Persona 5 - Goro Akechi
In the Persona world, the last year has been full of turmoil. First there was the rise of vigilantism with Phantom Thieves become harbingers of justice. The public adored them and their heart stealing ways. Their brand of justice caused the offenders to confess to their own crimes, making it impossible for them to avoid the punishment. The authorities were made to look like fools, which they certainly did not appreciate. Then their beef with Medjed caused a new round of instability. All the goodwill they had gained with the public seemed to wither away. As an unintended side effect, the public perception of government also took a hit. In all the chaos, star of one politician is on the rise. Masayoshi Shido has been making waves about bringing law and order back to the country. He has been vocally critical of the present government, and the public seems to agree with him. He is all but confirmed to be the next prime minister.
Shido is also the puppet master who has been pulling all the strings behind the scenes. His plan was put in motion years ago when he had Futaba’s mother killed off to stop her from publicizing the existence of the Metaverse. From there on out he set up a massive conspiracy to aid his rise to power. Teachers, officers, politicians, businessmen, all were recruited to help Shido with his ambitions. He set in motion the events that would ultimately see the Phantom Thieves branded terrorists. Joker and Shido go way back, even though neither Joker nor Shido remember their first meeting anymore. He was the old man who was punched by Joker when he tried to molest a woman. Shido then used his power to make sure Joker’s life was destroyed. In the past, Joker had one more run-in the Shido. It is a little implausible, Joker does not remember the man who ruined his life, but it was necessary to set up the twist of finding out who Shido is near the end of the game.
Goro Akechi is Shido’s illegitimate son. Shido abandoned the mother when he found her to be pregnant. That kind of scandal was going to be an obstacle in his path to power. Even though he avoided the scandal, Akechi and his mother were disgraced and forced to live in shame. As a result, Akechi grew up alone and an outcast. This abandonment almost drove Akechi to the point of insanity. He was obsessed with exacting revenge on Shido, who he saw (and rightly so) as the reason for his suffering. To get access to his estranged father, Akechi went to work for him. He started using his powers to become Shido’s most prized hitman. He would get into the metaverse and use it to kill anyone who stood in Shido’s way. Akechi was the black masked stranger mentioned by some of the palace bosses. We saw him kill Okumura. Shido has been using him for his nefarious purposes. At the same time, he also sees Akechi as a threat. One that he will not hesitate to eliminate at the first sign of danger.
Akechi works as a foil for Joker. They both are outcast who chose to go in completely different directions with their lives. Both their lives were ruined by Shido. While Joker uses his powers to overcome adversity and help others, Akechi uses them to go work for the very man he despises. He kills multiple people while Shido gets more powerful. The friends make the difference. When Joker finds himself in a new school, he meets Ryuji and forms an unbreakable bond. He also seeks out other people in similar position and befriends them as well. All these relationships ultimately keep Joker grounded. When he ends up in the Metaverse, the frightening truth of the alternate reality does not disturb him as much because he has friends to share the emotional burden of this finding. On the other hand, Akechi has been alone all his life. He suffers through the horrors of Metaverse all on his own. There is no one to share this burden with. Over time constant exposure to this world probably took its toll on Akechi’s mental condition. Burning hatred for the man he was forced to work for did not help either. Akechi is what would have happened to Joker if circumstances were just a little difference.
The Thieves meet him one more time in Shido’s palace. His strength and shrewdness are second only to Joker. One is left wondering what this young man could have achieved if Shido had not ruined his life. By the end, Akechi does see the error of his ways and comes to recognize the importance of friendships the Phantom Thieves have formed. Shido, seeing Akechi as a threat, kills him off in the metaverse. Since he is not inside his own palace, we are not sure if Akechi really died or just went into hiding. He is not seen again; no dead body is found. Shido and his henchmen are looking for him in the real world, but to no avail. I hope he survived and started a new life somewhere far from the toxic presence of his father.
Getting to know more about Akechi gives our friends a better idea who they need to be going after next. Shido will be becoming the Prime Minister soon. Once he does there is nothing stopping him from killing off all of Joker’s friends. It is imperative the Thieves put a stop to this man before he becomes a threat to their survival. To find his palace, the whole party goes to the National Diet building. This is where the work of governance happens. Surely Shido would consider this place to be his birthright. With time running out, the thieves need to quickly figure out the form of the palace and put a stop to Shido. Only thing to bring his popularity down at this point is a confession of his own crimes.
05-21-2020
