Persona 4 Revival Will Retain Controversial Story Elements from the Original
Persona games have had a complicated relationship with queerness, often touching on the subject in awkward ways without fully embracing it as a natural part of a character’s identity. However, no entry in the series handles this topic as poorly as Persona 4, which features two characters whose narratives clumsily dismiss the possibility of queerness.
As more details about Persona 4 Revival emerge ahead of its February launch, fans have been speculating about how the remake will approach the arcs of Kanji and Naoto. Many hoped that Atlus might revise their stories to affirm these characters’ queer identities or at least adopt a more inclusive perspective. Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that their storylines will largely remain unchanged.
“The story of Kanji [and Naoto] can seem a bit iffy at times, but if you look deeper, you’ll find it’s a more sincere narrative,” said General Producer Kazuhisa Wada. “So even back then and now, we can present these stories with confidence. I believe everyone will feel the same once they play it.”
Director Daisuke Yajima added, “The characters of P4 are beloved by fans, so we didn’t want to alter their personalities and identities. We kept everything intact while enhancing the graphics.” While Kanji and Naoto’s identities will stay the same, the developers mentioned that Revival will introduce some minor details to provide better context.
“With these events, there were times it seemed we lacked a bit of backstory and detail,” Yajima noted. “So in these areas, we added more details to support the story and address the lack of understanding.”
In the original Persona 4, Kanji is implied to be bisexual, grappling with his attraction to men alongside his love for hobbies deemed feminine. However, by the end of his arc, he concludes that he’s not queer; he just really enjoys knitting. Atlus seems to have aimed for a commentary on toxic masculinity and societal assumptions about men with “soft” interests, which is a valid message. Yet, Kanji’s crush on Naoto, whom he perceives as male, complicates this, as his storyline emphasizes his fear of being labeled gay. His dungeon, a manifestation of his hidden self, is a men-only bathhouse, making the resolution feel like a strange dismissal of his bisexuality.
Naoto’s arc follows a similar path. Initially presenting as a boy, Naoto later reveals they are a girl who dressed in masculine clothing to gain respect as a young detective. However, Naoto appears uncomfortable with their femininity, and their shadow—representing repressed thoughts—hints at gender-affirming surgery, leading many fans to interpret their story as trans.
For many queer fans, both arcs initially seemed like authentic representations of queerness, only for Atlus to backtrack at the last moment, framing these aspects as side effects of other issues rather than valid identities. Even 18 years after the original’s release, these storylines continue to spark discussions, with fans still posting things like “DNI if you think Naoto is cis” in 2026!
Some of the minor changes promised by Atlus appear aimed at distancing these stories from queerness. Reports indicate that certain imagery in Kanji’s dungeon has been altered. His shadow now wields both a female and male symbol instead of two male symbols, and the “men only” signs in his bathhouse-themed dungeon have been replaced with “unisex” signs. This could be seen as a positive change, as it might make Kanji’s resolution feel less repressive by not inviting queer interpretations so overtly. However, it’s disappointing that Atlus won’t fully embrace these themes.
Atlus doesn’t seem eager to cater to its LGBTQ+ fans at the moment. Persona 4 Revival also won’t allow players to romance Yosuke, which isn’t surprising but still disappointing, especially considering that a gay romance option was initially considered during the original game’s development and was reportedly revisited when planning Revival.
Perhaps things will shift in Persona 6? Or Persona 7? Or even 8?
