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Noriko Katayama is a supporting character in the Persona 2 duology. She is a Seven Sisters High School student who harbors an intense respect and devotion towards Anna Yoshizaka, who is her senpai and former star athlete of the school.

Appearances[]

Profile[]

Persona 2: Innocent Sin[]

During the events of Innocent Sin, Noriko desperately tries to have Anna recover her desire to live and unsuccessfully contacts her at Club Zodiac, hoping to help her to return to school and come out of her depression. After being rebutted by Anna, she becomes upset and leaves.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment[]

"She looks up to Anna and is also a track and field athlete."
—Her introduction, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

In Eternal Punishment, Noriko's role is expanded upon: She was responsible for calling the JOKER to kill the man who was responsible for Anna's hit-and-run. After seeing the loathsome behavior of Principal Hanya towards Anna for damaging the school's reputation, she snapped and invoked the JOKER ritual again, marking Hanya for death. Due to this, when she was eventually confronted she succumbed to the Joker Curse and was kidnapped by the Taiwanese mafia, requiring Maya Amano and Anna's help. After Joker Noriko is defeated by Maya's party at Club Zodiac, she is taken to the Velvet Room and is cured of the Joker curse by Igor. There, a concerned Anna asks Katsuya whether he will arrest Noriko. To the party's mild disbelief, Katsuya states that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and has Noriko taken into protective custody to shield her from the Tien Tao Lien.

Stats[]

  • Joker Noriko is aided by two Ryumen.


I can't... Because I'm a Joker♥
Arcana Level HP Normal Drop Rare Drop
- 26 1220 - -
Traits No Personality
Noriko turned into a Joker user.
Atk Def Matk Mdef
Strength 22
Vitality 18
Technique 25
Agility 29
Luck 21
96 88 70 71
Sw Sh Sk Th Ak Fi Wt Wi Er Ic Ln Nc Ho Dk Al Nr Mn
- - - - - 14 - - - - - 24 24 - 24 24
List of Skills
Skill Effect
Maha Aques Inflicts medium Water damage to a group of enemies.
Marin Karin Renders an enemy Charmed. (52% chance) [Mind-element]
Taru Kaja Enhances a character's At.
Raku Kaja Enhances a character's Df.
Absolute Zero Medium Ice damage + Frozen effect to a group of enemies. (30% chance)
Old Maid Forces one random foe to cast the "Joker" spell.


Strategy[]

Joker Noriko resists water and is weak to fire. She tends to spend her first turns using Taru and Raku Kaja on the Ryumen that assist her and uses Maha Aques as her main offensive spell. The optimal strategy is to defeat the Ryumen with multi-target Fusion Spells and then attack Joker Noriko with fire. As the Ryumen lack elemental weaknesses, any Fusion Spell will do. Despite her weaknesses to fire, it's not recommended to use L'Oiseau de Feu (Fire -> Wind -> Maha Agi) as there are other multi-target Fusion Spells that can inflict more damage to the Ryumen such as Maximum Tempest (Wind -> Water -> Maha Garula) and Crag Fang (Earth -> Fire -> Maha Magnus). After defeating the Ryumen, Joker Noriko can be easily defeated by a couple uses of Tower Inferno (Wind -> Earth -> Fire).

There are many Personas avaiable that can make the fight easier. Hel is recommended due to her elemental coverage allowing her to participate in the aforementioned Fusion Spells; she also has access to Fire Storm, which deals medium fire damage thus boosting the power of Tower Inferno and isn't weak to Water or Ice unlike other Personas with access to midtier fire spells (Kinnara, Surya and Hotei). A Jack Frost with Garu or Magna can participate in Fusion Spells in addition to nullifying water and absorbing ice, making him immune to all of Joker Noriko's offensive spells. Matsuo-sama absorbs water and can use Wall of Water, whose effect lasts until the end of the battle, to make the entire party immune to it; he also has access to De Kaja, Media (via mutation) and can cure characters inflicted with Charm using Refresh Ring. An Otohime with Garu or Magna can participate in Fusion Spells in addition to absorbing water and having access to Diarama and (via mutation) Soothing Melody. Maia Custom is also useful due to being immune to mind and thus cannot be charmed in addition to having Medirama.

Like all other Jokers, Joker Noriko can use Old Maid, which forces one random party member to attack their own allies with the Joker spell. If she ever uses Old Maid, immediately order all characters to guard and wait one entire turn thus rendering the attack useless.

Battle Quotes (As Joker Noriko)[]

  • "You can't escape, Ms. Amano~" (Escape)
  • "I can't... Because I'm a Joker♥" (Contact)
  • "I got it~" (Normal Attack)
  • "I want to see blood~" (Normal Attack)
  • "Ciao!" (Casting Maha Aques)
  • "Voices, voices~" (Casting Marin Karin)
  • "Go, go~" (Casting Raku Kaja)
  • "Ready, go~" (Casting Taru Kaja)
  • "Joker~" (Casting Old Maid)
  • "Oh no---!" (Defeat)
  • "Ha ha ha! It's fate! (Party is defeated)
  • "Na-na na-na naaa, your luck sti-nks~" (Party is defeated) [rare occurrence]

Gallery[]

 
Noriko
Noriko.
 
Noriko Joker
Noriko as a Joker.

Etymology[]

  • The name Noriko means "rule, ceremony" (典) (nori) and "child" (子) (ko).
  • Noriko's surname Katayama means "single" (片) (kata) and "mountain, hill" (山) (yama).

Trivia[]

  • Noriko's last name and her portrait never appear in Innocent Sin or its PSP remake.
  • Noriko's normal portrait is only used in Eternal Punishment. Despite the release of Innocent Sin's PSP remake, her portrait was not used retroactively.
  • Despite the existence of the Joker Noriko portrait (seen above), it was never used in either Eternal Punishment nor its PSP remake.
  • Noriko is the only Joker not to have any speaking lines before her battle. When she is presented before the party, Joker surfaces and the battle begins almost immediately, unlike all other Joker encounters.
  • In the Japanese version, Noriko calls Anna Onē-sama (お姉様), a very respectful way of saying "older sister". In Japan, it is common to call young people who are older than you "big brother/sister" (for older people, it's "uncle/aunt") as a form of respect or admiration even if they aren't related, which can be compared to calling someone "mister" or "miss/ma'am" in the West. The fact that there isn't much of an age gap between Noriko and Anna and the use of the -sama honorific demonstrates how devoted Noriko is. The American release translates it as "big sis", implying that they are related even though they aren't.
  • Noriko's devotion to Anna is implied to be romantic in nature, as NPCs will discuss whether Noriko is romantically available and come to the conclusion that she only has eyes for Anna.


Major Characters
Playable Tatsuya Suou - Maya Amano - Lisa Silverman - Eikichi Mishina - Yukino Mayuzumi - Jun Kurosu
Non-Playable Philemon - Nyarlathotep - Joker
Minor Characters
Plot Relevant Maya Okamura - Akinari Kashihara - Shunsuke Fujii - Katsuya Suou - Ulala Serizawa - Daisuke Todoroki (Kyouji Kuzunoha) - Head Monk - Maki Sonomura - Kei Nanjo - Eriko Kirishima - Hidehiko Uesugi - Reiji Kido - Tamaki Uchida - Tadashi Satomi - Trish - Noriko Katayama - Miho Ogishima - Mami Shibata - Miyabi Hanakouji
Masked Circle Tatsuya Sudou - Ginji Sasaki - Anna Yoshizaka - Junko Kurosu - Shadow Tatsuya - Shadow Maya - Shadow Lisa - Shadow Eikichi - Shadow Yukino - Akari Hoshi - Hiroki Sugimoto - Takashi Hanya - Yasuo Inoe - Youichi Makimura
Last Battalion Fuhrer - Order of the Holy Lance
Velvet Room Igor - Nameless - Belladonna - Demon Painter
Rumormongers Kenta Yokouchi - Baofu - Chika Ueda - Sumaru Genie
Shop Time Count - Garcon Soejima - Kankichi Mishina
Climax Theater Motoko Mitsugi - Naozumi Kariyazaki - Musubu Torikiri - Akari Torikiri - Rose Futaba - Minato - Umiko Shiyama - Persephone - Tamaizu Nirasawa - Haruo Weyland - Kushiel
Locations
Sumaru City Seven Sisters High School - Club Zodiac - Kasugayama High School - Air Raid Shelter - Mu Continent - Giga Macho - Aoba Park - Smile Hirasaka - GOLD - Aerospace Museum - Mt. Iwato - Mt. Katatsumuri - Caracol - Aquarius Temple - Taurus Temple - Scorpio Temple - Leo Temple - Silver River - Xibalba - Abandoned Factory - Climax Theater
Music
Albums Original Soundtracks - The Errors of Their Youth - Persona 20th Anniversary All Time Best Album
Songs "Kimi no Tonari" - "Joker" - "Satomi Tadashi Drugstore Song" - "Unbreakable Tie"
Archives
Terminology Persona (Initial / Prime / Ultimate / Reverse) - Persona user - Cards (Tarot / Material / Skill / Incense) - Mystic Change - Affinity - Mutation - Ideal Energy - In Lak'ech - Oracle of Maia - Spear of Destiny - Muses - Phoenix Ranger Featherman R - Shadow Self - Ambrosia - "Infectious Groove" - Crystal Skull - Ideal Self - Growth Rate - Rumor
Lists Arcana - Personas - Demons - Bosses - Skills (Fusion Spells) - Items - Rumors - Restaurants
Other Media
Productions Lost Memories
Publications Innocent Sin (novel) - Persona 2: Tsumi ga Ataeshi Batsu - Persona: Tsumi To Batsu - Comic Anthology: Short Comic Heaven / Innocent Children / Innocent Memory / Comic Anthology (DNA Media Comics)
Major Characters
Playable Maya Amano - Tatsuya Suou - Katsuya Suou - Ulala Serizawa - Baofu - Kei Nanjo - Eriko Kirishima
Non-Playable Philemon - Nyarlathotep - JOKER/Tatsuya Sudou - Metal Trio
Minor Characters
Plot Relevant Maya Okamura - X series robots - Eikichi Mishina - Lisa Silverman - Jun Kashihara - Daisuke Todoroki (Kyouji Kuzunoha) - Takashi Hanya - Youichi Makimura - Ginji Sasaki - Suou's father - Trish - Noriko Katayama - Akinari Kashihara - Shunsuke Fujii - Miho Ogishima - Mami Shibata - Junko Kurosu - Akari Hoshi - Hiroki Sugimoto - Yasuo Inoe - Matsuoka - Yung Pao - Miyabi Hanakouji - Miki Asai - Makoto Kuwahara - Anna Yoshizaka
New World Order Tatsuzou Sudou - Takahisa Kandori - Chizuru Ishigami - General Sugawara - Captain Shimazu - Chief Togashi
St. Hermelin High School Graduates Hidehiko Uesugi - Maki Sonomura - Reiji Kido - Yukino Mayuzumi - Tamaki Uchida - Boy with Earring
Velvet Room Igor - Nameless - Belladonna - Demon Painter
Rumormongers Kenta Yokouchi - Chika Ueda
Shop Time Count - Garcon Soejima - Sumaru Genie - Kankichi Mishina
Shadow Selves Shadow Maya - Shadow Katsuya - Shadow Baofu - Shadow Ulala
Tatsuya's Scenario Lieutenant General Zula - Shiori Miyashiro - Chandraputra - Kouji Nakamura
Locations
Sumaru City Kasugayama High School - The Seedy CD - Mu Continent - Seven Sisters High School - Mt. Mifune - Sanitarium - Sky Museum - GOLD - Club Zodiac - Aoba Park - Padparcha - Sewers - Laboratory - Sumaru TV - Smile Mall - Factory - Nichirinmaru - Undersea Ruins - Mt. Iwato - Subway Tunnel - Ameno Torifune - Sumaru Castle - Monado Mandala - Bomb Shelter - Extra Dungeon
Music
Albums Original Soundtrack (PSX / PSP) - Punitive Dance - Persona 20th Anniversary All Time Best Album
Songs "Change Your Way" - "Satomi Tadashi Drugstore Song"
Archives
Terminology Persona (Initial / Prime / Ultimate / Reverse) - Persona user - Cards (Tarot / Material / Skill / Incense) - Mystic Change - Affinity - Mutation - Unknown Power - JOKER Infection (Artificial Persona) - Kegare - Other Side - Nanjo Group - Trapezohedron - Muses - New World Order - Tien Tao Lien - Shadow Self - Tatsuya's Scenario - DEVA System - Growth Rate - Rumor
Lists Arcana - Personas - Demons - Bosses - Skills (Fusion Spells) - Items - Rumors - Restaurants
Other Media
Productions Infinity Mask
Publications Eternal Punishment (novel) - Persona 2: Tsumi ga Ataeshi Batsu - Persona: Tsumi To Batsu - Comic Anthology: The Atoners / The Unforgivable / The Strays
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