One would be hard-pressed to talk about modern JRPGs without mentioning the absolute powerhouse that is the Persona franchise. While the first two — well, technically three — Persona games were excellent games in their own right, these titles found it quite hard to break free from the overarching tagline of being nothing more than just another Shin Megami Tensei spin-off.
However, this changed with the launch of Persona 3, which integrated the patented social simulation mechanics into this JRPG series that have gone on to become incredible successes over time. Of course, Persona 3 was just the starting point, with its sequelsimproving upon established concepts and perfecting this addictive formula.
Persona 4 and Persona 5 also feature two of the most powerful protagonists in JRPG history in the form of Yu Narukami and Joker. The Persona fanbase is at odds with each other when it comes to deciding which character will triumph in a one-on-one battle.
10 JOKER: Has Access To New Elemental Attacks
Persona 5 introduced two new elements to the franchise — Psy and Nuclear. These elements can be used by Joker in his battle against Yu to attain a leg-up over his foe.
Yu has never seen anything close to these elements, although the good thing about this is that none of his Personas will be weak to Joker’s attacks. However, this will still be something to watch out for regardless.
9 YU NARUKAMI: He Has A Strong Will
Throughout Persona 4, Yu has shown incredible resilience in the face of adversity, always going out of his way to ensure that his friends never have to suffer from the effects of the fog.
This strong will can go a long way in his fight against Joker, allowing him to power through attacks and dish out some damage of his own.
8 JOKER: His Bless And Curse Abilities Are Augmented
If the addition of Psy and Nuclear elements wasn’t great enough as is, Persona 5 also introduced normal Bless and Curse attacks as well. This was in stark contrast to the manner in which these elements were dealt with in past games, with instant death spells being the only way to exploit this weakness.
Now, with these elemental attacks, Joker can dish out some pain in battle and also exploit Yu’s weakness, if his Persona is weak to either Bless or Curse.
7 YU NARUKAMI: A Perfectly Diverse Skillset To Keep Joker Guessing
While this point can apply to both fighters, one can argue that Joker has simply way too many moves in his arsenal, and trying to find the best course of action to take against Yu can prove to be somewhat time-consuming.
Compared to Joker, Yu has access to a lesser number of elemental attacks. However, that shouldn’t be a detriment at all — if anything, the number of choices in his arsenal is perfect when it comes to dishing out the pain against Joker without dwelling on decisions for too long.
6 JOKER: Can Use Gun Abilities To Take Yu By Surprise
Joker isn’t done with the surprises he has under his belt, however. If close-range physical combat is proving to be an issue, then he can always use his long-range gun attacks to keep Yu on the backburner.
These attacks are another new addition to Persona 5 and can help Joker out in a pinch for sure.
5 YU NARUKAMI: His Ultimate Persona Can Wreak Havoc On Enemies
The final fight against Izanami-no-Okami was one of the biggest trials Yu had faced, and the only way he could even dent this being was with his Ultimate Persona — Izanagi-no-Okami.
This Persona is perhaps the most powerful Persona in the game, with a myriad of incredibly powerful attacks that can lay waste to anyone in Yu’s path… including Joker himself.
4 JOKER: Satanael Can Prove To Be An Ace In The Hole
Of course, Yu isn’t the only individual with an Ultimate Persona on this list. In the fight against Yaldabaoth, Joker brings out his Ultimate Persona to deal with this colossal being once and for all.
This Persona is Satanael, who can definitely cause no end of problems for Yu if Joker is allowed to unleash a barrage of attacks with this Persona.
3 YU NARUKAMI: Incredibly Durable
Yu has shown a tendency to never back down in the face of adversity, no matter how much damage he might endure in the process.
A great example of this is during the final battle in the game when Izanami-no-Okami showered him with a barrage of attacks… but the man simply wouldn’t go down.
2 JOKER: He Took Down A God In The Form Of Yaldabaoth
When one has to compare power levels between two people, the fact that one of these individuals took down a freaking god should definitely play a huge factor.
Joker managed to do exactly the same with Yaldabaoth. While calling the latter a god might be a bit of a stretch, one can’t deny the obvious parallels being drawn in the game.
1 YU NARUKAMI: Destroyed Izanami-No-Okami With One Move
Of course, it’s not like Joker is the only person with an impressive kill under his belt. That honor also goes to Yu Narukami, who managed to defeat an imposing threat with a resounding sense of finality.
The fact that Izanami-no-Okami had pretty much destroyed everything in its path and laid waste to the Investigation Team meant that the fight was pretty much lost… but Yu managed to awaken his Ultimate Persona in the nick of time and deliver a final blow that laid the final boss of the game to rest once and for all.
NEXT: Persona 6: 5 Features We Want (And 5 We Don’t Want To See)
