SD) Kanji Tatsumi (Persona 4)

Art by Kidstainlab

"What you're really asking is... 'Will you please

beat the shit out of me, Kanji?"

Introduced in 2008's Persona 4, Kanji is a first year high school student, making him among the youngest of the party. Despite this, he's easily the tallest and possibly the most physically intimidating. When we're first introduced to Kanji, he's presented as an infamous figure in the small town, having single-handedly run a biker gang out of town while in middle school. He has a reputation for being tough, easily fitting the mold of your typical Japanese delinquent. Despite his tough exterior, it's when he shows up on the Midnight Channel that we get a glimpse into who he really is.

The Midnight Channel broadcasts an exaggeration of a person's inner self, often revealing a part of a person that they try to keep hidden. Kanji's appearance is easily the most controversial, showing him as a stereotypically over the top homosexual man running around a bath house in nothing but a towel. While it's certainly a rough portrayal by today's standards, playing into some of the worst assumptions about homosexuality, Kanji himself does an excellent job of subverting expectations. When confronted by his shadow self, he doesn't outright deny a preference of men over women, instead boiling his true fear down to rejection, regardless of gender.

After he joins the group, we get the chance to spend time with him, learning about his dislike of hospitals, his love for his mother, and the joy he derives from knitting and sewing. Often viewed as being feminine hobbies, he initially hides his more creative side. It's not until he makes a new stuffed animal for a child that had lost their favorite toy, seeing pure joy and adoration and eventually being asked to make more of them, that he finally accepts that part of himself.

Kanji is a wonderful character that does a great job of representing the struggles of identity that most young people face growing up. The fear of rejection and the facade used to mask the parts of us that are otherwise vulnerable. Considering the fact that in the game he's only 15, he shows a surprising level of maturity, even if he's also shown to be a bit clueless at times.

In battle, Kanji starts with a folding chair, and his other weapons fall along the same line, using things such as shields and plates of metal to bludgeon opponents. His persona, Take-Mikazuchi, is a Shinto god of thunder, and as such gives Kanji access to electric based spells in addition to augmenting his physical strength and damage. With this, Kanji serves as an effective tank for the party, able to take and dish out plenty of damage while having a decent amount of versatility.

Kanji's role in Shattered Destinies will tie in to his genuinely good nature, even if his methods might prove a bit bullheaded. Once he realizes that his goal of saving people and fixing the fractured multiverse aligns with the others, he'll quickly join forces with them, even if they don't ask. His blunt and often crass nature will undoubtedly lead to some friction with both allies and enemies, and he's likely to continue to put on his tough guy persona until he eventually opens up. Of note, I see him and Cyan forming a close bond. Cyan, being older and far more in touch with his feelings, would likely share his hobby of crafting silk flowers, which will encourage Kanji to be more open about his love of knitting and sewing.

In addition to his role in combat, Kanji would also serve to repair armor and craft accessories for the party. I could see a fun mechanic where the player can either find schematics that Kanji can use to craft items, including purely aesthetic costume options for the party, or certain locations or actions could serve as inspiration, rewarding the player for having him in the party for various parts of the game.