Summary
This article contains story spoilers for Persona 5 Tactica.Persona 5 Tacticatakes a leap into the grid-based strategy genre, complete with a new story to unfold and characters to explore.Toshiro Kasukabemakes up one such character, as he drives much ofTactica’s narrative forward through a focus on his internal conflict. As a candidate for Prime Minister with a tragic past, Toshiro becomes not just a strategist for the Phantom Thieves team, but a capable fighter in his own right, working to dispel his negative feelings of self-worth and rebel against injustice.
Toshiro beginsPersona 5 Tacticaas extremely risk-averse. Having no recollection of how or why he ended up in one ofTactica’s strange new worlds, his lack of combat prowess gets him easily caught by Marie, a tyrannical ruler who brainwashes her citizens into following her every command. Toshiro is introduced quite early on inTactica’s plot, being saved by Erina and the Phantom Thieves despite dubious concerns over who he is and whether he can be trusted. These qualms are quickly extinguished, however, when Toshiro proves to be of little threat, adding a bit of levity to the team’s dynamic as they joke with him.
How the Phantom Thieves Can Empathize With Toshiro’s Struggles
Pursuing His True Self
Serving asPersona 5 Tactica’s resident amnesiac, Toshiro’s story gradually unfurls as he recalls his past and ties to the three Kingdoms introduced throughout the game’s story.Tactica’s first Kingdomsets him up as a character deeply cautious over Erina and the Phantom Thieves' safety in battle, quick to consider retreat over the harm of any member of the team. This overwhelming fear of conflict and the repercussions it can pose makes up a large portion of his character, at least initially; inspiration from the Phantom Thieves and how headstrong they are in fighting for their convictions helps him to have a change of heart.
Toshiro Lets the Phantom Thieves Reflect on Their Own Pasts
In typicalPersona 5fashion,Tacticadoesn’t stray from giving Toshiro an incredibly traumatic backstory, one that holds a lot of parallels tothe Phantom Thieves' own difficulties. It’s revealed that the Kingdoms of the game are directly correlated with Toshiro and the ongoing abuse he faces at the hands of his father and wife, as well as his belief that he’s been culpable for people who have been hurt in his past. Serving as a pawn in his father’s wish for political power and having married into convenience as a result, Toshiro struggles to stand up for himself, believing that inaction is better than the risks that come with rebellion.
Exchanges in Empathy
Immediately, Toshiro’s marriage of convenience brings empathy fromHaru Okumura, whose own plot inPersona 5puts her in a similarly tumultuous position. The abuse that Toshiro’s father doles out under the guise of love also brings empathy from Yusuke, who hints toward the neglect he suffered at Madarame’s hand. Toshiro’s amnesia brings concern from Morgana, while Ryuji and Makoto share an understanding of Toshiro’s later reveals, from being used as a scapegoat to acting submissively out of the fear of burdening others. Really, Toshiro’s past seems to be an amalgamation of the Thieves' own challenges they’ve worked to overcome.
These parallels extend into Futaba’s character, as it’s revealed that Toshiro lost his mother at a young age, feeling misguidedly complicit in her death. Just asFutaba was given the push by the Phantom Thievesto overcome her own feelings of loss and guilt, she manages to keep Toshiro from breaking down during this revelation, making for another show of empathy. Despite how the team jokes about the initial “lack of a spine” fromPersona 5 Tactica’s Toshiro, the ways in which he grows and learns to push past his feelings of fear and self-doubt bring admiration from the Thieves and a chance for them to reflect on how they’ve grown throughout their own journeys.
