Overview
A character from the Persona video game series, a sub-set of the Megami Tensei franchise, the initially unnamed Yu Narukami is the silent protagonist (with a name and personality largely defined by the player's actions) of PlayStation 2 game Persona 4 and its PlayStation Vita port Persona 4: Golden. Narukami returns in the fighting game Persona 4: Arena, set two months after Persona 4. Following the original game's anime adaptation, Narukami retains the name, personality and voice actor from Persona 4: The Animation.
Narukami is a second year student when he transfers to Yasogami High. As his parents travel often for their careers, Yu often finds himself in different environments and surrounded by many new people. Because of this, Yu finds it difficult to grow close to people, knowing that he'll only leave them behind when it's time for him to move on. Despite this, he finds making friends inherently easy upon arriving in Inaba.
Not long after beginning his year-long stay in Inaba at the home of his Uncle Dojima, strange serial murder cases begin occurring. Though the first victim is inconsequential to Yu and his newfound friends, the second hits a little closer to home. Saki Konishi--friend and romantic interest to his new best friend, Yosuke Hanamura--is found dead in the very same manner. Upon revelation that both victims had appeared on a supernatural television phenomenon known as the " Midnight Channel" in the days prior to their deaths, Yu and his friends use their newfound abilities--known as Personas--to enter a mysterious world inside of a television to discover the truth behind the murders.
Appearances
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Main Article
See also - Persona 4: Golden
As his parents are required to travel for their jobs, Yu finds himself switching schools and a friends every few months. When his parents are called out of the country for a year, he is sent to Inaba, to the home of his mother's brother Ryotaro Dojima, and his daughter Nanako.
Upon his arrival in Inaba, Yu essentially meets his uncle for the first time having not seen him since he was an infant. He's introduced to Nanako, who remains shy but eventually comes around and develops a strong, sibling-like bond with Yu. As the three near Dojima's home, they stop for gas and Yu encounters a young gas station attendant. Greeting him with a friendly handshake, she welcomes the visiting teenager to town and suggests that he apply for a part time job upon settling in.
Dojima's home accommodates Yu quite well. As his job keeps him extraordinarily busy, Dojima sparingly visits his own home, naturally meaning that he has little time to spend with his daughter. His nephew's presence quells a portion of Dojima's fears about Nanako being home alone for the majority of her time. A sizable unused room is given up to Yu to use over the following year, fit with a television, futon, couch and bookshelf.
Yu wastes little time enrolling as Yasogami High School, attending the day after his arrival in Inaba. He quickly finds himself acquainted with Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi. They all warmly greet the new student quickly befriend him, introducing him to the town.
It isn't long before Yu discovers his mysterious ability to travel into the Shadow World inside the television. He is visited by a man named Igor in a dream, or rather Yu finds himself unwillingly visiting the interior of a limousine, referred to by Igor as the Velvet Room, in a dream. He is told that he has a large part to play in coming events.
Murders begin happening soon after, and Yu is quick to make the connection to the Midnight Channel and his ability to enter televisions. Travelling into the Shadow World with Chie and Yosuke, he finds himself with a new power, the ability to call upon a Persona to fight Shadows.
As time goes on, many of Yu's acquaintances begin disappearing into the Midnight Channel. Yu and his "investigation team" go to the rescue, and are usually rewarded by grateful new friends that utilize their own Personas in an attempt to uncover the truth behind the mystery.
As the game nears its conclusion, Yu discovers that a man named Taro Namatame is the culprit behind the kidnappings of his friends, but not before Namatame kidnaps Nanako. He and his friends rush to the rescue and ultimately thwart Namatame, rescuing Nanako from his clutches.
After Nanako winds up in the hospital from exposure to the Shadow World's fog, it's Yu who talks sense into Yosuke and the Team, preventing them from throwing the murderer into the television world and ending his life the very same way that Namatame himself had murdered Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi. He's rewarded with the knowledge that while Namatame had been responsible for the kidnappings of most of Yu's friends, he wasn't the one that had killed Mayumi and Saki.
Namatame had witnessed the Midnight Channel and, like Yu, had come to the conclusion that whomever appeared there would be the next victim. Unaware that Mayumi and Saki had been killed because they were thrown into the television, Nametame had begun kidnapping those who appeared on the Midnight Channel and putting them inside the TV World in an attempt to keep them safe from harm. He kept doing it after his victims turned up safe and sound afterwards, in the mistaken belief that they were returning from the TV once the danger had past, when in reality the Investigation Team had been retrieving each of his victims and taking them back themselves.
Given this new information, Yu and his friends quickly come to realize who the real culprit is: Dojima's partner, Tohru Adachi. Yu confronts Adachi with his friends and the young detective flees into the television. They give chase, attacking Adachi. Defeated, Adachi is consumed by Shadow and attacks once more before being thwarted. He returns to his human form and is brought to justice.
Three months later, Adachi sends Yu a letter from prison informing him that he doesn't believe that it's over. He's correct. The Investigation Team figures out that the goddess Izanami was the gas station attendant that had greeted Yu upon his arrival in Inaba, and had bestowed him with his ability to enter the television world upon him with a single handshake. The same attendant had also greeted Tohru Adachi and Taro Namatame in the very same manner, and had stood back to watch the ensuing chaos.
Spurring the team to give chase, Izanami retreats to the shadow world and is quickly confronted by Yu. They face her valiantly, but prove to be too insignificant to take on a God after her transformation into Izanami-No-Okami. Yu is fatally assaulted by the Goddess, but finds the will to live from the bonds forged with his closest friends and family. His original Persona--known as Izanagi--evolves into the ultimate being, Izanagi-No-Okami, which easily wins the encounter, erasing Izanami from existence and returning the Shadow World to its natural, pure and peaceful state.
Unfortunately, the very next day, it's time for Yu to return to the city and his parents. Everyone is incredibly sad over this, feeling closer than ever before to their leader, after his apparent demise, and miraculous victory over Izanami. They gather at Yasoinaba Station to see him off, chasing the train to the end of the platform, shouting last-minute and affectionate goodbyes as he stares out the window at them. No longer able to keep up with the train, the remaining members of the Investigation Team stand at the edge of the train platform as Teddie ensures all of them that no matter how far apart they are, the bonds they've all made with their best friend will never be broken and will remain strong as ever.
Persona 4 Arena
Main Article
Two months after the conclusion of Persona 4, Yu returns to Inaba to spend the Golden Week holiday with his uncle and cousin, and to meet back up with his friends. However, on the day he returns, he and the others learn of a new Midnight Channel broadcast; a promo for a fighting tournament known as the P-1 Grand Prix hosted by Teddie and featuring members of the Investigation Team as combatants. The next day, Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko gather at Junes, and what was originally meant to be a happy reunion becomes another mission as they enter the TV world one more time in order to find Teddie and discover the truth.
Move List
Furious Action
- Big Gamble (B + D): An attack that sends Yu jumping in the air with his electrified sword similar to a Dragon Punch.
Skills
- Raging Lion (214A or B) [SB / AIR]: Yu leaps and performs an overhead strike on the opponent with his katana.
- Swift Strike (214C or D) [SB / P]: Quick attack that has Yu slide with Izanagi who has his electrified sword propelled forwards.
- Zio (236C or D) [SB / P]: Izanagi sends forth a ball of electricity that shocks the enemy. The EX variation inflicts shock status, which prevents the enemy from moving for a short period.
SP Skills
- Ziodyne (236236C or D) [P / AIR]: A large and powerful electric attack delivered by Izanagi that travels across the screen horizontally.
Awakened SP Skill
- Cross Slash (214214C or D) [P]: Yu delivers a powerful slash to the opponent, followed by Izanagi who appears through an iconic Persona 4 arcana card on top of the opponent and delivers a final blow.
Instant Kill
- Myriad Truths (222C + D) [P]: Yu plunges his katana into the ground, electrifying the opponent. He then performs the same attack he used to end the final boss in Persona 4 by having his Persona become Izanagi-no-Okami and send a massive lightning bolt towards the opponent. The move is based on the special skill used to defeat Izanami in Persona 4's true ending.
Lord of Vermilion Re:2
Yu appears in Lord of Vermilion Re: 2, an expansion of Square Enix's Lord of Vermilion II, as a cameo character. Square Enix served as the publisher of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 in PAL territories.
Voice Actor
Yu is voiced by Daisuke Namikawa (in both the Japanese release of the games and anime) and Johnny Yong Bosch in the English releases. Bosch also portrayed Tohru Adachi.
Names
Yu Narukami is not the character's original canon name. In Persona 4, the player is required to give him a name, with no default provided. Fans of the game sometimes refer to him as "Souji Seta," the name given to him for the game's manga adaptation, or by "Charlie Tunoku"; the name given to him at the start of Giant Bomb's Persona 4 Endurance Run. It wasn't until the development of Persona 4 Arena that he was given an official, in-game name of Yu Narukami. This name originated in the Persona 4 anime adaptation, from which it was drawn out of a hat by the writing team.
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