However, they are too late: Kanji’s Shadow appears on the Midnight Channel and the team have to enter the TV to rescue him. They work out he is probably going to be the next victim, and therefore attempt to save him before he is thrown into the TV. He is known locally as a delinquent and is feared by many, including the Investigation Team (despite the fact he is a year younger than them). It feels as though the bond within the Investigation Team is extremely strong because they have all seen each other’s Shadow Selves, and they all helped each other accept them. In defeating them, they accept their Shadow Self, turning it into their persona (the manifestation of their ‘true self’, now that they have accepted the qualities they don’t like as a part of them), and they join your team. You must defeat the Shadow Self of your party-member-to-be because when the affected person refuses to accept their Shadow as a part of them, it turns into a monster. Each party member, except for the silent protagonist, has a Shadow that is found within the TV World: the Shadow Self appears as indistinguishable from their real-world counterpart, aside from having yellow eyes and a purple aura.

The most important thing to remember is that in Persona 4, the Shadow Self represents the side of yourself that you have tried to suppress, the qualities you don’t want to accept as part of you. If you don’t want at least some minor spoilers but still intend on playing the game, click away now! Here is a brief summary of the story if you want a reminder, or if you don’t intend on playing it but just want to know the story.

Warning: Spoilers for Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden. Taking a look at Shadow Kanji from Persona 4 GoldenĪll screenshots in this article and the featured image were taken by me.

I am a shadow the true self