Shadow Mitsuo



Shadow Mitsuo is an enemy Boss in Persona 4, found in the Endgame section of the Void Quest dungeon in the Midnight Channel.

Appearances

 * Persona 4: Shadow
 * Persona 4 The Animation: Character

Persona 4
Shadow Mitsuo was found within the Void Quest dungeon being scolded by Mitsuo Kubo for not responding to his claims. The party had trouble at first figuring out which one was the Shadow. However, when Mitsuo notices the party's appearance, he brags about how he had "killed" the past murder victims, and that the Shadow is nothing but an impostor.

With that response, the Shadow gathers all other Shadows in the area and switches into its true form, a floating baby with computer scripts encircling its head. In battle, the Shadow summons masses of floating bits to form a hard outer shell, "Mitsuo the Hero", an 8-bit knight character, acting as its barrier from attacks. It represents his immaturity, and his inability to face the real world by hiding behind video games.

During battle, Shadow Mitsuo makes a series of claims about Mitsuo that are not mentioned by him, though they shed a lot of light on his personality. Shadow Mitsuo says that, "I have to kill you to prove that I exist", explaining Mitsuo's desire to commit murder as a desperate act to try and make an impact on the world. At numerous points he also references "ending your nothingness" in relation to the main characters. This may hint that Mitsuo wishes to commit suicide, since his life is devoid of meaning, or that he suffers from psychological damage that causes him to project his feelings onto others as though he is spreading misery by inflicting understanding of himself.

Unlike other shadows in Persona 4, Shadow Mitsuo changes his voice from being powerful and deep at first, to robotic when his true form emerges. He is also incredibly quiet, where as most shadows tend to antagonize their counterparts through arguing, complaining, whining and insulting, Shadow Mitsuo stays silent in the face of Mitsuo's badgering. Of the few lines he does say, most of them have some element of self-hatred, and are only loosely tied to Mitsuo simply as he says, "And you... are me." However, in light of this, Shadow Mitsuo still has some desire to be accepted, even though he largely realizes it's impossible given his weary state, sadly saying, "So, you don't accept me." when Mitsuo denies him, before forming into his true form

Unusually, once the Investigative Team destroys Shadow Mitsuo, the real Mitsuo keeps denying it, being thoroughly glad it was destroyed and adhering to his claims of murder. The Shadow, defeated and denied, responds by fading away, as Mitsuo's ego was so corrupted that it became indistinguishable from his Shadow.

Persona 4: The Animation
Shadow Mitsuo appears in Persona 4: The Animation in episodes 11 and 12. In episode 11, he is seen on the Midnight Channel following the credits, laughing about his new-found attention and daring the Investigation Team to catch him. When they arrive at his dungeon, Void Quest, however, he takes on a very different personality. He watches the Investigation Team through a television set as though he was playing them like characters in a game, signifying Mitsuo's obsession with video games. Upon reaching the end of his dungeon, he is found being assaulted by questions and insults by Mitsuo, which he dismisses or ignores. He constantly reminds Mitsuo that he is a nobody who has wasted his life, saying that "He feels nothing." When Mitsuo calls him an imposter, he emerges to "end Mitsuo's emptiness."

The episode cuts abruptly to the future in which Mitsuo has been caught and found guilty of the murders in Inaba. Yu and the Investigation Team have no reason to meet each other anymore, and slowly dwindle off as they become more busy with other things and concerned with their own lives. A year passes as their friendship begins to fade and Yu is leading up to the point where he must return home, showing his deep grief that their relationship was artificial as he sees all his friends don't care about him. Upon sitting in his room one night, he attempts to enter the Television and finds himself unable too, shocked he begins to question what's going on, and Shadow Mitsuo appears in the darkness.

Shadow Mitsuo tells Yu that he is a nobody, and that true friendship doesn't exist. He claims that Yu is just like himself, as they've wasted their lives on things that don't truly give them happiness. Yu can't manage to summon his Persona during this period, consistently failing, until Shadow Mitsuo comes forth and attempts to choke him to death. He is however, saved by Yosuke who pulls him out of the 8-bit shell that contains Shadow Mitsuo, as Yu thanks him. Revitalized, Yu tells Shadow Mitsuo that he isn't nothing, and releases every Persona he has in his arsenal upon the Shadow, ultimately defeating it with Izanagi.

As Shadow Mitsuo falls apart and descends, and Mitsuo himself wakes up, Mitsuo continues to deny his Shadow and claim that he committed the murders in Inaba. Shadow Mitsuo then mysteriously disappears from the area, as Mitsuo's ego has turned himself into the truly evil being.

The anime's approach to Shadow Mitsuo greatly increases his power and significance in the series, as he utilizes a large series of exploding blocks in the air about himself, generates a nearly impenetrable shield and constantly builds up Hero Mitsuo about himself. His ability to also nearly defeat Yu and bring him to the brink of insanity and despair was also important to the characterization as the jumping point in the series and to show how far Yu's personality development has come.

Strategy
This is a fight in which enemy may takes two forms. The first being the 8-Bit hero which is a form of "outer shell" and the 2nd is Shadow Mitsuo. Both forms can attack twice every turn.

The first time the player fights 8-Bit Hero uses only "Attack" and "Bomb". "Attack" is a normal attack and "Bomb" can deal Exhaustion which causes SP to decrease over time, if Shadow Mitsuo successfully reforms the 8-Bit Hero then he can use "Spell" which casts "Gigadyne" that deals Area damage. Defeating the 8-Bit Hero will leave Shadow Mitsuo vulnerable for an All-Out Attack.

Shadow Mitsuo or the "Core" can act twice per turn, can use every element, and frequently uses Megidola, and has a lot of status spells which can inflict Fear on the party. Do not let the status effect Fear linger on, because he can also use "Ghastly Wail", which will immediately kill anyone afraid. He can also cast a Wall spell and then he will spam elements of the appropriate wall spell (If he casts White Wall, he will use Ice Attacks), so the player needs to have the party members with weaknesses appropriate to the attack guard in order to prevent him from casting Megidola during his extra turn.

When the player gets its HP low enough it will try to reform the 8-Bit Hero, and if he succeeds then the player has to fight the 8-Bit hero again. If the player dealt enough damage while he is still reforming his "Outer Shell" then the shell will disappear and he will be vulnerable to an All-Out Attack.

The player can have Teddie present for this to heal Exhaustion and Yukiko to heal the Fear status.

Battle Quotes

 * I am a Shadow...Come...I'll end your emptiness...
 * Come...
 * There's no need to be scared. It'll be quick.
 * Why? Don't you want to be at ease?
 * I...need proof I exist...that's why...I have to kill you!
 * Fill this void...with your deaths!
 * The only thing that can prove I exist...is your deaths!
 * I won't disappear...I'll always exist...
 * What's the matter...I am here...
 * It's useless...I'm always rejected...
 * Come on...if you try and fight you'll die...
 * I...why?!
 * Why?!
 * I exist...
 * I'm...right here...
 * Damn...Damage...Damage...Why?!
 * How?!
 * If you will die...I...
 * Hehe...will this be...too much for you?

Symbolism
As with all boss Shadows, Shadow Mitsuo represents the reversed form of its Arcana, in this case Hermit. The reversed Hermit Arcana represents a person who is detached from society and who has failed to master himself or come to terms with his isolation. As a result, he is delusional and full of himself. Disdainful of other people but yet in need of their attentions to feel "real". Mitsuo the Hero represents Mitsuo's desire to be seen as a strong powerful individual who is seemingly perfect. When in truth it is nothing but a child inept of using physical attacks, and of an aesthete (its disdain for the world around it).

The unborn fetus that is the main shadow represents how Mitsuo feels he does not exist. By killing people Mitsuo feels he can be "born" into the world.

When it speaks in human form, it has a very deep and menacing voice, but when it speaks in its Shadow form, its voice sounds synthetic and atonal. This is another way it represents the reversed Hermit, as the being it projects (its human form) seems realistic and powerful, but the being it truly is just an emotionless machine.

Since Mitsuo himself is very similar to his Shadow-and the Arcana it represents-in personality, the party is initially unsure of which Mitsuo is the real person or the Shadow in his form. When it is defeated, Mitsuo shows the qualities associated with reversed Hermit when he refuses to confront it, showing both wilful ignorance and a lack of self-control. Thus, it disappears, since Mitsuo has embraced the worst parts of his personality by willfully denying his Shadow multiple times, therefore becoming the Shadow itself.