Teddie, known as Kuma (クマ, Kuma) in the Japanese version, is a playable character in Persona 4. At first, he acts as support for battles, but after you complete the Marukyu Striptease Dungeon, he becomes a playable character while Rise Kujikawa takes over the support role.
Appearances
- Persona 4: Playable character, Star Arcana
- Persona 4 The Animation: Star Arcana
- Persona 4 Golden: Playable character
- Persona 4 Arena: Playable character
- Catherine: Cameo
Design
Teddie's appearance was based off a stuffed animal. He is an anthropomorphic bear, having blue fur and wears red and white jumpsuit-like clothing. Additionally, the head part of his suit has lenses which allow him to see through the fog in the Midnight Channel. Size-wise, Teddie is the shortest male party member.
After developing an ego, Teddie has blond spikey hair along with bright blue eyes and tanned skin. He is shown wearing a white blouse-like shirt with various adornements like a red rose and a flamboyantly designed collar. At the school festival when crossdressing, Teddie has long blond hair with a blue ribbon, wears a blue dress and white stockings as well as black shoes. His crossdressing alias is very similar to the appearance of Alice, from the 1951 Disney adaption of Alice in Wonderland.
In Persona 4 Golden he wears light blue and possibly white stripe swim trucks in the summer when going to the beach. Especially now goffy glasses become main glasses in combat somehow with his bear suit.
Persona 4 Arena, which takes place in May 2012, two months after the Ending of Persona 4, Teddie wears his bear suit once again. He changes outfits often throughout a match for comedic effect.
Personality
Being a comic relief, Teddie is seen flirting with the girls of the Investigation Team at numerous occasions, but fails all the time at it. Other than that, he is bubbly and cute and is known to cheer up the mood when investigating the case, much like Chie. In the Japanese version, he has a verbal tick, adding -kuma after every sentence while in the English version, his speech is filled with dozens of bear puns, like saying "Bear-sona" while summoning his Persona. He seems to care alot about Nanako and calls her "Nana-Chan", even when she's in a near-death state after being kidnapped by Taro Namatame. In the beginning of Persona 4: The Animation, he acts much like a coward when shadows are near, but changes his ways as the story progresses.
Profile
Persona 4
- Initial Persona: Kintoki-Douji
- Ultimate Persona: Kamui or Kamuy-Mosir
- Arcana: Star
Teddie as a human
His head is safely removable, as demonstrated when Yosuke forcefully pulled it off, suspecting Teddie's appearance was merely a costume. Teddie's human form later in the game is a blonde, charming, bishonen-looking teenager when he removed his costume to take a drink from the summer heat (even though Yosuke tried to keep his costume on still believing no one was actually inside). He claims to have acquired his human form while growing stronger back in the TV World.
Teddie's Shadow is a larger form of his bear costume coming out of a hole in the ground. Unlike most of the other Shadow-selves, Teddie's shadow is highly intelligent and does not wait for Teddie to deny him before attacking the party, mocking the Investigation Team's goals of seeking the truth as a waste of effort. However, this may be due to the intervention of another party, as Rise Kujikawa stated she felt the intervention of a powerful presence, most likely Izanami or Ameno-Sagiri. It is believed to represent Teddie's hiding the truth about his identity - that is, the fact that he is a lost, lonely Shadow. He learned to speak human language and became friendly with humans, taking his bear-like form so that people would like him upon meeting him. Teddie eventually takes a human form so that he can be with other humans. After gaining a personality and losing his Shadow mask, he receives his own Persona.
His Persona is Kintoki-Douji of the Star Arcana, who has the appearance of a bulbous red boiler with stubby limbs in a blue cape, carrying a tomahawk missile (the axe (tomahawk) is Kintoki's trademark) in its arms. It is capable of using ice spells. He is also the other main healer. By completing Teddie's Social Link, Kamui will replace Kintoki-Douji.
Kamui of The Star Arcana, keeps his appearance of a bulbous boiler, but changes the color from red to white, its legs are still stubby but his hands grow to full claws with a red cape and a missile-like tail.
Kintoki-Douji and Kamui specializes in the use of Ice, Recovery and Buffing Spells
An S.Link is automatically established with Teddie through the course of the story. Like the Fool and Judgement S.Links, this S.Link levels up periodically. If the Protagonist decides not to work on any S.Links, Teddie will be the only voice the Protagonist will hear in the True Ending. Once the S.Link becomes maxed out, the Protagonist can create Helel, the Light Bringer.
Persona 4 Arena
Teddie returns in the sequel and hosts the P-1 Grandprix. The rest of the Investigation Team enters the TV world in order to find the truth behind Teddie's doing. It is eventually revealed that the "Teddie" behind the tournament isn't Teddie at all, but Shadow Labrys masquerading as him.
Persona 4 The Animation
Teddie in Persona 4 The Animation
Teddie first appeared when Yu, Yosuke and Chie first appeared in the tv world. He followed the three of them to the mysterious room with the noose. Teddie then gave Yu Narukami the glasses and fled when he sensed the shadows. He was later found by the Yu, Yosuke and Chie so that he can tell them how to leave. He kicked them out through the summoned tvs. When Yu and Yosuke returned to investigate what had happened to Saki, they ran into Teddie again. Teddie led them to where Saki was. When Yosuke's shadow appeared, Teddie stated that those were Yosuke's inner feelings to which Yosuke denied resulting in the following battle. After the battle, Teddie tells them that Saki and the reporter were likely killed by their shadows, too. Yu and Yosuke then promised Teddie that they would solve the case.
When Teddie thought he was going to be alone again, Yukiko told him to be a good bear and when she came back she'd give him a special gift. He then blushed and gave her a pair of goofy glasses.
Then later instead of gathering imformation they give Teddie the bunny keychain that Kanji made by hand. Using it, he started to sense Kanji's location. Then at the bath entrance as his questioned that how come whether them open the door(due to the fact Yu and Yosuke are both guys and feel very award to open inside and knows that Kanji is fine.) Awhile they made inside where Kanji with his shadow as Teddie about to help his Sensei he slip and fall to the ground. Then as Chie and Yukiko angier growing, Teddie shocking try to calm them down.
Teddie confronting his shadow self
Then when they at Rise's dungeon as Kanji can't see inside the fog, Teddie gave him the goffy glasses late to him when they heading it to rescue Rise. As Kanji lose the goffy glasses, Teddie gave him to right pair glasses that suit him cool. When the group came close to meeting their demise at the hands of Shadow Rise, but Teddie stepped in at the last second and defeated it by exerting all his energy, thus "deflating" him.
After his shadow self transformed and begins to sucking them in, Teddie got caught and is inside of the Shadow Teddie (due to using all of his strength and became flat). As he wake up, he is inside of a mud-like world(in his regular size) and was surprised shocked to see his other self in his transformation state then he begans to sink in the depth of darkness. As his shadow keeps assulting him that there no memories, truth and there nothing he can do, but he confronted his shadow that there is a truth, he wanted to know about his true self and he doesn't wanted to lose his Sensei and his friends. As his shadow self defeated, Teddie finally accept his other self and became his persona, Kintoki-Douji.
Then on July 10, when he take off his head and has human form and take with Chie and Yukiko some clothes for them, he didn't take his head with him until Yu found his head at the market and pays for it.
Teddie make promise to Nanako
Then inside of Mitsuo's Void Quest, Then Teddie asked Yu that he expressing his displeasure at being forgotten about and left behind after he summons Kintoki-Douji for the first time to comically and clumsily fight off some of the shadows that appear but his "Sensei" didn't listen to him and walk off. In Shadow Misuo's illusion where Yu begins to lose his friends, Teddie didn't come back only stayed at the Other World and never coming out again. After the weeks goes by ever seen Misuo was sent in jail, Teddie make pinky promise to Nanako to stayed in the world a little longer to play with her.
Teddie lead Nanako to Food Market
Teddie's expression when he, Yosuke, and Kanji find out that a woman Yu is meeting has a son.
Then on August 15, Teddie awhile he about to say hi to his Sensei, Nanako told him to get quiet awhile she was trying trailing him then he help by sniff his sensei's sense and "managed" to find him and told her it this way but Nanako really knows Yu's doing but she lost his trail having no choice but to follow Teddie, but only lead her to the food shop as he admired to food he keep saying "Roly-ploy, Roly-Poly, over and over again. Then on August 18 he greet Nanako along with Yosuke in June Court, Nanako asked for their help and told everything about Yu going out with older women. As they found Yu's location with older women, Teddie admired and impressed that he dating such amazing women, but Nanako said thats not the same women she saw which he was surprised about it. Then he even more shocked that women his sensei was dating had a kid.
Then back to from the previous weekend during the Summer Festival it was revealing that he was one who ate all that shave ices and end up having a stomachache from eating too much, and he have to use bathroom.
Then on September 25 as Teddie protected the girls from Shadow Naoto's attack, she reduce him into old smelly old bear as he think the same way as Yosuke and Yu, unable to do anything until he remember a spell to restore their youth and he was able summoned his persona and returning to their normal state.
After fighing with their persona fails on Ameno-sagiri, as Teddie see Yu in trouble, his persona evolve into Kamui and led his power to Yu to summon the ultimate persona.
Battle Quotes
- Go, Kintoki-Douji! (Summoning persona: Kintoki-Douji)
- Here goes! Kamui! (Summoning persona: Kamui)
- Bear-sona! (Peru-kuma! in Japanese version) (Using a skill)
- It's so stubborn! (Failure to eliminate an enemy Shadow)
- I'll get it next time! (Failure to eliminate an enemy Shadow)
- Oh...how cruel! (Getting up from being knocked down/Dizzy)
- I'm still ticking! (Getting up from being knocked down/Dizzy)
- This is my chance, how about it? (Follow-up attack)
- Here I go! (Follow-up attack after being initiated)
- Thank you! (Being Healed)
- Thanks a bunch! (Being Healed)
- Leave it to moi! (Tactics: Act Freely)
- Bear pile on the enemy! (Prompt for All-Out Attack)
- It's time to get wild! (Prompt for All-Out Attack)
- Just say the word and it's bear time! (Prompt for All-Out Attack)
- Take this! And this! (Commencing with All-Out Attack)
- What a Teddie-ous fight! Heehee. (Battle Won)
- I'm the MVB! Wah ha ha! (Battle Won)
- These are my true abilities! (Battle Won)
- Whee! We won! (Battle Won)
- I'm pretty good, aren't I? (Battle Won)
- I've climbed the stairway to maturity! (Level Up)
- Yosuke pounded an enemy! (Yosuke defeats a Shadow)
- Oh Sensei! . . . how could you (MC status down)
- That's it, Yosuke! One enemy down! (Yosuke does a critical hit/weakness point)
- Ehh!? "____", your defense is down!(Any character gets defense down)
- Four/three/two enemies left! (Defeating enough shadows to leave four/three/two enemies remaining)
- Hoho! Kanji, you beat an enemy! (Kanji defeating a shadow in combat)
- An ambush by three enemies! Don't cry! (Being ambushed by three shadows, prior to rescuing Rise Kujikawa)
- Three enemies! Let's get through this! (Engaging combat with three shadows, prior to rescuing Rise Kujikawa)
- There are two enemies! Hang in there! (Engaging combat with two shadows, prior to rescuing Rise Kujikawa
- Amazing sensei! Keep it up!(MC does a critical hit/weakness point)
- Good work sensei! That's one so far! (Defeating shadow, prior to rescuing Rise Kujikawa)
- I smell one enemy! You can do it! (Engaging combat with one shadow, prior to rescuing Rise Kujikawa)
- That was coooool, Yosuke! (The enemy missed attack on Yosuke)
- Beautiful Yuki-chan! (The enemy missed attack on Yukiko)
- Woah, Kanji, that was so cool! (The enemy missed attack on Kanji)
- I smell three enemies! Don't get careless! (Engaging combat with three shadows, prior to rescuing Rise Kujikawa)
- Two enemies left! (Defeating enough shadows to leave two enemies remaining)
- Hang tight and go for it! (Using rush)
- Victory! (party won battle)
Gallery
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Teddie battle closeup
Teddie/Kuma in the Persona 4 Manga
Teddie's in-game expressions
Teddie's in-game expressions
Teddie's in-game expressions (Human form)
Teddie concept
Teddie Sketches
Concept art of Teddie's human form
Teddie dressed as Alice in Soejima Shigenori Arts Book 2004-2010
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| Persona 4: The Animation | ||||||
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Teddie's battle anime close up
Teddie using the Star Arcana tarot card to summon his Persona
Teddie senses Shadows where bout
Teddie without his head
Teddie having a hard time finding Kanji
Teddie sniffing out for Kanji
Teddie wondering why no one was going in to save Kanji
Teddie trying to calm down Chie and Yukiko
Teddie flirting with the Sample lady at Junes
Teddie's anime battle close up from episode 17, under the effect's of Shadow Naoto's aging beam.
Teddie and Yu are shocked that Nanako thought of them as perverts
Teddie in second opening of the animation
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| Persona 4 Arena | ||||
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Teddie's eye mask sprite in Persona 4 Arena.
"Teddie" in Persona 4 Arena
"Teddie" in Arcade opening of Persona 4 Arena
Teddie in Persona 4 Arena
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_senses_the_shadows_where_bout.jpg){kind=link}
Trivia
- He imitated Takaya Sakaki's scene at the love hotel from Persona 3 when the Protagonist and the team went there for the school trip in Port Island.
- In the Japanese version, he uses the alter ego Kumada (熊田, lit. "bear field") instead of retaining his original name once he comes out to the real world. Kumada is a common Japanese last name.
- Teddie makes numerous cameos throughout Atlus' game Catherine. (eg. as a stuffed animal, on a poster, on a bottle of "Bear Beer" etc.) Ironically, Yuri Lowenthal, Yosuke's English Voice Actor voices a similar character in Catherine, as well as Kanji's English voice Troy Baker, who was casted as the main character.
- When the group played "King's Game", he and Kanji kiss, regardless of number choice, but is not seen on screen when the kiss occurs. Choosing number three implies Teddie was either intoxicated, or possibly uncaring (or ignorant) of the social awkwardness of kissing a male, number one shows Teddie had simply missed.
- Inside the DVD of Persona 4, there are some hidden audio were Teddie describes Naoto's current status in battle when he is in the supporting cast, of course it's impossible considering the timeline of the game, since player rescues Naoto after Teddie joins the party in the fighting cast.
- In the animated cutscenes of the game, Teddie's mouth of his bear suit does not move after he developed an alter ego, but in the anime his mouth moves even when he obtained his human form.