Characters / Persona 4: Arena - The Investigation Team

Persona 4: Arena and Ultimax characters index
The Investigation Team | Shadow Operatives | Unaffiliated Fighters | Allied NPCs | Antagonists

Tropes regarding the Investigation Team outside of Arena and Ultimax can be found in the character sheets of Persona 4. For the Persona series, see this page.

WARNING: The descriptions within this sheet assumes that the reader has played Persona 4. As such, it contains UNMARKED SPOILERS regarding the story of the game. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Investigation Team

Yu Narukami

Yu Narukami (The Sister Complex Kingpin of Steel)

Nobody touches his precious Nanako!

"It's only natural."

Arcana: Fool / World (Wild Card)
Persona: Izanagi / Izanagi-no-Okami
Main Weapon: Katana
Style: Standard

Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese) / Johnny Yong Bosch (English)

The protagonist of Persona 4. Yu was a transferee to Yasogami High School, having moved there from the city to live with his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, and his cousin, Nanako, while his parents were on an overseas work, where he awakened to the power of Persona, formed the Investigation Team with his friends and solved the murder mysteries behind the Midnight Channel. He left back for the city at the end of the school year, but decided to return during Golden Week. Shortly after arriving, however, Yu witnesses the advertisement for the "P-1 Grand Prix" on the Midnight Channel and reforms the Investigation Team to find out why the phenomenon has returned suddenly.

Yu's Persona, Izanagi, can utilize electric attacks. With enough willpower, it can also transform into his Ultimate Persona, Izanagi-no-Okami.

Playstyle

Yu is a Jack of All Trades character reminiscent of the Shoto archetype found in Fighting Games. He has no outstanding strengths, but no weaknesses either, and has a wide variety of attacks for both close and long-range combat. Overall, he's a very balanced character and solid choice for players of all skill levels.

His Instant Kill is Myriad Truths, the attack he used to defeat the Final Boss in the original Persona 4. He plunges his sword into the ground, creating a wave of electricity that launches the opponent into the air. Izanagi then evolves into its Ultimate form, Izanagi-no-Okami, twirls its naginata in a circular motion, and summons a HUGE thunderbolt that rains down on the opponent, crashing them into the ground.

---

• The Ace: Even in terms of gameplay he's one, being a Jack of All Trades character with really no weaknesses.
• Awesome by Analysis: Yu might not be quite Naoto's level, but his penchant for dispelling all lies and illusions holds firm. Case in point, when the Malevolent Entity appears in the form of his "shadow", it takes Yu all of two seconds to state that, as he still has Izanagi, this thing physically cannot be his shadow.
• Broken Ace: It's hinted a few times in-game that deep down, Yu is not as calm and confident as he appears, and says that he believes his friends are his main source of strength. There's also his Doppleganger to consider; If that thing was a perfect copy of what his shadow would be like, then it raises some disturbing implications.invoked
• The Bus Came Back: At the end of the original Persona 4 (and by extension Golden), he left on a train to go back home, though his friends assure him they'll remain that way after he's gone. The goodbyes don't last long, as he returns two months to visit and by extension investigate the mysterious re-appearance of the Midnight Channel.
• Company Cross References: His animations recycle a large number of elements from Ky Kiske, the resident lightning swordsman of another Arc System Works franchise, with a bit of Hakumen (from another Arc System series) added to the mix.
• Canon Name: His name came directly from the anime, and has been used as his name for most, if not all, spin-off material.
• Chick Magnet: Hinted at by Teddie and Rise.
• Dance Battler: Not really for the most part, but one of his supers in Ultimax, Thunder God Dance, requires the type of precise rhythm needed for a dance.
• Deadpan Snarker: Far heavier on the snark side than in the anime.
• Demoted to Extra: In the manga, Yosuke is actually the character the adaptation focuses on, with Yu having a smaller role.
• Determinator: Big time.
  (after using a continue) "I'll get up as many times as I have to!"
• Difficult, but Awesome: Ultimax gave Yu a secret super, Thunder God Dance, that requires 150 SP to use. Said super is a long combo that requires quick and precise button pressing from the player in order to get to its climactic finish... which, if done right, deals a lot of damage.
• Diving Kick: Yu has two variations: one is an actual kick, and the other is more of a leaping downward stab with his katana.
• Exact Words: A rare heroic example. At the end of the game, Mitsuru tells the P4 cast to leave the antagonists to them, which Yu appears to concede to. Later, however, he says:
  "I said that we should trust Mitsuru-san, but I didn't tell her we wouldn't get involved".
• First-Person Smartass: Not as bad as Yosuke, but he does pepper his narration with a fair helping of dry wit.
• Game-Breaking Injury: In the manga, his fight with Akihiko left him pretty bruised and battered, slowing him down in his next fight against Youske. Eventually, it leads to him passing out, costing the match.
• Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: During Yosuke's story◊. It's actually just an illusion.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: Of course, Yu still has his swordsmanship skills learned during last year's investigations. His skills have also improved since he no longer drags his sword and fights as if he has taken Kendo, though it can also possibly be attributed to his katana being lighter than the other weapons he used previously.
• Heroic Willpower: Whenever he unleashes Izanagi-no-Okami. Also after his fight with Elizabeth in her story.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Yosuke. They do refer to each other as "Partner" after all like they did in the first game.
• I Have Your Wife: General Teddie taunts Yu by saying that he has Nanako captive and will not let her go unless he continues with the tournament. It's all a ruse by Shadow Labrys.
• Jack of All Stats: He is the game's most well-rounded character, possessing no real strengths or weaknesses. His strengths lie solely in the player's skill and mindset. Enforced in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax when every character navigator will either comment on how incredibly strong he seems, if he possesses any kind of weakness or, in Adachi's case, remark how irritating he is.
• Katanas Are Just Better: He wields a katana this time, just like how several of his weapons in Persona 4 were katanas. Unlike the previous year, where he holds his sword as if it is too heavy for him, a katana is much lighter and he can hold it with one hand and fight with the skills of a seasoned swordsman.
• Kamehame Hadoken: Ziodyne.
• Knight Templar Big Brother: While he obviously cares a lot about Nanako, it's played for exaggeration when Yosuke fights Yu though that was just an illusion.
• Leitmotif: Reach Out To The Truth (Arena ver.) — a remix of the normal battle theme from Persona 4.
• Lightning Bruiser: In the hands of a skilled player, Yu is practically unstoppable, as even though he isn't as specialized as other characters, he has surprisingly long range, extensive combo ability, infamous mixups, and good damage.
• Limited Wardrobe: Yu is still wearing his Yasogami High uniform, even though he's no longer attending that school. When Labrys asks him about it, Yu sheepishly explains that it's "what I wear for going into the TV". He probably brought it along for old time's sake.
• Master of All: His neutral is great due to his many powerful options, his starters are all fantastic and generally lead to high damage and a knockdown, his supers are great as finishers, reversals, or (with a Once More Cancel) an amazing mixup and pressure tool. His Furious Action, while not amazing, is still one of the better ones, and one of the best at lower levels of skill, where the more difficult ones generally aren't used.
• Narcissist: Has slight tendencies of this a navigator in Ultimax.
  Yu: "You got me on your side. You'll be okay."
• Mystery Magnet: Yosuke seems to think so, especially when one realizes this is the second time the TV world has gone active when he arrived.
• No-Sell: The illusions of Shadow Labrys and the Malevolent Entity simply do not work on him. Heck, in later battles, the illusions begin breaking down because he's able to see through them (except for the one with Nanako). This is also the reason why he never runs into his "Shadow" (The Malevolent Entity) in his story. When it appears in his arcade mode, Yu immediately picks up that his Persona and Shadow cannot co-exist.
• Properly Paranoid: Upon his return to Inaba, he decided to check for the Midnight Channel "just in case." He had good reason to be suspicious though, seeing as Igor called him back to the Velvet Room during the train ride.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: There's a reason he's the leader of the Investigation Team.
• Refuge in Audacity: Yu's reaction to Chie before fighting her. See Sanity Slippage under Shadow Labrys.
• Relative Button:
  • Exploited by General Teddie/Shadow Labrys, who eggs Yu on by saying she has Nanako captive, one of his only real fears after the latter's near-death experience last year. Also lampshaded in the P-1 Grand Prix commercial:
  Announcer: Nobody touches his precious Nanako!
  • He has another one: harm his True Companions and he will make you pay.
• Shock and Awe: Thanks to Izanagi.
• Shotoclone: With Big Gamble as his Shoryuken, Zio as his Kamehamehadoken, and Raging Lion and Swift Strike as the closest he has to Hurricane Kicks.

• Spell Blade: Yu charges his katana with electricity in many of his moves, sometimes independently of Izanagi.
• Status Effects: Can inflict Shock with SB Zio (and in Ultimax with SB Ziodyne and SB Cross Slash).
• The Stoic: Very. He's one of the (if not the) most collected individuals in the setting, and it's a rare occurrence when something manages to phase him.
• Suddenly Voiced: Yu actually talks in this game, as opposed to the limited grunts and Persona name shouts of the original game, with all of his dialogue being mentioned by narration or chosen by the player and not voiced.
• Sword Plant: One of his victory poses.
• Theme Naming: In Japanese, any moves Yu has that aren't named after a skill Izanagi could use in Persona 4 are named after old Japanese proverbs.
• Throw the Sheath Away: One of his battle intros.
• Took a Level in Badass: As Adachi points out in an internal monologue during his story, Sho is an actual highly-trained fighter, whereas the Investigation Team were unrefined with no proper technique when he fought them. However, in the True Ending, Yu faces Sho with all of Minazuki's capability merged in, and fights him to a standstill.
• Tranquil Fury: Carried over from the anime. Yu never shows his anger, but there are a few points in the game when his demeanor turns chilly, indicating this trope. For example, at one point, he tells "General Teddie" to stuff it; in a more humorous example, in Chie's joke ending, he chews her out for trying to eat something she found in the TV World.
• True Sight: As a result of the Orb of Sight. In the story, it allows him to completely bypass the illusions of the bad guys.
• Yellow Lightning, Blue Lightning: His and Izanagi's is the standard blue.
• You Remind Me of X: The Shadow Operatives (especially Aigis) note his similarities to the young man who led them years ago in solving the mystery of the Dark Hour. Elizabeth also states that he heavily reminds her of Aigis herself, who is actually Yu's true predecessor and fellow wielder of the Wild Card.

Yosuke Hanamura

Yosuke Hanamura (Captain Ressentiment)

Wage slave in the boonies by day, hero by night!

"Everything that bores me has gotta go!"

Arcana: Magician
Persona: Jiraiya
Main Weapons: Twin Kunai
Style: Speed

Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo (Japanese) / Yuri Lowenthal (English)

The happy-go-lucky second-in-command of the Investigation Team. Like Yu, Yosuke also came from the big city after his father took a job as manager of Inaba's local Junes supermarket. Despite his initial dislike of the town and its inhabitants, Yosuke learned to love it and made several friends in the town, foremost of which is fellow city-boy Yu.

He joined the Investigation Team after the murder of his crush, Saki Konishi, in the TV world. While there, he encountered his Shadow — a twisted mirror image created from the depths of his soul who claimed he only joined the team to "play hero" to get his mind off Inaba, which he resented for being "boring", and taunted him with the truth that Saki never repaid his affections. Upon finally coming to terms with his inner demons, the Shadow transformed into Jiraiya, which specializes in wind-based skills, which grew in power as he came to accept his situation and became more honest about his jealousy towards Yu.

After the events of Persona 4, he and Teddie plan a surprise party for Yu upon learning of his return, but Teddie, Rise, and Kanji suddenly disappear mysteriously. Shortly after learning of this, Yosuke witnesses the "P-1 Grand Prix" advertisement and rejoins the team.

Yosuke's Instant Kill is Brave Blade. He summons Jiraiya, who delivers a spinning uppercut to the opponent. While they are spinning in the air, Yosuke and Jiraiya perform a series of cross-slashes, ending with Jiraiya launching its shurikens at the opponent.

---

• Balloon Belly: Jiraiya gets one of these before unleashing Tentarafoo from its mouth.
• Blow You Away: Specializes in Garu attacks.
• Butt-Monkey: Because some things never change. In the manga, he tends to get hurt a lot as well. The stage show based on the games takes this up to 11, using him as the lightning rod for the Megidolaon that Elizabeth uses to get everyone to stop fighting.
• Call-Back: Among his intros are him crashing his bicycle (which can end with either a wheel rolling away or him stuck in a trash can) and him falling after his infamous lifeline is severed.
• A Day in the Limelight: While the game tends to follow whomever the player is playing as the main character (modifying the events to fit the story), Yosuke is the one who gets the spotlight in the manga adaptation.
• Diving Kick: Gets one as a special attack in Ultimax, with the twist that he'll jump and attack again once he hits the ground (and repeat the process over again for the SB version).
• The Dulcinea Effect: He gets hit with this hard for Labrys, especially after realizing the truth behind the P1 Grand Prix. At the end of his and Aigis' story modes, Yosuke even goes so far as picking a fight with Aigis, knowing he has almost no chance of winning against a combat android, just so he can protect Labrys, despite just meeting her.
• Dual Wielding: His kunai, as with the original game.
• First-Person Smartass: Biggest smart-ass of the bunch.
  • Also darkly alluded to with his Shadow counterpart in the manga. He apparently has some brutal words, given he made Chie cry after the battle between her and Yosuke and when he fought Yukiko, the latter is shaken up.
• Flash Step: When under Sukukaja, Yosuke's dash becomes one. So is his throw (which is also the basis for part of his Sukukaja-only autocombo in Ultimax).
• Fragile Speedster: He can rush down enemies from all directions, and has access to Sukukaja, but like Yukiko and Naoto, he has below average health (8,500HP).This almost causes him to lose against Yukiko in the manga, as her attacks are too fast and widespread to avoid while being too strong to power through. He improvises by covering himself and Jiraiya with debris to take the brunt of the explosions and allow him a chance to strike.
• Freudian Excuse: He's initially driven to protect Labrys because he doesn't want the TV World to kill her like it did Saki.
• Headphones Equal Isolation: Completely subverted during his fight against Shadow Labrys in the manga, as the real Rise uses them in conjunction with Himiko to broadcast words of encouragement from the other Investigation Team members to Yosuke, giving him the strength to confront the deadly android alone.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Yu. They both refer to each other as "Partner", after all.
• Hidden Weapons: Hides his kunai in the sleeves of his uniform. Taken to Hyperspace Arsenal levels in Ultimax, where one of his new moves lets him launch a massive amount of kunai at his opponent.
• Highly-Visible Ninja: Jiraiya, with its light blue body and bright red scarf, is not going unnoticed by anyone.
• Hit-and-Run Tactics: The best way to play as Yosuke is to strike quickly and retreat before the enemy can counter.
• I Just Want to Be Special: Exploited. General Teddie and the Malevolent Entity try to convince him that The Midnight Channel is the only place that makes Yosuke special, and that Labrys was brought to the tournament exclusively so he could have the chance to "rescue a cute girl." It fails thanks to Rise's last-minute interference and using her Persona to get the others to remind him about the Power of Friendship.
• The Lancer: To Yu.
• Leitmotif: The Hero from Junes. There's also a remixed version:The Hero Of Junes (Electro Mix)."
• Pose of Supplication: Yosuke defeat pose. No matter what the finishing blow is, Yosuke always assumes a humiliating pose where he's bent over on his knees, with his butt protruding upward. [1]
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis!:
  • When Yosuke learns that the Teddie on the monitor is a fake:
  Yosuke (inner monologue): What. The. Hell.
  • And again when he learns Labrys' backstory:
  Yosuke (inner monologue): Ho. Ly. Crap.
• Shout-Out:
  • Yosuke's crouching B attack is pretty obviously based off of one of Hazama's normals (the one where he crosses in front of himself). He even lampshades it occasionally by calling out "I can do it too!" when doing so.
  • One of this new attacks in Ultimax is something that looks close to Leona Heidern's V-slasher, which is itself based on Voltes V's V Slash. It's even called V-Slash in the localization!
• Small Town Boredom: Exploited. Shadow Labrys and the Malevolent Entity try to convince him he wanted the P-1 Grand Prix to happen, so his life wouldn't be so boring. It's only thanks to The Power of Friendship that they fail in the end.
• Status Effects: Can inflict Panic with Tentarafoo and Poison with his grabs.
• Super Mode: Sukukaja temporarily makes Yosuke much faster than normal, alters the properties of his normals so he can dash to cancel most of them, changes his autocombo, and in Ultimax, it enables a completely new super that costs 0 SP, but immediately ends Sukukaja when used.

Chie Satonaka

Chie Satonaka (The Carnivore Who's Discarded Womanhood)

A Spunky Dragon With Deadly Legs!

"You need to eat more meat!"

Arcana: Chariot
Persona: Tomoe Gozen
Main Weapon: Feet
Style: Kung-Fu Flash

Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese) / Erin Fitzgerald (English)

A tomboyish native of Inaba and best friend to Inn heiress Yukiko Amagi. Chie is a fierce fighter who enjoys the occasional meat bowl and martial arts movie. She joined the Investigation Team after Yukiko was thrown into the Midnight Channel. There, she encountered her Shadow, which claimed that she enjoyed being the "dominant one" in her relationship with Yukiko. Upon accepting her Shadow, it transformed into her Persona, Tomoe Gozen, which specializes in physical attacks much like Chie herself, and grew in strength as she resolved to become a paragon of justice.

After the Midnight Channel incident, Chie began studying to become a police officer under Dojima's tutelage in order to fulfill her vow. While jogging one day, she overhears a rumor that the Channel has returned, and later confirms it to be real along with Yu, Yosuke, and Yukiko. Furious at the insulting nickname given to her by the "P-1 Grand Prix" advertisement, she rejoins the Team to find out the truth behind the Midnight Channel's return.

Chie's Instant Kill is Galactic Punt. Tomoe launches the opponent into the air as Chie readies herself. As they fall, Chie flies forward in slow motion, delivering a flying kick that sends them flying high into the sky, out of the arena.

---

• Ass Kicks You: Her throw involves her slamming her butt on her opponent. This also appears in Blazblue Cross Tag Battle.
• Birds of a Feather: She and Akihiko bond over their love for meat and martial arts.
• Disappointed in You: In her Joke Ending, Chie leaves the tournament and ends up fighting with Akihiko over a bowl of steak rice. Just as she is about to take a bite, she wakes up in the real world and is confronted by the rest of the team for abandoning the case. Even the normally friendly Yu simply glares at her and speaking with a disappointed tone at her. All Chie can do is laugh nervously while looking at the sky.
• Double Weapon: Tomoe Gozen's weapon is a lajatang, a double-sided spear.
• Friendly Rivalry: With fellow Extremity Extremist and meat lover Akihiko.
• Glass Cannon: Can rush enemies with powerful offense and combos, but can't really take punishment herself, mainly due to a lack of decent defensive options as well as lack of safe-ranged tools in comparison to the rest of the cast; otherwise her HP amount is just fine.
  • In the manga adaptation, she and Tomoe utterly demolish the area that she and Yosuke are fighting in, but a precise Mirage Slash on his part manages to take her down almost instantly.
• An Ice Person: In Ultimax, one of Tomoe's attacks now freezes the opponent on hit.
• I Just Want to Be Badass: Exploited. Shadow Labrys and the Malevolent Entity try to convince her she wanted the P-1 Grand Prix to happen, so she could be a hero and get all the attention. It's only thanks to a quick "Get A Hold Of Yourself Man" speech from Rise that it fails.
• I'm a Humanitarian: In Yosuke's Story Mode. Good thing it was just an illusion. Also happens in her story mode where Teddie mentions his sweet bear claws and she says she doesn't want his meat, then says "They're sweet, huh?".
• Kick Chick: Almost all of her attacks are kicks and variations, with only a few punches.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": By the end of her story mode, she's become a big Akihiko fangirl and even calls him master.
• Leitmotif: Like a Dragon. There's also a remixed version: Like A Dragon (Girl Pop Mix)."
• No Guy Wants an Amazon: Teddie's voice is twisted into mocking Chie by saying this. She becomes very hurt by this. Shadow Rise mockingly calls her a brute unable to attract boys should she defeat her in Ultimax.
• Obsessed with Food: Her predilection for meat is taken far beyond her original characterization, to the point it becomes her primary title in the tournament. In story mode, she can outright abandon the P-1 GP to fight Akihiko over an Aiya Beef Bowl, leading to her joke ending. And even after she wins, she can choose not to share even one bite of it. Granted, she hadn't eaten much that day, and given the situation, anyone would be pretty tired and hungry by that point. But still…
• Power of the God Hand: God Hand returns as one of her supers.
• Red Baron: Notable in that her in-battle title, "Spunky Dragon with Deadly Legs" is different from the one in the P1 Grand Prix' opening, "The Carnivore Who's Discarded Womanhood".

• Status Effects: In Ultimax, one of her new attacks can Freeze her opponent if it hits.
• Super Mode: Power Charge makes all of Chie's physical attacks more powerful for a short amount of time. This power boost can be stacked up to three times; the more stacks (indicated by the color of the Power Charge timer changing from red to yellow to blue), the less time Power Charge lasts, but in return, Chie's damage output further increases. With three stacks of Power Charge active, Chie's damage output is ridiculously high.
  • With Level 3 Power Charge and SP God Hand, Chie can basically two-shot everyone except for Kanji and Shadow-type characters.
• A Twinkle in the Sky: Galactic Punt, as usual, sending her opponents flying into the sky and out of sight for her Instant Kill.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Yosuke, as usual.

Yukiko Amagi

Yukiko Amagi (The Unconquerable Snow Black)

Please escort me to the ring, my prince!

"I'll finish you in one strike!"

Arcana: Priestess
Persona: Konohana-Sakuya
Main Weapon: Paper Fans
Style: Long Range

Voiced by: Ami Koshimizu (Japanese) / Amanda Winn-Lee (English)

The graceful and beautiful heiress to the Amagi Inn, considered to be a landmark of Inaba. Yukiko always wanted to free herself both from Inaba and her predetermined fate. As if in response, she was kidnapped and thrown into the Midnight Channel, where she encountered her Shadow, who poked and prodded her on that matter as well as her extreme reliance on her childhood friend Chie. After she accepted her Shadow, it became her Persona, Konohana-Sakuya, which specializes in fire magic. Throughout the year, Yukiko learned to accept her home and take on her legacy with pride, culminating in her standing up to a group of paparazzi who were threatening her family.

After last year's incidents, Yukiko is informed of a surprise party for Yu's return and begins training with her fellow employees to improve her legendarily bad cooking skills. After finishing a special box lunch of her own design, Rise's manager Inoue suddenly calls Yukiko and informs her that Rise has gone missing. Worried, Yukiko contacts Chie and tells her of this, and she in turn tells Yukiko that the Midnight Channel might be back and that there may be a connection. Upon witnessing the advertisement for the "P-1 Grand Prix", Yukiko rejoins the team to rescue her friends.

Yukiko's Instant Kill is Full Bloom. Konohana-Sakuya charges into the opponent, sending them careening into the wall as it explodes into hundreds of cherry blossoms which bombard and cut into the enemy.

---

• Action Girl: Known for her deadly competitive streak and deadly fervor when angered, yet choosing to destroy her opponent in the most poised and classiest fashion.
• Badass Adorable: A lovable goofball that comically misreads situations and yet, can effortlessly roast you alive with style and grace.
• Badass Boast:
  Yukiko: "Take me lightly and you'll get burned."
• Brutally Honest: For the most part as a navigator. It's especially apparent if you lose a round on a perfect.
  Yukiko: "Seeing you dominated so much was disappointing..."
• Badass in Distress: Exploited. Shadow Labrys and the Malevolent Entity try to convince her she wanted the P-1 Grand Prix to happen, so people would pay attention to and take care of her. It's only thanks to The Power of Friendship that they fail in the end.
• Carrying a Cake: She spent all night cooking a nice (and delicious-smelling) boxed lunch for everyone, and just happens to bring it over to the TV World to investigate. Tragedy ensues.
• Changing Clothes Is a Free Action: One of her intros has her in full kimono. Konohana-Sakuya then materializes and twirls once in front of her, using her wings as a make-shift curtain. Yukiko is in her Yasogami uniform before Sakuya barely finishes her twirl.
• Cherry Blossoms: Uses them in her Mortal Blow, where a large storm of blossoms causes the opponent to disintegrate. The move also does 398 hits, which is a Goroawase Number for "Sakuya", the name of her Persona.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Just like before in the P4 RPG, and stronger than ever now. For example, in Kanji's Arcade mode, he's forced to fight her after she mistakes him for a fake due to a "perverse look in his eyes."
• Cluster F-Bomb: By Yukiko's standards, when describing the P-1 Grand Prix to Yosuke as being for him (thankfully it's an illusion):
  Yukiko: And given what a god-damn pain in the ass it's been so far, I can't wait until it's over.
• Combat Hand Fan: Uses paper fans as weapons.
• Dance Battler: "I'll show you my dance!"
• Determinator: She may have brief moments of self-doubt and insecurity, but once she's focused, she does not give up.
  Yukiko (upon reaching Awakening): "I WON'T lose!"
• Difficult, but Awesome: At first glance, her low damage output, slow attacks and Furious Action, and complex playstyle may cause you to overlook her. However, once you learn her fierce pressure, zoning tools, and get down her fire boosting, fire breaking, and unblockable setups, she is capable of dealing massive damage. In Ultimax, she has access to a powerful firebird projectile at lv.6 and can launch a reset on the opponent that can take off half of their health. Her Instant Kill is even fast enough to counter normals, Furious Actions, and even bursts!
• Glass Cannon: She syncs her attacks to her Persona's and can fill the screen with powerful fire attacks, but sports low health (8,500HP) and must fight precisely and carefully.
• Heal Thyself: Yukiko is one of the only characters in the game who can heal herself. In this case, holding down the input for her Furious Action, Dia, will keep her in the pose, slowly healing her lost health. However, there is a maximum limit to how long Dia can be held, and Yukiko can be knocked out of the move by an attack from the opponent.
• Hair Flip: One of her victory animations
• Hot Wind: Her portrait, also described in detail in Story mode when she summons her Persona.
• The Hyena: As usual. In her story mode, she laughs at General Teddie's outfit. Akihiko's "hakamantle" also sends her into a laughing fit in Ultimax. And if you play as her while selecting her as her own navigator?
  Yukiko: *snrk* "Hahaha—there I am, ahahaha...! T-Two of me! Haah..."
• Improbable Weapon User: One may never know how Yukiko can bruise and wound others using a lightweight paper fan. Somewhat lampshaded in one of her pre-battle lines.
  Yukiko: "I have to be careful not to break my fan..."
• Lady of Black Magic: Graceful and able to use powerful fire attacks.
• Lady of War: Always elegant and graceful when fighting with her paper fans.
• Laughing Mad: Does this if her health is knocked down to Awakening. If she's fighting Yu though, it's a different story.
• Leitmotif: Princess Amagi. There's also a exceptionally remixed version: "Princess Amagi (Traditional Taste Mix)."
• Lethal Chef: She's been practicing but is apparently still not the greatest cook. To make matter worse, none of her staff seems to point out her mistake.
• Long-Range Fighter: Typically regarded as this due to her fans and Persona abilities, but she also has uses up-close as well.
• Never My Fault: She's incapable of entertaining the idea that her boxed lunch gave all her friends food poisoning in her joke ending.
• No-Sell: When Dia is active, Yukiko is immune to most projectiles and grabs.
• Nonchalant Dodge: Giggles in amusement when dodging or guarding attacks.
• Once Done, Never Forgotten: Teddie still brings about the "scoring" incident, which Yukiko is not amused about.
• Parasol of Prettiness: Though its only used in her intro and victory poses.
• Petal Power: Her Finishing Move.
• Precision F-Strike: If Yukiko's health is knocked down below a certain point, there is an instance where she throws caution to the wind and gets pissed off, as clearly evident in her words.
  Yukiko: "The HELL with you!"
• Playing with Fire: Thanks to Konohana-Sakuya.

• Status Buff: Using Fire Boost increases the power of Yukiko's fire attacks for the rest of the round. This boost can stack up to eight times (nine times in Ultimax) for massive amounts of fire damage. In Ultimax, Yukiko has a special projectile move that can only be used when Fire Boost is at least level 6.
• Unblockable Attack: Yukiko can force these upon her opponent with Fire Break. However, the "unblockable" property only applies to a move with fire effects, and once an unblockable fire attack is used, she can't use Fire Break again for 15 seconds.
• Uncanny Valley: In-Universe. While she likes the scenery and how it looks very close to her own school, she can't but feel very awkward about how too perfect it is, but she is never able to catch on why it is. She even remarks how Labrys, while still under the Miss President label, has her uniform too much like a model high schooler.
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Just like last time, Yukiko plays it straight while her Shadow shows its exact opposite.
• You Won't Feel a Thing!: Generally her attitude when going into battle. Because of her gentle looks and soft-spoken manner, this downright shocks and even terrifies navigators and opponents alike. Even Kanji Tatsumi of all people gets a little apprehensive fighting her.
  Yukiko: "Don't worry...this won't hurt."

Kanji Tatsumi

Kanji Tatsumi (The Bloodcurdling Beefcake Emperor)

Blooming roses and bulging muscles!

"Deep in the realms of romance!"

Arcana: Emperor
Persona: Take-Mikazuchi
Main Weapon: Steel Chair
Style: Grappler

Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (Japanese) / Troy Baker (English, Arena), Matthew Mercer (English, Ultimax)

Despite his brutish appearance and personality, Kanji only seeks acceptance for who he is: a tough guy with a soft heart and a talent for sewing, a skill inherited from his beloved mother. After being kidnapped and thrown into the Midnight Channel, he had a rather infamous encounter with his Shadow, who mocked his hobby as well as his feelings for Naoto Shirogane (who he then believed was a boy) because it gave the impression that he was secretly gay. After accepting his Shadow, it became his Persona, Take-Mikazuchi, which specializes in electric attacks. As the year progressed, Kanji gradually learned to stop forcibly emphasizing his masculinity and instead embrace who he really is.

Overjoyed when he learned of Yu's return to Inaba, Kanji quickly got to work on sewing a present for him. When he overworked himself and started falling asleep, he accidentally tripped and falls into his new flat-screen TV, which then became a portal to the recently-returned Midnight Channel. Convinced that he is dreaming, Kanji proceeds to get fired up about the "P-1 Grand Prix" and goes around beating every opponent in his way of becoming "the manliest of all men".

Kanji's Instant Kill is The Man Series: Brofist. He walks toward the opponent, grabs them, and launches them into the sky with his chair as Take-Mikazuchi sends a lightning bolt at them from above, sending them flying back downward. Both Kanji and Take-Mikazuchi then punch the falling enemy from both sides.

---

• Achievements in Ignorance: In his joke ending, Kanji practically wins the "P-1 Grand Prix", solves the case and rescues Labrys from her Shadow Self all by himself, while thinking everything is just a dream. He even manages the courage to tell Naoto to drop the honorifics while talking to him.
• All Just a Dream: Parodied. Spends half the story thinking the whole tournament is a dream, since he fell into his new flat-screen TV while sleeping. You can either make him snap out of it, or get a joke ending by making him continue to believe the whole thing's a dream. Also, in Teddie's story, he didn't 'get up' until the very end after everyone else took care of the Big Bad Duumvirate.
• Awesome, but Impractical: As this dude shows, he can use a One More Cancel to chain both his supers together (notable because of one of them being a command grab super, the type that typically hits hard and is hard to hit with to compensate). That said, it requires him to be in Awakened Mode (or in Shadow Kanji's case, activate Shadow Frenzy), and for him to have 150 SP (100 for the supers, 50 for the cancel).
• Blood Knight: Overjoyed at the prospect of a fighting tournament.
• Camera Abuse: He throws his chair to the screen as one of his final victory poses, in a Call-Back on his very first scene in the original game ("Get bent!").
• Chairman of the Brawl: Comes packaged with a few wrestling moves, particularly chair moves.
• Changing Clothes Is a Free Action: Shadow Kanji's victory pose has him change into his loincloth.
• Cliché Storm: That's what he thinks it is if on the Joke ending. And then there's his remark on Aigis.
  "I can't quite put my finger on it, but isn't it kinda weird for a robot to act this human? Is my imagination just that shitty?"
• Coat Cape: Lampshaded with Elizabeth pondering how it stays on and Akihiko noting how impractical it is in fighting and tells him to take it off. In the latter, Kanji responds he does it for Rule of Cool.
• Cuteness Proximity: When he gets to pet Koromaru in Ultimax:
  "Oh wow... This is amazing! Oh my gooooood, he's an albino Shiba! This is totes adorbz! Ahhhhh! Shibe!"
• Developer's Foresight: In Ultimax, if you try to use "This'll Hurt!" while unable to use your Persona, Kanji will simply throw the opponent away, without having Take-Mikazuchi appear. This also applies to "Burn to a Crisp!!", as grabbing the opponent with it while without a Persona will cause Kanji to use "Ass Whoopin', Tatsumi-Style!" instead of the normal Persona attack, as seen here.
• Dynamic Entry: Awakened Kanji in Score Attack doesn't go for the legs with his dropkick sweep. Instead, he leaps towards the opponent's head and tries to kick them so hard that they bounce off of the opposite wall. His dropkick also sends him across the screen.
• Final Boss: Only in Teddie's Story Mode, but not a malevolent one; he just hadn't gotten up even after the Eerie Voice was beaten, and Teddie needed to wake him up, hard.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Kanji is notable for being the only one (barring Yu, Teddie, Rise, and Naoto) who didn't need one to face his other self, once he wakes up.
• Hyperspace Arsenal: His "Cruel Attack" moves wreck his chair, which he discards, before pulling another one out of nowhere. Other attacks involve him simply leaving his chair to pound on someone with both hands, then pulling another chair, while yet another simply has him throw it at someone, jump at them and beat on them, and not bother to pick the old one up.
• Improbable Weapon User: In this case, a folding chair.
• Leitmotif: A Pure-Hearted Beast. Muscle Blues for the original vs Shadow theme.
• Mighty Glacier: Can take and dish out damage very well, but is sluggish in movement.
• Mistaken for Gay: Again. In Ultimax, during one of Ken's chapters in the P3 storyline, Kanji starts blushing and asks if he can pat "you" on the back. Ken is surprised and confused by this and remembers that Kanji was given the nickname "The Beefcake Emperor". Before he can attempt to put 2 and 2 together, he realizes Kanji was talking about petting Koromaru and when asked, Kanji says "Who did you think I meant?"
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: His aerial Command Grab in a nutshell.
• Shock and Awe: Can deal electrical damage with Take-Mikazuchi.
• Sir Swears-a-Lot: Biggest potty mouth in Arena.
• Status Effects: Can inflict Shock with his strong Persona attacks, Furious Action, SP "This'll Hurt!", and in Ultimax with his standing weak Persona attack and SP "Burn to a Crisp!!"
• Unskilled, but Strong: According to Akihiko, Kanji's already very strong, but he'd be an unparalleled fighter if he received formal training.
• That Came Out Wrong: Typical with Kanji as his choice of words tends to brush off the wrong way on others. He even says this trope in his win quote against Akihiko in Arena.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Because he thinks everything is just a dream, Kanji is called out for not holding back his punches after he snaps back to reality.
• Wrestler in All of Us: Aside of his chair, he can make Take-Mikazuchi do a body-press, and his sweep is a Drop Kick to the legs.
• Yellow Lightning, Blue Lightning: Take-Mikazuchi's is yellow.

Teddie

Teddie/Kuma (The Beast in Heat)

The void that swallows all!

"Bear-sona!"

Arcana: Star
Persona: Kintoki-Douji
Main Weapons: Claws and Random Items
Style: Trickster

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese) / Sam Riegel (English)

A mysterious being hailing from the world behind the TV, who assisted the Investigation Team in their business within the Midnight Channel. Teddie is actually a Shadow formed from the subconscious human desire to be liked, making him civil and friendly with humans. After helping his newfound friends defeat Rise's Shadow, he began having doubts about his own existence and accidentally created his own Shadow-Self, who insisted that his existence was meaningless and that the only truth in life is death. Upon accepting his Shadow, it became his Persona, Kintoki-Douji, which has a variety of random skills and can produce random weapons and items in combat, which grew in power as he learned to become more like a human.

When General Teddie announces the P-1 Grand Prix on the Midnight Channel, no one is more surprised than Teddie himself. Teddie journeys into the Midnight Channel to find his impostor and prove he's the real Teddie, then runs into Labrys and takes it upon himself to be her personal Knight in Shining Armor.

Teddie's Instant Kill is Kamui Kablooey. Kintoki-Douji drops down from the sky, launching the opponent into the sky. Teddie then throws a bomb into Kintoki-Douji's compartment, and it turns into a rocket that begins ascending toward the opponent at breakneck speed. Teddie gives a salute as the rocket explodes into fireworks in the shape of Teddie's head.

---

• Anvil on Head: Transforms into one in his All-Out Attack.
• Batter Up!: Like Junpei in Ultimax, Teddie gains different properties if he hits the opponent with the bat's "sweet spot."
• Beary Friendly: The most friendly and funny Shadow you will ever meet.
• Beary Funny: He takes the form of a cartoon bear, and provides a lot of comic relief.
• Bishie Sparkle: In his win animations where he sheds the bear suit.
• Call-Back:
  • One of his new attacks in Ultimax is his Shadow's Nihil Hand.
  • All of the items that Kintoki-Douji can throw are references to stuff from Persona 4, where they are items you can use in battle or other things from the game.
  • One of his victory poses has him take off the bear suit to show his human form, either fully clothed in his summer clothes, in the Alice outfit he wore at the culture festival crossdressing pageant, or, very rarely, naked, as he was when he first removed the suit in the real world. He also removes the suit for a split second during his burst.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Some things never change.
  Mitsuru: This TV is our escape route… Can we… really fit inside…?
  Teddie: Ooh! Are you a little too front-loaded to fit? In that case, I wouldn't mind helping you squeeze through…!
  Rise: You're even worse than before, you know that…?
• Clear My Name: Part of his story mode.
• Confusion Fu: His entire movelist, which would make Yoshimitsu proud.
• Cool Mask: Teddie's glasses mode gives him a bandit mask.
• The Dulcinea Effect: Is hit with this even harder than Yosuke! He wanted to protect Labrys literally right after meeting her and before finding out the truth about the P-1 Grand Prix. In his and many other story modes, he even fought against the Shadow Ops just to protect her.
• Furry Reminder: Teddie is quite taken with Mitsuru's fur coat, even though it isn't real. (Then again, neither is his.)

• Grand Theft Me: Averted. Kagutsuchi originally wanted to use Teddie as the base for his "perfect vessel", but found it impossible to break his will enough to make him receptive, forcing him to use Sho instead. This is the reason Kagutsuchi generally appears in the guise of a fake Shadow Teddie/General Teddie.
• Improbable Weapon User: Produces various strange objects for his attacks.
• Knight in Shining Armor: Appoints himself as this for Labrys.
• The Knights Who Say "Squee!": To Yu, as usual. Eventually towards Aigis as well, after she does a very spectacular job of saving Teddie's bear-hind from the fake Shadow Labrys.
• Leitmotif: Teddie Bear Circus!.
• Lethal Chef: Not one himself, but one of the items he tosses out is the result of two working together. Taken to another level in Ultimax, as it is the only thing in the game that causes multiple status effects at the same time (specifically, Poison, Fear, and Silence).
• Mirror Match: While he's the only character who never has to fight his "shadow" in either story or arcade mode, he does fight General Teddie, which acts as a Mirror Match.
• The Nicknamer: He calls Labrys, Aigis, Mitsuru, and Akihiko by Labby-chan, Ai-chan, Mitchan, and Akky, respectively.

• Paper Fan of Doom: His ground throw ends with Teddie slapping the opponent with one.
• Paper People: He can use this to his advantage in battle to dodge high attacks. He also becomes this when he gets hungry, and it turns out to be useful in his escape from the closet he was stuffed in during his story mode. In Akihiko's story, he becomes this after their fight.
• Plot Allergy: Poor ol' Ted. When the Red Fog covers the town in Ultimax, it doesn't agree with his sinuses, and he spends most of the story with a clogged up nose and a bad case of the sneezes.
• Pungeon Master: And the puns are, as always, un-bear-ably lame.
• Red Boxing Gloves: One of his normals has him firing one out of his mouth.
• Shamu Fu: Hurls a fish at his opponent during his sweep.
• Sphere Factor: Rolls on his (very rotund) Persona during one of his supers, like an actual circus bear would on a ball.
• Shout-Out: One of his new supers in Ultimax has Kintoki-Douji toss out a torrent of random items, much like one of Faust's supers.
• Status Effects: With his items, Teddie can inflict almost every status effect in the game (the only exceptions are Silence and Charm, and even Silence can be used by Teddie in Ultimax).
• Stealth Pun: Unsurprisingly not from Teddie himself, but in his Japanese title, Beast of Libido. While "Libido" refers to the sex-drive in Freudian Psychology, which would fit with Teddie's womanizing habits, in Jungian Psychology (on which the Persona games are mostly based), it actually refers to the entirety of the energy the psyche's complexes — including one's Shadow — are created from, subtly hinting at Teddie's original nature.
• This Is a Drill: His drill claw attack, based on his follow up attack when an enemy is knocked down in Persona 4. He also briefly transforms into a drill during his air throw.
• Took a Level in Badass: Appropriately enough for a Shadow with the power of Persona, Teddie's toughened up since the first incident. He's still an ineffectual goofball in personality, but in combat, he's improved enough to defeat Aigis with no punches pulled.
• Toon Physics: Seemingly a large part for the reason of Teddie's aforementioned improvement. Since he has a Shadow's physiology, he can morph his shape to a degree and pull off the ridiculous tricks in his Confusion Fu fighting style.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: One of Teddie's win poses has him strip his bear costume, revealing that he has dressed up like Alice underneath. Also, on Yosuke's closet, you can see the dress Teddie cosplayed as for a crossdressing pageant still hanging on the door.

• Wolverine Claws: Can turn his hands to have three claws on them.

Naoto Shirogane

Naoto Shirogane (The 2000 IQ Killjoy Detective)

The body of a child, the brain of a genius!

"Is this an army of idiots?"

Arcana: Wheel of Fortune
Persona: Sukuna-Hikona
Main Weapon: Revolver
Style: Shooter

Voiced by: Romi Park (Japanese) / Anna Graves (English, Arena), Valerie Arem (English, Ultimax)

A calm and level-headed detective who allied "himself" with the Investigation Team to solve the murder mysteries of Inaba. Naoto's masculine and mature demeanor belie the fact that "he" is actually a girl. She chose to hide her gender in fear of the discrimination she might face in the male-dominated police world.

This was pressed upon by her Shadow when she encountered it after a plan she devised to uncover the kidnapper's identity went horribly awry. After accepting her Shadow, it became her Persona, Sukuna-Hikona, which specializes in traps as well as controlling the elements of light and darkness. Despite her struggles, Naoto managed to become a well-respected detective, thanks to her smarts and investigative skills, honed by her year with the Investigation Team.

Some time after the events of the previous game, Naoto is hired to investigate the Kirijo Group and their recently established paramilitary organization / joint-operation with the police department, the Shadow Operatives. On the surface, Naoto is a special overseer for the loading of a certain piece of cargo from the Kirijo Group's R&D department onto a plane headed for Yakushima, but when hijackers suddenly interrupt the transfer, she takes action and plants a tracking device on the getaway van of the hijackers. She then meets with Detective Kurosawa, now promoted from his officer duties thanks to his assistance in Persona 3, who helps her to spy on Mitsuru Kirijo. Naoto suddenly witnesses Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Aigis enter the Midnight Channel, and immediately follows them, concerned for not only their safety, but her friends as well.

Naoto's Instant Kill is Judge of Hell. She tosses her pistol into the air as Sukuna-Hikona makes a random pattern of crosshairs appear on the screen. If the opponent comes into close proximity with one, the trap is triggered, allowing Naoto to get a perfect headshot with her pistol on the opponent, no matter where they run.

---

• Broken Ace: According to the Malevolent Entity, she's "the most unstable of the lot."
• Badass Bookworm: The title of "Detective Prince" isn't just for show.
• Bifauxnen: She still prefers to dress in guy's clothes and, likewise, never bothers to correct people when they mistake her for a man. In fact, by the end of the first game, most of the Shadow Operatives (save for Aigis) seem unaware that she's a girl.
• Boom, Headshot!: Her Instant Kill in a nutshell.
• Bottomless Magazines:
  • Can use the B version or EX version of her Sniping Stance to reload her bullets instantly if she's already in the said stance before the revolver runs out of bullets. Either way, as soon as she exits her stance after firing any bullets, she'll always automatically reload for the next time she enters Sniping Stance.
  • However, it's a bit less effective due to the fact that her revolver now has a cooldown in Ultimax before it can actually be fired again.
• Casting a Shadow: Mudoon.
• Controllable Helplessness: Her Instant Kill inflicts this on the opponent. If they touch one of the crosshairs, they can try running desperately in vain to avoid the bullet, but it's all useless, for they are already dead.
• Deadpan Snarker: If this little gem about Akihiko's outfit is anything to go by, it seems she's finally showing some skill at this. Yu must be rubbing off on her.
  Naoto: He's the perfect example of someone who should be detained for questioning.
• Deuteragonist: While the overall Arena series games largely make Yu Narukami the primary hero, she gets nearly as much focus as him in the first game, acting as the connective tissuing tying the Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team together, with her own involvement with the plane hijacking being what kicks off the entire story. Her routes are also the lengthiest, even more than Yu's. Come Ultimax, however, she has been Demoted to Extra.
• Flat "What": An expression that can be best described as a "WTF" kind of look. Exemplified in Teddie's route.
  (Naoto was asking about "Labrys", but she trails off while talking and thinking aloud.)
  Teddie: Oh my...
  Naoto: What's that look about...?
  Teddie: I mean, your smouldering gaze was so intense...
  Naoto: Ah, the usual misunderstanding then.
• Gun Fu: In addition to her revolver and a nasty kick, she comes loaded with a machine gun whose bullets inflict Silence and a shotgun whose shells inflict Fear.
• Gun Twirling: Her Instant Kill begins with her throwing her revolver in the air spinning before catching it.
• The Gunslinger: Primarily Type A.
• Hardboiled Detective: What she becomes only a year after the first Midnight Channel incident.
• Hidden Buxom: This game (which is considered canon) finally gives a clear answer to the prolonged and hilarious fan debate on that subject. Naoto is stacked.
• Insufferable Genius: "Is this an army of idiots?"
• Jobber: She throws her fight against Mitsuru in the manga so that she'll be in optimum condition to confront the true mastermind at the end of the tournament.

• Leitmotif: Seeker of Truth.
• Light 'em Up: Hamaon.
• More Dakka: While she primarily uses her revolver, she also uses an SMG and shotgun.
• Mythology Gag: One of her Supers resembles her Critical Hit animation from 4.
• Not So Stoic: She does not take too kindly to being called a "killjoy".
  Naoto: K-Killjoy?! What is this?! Who came up with this demeaning epithet?!
• One-Hit Kill: Her Hamaon and Mudoon supers become this if her opponent's fate counter reaches zero. Otherwise, they're attacks that do no damage which allow for combo setups.
• Pinball Projectile: She can shoot the floor to cause her bullets to ricochet upwards at an angle.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: When using her instant kill.
  Naoto: That's what you get for not knowing your place.
• Revolvers Are Just Better: Her primary weapon.
• Ship Tease: At the start of her story, well before entering the TV for any manipulations of her words to occur, she specifically refers to Yu as her "dear senpai". This is oddly intimate for Naoto, though it may simply be a Sherlock Holmes reference.
  • If you notice, she's blushing at the end of Kanji's joke ending (he previously asked her to be less formal with him).
  • She also blushes when Yu is looking into her eyes.
• Shotguns Are Just Better: One of her supers involves her using a shotgun.
• Status Effects: In addition to the status effects mentioned above, Ultimax gives Naoto a move that can inflict Posion.
• Squishy Wizard: She excels in keep-away tactics and baiting her opponents into counters and traps, including her One-Hit Kill traps Hamaon and Mudoon, but she has the joint 2nd lowest health of the playable cast.
• The Stoic: It wouldn't be Naoto if she weren't this.
• Tap on the Head: Her ground throw is the "karate chop to the neck" variant of this trope. While it's obviously not a literal One-Hit KO since that would be very unfair, it does cause the opponent to briefly lose consciousness and fall to their knees, allowing for a followup attack.
• 13 Is Unlucky: The opponent's fate counter at the start of each match is thirteen. If it hits zero, she gains the potential to One-Hit Kill you.
• Tranquil Fury:
  • Again, it seems she's taking lessons from Yu, as she's starting to display this at times. When confronted by the illusionary Mitsuru who calls her a Hypocrite who lacks confidence in herself that hides her true nature while spying on others, her only response is to summon her Persona, give a short Shut Up, Hannibal!, and kick Mitsuru's ass.
  • And later, when confonting the Malevolent Entity, who proceeds to mock her by calling her unstable for her indecisiveness about revealing her true nature. Naoto's response is to nonchalantly tip her hat back, give a short "No More Holding Back" Speech expressing her disappointment about never getting the chance to face her shadow, and proceed to renovate the entity's ass.
• Yin-Yang Bomb: Her Hamaon and Mudoon traps.

Rise Kujikawa

Rise Kujikawa (The Scandalous Superstar Idol)

Her naked passion, exposed for all to see!

"I, Rise Kujikawa, will be your announcer!"

Arcana: Lovers
Persona: Himiko
Main Weapon: Microphone Stand
Style: Singer

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese) / Laura Bailey (English)

A teen idol who goes by her stage name "Risette". She took a temporary retirement to return to her hometown of Inaba and discover who the "real Rise" is. After encountering her Shadow, who pressed her regarding her various images, Rise accepted who she is and gained her Persona, Himiko. Throughout the year, she realized that "Risette" will always be an authentic part of her identity, however artificial it may seem, and decided to return to showbiz after spring break.

In Arena, she does not battle enemies directly; instead, she scans them for data, which she shares with the Investigation Team. She also acts as the commentator of the "P-1 Grand Prix", calling out the battles of the tournament. In Ultimax, however, she becomes a fighter in her own right.

Her Instant Kill, True ♥ Story, traps the enemy in a bind and bombards them with soundwaves.

---

• Ascended Extra: Rise becomes a playable fighter in Ultimax, with a new variation of Himiko to boot.
• Attack Drone: Himiko's essential weapons are a bunch of round satellites which can fire lasers, much like those used by Strider Hiryu.
• Badass Adorable: Who could say no to a girl who fights by slapping her opponents silly and still look cute through it all?
• Badass in Distress: For most of Arena's story mode, the Combat Commentator Rise is a fake. The real Rise was kidnapped by General Teddie, and only gets in contact with the other characters once General Teddie gets distracted late in the story.
• Beehive Barrier: To match its hexagon-shaped solar panels, Himiko can eject energy shields made up of interlocking hexagonal tiles.
• Call-Back: In the Vs. screen before battle, she is the only female character whose height and weight are both listed. In Persona 4, she explained at one point that her measurements are public knowledge.
• Combat Commentator: The default option, available from the beginning.
• Death or Glory Attack: SB Hysterical Slap is invincible during startup, making it great as a quick counter to an incoming attack. It also gets a massive damage boost because Rise becomes Berserk during the startup. However, if it misses or is blocked, Rise will stay Berserk, so she will be unable to block any potential counterattacks for a while.
• Difficult, but Awesome: One of Rise's SP skills requires her player to complete a short rhythm minigame in order to maximize the resulting attack's damage. If the minigame is failed, the attack won't do much damage at all. However, if done perfectly (or if the bar is filled up at least 75% of the way), it does a massive amount of damage, on par with Yu's 150 SP super and Kanji's SB command throw super.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Rise gives a number of characters speeches about the importance of believing in yourself and being supported by your friends. The Malevolent Entity fails to make Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko reject themselves because of this. In the manga adaptation, Rise uses Himiko to let the stranded Investigation Team members transmit their encouragement to Yosuke, giving him the courage to face Shadow Labrys alone.
• Glass Cannon: While not to the extent of Yosuke, Yukiko, and Naoto, her health is slightly below average at 9000 (the standard being 9500).
• Gratuitous English: In the Japanese voice track, Rise will still use random English words or phrases for no clear reason.
• He Knows Too Much: Rise was kidnapped and tossed into the TV because her Persona's abilities would have ruined Shadow Labrys' illusions.
• I Just Want to Be Badass: The main source of her own conflict in Ultimax. Being kidnapped and unable to help her friends really hurt Rise's confidence in her own abilities, which was only further compounded by the fact that Fuuka was able to lend her own support to Mitsuru even from outside the TV. Early on in the Investigation Team's side of the story, she struggles with doubts of how useful she's able to be to her friends when they need her most.
• Idol Singer: Has begun planning her return to the stage after the events of Persona 4. The Shadow Operatives Auxiliary Team have a few fanboy/girl moments.
• Improbable Weapon User: She uses a microphone and stand as her main weapon, and for her Mortal Blow, she uses a megaphone.
• Irony: Her angst over her apparent uselessness compared to Fuuka and desire to do something to help becomes ironic when you consider that in Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Fuuka was the one who had self-esteem problems, and admitted to Rise in the P3 route that she felt somewhat useless due to not being able to fight. Essentially, the two's roles were reversed.
• Leitmotif: Twinkle*Star.
• Letting Her Hair Down: The hair of Rise's Persona, Himiko, goes from a tied up bun into long flowing locks when she transforms into "battle mode".
• Ms. Exposition: Will be the one to fill in the remaining details of the TV world for Labrys whenever the main character of a particular storyline can't.
• Ms. Fanservice: Himiko's new form is essentially a full figured woman wearing a shirt that's only buttoned at the chest, and nothing else.
• Musical Assassin:
  • How she fights in Ultimax. Her idle stance, for instance, has her dancing in place.
  • Her Awakening super is a special grab that changes the game into a rhythm game temporarily.
• Non-Player Character: In Arena, like her Persona 4 appearance.

• Overly Long Fighting Animation: Her attack "Risette Live on Stage" causes a rhythm game to start, which can take over 20 seconds, making it the longest-lasting attack in the game.
• Promoted to Playable: In Ultimax, unlike her Persona 4 appearance.
• Sequel Hook: Prepares to make her big comeback to the idol scene, while teasing the events of Persona 4: Dancing All Night.
• Status Effects: She can inflict Charm with her ground throws.
• Took a Level in Badass: In her previous appearances, she was the party's Mission Control. In Ultimax, she's able to go toe-to-toe with the rest of the cast in battle. In the P4 episode, she even takes down Elizabeth and Shadow Yukari on her own. In P3's episode, she and Yukiko are able to hold off numerous Shadows long enough to reach Junes where more backup arrives.
  • In addition to the above, Mitsuru acknowledges that her abilities have become pretty much equal to Fuuka's, despite having much less experience with her Persona.
• Tsundere: Hysterical Slap has her smacking her opponent silly while yelling "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" This is a reference to her Japanese voice actress Rie Kugimiya, who is well-known for being typecast as Type-A Tsunderes — in particular Shana, Kugimiya's breakout role.
• Unexpected Gameplay Change: One of her supers is a rhythm mini-game, which requires you to press right buttons to maximize your damage.
• Unsportsmanlike Gloating: One of her match win poses has her jumping up and down in glee with her microphone stand on the ground and then raising her hands in the air in triumph.

---