History Characters / Persona4YuNarukami

** [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Yu finds the theme for Tanaka's Shopping Commercial catchy while the P3 protagonist finds it annoying]].

[[Characters/Persona4TheInvestigationTeam The Investigation Team]] ('''Yu Narukami''' | [[Characters/Persona4NaotoShirogane Naoto Shirogane]]) | [[Characters/Persona4ShadowsAndPersonas Shadows and Personas]] | [[Characters/Persona4SLinksAndNPCs Social Links and NPCs]] | [[Characters/Persona4Antagonists Antagonists]] ([[Characters/Persona4TohruAdachi The Killer]])]]-]]]

* ContinuityCameo: In ''[[VideoGame/Persona5 Persona 5 Royal]]'', he appears as a DLC OptionalBoss where he, along with Izanagi, square off against the Phantom Thieves.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: To the P3 Protagonist:

** Yu, in a rare occasion for an SMT game, receives a happy ending while [[spoiler:the P3 protagonist dies after performing the ultimate sacrifice]].

* CoolBigBro: Is pretty much nothing but supporting and protecting of Nanako, particularly in the various adaptations and her Social Link. Notably, in his OptionalBoss appearance in ''Persona 5 Royal'', he wields the Persona Sraosha, which can only be obtained in his home game by completing Nanako's Social Link.

* CovertPervert: Some of his text options are pretty perverted. In the anime, his response to Shadow Yukiko talking about scoring a hot stud is to remark to Yosuke ([[DeadpanSnarker coolly]]) that he wished he had taped it. As of Episode 7, [[BrickJoke he did start recording it.]] It's become something of a RunningGag that Yu and Yosuke will say something equally perverted, [[ButtMonkey but only Yosuke will get hit for it.]] Chie even says at one point that the girls don't find it creepy when it's Yu who's doing it, but it is when the other guys are acting perverted.

* DependingOnTheWriter: While he's consistently portrayed as being TheStoic TeamDad with a bizarre sense of humor, which of the traits are most prominent tend to vary depending on the medium. Yu in the anime is portrayed as [[BunnyEarsLawyer incredibly]] [[{{Troll}} weird]] when he's not being an unflappable ace, while he's a lot more straight as TheHero when in his fighting game appearances. ''Q'' has him in a medium where he's still the straight man to his comrades' wild antics, but does show his quirky moments from time to time.

** Izanami, in her humanoid form, looks very, very similar to Yu. This is obviously reflected in Yu's Persona, and how the final battle finishes - Izanagi-no-Okami uses Myriad Truths to wipe away the lies of Izanami-no-Okami.

* TheGlassesComeOff: He throws away his glasses when he summons Izanagi-no-Okami to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punch out Cthulhu]], as he no longer needs them now that his bonds allow him to see through the fog of deception.
* GolfClubbing: His first weapon. According to the item description, Yosuke swiped it from the bargain bin. He also can unlock a few other golf clubs for purchase during the early game.

** In the anime. Yu's biggest fear is that after the investigation is over, the group will go their separate ways and he'll be by himself again. Mitsuo's shadow exploits this fear and causes him to have a ''tremendous'' HeroicBSOD. It's possible that Yu has not had any lasting friendships before now, which would explain his SugarAndIcePersonality.

* MirrorCharacter: While it's not touched on in the games proper, a song in ''The Golden Animation'', "Ying Yang", emphasizes this with Yu and Adachi's relationship - they're both out of towners who had powers bestowed upon them by Izanami. The lyrics imply that Adachi and Yu could have served the role the other did if other paths had been taken in their lives:

* PunnyName: ''Yu'' Narukami - he's "you". Even better, Narukami phonetically can mean ''Become a God'', so his entire name can literally be "You become a God." Quite the contrast to the kanji used for his name which would literally mean ''the calm that roars from above'' or ''calm thunder''.

** Episode 26 (the True Ending episode) has Yu finally face his own Shadow, who says that he doesn't even care if the world is lost in fog as long as it meant he did not have to go back to a life without any friends. Yu freely admits this as the truth.

* HelloInsertNameHere: While the manga, anime, ''Arena'', and ''Dancing All Night'' give him a name, the initial game does not. In fact, ''Golden'' simply refers to him as "Hero" when it lists everyone's names.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"If you go back on your word, I'll find out where you live and ring the doorbell every night!"'']]

[[caption-width-right:350:''"Go, Izanagi!"'']]

[[caption-width-right:350:''"Izanagi!"'']]

----

* AmbiguouslyBi: In ''Golden'', he can ask for a male police officer's number and flirt with Yosuke and Kanji during the group date cafe. In ''Shadow of the Labyrinth'', he has the option to say gender doesn't matter "as long as there is love." Though a lot of it is up to what actions the player takes, there's plenty to suggest Yu isn't the straightest arrow of the team.

* FromNewYorkToNowhere: In the anime, it is stated a few times that he moved to Inaba from Toyko.

** DummiedOut lines from Yosuke (as well as being able to hug Yosuke during his Social Link only if you've hit the right EventFlag beforehand)[[note]]This is considered pretty intimate in Japan, and in-game usually indicates that you're entering a girl's romance route.[[/note]] indicate that it could have been a lot less ambiguous, explaining a lot of the remaining subtext.

* BatterUp: A special weapon received as a reward from Margaret. Presumably, as a reference to Literature/CaseyAtTheBat, it deals a whopping 200 damage and boosts CriticalHit rating - with the downside of having a measly 30% chance to hit.

* CallingTheOldManOut: During episode 18 of the Persona 4 anime, after Dojima runs out for work and leaving Yu to take care of Nanako when she was unwell, he calls out Dojima on his workaholic tendencies and how much he neglects her to the point she has an emotional breakdown and runs away from home.
* CanonName: He has no default name in the game. The manga adaptation of P4 gave him "Souji Seta", and the audience got to select the name for the stage play (the name used in the DVD release of ''[=VisualLive Evolution=]'' uses "Hayato Asakawa." ''The Animation'' named him Yu Narukami. Due to the popularity of the anime, he is named Yu Narukami in almost every spinoff of the original game - the ''Arena'' games, ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlue BlazBlue]]'' and ''Dancing All Night'' all use it, and even ''Golden'' rerelease was given this treatment for players who had changed the language midway through the game.

** While the P3 Protagonist holds his sword with one hand, Yu holds his with two hands.

* EleventhHourSuperPower: Gains access to Izanagi-no-Okami in the True Ending's last battle, and he can be summoned in a NewGamePlus... after reaching ''Level 91''.

* FirstKiss: On his final day in town, Margaret steals his in a moment of GenreBlindness to romance if her Social Link was maxed. In the anime, he gets his first kiss from Ai instead. In Golden, during Valentine's Day, Marie can be his first kiss ''if'' she is romanced.

* MirrorCharacter: While it's not touched on in the games proper, a song in ''The Golden Animation'', "Ying Yang", emphasizes this with Yu and Adachi's relationship - they're both out of towners who had powers bestowed upon them by Izanami. The lyrics imply that Adachi and Yu could have served the role the other did if [[ForWantOfANail other paths had been taken in their lives]]:

* OptionalBoss: He appears in ''VideoGame/Persona5 [[UpdatedRerelease Royal]]'' as a DLC boss fight.

* RetCanon: [[spoiler:When he appears as an OptionalBoss in ''5'']], his default stance is the one used in ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', as opposed to the Sha-no-Kamae stance he uses in his game of origin.

* ThousandOrigamiCranes: He can volunteer to fold origami cranes for charity as a part time job- unlike other jobs, you don't get paid, but if you complete the set (with the time it takes being influenced by your choices and how well they work out), you get a rare item as a gift. The anime promotes this trope into his hobby when killing time, and he's pretty good at it too. He made a crane out of a paper napkin, which is harder to fold than regular paper. Episode 9 shows that origami cranes is SeriousBusiness for him.

* TheThreeFacesOfAdam: The Lord to [[VideoGame/Persona5 P5 Protagonist's]] Hunter and [[VideoGame/Persona3 P3 Protagonist's]] Prophet.

* TheBeard: Rise's Social Link involves him becoming her beard. She claims, to her manager, that they're both engaged (so that she doesn't have to go back to being an idol), although the manager doesn't seem to be fooled. He gets points with her if he plays along and doesn't get mad at her for lying.