#7 Naoto Shirogane
Arcana - Fortune
Dungeon - Secret Laboratory
Naoto Shirogane is the intelligent fifth-generation of the famed Shirogane detectives, also being labeled as the Junior Ace Detective in Persona 4.
Naoto lost both of their parents in an accident when they were young, which led to them becoming an orphan. They're very mature due to this, despite being quite young. They wear formal clothing and speak in a deep, sophisticated manner. They're very serious and detail oriented, which can make them seem like a buzzkill.
In the spinoff, Persona 4 Arena, Kanji calls them out on this and says that they're too uptight for their own good. This behavior has also caused Naoto to lack friends in the past. Naoto wants to have friends and have a sense of belonging, but it's always been hard for them. Throughout the main game they significantly warms up to the rest of the team, even stating that it can be hard to manage their detective work on top of having friends and the TV world.
Due to their desires to be seen as the ultimate ace detective, they've hidden their true gender identity to appear more male than female. Wanting to work in a highly sexist field, they felt that they wouldn't be taken seriously when presenting as a female. Therefore, the only option for them at the time was to become more masculine. Their struggle their gender identity is explored in their dungeon, which consists of finding out their true gender and why they decided to act they way they did. At the end of their dungeon, they realize that their largest desire wasn't to become an adult or be seen as a man or a woman, but to be respected for who they are as a person.
Although being very intelligent, they have trouble using ther phone. It's a running joke in the series that they have trouble with texting, as they're seen using all caps and heavy abbreviations. This joke is only seen in the localization of the game.
Naoto's dungeon is known to contain content that may harmful to the LGBTQ+ community. Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden are outdated games, even if they're still good.
#6 Yosuke Hanamura
Arcana - Magician
Yosuke Hanamura is Yu's classmate and the son of the Junes Department Store's Inaba branch manager in Persona 4
Yosuke is a transfer-student from the city, just like Yu. He's a clumsy person, meeting Yu only after crashing his bike into a garbage can for the second time. He tends not to think before he speaks, which gets him into situations he can't easily back out of. He's also a wannabe ladies man, even though he doesn't really get any. Beneath his empty-headed exterior, he shows great insight throughout the game, and has shown that he can be quite serious at times.
He usually uplifts his team greatly, giving them strength to fight. He's good with other's emotions, which allows him to be helpful to others at his part-time job at Junes. He cares a lot about Yu and has a strong sense of justice. Even with this, he can be a pushover at times.
His biggest insecurities include boredom and being alone. He feels that compared to the city Inaba has nothing, and often blames the town on why he's not popular at school. Throughout the story, he learns to love living in the town, and wants to stay.
Yosuke often fights with Chie Satonaka. He's seen throughout the game at multiple points in time trying to pick up girls. All of his attempts fail.
#5 Yusuke Kitagawa
Arcana - Emperor
Yusuke Kitagawa is the eccentric artist saved from Madarame in Persona 5.
Yusuke Kitagawa is an honors student in an art course at Kosei Public Highschool. His parents weren't around as a child, so he was orphaned by Ichiryusai Madarame. Madarame used Yusuke for his artistic talent, and copied his work to try and pass it off as his own. He meets the Phantom Thieves after trying to ask Ann Takamaki to model for his art piece. Art is his passion, and he continues to search for the aesthetic and inspiration everywhere he goes.
Despite his eccentric behavior he is extremely level-headed and, at times, can be the most mature member of the group. Yusuke tends to be more sincere when it comes to things he admires. This sincerity can lead to others thinking that he's pushy or stubborn, such as when he wanted to paint Ann. Although he can be blunt, he tries his best to be a good person, and comes off espeically kind when compared to the behavior of characters like Ryuji Sakamoto or Goro Akechi. He understands Futaba Sakura, and his very considerate during her recovery as he knows very well how difficult it is to fix issues rooted in deeply unresolved trauma.
Being sheltered by Madarame, he was used to the hard work and abuse he had to endure. Being naive to how healthy relationships are, he defended Madarame and covered for him when he had to. After accidentally entering his palace and awakening to his persona, Goemon, he realized how unhealthy their dynamic was, and vowed to help change Madarame's heart. Afterwards, he decides to continue with the Phantom Thieves, and is grateful to them for helping him realize how horrible Madarame was.
Yusuke is often described as "erratic," or "on a different wavelength than other people," and although being aware of this, still gets upset when others point it out or make fun of him for it.
