Yu Narukami

Yu Narukami is the protagonist of Persona 4, although in the game itself, the player can choose his name.

Appearances

 * Persona 4 / Golden: Protagonist
 * Persona 4 (Manga): Protagonist as Souji Seta (瀬多 総司 Seta Sōji)
 * Persona 4 The Magician: Major Character as Yu Narukami
 * Persona 4 The Animation / Golden Animation: Protagonist as Yu Narukami
 * Persona 4 Visualive / the Evolution
 * Persona 4 Arena / Ultimax: Playable Character/Navigator/Protagonist (Yu Story Route/Episode: P4 and True Ending) as Yu Narukami
 * Persona 4 Arena (Manga): Major Character as Yu Narukami
 * Persona 4: Dancing All Night: Protagonist as Yu Narukami
 * Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth: Protagonist (P4 Route), Party Member (P3 Route)
 * Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - Side:P4: Protagonist
 * Lord of Vermillion Re: 2: Beast Tribe

Design
Yu has pale skin, short bowl-shaped gray hair with matching gray eyes and is quite tall, but is a head shorter than fellow Persona user Kanji Tatsumi.

At school and in the Midnight Channel, Yu wears the conventional school uniform of Yasogami High and wears gray glasses in battle. In the summer, he wears a light uniform. On days off, he is shown wearing a black jacket and gray turtleneck shirt along with black pants. On days off in the summer, he wears a short sleeved white collared shirt and brown pants. At the school festival while cross-dressing, he uses a female uniform with black leggings as well as a wig with long pigtails. He also has a black blazer which he is occasionally seen wearing in the manga adaptation of the game.

In Persona 4 Golden during the newly added Halloween event, he dresses as a vampire, wearing a huge black top hat, a white chemise along with black suspenders and black pants. During the other Golden-exclusive, the ski trip event, he wears a snow suit with a beanie and yellow goggles, black turtleneck and possibly a white sweater vest. On colder days in the winter, he wears a white winter coat with black and white pad scarf and matching black gloves under his school uniform.

In Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Yu is shown wearing his Yasogami High School uniform, except the sleeves are rolled up and has a yellow bandana wrapped around his right arm. He also has a pair of yellow headphones around his neck, and wears gray sneakers with yellow laces.

Personality
In Persona 4, he is a silent protagonist except for instances where he audibly speaks when summoning a Persona and so on. His personality is ultimately based on the player's actions and decisions. However, when he hears Jika Net Tanaka, he describes it as a "cheery song" unlike the protagonist of Persona 3, who describes it as an "annoying song", which may indicate some semblance of a personality. Also, in Persona 4 Golden, the Investigation Team members comment how he doesn't talk much when equipped with the Butler Suit. His dialogue choices make him seem very neutral, as opposed to the protagonists of Persona 3, and includes some limited sense of humor along with occasional flirtatious or silly behavior.

In the manga adaptation, Souji Seta is a distant loner who demonstrates a high level of maturity, his overly formal speaking tone being one of the most telling signs. Seta has a pessimistic outlook on life due to his parents and having to move frequently as a result of said parents' demanding careers, but he eventually warms up as he explores friendship.

In the anime adaptation, Yu Narukami is depicted as quiet, polite, and calm for most situations. Before the awakening of his Persona, Yu seemed to be emotionless and cold at times, as well as occasionally deadpan. Afterwards, however, he is shown to value the bonds of friendship between the members of the Investigation Team and is highly concerned about his friends, going to great lengths in order to help others. Fortunately as he grows closer to the group he opens up more and more, and by the end he is as unique (though still quieter) as any of the other characters. He has a dry sense of humor, and sometimes does questionable things which he thinks are funny. He also seems a bit naïve and oblivious to certain situations, which somehow keeps working to his benefit; especially when dealing with the girls, as he is able to get away with things that would warrant a smack for any of the other male characters, mainly due to how little he would mean offense. His biggest insecurity is abandonment, he has the fear of losing contact with all of his friends when he moves away from them. By the end of the show, he accepts his Shadow and acknowledges that he has to accept being separated from them when the time comes.

In the second anime adaption, Yu appears to be friendly, reserved, determined, straightforward, and has a habit of shaking people's hand when he meets new people unlike his first anime counterpart.

In Persona 4 Arena, Yu has also shown to be a fairly sarcastic person and occasionally makes jokes at the other Investigation Team members' expense, but he is, for the most part, the most mature of the group (most notably is the fact that attempts to target his personal insecurities, more often than not, fall flat). He has a sharp mind, and is able to quickly realize the trick behind the tournament that forces the group to fight one another. He deeply cares for his friends and one of the few ways to truly anger him is to threaten either them or Nanako which causes him to become very cold. He also has a great understanding of the bonds of people, which lead Aigis and Mitsuru to realize that despite their different appearances, Yu reminds them of the protagonist of Persona 3. He does notably trust Yosuke completely and generally understands him best out of the entire Investigation team and vice versa. This continues the theme that the anime established that in the entire Investigation Team, Yu and Yosuke are closest with each other and generally lead the team side by side, as well as discussing plans with each other on serious issues.

Yu's most consistent trait in all of his depictions is his need to be connected to people. He views himself as a weak person and gets his strength from his bonds and being accepted by others. This is shown in the anime and by his own admission in Persona Q, when he is separated from them, Yu withdraws into himself and loses the confidence he normally portrays.

Persona 4
He is a high school student who moves to the countryside of Inaba to live with his uncle Ryotaro Dojima and cousin Nanako Dojima for a year as a result of his parents working abroad, and attends Yasogami High School.

The protagonist first appears in the Velvet Room, where he encounters Igor and his assistant, Margaret. Igor remarks that a mystery awaits, and it is his fate to discover it. The Protagonist later awakens from his subconscious, and reminiscences about his old school.

Upon reaching Yasoinaba, the protagonist meets up with his uncle and his cousin. On the way back, Dojima stops by the gas station, and the protagonist is welcomed by an attendant of Moel Gas Station, who offers him a job. The attendant gives the protagonist a handshake and shortly after he begins to feel somewhat sick, but dismisses it as car sickness as they go on their way.

After the protagonist falls asleep, he awakens in a fog-ridden area. He hears a voice, telling him to follow it if he wishes to find the truth. The Protagonist eventually encounters a presence, but the heavy fog makes it impossible to see the other person. The voice claims to be intrigued by the Protagonist, and decides to lend him his power for the time being. The next day, the Protagonist enrolls in Yasogami High School and befriends Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi; and then make friends with Yosuke Hanamura the next morning after helping him from his accident. Chie later tells the Protagonist and Yosuke about the rumor of the Midnight Channel, and asks them to try it out. The Protagonist also meets Saki Konishi, an upperclassman and Yosuke's senpai who is working at Junes.

Later that night, the Protagonist tries to gain access to the Midnight Channel and sees a blurred image of a female student in his TV. Intrigued, the Protagonist touches the screen of his TV, and discovers that he can reach his hand inside. The TV pulls him in, but gets stuck instead because the TV screen was too small. He manages to pull himself out and accidentally knocks himself on the head.

The next morning, the Protagonist, Yosuke and Chie have a discussion about their discovery, and come to the conclusion that they all saw the same female student. The Protagonist tells Yosuke and Chie about how he was sucked into the TV, and the latter assume it was a weird dream. The trio goes to the electronics department of Junes, and goes over the TV sets on display. The Protagonist tries to re-enter the TV this time, using a wide-screen TV large enough to insert his body in. Seeing the Protagonist stuck midway inside the TV, Yosuke and Chie accidentally push them in the TV, and the three fall on the Midnight Channel. Eventually, they encounter a bear who urges them to leave.

The next day, during a school assembly, the team learns that Saki had passed away in a violent accident. Devastated, Yosuke swears to investigate the Midnight Channel, and they conclude that the female student they witnessed on the Midnight Channel must have been her. He asks the protagonist to help him, due to his capability to enter the TV. The protagonist and Yosuke then enter the Midnight Channel, leaving Chie behind to keep her from harm. Inside the Midnight Channel, the protagonist and Yosuke once again encounter the bear, who introduces himself as Teddie. Infuriated by their presence, Teddie angrily accuses them of being responsible for "throwing people" inside the Midnight Channel. Upon learning that the protagonist and Yosuke aren't responsible, Teddie makes the pair promises to help find the culprit, and gives them a pair of glasses, allowing them to see through the fog in the Midnight Channel.

During their investigation, the Protagonist and Yosuke are ambushed by monsters that Teddie calls Shadows. The Protagonist hears a voice, calling out to him to awaken his true self, and is presented with a card. Crushing it triggers the awakening of his initial Persona, Izanagi, and dispatches the Shadows. Bewildered by his power, Teddie is intrigued by the Protagonist and comes to respect him.

The protagonist and Yosuke later end up in a liquor store, owned by Saki's family. Inside, they hear an inner voice of Saki expressing her hatred towards Yosuke for being annoying, and Junes for ruining her family's business. While Yosuke is devastated by this revelation, another 'Yosuke' makes his entrance, and mocks him for hating having a boring life and wanting to be the hero that would solve the case of Saki's death. Yosuke's continuous declination of his shadow's taunts causes the other 'Yosuke' to transform into a Shadow and attacks them. The Protagonist defeats the shadow using his Persona, and Yosuke is forced to come to terms with his true feelings, which awakens his first Persona, Jiraiya. The Protagonist and Yosuke leave the Midnight Channel and are scolded by a worried Chie in the real world.

Later that night, the Protagonist tries to tune in the Midnight Channel again, and encounters a blurry image of a young woman in kimono. Yosuke concludes that it is an image of Yukiko Amagi, which was similar to what Yukiko wore during a TV interview. To further complicate the issue, Yukiko hasn't been showing up to the school, and Chie becomes worried. Yukiko later reveals she's been busy helping out at her family inn and has been forced to skip school. However, still worried, Yosuke suggests the Protagonist to tune in the Midnight Channel tonight as well.

One night, the Protagonist encounters a show called "Princess Yukiko's Search for Prince Charming" in the Midnight Channel, where Yukiko is dressed up as a princess in a journey of scoring herself a "hot stud", or a Prince Charming. As Yukiko's behavior in the TV was rather bizarre and out of character, Yosuke calls the Protagonist, and suggests to meet up in the Junes Food Court the next morning.

The Protagonist, along with Yosuke and Chie, eventually sets out to rescue Yukiko. Along their way Chie faces herself, and receives her own Persona. The Protagonist, Yosuke, and Chie later create the Investigation Team, dedicated to investigate the origins of the Midnight Channel and solve the bizarre murder cases. Through the team's activity within the Midnight Channel, however, they all express the same question upon the Protagonist's latent skill of invoking his Persona without having to face his other self. As the story progress, the Protagonist receives an anonymous threat letter telling him to stop his activities of saving people. Despite the team's worries, they've decided to continue watching the Midnight Channel. The Protagonist eventually receives the threat again. This time, however, the letter directly tells the Protagonist that if he does not stop his actions, someone close to him will die.

The letter was later discovered by Ryotaro Dojima, and upon thinking the Protagonist's possible connection with the recent murder cases, the Protagonist was detained at the Police station. Yu tries to tell Ryotaro the full truth of what's been going on, but Ryotaro doesn't believe him in the slightest. Ryotaro eventually coerces the Protagonist to spend a night in the police station, but during midnight, he is shocked to see Nanako's silhouette in the Midnight Channel, who is revealed to have been abducted. The Investigation Team eventually discovers the identity of Nanako’s kidnapper, and the person who had been sending the warning letters, based on bits of information salvaged by Dojima. The Investigation Team finds out the true murderer is actually Taro Namatame, the lover of Mayumi Yamano, the first victim.

The Investigation Team eventually succeeds in saving Nanako, but her health begins to deteriorate critically after her exposure to the Midnight Channel, inevitably falling into a coma. The Protagonist's decision on what to do with Namatame will determine whether she will wake up or die from the coma. The Investigation Team eventually manages to sneak in Namatame's ward. Grief-ridden and devastated, members of Investigation Team try to kill Namatame by pushing him through the his hospital room's TV. Depending on the Protagonist' decisions of dealing with Namatame, Nanako may die or awaken.

Bad Ending
In the Bad Ending, if the player decides to find and kill Namatame after Nanako is hospitalized, Nanako will die. The protagonist will then have to move back to his hometown, never finding the real culprit.

Neutral Ending
The Neutral Ending is the result of the player calming the Investigation Team down, and failing to identify the culprit. This will result in Nanako being revived but remaining hospitalized, and Teddie returning to the TV world. The game then skips to Spring, where the protagonist prepares to return home and Ryotaro asks him if he's ready. He tells the protagonist that it is too bad that Nanako is unable to see him off due to her hospitalization, but eventually gives him thanks in the end. The protagonist finally returns home, leaving the mystery unsolved.

Normal Ending
In the Normal Ending, the protagonist manages to calm down the Investigation Team, and points out his doubts about Namatame being the murderer. The Investigation Team eventually found out the murderer of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi is actually Tohru Adachi, who was also the one sending him the threat letters. Cornering him, the Investigation Team manages to defeat Adachi. However, after Adachi's defeat, it reveals that in actuality, Adachi was only playing a small role of the whole plan: he was controlled by a being named Ameno-sagiri, who plans to turn reality into a Shadow-ridden world. The Investigation Team eventually manages to defeat Ameno-sagiri. By proving humans' potential towards Ameno-sagiri, Ameno-sagiri promises to lift up the fog that has been infesting Yasoinaba, but exclaims that as long as humanity wishes for the fog to return, he will awaken once again. The Normal Ending ends with the protagonist bidding a heartfelt farewell to his friends, and leaves Yasoinaba.

True Ending
The True Ending takes up following the events of Ameno-sagiri's defeat. Similar to the Normal Ending, the protagonist decides to visit his friends one last time. Prior to leaving the Dojima Residence, Nanako gives to protagonist a letter. After bidding farewell to his friends, should the protagonist decide to regroup the Investigation Team one last time in Junes, the True Ending unlocks. The letter states Adachi's feeling of uneasiness despite his game being over and it is up to the protagonist to solve it.

The Investigation Team eventually realizes that Ameno-sagiri said that those who have awakened their powers are supposed to play their roles to override the world with shadows as well, which implies an existence of a conductor who gave the protagonist, Adachi, and Namatame their power to enter the TV as well as their Personas. Igor would later then tell the protagonist that he is going to grasp a truth even his powers cannot predict, and he will play a role in assisting the protagonist. Igor then gives the protagonist the Orb of Sight, which erases lies and reveals the truth, playing an important part of the final boss fight.

Reminiscing his actions during his first visit to Yasoinaba, the protagonist remembers the gas station attendant, and eventually goes to visit her during the rain. The attendant reveals that she took an interest in the protagonist's potential, and decides to give his powers a little push through their handshake. The attendant also mentions that Adachi, Namatame, and many others are awakened by her as well. She stirred the spark in the protagonist so he could awaken other peoples' Personas, and fulfill their role in her experiment.

However, the protagonist's power of the Wild Card is something the attendant did not foresee. The attendant also reveals that Ameno-sagiri is actually birthed from an aspect of her. Chastising the protagonist's greed to reach out for the truth, the attendant finally reveals her true identity: the great goddess Izanami. Izanami then tells the protagonist that since he is so determined to stop her, she shall await the protagonist in the other world, but tells him that he should also have the preparation to accept his loss towards her as well.

In the protagonist's final confrontation with Izanami, he uses the Orb of Sight, revealing Izanami is already dead, as she loses her current form and reveals her true form, Izanami-no-Okami.

When Izanami-no-Okami is on the verge of being defeated, she tries to send the protagonist to the underworld with her "Thousand Curses", but her attacks is repeatedly intervened by the protagonist' comrades, each shielding him from harm. After falling to the curse himself, the Protagonist hears the voices of his friends, telling him to continue fighting. Accumulating the power of the bonds he forged, the Protagonist channels the powers of his Social Links to his initial Persona, Izanagi, transmogrifying Izanagi into his true form, Izanagi-no-Okami. Returning to the battle and enduring all of Izanami's assaults, he summons Izanagi-no-Okami defeating Izanami with Myriad Truths.

Upon Izanami's defeat, Izanami tells the Investigation Team that she will no longer interfere with humanity, and encourages them to live their lives with their own decisions, though she cannot ensure their happiness. Igor would later tell the Protagonist that due to his efforts, the fog within humanity's hearts has finally lifted, and tells them to see the bright future of the world he had created with his own eyes. The fog on the Midnight Channel was lifted, revealing a beautiful, peaceful land which Teddie remembers was once the world he lived in. The story ends with the Protagonist bidding a heartfelt farewell to his friends and leaves Yasoinaba. As the train leaves the station, the Protagonist pulls out a group picture of the friends that he spent his year in Inaba with while Teddie's voice is heard in the background, promising that someday they will meet again.

Accomplice Ending
Unique to Golden, if the player calms down the Investigation Team, correctly guesses Adachi as the killer, and Adachi's Social Link is at Level 6 or higher, a choice is given: Either confront Adachi or destroy the evidence that would help incriminate him. If the latter is chosen, on the night before the protagonist leaves Inaba, he will meet with Adachi, alone, at the police station. Choosing to be vague will cause Adachi to leave, triggering the Neutral Ending.

Otherwise, the protagonist will claim to be on Adachi's side. Adachi will then put a lighter and the warning letter that was sent to the Dojima residence atop the table. If the player does not burn the letter, Adachi will say he didn't "expect much else." He'll then laugh it off, and say he would send the letter to forensics. Before leaving, he will subtly threaten the protagonist, idly noting he should be careful on his way home as "you never know what might happen." This will trigger the Neutral Ending. Should the player set fire to the letter, Adachi will call the protagonist's phone, telling him he'd be keeping tabs.

With this, Adachi's Social Link is maxed, and the protagonist will receive the key item, Adachi's Number.

On the ride out of Yasoinaba, the protagonist will spot Adachi crossing the train tracks. He will clench his phone, and the screen fades to black.

New Epilogue
As an exclusive bonus content to Golden, if the Protagonist manages to save Marie before defeating Izanami, the scene will then shift into a few months after the last scene of the true ending, where the Protagonist will reappear at the Inaba train station for a visit. He will find several changes around town, such as Namatame giving a passionate speech about change while running for mayor, and the remaining family shops working together to make sure they all stay open next to Junes. The Protagonist will eventually meet up with his friends, who changed since the last time they all met, and will head to the Dojima household, where a surprise party was set up earlier by Ryotaro.

While eating, the Protagonist will learn about the recent changes in the neighborhood and see Marie on the news as the popular new weather girl (depending on their relationship, she may also declare her love for him while on the news). Nanako will appear shortly after, welcoming back her "Big Bro", and sits down with the rest of the group. Nanako will then whisper something into everyone's ear before they all welcome the Protagonist "home". As the rest of the Investigation squad starts to complain to Kanji who said something different than everyone else, the Protagonist will respond by smiling brightly. The scene ends with another group picture of the Protagonist and his friends including Marie all smiling together.

Persona 4 Arena
During the events of story mode, Yu returns to Inaba for Golden Week where he reunites with Dojima and Nanako for a meal until Margaret takes him into the Velvet Room. Soon he sees the return of the Midnight Channel alongside Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko as the four of them investigate. However, all of them get dragged into a weird fighting tournament called the P-1 Grand Prix. When the Grand Prix started and he first had to face off with Yosuke, he told him that "Nanako" got inside the TV World again. He soon finds a young girl who claims to be Yasogami High School's Student Council President but is also forced to fight Chie and Yukiko. Eventually, he encounters a girl who shares his power, as well as Margaret's sister, Elizabeth, who had left the Velvet Room for her own reasons. Yu arrives in the announcement room, he is reunited with "Nanako", but it turns out to be an illusion created by Shadow Labrys and she reveals the President's true form as Labrys. After defeating Shadow Labrys, Labrys is suddenly hacked by the true mastermind behind the incident who somehow knows who he is. After Labrys leaves with Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, and Aigis, Yu decides to reform the investigation team and plans to finish this case.

In Elizabeth's story mode, Yu and Aigis help her understand the nature of the Wild Card throughout the course of the story. She eventually gains her own Fool Arcana, then continues on her journey.

Arena Ultimax
In the Persona 3 story mode, Yu, Yosuke, and Chie reached Tartarus entrance where they confronted and heavily injured by Sho Minazuki. They are saved by Labrys, Mitsuru, Ken, Koromaru, and Junpei's arrival. After Sho retreated to the top of Tartarus, Yu wanted to go with the Shadow Operatives to look for Rise, Naoto, and Kanji, but Mitsuru insists for them to rest.

In the Persona 4 story mode, Yu and his friends gathered at Junes and discuss about the culprit behind the P-1 Grand Prix. When he returned home, General Teddie appears in Midnight Channel and suddenly announces the second P-1 Grand Prix with Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Aigis crucified. Yosuke immediately calls Yu, but the electricity turns off and Inaba is surrounded by red fog. Yu able to meet Chie and Yosuke after defeating a shadow. The three of them are then confronted by Sho, who reveals that he is the culprit behind the previous P-1 Grand Prix and the one who kidnapped Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Aigis. After exchanging a few words, Sho leaves.



Entering Yasogami High, they are surprised upon meeting Adachi, who was supposed to be imprisoned. Questioning his presence, Adachi left cryptic clues of what happens to Yu, Yosuke, and Chie before he leaves. Once they reached Tartarus, they eavesdropped the conversation between Sho and Adachi, but the former senses their presence, forcing them to engage in combat. Sho was defeated, but the tide turns when Minazuki, Sho's other-self, replaces him and summon Tsukuyomi. Yosuke and Chie protects Yu from his attack, rendering them unable to fight and defenseless. Minazuki goads Yu to abandon his friends so he can fight him without any burden, but Yu refuses to do so. Before Minazuki can deliver a finishing blow, Labrys and Naoto arrives, saving Yu. Minazuki contemplates to kill Yu at the time since he is the greatest threat against him, but Adachi convinces him not to since he has something more important to do. Reuniting with Mitsuru and the rest of their friends, Shadow starts to gather around the tower. While his friends fend off the Shadows, Yu goes to the top of Tartarus. At the top of Tartarus, he stops Minazuki right before he kills Adachi and defeats him. He makes Minazuki realizes that his strength comes from his bond with Sho. However, they are interrupted by General Teddie who reveals himself to be Hinokagutsuchi, the being that Sho tried to awaken. With the help from Adachi, Yu able to defeat Hinokagutsuchi. Transported to the TV World by Margaret, Yu is glad that all of his friends are safe. He then tells Sho that he will gladly takes him on anytime he wants one-on-one before the latter leaves.

With the case completely closed, Yu leaves Inaba and officially disbands the Investigation Team. Saddened that Yu leave again, Nanako begs Yu to stay and play with her, but Yu promises her that he will be back during summer vacation. Right before the door of the train is closed, Dojima teases Nanako, causing Nanako to enter the train with Yu because she is upset, ending up with Yu and the others panicking when the door closed with Nanako still inside with Yu as the train ready to leave.

In True Ending route, after Yu defeats Hinokagutsuchi with Adachi, Yu tells Sho not to be afraid to bonding with people, but Sho says that he can only understand them through fighting. Accepting that if fighting is the only way for him to bonding with Sho, Yu engages Sho in one last battle, in which he won once again. Sho insists that he will kill Yu one day, which Yu replies that he will gladly fight him again as long as the others are not involved. Yu reunites with his friends at Junes, celebrating their victory.

Playstyle
Yu's moveset is reminiscent of a standard "shoto" character (such as Ryu from Street Fighter), directly borrowing multiple moves of fighters from previous Arc System Works games such as Ky Kiske from ' and Rei from ' (especially regarding the lightning element theme from the former). He is a Jack of All Trades complete with a traditional projectile/anti-air/expansion type special move format, along with a strong offense with his firm being one of the most radiant traits about him. He does not have many weaknesses and utilizes a lot of the system mechanics into his gameplay. With his two expansion type attacks, one either hits overhead with the other one that uses his Persona hits low, giving him a decent mixup game. This makes him a very basic character and easy to pick up for beginners as well as advanced players who learn to use the mechanics and integrate them into Yu's game. Also, his attacks also tend to have good range, and his Persona attack setups tend to be standard for those aiming for the aforementioned okizeme.

In the sequel, Yu gains only a few new tools. Out of all the characters who have had auto-combo changes, only his second hit remains the same as with his previous self in P4U. Yu also gains the ability to feint Raging Lion for some more tricky forms of crossups, and gains a new command throw attack which can offer him quite a bit on the offense. He also has a new move called Shiden Issen, a powerful dashing thrust that can be used to end and start combos as well. Yu can also now use his Zio in midair.

However, his notable weaknesses as noted as of recent, tend to be his lackluster meter less damage (as since he's well on using his SP for very good combos, he often relies on it a lot), and his damage outside of the corner. He also has some notable recovery on his Persona attacks, so it may as well be quite easy for quick opponents to Persona Break him.

Other changes in Ultimax include his j.(B) x2 being used as j.2B, his old j.D also being usable as 2D. He also has many new pressure tools due to his new moves. He also is one of the few characters to gain a secret move.

The only SMT series skills available to Yu are Zio, Swift Strike, Ziodyne, Cross Slash and Myriad Truths.

Yu, like in the previous Arena game, has 4 Persona Cards/Units as usual.

Move List
Yu's theme/leitmotif is known as Reach Out To The Truth -In Mayonaka Arena/Arena Ver.- (or lit. In Midnight Arena), a reworked-remix of the original battle theme of Persona 4 (especially since the instrumentals are radically different from the original version and its many arrangements). The OST disc version has slight differences in adding small extra guitar chords.
 * Moves with a localized name from the original Japanese name will be shown in with a slash along them, while the real translation will be in parentheses.
 * Reversal/Furious Action:
 * Kenkon Itteki/Big Gamble (Gambling Effort): Original skill. An uppercut lifting slash of lightning with both hands with Yu rising from the ground at a set height. Yu's main "dragon-punch" style anti-air which packs a good amount of invincibility and launches the foe. Can be done in midair as well. The ground version on the first hit is air unblockable, and the midair version is Yu's fastest attack at 4 frames. However, due to how high Yu flies up compared to most DP-type moves having height variations, this attack can be very easy to punish if blocked/whiffed. Possibly based off of his critical hit's final blow.
 * Skill Attacks/Special Moves:
 * Zio: Persona-based attack. Yu's first basic spell with Izanagi where he zaps his foe with a lightning bolt. However, in P4U, Zio is shown to be a lightning bolt projectile thrown by Izanagi's following hand in an inward tossing fashion, just after generating a surge on the palm of said hand. The C version is the projectile version, which zone well. However, opponents can dodge the projectile leaving both Yu and Izanagi rather open. The D version is the same animation with more startup, but instead causes a small lightning explosion that can negate projectiles and briefly causes the kanji for "ministry" (省, shou/shō) appear in the middle of the blast radius (which can be hard to see). The D version also causes a Fatal Counter on hit, and is also very safe on block for wakeup situations but is rather slow on startup as said before. The SB version is an enhanced version of the C version projectile which functions the same, only it flies faster across the screen and deals two hits, making the first hit blow over most weak projectiles and also can be super-cancelled like so with the C version (and it also causes shock on hit). Like certain projectile attacks in recent fighting games, both the C and SB versions can be super cancelled, even on hit or block. But unlike past with SC'able projectiles, instead of just cancelling the startup animation, the Zio itself must hit the opponent for it to be super cancelled.
 * In Ultimax, Zio can now be used in the air, allowing for more zoning usage with this move from various heights. Yu himself will also halt his aerial momentum upon its usage. However, only the A version can be used in the air, and it has more recovery time.
 * Denkou Sekka/Swift Strike (Volt-Speed): Persona-based attack. The Swift Strike skill. Yu alongside Izanagi going low and stick its spear out, slides along with it to clear the ground in front. A low sliding attack that can hit low and sweep foes as well, and goes under a majority of moves with its low profile. This attack tends to be good for low mixups and distance coverage via expansion-move usage. The C version does 1 hit and goes a small distance with fast startup. The D version goes further with slower startup and does 3 hits. The SB version does 5 hits while having very fast startup and full-screen coverage. All versions can be cancelled (especially the D and SB versions being super-cancelable) and are unsafe on block, so they should be used with caution and mainly in combos. Causes a lightning effect on hit.
 * Shishi Funjin/Raging Lion (Lion Fury Haste): Original skill. Yu twirls inward while taking to the air diagonally to positon himself, then dives with a two-handed thrust diagonally to the ground. Acts as Yu's leaping overhead move, and can be done in midair where Yu's aerial momentum can be halted as he leaps up a small bit into the air before diving, and the aerial rise can also act as a countering-bait against throws. All versions, both ground and air hit overhead, making it Yu's main overhead mixup tool and makes up for the lack of an overhead command normal. Also forces crouch on hit to enable crouching-target combos. The A version starts up fairly making it Yu's primary quick overhead mixup tool, but quick opponents can block it to stop your offense due to the disadvantage on block. The B version starts up slower and Yu leaps higher into the air, so it can go over foes if not spaced properly. The SB version leaps high to the air very fast and also starts up fast, making it the stronger overhead mixup tool with long hitstun on counter hit. The A version does a normal knockdown on air hit and the B version does a ground bounce on counter hit and knockdown on air hit, with the SB version doing a no-tech knockdown, so knowing which knockdown effect each version does is key to managing this in combos. Both the B and SB version can Fatal Counter.
 * In Ultimax, Yu can now feint this attack by holding down B, leaping to the air and turning but not diving down afterwards. This enables him to perform all sorts of aerial tricks such as crossups and the like by making use of the aerial momentum gained from the initial leap, especially added with the possible opponent's reaction the feint causes. Sadly, the move also has more minus frames on block, making it more risky to use in blockstrings.
 * Also, the move now causes ground slide on hit instead of a knockdown, making new sorts of combos accessible from this move.
 * Yuumou Kakan/Brave and Daring (Dauntless Courage): Original skill and new move in Ultimax. Yu for the A version, leans forward bring his sword with both hands into a turning downward slamming singled-handed slash with his leading hand, all with blade covered in lightning. Does not hit overhead despite the appearance, and works well as a combo and safe pressure tool which can plummet on air hit. The B version instead starts off with a delayed running animation from Yu where if he reaches his opponent during said animation, he will grab the opponent with his leading hand like with his normal throw, then fling them up and perform and outward turning launch slash with his following hand to fling the opponent up, starting all sorts of juggle/air combos. The B version works like an unblockable command throw tool for tick throw mixups, but can be rather unsafe due to the delay making it predictable on disrespected pressure strings, and thus it can be punished with a jumping attack or countered with a faster move, though it can be confused with a dash cancel of Yu's in order to bait the opponent into jumping away out of fear. The SB version is a faster B version, which can catch those who are expecting the B version off guard in blockstrings.
 * SP Skill Attacks/Super Moves:
 * Ziodyne: Persona-based attack. The Ziodyne Spell. Yu calls upon Izanagi while clenching his fist (his tarot card calling animation) to unleash a surge of lightning on his enemy, potrayed in P4U as a multi-hitting lightning beam fired from Izanagi stretching out its body. Causes a lightning effect on the opponent and wall-sticks/wall-slams them to the corner, and has a good amount of invincibility making it a great move for punishing attacks and ending combos. Like with Zio, it can also be done in the air, but already long before Ultimax oddly enough. The C version has faster startup, making it most used in combos, while the D version is slower on startup but safer on block.
 * In Ultimax, the SB version does more hits and inflicts shock onto the opponent.
 * Shiden Issen/Lightning Flash (Violet Electric Single Flash): Original skill and new move in Ultimax. Yu readies a single-handed sword thrust by putting his leading hand forward to aim and drawing his sword back with his following arm, then flies forward with an electrical forward sword thrust. Does multiple hits and crumples the foe on ground hit or ground slides the foe on air hit. Has a decent amount of startup invincibility and the fact that Yu moves during this attack makes it more of a combo extender as opposed to Ziodyne's combo finishing nature. B version also has more startup but deals more damage than the A verson, but the SB version instead acts as a grab/cinematic attack, where the opponent instead of suffering multiple hits takes one hit as Yu charges into them, Yu then thrusts his sword for a single powerful thrust that causes ground slide instead of the usual crumple, even on ground hit. It also carries both the A and B version traits, being fast on startup and more damaging, as well as projectile invincibility throughout. However, it doesn't have any invincibility outside of that, so it's a bit poor as a reversal.
 * As of Patch 1.10, some of the invincibility has been removed from the blackout portions of the attack. The SB version also does less damage and starts after the blackout.
 * Awakened SP Skill Attacks/Super Moves:
 * Juumonji Giri/Cross Slash (Cruciform Cutter): Persona-based attack. A skill seen not in the Persona series but in past installments of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Yu readies his sword with both hands in front of himself in a low stance charging it with lightning, then does a one-handed turning outward slash forward. If it connects, the opponent is locked in hitstun and Izanagi will then appear from its The Fool tarot card from above whereever the opponent is hit and dives with a plunging dropping slash, crumpling the opponent. Both slashes will produce a lightning ray effect across the screen forming a cruciform cross of some sort, hence the name of the attack. Acts as a cinematic super where the initial hit must connect. Has a long horizontal range not mainly due to how far the first slash's actual hitbox reaches, but how far Yu himself steps forward, making it a great in-and-out poke if used as one (since Yu steps back a bit further than his original starting position). The move can even connect right behind himself if spaced in certain ways, making it a bit of a possible anti-crossup tool. Yu can also start combos on the crumpling opponent if he manages to be close enough to them after the move's end, and the move itself is often used for high damage combos. Has startup invinciblity, but despite its advantages, it can be punished on block/whiff (especially if the opponent dodges it). It can also only be 1 More Cancelled on block instead of it due to its cinematic nature.
 * In Ultimax, the SB version does a bit more damage and inflicts shock onto the opponent on hit or block. As of Patch 1.10 however, the SB version does less damage than before, less than both the C and D versions.
 * Raijin Enbu/Thunder God Dance (Thunder God Stage Dance): New move/original skill in Ultimax that is a secret move for Yu. Persona-based attack, but only at the very end. As this move is a 10-input multi-sequence input attack not unlike the Deadly Rave of Geese Howard and his son Rock Howard via SNK fame (does has 10 inputs and usually deals 10 hits in total or more depending on the game they appear in), and by Arc System Works' proxy, Order-Sol's Dragon Install: Sakkai (Killing World; has 9 inputs total but in special situations has 10 moves total) and from Dimps' The Rumble Fish 2, Zen's Gouraisenbu (Booming Thunder Whirling Martial; has 9 inputs but deals 10 hits in general). Yu starts off the attack with a strong adjusted reaping slash, then in quick succession, Yu peforms in single animations in this order: 5AAA (Shadow Mode/P4U version), 5B, A version Yuumou Kakan, 5AAA (Normal Mode/P4U2 version), j.2B/j.(B) x2, 2B, All-Out Attack starter, B version Yuumou Kakan, then Cross Slash (without Izanagi) for a 9 move/hit combo. He then gestures in a finishing pose to call Izanagi forth for an upward scooping launch slash that carries Cross Slash's effects for both the 9th input and 10th, and the final blow does 10 hits. So more like Deadly Rave fashion, the move at least has a total of 10 inputs that must be done in accurate succession, and each input can be purposely dropped for combo extentions. It also can be comboed from almost anything. The inputs are more parallel to Order-Sol's Sakkai due to the more complex inputs at the end as opposed to something like Deadly Rave and Gouraisenbu. However, due to Yu's notable over-reliance on meter for all sorts of utility purposes, and since it costs 150 SP, this move is often not ideal to perform unless one has the right mind and skillset to pull it off in tight matches, since it does a lot of raw damage standalone.
 * Mortal Blow/Instant Kill:
 * Ikuman no Shingon/Myriad Truths (Many Myriad's True Words): Persona-based attack. Izanagi-no-Ookami's original ultimate skill, portrayed as where Yu will slowly twirl his sword with both hands and plants it to the ground, sending electricity along the entire ground. On hit, the opponent will be shocked into a bind where Izanagi will undergo a cinematic transformation into Izanagi-no-Ookami and causes a purifying lightning bolt to rain down on the opponent from the cloudy skies summoned. Has full startup invincibility and due to its full-screen range, it can be used to punish certain supers or most slow attacks from a distance. Other than that however it has very low practical use.

Score Attack
Yu is the 10th character the player faces in Score Attack. His buffs involve an overall increase in power and the ability to cancel any move into each other making combos that were otherwise impossible.

Persona 4 Arena Manga
Yu Narukami faces off against Akihiko Sanada as his first opponent. Despite winning he takes several severe injuries that would affect him in his next fight. His next opponent is Yosuke, and though the two fought each other fiercely and refused to believe what the illusions were saying, he fell unconscious and loses due to the injuries he got from his fight with Akihiko.

Persona 4 The Animation
At the end of Persona 4 The Animation, a single day keeps repeating itself in a. It is revealed to have been caused by Yu's unease surrounding his relocation from Inaba which in turn, causes a Shadow Self to appear in the battle with Margaret. Appearing as a pile of televisions sets with Yu's image on them, this Shadow is not fought and is quickly accepted. Shadow Yu states that he was afraid of "a future without my friends," and that he would have to go on without them. Yu quickly agrees with his Shadow, stating that all he wants is to be with his friends, whether this fantasy is real or not. By then, Shadow Yu lifts into the air and transforms into Izanagi who delivers the final blow to Margaret's Persona.

Persona 4 Arena
The Malevolent Entity takes the form of Shadow Yu during Yu's Arcade mode.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
Shadow Yu is the Shadow Type of Yu in the game. In the P4 Story Mode, he is the first enemy that is encountered in the P4 Story Mode. Upon seeing Yosuke with Teddie, the doppelganger of Yu's Shadow calls them useless vermin and proceeds to attack them, however he is defeated by Yosuke. He also appears in the P3 Story Mode, trying to persuade to Labrys that bonds are worthless before being defeated. One of his intro animations involves him appearing as a stack of TV's before forming into his body, a callback to how Yu's true Shadow only appeared in the anime series.

Persona 4

 * "Izanagi!" or the name of any of his other Personas, e.g. "Pixie!", "Satan!", "Jack Frost!" and etc. (Enemy weak to attack/Critical with Phys skill)
 * Persona! (Using Persona skill)
 * Full Battle Quotes
 * Persona Names

Persona 4 Arena

 * "What? Sister-complex Kingpin?" (In response to his title)
 * "What's going on?" (Starting Arcade Mode)
 * "It's only natural." (in E3 trailer)
 * "Here goes!" (While chosen in the Character Select screen)
 * "Lend me your strength." (While chosen in the Character Select screen)
 * "Good to see you guys again." (Upon seeing his friends again in story mode)
 * "I see!" (While performing Big Gamble)
 * "Go!" (While performing Zio)
 * "Cunning." (While performing Awakening super move, Ziodyne)
 * "Strike through! Ziodyne!" (While performing super move, Ziodyne)
 * "COME ON!" (Character's long string of combo ends)
 * "I can still fight!" (Awakening)
 * "HRAAGGHH!" (Awakening)
 * "Gotcha! Cross… Slash!" (While performing Awakening super move, Cross Slash, if attack connects)
 * "Cross Slash! Persona!" (While performing Cross Slash)
 * "Let's end this…" (Instant Kill)
 * "Thousands die while a million are born." (Izanagi's transfiguration into Izanagi no Okami while performing Instant Kill; if it connects)
 * "This fight… is over!" (while Izanagi no Okami performing Instant Kill)
 * "Behold, the truth!" (Alternate quote on Myriad Truths)
 * "What is this pressure...?!" (vs. Elizabeth)
 * "I won't lose." (Intro)
 * "Come at me!" (Round win)
 * "Calm Down." (Round win)
 * "I should leave them be." (Round win)
 * "You should be better than this!" (Round win vs. Yosuke)
 * "Let's keep this up" (Match win)

Persona Q

 * "Haha, that's the spirit." (Battle start, with Yukiko)
 * "I'm ready!" (Battle start, with Naoto)
 * "Alright, Partner!" (Battle start, with Yosuke)
 * "I'll try not to let you down." (Battle start, with Kanji)
 * "A slime Shadow..." (Battle start, fighting Maya-type Shadow)
 * "I was a king once. N-Nevermind..." (Battle start, fighting "Engage King" Shadow)
 * "Good. Let's keep this up!" (Result)
 * "The connections we make give us strength... and we've forged new bonds in this strange world." (Quote against Clocktower God in final battle)

Etymology
His first name 'Yu' literally means 'quiet', a reference to him being a silent protagonist. It is also an oral pun among the English fandom, which involves the pronoun "you."

His surname 'Narukami' literally means 'howling god', which is a reference to a recurring entity in the series and to his initial element Electricity, since Narukami is a Japanese god of thunder. 'Narukami' can also be read as "to become a god", foreshadowing how Yu manifests the World Arcana in the true ending. However, the characters of his name mean completly different things (respectively, they mean "sound" and "above"), meaning that the reference is an oral-only pun.

Persona 4 Arena Moveset
Some of Yu's moves in Arena are named after certain expressions and terms via idioms, such as Kenkon Itteki (乾坤一擲 lit. Gambling Effort/"To Stake On for All or Nothing"; localized as Big Gamble) and Shishifunjin (獅子奮迅 lit. Lion Fury Haste/"Being Intense and Forceful"; localized as Raging Lion). Izanagi also gains the skills Swift Strike (Denkou Sekka/Volt-Speed in Japanese) and Ziodyne, which it did not have in the original Persona 4 (though they can be gained from proper fusion). Oddly enough, Denkou Sekka (電光石火, lit. Electric Light Flint Fire) also happens to be another term of Yu's theme naming, being the term for "lightning speed", despite long being an existing Persona-series skill already having that Japanese name. Yu is one of two characters to have two Personas (the other being Aigis), namely Izanagi for all normal Persona attacks, Specials and Supers, and Izanagi-no-Okami for his Mortal Blow attack, Myriad Truths, known as Ikuman no Shingon (幾万の真言, lit. Many Myriad's True Words) in the Japanese version.

His latest move in Ultimax also amps up the theme naming of his attacks, which is known as Yuumou Kakan (勇猛果敢 lit. Dauntless Courage/"Being Daring and Resolute"; localized as Brave and Daring). His new SP Skill also joins in, being known as Shiden Issen (紫電一閃, lit. Violet Electric Single Flash/"Brandishing a Sword/Flash of a Sword or Lightning"; since the term "issen" often refers to brandish a sword). The literal translation of the move also plays hand-in-hand with his lightning theme, funny enough.

General

 * While he is actually an unnamed character in Persona 4, he has the name Yu Narukami in Persona 4 Arena, which exists in the same continuity as Persona 4 and remains as his canon title.
 * He was initially nicknamed "Banchō" (番長, lit. "Delinquent Boss/Pack Leader") by Japanese fans for being the protagonist and his Persona Izanagi's leather long coat which is reminiscent of the stereotypical banchō. The title was eventually picked up by Atlus Japan for the mock title of Yu in Persona 4 Arena, while Atlus NA localizes "Banchō" as "Kingpin".
 * When wearing the "Cheer Squad Outfit" in Persona 4 Golden, the other members of the Investigation Squad will mention how similar he looks to Izanagi.
 * The calendar in his room in the Dojima Residence features both the logo of Persona 3 as well as a promotional art of the game featuring the protagonist of Persona 3 and Thanatos. In Persona 4 Arena, his updated calendar features an image of from  instead.
 * He may also have knowledge of English (JPN) or Spanish (USA) when certain optional conversation choices are used during the conversation with a woman in Okina City appearing in Persona 4 Golden. He may also have basic knowledge of French, as there is a magazine in his room with the title Prêt-À-Porter. He may also (rarely) have French phrases in conversation choices.
 * The protagonist (along with Izanagi), together with Aigis (Messiah and Athena) and Elizabeth (Thanatos), appears as a cameo character in Square Enix's arcade game, Lord of Vermillion Re: 2. He belongs to the Beast Tribe, and his skill is Ziodyne.
 * Unlike the rest of the Investigation Team, the protagonist uses his hands to break the card in order to summon his Persona, whereas the others use their respective weapons to do so.
 * He has the same English voice actor as Adachi in Persona 4.
 * He also shares the same Japanese voice actor as Touma Shikura from Persona trinity soul.
 * In Persona 4 the Animation, Yu is the only party member who doesn't deny his Shadow's accusations, possibly because he has already learned from all his other friends' struggles and that his shadow was the last to appear.
 * When the protagonist wears the Gekkoukan High School uniform, he imitates the Persona 3 protagonist's victory pose when wielding a two-handed sword, a one handed sword, a bow, and an axe.
 * In the instructional manual of Persona 4, the protagonist is named "Raidou Kuzuhona" in reference to Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV.
 * In Persona 4 Golden, during the events of the ski trip when Yosuke says that it's the protagonist's turn to tell a scary story, the player can choose three options. The first being that he can tell the events of what happened when the boys tried to get back at them except calling Kashiwagi and Hanako "Kashiwagi and Hanako monsters", the second is that he can tell them about his experiences in the Velvet Room, mentioning a blue room and Igor (though he calls him a "man with a long nose"), the final choice being to refuse telling anything at all.
 * While the game portrays the protagonist as a calm and neutral individual, one scenes shows him to be also aggresive as well. In the events regarding the decision to kill Namatame, if the player made all the correct choices, the dialogue choice "Calm the hell down!" will be shown. This shows that, while the protagonist is calm and decisive, he has limits as to how much tolerance he has. In addition, he hardly ever shows this, as shown when the Investigation Team was surprised by his outburst at Yosuke.
 * In Persona Q, should the players choose Persona 3 at the start of the game, before he introduced himself he is referred to as "Composed Boy".
 * In the manga adaptation, Persona Q Roundabout, he is shown to be close with Persona 3's Protagonist, to the point the others think that it is like a date instead of friendship. It is possible because the two of them possess the same power. In another event, he also said that he feels something close between him and the protagonist should the players get him as the destined partner in Persona Q, playing in Persona 3's storyline.
 * In the anime, it is shown multiple times Yu passes time by making paper cranes.
 * Yu is the second tallest Persona protagonist, the tallest being Tatsuya Suou (who is only taller by one centimeter).

Persona 4 Arena

 * Yu and Teddie are the only characters that do not face their "shadow" in their Persona 4 Arena story mode. Yu does face his "shadow" in his Arcade Mode though and immediately picks up that his Persona and Shadow cannot co-exist.
 * Yu shares many similarities and parallels to his fellow Wild Card wielder and predecessor, Aigis:
 * They share Room 2-2 as their default stage.
 * They are the only characters to have received themes that are full remixes of a battle theme (Reach Out To The Truth and Heartful Cry) from their original game.
 * They both change their Personas to their alternate forms during their Instant Kills.
 * In their story modes, before they proceed to the Announcement Room to confront General Teddie, they both must fight Elizabeth, who wishes to see them unleash the Wild Card's true power. In addition to this, they are the central characters of Elizabeth's own story mode, where she pursues them both in order for her to understand the true potential of the Wild Card.
 * In Aigis' story mode, Elizabeth saves her from the Malevolent Entity's deceptions and illusions, and will confront her for almost giving in to them, and will deliberately let her win, and reminds her that she is never alone and her bonds will lead her to the truth. This scene is extremely similar to the scene when Margaret confronts Yu in the animation finale when he also gave in to illusions Izanami created.
 * Yu's Furious Action "Big Gamble/Kenkon Itteki" is based on his critical-hit animation from Persona 4.
 * Sometimes when Yu K.O's the opponent, he will say, "I should leave them be" a reference to an early prompt in Persona 4, where the text box would say, "You should leave him be" after seeing Yosuke get injured.
 * Yu, Naoto and Mitsuru are the only characters who possess skills in their movesets they do not naturally learn in their original games; however, in Yu's case, in the original Persona 4, it's possible to re-create an Izanagi with the skills Swift Strike and Ziodyne.
 * Despite having various expressions in the art book of Persona 4 Arena, Yu is shown with only three expressions through out the game.
 * Almost true to Daisuke Ishiwatari's previous affiliation with the company SNK, Arc System Works in Ultimax includes a secret move for Yu that is uncanny to Geese Howard/Rock Howard's Deadly Rave attack, in that it's a multi-sequence input super with a total of 10 inputs. However, due to the more complex route, it plays a lot more akin to Order-Sol's Dragon Install: Sakkai since Guilty Gear XX Slash, another pre-dated Deadly Rave reference.
 * Yu and Yukiko are the only two characters whose Auto-Combo's second inputs in Ultimax do not change out of the rest of the Investigation Team's.