Yusuke Kitagawa

Yusuke first appeared in the 2016 Persona 5 as one of its main characters, eventually joining the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. He later appeared in the new version of Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal, which added new content including Yusuke and others. He is first introduced after the Phantom Thieves, consisting of Joker, Ryuji, Morgana, and Ann, have taken the heart of Suguru Kamoshida and began to target Ichiryusai Madarame, Yusuke's teacher and adoptive father, who is rumored to abuse his students and take credit for their work. He initially aims to get Ann to agree to model nude for her for him to paint, much to her disapproval. They eventually agree to it in order to infiltrate Madarame's home and find out more about him. Yusuke is defensive against the claims against Madarame, whom he credits for taking him in after his mother died. When they eventually invade Madarame's Palace, represented as a golden museum, Yusuke is pulled in as well, realizing various truths of him, such as that he uses and abuses his students, as well as allowed her mother to die of a seizure to steal her art and create forgeries to sell. Yusuke awakens his Persona at this point, joining the Phantom Thieves to fight against Madarame's Shadow. They eventually defeat him, causing Madarame to experience a change of heart and admit to his crimes. From then on, Yusuke aides his companions in their quest while pursuing his art.

Destructoid writer Rich Meister regarded Yusuke as the best new character of 2017, finding his social awkwardness "weirdly charming."^[8] The Gamer writer Cian Maher also held Yusuke in high regard, identifying him as the game's best character. He noted, however, that Yusuke does behave inappropriately and disrespects boundaries, stating he would not defend that aspect of his character, choosing instead to view his post-Awakening self as a different person. He identified his Awakening scene as the best Awakening scene, discussing how Yusuke's views of the world through an artistic lens caused him to view even Madarame's theft through that lens.^[9] Game Rant writer Stan Hogeweg was critical of his depiction in Persona 5 Strikers, identifying him as a standout of the game's Phantom Thieves. He felt that Strikers exaggerated his personality, putting the character in a "negative light." He felt that the game reduced him to his eccentricities, where Persona 5 demonstrated that there is more to him, saying that he'd become primarily a comic relief character. He criticized this change, feeling like his compatriots judging him contradicted the Phantom Thieves' nature as a group of outcasts misjudged by others.^[10]

Yusuke has been discussed through a queer lens by critics. Fanbyte weiter Kenneth Shepard discussed how Yusuke was "emanating queer energy," specifically in the boat scene between him and Joker. He maligned how Persona 5 prevented him from having Joker enter into a relationship with him and other male characters, despite what he perceived as romantic chemistry between them.^[11] Kotaku writer Luke Plunkett enjoyed him as a confidant in the game, also feeling disappointed that the protagonist could not date Yusuke.^[12] The Mary Sue writer Madeline Carpou noted the discussion about how he should be a romance option for Joker, echoing Shepard's feelings about his sexuality. She felt that the connection between him and the protagonist was both "obvious and well-written," arguing that them as a couple made more sense than half of the romance options in the game.^[13]

In an analysis of Yusuke's speech patterns, writer Martin Ivančić discussed how he represents "artistic elocution," as well as how his "poetic and metaphorical expressions, as well as intricate comparisons, emphasize his introspective and artistic sensitivity." He also noted how this manner of speech emphasizes Yusuke's tendency to draw comparisons between "mundane situations and profound concepts," suggesting that his artistic nature informed how his characterization manifested.^[14]