Goro Akechi: An Analysis

[@Neogears1312]

There’s a hidden detail; on the final day you can go to the jazz club and the owner asks if you’ve seen him lately because he’s been missing. Joker instinctively grabs the glove in his pocket and swears he’s still gotta be out there. It’s a neat touch because you have zero motivation to go there as no one is there to give you a social link reward sans strength which can be gotten right after hanged man anyway.

[@mixedbaggamer]

Makes it all the better when we presumably see him in the background when Joker is leaning down to look into his bag on the train

[@Akechito]

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP WHAT

[@mysticmongrel1289]

The only ones other than Joker & maybe the Thieves to miss him. To acknowledge he's vanished

[@avi6983]

i stumbled on that interaction cause i was still sad over akechi and it actually broke my heart, i cried a little

[@Silverhand20203]

777777777777777777777

[@StivotheTivo]

I appreciate what Royal did with Akechi because he was a character that needed expanding. Also he is such a sassy bitch in the winter semester and I love him for it.

[@duke0salt717]

He was

[@Pigmedog]

i just love the ending of the palace (minor spoilers) everyone else: we won't succumb to your reality! we've worked too hard for this! akechi: *HEY JOKER DO YOUR FUCKING JOB*

[@Turtleboi6000]

Bro since the start when ever he would talk I would just skip it and say ‘shut the fuck up’ everytime😂

[@TheTorseHumtunja]

Ppp.​@@Pigmedog

[@ChessMate-fe6bm]

I always loved Akechi’s distorted will honestly. How Robbie Daymond voiced his unstoppable hate and how he lied so much to all of us, even in P5 OG. Obviously I loved the Third Semester Akechi much more than the without, the P5 one, but he’s perfect as a character at the end of the day.

[@tyler9039]

What I think makes akechi an even more tragic character is how he was doomed from the start. Since he was chosen as the one to represent the distortion of the world, he would either win, leading to the world's destruction or lose to the theives and die in the process. Being able to save the world in the 3rd semester despite knowing he will die shows that despite still not being a 'good' person yet, he is more willing to do something heroic for the sake of his justice by changing marukis heart instead of cutting down those around him

[@Aurumis_]

but he is not dead, you can see him alive in the ending

[@RevyaAeinsett]

​@@Aurumis_That's only if you max his Confidant, and it's only an ambiguous cameo

[@wish_on8536]

@@Aurumis_ you can see that as you want, either Joker was hallucinating (seconds after he sees himself as a phantom thief in the window reflection), or akechi is really still alive, or it's just for the sake of letting the player know Akechi is still on Joker's mind.

[@nikomaloney5186]

​@@wish_on8536I think it's the last point tbh. I think it's just joker thinking about Akechi or remembering him. Personally I think he is actually dead. It also makes sense that he would still be dead because he would have taken Jokers place in jail.

[@90Rush]

If you go with the theory that the game is rigged from the very beginning, then Joker is also not supposed to "win". By Yaldabaoth, Joker is supposed to be so disheartened by the society's treatment of him and the phantom thieves that he willingly sides with him. But Joker can go beyond the call of duty and save the velvet room, and this threashold of beyond appears much easier for Akechi.

[@SoggycereaI]

[Now further translation notes in the replies!] ...I want to mention, Akechi does not make shadows wrathful in a sense, translation fault. In the game, his Call of Chaos is proposed as 'turning psychotic' - but in Japanese, his power is called 暴走のいざない which is 'Rampage's Invitation' and a completely different meaning, IMO. Instead of just... making shadows go crazy, it's instead him tempting the shadows to let loose and to not hold back, to have no inhibitions. This means that the shadows already had that wrath. Maybe like he unmasked them...? Symbolism. Also I rarely see this talked about but I first saw it from a meme and it shocked me -- Akechi is a mix of all the confidants: Wants to punish the man who ruined their life; wants a place to belong; is viewed as a nuisance; was blamed for mothers death; wants recognition for their skills pressured to be perfect; groomed by father to be a pawn for their plans, and unable to be seen for who they really are.

[@gachagav_gc]

Now that you mention it...🤔

[@mixedbaggamer]

Holy...

[@Jin-jams]

Ive been thinking of the second part for so long, thank god someone said it

[@rainoftime37]

Very fascinating to think about this in its original language, thank you for the insight.

[@ferchii13]

So you mean akechi is causing those victims become like in persona 4? Wow…

[@HidinginPublic]

Akechi's conviction is something I really stuck with in P5R. It resonated a lot with me personally. I like the way you put it about "live with the knowledge you betrayed his trust", because despite the other whole host of issues with Maruki's world, that's one thing that is truly disturbing. Him trusting you, and you, in response, damning the world and clattering out his corpse to play out your little puppet fantasy. It's sick. I think it was genuinely brave of the creators of P5R to trust the players with such a despicable choice. People undercut the quality of persona's writing too often, then when it delivers something of nuance and substance, they miss the whole point. Good video! I've said it for months but you and Tony4you are basically the only voices on ATLUS stuff I 100% trust to do your homework and put out well measured quality work

[@breloompauncher5593]

It seems to really be the case with 5 more than the others. Feel it's just popular to hate on it though. maybe it'll change once P6 comes out one day

[@drasconboy6349]

Ngl, I kinda hate how they force you to be somewhat chummy with him during the 3rd semsester Like mfer you tried to blast me in the head why would I hang out with you, better yet why would I trust you with anything?

[@kingbaku5092]

Ayo your here too!

[@TB26]

Plus, it'd be weird having the dead brought back in some illusionary world.

[@zerron2156]

Akechi W

[@samuraiskatana9399]

Akechi’s last moments in royal, before disappearing with Maruki’s reality, was being squashed in the Monacopter. What a send-off…

[@jng5252]

His last words were also him complaining the size of the Mona-coptor. Very fitting

[@varia2354]

Not just getting squashed in the Monacopter, but also getting stepped on by every female Phantom Thief. That's sure one way to die, and probably not one he wanted.

[@GreatCosmicWebs]

I think it's appropriate, him being casually squashed by the rest of the group is exactly how both of his boss fights went for me with Izanagi-no-Okami. Jk, I think it's appropriate because all he wanted was to be accepted for who he was, not what he was projected to be. It feels good that he got that, at least for a few minutes.

[@diegosotomiranda4107]

Good

[@thepyrostickfigure7637]

One of my favorite conversations that Akechi has that never gets talked about despite how much it really shows his character, has got to be his phone calls with Shido after the reveal. And I never got why people didn't talk more about them? Because the first one despite being the most interesting, doesn't seem like much on first viewing? However with hindsight it shows it a lot more into how these two are playing each other. The biggest outlier in the first conversation is how Shido practically worship the ground Goro is walking on praising him and being so thankful for "letting him get this far", this is a far contrast from his public and subconscious displays of egomania(he has the distortion of pride after all.) But later on makes sense when he's shadow discusses how easy it was to keep him in line with just empty complements and how desperate he seemed to be for his approval. Then on Goro's end, we see him downplaying the other phantom thieves capability telling him how they'll be no threat and he keeps trying to push back their execution by saying it'd be suspicious to kill them all at once, even outright lying by saying Morgana is just a normal cat. We see him try this again in later conversations with him arguing against Shido moving up his political rivals and liabilities murders too before his election, while he keeps trying to move them to be after his election. However once we hear both sides plan we see that Shido he's trying to get Akechi to clean up all the loose ends so quickly because he plans to kill him once he's elected. Meanwhile Goro he's trying to leave everything as is as he plans to expose and then murder Shido when he's finally elected. It's just a very interesting insight into both characters and I don't get why more people don't talk about it?

[@b.h.4249]

Couldn't agree more. I didn't care much for him in my first playthrough and absolutely loved him on my second one and started analyzing his and Shido's actions with hindsight in mind, it was so fun and interesting. There's so much to talk about with Akechi's character, but most people seem to leave the conversation at "murderer/ rival with daddy issues" which is really disappointing.

[@alexas.5287]

Exactly. I think these conversations speak to Akechi's reluctance to kill the Phantom Thieves. He never genuinely wanted to hurt them -- they were obstacles that stood in his way to "winning" and fulfilling his vendetta. But he cared enough to try and move up his plan and spare them. It would be wrong to call him "ruthless" or to suggest he enjoyed hurting other people. To that end, I also thought that the engine room scene was extremely contrived... all the over the top "evildoer" monologues culminated in Akechi turning himself psychotic and going full-on supervillain. His act was probably inspired by all the villains who were defeated by the heroes of justice he modeled himself after (which resulted in him awakening to Robinhood). Extremely ironic. It makes his story and that scene all the more tragic.

[@BBWahoo]

Goro, deep down, wanted to be friends with the phantom thieves. He just didn't know how to get himself out of the mess he created, and was warped.

[@d3l1c10uspancak3s]

@@b.h.4249 Exactly. It's absolutely amazing how shallow people saw Akechi's character, to even deny and miss facts about his character that the game kept THROWING in our faces! Like how Akechi was a victim of a system and an example of how the Phantom Thieves would've turned out if not for each other, and how he was manipulated by his father! I saw someone claim "Akechi was not manipulated by Shido and he was not a victim except by the consequences of his own actions." Also that he wasn't well written. I'm sorry, are you kidding me??? That is like saying "grass isn't green." So many people misunderstand Akechi's character or miss his whole point so badly it just amazes me. Not liking him is one thing, but saying he isn't well-written?

[@SoggycereaI]

​@@alexas.5287 And Akechi basically says this himself in the game! This is something I hear no one talk about, but in the group SNS if you secure the route early for Sae's palace you get this. Quotes from Akechi in the SNS: "A normal person would never do such a thing. They would have no reason to callously murder your principal." Haru: "And what if they weren't normal?" "Are you implying they kill for the sheer pleasure of it?" Haru: "No, not like that." "Clearly our culprit is acting behind the scenes to accomplish some grand objective. He likely has accomplices. It is even possible that he is being controlled by someone." Makoto: "Controlled, by whom?" "If we knew that, I do not think we would be in this much trouble." He's nearly not stopping himself from crying for help it seems. Also another quote from the SNS: "This is my wake-up call to the rest of you. Not everyone has the luxury of being heroes of their own story."

[@thecursed_1lordofcats738]

Pride comes before the fall, but what happens after the fall determines what defines a person. Akechi didn't wallow in despair, instead fighting for his truth.

[@ValiantStranger12]

No Akechi decides the truth😏😏😏

[@kap1618]

What I love most about Akechi, is that he doesn't want to be forgiven or redeemed. In a cut side quest he basically says as much. Explaining that just because he's a victim it doesn't excuse his crimes.

[@DGR1199]

Loki’s dazzle camouflage is perfect for akechi‘’s character and role in the story. The camouflage doesn’t obscure the existence of an object, just the intentions of it, and this mirrors the false persona that he embodies to further his goals.

[@downbeatdialga1341]

Damn, Akechi’s line at the end feels like a jab a the player. “What’s a life worth, in a reality that was cooked up…just to satisfy someone else? I say none.” That’s to say, what’s it worth in Royal’s 3rd Semester that the player raised their confidants with Maruki, Sumire and him, to bring him back only on borrowed time? Akechi’s question is to the player of Royal, “why did you bring me back, only for a few more hours together? Just to appease yourself?” At least, that’s how I read it now

[@wingsofzero5732]

This video is big catharsis, seeing as how I quickly fell in love with Akechi as a character even back in vanilla when he was at his worst, from a writing and execution perspective. He is easy to hate, hard to love, but overall just an interesting character all around. I love that his theming boils down to 'personal justice', rather than the creed of the Phantom Thieves' justice, who work for the betterment of society as a whole. He is the example of someone who wasn't as lucky as Joker, who suffered an injustice but was lucky to find support when he needed it. Akechi is a 'throwaway kid', an orphan ostracised by the system he was born into because of the sins of his parents. Once I looked into 'koseki' and the discrimination and prejudice that orphaned kids in Japan face, his reasons for doing what he did made a lot more sense. I want to speculate that Akechi isn't as popular in the West as he is in Japan is because of this blockade of not understanding the socioeconomic issues that plague people like him. Orphans in the West don't face as much scrutiny as their Japanese counterparts. Maybe it reflects poorly on me but I found him very relateable (aside from the murder, of course) in how he switches masks (ha) between a people pleaser version of himself and a version that unleashes the dark parts of himself, the anger and vitriol at the world. And, honestly, when I first played Royal and he said that he hated Joker, I didn't believe it for a second. He's putting up yet another front, only except this time he doesn't know it. Given what we know about his social life, it's very likely that Joker and (probably) Kasumi were the first real friends he's ever had. When you've gone that long in your life without having people really care about you or want to spend time with you, there's a lot of conflicting feelings boiling up. It could be that he's trying to fool himself so the pain of killing Joker later on after Sae's Palace doesn't hurt as much.

[@erickurquidez8944]

Yeah I agree, when playing it felt like he truly did care for Joker and Sumire

[@mikehunt69]

Well said my friend

[@legodawg2001]

Obviously the spin-offs aren't exactly peak writing, but I do like how Akechi is portrayed in Persona Q2, specifically in sidequests. He's paralleled quite well with Ken Amada, and koromaru even takes a liking to him for their similar inner conflicts. Its one of the best writing choices Q2 made, and its sidequests are routinely the best part of that game imo

[@demi-fiendoftime3825]

and the more he looks at the situation in Q2 to the more you can clearly tell he regrets what he's planing

[@breloompauncher5593]

@@demi-fiendoftime3825 The devs have actually said that's not the point. What's happening is that the other teams are starting to see through him. With them having no context of Akechi like the PTs do, they don't have a reason to let it slide. This in turn makes him question if his false persona was actually desirable and do people really want him around. This does tie into his character pretty well, he probably would have become suspicious if the PTs knew as well. He wouldn't have changed his plans though, he was too far gone, and he even has a line that says it in the third semester too. "If I had the chance to do it all over again...I'd betray you in a heartbeat" That line actually sticks out more to me cause he values living true to himself, instead of regretting every little thing That being said it's fitting for the Investigation team but ironic for SEES considering their being dupped by Ikutski

[@XxStrugglerxX]

@@breloompauncher5593 When does he say that line? I don't remember

[@breloompauncher5593]

@@XxStrugglerxX One of his nav lines. I forget if it's when the enemy is brainwashed or they run away from fear.

[@darryljack6612]

To give my thoughts I would say "Better to be Black than Flat". I think its better for Goro to live, not out of some sense of him being or turning "good" but because there is still growth to him as a person, similarly to Adachi. To me (imo) letting him stay dead or killing him like in the first P5 sends the wrong message, yes there are consequences to actions. But by saying one is better off dead than pathetic or disgraced, especially one who is as young but also as condemned and constricted by the wills of things larger than themselves as Akechi . It just doesn't sit right with me in a game that revolves around the potential of change and or evolution of one's own nature, and yea he might be dead in P5R as well but it presents the hope of a possibility and doesn't force one notion or the other onto the player.

[@matmil5]

I actually think he survived. At least its implied by the game files, cutscenes and the ending. The point is the unknown: We do not kill him outright, but we lose the knowledge of what happened to him. He loses that knowledge too.

[@Forever-GM-Dusty]

I think that death wasn't enough of a consequence. To me, this is an Adachi situation. Akechi acted on his delusion and hurt and killed many people. Yeah, he did his one final act of redemption or whatever, but that feels like a cop-out. I would've had him spending the rest of his life repenting for his crimes. Idk if it fit his narrative, but I'm too grounded in reality of how the world works to think much of it. To me, he lost the right to live and die as he pleased when he started killing for Shido

[@BBWahoo]

@@Forever-GM-Dusty Its strange, but by dying, he essentially "got away" with it, if that makes sense.

[@Forever-GM-Dusty]

@@BBWahoo yeah, that's where I stand too. I really liked the approach persona 4 took with Adachi, where he was forced to go to jail and suffer the consequences of his actions

[@John-Stark]

@@Forever-GM-Dusty well, apparently there is a cut ending where Akechi admitted himself into a Psyche Ward

[@breloompauncher5593]

One thing I noticed is that in battle Akechi says "My skills exceed yours" when he uses a skill. On repeat playthroughs you wonder: Is he talking to the enemy? Or you?

[@Michael-hc2hp]

Myriad Truths go brr

[@HoshitheLycanroc]

Who saids it can't be both.

[@Multi126789]

Imagine making almost a 25-minute video for people to hear the first five seconds, they leave a like and then click off the video. You truly are a Brave soul.

[@cattime2044]

akechis VA did a DAMN good job. just splendid, flawless.

[@Xyz404e]

A small little thing I like is that the words for his “black knight” forms all out finisher change yet keeps the same theme White knight- my sole interest is uncovering the truth! Black knight- I WILL DECIDE THE TRUTH

[@archivist_13]

That was a detail I always loved too

[@ultimateshadeofwar]

3:39 Okay, to not get into spoilers, i never through that was the twist because i saw this coming a mile away, no the twist is the thing that the game explains at that moment, because if you read any of the novels of Arsène Lupin, you will notice that this part of the story follows a similar pattern to one especific tales. In fact, all the castles are heavily base on some of the novels the character was involve in. It's a very interesting read that gives you a lot of perspective to the original Persona 5 game inspiration.

[@brandonmiller7389]

Not only a new SnicketySlice video, but it opens with "Goro Akechi is the the best character in Persona 5." This is why Snickety is in S tier.

[@steelblake]

Finally a video on the best boy dropped. Ngl i always felt like Akechi's character was missunderstood by many people in the original and Royal was the way of the writters to say "dumb fucks akechi's character is about this". Excellent video Snick as always

[@IceQueen975]

Even with Royal they STILL don't get it. Akechi is a victim and a straight-up child solider. It's very clear even in vanilla P5 Shido tricked Akechi into his first kill and once you pull the trigger, good luck getting away after. Plus, we SEE Akechi in vanilla make himself psychotic for our fight with him. It brings up his mental stability as this is probably not the first time he's done that to himself. Akechi is not like Adachi: Adachi did what he did because he was bored. He is an adult. He is legitimately a psychopath. Akechi was initially tricked and then basically forced to embrace his own developing psychosis to cope with the PTSD he clearly has (you see it in real life with solders who snap on the battle field under the pressure and trauma). So even with Royal the Western fandom STILL doesn't get it. Which says something horrific with how little empathy we as a society have...

[@skynet0912]

@@IceQueen975 But the "victim" here was the one that sought out Shido, NOT the other way around! If it was Shido who found out about Akechis powers somehow and convinced him to do those horrible things, then there might be something to your argument, but the "child soldier" character in Akechis case basicly walked right up to the warlord of their own free will, told them they were the best warrior in the world, offered them their services, and then people somehow got it into their heads that the child is still innocent? Shido literally says during their conversation about how the whole deal started: "I recall that's when you came to me. You promoted youself saying you had "special powers"". This was all during his scandal, and while Akechi is lying about WHY he helped Shido, it's no lie that it was him who came to Shido, took those first steps to solve the scandal for him, and then gleefully escalated everything from there to achieve his ultimate goal...

[@incognito200]

@@skynet0912 While true, Akechi wanted to ensure Shido gets tormented for putting him and his mother through such suffering, as well as that society should be broken down to start anew due to his experiences as a bastard child. Sure, he could have killed Shido right then and there. But he was so mentally fucked and desperate for revenge, it shows the lengths he will go to ensure his father pays for what he has done.

[@incognito200]

I am also surprised no one brings up Yaldabaoth, since it is very likely he pushed Goro to commit those atrocities just as he manipulated Ren into achieving his "rehabilitation".

[@skynet0912]

@@incognito200 And that's exactly why i think calling Akechi a victim of any kind is completely idiotic to be honest... He was put in a bad situation, but it's a situation that millions of kids are in every day, and the overwhelming majority of them don't turn into homicidal maniacs who obviously ENJOY torture, violence and murder to a gleeful degree!

[@Hyopomora]

I feel like Ren/Akira saw through Goro from the start, and wished to help him. But like Akechi says they’d met too late. Akechi had already been ruined by Shido’s evil. Also, I just can’t see him as the bad guy, because he isn’t. He’s a misguided child, who is also being influenced by yaldabaoth/shido. Truly he craves being cared for and friends. He could have been the next detective prince he is clever and smart enough, but he doesn’t think highly enough of himself and is turned astray by his plan to kill shido. It made me mad the thieves didn’t see what they could have become through him, and just viewed him one sidedly. They did when he sacrificed himself but not in the 3rd semester, which I’m hoping was just an oversight. [ These are my thoughts] Also he doesn’t die in the real world.

[@ZeroTheHeartlessKing]

in their defense (not that it's good or anything but just what i think as to why the phantom thieves saw akechi so one sidedly) they saw everyone like that, more than likely they just saw him like all of the other people they dealt with... nothing but "rotten adults" most of the time in the game it was rather a heavy "you're with me or against me" mindset they all had (note how when you pick the "neutral" or "understanding" sides in the main story you get brushed off quite a bit) the party only really changes when akechi showed he changed (when he "died" in p5) and while they still didn't fully trust him, they still grew on him as he did on the group (despite his open hostility in p5r XD)

[@Hyopomora]

@@ZeroTheHeartlessKing I agree actually, it was genuinely frustrating that they even saw him as adult though. And it’s so obvious he’s being manipulated but they just see him as evil because he “doesn’t agree with them” like PT’s people are allowed to not agree/follow your every thought it’s not a crime.

[@ZeroTheHeartlessKing]

@@Hyopomora thinking about it tho (and after waking up from a nap lol) there is only one character that was kinda neutral from what i remember and that was the only character that was FULLY JUSITIFED in hating akechi that being (best girl) haru, she was the only one that tried to understand but most of the time just kept quiet due to meekness. but as much as i love persona 5 and the PT's, it's stuff like that which makes me think is the only stain on such a good game/story.

[@Hyopomora]

@@ZeroTheHeartlessKing idk about fully justified. At this point in the story Shido needed Okumura gone, it was his plan to bring Phantom Thieves crashing down from their big hype by framing them. If he could have sent a member of the Conspiracy he would have, Akechi doesn’t have a choice in un-aliving Okumura. He doesn’t have a say in the matter in anything Shido tells him to do. While this doesn’t change Haru’s feelings she’s not fully justified in hating him, Akechi is just a weapon, Shido pulls the trigger. Should she be upset? Yes. Yet all the blame shouldn’t go to Akechi. I do agree that she stands up [stays neutral] for him, personally I wish his story didn’t end with Shido’s palace because he definitely would have become a member of the team and redeemed himself fully. [hope I don’t sound rude! This is a good discussion]

[@ZeroTheHeartlessKing]

@@Hyopomora not at all i enjoy discussions like this as well, being able to talk and debate (in a friendly way lol) other people about how they think and take in events is fascinating to me, i just hope i'm not getting annoying XD and yes shido is the one who "pulled the trigger" (and rightfully treated as such) but i meant it as ironic that the only one (aside from joker ofc) who should've shown akechi as much hate as he got (from everyone in the PT) was the one who showed the most forgiveness to his actions. and 100% agree, with shido's palace i wish we got more akechi but that at least was fixed in p5r somewhat ("somewhat" being for the player more so than the character of akechi)

[@neveroddoreven6597]

I’ll also add that I love Sumire’s addition in Royal. She brought the justification theme to the forefront of the game’s story, in quite a few ways. Not only in her open ambivalence towards the Phantom Thieves, but her twist as well. Are we really justified in letting her forget her trauma? And while they mostly answer that question in the text, I like how it is resolved. Kasumi has been and always will be a part of her, forever, and the dream they held is worth achieving with each other. Cinderella lived through hell, her wish to escape came true, but like everything in life, the clock struck at midnight. And even though her wish disappeared, she never gave up on her dream. Also, speaking honestly, it feels really nice to have a reading of Cinderella that isn’t so shallow in its criticism and mocking of its moral. Both the original and Disney versions had Ella actively engaged with the story, characters, and tone. She does not do absolutely nothing; all the kindness and compassion she gives to people who deserve it should be proof enough of that.

[@rezahydra]

I’m a long, looong bit late, but Akechi was confirmed to be alive in the cut content for Royal. This content was confirmed canonical and cut last minute due to being unfinished similar to some other scenes also considered loosely canon by them. The scene in particular says outright that the shot Akechi took did nearly kill him, but he survived and was shot out of the Metaverse somehow, and managed to get to the home which helped him and his mother when he was young, who aided him. He wanted to go see Joker off one final time but missed the train when he tried, and hence the post-credits scene showing him walk past. As for after that… who knows. Maybe Akechi finally found a way to become someone worth respecting, maybe he finally found freedom from his puppetry living isolated with them for a time, or maybe… he’s the same old “pleasant boy” we all know and love to hate.

[@SnicketySlice]

If they cut it out it's not canonical now, is it? Also, confirmed by who?

[@rezahydra]

@@SnicketySlice The devs in an interview. As this was awhile back I don’t have said interview. However, I know for a fact footage of this cut content still exists. It’s confirmed more canonical than the cut Will Seed cutscenes which were planned. Edit: a quick search found it kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYuVgnytj9aiqbM

[@SnicketySlice]

I'm aware of the scene, but I find it hard to believe that the developers would comment on cut content. At the very least, if they cut it from the game they wanted to leave his fate ambiguous and open to interpretation.

[@seabit253]

I find it intriguing that Loki is a Fool Arcana Persona, at least in previous games. He's a failure of the Fool's/Hero's journey. It kind of shows how Akechi had the same potential as Joker, perhaps even more, but his potential is wasted by his hatred and solo nature.

[@canadianidiot1220]

Funny detail, one of the worst "sins” in Christianity is suicide, as god is supposed to be the one choosing when you die, not you. In this context, Akechi, in choosing death, rebels against god. In doing so, he is granted what he (and I) value most, Freedom.

[@paulchapman8023]

Your comment reminds me of a few lines from "Closing Time" by Leonard Cohen: "It looks like freedom but it feels like death. It's something in between, I guess It's closing time."

[@BBWahoo]

I swear to god Goro has BPD. It's actually tragic because his love/hate line of thinking is in line with a lot of borderlines, which causes a lot of questionable decisions and many regrets

[@BBWahoo]

Including not wanting to change, or thinking he CAN'T change

[@IceQueen975]

Very possible. He has PTSD for sure, and BPD can sometimes evolve from that.

[@thethantasticthea3385]

God I've been recently wondering and am about to ask my therapist if I have BPD. I think this sorta thing was part of why Akechi stuck with me so much, I know he is an abject terrible person in many ways but that pain felt so genuine and real to me. Anyway like I said I'm not diagnosed with BPD or anything but I really felt for Akechi regardless

[@jng5252]

Hi resident borderline here, you're so right and I've been saying the same thing. While I never MURDERED people, a lot of his actions and behaviors are eerily similar to shit I went through before I got my diagnosis and started treatment. You can see that he wants to be accepted and is terrified of abandonment - a key trait in borderlines - but is quick to push away anyone who could possibly care. Because if he lets them get close, they could leave, and above all else, we can't handle being abandoned. He's desperate for validation and attention, to a point where he completely shapes and re-shapes his personality to appeal to those around him i.e. his "detective prince" persona, his "assassin" persona, the way he acts around Joker, etc. Most of all, however, his breakdown in Shido's palace. That looks and feels like a bad episode imo. That's what it looks like when you're ruled by your emotions and can't control them anymore. BPD episodes that are full of anger and despair are fucking brutal. It's like setting off a bomb - in our minds, we've been hurt and we need to get it out. If that means hurting others, then sobeit. Consequences be damned. It's such a horrible way to live, and the way Akechi completely snaps in Shido's palace perfectly captures that. BPD is caused by a mixture of genetic factors and exterior factors, as most mental disorders are. In my case, mood disorders run in my family, and I'm someone who has suffered a great deal in regards to my relationships with other people. I'll spare the details, but considering Akechi's past, there are many moments that could have acted as the trigger. Between his father being... well, Shido, his mother committing unalive, and the hell he was put through in the foster care system, you can see how this affects Akechi. He thinks he's worthless and unlovable, which is another very real quality in borderlines. While I can't speak for other borderlines, between his black-and-white thinking, unstable relationships, fear of abandonment, and unstable self image, I can't help but see a lot of my own struggles reflected in him. Maybe that's why he's always resonated with me so much. BPD is treatable, and it is possible to live a happy life with it, but if left UNTREATED, by god can it cause so many damn problems. And Akechi... truly reminds me of some of the shit I've seen and experienced when left untreated.

[@Laevateinn98]

I see myself in him including the murder personally

[@joshuabrant3487]

What I like best about Akechis story is there is no melodramatic dwelling on his sacrifice. People go kind of oh no anyway and then move on. He does the right the thing at the cost to himself but it doesn't undo the fact that he was a murderer.

[@tommygeno92]

The amount of work that went into the symbolism and meanings behind the characters, their personas and the palaces they go thorugh never fails to blow my mind. I've beaten this game 4 times (2 for the original P5, 2 for Royal) and there's still so much stuff there to notice. Just a masterful experience.

[@wurtknurte7283]

Goro Akechi be like "IMMA KILL YOU!" 5 minutes later: "You're my best friend, I'm going to save your life."

[@Yesnomu]

Great video! Akechi is so fascinating and has so many layers, I'm really glad you did such a good job picking them apart. Agreed that he's the best character in P5, I'm really happy I played Royal so I got to see his culmination there.

[@SuperGreenSmartie]

I still remember that standoff scene between Akechi and the Phantom Thieves where each of them begged him not to go through with his plan and showed that they were clearly willing to support him the way they had supported Akira. Even though most people focus on the obvious parallels/contrasts between him and Akira, you could tell from his reactions that their words did get through to him as well. He wanted the support and acceptance Akira had but he had convinced himself it was impossible for him, that he didn't deserve it. Yet without hesitation the entire gang voiced their support for him and clearly expressed they were willing to work with him even after he had betrayed them. Even Haru extended him sympathy and understanding when she had every right and reason not to or object to the sentiment. I really loved that part of the confrontation, because in the end he finally did get what he really wanted even if it was only for a brief moment.

[@otakamerd1220]

"he may well be the best character in the whole series" Ahem, you must be forgetting the greatest character ever made - Bebe.

[@Ellisepha]

Bebe was honestly P3's saving grace for me. I love that french weeb a lot

[@flameindigo8035]

BEBE MY BELOVED truly the best persona character

[@TheSuperSqueegy]

I actually didn't suspect Akechi as the culprit for the most part. I was honestly too suspicious of Morgana. Strangely, I saw Akechi as an ally the whole time because the thieves were getting too absorbed in fame and his sense of justice seemed reasonable. More so than Morgana, who admitted that he was using the Thieves for an unclear motive. Am I the only one?

[@bradleyscarffpiano2921]

while I knew it would be Akechi, was really hoping it wouldn't be, I was partially hoping it was Haru who betrayed the group, and Shido himself who was causing mental shutdowns. I think it could have been a very interesting story, but still P5 is fantastic.

[@nobodyinterestingyou]

His design screamed ''cold killer'' for me. His clean look contrast by his unkempt hair was really too strange and wild for the character he try to portrayed. Add the black gloves and the locked suitcase that goes with It and you got ''Sketchy Akechi ''.

[@corwinschuerch6691]

It's actually quite reasonable tbh. Says something about us though - we trust someone who puts up a face of being completely perfect and uncorruptable much more than someone who openly admits their own weaknesses/insecurities. Huh... that feels like the kind of theme a P6 would go for...

[@seakhajiit]

Apparently a lot of people were suspicious of Yosuke in p4 when it first released, I don't know what Atlus keeps putting into the magician confidant but I like it

[@flameindigo8035]

i thought Haru would be the traitor, actually. She was really calm and collected about her father's death, so much so that i thought she was probably planning her revenge from the start.

[@papermariottydfan1]

as someone who played persona 5 ages ago on the PS3 it was nice when playing royal on the switch (current game of choice) and looking out for any of the times akechi *breaks* his façade like I noticed that when akechi is in the back of the victory screen (not in front kneeling but in the back) he will do a heroic victory pose then laugh maniacally and with how royal handles his character it made me appreciate him more than in base persona 5.

[@bubbletea_]

interesting video. glad someone finally pointed out the similarity between akechi and reiji. i played Persona 1 right after beating Persona 5 Royal, so i couldn't help but notice that.

[@lukiruffles]

Great video! I relate a lot to Akechi (minus yknow the murder stuff) and I have some slightly different interpretations from you at some points but the constant rage born from trauma, need for external acknowledgement to give him value, feeling trapped, abandonment issues, blatant disregard for his well-being and overall being a nasty person make this character very entertaining and cathartic to play and I'm so happy to see such a well made video on this character who is so dear to my heart!

[@enrico9665]

Truly an oustanding video about my favorite character in Persona 5. Excellent job on going through what makes this character so good, in a fun and meaningful way. Also, I personally think he's not dead, because of the illusion of Akechi in the final credits, and Joker saying that his fight with him isn't over.

[@jayjay2157]

Glad I watched this video. I'm a new Persona 5 fan and I have been in love with Akechi's character throughout my play through. He's character has so much artistic symbolic meanings, from talk about the flaws of society, the ones against the issues of society becoming the issues they desired to stand against, deceiving one's self into thinking all he does is right, and etc. He's straight up an amazing character and I've never become so emotional from a single character's writing before??? Truly marvelous writing

[@inari850]

Legit a good clear cut video of the story of Goro Akechi. 10/10 mate good job.

[@Xploderz55]

Could you please make a video like this covering Maruki? He’s my favorite persona character and even one of my favorite characters in any series ever. I love your in depth analysis on things

[@Xploderz55]

Or even cover the third semester on Royal. That’s such an amazing piece of content that I’d love for you to cover as well

[@frozec8568]

man, you have the best persona videos out there. super quality stuff!

[@Phoenix_SMT]

One of the best written characters I've seen in a game for real, one of the highlights of Persona 5 (specially Royal). Thank you for this amazing analysis.

[@marjbon5008]

Really enjoyed watching this video. It said everything that needed to be said and more but i do wish it was longer since i enjoyed it so much. I too ended up liking akechi after royal and he became my favourite character/ waifu in p5. I'm really glad the creators came up with royal as i enjoyed the story's ending much more than vanilla.

[@DylantheKnightOwl]

GORO AKECHI CHADS RISE UP!

[@dhorinfireheart99]

Excellent analysis! Thank you so much for doing these💖

[@Henry.1905]

The thought that Akechi may be still alife makes me real happy.

[@superwhizz114]

I hope he comes back if they make another P5 spinoff

[@ImNotAMaidL]

ive always loooved Akechi even back when i played p5 on the ps3. I was pretty hyped for p5r just to see if they would potentially flesh out more of akechi and to my surprise they did. Im really happy overall what they did with him. also AkechixRen yaoi 10/10

[@saintsugoi]

what an amazing video. even despite all of the love-hate relationship i harbor for this game akechi (and joker) consistently remain some of my favorite characters in this franchise. i think because they feel so real - their hurt, their anger, their desire and their joy - they are definitely one of the main selling points of this game as a whole

[@NoradNoxtus]

Very well made video. In my head cannon he escapes Shide's prison but gets caught up in Maruki's wish granting antics but just like Joker breaks out of that rather quickly.

[@elijahsaunders1754]

This needs more views, nice break down of such a complex yet compelling character. I love Akechi, although I know what happens he is a prime example of falling victim to society. The ending gives almost a bone-chilling feeling. Akechi is addressing the obvious to both Joker and the player, the idea of a utopia shouldn’t be appealing, at the end of the day reality is reality. Akechi realized what he had done in the real world and accepted his wrongs and was going to damned if he let some pity, sympathetic, and whining individual decide his fate. Akechi is a real one and leads by example of what one shouldn’t be conformed and determined by and that is society. Be you’re own person and live by what you want.

[@MidnightLobster7]

I think Akechi wouldn't have reservations, as we all wouldn't, about Maruki's reality if he wasn't weighed down by the pain he's experianced in life. That same pain he now uses as a guiding beacon forward. I think he is fully aware in the "Stay" ending, and he is genuinely happy, not a brainwashed puppet. He has just been absolved of his pain and thus, his perspective shifts. He lets go of those principals he once held because he can see through to a different reality beyond them. The team deliberately called them the "Stay" and "Return" ending and didn't want to state either as cannon, therefor I believe this must be the case.

[@tryinglyon]

Personally, I could never get behind the Stay ending or even the thought that it could be just as canon as the Return ending. There's a line from Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There that I really like. "If you hold on, life won't change." This single line can be applied to every Phantom Thief, how they let go of the people that controlled them and rebelled to make their own path in life. To let go of the past and look for the future. So I stand adamantly when I say that Maruki's reality is denial of the themes of not just Persona 5, but the series as a whole. Those who gave into it are simply back to being the balls of the pool table, no longer in control of their own destiny. How the team could ever say that they're both canon is beyond me.

[@poetryhole-r8c]

so, i understand why a lot of people like the Japanese voice acting, but I always have to play in English just because akechi's voice actor does such a good job

[@TheRaven5138]

Robbie Raymond just makes every good character better

[@StoryTeller796]

Aside from this, this is a really nice comprehensive look at Akechi. I heard myself that the last Royal Scene with him being miraculously alive is that he's joined The Shadow Operatives group, which I believe Sho Minazuki referenced them as him having captured them back in P4 Arena Ultimax. So basically, a very powerful group, one that I would like to see Akechi have a spin-off game where he first tells them a tale of his journey when he was both The Black Mask and The Detective Prince before going off on an adventure with them. Has this comment and this video aged well? I might need to have another look at this to figure it out.

[@sipsicle]

Man, I just played P5R for the first time recently and I cried so hard at the ending. Akechi's character hit me super hard. This video summed it up very well. I think he's going to stick with me for a very long time

[@SwoleBenji]

You put so much work into these videos and it shows. I appreciate them very much.

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Just happy to see more Snickety

[@oneshotyuri]

I can't express just how much I love Akechi. He's left such an impact on me

[@vinella_project7258]

And just with the first 4 seconds you got me hooked

[@LeoLucisCaelum7789]

Loki design in persona 5 is my favorite design of Loki in persona

[@kaiser8773]

Let Goro rest in peace... until we eventually get Persona 5 Arena

[@jaythedstyr]

I love how his name is a dead ringer for a traitor! His last name is "Akechi" In Japanese history Nobunaga Oda was betrayed by his own retainer and that man's name was Mitsuhide Akechi!😏😏😏

[@milkflavored]

This is a cool detail, thank you for sharing! I love that Atlus never truly tried to hide that he was the traitor (giving may cultural context clues) because as this video points out, Akechi being the traitor was never the actual twist. You’re supposed to see that his skills aren’t inherent compared to Joker. It’s all so interesting and skillfully done…!

[@aaronsound]

This is such a good video, thanks.

[@shuichichirocks33]

Phenomenal video!

[@100Servings]

Great video. Your clinical look at Persona is unique. Most people make it very clear how they feel. You just explain how it is. With all the talk about the seven deadly sins and psychology on your channel, I'd love to hear your take on MONARK. I really enjoy that game. It has the same writer as Persona 1 & 2, so familiar ground for you. Give it a try if you get a chance.

[@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123]

I'm still of the belief he's 100% alive (Goho-M, anyone?) but I really do like the vagueness. I can understand why others are a bit more perturbed but I can't see him trying to reach out to the PTs, even after his development in the Third Semester. He was fighting to get justice on his father, nothing more. Personally, I think he had a similar plan to Ken in P3, which if you've played it, you know what I mean. Get his revenge, his 'justice' and disappear.

[@warlordofbritannia]

If he ever did reach out, it would be years later when Akechi has come to some semblance of terms with himself. And even then I think he’d only contact Joker, to acknowledge that he was able to use those feelings of inferiority and self-loathing to finally improve himself.

[@Kn_nick]

Akechi is my favorite character out of the entire persona franchise, i wish we had more akechi content specifically black mask I personally subscribe to the idea that he is alive, despite everything that was thrown at him and him quite literally accepting death as an alternative to being under someone's control it would be poetic for the universe to not let him die when that was the choice he finally got to make himself, I'm not just saying I subscribe to the idea that he's alive because he's my favorite character but more so because I believe it's kind of ironic and poetic for him to have chosen death and the universe to make him live anyway

[@bellablossomz]

I adore akechi. Deeply. He’s been through a lot though, deserved better.

[@derickseamanfps623]

HE IS THE BEST CHARACTER BETTER THAN THE BOLONGIA AND THE SALAMY COMBINED

[@Runnow642]

Fun fact: the name goro/gorou means fifth or fifth son Which means almost nothing other than the fact that he is the fifth male member of the phantoms But hey at least they consider him a teammate

[@LeoLucisCaelum7789]

Akechi is my favorite character in persona 5. Joker is my favorite protagonist in persona series

[@mrcat4508]

Joker has the least amount of personality of all persona protagonists it's my biggest reason for hating morgana because in previous persona games if a story event is preventing you from going out at night the character himself says I have something to do tomorrow I should get some sleep in persona 5 your character has no thoughts of his own he just does what morgana tells him to do and when he disappears for a few days he just does nothing during those days

[@basilofgoodwishes4138]

@@mrcat4508 He is also wierldy pervy and doesn't have any pre-established personality other than recklessness.

[@davidc.]

@@mrcat4508 Mate none of them have personality in the games. Your comparing white bread to more white bread.

[@davidc.]

@@basilofgoodwishes4138 Morgana does have a personality and his pervyness is a lot less obnoxious then Teddy. Morgana is easily my least favorite in the party but claiming he doesn't have a personality is just wrong, he has more personality then Makoto and Haru for example, it's just his personality is often annoying

[@TheSuperSqueegy]

12:32 very close; but in Futaba's calling card, the Phantom Thieves accuse her of drowning in sloth, which makes sense. And in Mementos, although the people are sloth, Yalda "brings forth ruin". So you mixed up Mementos with the tomb. Mementos = wrath Tomb = sloth

[@Andy_ARBS]

The Tomb is Wrath, they got the sin wrong because they did not know about Wakaba's cognitive self.

[@axelsgf]

Used to hate akechi when p5 vanilla released I thought he was just a annoying character and a waste of time, but as i kept replaying the game and when p5r dropped it made me attached to Akechi you basically explained everything on point. Seeing the “bad” ending to save akechi made me feel so happy to see him alive but also miserable that its not the choice that Akechi wanted, such an amazing writing for a character you can really enjoy the bond both Akechi and Akira have with each other.

[@tomasaguero1041]

I have a certain problem with Third Semester Akechi. Don't get me wrong, when I played Royal I adored seeing him again, but it feels as though Atlus modified his attitude and the responses of the world around him to the extreme. And I know he killed Haru's dad and a lot of other people, Futaba's mom possibly being in the list too, but at the end of his battle in Shido's Palace he seems... different. Yeah, he's agressive and cruel in combat, but he seemed more depressed and shocked that the Phantom Thieves were willing to work with him. Not only that, but in the moment of his sacrifice, he asks them to change Shido's heart in full desperation and makes them promise they will. He seems DIFFERENT than what we saw during his battle. And the third semester does right in holding his brutally agressive attitude in combat, I feel as though they made him an absolute edge lord when things revolved around teammates and friendships, which to me kind of kills the moment in Shido's Palace. It feels as though the writters forcefully tried to pull him away from the things that happened in Shido's ship just to keep him as the cool edgy rival. And not only that, but the reactions of the Thieves also get to me too. There's one line in particular that makes me rather confused; when you go through Mementos, a line of dialogue can appear, in which Akechi THANKS THE THIEVES for keeping their promise of changing Shido's heart, AND THE THIEVES WILL JUST RESPOND SO BLANDLY!! Like WTF?! Again, I KNOW he did all the things he did, but by GOD he is showing some kind of vulnerability in that moment, how can they simply brush it off?! Idk, I personally like to think most of Akechi's edge lord attitude during the third semester was more of a facade to willingly keep himself away from the Phantom Thieves, because otherwise it feels rather contradicting with the things the character lived before his "death".

[@kuraux56s59]

Sometimes... I kinda feel like it would have been better if there was never a traitor plotline. I REALLY feel like the game's staff tried too hard to make their own equivalent of Leon Magnus from Tales Of Destiny. (The OG "Traitor" JRPG party member.)

[@John-Stark]

Honestly I feel like the only ones that should have been always rude too Akechi is Haru and Futaba

[@kartikayysola]

I thought the edgy, murder-y side of Akechi we saw in the third semester was supposed to be who he actually is. He's spent years killing for Shido, and before that, he grew up an orphan in a society who your parents are and what they do matters a LOT. Makes sense to me that he'd naturally be the kind of person to play his cards close to the chest whenever possible, and fake the Detective Prince act at all other times.

[@tomasaguero1041]

@@kartikayysola Him being murder-y isn't exactly the problem to me, the real problem in my case is the fact that they essentially throw into the trash the moment he acknowledges the team and their strength at Shido's Palace to make him throw comments like "ah yes, since you're all so USELESS AND DUMB enough to get caught in Maruki's false reality" or other things like that. Him being agressive and brutal in combat ain't the issue, it's his interactions with the people that actually told him he was special and were willing to save him

[@kartikayysola]

@Tomas Aguero him even joining up with the Thieves in the 3rd semester is acknowledgment enough in my book. I'm not really bothered by his snide comments because this is who he really is, an abrasive and blunt killer who trusts absolutely no one.

[@serenitysfirefly]

This is the first time I've ever heard Japanese Akechi. I have only played P5 in English. 😂

[@DustyDust5]

Akechi is decidedly the kind of person who should be targeted for a change of heart, but would categorically refuse it, as is pretty much shown in Royal. He does say a lot about the game as a whole, flaws and all.

[@zigazav1]

Also, there's another sign ingame of Joker's attachment to Akechi besides the points you've covered. If you had made enough progress on Akechi's Confidant before his demise, not only does Joker has Akechi's glove, but it's clear he keeps it in his pocket in memory of Akechi, as a single NPC comments on it I think. Some people may rest a memorial of the death of someone precious to them, upon a grave or meaningful location to the deceased person. While others may take that belonging of the dead and precious one, with them at all times, as memories for the one they valued so greatly. Joker's response to Akechi's death, is the latter. He walks around with the glove that once belonged to Akechi, because he was that important to him. To the point that Joker's impossible desire, as you pointed out, was to have Akechi alive. Never having perished.

[@dadenelson7570]

you get my like in 3 seconds by making a claim as bold as the boy detective himself

[@kiyu_u6009]

oh shit. a new snickety persona vid. lets gooo

[@Ikcatcher]

It was nice that Royal made Akechi better by not redeeming him whatsoever, he just became an ally out of necessity rather than because he changed his way

[@SupremeLordBruv]

For my entire playthrough i actually got angry when my teammates would bash Akechi. I knew he was evil, but when he said " I hate you" i genuinely was disappointed.

[@rodrigoernestosolaresmatie1909]

I will never get over how I suspected Ryuji as the traitor 100 times more than Akechi

[@lucaswibisono1316]

For a detective, I have to admit his choice for a gun in the cutscene where he executed Joker is very...James Bond lol

[@maallos334mi8]

23:05 heads up, big volume change

[@alberthcuayla1587]

Third Semester Akechi is Joker's Imaginary Friend.

[@milkflavored]

I wanted to cry once I reached the end of this video. I remember the long wait for the original P5 to drop and the slow promotional roll out of the characters. I kept thinking, “Who is this guy with the gloves? He’s on the official box art, but they haven’t said anything about him!??” Now, seven years later, he’s the most profound and well written (imo) character of the game. How is that even possible and what restraint on ATLUS’ part to not showcase his character at all. If id done that, I would be a victim of my own pride 😂

[@johanandersson8252]

You aren’t you when you’re hungry here have a Snickers.

[@Warioman765]

oh my god, i finally caught a upload very close

[@itsashun7799]

welcome backkkk

[@princecharming8125]

Akechi: "What good is a life that was cooked up just to satisfy the top while everyone down here must continue to scrabble? Only a fool wouldn't hurt the people at the top

[@whosplayingyou29]

"He refuses to spend the rest of his days under someone else's thumb" My guy that ship has sailed, maruki made it pretty damn clear that your days end when his control does

[@Bravale]

I loved Akechi since Vanilla, I had a feeling they were going to redeem his character in Royal. In my imagination, Akechi is alive somewhere, getting another chance at life.

[@Megalo64]

Yes, this will tide me ober in the coming summer

[@Pitaponpon2010]

This boy is my fave character in the whole P5 game

[@cidlunius1076]

Goro and Ren are playing Death Note when they get to have their holidays. The color schemes, the attitudes, the untimely deaths caused by heart attacks. I swear the frenemies thing runs so stupidly deep.

[@lucygirl1111]

i compleetly glossed over the pancake scene and i really liked Akechi as a Rival for joker heck i looked up how many castles were left during the casino arc i had a entire thing thought up of what could possibly happen next from joker disbanding the phantom thief's like he promised after the casino arc while Akechi continued it solo only to find out quickly that he couldn't do it alone so he had to ask for help from the only ones who he could ask help from aka the phantom thiefs

[@simonfisher4592]

Another banger video

[@PhoenixNoKiseki]

He might be 'the best' character in Persona, but you're never going to convince me to like that prick, no matter how good your video is. (Your videos are always excellent btw.)

[@SantosOverlord]

pretty sure thats the point of his character

[@adrianvale1913]

Anyone else notice akechis neck tie is black and white striped like Loki? A hint of who he really is