Ryuji Sakamoto is one of the 4 founders of the Phantom Thieves and best friends with Ren Amamiya. He is known to be hot-headed, stubborn, arrogant, rude, dull-minded, kind-hearted, and respectful (most of the time). Ryuji was kicked off the track team after bursting out with anger and frustration and Kamoshida breaking his leg, making him unable to run. Ryuji never forgave Kamoshida for what he had done to him and the other students even after changing his heart, which caught the White Dragon Wyrm's attention and manipulated Ryuji's hatred towards Kamoshida and making him the Jester. Ann Takamaki, a childhood friend and member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, along with the 7Individuals, the main protagonists, confronted Ryuji while fighting off pirate armies of the Jester. Ryuji, now defeated, confessed that Kamoshida should at least be treated equally, and that he allowed Wyrm to manipulate him so that Kamoshida can be whipped multiple times from the warden Avery Reels, Timothy's brother, despite knowing that it's completely out of line for someone to do that. Ryuji decided to help out the 7Individuals and, with Ann, brought the situation up to Sae Niijima, a defense lawyer. When Avery was freed as a Monarch from the hands of Wyrm, Ryuji and Ann parted ways but returned to the 7Individuals and secretly becoming support members and placed into different units, with Ryuji as one of Talrod's pirate units.