History Persona4 / TropesOToZ

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: The antagonists are just mentally unstable and just need help, but ultimately are doing what they think is best. The only exception is [[spoiler:Adachi, the actual murderer]], but even then, that character does show remorse later and admits that they have a lot of issues and deserve to be in jail. This is especially odd considering the usual [=MegaTen=] game out-Grimdarks just about everything.

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Yukiko's EnemyWithout hosts a dating gameshow and mentions "scoring a hot stud". [[BecomeARealBoy Teddie]] has no idea what it means, but that doesn't stop him from bringing it up at almost every opportunity, even citing "scoring with girls" as one of his reasons for [[spoiler:wanting to stay as a human]]. Even Yukiko asks him to let it go after a while. And back to the fan's attitudes, you could come away from them with the impression that [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Kanji]] is the [[CampGay gayest gay]] to ever [[HoYay gayly gay]], despite the overdone mannerisms coming from his Shadow (and even he admits that he's not entirely adverse to girls, just afraid of rejection).

-->'''Adachi:''' Um, I want you to stay calm and listen to me, okay? [[spoiler:Nanako-chan's condition suddenly got worse]].

-->'''[[spoiler:Kanji:]]''' [[spoiler:'Cause we think... it mighta been you.]]\\

-->'''Inoue''': Okay... I understand. Well, now I can focus on my new job. I signed up as Kanami Mashita's manager.

--> '''Kanji''': Wha---!? G-Guys, [[spoiler:put on your glasses!]]

* OldMediaAreEvil: P4 takes this trope and runs with it. The heroes explore a supernatural television channel that causes some deaths. Even outside the world inside the television, this trope is heavily discussed. In particular, how television and gossip are bad.

* PaletteSwap: Similar to the previous game, the enemies you encounter in a certain dungeon will have counter-parts on later dungeons, distinguishable by their color schemes.

--->'''Black:''' Just like me. The easiest kind to make.
--->'''With cream:''' Huh...? Oh, uh, well... It's just I haven't heard anyone ask for that in a while.
--->'''Cream and sugar:''' Hah, you have the same tastes as Nanako.
--->'''Surprise me:''' Alright, I'll pour you a good one.

[[folder: Tropes O-R]]

[[folder: Tropes U-Z]]

* RealityEnsues: Naoto's status as a TeenGenius and KidDetective sometimes runs into this. No matter how smart you are or how good you are at solving crimes, it doesn't guarantee that the police will want your help, particularly when you've been acting like an InsufferableGenius and challenging the authority of the people who hired you. That said, it's also implied that they didn't think much of her due to her age and gender, and were unwilling to admit that the juvenile suspect they arrested didn't actually do it.
** When the SchoolFestival rolls around, the player is given an option of voting for the class booth. [[spoiler:The player's vote makes no difference. ]]

** When Yosuke is showing off potential weapons to Yu for the first time for them to take to the TV world, they both get arrested. Turns out being RPG heroes is not a good excuse to blatantly carry weapons in broad daylight.

* RevisedEnding: ''Golden'' adds a new ending sequence; [[spoiler:the protagonist returns to Inaba a few months later, all of the Investigation Team members turned a new leaf on their lives, being sincere with themselves and their lifestyles coupled with new dressing fashion]].

* VideoGameLives: Easy Mode in the original version gives you 10 chances just in case you want to be covered by the kid gloves. [[DemonicSpider Contrarian King]] and [[spoiler:[[WakeUpCallBoss Shadow Kanji]]]] will most likely make sure you don't have any left by the third dungeon.

* WhamEpisode: The events on December 3rd basically cover this, although the rainy days after saving Rise are just as big, if not nearly as emotional.

* TakingTheBullet: Characters that you have a Social Link with will take any single-target attack that would kill you in your place once per battle. Most players actually recommend making sure everyone on your team has at least a Level 1 S-Link rank, but ''Golden'' instead unlocks this ability at ''Rank 9''. Also, [[spoiler:During the final boss fight, as part of a story sequence, the boss will use an attack that has a one-hit [=KO=]. She will ''spam it at you'', but the first three times, your allies will take the attack for you.]]

* {{Retraux}}: Void Quest, in all its self-referential, ''Franchise/Dragon Quest''-like splendor. Repeatedly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]], and Yosuke [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]] if you take him into the big boss fight.
* RefugeInAudacity: While an admittedly rather mild example, some of the costumes you can wear in Golden are pretty out-there. Kanji probably puts it the best in once particular instance:

* RevisedEnding: The Golden adds a new ending sequence; [[spoiler:the Protagonist returns to Inaba a few months later, all of the Investigation Team members turned a new leaf on their lives, being sincere with themselves and their lifestyles coupled with new dressing fashion]].

* RelationshipUpgrade: Unlike ''Persona 3'' you can choose to do this with any, [[YourCheatingHeart or all]], [[CelibateHero or none]], of the potential LoveInterests. Some require more work into making this than others.

* {{Retraux}}: Void Quest, in all its self-referential, Dragon Warrior I splendor. Repeatedly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]], and Yosuke [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]] if you take him into the big boss fight.

** Witch Detective Loveline, one of the books you can get in the game (but only in the Japanese versiosn of both releases), becomes a show in ''The Animation'' and is Nanako's favorite.

* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Happens a couple of times to Yosuke and Chie. A bit subverted in that it is entirely possible for the Protagonist to ''make the assertion true''... unless Chie is all for [[MarryThemAll polygamy]], anyway.

* ShownTheirWork: In Golden, there is series of unlockable lectures by Edogawa from ''Persona 3'' explaining [[UsefulNotes/CarlJung Jungian Psychology]].

** [[VideoGame/Persona2 Phoenix Ranger Featherman R]] returns [[VideoGame/Persona2 yet]] [[VideoGame/Persona3 again]]! You will often find Nanako watching it downstairs --[[ContinuityNod when else?]]-- on Sundays. Yuuta also becomes a fan during the Temperance social link. ''Golden'' gives the Investigation Team the Featherman suits as an optional costume.
** Witch Detective Loveline, one of the books you can get in the game, becomes a show in ''The Animation'' and is Nanako's favorite. This is probably also a case of LostInTranslation, because Witch Detective is the ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' TakeThat book (see below). Meaning... Nanako must be a total saint for liking something like that.

* SingleIssuePsychology: Averted. The party members are put on a path to overcoming their faults after beating their shadows, but it still takes plenty of work to have them fully embrace their insecurities (in this case via spending a lot of private time with them)

** It is also part of the shadows for Yosuke and Yukiko. The former decided to investigate the murders to get some spice in his life, feel special and possibly be regarded as a hero. The latter feels trapped in her role as heiress of her family's inn, but after thinking through her choices, realizes that her perceived lack of choice is the problem, and she wants to manage the inn for the sake of her family and the staff.
** To a lesser extent, is a problem for Eri Minami. She, a woman from the city who married a man with a young son in Inaba, complains that there's little to do besides watch TV and surf the internet, and it doesn't help that none of the other mothers who have kids at the daycare like her.
* SchmuckBait: ''Person 4: The Golden'', adds a [[spoiler:social link for Adachi.]] The game even gives you the option to [[spoiler:cover for him when evidence points his way]]. Doing so results in the biggest (creepiest) DownerEnding in the game. Note also that ''not'' doing this [[spoiler:''destroys'' the social link--or, rather, mutates it into a new link, and if you choose to confront him, you can eventually complete it the normal way and unlock Adachi's Persona.]]
* SoundtrackDissonance: "The Path is Open," the uplifting song that plays when you complete a social link, even if it's by [[spoiler:helping the real murderer get off scott free]].

* SpoilerOpening: A blink and you'll miss it example, but during the Golden's new opening, it shows how the victims are found dead, including Mayumi from a TV aerial, [[spoiler:Saki]] from a telephone pole and [[spoiler:Kinshiro Morooka from his apartment window]]. That last one, however, is quite hard to identify and has [[spoiler:his]] face covered by [[spoiler:his tie]] but is still easy to figure out who it is.

** Golden adds one with its new bad ending: [[spoiler:After burning the only evidence implicating Adachi as the Killer and Adachi threateningly promising to keep tabs on his new "partner-in-crime" via cell phone, Yu takes his train back into the city. Adachi walks past the train and Yu, startled, glimpses him from behind. Adachi grins, Yu angrily clutches his cell phone, and the train rides away into a dark tunnel]]. The implications are dark, to say the least.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish: The song lyrics were always in English (except the ending theme), and barring speed are pronounced very well. Understanding it however...
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: [[spoiler:Adachi]], when he figures out the Protagonist and his friends are behind the reappearances of those tossed into the TV. Comes with AxCrazy-sounding voice.
** One third-year who gives you various riddle-related sidequests, insists that he's not doing it to get out of studying for exams.

* TakeThatAudience: An interesting and low-key one. In the Moon Social Link, at Rank 6 you are given the "No turning back" warning, which usually implies that you can become a lover of someone. However, since Ai is InLoveWithLove the relationship will be simple play-dates and she will break up with you at Rank 9. This seems to be a good shot at all of the gamers who just look at the romantic subplot as just a way to collect a harem. [[spoiler:You can make it romantic if you hold off on becoming Ai's lover but it also requires more work for the Protagonist.]]

-->''[[Webcomic/{{Hiimdaisy}} You became friends with Yosuke. Yosuke will now DIE FOR YOU.]]''

* TastesLikeDiabetes: An in-universe example in one Kanji's Social Links. He says the dolls he made are "so cute, they'll give you diabetes! The instantly fatal kind!"

* ThatOneCase: The Hierophant social link (and to a lesser degree, the Justice social link, where it is mentioned in passing) reveal that Ryotaro Dojima's ThatOneCase is [[spoiler:the hit and run that killed his wife]].

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Inaba ''seriously'' needs a psychiatrist because it's gotten to the point where people are being killed by the AnthropomorphicPersonification of their repressed feelings. But [[ItsUpToYou at least they have you]]…

* ThisLoserIsYou: Mitsuo could be construed as a TakeThat to players, being a creepy and ugly guy who hides behind video games. Also, giant floating baby.

* TimedMission: When someone appears on the Midnight Channel, you must save the person before a specific deadline. Fail to do so and the person dies, giving you a NonstandardGameOver. Although the game will give you the option to flash back one week and try again.
* TooDumbToLive: See ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption. You know, when a bunch of people charge in during your confrontation with your other self and actively tell you not to say it… {{Lampshaded}} by Kanji near the end of the game.
* TooMuchInformation: said by Chie when Yosuke mentions Junes sells disposable diapers that they could use for their stakeout.

*** Provided the Social Link is high enough, characters not in the active will occaisonally run into the battle with a new version of their follow-up attack.

** Even more obvious, back of the box has Kanji, and Naoto in your party, Teddie in the real world, and Rise in a level up scene.

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Zigzagged. Yosuke can stand around in the middle of Junes with a coil of rope and golf club and not draw attention, and the investigation team talk about their case in public several times. However, Yosuke waving around a (fake) knife and katana at the food court draws the attention of the police. Things quickly get out of hand.

** If you make the right choices at the hospital after the November dungeon you find out that [[spoiler:Taro Namatame]] was this. He believed he was [[spoiler:saving people by throwing them into the TV]].

* UpdatedRerelease: ''Persona 4 Golden'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita is this, but due to the Vita's superior hardware (compared to it's predecessor), it features updated graphics and retains the 3D models for the overworld (as opposed to the ''VideoGame/Persona3'' remake). It adds a brand new character in Marie, two new arcana (With new Persona) & Social Links to accompany them (Marie & Adachi), new events during the original ''Persona 4'' story, more voiced dialogue, new abilities & a third tier evolution for Investigation Team's Persona, new locations to visit, a new ending, new events during January & the first half of February (Skipped over in the original release), a new dungeon & boss battle, and various tweaks to the original release.

** In November, it's advised to rescue the victim as soon as possible. [[spoiler:Said victim is basically the player character's little sister that the characters and the player have all grown to love, and she's trapped in a world of monsters. You better not leave her in there for too long.]]

** While it's generally best to break people out of the TV at the first opportunity, since Investigation Team members may insist on going into the TV rather than hang out with you when you get close to the deadline, it's best to wait until just before the deadline to complete [[spoiler:Magatsu Inaba]], even considering that the fate of the world is on the line, because once you do, the game immediately [[TimeSkip skips ahead to Christmas]].
* ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption: Whenever you meet an important character and their Shadow, that person ''will'' deny the Shadow being a part of them, and the Shadow ''will'' try and [[KillEmAll kill everyone in sight]]. The party's attempts to [[DefiedTrope defy]] this don't work either; after they've kicked some ass though, the character faces up to themselves. [[spoiler:Well, most of the time anyway.]] Kanji even realizes that Shadows going berserk is a step necessary to their hosts accepting them.

* VoiceOfTheLegion: Everyone's Shadow clones.

** Shadow Yukiko is a very early-game boss, and has a wicked habit of tripping players up. No weakness, and summons a very annoying minion who will heal the boss if it's not dizzied or killed off. The boss itself, once it's down to low health, TurnsRed and begins to spam an attack-all fire spell that is quite painful, topping it off on the fact that one of your party members is weak to fire if she doesn't guard, and she can't be removed from the battle team (but has the element the minion is weak against). Even in Golden, where Shadow Yukiko gets the ice weakness, this boss still qualifies because of her and her minion's ability to cast White Wall, which makes them resistant to ice for three rounds, and there's generally only a one-turn window of opportunity before they recast it.

** The Michael Persona of the Judgement Arcana. It starts at Level 72 and has a set full of excellent skills, including Megidolaon, Repel Dark, and Mahamaon, but no matter how much the player levels him they'll be hard pressed to ever get his stats beyond the fifties. Doesn't apply quite as much as the Persona 3 incarnation, since Heaven's Blade received an extreme nerfing.

* WeaponOfChoice: Although they don't state it outright like in 3, the heroes of ''Persona 4'' use weapons that reflect their personality. TheHero uses broadswords, Kung-Fu loving ActionGirl Chie has leg greaves, YamatoNadeshiko Yukiko uses [[CombatHandFan fans]], delinquent Kanji just hits monsters with a heavy blunt object, be it a shield or a school desk, Teddie the 'bear' has claws, and Naoto has a gun due to being a detective. Yosuke's dual knives are the only odd man out, but then again knowing him he might be DualWielding just for RuleOfCool.
* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou: If the Protagonist kicks the bucket, the game is over. However, depending on your relationship is with the other party members, an ally will actually jump in front of you and take the damage from attacks if you're close to dying. Doesn't work for attacks that hit everyone, and only works for a given character once per battle. Upon maxing Rise's social link in Golden, she can resurrect you once per battle.

* WhatAnIdiot: InUniverse; The murderer stops ''just'' short of outright saying it, but clearly has this reaction if the Protagonist [[spoiler:destroys the only piece of evidence tying him to the murders]] in the Accomplice Ending. Making a couple of wrong choices can even get them to say 'what an asshole.'

** The first thing Mr. Morooka does with you is introduce you as a "loser" to the classroom. You can backtalk him on this, which gets you on his "shit-list, effective immediately." Given that he's an [[SadistTeacher asshole of a teacher]]. While shocked, (everyone has an exclamation mark above their heads) your classmates don't seem to mind much, though.

** In the original Persona 4, there are no major repercussions for dating all possible love interests. In the Golden rerelease, you'll be forced to reject every girl but one on Valentine's Day, and the tearful scenes that ensue should probably make you feel like a terrible person.

** If you wait too long to save someone, your party members will get anxious. If you're running out of time to rescue the November victim in particular and you ''say no'' to going to the TV World to save the victim, your friends will be justifiably dumbfounded and pissed off.

** This line word-for-word flashes across the screen if you use the new online feature in Golden to send an SOS signal (if somebody decides to respond). It causes your party to recover a small amount of HP/SP.
** This exact line is also a dialogue option for the Protagonist when Teddie is trying to figure out who he is after [[spoiler:the confrontation with his Shadow self.]]

''' [[spoiler:Namatame]]''' [[spoiler:Yes... ''Exactly''...]]
* OneSteveLimit: Averted with a character and a ''place'' -- Kanji Tatsumi and Tatsumi Port Island (the location of ''VideoGame/Persona3'', which is visited during the game). In Japanese they're spelled with different characters, but their readings are the same, so they appear the same in the English version.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted with a character and a ''place'' -- Kanji Tatsumi and Tatsumi Port Island (the location of ''VideoGame/Persona3'', which is visited during the game).
** In Japanese they're spelled with different characters, but their readings are the same, so they appear the same in the English version.

* PaintingTheMedium[=/=]NoFourthWall:
** One of the Shadow bosses does some serious tapping on the fourth wall, summoning a giant cel-shaded blockman (identical to the style of ''3D Dot Game Heroes'', actually) that attacks and uses items '''''using a Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei-style menu'''''. We can [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoAiH1-25j8#t=2m44s prove it]].
** A more straight version is Yosuke muttering that he's insulted that he thinks of game characters this way. More likely, however, that he's saying it's insulting that [[spoiler:Mitsuo thinks of the murders as a game.]]
** Or on a return visit to that dungeon, adding Yosuke to your team results in him saying "Yosuke joined your party! ... or something like that, right?"
** Another for Yosuke: before entering [[spoiler:Marie's bonus dungeon]] on 2/13, you can choose to lament that there wasn't a chance to fully explain everything beforehand. Yosuke says that if you had, the "question mark above [his] head could be seen from orbit." This being a game where "?"s and other punctuation marks indeed appear over characters' heads.
** Adachi at one point says [[spoiler:games like this need a twist, or they get boring really fast]]. While it can be seen as a joke for the players, it fits within the fourth wall, too. [[spoiler:Adachi considered his murders and the competition between the team and Namatame to be a game for his enjoyment]]

* WhamShot:

* [[TakeThatAudience Take That Player]]: An interesting and low-key one. In the Moon Social Link, at Rank 6 you are given the "No turning back" warning, which usually implies that you can become a lover of someone. However, since Ai is InLoveWithLove the relationship will be simple play-dates and she will break up with you at Rank 9. This seems to be a good shot at all of the gamers who just look at the romantic subplot as just a way to collect a harem. [[spoiler:You can make it romantic if you hold off on becoming Ai's lover but it also requires more work for the Protagonist.]]

* TakeThatPlayer: An interesting and low-key one. In the Moon Social Link, at Rank 6 you are given the "No turning back" warning, which usually implies that you can become a lover of someone. However, since Ai is InLoveWithLove the relationship will be simple play-dates and she will break up with you at Rank 9. This seems to be a good shot at all of the gamers who just look at the romantic subplot as just a way to collect a harem. [[spoiler:You can make it romantic if you hold off on becoming Ai's lover but it also requires more work for the Protagonist.]]

** The [[spoiler:Investigation Team]] also counts as well, as the [[spoiler:the more people they saved, the more they convinced Namatame that he was really saving people.]]

* UrbanFantasy: Even though it's taking place in the countryside....
** The town is pretty small, there's only really two places for people to hang out besides school or the river.

** One of the Shadow bosses does some serious tapping on the fourth wall, summoning a giant cel-shaded blockman (identical to the style of ''3D Dot Game Heroes'', actually) that attacks and uses items '''''using a ShinMegamiTensei-style menu'''''. We can [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoAiH1-25j8#t=2m44s prove it]].

* WhatAnIdiot: {{In-universe}}; The murderer stops ''just'' short of outright saying it, but clearly has this reaction if the Protagonist [[spoiler:destroys the only piece of evidence tying him to the murders]] in the Accomplice Ending. Making a couple of wrong choices can even get them to say 'what an asshole.'