History Characters / TheWorldEndsWithYouTheReapers

** On top of that, his surname is written with the kanji for "paulownia tree" and "life." Given that the paulownia tree has associations with the phoenix of death and rebirth, that not only adds to the Jesus symbolism but also alludes to the fact that, as the [[PhyscialGod Composer]], he has the power to re-form Soul and bring it back to life.

* TheCorrupter: Passively encourages Neku to give in to his hatred of others since that's his justification for destroying Shibuya]]. This ultimately backfires; not only does he fail to corrupt Neku, but Neku actually purifies him!

* GodInHumanForm: As a result of having to forcibly curtail his Composer abilities in order to compete in his and Kitaniji’s game, Joshua is forced to take on a younger, more human form of his true self.]]

* AllAccordingToPlan: [[spoiler:Everything he did in the game during his week with Neku, including supposedly sacrificing himself for him, was all a part of his plan to ultimately destroy Shibuya.]]

* TheCorrupter: Passively encourages Neku to give in to his hatred of others [[spoiler:since that's his justification for destroying Shibuya]]. This ultimately backfires; not only does he fail to corrupt Neku, but Neku actually purifies him!

* EvilVersusOblivion: While Joshua believes that Shibuya [[ItsBeyondSaving is beyond saving]] and wants to destroy it, Kitaniji wants to save it by means of an AssimilationPlot.
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: On the surface, Joshua has the appearance of a rather pristine PrettyBoy with a cheerful attitude and a penchant for [[PerpetualSmiler perpetually smiling.]] Underneath the facade, however, [[spoiler: he’s actually the local JerkassGod of Shibuya and a manipulative schemer with a habit of shooting 15 year olds in the face and using them in his goals in trying to destroy Shibuya.]]

* MisanthropeSupreme: Starts off this way before ultimately outgrowing it. [[spoiler:He initially believes that Shibuya (and by extension, humanity) has absolutely nothing worthwhile to gain from and entertains the thought of destroying it before Kitaniji convinces to partake in a game with its fate at stake. Agreeing to this, Joshua soon finds himself seeing humanity’s potential value throughout his interactions with Neku and ultimately decides to spare Shibuya as his final decision.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: In "A New Day", Neku has a vision of [[spoiler:Joshua shooting him again, this time with a straight-up glare on his face rather than the grin he wore when picking his proxy. At the end of a New Day, when that vision comes to pass, Joshua is shooting at Coco, who has just shot Neku.]]

** In the anime, he gives a sly smile right before [[spoiler:shooting Neku during their final confrontation.]] Just a moment later when his face is shown again, it has dropped to a very serious, hollow expression.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Not exactly evil, but compared to Neku's other partners, Joshua is a smug asshole who hides things from his partner to manipulate him into doing what he wants. He's also the only one of the three who doesn't attempt to reach out to others instead preferring to shut them away, the exact opposite of the game's message. [[spoiler:Maybe him being one of the Big Bads wasn't such a twist after all.]]

* TreacherousAdvisor: Fulfills this role as Neku’s partner during their time together as partners, educating him further on the inner workings of the Game and how to best survive throughout it, [[spoiler:all of the while secretly prepping Neku for his role as Joshua’s proxy in destroying Shibuya.]]

* YouAreTooLate: He shows up at the end of "A New Day" just in time to witness [[spoiler:Coco shoot Neku dead]].

For tropes pertaining to his characterization prior to TheReveal, see [[Characters/TheWorldEndsWithYouThePlayers]].

* ConsummateLiar: Not immediately obvious, but he can be scanned as [[spoiler:he's playing from the RG, but you're always somehow blocked out of his memory of what really happened until TheReveal.]]

* HumansAreBastards: [[spoiler:What his initial mindset concerning humanity is at first. Joshua sees people as nothing but shallow and self-centered to destructive levels and believes them to be too dull and clouded to realize their own potential, which fuels his growing misanthropic mindset and causes him to try and destroy Shibuya to put what he believes to be the epicenter of its problems out of the world’s misery before his friendship with Neku has him ultimately coming to realize that...

* MisanthropeSupreme: Starts off this way before ultimately outgrowing it. [[spoiler:He initially believes that Shibuya (and by extension, humanity) has absolutely nothing worthwhile to gain from and entertains the thought of destroying it before Kitaniji convinces to partake in a game with its fate at stake. Agreeing to this, Joshua soon finds himself seeing humanity’s potential value throughout his interactions with Neku and ultimately decides to spare Shibuya as his final decision.]]
* MiseryBuildsCharacter: [[spoiler: What his reasoning behind the various rules in the Reaper's Game amounts to. It's to take the souls of the recently deceased, have them partner up with one another, and pit them against soul-destroying monsters in order to enhance their own potential and possibly have them come back to life as emotionally stronger people thanks to the experiences they've had.]]

* TookALevelInKindness: The sequel reveals that the events of the first game gave him hopes for humanity as [[spoiler:he indirectly intervenes to prevent Shibuya's erasure by the Executor and allows Shoka to go to the RG so she can join Rindo]].

* BigBad: [[spoiler:He's the true culprit behind Neku's continued entrance into the Game, the Games gradually getting more rigged against him, and ultimately the Red Skull pins. This was all done in an effort to stop the Composer, a separate villain in the context of the story, from destroying Shibuya]].
* BigNo: After losing, more over the fact that [[spoiler:since he lost his game, Shibuya will be erased]].

* CreepyGood: In ''Another Day'' and parodied. He no longer plays an antagonistic role, but he still makes some ominous statements to Neku about how challenging him to Tin Pin Slammer may end up the last game he ever plays... while also [[ComicallySerious throwing his voice to give himself a dramatic echo]] that Neku finds very impressive. [[spoiler: It may also apply to the real Kitaniji, since he's the sinister leader of the Reapers and is behind much of the heroes' problems including the AssimilationPlot affecting Shibuya's RG but [[WellIntentionedExtremist everything he's been doing was to ensure Shibuya doesn't get erased.]]]]

%% TheAgeless: [[spoiler:Is heavily implied to be this.]]

* AlmightyJanitor: In "Another Day", he seems to be just a columnist for Pinhead Weekly magazine, but corporate executives and even the mayor look to him for advice. Furthermore, he can fight the Noise just as well as [[spoiler:his AlternateUniverse [[CrystalDragonJesus counterpart]], and even participates in the BossRush challenge after casually greeting the Composer. The complete lack of surprise upon meeting his counterpart suggests that even here, he's high enough on the totem pole to be informed of alternate universes, though whether he's still the Composer is unconfirmed]].
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: [[spoiler:As the Composer, he’s essentially the most powerful force in Shibuya and he makes sure to let Neku know it once it’s revealed, with him taking [[TheBeastmaster Shiki]] and [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Beat]] out of battle without lifting a finger.]]
* BadassInCharge: Of both Shibuya and the Reaper’s Game due to his position as Composer.]]

* BatmanGambit: Pulls off quite a few of these when it comes to the events that unfold in the game. Whether its [[spoiler:counteracting Sho’s plan to assassinate him by [[BulletCatch stopping all of his bullets with nothing but his mind and forcing him to retreat,]] leaving Neku with a second Player Pin to counteract Kitaniji’s brainwashing Red Skull pin, and faking his own HeroicSacrifice in order to successfully guilt trip Neku into completing the Game for him against Kitaniji]], Joshua is almost always one step ahead of everyone.

* BeingGodIsHard: [[spoiler:It is heavily implied to be this for him. Considering how he talks about not wanting Shibuya’s complacency to poison the rest of the world and how utterly cynical he is, as well as his apparent inability to interact with others and form genuine connections, evidently Composerhood is not all it’s cracked up to be.]]
* BigBadDuumvirate: [[spoiler:Fulfills this role along with Kitaniji. [[EvilVersusOblivion Whereas Kitaniji wants to bend Shibuya to his will and turn its populace into brainwashed zombies. Joshua wants to flat out destroy it using Neku as a catalyst to do so.]] Much of the behind the scenes plot is built around the two trying to outwit the other in order to fulfill their own goals.]]
* BigBadEnsemble: [[spoiler:Makes up a third of this alongside Sho and Kitaniji, being the ultimate authority of the Reaper's Game who intends to destroy Shibuya outright because of his belief that its people are incapable of change or self-improvement. Thanks to his interactions with Neku, he changes his mind and instead chooses to spare it.]]
* BigBadFriend: [[spoiler:He killed Neku in order to bring him into the Reaper's Game, then partners with him to set up Kitaniji]].
* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:During the scene where Neku’s death is fully uncovered, Joshua points his gun directly at Neku and the gun’s line of sight is shown to be pointing at Neku’s head, suggesting that he is how he ends up in the UG.]]
* BulletCatch: [[spoiler:When Sho tries to shoot at him in the RG, Joshua takes a page from [[Film/TheMatrix Neo’s]] book and stops the bullets in mid-air with his mind, showing that even with his Composer abilities diminished, Joshua’s powers are still quite formidable.]]

* TheCorrupter: Passively encourages Neku to give in to his hatred of others [[spoiler:since that's his justification for destroying Shibuya]]. [[spoiler:This ultimately backfires; not only does he fail to corrupt Neku, but Neku actually purifies him!]]
* CoupDeGrace: [[spoiler:How he ultimately kills Neku as revealed in the full cutscene of his death: he shoots Neku while the poor kid is down on the ground and understandably confused about everything happening around him.]]
* DarkMessiah: He has a number of allusions to Jesus Christ, including [[ShownTheirWork what is apparently a more accurate transliteration of Jesus's name]]. He's also [[spoiler:the BigBad and the one who turns out to be in charge of the Reaper’s Game]].
* DeityOfHumanOrigin: [[spoiler:It’s heavily implied by Hanekoma’s Secret Reports that a Player can, if they become a Reaper, eventually become the Composer, which is what probably happened with Joshua. It's also implied that the ''Composer'' can also ascend and become an [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angel.]]]]
* DePower: [[spoiler:Joshua, the Composer, seals much of his powers away so he can play the "game" he has going fairly. Several characters try to take advantage of this to kill him... only to discover that even at "baseline human," he can still deflect bullets with his mind]].
* DramaPreservingHandicap: [[spoiler: As the [[PhysicalGod Composer]] of Shibuya, he’s easily one of the most powerful forces in the story and could’ve easily blasted away any problem that plagued him and Neku during Week 2. However, due to the nature of his and Kitaniji’s Game and him agreeing to curtail his abilities in order to give his Conductor a fighting chance, he basically has his hands tied. The moment he gets to truly show off his power, however, he makes it perfectly clear just how far above he is compared to everybody else by [[CurbStompBattle curbstomping]] [[BadassBookworm Sho]] and taking down [[TheBeastmaster Shiki]] and [[BoisterousBruiser Beat]] without lifting a finger.]]
* EasilyForgiven: Subverted to a degree. [[spoiler:Neku's ending monologue is addressed to Joshua, accusing him of not understanding how painful those three weeks were for him emotionally, forcing him to trust people through life-or-death situations, and how he basically used him. However, Neku still trusts him and considers him a friend, especially when he notes how, if he didn’t go through those trials in the first place, [[CharacterDevelopment he never would’ve changed for the better]], but he can't forgive him for all that he's done.]]
* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:Turns out he's the Composer and is planning to nuke Shibuya into oblivion. Who knew?]]
* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler:Implied. He's definitely stronger than Minamimoto, and given the fact that Hanekoma was willing to help Minamimoto become the Composer in order to prevent Shibuya's destruction, it's implied that Minamimoto would have done less damage than Joshua was planning to.]]
* EvilVersusOblivion: [[spoiler:While Joshua believes that Shibuya [[ItsBeyondSaving is beyond saving]] and wants to destroy it, Kitaniji wants to save it by means of an AssimilationPlot.]]

* GodInHumanForm: [[spoiler:As a result of having to forcibly curtail his Composer abilities in order to compete in his and Kitaniji’s game, Joshua is forced to take on a younger, more human form of his true self.]]
* GodIsFlawed: [[spoiler:Is shown to be this throughout the game, with his growing misanthropy against humanity and decision to try and destroy it being treated as something that is ultimately a defeatist mindset. Thankfully, his experiences throughout the game and interactions with Neku convince him otherwise and have him change for the better.]]
* GodWasMyCoPilot: [[spoiler:Turns out he's the one in charge of the Reaper's Game as its Composer and is just about regarded as such once this tidbit is revealed.]]
* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler:Of the game as a whole as it was thanks to his Game with Kitaniji and his multiple schemes that the plot of the game even happens in the first place.]]
* TheGrimReaper: Although the Game does contain the eponymous Reapers, [[spoiler:as the Composer, he is ultimately the one who judges people and has the appropriate power to decide whether or not they can be revived or stay dead. Due to his absence thanks to the Game between him and Kitaniji, nobody is able to truly be revived at the end of the week, which Kitaniji desperately tries to hide.]]
* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:As Hanekoma explains (and Joshua confirms independently), Joshua was able to see the entirety of the Reaper's Game while he was alive, and is implied to have been ostracized because of it. These past experiences may have spurred his cynicism and fueled the misanthropy that drove him to decide to erase Shibuya. This is furthered by Hanekoma saying that Joshua has been alone all his life, and in the secret ending, is implied to be quite lonely.]]

* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler:What his Composer form looks like: aside from a few facial features and a hazy outline, it is almost entirely featureless and has a blinding white aura around it.]]
* HumansAreBastards: [[spoiler:What his initial mindset concerning humanity is at first

* HateSink: [[spoiler:While she looks adorable and initially acts nice and innocent the final part of a new day reveals Coco as one of the most hatable characters in the game, especially after she kills Neku.]]

* HiddenAgendaVillain: [[spoiler:It's never revealed what her ultimate endgame is...]]
* KnightOfCerebus: And ''how!'' [[spoiler: As soon as her plans get exposed, she then proceeds to ''shoot Neku dead'', presumably to have him act as a part of her plans, and then proceeds to revive none other than ''Sho Minamimoto himself to act as Neku’s partner.'' Needless to say, she helps brings forward one hell of a WhamEpisode and the game’s SequelHook, if not its DarkestHour.]]

* NiceHat: Also known as Pi-Face's Cap, it's slick, [[IncrediblyLamePun calculated]] style can turn you into a zetta math whiz (probably). [[spoiler:He loses it when he turns Taboo, and you can pluck it off his corpse([[AmbiguousSituation ?]]) on the final day.]]

* GoodWithNumbers: A math fetishist with his love of numbers taken UpToEleven. ''Everything'' involving his schemes can be calculated and manipulated by his use of math. To activate his Level ''i'' Flare, he recites pi.

* LightningBruiser: Is able to FlashStep at high speeds as well as deal out large chunks of damage, along with having incredibly durable defenses due to his absorbing of Taboo Noise. His Taboo Form boss fight takes this UpToEleven, as not only is he is even more powerful and faster than before, but he’s even able to regenerate health as well.

* FourIsDeath: Her HP is 4444, taking the "Reaper" designation to a [[FourEyesZeroSoul logical]] [[UpToEleven extreme]].

* ThePowerOfFriendship: Interestingly similar to [[NotSoDifferentRemark Neku and his partners in this regard,]] they have the ability to utilize the light puck and Fusion as well, showing off just how strong their relationship is as partners.

** Repeatedly with regards to Beat and Rhyme. She even uses her dying words to imply that Beat may have valued Rhyme above all else, but Rhyme didn't hold him in the same regard.

* FighterMageThief: The three Game Masters are a villainous example. Higashizawa is the Fighter, being a StoneWall with an absolutely massive HP pool hampered by his inability to move in battle. Minamimoto is the Mage, who employs SummonMagic and TeleportSpam to make up for his lower HP (outside of Taboo form) in comparison to the others. Konishi is the Thief, being somewhere between the two in regards to HP, but relies on stealth through [[ShadowWalker shadow walking]] in combat.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: Sorry, bucko, [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle game's not over yet]].

** Days 3 and 4 of her tenure as Game Master are spent chasing Uzuki and Kariya for Rhyme's pin, which Konishi entrusted to them with the promise of a promotion if they kept the Players busy. When it's finally returned to be, he determines that it's a counterfeit, leading the Harriers to realize that she was BS-ing them about the promotion.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Kariya with the orange and Uzuki with the pink. Lampshaded by Beat.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Most of her hair is blonde, but some of the hair on her left is bluish.

* FreudianTrio:

* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: [[spoiler:Its very obvious in ''Another Day'' that he has issues with Ken Doi. Beside trying to impress him, he doesn't react well to failure. Of course a few hints can be seen in the main game where he's such a perfectionist that even a small mistake will get him rather agitated.]]

* ItsAllAboutMe: Sho is incredibly self-centered and obsessive when it comes to his own interests and does not give a damn about anyone else whatsover, even when it comes to the other Reapers.

* NiceHat: Also known as Pi-Face's Cap, its slick, [[IncrediblyLamePun calculated]] style can turn you into a zetta math whiz (probably). [[spoiler:He loses it when he turns Taboo, and you can pluck it off his corpse([[AmbiguousSituation ?]]) on the final day.]]

* NotAsYouKnowThem: [[spoiler:He's a straight up good guy in ''Another Day''.]]

* SlasherSmile: While he's often smiling, he's capable of some very excited and rather unhinged looking facial expressions at times, usually while threatening and/or insulting the heroes. [[spoiler:This might explain why he seems to intimidate Neku so much in ''Another Day'' despite being a much nicer person there.]]

* DarkIsEvil: Has some form of mastery over shadows and is also one of the most cruelest members of the Reapers.

* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler:Some quips and lines, not to mention Konishi's own behavior hints that she's been planning on betraying Kitaniji since a long time.]]

* FourEyesZeroSoul: Unlike most of the other villains, who each have their quirks that prevent them from being seen as irredeemably evil, Konishi lacks any sort of redeemable quality that would dull her villainous edge. She's purely in the business for her own reasons and almost all her actions as a Game Master are extraordinarily calculating and cruel.

* HiddenInPlainSight: Tied to her [[MasterOfIllusion powers over shadow and illusion]]. [[spoiler:The 2nd mission she issues to Neku and Beat is to find her within 6 days, while she hides in a single location. On the final day, [[NiceJobFixingItVillain thanks to Minamimoto, it's revealed that she was hiding in Beat's shadow the entire time.]]]]

-> Uzuki is voiced by Creator/SatomiArai (JP) and Creator/KateHiggins (EN)

* HateSink: [[spoiler:While she looks adorable and initially acts nice and innocent the final part of a new day reveals Coco as one of the most hatable characters in the game, especially after she kills Neku. Somewhat reversed in ''NEO'' where her intentions are revealed and her sarcastic personality is played more for comedy.]]

[[caption-width-right:350: [[labelnote:Click here to see her appearance in ''NEO: The World Ends with You''.]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coconeoprofile.png]] [[/labelnote]]

* TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler:In "A New Day”, Neku is shot dead at Coco's hands, and after attempting and failing to prevent his murder, Joshua callously decides to leave Neku to his fate, declaring Josh doesn't need him anymore. All this is part of Coco's plan to get Neku back into the UG, the first step of a scheme that threatens far more than just Shibuya. The second step? Resurrect ''Sho Minamimoto''. Apparently to act as Neku's "partner ". Except it's revealed in ''NEO'' that she's been doing all of this to ''save'' Shibuya, which ultimately wouldn't have panned out all too well without the assistance of Rindo and his friends.]]

* GoodAllAlong: [[spoiler:And then, in ''NEO'', it's revealed that she actually had good intentions for her prior actions, though ''good'' is kind of stretching it considering her rather obnoxious personality isn't much of an act.]]

* HiddenAgendaVillain: [[spoiler:It's never revealed what her ultimate endgame is...[[GoodAllAlong until]] ''[[GoodAllAlong NEO]]'']]
* KnightOfCerebus: And ''how!'' [[spoiler: As soon as her plans get exposed, she then proceeds to ''shoot Neku dead'', presumably to have him act as a part of her plans, and then proceeds to revive none other than ''Sho Minamimoto himself to act as Neku’s partner.'' Needless to say, she helps brings forward one hell of a WhamEpisode and the game’s SequelHook, if not its DarkestHour. It winds up getting inverted a bit come her return in ''NEO'', where, despite her revealing some rather critical information, she's primarily used for comedy.]]
* KidWithTheLeash: [[spoiler:She sees herself as this to Sho in ''NEO'', being that she's the one who resurrected him. Kariya and Uzuki doubt that Sho would appreciate being controlled, however.]]

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Another interpretation of her character. [[spoiler:Her methods of keeping Neku in the game are extreme, if distorting the space within an artificial Shibuya and shooting Neku after he won her Game with Hanekoma's help are any indication, but the way she acts after the story and her concern over Tsugumi in ''NEO'' imply that the Inversion of Shinjuku could very well spread to Shibuya, which flies straight across the GodzillaThreshold if she wants to save it. It turns out she really is this in ''NEO''.]]

* LikableVillain: Despite their status as ThoseTwoBadGuys, the pair manage to be quite likable thanks to their various interactions with one another and Neku and his companions, as well as their HiddenDepths and AffablyEvil personalities.

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: See above. They appear frequently, but aren't always antagonizing the heroes.

* KnightOfCerebus: While the two other Game Masters weren’t anything to sneeze at, they had plenty of quirks to offset their more menacing attributes. Konishi has no such qualities, being terrifyingly efficient, ruthless, and uncaring when it comes to her goals. While she does have a fixation with planning and predicting outcomes, it merely emphasizes her cold, unfeeling, calculating personality. Even [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Uzuki and Kariya]] are [[EvenEvilHasStandards visibly unnerved and disgusted by her acts of cruelty.]]

* SnakesAreSinister: Enjoys clothing from the Hip Snake brand and his Noise transformation is a colossal snake as well. [[spoiler:That said despite turning out to be Neku's primary enemy behind everything that's gone wrong with him and Shibuya, he turns out to have some noble intentions underneath it all.]]

* LaughablyEvil: Minamimoto has no redeeming qualities, good intentions, or an apparent tragic backstory, and causes a great amount of chaos and brutality throughout the game. But he still manages to be entertaining and likable due to his antics and eccentric quirks.

* LaughablyEvil: Even when he’s planning to kill what is essentially God and causing chaos in Shibuya, he still manages to be quite entertaining and hilarious with his antics and eccentric quirks.

* ManOfWealthAndTaste: His outfits consists of a rather pimping snake-themed suit that helps to indicate his superiority among the Reapers. Not to mention, his base of operations is the incredibly luxurious Dead God's Pad hidden deep within the, replete with expensive-looking furniture and an aquarium beneath the glass floor.

* FamousLastWords: "In... indigestible! I lost? Well done...young lady..."

* BreakTheBadass: Attempts to do this to Beat through her various manipulations of his brotherly love for Rhyme and trying to insinuate that she never loved him with her FamousLastWords. However, it ultimately doesn’t take.

* CatchPhrase: [[AllAccordingToPlan "Just as I predicted."]] Which also becomes her [[spoiler:FamousLastWords]] later on.

* FamousLastWords: "[[spoiler:Your sister's memories of you: they were YOUR entry fee. Hers was something else. You must not have been very dear to her. Hee hee... That look on your face. It's just... as I pre... dicted...]]"

* FamousLastWords: "[[spoiler:Another Player Pin!? Why do you have two? I only gave you the one! ...Ha ha. Of course! Neku... It's up to you now.]]"

* ManOfWealthAndTaste: His outfits consists of a rather pimping snake-themed suit that helps to indicate his superiority among the Reapers.