The Psychology of Goro Akechi (Persona 5 Royal)

Goro Akechi has a lot more to him than initially meets the eye, and his motivations are much more complex than a lot of people give him credit for. This video is FULL of spoilers for Persona 5 Royal so I highly recommend that once you have completed the game that you come back and give this video a watch and stop reading the description right NOW... Because we'll be looking in detail about how the loss of his mother, his experiences in the Japanese foster system, and his relationships with Shido and Joker were able to shape him into becoming the detective prince we knew today. I try to stick with the core details that look specifically at Akechi's development throughout the course of the story. Not only will I react, analyze, and review these struggles from the lense of a clinical mental health counseling student, but I will also look at how he was able to move past this throughout the course of the story.
I do want to note that all counselors will come at situations from different theoretical orientations, backgrounds, and belief systems. My opinions correlate with my own education and professional experience up to this point in my education as a Master's level counseling student.
Check out our Akechi inspired merch - teespring.com/...
FOLLOW US:
ThoughtBubble: / thoughtbubbleyt
bashful_roses: / bashful_roses
Thumbnail by Bashful Roses
Music:
Musical tracks and characters are the sole property of Atlus U.S.A, Inc
www.bensound.com
#Persona5 #Persona5Royal #P5R

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I hope you all enjoyed today’s video! What do you think of Akechi’s development through the games? And how many pancakes did you spot throughout the video? ;)

[@DonEddy75]

I think that it really was considerable growth and I'm operating under the premise that Akechi in the Maruki Arc (Act 3) is the real one. While he's far removed from the "prince" facade he had, Akechi definitely has accepted who he is as someone who values objectivity and rationality immensely. That's because his path is one that he set out by choice rather than by a quest to avenge his mom or anything to fill the void that he had after her passing.

[@clarkmilstead9927]

The great and scary thing about Akechi is that I agree with his idea of “the ends justify the means” and him having some resentment for those who are better than him. I also really try to have others depend on me. That’s what’s so great about our favorite pancake hating boy.

[@thejonbrownshow8470]

Royal really did him justice, I think when akechi "killed" joker, and he found out he was alive, it reminds me later on in the third semester in the beginning he was pissed about not having the freedom to turn himself in. I think by akechi's actual boss, he was mad he made the choice to push joker away(to another plane of existence), yet he was denied the consequence of his actions, which he wants to earn

[@thejonbrownshow8470]

@@DonEddy75 I actually have similar idea, because futuba's mom showed up at the end of her palace's boss, I think Maruki just managed to grab akechi's spirit, and put it into a body(considering the main smt series call the personas demons and angels and whatnot, it makes a odd sort of sense to me lol), tho I'm curious if with the full real ending of his body disappeared, but just like Morgana when he "died" and just came back because of the PT's cognition, I think joker basically willed him back into existence

[@thejonbrownshow8470]

@@clarkmilstead9927 I have a more flexible line of thinking where I just choose whatever mentality is the most appropriate for a situation, tho in general as much as I love the p.t , a "ruthless type of person" is often the type of person I side with lol. Plus I used(and probably still do deep down) to have that need for others to depend on me, tho with my "shido" with the past year, I'm pretty much good on that front, but I can empathize for you there lol

[@FranktheSkeleton]

**holds up 3rd semester Akechi** I just think he's neat

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I respect that.

[@M1TheGhost]

Akechi: Put me down, Trash!

[@yilinchua8205]

Me too I really love to analyse his behaviour.

[@thesanchezchannel2423]

Wasn’t that a meme on the internet?

[@CybernikTheHedgehog]

His skills could have been better tho.

[@averyaustin1]

The thing that makes Goro so great is his relationship with Joker. Joker and Akechi have been through a-lot and have suffered greatly due to the unjust actions of wicked adults; Ren had his freedom taken from him and was put under probation all because Shido didn't want to get into trouble and Goro had his entire life ruined (and his mother taken from him) because of Shido's neglect and lack of care for his own son. Both of them have suffered greatly even by the same person, yet, Ren doesn't let that define him, he finds strength in the bonds he's made with others and is a stronger person because of it. To quote Goro directly: "His heart is always free". Goro is defined by his past, and his desire for vengeance, which his why he's so dedicated to achieving his ultimate goal, even if it means destroying the one and only real friend he's ever had in life. I know a-lot of people see Goro's Prince Attire as him faking to blend into the thieves, and to a degree, i'm sure that's true, but I also think it comes from a place of genuine desire. He talks to Ren about how, as a child, he always imagined himself as a hero, a valiant savior swooping in to save the day. Proof of Justice in P5A is about that as well, but Goro knows he can't because of what he's done and who he's hurt; he's come so far and done so much for Shido, that he knows he can't be a hero, so, when he's with the thieves, he may be faking being on their side, but he pretends to be the hero he's always hoped to be so he can enjoy it while it's there. At rank 8, Goro tells Ren: "I hate you". When he said that to me, i smiled, not because it savage, but because it was the one thing Goro hadn't been: genuine. His "hatred" of joker comes from a place of jealousy and envy, he wants to be as strong, if not stronger than Joker, yet he can't, because Joker is a person who makes bonds while Goro doesn't. I love them being rivals, because rivals, while they do compete against each other, they also lift each other up and make the other stronger, look at Bakugo/Midorya or even Goku/Vegeta as examples. Ren is also the first (and only) person to acknowledge Akechi genuinely, there's no tricks, no ulterior motives, just genuine concern and care. After Goro separates them in Shido's palace and Ren tells him "I'll hold onto your glove", that showed that despite all they went through, and all the heartaches that he put Ren through, Ren still valued him as someone worth caring about and fighting for, and i'm 100% sure his heart was moved by that, which is why in the Third Semester, he allied himself with Ren. I'm sure he'd tell you he did it "because he had no other choice", but i know it came from a place of friendship. How do i know? Well, who's the first person he came to seek aid from in Maruki's reality? Ren. Who did he willingly fight along side of and take orders from? Ren. Who did he die for in the end? Ren! (Yes, he also did it to save reality from Maruki, but you get the point too) Goro spent his entire life building this image of a "Sincere, righteous Detective Prince" to get other people to admire and love him, all the while working with his father, who he hated, but also seeked validation from, but in the end, it wasn't worth it, because it wasn't real. But, he eventually met Ren, a high school student who suffered the same type of wounds he did, but instead of being destroyed by them, he found strength and power from them, and became a stronger, better person because of it, something that anger Goro immensely, but also made him want to see if he could do the same/better. In the end, no matter how much he put Ren through, Ren still saw him as someone worth validating, which helped Goro to better himself, and in the end, he became a savior of the world, a true hero, just like he always wanted, and to me, that's beautiful.

[@woah7465]

Kifflom Dolphin this comment almost made me cryy I also saw it in this perspective and this needs more likes- I frigin Like u

[@yourbiggestfangirllivv]

I read this whole thing and cried dude! Thanks 😭❤️

[@yilinchua8205]

You just describe their relationship perfectly and I love it to bits.

[@legendteigen461]

wow, ur comment actually almost made me cry. thanks

[@notjesuss120]

I'm not reading that

[@ofir770]

When he said "In the end, I couldn't be special" it literally broke my heart.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

SAME

[@isabellathegamingoctoling8325]

Riuji took the words right out of my mouth when he said “ Dude, you’re more than special.”

[@conic2721]

- a guy hand picked by god

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

I would say to him: "You did not need to be special. Just being you."

[@EricMcNugget]

“Whether you refer to him as Akechi, Crow, or...” He’s gonna say Pancakes. “The Detective Prince.” Oh.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I laughed way too hard at this. Definitely should have called him Pancakes.

[@thunderknight4149]

PaNcAkEs

[@starpiececonnectingfeelings]

DELICIOUS PANCAKES

[@Kafka_Garezerra]

I love how still after all this time I still don't understand the joke about pancakes. I haven't got to play it and having to know there's something I still haven't gotten spoiled is something that makes me to want more to play the game

[@kostasspirou1010]

@@Kafka_Garezerra The pancake joke is an out of context spoiler, and you'll never get it if you don't reach a certain part of the game.

[@HeyItsAmber99]

I think his line saying "...You think dangling my life will sway us?" (Paraphrasing) is a really powerful line, he doesn't give a damn that he's gonna die, and its badass.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

It's a very bitter-sweet line for sure.

[@TheUndeadOhioan1999]

Honestly its because of lines like that that makes me wonder if secretly Akechi was suffering with crippling depression or even suicidal. He was just naturally delivered a bad hand at life and really believed everyone was right when he heard people say he didn't matter to anyone when in actuality he did matter to at least one person. That one person being Joker

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

I wouldn't call it badass, rather he isn't stupid. Alliance Alive is a great example of this, the hostage is held to a blade and the heroes are unable to act. The hostage realizes that they will ALL be captured and killed. So the hostage throws himself into the blade. Surrendering because of a hostage/hostage item is actual stupidity. You will be captured and killed while the only way for the hostage taker to survive is to throw the hostage at you and run or capture you all. He basically has more then 0.0000000000001 IQ and thought for a moment. It is a trope where people surrender, get captured, and then escape, a trope which conditioned us to not think things through and it seems unheard of breaking the trope... when in reality the only logical choice is to break the trope. Hostage concepts or even using goals as a hostage only works IF the people hesitate but you've in actuality just given them one more reason to beat you and not hesitate as you've established you have EXACTLY what they want and it is safe if they act. Taking hostages or blackmail irl only works if you know the other people can't think things through. The second the hostages or blackmail victim realize that everyone else holds the cards.

[@CrystAAHHL]

Gosh I feel so lame, but just watching this just slowly brought more and more tears to my eyes as i went on.. Not sure if it's logical, but the amount of empathy I felt for this character gives me all the justification I need to say that his development was absolutely perfect. I couldn't ask for more and wouldn't dare ask for more as I love the mystery of things left unsaid about him. The writing for Akechi was such an incredible journey that I wouldn't want anything to change at all! Thank you for taking the time to make this amazing video, it was a fantastic watch!

[@toastcat333]

CrystAAHHL! I’m fangirling so much rn aaAAAH Watching Akechi contents after persona 5 huh? I’m doing the exact same for about 2 months now. Loved your persona 5 royal playthrough!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Of course, I really enjoyed making this one so I'm glad you enjoyed it! :) Akechi's character arc was by far one of my favorites in Persona 5 and I think everything Royal added to his character just made him so much better. Atlus really outdid themselves with writing him. Also, I really enjoyed your tribute video to Akechi! :)

[@yourbiggestfangirllivv]

OMG SAME also I DIDN'T KNOW YOU SAW THIS VIDEO TOO WOW🤡🥳

[@Goro_Akechi_Lives]

I’m the same! His character gets me so emotional, and by the end of Royal every time he was on screen I couldn’t help but tear up. The WORST was when u escape Maruki’s place, and the thieves are standing there talking, but Akechi is gone. I’m not sure he’s disappearance was even acknowledged. He was just gone. As tragic as the end may be, I think his character is actually the best in p5r (p5 didn’t do him enough justice)

[@TheMidnightEffy]

Your reactions genuinely made me cry. Seeing your opinion on Akechi change so much mirrored mine.

[@Speckmantelmade]

The scene, when Akechi talks to Joker behind that metal wall really broke me. His voice is so different compared to his "good boy voice", and you realise that this is the Akechi that could have been if only they had met sooner and showed him he belonged somewhere.

[@darkpokemon109]

My theory is the Goro we see in third semester is the real Akechi, reason being all the people that came back to life because of Maruki disappeared once the person effected rejected the reality. For example Futaba’s mother. Once she rejected that reality she disappeared and Sakura acted as if they never spent that time together. Joker never accepted the new reality, therefore was never affected by it. So if that akechi truly wasn’t real he would have disappeared before he even met joker. Instead when akechi disappears after defeating maruki, he simply reappeared back wherever he would have been in the original reality. I believe THAT is the true mystery.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Hmmmmmmm, you know. You just changed my mind. I used to think that he was gone after Maruki's palace was destroyed, but that makes a lot of sense. Thank you!

[@Xolcor]

It's a good theory, but I have doubts. The main one being that, if we assume that Akechi was brought back by Maruki (just after he got his powers after Yaldobaoth was beaten), he was able to do it before he made his "actualized reality". That lead me to believe that its possible "actualized" Akechi is separate from the reality he created, and the rules might be different for him. And its hard for me to explain, but because of the nature of Mementos (which was still partially fused with the real world until Maruki's defeat), if Joker believed that Akechi was actually still alive, couldnt that be enough to keep him in that reality, even if Joker rejected the rest of Maruki's reality? I hope this all made sense, I'm not very good with words.

[@darkpokemon109]

Xaldyn actually no that makes total sense. Unfortunately the only problem with that logic is no one actually knows akechi’s fate from that point, not even Maruki. I’ve think the observation here is Maruki doesn’t pull wishes from peoples hearts. In the case of all the other phantom thieves and people in his palace, they all tell maruki their wishes. But at the point of akechi’s last stand joker isn’t helping maruki anymore. I do believe that Maruki helped akechi, but not in the way you think. In Akechi’s last stand he is already injured and pushed past his limits from his fight with joker and party. To assume he lives past this point is to assume he would do something desperate and be unable to testify against shido. I believe he turned himself psychotic to bust out of shido’s palace and the effects of that left him in a state similar to rumi’s. Akechi is no normal person and could probably recover from this given a few months, but if Maruki were to see him in that state before Christmas, he would help him like he did with rumi without a second thought. This would explain the gap in Akechi’s memory and how he appears before Maruki enacts the new reality. Sorry I know this is a long one.

[@alyssa3605]

damn i love this theory! i do believe that Akechi is still alive. maybe Atlus will eventually tells us the details

[@BloodSoul101]

Persona 5-2 incoming to resolve all theories? Akechi lives theory to be confirmed? Who knows but I'd legit play that game!

[@vlombardo3982]

To people who say Akechi is "irredeemable" and a "psychopath": Persona Q2. Akechi eventually starts to "bond" with the other teammates (in his own Akechi way of doing it), and even becomes friends with Naoto because they understand each other. In the end of the game, Akechi gets sad over the fact he has to go back to the real world, because he knows what he has to do there, and that he will forget about all the things he learned while they worked together. There are some other greats moments there which give us some insight about him. Koromaru sensing that Akechi has "deep troubles" or something like that, or Shinjiro saying he feels like they understand each other.

[@persoonophetweb2891]

I mean killing a ton of people is pretty irredeemable

[@fel524]

@@persoonophetweb2891 I don't think you thoroughly understand how fucked his psyche became. I more or less can because my problem align with his and although I don't kill people I sometimes REALLY want to. Not criticizing you or anything, just putting my opinion out there.

[@persoonophetweb2891]

s l a s h idk bruh i dissagree i think it doesn’t matter how fucked up you are if you’ve killed someone you’re irredeemable sorry also do you need help? Not hating on you but i think wanting to kill someone is pretty not fun to have

[@fel524]

@@persoonophetweb2891 it isn't. I'm going to a therapist.

[@persoonophetweb2891]

s l a s h good luck bless you man

[@kostasspirou1010]

People who dislike Akechi just because he is a murderer need to see this video, and finally understand why there are people that really love this character.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

He definitely is a more nuanced than a lot of people make him out to be.

[@lanalewis6982]

I don't dislike him but him murdering people puts him on a low list.

[@kostasspirou1010]

@The Fighting Shadow To be honest, I do feel like it would have been more impactful if Akechi was dead, and they never showed us that he is alive, but at the same time... Akechi alive = They are gonna add him in the next spin off! :P

[@IceBlueLugia]

Kostas Spirou The only reason they couldn’t kill him is because they need him to show up in spinoffs.

[@weebusdweebus_]

IceBlueLugia He has no appearance in Scramble, the official sequel to p5r

[@PokeMaster22222]

1:58 Apparently there's a stigma against being an orphan in Japan (since the family name is so important - it's why the family name precedes the given name there), a stigma us Westerners don't really have, making it harder for us to really connect. It's like a fundamental societal difference, so unless one spends an extended period of time in Japan and really learns the intricacies of the culture, it's not exactly something a Westerner can easily grasp. The same goes for Akira Kurusu/Ren Amamiya, who was found Guilty of violence against Shido. This is a big deal in Japan, I gather, with even juvenile crimes having negative effects long into adulthood - whereas in the West, a juvenile crime like that wouldn't be as catastrophic, especially since it's an isolated case, and would likely not matter after entering adulthood and having an otherwise-clean record. So yeah, there's definitely a culture clash between the game's setting (and thus culture) and us Western players.

[@CaleyWarrior101]

Also he says he was passed around. That can insinuate a lot of things depending on why you think he was passed around. In the end it still is a culture clash for us and I’d totally recommend people look into the Japanese foster care system after people find out akechi is an orphan

[@thepixelman4776]

Boy and he already seemed a lot like Bats.

[@Wter-oy1dh]

A study by a KZbinr with the name LadyVirginia did a video going through the societal context in Japan which could have caused Akechi and the thieves to become who they are I recommend that you check it out

[@breazy832]

Shouldn't have been abandoned then

[@necrodeus6811]

@@Wter-oy1dh did this youtubers name change? I can't find the videos by looking up lady virginia and persona 5.

[@electricserge8302]

Somebody had a blast inserting pancakes into scenes for comedic purposes

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Who could that be? I would never...

[@Zakharon]

I do like that in 3rd semester Akechi can let loose when in the metaverse and show his more ruthless tendencies and use them for a just cause instead of bottling them up and putting on a fake persona all the time, almost as if it was another awakening for him (in the true ending it hints at Akechi being alive, I chalk it up to Akechi's wild card powers, or maybe a last gift from Maruki?). In the bad ending for 3rd semester there is a final photo of everyone enjoying their fake reality at a booth while Akechi and Joker are at the bar, the only ones looking straight at the camera, they know they truth, this world is fake, it is quite the haunting image.

[@dude2299]

I actually have a crazy theory that Akechi never died in the first place within shido's palace. Sure there's the post-credit teaser that he may still be alive, but if you look at the other characters brought back to life, (specifically Wakaba) when the thieves "break free" from maruki's actualization, those individuals disappear again. So if someone brought back from the dead by maruki's actualization disappears when the wisher rejects that reality, how is it that Akechi stayed around supposedly until maruki's palace got destroyed? There's no doubt Akechi has a certain level of mastry when it comes to matters of the metaverse, as proven by his weaponry. Everyone else has weapons grounded in reality, but Akechi uses pure fantasy weapons that don't actually exist in reality (lightsaber and laser gun). Also, the idea that you can only exit the metaverse where you entered it is proven false when the phantom thieves are forced out of mementos from the depths of the prison, and not from the subway entrance. Sure you could chalk that up to god powers, but it still provides a plausible alternative to akechi's "death". Rather than dying, he either willingly retreated, or was somehow forced out of the metaverse. Oracle says his reading is gone, and everyone assumes the worst. Combining his mastry of the metaverse with the possibility of exiting to the real world from deep within a palace, Akechi could have easily escaped, then set up the big reveal. Nobody can deny he's got a certain... affinity for the dramatics let's say, and I would like to think that he would relish the idea of playing Joker's fake death card on him. Turnabout is fair play and all that.

[@CoverofWinter]

@@dude2299 The phantom thieves also had to escape from other places in a couple of other palaces since they fell apart too quickly, like with Okumura, and reveal that you can come out in a dangerous but also possibly safe place. I think Akechi had the advantage of being able to pass off being in the Diet building out way or another and escaping would not be all that difficult as long as he wasn't actually injured in the real world as he would mostly just be tired from the wound of the cognitive world.

[@yourbiggestfangirllivv]

@@dude2299 I 100% agree with you dude. My theory is that he just used a Goho-M though cause that's an instant teleport to the entrance of the palace and then he easily could have used his remaining strength to limp his way out of the palace and to the hospital or maybe back home and the reason he doesn't show up in vanilla is simply cause he's still recuperating and doesn't want to be awkward (same like Morgana) then by the time he turns himself in joker has already returned home so he doesn't hear about it and then by the time Akechi gets out of jail he probably decides to move away from Tokyo to like Inaba or something (so he can't appear in vanilla P5 Scramble)for a fresh start but never forgets joker and hopes to see him one day and yeah that's my personal fanfic for how Akechi survived and never showed up again in vanilla. Then my canon for P5Royal is that the same thing happened however since Atlus has fleshed out the cognitive world more this time Akechi would not be Injured in the real world and would just be severely fatigued instead when he escaped from the meta so when he goes home he ended up sleeping for a week straight (or goes into a coma like state) to get rid of his fatigue and then he decides to lay low and stay home until the whole ordeal with Shido blows over then he decides to turn himself in after seeing Shido confess on the bulletin board. However on Christmas Eve when he's about to go turn himself in he sees the abnormalities of Mementos fusing with the real world and he gets thanos'd like the PThieves cause he's also a Persona user and then when he comes to he finds himself standing in the middle of the square in Shibuya and then sees Sae and Joker and the rest is history but therefore he survived in every timeline. If you're wondering *why* in third semester he says 'he couldn't remember anything after getting shot in Shido's palace' well your answer which works with this theory I've cooked is that he simply can't remember. As I've said before he was extremely fatigued after he returned from Shido's palace and he slept for a long time and the stress on his brain from his fatigue and pains made him forget what happened after he was shot since that point was when his adrenaline faded and he could no longer think clearly. And the reason he doesn't remember the weeks when he wasn't sleeping and he was just surviving/staying at home with food and more sleep before he was ready to turn himself in, was because when he was Thanos snapped like the PThieves his memories of the time leading up to then were wiped/ he simply had post-temporary-death amnesia, like the rest of the masses who had dusted out of existence before Mona reset the world and that is why his first memory after getting shot was seeing joker in the plaza because that's when he came back into existence in the new world! Now this may sound like a long ass and somewhat convoluted theory however I can see no contradictions here with the facts and rules of the world as we currently know it, therefore my theory is very much possible and I will consider it canon unless proven otherwise with *actual facts* We Stan Akechi in this household✔️ Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk✔️🤡

[@aegis5678]

Dude 229 I agree that he never died in the first place but personally I think that no one can actually die in the metaverse. Simply put, the only way for a person to die using the metaverse would be killing their shadow and that real people(like the phantom thieves) can’t die and are just forced back into reality. An example of this is Ryuji, when he was caught up in the explosion at Shido’s palace. He also didn’t remember anything(like Akechi) and just woke up quite a ways from where they entered the palace. By all means, he should’ve died but somehow returned. This also happens to Maruki at the end of the game. So he never died in the first place but was just spit back out into the real world.

[@choc.4838]

Ann did say: "A victim we couldn't save" Thinking abt him makes me sad honestly 😔 I can't believe I used to hate him

[@sergiosalazar8702]

I think that’s what Atlus wanted. That’s how you write a character

[@Fender91]

He was unredeemable even from the beggining, he killed a lot of people, if not dead he shoulda spend his whole life right next to Kamoshida Madarame, Kaneshiro and Shido.

[@mikebliss3153]

We all used to hate him.

[@BabyGirlTiny]

Nope that was stupid and went against everything the phatom thieves were trying to do

[@TheUndeadOhioan1999]

In vanilla P5 I was a mix of hating Akechi, and just didn't care for him. But as I played Royal more and more and started to understand him, hatred turned to sympathy. By the time the 3rd semester started I was hoping there would be a way to actually save him or even maybe he breaks the cold hearted facade and tells Joker at least after his Hereward awakening that he was glad to meet Joker

[@PatManDX]

Personally, with Royal, Akechi went from one of my least favorite characters to my absolute favorite. There was always a lot of potential with him, but the game's pacing issues (especially in that section of the game) and the mandatory Confidant with him in the Vanilla game really made it hard for me to take him seriously. With Royal and the 3rd Semester and his new confidant, with how much both fleshed him out, I grew to appreciate him in his entirety.

[@PKRockin7]

This is a fantastic analysis from an adult who is divorced from the fandom discourse pertaining to Akechi, and has a clear, impartial view on the character. Hats off for doing this. I think a lot of these analysis type videos fall into this trap of projecting onto the character and relying on speculation, but I like how clear and concise your points were. Points ---> Argument to support your points + evidence ----> conclusion Really, you truly are one of the most underrated Persona channels on youtube right now. I just hope your experience with the series stays positive and you aren't overwhelmed by unsavory individuals

[@classclown6ya]

The persona fan base is a mess, its sad.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much. This comment literally made my night. I do my best to be as clear and to the point with my thoughts as I can so it's so great to hear that that comes across. And at this point I have, for the most part, had nothing but a wonderful and positive experience with people around these videos which I couldn't be more grateful for. :)

[@devideby_zero8596]

i like this comment... however I don't think you should call him a persona Channel. I'd love to see other franchise characters Be analyzed like this. He deserves more attention tbh-

[@nineicytails4287]

You don't have to like him to sympathize with him especially when he craves something that we all desire on some level: validation.

[@a.z.pantera5577]

Akechi is my favorite character in P5 Royal, and I found him weirdly relatable coming from a dysfunctional parental situation myself. I also think that Loki is a perfect fit as Akechi's Persona. Akechi plays both sides to meet his ends, harbors deep resentment for his father (Shido / Odin), a misguided and complicated relationship with his sworn brother (Joker / Thor), and he ultimately seeks to simply be acknowledged. And I do think Akechi's situation in the 3re Semester is a bit of both his own and Joker's wishes. Mainly because I as the player wished he'd stay and continue being his own person, which despite everything he's done, I think is what he deserves.

[@IDontReallyWantAYoutubeHandle]

I'm not sure if you're basing this off of Marvel Loki, but Loki in mythology isn't actually related to Thor. Odin is actually his "blood brother" (not related by blood, but like a blood oath) and Loki is technically Thor's uncle dkdhdkjf Honestly I'd say that Joker would be Baldr, as Baldr was the "golden child" whom was loved by everyone and everything (literally) except for Loki, who killed him by tricking his blind brother to shoot him with mistletoe. It would be cool though if Loki was based both off on the Mythology version and Marvel version. From what I've seen of Marvel Loki, it seems like it could fit his personality very well and it would make sense considering Shadows/Personas are based off human cognition, and since Akechi is canonically into superhero movies, it would make a lot of sense and be very cool haha.

[@a.z.pantera5577]

@@IDontReallyWantAKZbinHandle I was thinking a bit of both. Either way, parallels can be drawn everywhere. Plus Joker can have both Thor and Odin as Personas. Speaking of Loki, I wonder how they're gonna handle that bit in the next God of War...

[@IDontReallyWantAYoutubeHandle]

@@a.z.pantera5577 yeah haha. I've never seen God of War though, is it good?

[@a.z.pantera5577]

@@IDontReallyWantAKZbinHandle I haven't played any of the previous games, but the newest God of War is set in the Nine Realms and is a soft reboot. Basically, Kratos fled from Sparta to Midgard to start his life over. Literally jumping pantheons to run from his past. I highly recommend looking into it.

[@derpylovecosplay]

Like most people who played this game, they didn't think Akechi as much. But as the game went on, I found myself relating to what he has gone through. He really was trying to make a name for himself, but he went about doing it in the wrong way. His story and psychological impact is something that I think most of us, and myself, can relate to. Having a troubled childhood can really mess with someone and I think Akechi is the prime example of trying to not let his childhood define who he is and try to show other people who he really can be. This is why I love Akechi so much and not to mention his English voice actor, Robbie Daymond, does an amazing job bringing him to life!

[@idea4965]

There are two types of people who don't understand Akechi. Those who believe that he is a killing machine without feelings and those who believe that he is a baby who does not know what he is doing and that he is just a victim. They're both totally wrong

[@jacobh2147]

And the people who only focus on his sexuality and project being gay unto him

[@TFSMF2]

And the fourth group The akechi memers In a word Pancakes

[@dynamo_SSH]

An unlikely source of Akechi's character growth comes with Persona Q2. Spoilers for that game are within this comment. The game starts with Akechi and the Phantom Thieves being under the impression that neither party will be allied for very long. They simply have to work together to break out of wherever they are and then change Sae's heart. In the hub world during the first few hours of gameplay, everyone else is talking, but Akechi just sits by himself. He rarely talks to anyone unless they ask him a question or if it's about the mission. Near the end of the game, Akechi changes a little bit. He begins talking to more people since he knows that he's in for the long haul with Q2. He befriended Ken, Naoto and Koromaru, and joined in on more special screenings. At several points in the game, characters, intentionally or not, make nods to Akechi's eventual betrayal. As expected, Akechi just hunkers down when that happens. However, one instance isn't like the others: when Shinjiro pointed it out. See, instead of just alluding to it, Shinjiro had tried to talk him out of it, even saying that while he may have done bad things, there's still to improve, like he (Shinjiro) tried to do. Rather than hunker down again, Akechi actually marinates on this for a minute. Another thing Shinji pointed out was that, like himself, Akechi tended to stay away from the Phantom Thieves while walking around the labyrinths. One of the most important scenes for Akechi is when the party is about to refight Super Kamoshida at the end of the game. Contrasting what Shinjiro said, Akechi is standing right in the front with Joker in the cutscene, ready to protect the team. My interpretation of this is that Akechi had made up his mind with the decision you brought up: should he kill Joker to get through Shido, or spare Joker and establish a true relationship? Well, by watching Joker's six during the cutscene, I think it's implied that Akechi chose to spare Joker. However, this is both undermined and enhanced at the very end of the game, when it's revealed that the party won't remember the events of Q2 after going home through their doors. Everyone else just went through after saying their goodbyes, but not only was Akechi second to last to leave, but he also stopped in front of the doorway. Doing so implies that he's scared of losing the growth he had during Q2, but his decision to go through the door and forget everything ultimately turns him back into a traitor to the phantom thieves.

[@_.sunny.side.up.]

It really hurts to see people totally misunderstand his character 😔 he's genuinely one of my favourite video game characters I've seen in a LONG time this man really exaggerates my saviour complex 😂

[@TFSMF2]

Pancakes

[@benji777tm]

I don’t know if it’s the influence of the fan girls over the past few years or if I just understood his character that well, but when revisiting it in Royal, Akechi’s story almost made me cry. His story is tragic as fuck, he grew up with his world view warped all because of his shitty father and wanted nothing more than to be loved but when Yaldabaoth gave him powers he finally saw an opportunity for revenge. He was willing to do anything to get Shido so when he agreed to essentially be his attack dog it was originally an act just to gain his trust but as Shido pointed out Akechi was starving for positive reinforcement in his life so all Shido had to do was say a few nice things and he was able to get Akechi to commit more crimes for him. Akechi was never allied with Shido he was using him, and he genuinely became friends with Ren, and had he known he could genuinely have allied with the Thieves sooner and wasn’t so hellbent on getting his moment with Shido, he would’ve become a nicer person. He was never a mustache twirling villain he was doing awful shit as a means to the end of completing a personal vendetta. So in the third semester he drops the nice guy act because the real Akechi is a pessimistic downer who has violent tendencies because of how much anger he has inside, this cast IS just a bunch of fucking teenagers, they aren’t the most emotionally stable.

[@AobaKuronuma]

A point that I think was missed is the point of Yaldaboath and the fact they he had chosen for Akechi as a wild card to go down the opposing path of Joker. He was set up for failure to begin with.

[@gunsbetterthanswords]

Mental health counselor here, I really enjoy your videos! I thought that this was a thoughtful analysis of Akechi’s character in the context of attachment styles. As someone who incorporates attachment theory heavily in my work (I work with children, teens, and adults) and who loves the Persona series, I can really appreciate when someone brings these two things together.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! It's always really great and reaffirming to hear from counseling professionals in the field since I'm still a student! :)

[@ButterfliesInTheAir]

This might be completely wrong but I've always seen a big part of Akechi telling Joker he hates him after the duel is him misinterpreting his own emotions. Like "oh the only other person I've felt so strongly about before is Shido... I must hate him!"

[@MrMegaSuperDuperMe]

Me: *watches the whole video, starts to feel sorry for Akechi* "That's so sad." "He just wanted freedom and to be loved." Also me: *bullies the shit out of Akechi*

[@rokka2215]

SAME

[@mikebliss3153]

Akechi, at Leblanc: "This is a wonderful place. Especially because at the moment it feels like I'm not really welcome any place else..." Joker: "Like here, you mean?" Akechi: "Have I offended you?" Joker: "You tell me, murderface."

[@sakurafalls2468]

@@mikebliss3153 Honestly when he said he wasn't welcome anywhere with a sad face I was like: "Aww no don't say that" :( Not even a second later he asked if he was bothering Joker and I was like: "NOOO stop saying things like that!!" Lmao

[@azuma4945]

I think he's a really great character that has grown a lot during the game, which is only a year (!) considering what he must have went through as a child. I was actually tempted into looking into the Japanese foster care system by this game and heck is it problematic. Especially because him being 'passed around' insinuates so many things that you would only realize if you actually know about the institutions that it's no wonder he ended up possibly (probably) traumatized and with attachment issues. And that is disregarding the fact that he couldn't have had an entirely terrible relationship with his mother that he lost because she killed himself and he (at least partly) blames himself for, even calling himself a 'cursed child' at some point in the game. Don't mind me I just really love him as a character.

[@yourbiggestfangirllivv]

@Kim Stöhr I love your PFP

[@azuma4945]

@@yourbiggestfangirllivv thank you! The credit for making it goes to somebody else though, I found it on Tumblr. The User that made it had a blog named 'Horizon' at the time.

[@F1areon]

There's also a REALLY big stigma against illegitimate children in Japan; that also ties into why Akechi is... well, like that.

[@Mumutouhou]

Is it me or did he add pancakes to some scenes?

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I would never.

[@nikkola807]

I like that in P5R Akechi's social link was updated, giving his character so much more depth. My favorite thing about Akechi is his transformation in the third semester (and his following relationships with Joker), which is totally believable and even relatable.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Yes! I think the updated social link added so much to him as a character and actually made him a lot more interesting to me than he initially was in vanilla P5.

[@ThunderJimmy]

Goro Akechi, while he may be a traitor; he died one last time selflessly to save Joker and his friends. Crow may have put on his own mask over his true self, but even then he wanted to try to take down Shido with his acquainted teammates. If anything rubbed off on Crow before his demise in P5, it would have to be the efforts Ren and his friends went through to pull Goro out of his own hell that saved everyone in the end.

[@Idasukimase]

No he didn't. He sacrificed himself because you were his last chance at getting back at Shido. In his initial boss fight, he tried to kill the group. This was also independent of Shido's wishes (yea he wanted the PT dead, but Akechi attacked you so you wouldn't get in the way of his plan)

[@Fender91]

LUL what ? he didnt do it for anyone but himself, he just wanted to go back to being dead, which was his last choice and didnt want to be manipulated anymore.

[@inplane9970]

I can relate to Akechi in the way that I want to appear perfect and fine-tune my public image to be the funniest/smartest/relatable/talented guy around. It's the lack of love from an early age that drives this desire because as we grow old, we realize that we don't have much time to find the people who would really care about us in the future. Akechi's case displays the point of insanity, where the desire to receive any form of love and affection overtakes him and basically begins to develop a split personality.

[@SapphireLibra3]

By the end, Akechi became a great man. No, he's not absolved of his crimes, but I think he gets that. He stood to gain NOTHING from ending Maruki's fake reality, but he was the first to say "this has to end". He's my new favorite character in Persona 5, as Royal fixed his story completely in my eyes.

[@PrincelyMage]

I love Goro Akechi and his entire character arc and everything. I relate to him a lot and I just wanna give him a hug. Awesome analysis.

[@rileymartin4935]

6:29 don’t think I can’t see those pancakes

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Pancakes? Don't know what you mean.

[@oranger.]

What about the ones at 4:38

[@ninjamafia192]

And 21:56

[@e7652]

"whether you call him akechi, crow, or the detective prince" -or pancake boy-

[@masquee527]

Akechi is such a complex character- a character you can sympathize with. He's honestly my favorite character.

[@Nyurufu]

I totally agree with all these points. Great analysis! I would also add that Akechi didn't believe that Joker (or the PTs) would truly accept the real him. HE thought his bond with Joker was unreciprocated, which is why he didn't believe Joker would actually consider joining his side or was shocked when the PTs invited him back to take down Shido. He thought he had gone beyond the point of no return and HAD to keep moving with his plan. Of course, there are more layers to his decision too, but I felt like this was a major one.

[@MsAmiClassified]

I think that, before Joker, Akechi exists in this bleak mindset that he'd never find acceptance from others beyond a shallow approval based on meeting a narrow mold of superficial traits. He about screams as much just before his boss fight; it's thoroughly emphasized how his envy for Joker is in large part toward Joker's ability to find genuine connection with others and gain strength from that, despite his false conviction, without having to curate himself to anywhere near the extent Akechi did (which becomes ironic if you play like a tryhard, since you'll be actively curating yourself for the fastest confidant growth). Yet Joker does *not* shy away from him as he slowly divulges more fraught aspects of himself, even willing to indulge him with a dangerous Mementos duel knowing that Akechi is plotting to murder him. I think it's meaningful to him that the Thieves, learning of his history as an orphan boy unwanted for his illegitimacy and how his rage at the man and system that failed him motivated his horrible acts, react with understanding and affirming he is someone of value without trying to be overly nice (a thing that'd likely just be condescending to him; see how offended he is whenever Maruki offers him 'atonement' in the form of overwriting his mind). It signals that maybe that acceptance wasn't so out of reach after all, that he could have what Joker had if he'd simply used the power given to him to help rather than harm, and that'd be more empowering than anything he ever did under Shido (who only ever gave the *illusion* of power, an illusion that is dispelled in the same scene). And so he ceases trying to curate himself, knowing he does not need to, and no longer allows himself to be manipulated by the need for validation.

[@DenysWorld]

Ohh yeah you need to make a video about Akechi and Joker's bond

[@marjbon5008]

True that probably deserved a video of its own. Comparing it to the old game vs Royal. But this video was still incredibly good!

[@uberkirbeeh7954]

It's people and characters like Akechi that keeps me thinking if people can redeem them self from heinous actions and move on with their lives while also finding a way to bring them to justice over what they have done and how they should be punished and to what extend.

[@jaydedollyy9730]

Akechi easily became my favorite character. Especially since I had a traumatic childhood. My dad was an addict and physically abusive and my mom had panic attack disorders and almost took her own life. Me and my sister almost got thrown into the system. I have bpd due to everything that happened when I was a child. It's nice to have a character in a game i really like that I can relate to. Makes me think that we would've been friends due to our similar upbringings.

[@decepticonsoundwave297]

I always had a fondness for Akechi from the beginning, and he still remains my favorite Persona character, with Loki being my personal favorite Persona (I even modded Black Mask over Joker in smash bros), but I always kinda wondered why At surface level, hes the plot twist bad guy, as we know, but I always figured there was something more to that than just "grrr I hate everything and Im a psycho" This video masterfully explained everything about Akechi, and now I think I realize why I always liked him. He wanted to be something, and someone. He wanted to *be* wanted, even by the worst man to ever curse his life, and theres a sad relatability to that. I believe that if things were different, say, another completely separate person was to be the Wild Card, yet Joker still went and made all the friends that he did, I believe that Joker could have changed him in some way. Not fixed him, not cured him of his psychopathy, because you cant heal those everlasting scars, but at least change him, maybe convince him to put down his gun and just... be somebody. Akechi clearly regretted having to fight Joker, having to (attempt to) kill his only friend, his only healthy relationship. He had some level of care within him, and Joker clearly had the means to draw it out. I'd like to see that side of Akechi, one where he got to be somebody's hero, and wanted by somebody. It also helps that I could totally do an Akechi cosplay, but yknow, anyway he's still a Phantom Thief and I'll fight on that

[@ehumphrey]

Akechi is absolutely my favorite character in the persona franchise. The duality between is two personalities and how he interacts with both Joker and the Phantom Thieves is just so interesting to me, and I loved this analysis! Keep up the great work!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! This was definitely a fascinating one to make.

[@illusive-mike]

3rd semester Akechi is interesting in the broader SMT context because more than the Justice Arcana Akechi fulfills the role of the Chaos Hero, motivating Joker to challenge Maruki by holding up the value of freedom and thus rejecting Maruki's world. While he may seem a touch more amicable than he is in Shido's Palace, he still shows just about no sign of caring for people in general, treating the various actualizations discussed in the Phantom Thief IM threads as fuel for contempt of the situation rather than having any empathy for the victims themselves. His argument against Maruki is quite distinct from other Phantom Thieves in that he specifically emphasizes freedom rather than growth as his main motivation for objecting, and thus his argument is the only one that is entirely immune to Maruki's attempt at rebuttal since Akechi doesn't really care about happiness as such. The virtues he's advocating (and flaws he's exhibiting) line up very well with SMT's Chaos alignment, while Maruki's "remake the world for happiness at the cost of freedom" approach has heavy shades of Law (specifically the Reason kind). His Showtime with Joker is also quite notable, both because it is originally improvized on the spot (showing how deep their connection is) and because it has Akechi use Loki's power on himself (which can't be good for his long-term mental state). All in all, I don't get the sense that Akechi is altered a lot by the actualization. Rather, he's removed from the circumstances that put him in opposition to Joker, nor does he need to hide his attitude anymore. So he lets himself have fun in his own drama queen way, by going full ham and destroying whatever gets in his way (preferably in good company, meaning with Joker).

[@VanNessy97]

Akechi earned my respect when Loki and Robin Hood fused to form Hereward. That meant he matured.

[@LocalPersona5Person]

I feel both joker and akechi had a connection either romantic or platonic, they helped each other, in a way

[@jaythedstyr]

I knew Akechi was the "traitor" simply from his name. His last name is "Akechi" In Japanese history it was Mitsuhide Akechi who betrayed Nobunaga Oda a famous warlord of the Sengoku period of Japan. His very name is alluding to his true nature.

[@madcyanide]

As both a psych student and a fan of persona 5, nothing makes me happier than watching these videos of yours

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

You know it's funny you said that because that's exactly how I got this idea. I had a professor in my Master's Program a bit over a year ago who made that assignment exactly! It was so much fun and genuinely helped me to retain the information so well that that's what kind of prompted these videos. It helps me study, and it's a really fun way to look at my favorite games from a new lens. :)

[@madcyanide]

ThoughtBubble yeah I wish that they would do things like this more haha 😂 I’m kind of sick of writing self reflections 😅

[@worthlessbaka7872]

Personally, when i really found out about Akechi's past for the first time, I felt nothing but sympathy with him ever since. (first played p5 2 years ago) I always felt like the writers were trying to convey how society has failed its people through different with the Phantom Thieves and especially emphasize it with Akechi. People always chalked up Akechi to being a person with just "daddy issues" or "he just killed people. Hes a murderer" not saying what he did was right, but i sorta understood why in my own mind why he did it, but i could never explaing it LMAOOO, but hearing those comments made me feel that Akechi is wildly misunderstood, and i appreciate this video really delving into Akechi's mind and behavior etc. Sure he was a criminal, but beyond all the killing and pain he caused for many people and the core of things, i always felt he was true victim of society, and kinda what the writers of P5/P5R wanted to convey with Akechi. Ngl? I think they did it well to the point where i kinda immediately understood what they were going for, so ever since my first playthrough of Vanilla P5, Akechi has been one of my favorite characters. I think he's a pretty complex character, and im glad Royal touched on him more. Hell it made me like even more than i did. They just did that damn good. Just seeing his relationship with Joker shown more in depth really interested me and made me realized there was way more about Akechi than most really thought. I like how much they highlighted in Royal that Joker changed him in some ways, and sastified some of the needs he likely wanted deep down. Overall, i really like the analysis of Akechi. Everyone is always like: "Akechi is a murderer, idc about his backstory or why he did what he did" or "don't make me sympathize with a murderer" or "he just had daddy issues nothing to" which i feel wasn't the point of what the writers wanted to convey about him as a character (like i said not saying that him killing people was justifiable, i just felt like there were more to things about him than it was shown and what people think of him.) Im glad i feel someone went really in depth on him.

[@mikebliss3153]

Honestly, once he drops the BS and becomes Realkechi, he becomes one of my favorite characters in the game. I saw in a thread once that his Rank 8 confidant where he outright tells you to your face that he hates you is one of the strongest impacts Akechi makes on you the entire game, because most people just go their whole lives in a sort of haze of blase indifference towards one another, but it takes effort and dedication to actually *hate* someone meaningfully. And that's refreshingly honest. And having to keep him on a short leash out of necessity for the entirety of the third semester is just plain fun. I'll be honest, though: telling him that we're rejecting Maruki's deal was heartbreaking for me, even though I knew it was the right thing to do. I just didn't want to see the little aggri-yob go, even after he done in trying to kill me. I think that's when I knew just how well Atlus wrote him.

[@TheUndeadOhioan1999]

Akechi telling Joker after their duel in Mementos "sometimes I wonder how things would be if I met you earlier" makes me really think what if Joker met Akechi before he completely lost his mind and only cared about ruining Shidos life, would Akechi have been able to be saved and change the entire story of P5. Akechi was like Joker in the sense of being a wild card but the difference between them was Akechi was just too scared to get close to others, so he was only able to wield one Persona, his fake side Robin Hood and his real side Loki. In a way I relate to Akechi because I have a similar backstory in the sense of a horrible childhood, hating your dad to the point you've plotted for years to ruin him, and your mental state slowly deteriorating more and more. It just sucks because Akechi ended up being past the point of no return and was just out of your reach and theres nothing Joker or any of the others(allbeit Joker being the only Phantom Thief to an extent he had a relationship with) could do to help. Just makes the P5 Royal credits song Bokura No Hikari(translated to Our Light) that much more emotional because you get the assumption Joker genuinely cared about him. In a way he was the only friend Akechi had

[@draconicstar1895]

Man characters with immense ties to psychology like Akechi are just so interesting. You think you see everything the first go around but when you play again, you notice the small things he does and choices he makes with the knowledge of how that will tie in to the story later on down the line. And what does all that lead to? Akechi: Pancakes. I don’t want to hear that word again for a long, LONG time.

[@Moda-pf8wt]

This is a really good video! Akechi is my favorite character in P5R, and hearing the perspective of someone who studied in psychology while having an impartial view is great. I cried at the end of the video because Akechi makes me sad sometimes...

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I'm glad you liked it! Akechi definitely led an unfair life, and I wish things could have been different for him from the start.

[@WolframiteWraith]

I love how you just put the pancakes in the corner at the end and never even acknowledged them.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Pancakes? What on earth could you be talking about? 👀

[@Akechi_The_Phantom_Detective]

For what it’s worth this disorganised mentality you mentioned is reflected wonderfully in Persona Q2 where you see first hand that he is genuinely having a good time teaming with The Phantom Thieves, SEES and the Investigation team to such an extent he is even questions whether or not he wants to return and have to kill Joker. I’d highly recommend Q2 should ever you get the chance as I think there’s a very special character in that game who I think would be perfect for an analysis video, that being Persona 3’s very own Kotone Shiomi who gets fleshed out like you wouldn’t believe in that game.

[@BURNTOASTSR]

Even if Akechi hadn't been the villain and got the treatment of the average party member, I still think he would be one of the most dynamic, fleshed out, and loved characters. Even before his reveal, he is open to an extent about how he hates Joker and why, and how he respects him too. There is no other party member in Personas 3-5 that has ever had a dynamic this believable and real. If he weren't corrupt, he would still yearn for that recognition and the excuse to be condescending to everyone around him, but he can't fully do that around Ren. In 3-5, with the exception of early Junpei, everyone looks up to the protagonist since he is a good leader and the most reliable in combat, and they accept that and ultimately blindly trust him. Makoto goes against the wishes of the party and sacrifices himself. Yu can become an accomplice, and the party would never suspect him. But with Ren, Akechi is the only party member to ever be open about his distaste (besides maybe Makoto before stealing Kaneshiro's heart, before she's reassured) with any decision and open about his desire to surpass the leader. He is so disappointed when Ren chooses to live in the false reality, and expresses such. Akechi ultimately accepts that Joker is stronger, but he nonetheless constantly keeps Ren under pressure because he expects a lot out of him. If anyone is going to be better than Akechi, they better do a darn good job at it. Gosh I love this character

[@froo1357]

I remember requesting this a while back, and I was SO excited to see this in my notifications!! A couple of my friends even sent it to me :) Let me say this is a fantastic analysis of Akechi. It sticks to facts, evidence, and a very honest perception of him to get the point across!! Often in the fandom as of late, people are stuck in a divide of whether his in-confidants personality or his third semester personality is the REAL Akechi, but I love how you basically described that BOTH are him. (I also would like to add that perhaps his added aggression in third semester outside the Metaverse is a defense mechanism?) I really love how you described his relationships with Shido, his mother, and Joker, but especially the way you described Joker's. It really opened up my view and understanding, and I've been participating in this fandom for a really long time! I absolutely agree about his growth in 3rd semester as well, I honestly got so so emotional having someone like you describe exactly how I felt about it but could never bring it to words. Thanks for such a fantastic video, keep up the good work and I look forward to more videos from you!!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@tyrian522]

Akechi honestly really resonated with me. From the beginning I figured there was going to be more to his charcter so LITTERALLY every free night I had I made sure so check if I could hang out with him. When I say I was f******* blind sided by his betrayal I’m not kidding. (I think I was also in denial- and Sumire was suspicious af) I felt genuine PAIN when he shot ‘Aki/ren’ in the interrogation room. And the line ‘In the end, I couldn’t be special’? SOBBING. He was great, and I’m so happy that the special ending hints at him being alive. I personally thing that 3S Akechi is really up in the air on if he’s the real one or not, but that doesn’t change how gosh darn amazing fighting along side him for real felt. It’s been said that Aki/ren is the only person Akechi truly cares about and replaying the game I can honestly feel that through his character. There is a reason taking that glove ‘changes’ his fate, and my personal headcannons always seem to include them meeting again. Also Aki/ren’s wish being to have Akechi by his side for real? TEARS.

[@Schweelie]

It’s such a shame that not enough people really pick up on all of this stuff man… Like on favorite character videos you’re apparently crazy if you like Akechi, but we love Akechi because of everything you have said in this video. Akechi is a genuine amazing and tragic character that is SO well written.

[@loi9909]

finally an actual analysis video on akechi and not just one that throws facts and a summary of the third semester together

[@helenlane5879]

So after watching this and your Sumire video one thing I found so enlightening that made it impossible for me to consider choosing Maruki’s choice was how manipulative Maruki was. In your previous video you said that Maruki forced Sumire to rewatch one of the most traumatic events in her life and made her choose between living in his reality and the real one. He did something similar with Haru and Futaba where they had to “choose” their parent or the real world though they didn’t focas much on their reactions. So when the 2/2 comes around and Maruki says something like “I’m not trying to hold his (akechi’s) life over your head” he’s undoubtedly doing exactly that. At first I was more hesitant to be critical of his world view but now quite honestly disgusts me at the level of Akechi

[@patrickripleyiii134]

finnie owo yeah I don't think Maruki is a horrible person, but he obviously doesn't really understand the role of trauma and sadness in someone's life, he genuinely believed that sadness had no place in someone's life and that there was no way that someone would ever choose that sadness. He genuinely believed that he was saving them, and that the means justify the ends. He doesn't really understand the evil he has committed until the final fist fight with joker

[@pankeki3601]

I absolutely love the study of psychology and Goro Akechi is my favourite character in video games, so this video is a dream come true! Really loving your Persona 5 videos, I find them insightful and educational!

[@marjbon5008]

This video was REALLY good, well done! Akechi is such a complex and interesting character and his relationship with Joker in Royal was one of the best things if not the best thing in the whole game for me as it was certainly interesting.

[@sofiaaa6808]

Wow, I wish I could like this video multiple times Seriously everything was so eloquently put, the pacing and progression of the video was so great that I was sad that it was over! Definitely subscribing. His new social link did such an incredible job building up to the engine room scene that I can’t believe it wasn’t in the original. By the way, the game strongly implies/ basically tells you this Akechi is the real one. When Akechi calls you on 1/8 he says that the Wakaba and Okumura “aren’t mere illusions, or cognitive beings- they truly are alive and existing in this world”. With all that being said, I think with the time Akechi was given in the story, his character development was great and reasonable. As you said, it’s not like change can happen immediately. I definitely can’t help but wonder how Akechi’s character would develop/act moving past third semester. Obviously he’s more closed off/ no nonsense (which I think is exemplified by the fact that you can’t hang out with him like you can with other confidants) given the circumstances in the third semester: how much he hates Maruki’s reality and how he basically is expecting to die after they defeat him. It’s interesting to think about.

[@SilverSeraph379]

Fellow Sean here, AND I'm a Mental Health Counselor! Making case studies out of characters is a really fun way to study and practice the material! You did great applying the theories! As for Akechi, his growth over the game is a tad short-handed in my opinion, but that's mostly restricted to the Social Links and their nature. His attachment with Shido and wanting his approval makes perfect sense; however, his plan to "reveal" himself to Shido and kill him at his apex of power is where the character falls short. It's a very silly plan, and it especially doesn't make sense when Akechi is supposed to be highly intelligent and strategic. In addition, as a game and story, it feels like wasted potential. Would have been much more satisfying to first fight "Black Mask" at perhaps Okumura's Space Station, and have a better build up towards Akechi after fighting Shido. Include a proper one-vs-one and reveal more about Loki as a Persona/Demon.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! Since I'm still a student I always love to hear feedback from people who are actively within the profession, and I literally started doing these just to give myself the opportunity and motivation to study the subject matter more in my free time! And I can definitely agree with that, and the game even acknowledges that the plan wasn't ever going to work since Shido reveals that he figured Akechi could turn on him so once he became Prime Minister he was going to squelch him immediately so it was a predictable plan too! lol

[@cclmnz6850]

I know this comment is three years old but I still wanted to take the opportunity to respond. His plan for me makes sense because akechi is not necessarily strategic. it's consistent in the sense that he's just a child who's been consumed by his rage and trauma. and I think deep down he was hoping Shido wouldn't get rid of him because he desperately needs a parental figure. And I don't think he planned to live long since he was still aware that he would ruin his life by sticking to that plan.

[@williewillikers9631]

Oh my heart, I oove akechi But it kinda urks me the wrong way during mementos coversations when akechi talks about "Keeping the promise" the other phantom thieves respond with "We didnt do it for you"

[@endo8835]

Yeah, when I heard those lines they bothered me for some reason, like they felt out of character to me

[@SomeAsian]

Considering how much trouble he caused everyone throughout the game, you'll have to excuse me for feeling that their abrasive response was justified.

[@tjr2405]

I love the pancakes throughout. Just the cherry onto of this amazing video

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. :)

[@Naedox]

For lack of a better word (without going into a needless tragic backstory) I feel as though I relate to Akechi so damn much. Moreso in the third semester, but still. Also thank you for using "Another Idealology". I really feel it suits Akechi best

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Of course, and thanks again for the recommendation!

[@lanalewis6982]

You relate to a murderer???

[@Naedox]

I relate to someone who knows he's beyond redemption and has nothing to lose.

[@akira_gojo]

@@lanalewis6982 ///That's/// all you see Akechi as? Did you not even watch this video? Seriously, why are you even here?

[@lanalewis6982]

@@akira_gojo And you don't? Cool motive, still murder. I hope you are aware of that.

[@Allthingsasian]

Akechi is such a complex character and that is why I love him so much. I’m so glad Atlus expanded into him in Royal. In their domain they have registered the title P5AG which could hint to a spin off game about Akechi and considering the ending of Royal, they could do a lot for his character. If we do ever get a game about Akechi I hope it explores more of his past and the actions he will now do to move on from the lifetime of trauma he endured.

[@goldpineapple2178]

Huh. I mean wow. This has really helped with my perspective of this character, I’ve always been divided about him. But this really opened my eyes to this amazing character.

[@Klefth]

I give this video a delicious pancake/10. I'm loving this series. All I'd wish the game had done for Akechi was being more subtle about the plot and finding who the culprit was, having the kind of subtlety that P4 had with the culprit, for instance. Leaving it to the players themselves to actually examine the circumstances, to, you know, remember the pancakes of course, to see these moments of odd behavior from Akechi and determine for ourselves "wait a second, something's wrong here" just like in Persona 4. That game is perfectly fine with giving you a bad ending, and sure, you can try again as much as you want until you brute force it, or just look it up online (that is if the internet hasn't spoiled P4 for you a million times already), but it is great to have that agency, and it would've brought a nice bit of extra depth to P5.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I agree completely I actually just got the true ending in Persona 4 for the first time and I think that was one of it's greatest strengths and would have loved to have seen more of that in Persona 5! Also, I'm flattered to get a delicious pancake/10. It's an honor.

[@NoeArielXV]

I honestly felt so bad for Akechi, especially When he says “It seems I’m unwelcome anywhere I go” turned out to be an awesome character

[@kylee2554]

I can't help but feel that, in the third semester, Aketchi was setting such high boundaries between himself and Joker in particular so Joker would do the right thing and change Maruki's heart, even if it meant dying. Amazing analysis though, as a future psychology major I found it really interesting!

[@hailstormprobably]

This video was fantastic, and I’m so happy I stumbled upon it! It’s really interesting to see what someone studying counseling makes of Akechi and his trauma is very fascinating and definitely intriguing! I will add that the comment section here is so funny, people either hate Akechi with every fiber of their beings and want him to burn in the lowest parts of hell, or they absolutely adore him There is no in-between.

[@ily9718]

Great video, P5R really made him justice with the new social link and semester!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I love everything that they've done with him.

[@ily9718]

@@ThoughtBubbleYT Totally agreed, the new semester was so so great, he was a pretty good character in P5 but P5R gave him so much more depth!

[@simonleech1109]

The three stages of Akechi also completes the Hegal comparison of Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis for him. Thesis - Detective Prince: The Detective Prince is the thesis, the starting point and what is presented to us the players and the world around him. And while his Crow outfit might not be what you’d expect of someone’s rebellious spirit, giving it more of a nobleman look but it perfectly fits the Detective Prince persona. Robin Hood being his base Persona is likewise a really awesome and interesting thing because it’s very likely that this was in fact his original Persona. I look at Robin Hood as being the manifestation of Akechi’s own personal desires to be a hero from when he was younger, if Robin Hood’s schtick was to take from the rich and give to the poor, then Akechi’s is very much the same of wanting to be a detective and play hero to put away corrupt adults like his father etc. It’s also nice to see the facade chip away just a little bit in combat and that he’s very much a dork and a showoff in a very Tokusatsu hero way that is hammy as hell and it completely effin’ works. I wouldn’t be surprised even more if he grew up watching Neo Featherman shows as a kid and aspired to be like that, heck you can even tie that into the whole thing of having a toy gun playing hero as a kid to emulate those same ones. I wouldn’t be surprised if these notions of Justice were further amplified and brought back up to the surface through his relationship with Joker. Antithesis - Black Mask: The Black Mask is the antithesis and it’s the exact opposite of what you’d expect him to be on first impressions. You wouldn’t expect the prim and proper Detective Prince to be a berserker with rage issues, self-loathing and having all these feelings of anger, envy, spite, inadequacy and pent up baggage so when it all comes tumbling out, it’s honestly one hell of a contrast to see him be so chaotic. Loki is such an awesome and unique fit for the Black Mask being a trickster, a deceiver, a destroyer and ultimately someone of mayhem and chaos. I wouldn’t be surprised if Loki was brought up to the surface through Yaldabaoth, Shido and/or even Wakaba to some extent and it reflected his darker impulses and side that he tries to repress in order to blend in with society. And well, he’s a slave to these desires by wanting revenge on Shido that he’ll throw away his humanity, his reason and any bonds he could have had. Synthesis - 3rd Semester: 3rd Semester is the synthesis of the real him being somewhere in the middle and coming together by becoming a better version of himself that isn’t broken and alone through Joker and enabling himself to be unapologetically honest with himself. So he doesn’t have to hide behind false pretence, trying to be something that he isn’t and that it isn’t about fighting against your darker impulses but embracing them and using them as a force for good. He’s smug, ruthless and just as much of a berserker that loves to throw down as he was in his BM time but it’s combined with the uncompromising desire to do good that DP seemed to want to do and break Maruki’s reality because it’s the right thing to do, consequences be damned because it’s a lie and he’s done playing a pawn to someone else’s desires and being overwhelmed by his own crap. I guess you could say, it’s adhering to his own personal brand of justice. Likewise, he’s fully in control of himself. Everything about him just screams “Now you’re dealing with the real deal here.” Everything comes full circle with Hereward in the 3rd Awakening completing his journey as a hero/anti-hero type of character with it basically being Robin Hood but with a darker colour palette ala BM and Loki. It completes the state of Synthesis by becoming a hero that abides by his own chaotic brand of justice and execution but is still someone on the side of good who may operate in the grey area more than others but he’s perfectly fine with that because that’s who he is.

[@windalchemist001]

I did wonder if you talk about akechi, and I’m glad you did

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I'm glad I did too! This video was really interesting.

[@tabbithagordon2403]

I found your channel from the Adachi video and man am I LIVING for this amazing content!! I loved Akechi from vanilla P5, but Royal just made him so much better.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I’m really glad you’re enjoying the content! Royal really did a lot of good for Akechi.

[@CaleyWarrior101]

If you’re unaware it’s a widespread theory akechi suffered abuse in foster care. Again if you’re unaware the way japan views foster children, orphans and illegitimate children is really different and a lot harsher than America. There’s the term throw away children. So in regards to the disorganized attachment I personally believe it was from repeated negative and traumatic experiences in the Japanese foster care system. He would have been treated awfully due to his status as an illegitimate child even though it was through no fault of his own. Just some food for thought

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I tried to stay away from theories when crafting this video and made sure to only use information explicitly provided by the game! So while I think there is a lot of credence to that, I tried not to impose too many assumptions onto his development and focused more on we directly see! :)

[@CaleyWarrior101]

ThoughtBubble no I totally understand that. Your video is genuinely amazing. I actually wanted to be a criminal psychologist but can’t due to some chronic conditions. Psychology was always a big love of mine and my high school psych teacher is a big part of why I love it so much. Your videos are all great I just thought it’d be interesting to point out maybe a future video too ^_^

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

@@CaleyWarrior101 Well, thank you so much! And I genuinely mean that! :) The thing I love about making these is that not only does it help to solidify and reinforce what I'm talking about but also I get to learn a lot from people in the comments. :)

[@lavalampluva55401]

The voice actor shredded his voice doing the voice of Akechi!

[@rohanlawrence5161]

Dude I can't like this enough!!! Great vid. Hope to see more chracter analy from the persona series!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Definitely more Persona content to come!

[@FaisLittleWhiteRaven]

Akechi is a character I've always found really fascinating. Partly because of the psychological stuff you talked about in this vid (seriously your analysis is fantastic

[@KumaraDosha]

Oh yay, I love attachment style theory! It really helped me understand my tendencies for disorganized attachment and why I act the way I do (inconsistent/unpredictable mother, being unable to trust how my parents will treat me if I be vulnerable, threats of abandonment, etc). I love Akechi and find it nice that I can identify with him in some ways. It's such a hard game, wanting people to need you more than you need them in order to feel safe, while at the same time having zero interest in developing relationships with people you don't actually like/need.

[@VeeTuTonic]

The one we've been waiting for. Hope you decide to make this a running thread as there's so much more to analyse in this and other games.

[@IDontReallyWantAYoutubeHandle]

Great fuckin video my guy holy shit I've always loved Akechi's character and you really hit the nail on the bloody head like omg It's a bit unfortunate you glossed over some of the details in his life (like Japan's asswipe foster system) but still a very good video about the psychology of this guy. Mega props to you my dude oml

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much, I'm really glad you enjoyed it! And I glossed over the foster system honestly because, I just didn't really feel comfortable with my knowledge about it to the extent that I'd want to go into detail about it in this video. :) I figured it was better to do it this way, really looking at the relational aspects of his life and the details Akechi explicitly shared with us, than to risk giving a fractured view of a system I wasn't all too familiar with.

[@loxnbagels9196]

Whenever I have to defend Akechi's honour...I use this video as prime evidence. So thank you!

[@sebastianarduengo6514]

Genuinely, thank you for making this

[@PrefectLuminary]

Im a huge Persona fan and have also always found psychology things interesting, I love this series so much! Keep it up.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! :)

[@justsomeguy727]

Ahhhh. I've been waiting for this ! Thank you for making it ^_^ loved it! Love seeing people actually understand Akechi's psychology and why he is the way he is rather than just writing him off as simply "daddy issues" (i really hate this 😔) he's so much more than that and videos like this really solidify my reasoning why he's such a complex and enjoyable character.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun writing it since he is a lot more nuanced than he sometimes get credit for!

[@SeerOfTime577]

I love this video so incredibly MUCH. Akechi has to be one of my favorite characters in anything...EVER. And, as someone who wants to minor in Psychology, I am just elated to find your channel! Like.... My favorite character and psychology and hajsjajsnwjwj. THANK YOU.

[@bulbasour2476]

Man this is such a cool video idea, just like the Maruki series. Great job!

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Thanks as always! :) I have so much fun making content about Persona.

[@transegg7780]

Amazing as always. More character breakdowns from P5 would be so much fun to watch. Id also love to see just simply Palace breakdowns from the game. Let it be Maruki, Kamoshida or whomever.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I hadn't thought of Palace breakdowns, but that might be a really interesting idea to put into consideration! Thank you so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@LpJavi13]

Have you thought on doing an analysis on Joker? I know doing one on him based on the game can be difficult but I think there's something in him worth analysing. PS. Love the video, keep it up :D

[@marjbon5008]

That would be a cool idea but I think he would have to work more from Royal or the manga mementos mission as that is where I felt like he had the most character and personality rather than the original manga or even the anime apart from some episodes.

[@moth4474]

I WOULD WANT TO WATCH A JOKER ANALYSIS SO BAD

[@RobbieAudet]

Thank you for this video. It helped me understand myself so much more, which was incredibly unexpected and also incredibly needed for me right now. Thank you so much again for this video, and to anyone else reading this, no I’m not a murderer 😂❤

[@BaoZakeruga]

Great video. Brought out some interesting points about Akechi I never even thought of. Always had an interest in psychology myself and seeing it mixed with gaming(another passion of mine) makes your vids very enjoyable.

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I think since Persona uses Psychological concepts so much throughout their story telling that making videos like these is so much fun for me.

[@taiga738]

The thing that sucks about Joker being a silent protagonist is that we couldn't get a moment where they properly talked about their complicated feelings and really cleared the air about all the stuff Akechi did before properly getting into considering Akechi an ally and getting sad over him again. Maybe drag him a bit over his massive body count since it doesn't really feel like the game lets you be angry at him about that for very long or properly resolves those feelings. My conclusion of him before P5R was that he didn't allow himself to feel remorse for his actions in a 'the ends justify the means' kind of way where anything he did would be acceptable as long as he reached his goal and that was also why he couldn't allow himself to let go of it or acknowledge the possibility that he could've gone about it much more ethically and less destructively as he spent time with the Phantom Thieves and grew envious of their friendship. The interesting thing about Loki is that for all that a lot of people treat him as evil, more sympathetic interpretations of his myths paint the picture of someone who was treated rather unreasonably at time like the dubiously consensual incident that led to Sleipnir because they Aesir were too racist to pay for their wall, getting his mouth sewn shut for telling people off, the terrible way his children were treated and the Prometheus-like treatment he endured for arranging Baldr's death out of spite over everyone stupidly making a game about how unkillable he was. A valid interpretation of Loki I find applicable to Akechi is that he grew bitter at the world and the people around him over the way he was treated and elected to burn everything to the ground in retaliation rather than seek constructive and meaningful change. I don't think Akechi really cared what happened to him after getting revenge on Shido, whether he died, became hated and disgraced over outing his family situation or ended up in prison for his crimes. It's only once he met Joker that he started to realize he could've had meaningful friendships and a happier life had he not burned so many bridges and pursued such a self-destructive goal that isn't really going to get him what he wants. I think some of his hate for Joker was projection and that he may have been suicidal. A large part of why he died in the engine room seemed like he didn't want to be saved and that he thought he didn't deserve it. In a way he fits both a reversed interpretation of justice and the fool, for his vengeance but also the way his potential was left unrealized due to the path he chose. Also while I interpret third semester Akechi as the real one, I'm against him surviving the end of the game after we literally just had an arc about coming to terms with his death and how much he hates being poofed back to life or being pitied over his fate. They messed up some stuff like that in P3 rereleases and I'd rather they commit to the original narrative rather than undermining it like that.

[@KingMufasa_8]

This video is absolutely amazing, i honestly and truly love akechi

[@ThoughtBubbleYT]

Definitely one of my favorite characters!

[@persona6featuringdantefrom474]

Have you played or watched any of the other persona games? If so I’d love if you could analyse Shinji from persona 3

[@miguelmmr4186]

shinji, nanako, and adachi would be interesting

[@B_A-tr]

I will be waiting for this

[@brennanconnelly]

I would love to see him analyze all the persona characters

[@egeyagci1586]

I haven't played P3 but WITHOUT GIVING SPOILERS is Shinji the bad guy or is it like Nanako, a character with a sad background story

[@miguelmmr4186]

@@egeyagci1586 shinji is a party member for some time. He is not a bad guy so its more for the background story stuff, a really great one tho