of constant auditions, Lindbeck’s entry into the Phantom Thieves was a result of her previous work with developer Atlus. She had recently voiced Asahi in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, and her performance caught the ear of the production team.
"I didn't audition," Lindbeck revealed during the interview. "I had worked on Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse... And someone on the team said, 'I hear who I would like for Futaba in her Asahi performance. I hear a little bit of Futaba.'"
At the time, Lindbeck was early in her career and admitted to feeling a massive sense of impostor syndrome. Despite her talent, she initially doubted whether she could pull off the character’s specific "gremlin" energy.
"I was like 23 or 24 when I first started recording for Persona 5, and I felt like I was, it was above my pay grade. I really did not feel that I belonged there," she admitted. At the time, her reaction to the role was one of pure disbelief: "I went, 'I don't sound like a hacker girl.'"
A Decade of Staying Power
That uncertainty quickly vanished as the game became a global phenomenon. Lindbeck noted that the franchise provided a rare sense of professional stability, as Atlus continued to expand the universe through spin-offs like Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, Persona 5 Strikers, and the expanded Royal edition.
Reflecting on the milestone, Lindbeck attended a Persona live concert just one night before the interview, which served as a vivid reminder of how much the game still matters to fans.
"It's been 10 years... It feels like a blip," she said, still buzzing from the event. "Seeing all the fans, like the Persona fan. That was just crazy. And that game was just... It did a lot for me, for my confidence and also I think for my career it really like put me on the map in a really big, big way."
Standing on Shoulders
For Lindbeck, the legacy of Futaba isn't just about the memes or the merchandise; it’s about the people who gave her a shot when she was still finding her footing. She credited her career's success to those who saw her potential before she did.
"My career has very much been built on the sh— I’m like standing on the shoulders of people who believed in me more than I believed in myself," she said.
As Persona 5 approaches its ten-year anniversary in September, it’s clear that the bond between the cast and the community remains as strong as ever. For Lindbeck, Futaba wasn't just another gig—she was the character that proved she truly belonged in the booth.
All P5X Voice Actors (& Where You Know Them From)
A list of all of the main P5X voice actors and some of their other big voice-acting roles.