meso–meso Directly-linked trimeric and pentameric porphyrin–hexaphyrin hybrid arrays 5 and 6 comprising of electron-deficient porphyrin units were prepared by cross-condensation of monomeric and dimeric electron-deficient meso-formyl porphyrins with a tripyrrane. The solid-state structures of 5 and 6 have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The latter is the largest crystal structure of meso–meso linked multiporphyrinic array analogues reported to date.