"The most important part about giving a good speech is believing in yourself... ...Perhaps one day... I will believe in myself... again. Very well. If learning how to give a great speech is what you seek, then I'd be happy to instruct you. In exchange, I would like for you to continue assisting me."
Toranosuke Yoshida is a character from Persona 5. He is attempting to seriously enter Japan's political system in order to start changing the country, but is having difficulties doing so.
Appearances
- Persona 5: Supporting Character; Sun Confidant
- Persona 5 The Animation: Cameo
Design
Yoshida has slicked-back black hair, dark brown eyes and thick eyebrows. Yoshida wears his black business suit, yellow dotted red tie, white gloves and a green sash that reads "friendly society, bright future" (やさしい社会 あかるい未来, yasashii shakai akarui mirai)?.
Personality
As a politician, Yoshida demonstrates impressive speech-giving skills, though due to his past, he naturally suffers from self-esteem issues, especially when someone calls him by his dreaded nickname "No-Good Tora." However, rather than be angry by such slanders, he remains calm and level-headed, even when he is faced against nay-sayers. This becomes bolstered through the protagonist's encouragements, eventually able to overcome his self-esteem issues.
As the Confidant progresses, Yoshida becomes more charismatic, eventually developing a sizable fanbase. He also holds no hostility towards Kuromoto, who was responsible for him being framed for embezzling funds, which surprises his old friends.
Yoshida also holds a high opinion of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, showcasing an open mind and incredible insight: he correctly deduced that the Phantom Thieves were individuals who felt wronged by society in some way and seek to change it, even implying that they could be children. At the end of the Confidant, Yoshida reveals that he knows that the protagonist is a Phantom Thief himself, having discovered this through his mannerisms and responses.
Profile
Persona 5
Yoshida is an unpopular man who gives soapbox speeches outside of Shibuya Station. In the 20 years since he started, he’s lost seven consecutive elections due to his tempestuous personality and political scandals. Given certain circumstances, considerably few people stop and listen to Yoshida’s words, but his speeches are actually good. He is confronting the country's future with seriousness. The protagonist first meets Yoshida during the former's part-time job in the beef bowl restaurant. The protagonist can volunteer to aid in his public speech to build up the Confidant with him, during which it was revealed that the major scandal that destroyed his credibility was not his fault; his old mentor misappropriated funds for his own purposes and put the blame on Yoshida. By the end of the Confidant, Yoshida has managed to win a sizable base for his upcoming campaign and the real culprit behind the scandals is revealed, allowing him to confront problems head-on.
Confidant
"Staging your crimes with calling cards... It's hard to believe that a student could manage this alone. An adult—for example, someone talented enough to move people with words—perhaps they coached you. ...Isn't that right!?"
The protagonist can find Yoshida on May 6th in the Shibuya Station square, but he won't spend time with an inexperienced teenager. The protagonist will then have to prove his worth by working at the Beef Bowl shop, which requires Rank 2 Proficiency (Decent) to apply. After the second night spent working at the shop, Yoshida is sufficiently impressed with the protagonist, and his Confidant becomes unlocked after the second time the protagonist spends time with him.
Yoshida's Confidant is one of the easiest to complete, as it always ranks up each time the protagonist goes to see him, even if the protagonist doesn't have a Sun Arcana Persona in his possession. Unlike other Confidants, Yoshida also doesn't have a Mementos request associated with him, reducing the time required to max it out. In addition to this, certain ranks of his Confidant also increase the protagonist's Charm by 3 points. However, there is a deadline to the Confidant: on November 17, election campaigning commences, and Yoshida will no longer be able to spend time with the protagonist afterwards. He does, however, warn the player about this via text well over a week before the deadline.
Yoshida's farewell gift to the protagonist on the last day after maxing his Confidant is a Fountain Pen, which he apparently had used at the beginning of his political career. This item allows the protagonist access to all Negotiation skills once their Confidant has been established in New Game+.
| Rank | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Diplomacy | Occasionally ask for more money or items during negotiations. |
| 3 | Fundraising | Allows you to ask for large amounts of money during negotiations. |
| 5 | Manipulation | Occasionally raises the chances of an enemy giving you a rare item. |
| 8 | Mind Control | Occasionally lets you skip negotiation when attempting to obtain a Persona. |
| 10 | Charismatic Speech | Allows you to form contracts with higher level Shadows. |
Gallery
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Trivia
- Like all Confidants, Toranosuke's name is a homage to a Japanese historical figure; in his case, he is named after Torajirō Yoshida (吉田 寅次郎), a short-lived but influential intellectual and careerist who nurtured many major activists of the Meiji Restoration.
- Another possible reference is Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂). Like Toranosuke, Shigeru was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party but forced to dissolute the congress and subsequently resign his post of prime minister for yelling "moron" at a Dietman of the opposite party during the conference of national budget.
- Toranosuke, aside from Sae Niijima, is the only Confidant outside of the Phantom Thieves to learn that the protagonist is a member of the Phantom Thieves without having him take the heart of someone who has been causing him grief. Rather, he discovers this through the protagonist's mannerisms.