#personastuck

Joker - KNIGHT of HEART

“One who serves Heart or serves through Heart for others.”

The Knight class is the Active (+) class, meaning that they purposefully wield their aspect in the service of others. The Heart aspect deals with emotion, intuition, souls, and identity, basically everything to do with the Self. 

So, a Knight of Heart is someone who uses their own emotions/identity to help others or helps others with their emotions/identity. This individual uses their compassion to make things happen, working tirelessly to defend the identities of others and even exploiting the desires and emotions of others to their advantage. They know exactly what to say or do in order to manipulate the emotions of the people around them because of their innate empathy.

Like all Knights, the Knight of Heart hides behind many masks due to the self-splintering nature of the Heart aspect, meaning they tend to shift their personality based on who they are interacting with. The Knight of Heart does this to conceal their insecurities about their deeper emotions, potentially even suppressing their personal sense of self. Overall, they help others accept their true selves and fight against inauthenticity.

I think this description fits Joker perfectly, though I understand wanting to type him as one of the Taker classes (he is technically a Thief of Heart). As a silent protagonist, Joker’s personality is kind of like a connect-the-dots drawing, except all the dots are unnumbered, so everyone is connecting the same ideas in different ways to make a unique picture. My personal interpretation of him is a guy who hides behind a cool, comedic facade, but is dedicated to helping others with their emotional problems and driven by a rebellious sense of justice. I think all of this aligns with the Knight class’s workaholism towards and deep insecurity surrounding their aspect. Additionally, Joker’s classpect fits with the powers he has in the game. A Knight of Heart can wield their own personality and soul, which is the literal definition of a Persona. Those with the Heart aspect also have the ability to splinter their souls, which aligns perfectly with Joker’s wildcard status, as he is able to hold, like, a hundred persona masks at a time.

Goro Akechi - PRINCE of LIGHT

“One who destroys Light or destroys through Light for themself.”

The Prince class is the Active (-) class meaning that they purposefully destroy their aspect or use their aspect to destroy, ghosting their opposite aspect in the process. The Light aspect describes information, luck, agency, and relevance.

A Prince of Light, then, would destroy information, importance, and luck in the service of themselves, taking all meaning away from their target and reducing its influence in the eyes of others. They can also use their own knowledge and importance as a tool to achieve their own agenda, often aggrandizing their own importance to a story. This is a secretive person, concealing their true knowledge through lies, misdirection, and manipulation in order to assert their own relevance. 

As a Prince, this classpect struggles against their inflated ego, stubbornly committing to reaching their goals no matter the cost. They hold themselves to too high a standard, flipping between self-hatred and massive pride. Combined with the Light aspect, the Prince of Light hides their true intentions until it's too late, appointing themselves as the righteous judge on who and what deserves meaning and agency. They can destroy themselves through their own Light, their overabundant knowledge and importance causing their downfall when their luck runs out.

I think this classpect speaks for itself. Most people who I’ve seen classpect Akechi have unanimously agreed that he’s a Prince. He is the definition of destructive, self or otherwise. What’s funny though is that everybody has a different interpretation of what exactly Akechi destroys… I even used to think he was a Prince of Blood, destroying bonds, connections, and promises. However, Akechi embodies the Light aspect and I could go on and on about how details of Akechi’s entire character match insanely well to the Prince of Light classpect. 

His all-out-attack finishers go from “My sole interest is uncovering the truth” to “I decide the truth”. His inverted classpect is a Sylph of Void, “one who heals Void or heals through Void for others”, which fits with his work upholding secrets in service of Shido’s conspiracy. Akechi’s Black Mask outfit conceals his entire body and face from view. He constantly hides what he truly feels under layers of lies and hidden meanings in order to prevent anyone from understanding his true self. His entire revenge plot boiled down to destroying Shido’s reputation. He destroyed his own importance and agency when he sacrificed himself in the engine room, becoming irrelevant to the public after his death and disappearing from the vanilla game’s narrative. I mean, my god, his in-game title is the PRINCE Detective, a job that revolves around uncovering truth, meaning, and knowledge. Need I say more? (I could but we’re going to move on.)

Sumire Yoshizawa - MAID of HEART

“One who creates Heart or creates through Heart for themself.”

The Maid class is the Passive (-) class, meaning that they passively wield, and even embody, their aspect to make it for themself. Again, the Heart aspect deals with emotion, intuition, souls, and identity, basically everything to do with the Self. 

The Maid of Heart is an individual who is able to make emotions/identity for themselves and is, metaphorically, made up of Heart. All Maids start out relying on others for their aspect, so the Maid of Heart is an individual who lets others dictate their feelings and entire sense of self. They would define themselves through their relationships, allowing their loved ones to decide who they are and what they want in life. The Maid’s total complacency towards their own souls means they’d initially hide their true personality, conforming to the passions of others while neglecting what they truly desire. 

As they progress, the Maid of Heart would start learning how to be independent, gradually shaping their identity and expressing their emotions, passions, and true self to the world. Once they broke free of their reliance on others, the Maid of Heart would become motivated by passion and love, creating their aspect of Heart by sharing their own. Others would be swept up by the force of which the Maid creates, whether that be literal souls or extreme, passionate feelings that range from love to hate. Through accepting every facet of themselves, the Maid of Heart is able to indirectly help others more easily act on their desires and forge a stronger sense of self. 

I feel like this aligns very well with Sumire’s struggle during Persona 5 Royal. She had defined herself in comparison to Kasumi, and her death robbed Sumire of the person she relied on her for identity. I think Maruki’s actualization represents Sumire’s inversion into a Bard of Mind, “one who decays Mind or decays through Mind for others”. She passively allowed her mind to be destroyed, losing the choice to accept her sister's death and instead replacing her individuality with her perception of Kasumi. Sumire’s desperation to stay in the false reality reflects this inversion as well, as she’d originally rather stay in blissful ignorance than make the painful choice to be herself. Additionally, her actualization also fits with her powers as a Maid of Heart, as she brought her sister’s soul back to life in a sense by adopting a false persona.

Sumire’s second awakening and social link during Third Semester were her first steps into becoming what would be a godtier Maid of Heart in Sburb. Another thing I like about this classpect for her is that the Heart aspect fits with Sumire’s tendency to merge with people she admires, both Joker and Kasumi, and adopt their characteristics. I think it's cute and funny that she would have the same aspect as Joker, (especially since she’s the only other Heart player in my au), because it parallels her having a matching metaverse outfit with Joker in the game!

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Those were my main thoughts for the three in terms of classpects. Homestuck is a pretty daunting piece of fiction for me, so I'm honestly kind of nervous trying to figure out details of this au. I'm better at personality typing than planning out a whole Sburb session, but I do have a couple ideas I wanna share out! Hopefully, people who are more familiar with the nitty gritty parts of Sburb sessions can give me some inspiration!

Ryuji Sakamoto - PAGE of RAGE

“One who inspires Rage or inspires through Rage for themself.”

The Page class is the Passive (-) class, meaning they passively wield their aspect in service of themselves, starting out their session with a deficit in that aspect. The Rage aspect encompasses anger, predetermination, skepticism, emotion, and contrivance.

A Page of Rage is a person who invites the exploitation of anger, predetermination, and skepticism for themselves. All Pages overcompensate for their initial weakness, slowly growing out of a misunderstanding of their aspect in order to achieve true mastery. For a Page of Rage, this means they first act overly angry and defiant without purpose. They seek to rebel, but their lack of critical thinking causes them to act out in confusing and chaotic ways. At the same time, the Page is easily pushed around, falling for lies or trickery and manipulated by reverse psychology.

Slowly, the Page of Rage wisens up to how they’ve been controlled and starts to direct their Rage towards those who’ve wronged them. Their anger becomes their motivation to fight for what they believe in and fight against what they don’t. Instead of starting petty squabbles, the Page starts engaging in debates and speaking out against what they hate. Their serious frustration and passion act as fuel for others to realize their own anger and join in on tearing down corrupt powers. By truly understanding Rage, the Page of Rage uses their failures as strength to stand their ground and turn their negativity against their enemies.

I was debating between Breath and Rage for Ryuji’s aspect, but Rage just fit too well for the guy. Ryuji is very driven by righteous fury. Every time he hears about an injustice done to someone, he always expresses how angry it makes him feel. People misunderstand him because he has a hard time controlling his temper, so he comes off as rude, violent, or stupid. It’s when Ryuji joined the Phantom Thieves that he finally found a place where he could learn how to use his Rage constructively. Additionally, right before his awakening, Kamoshida says that Ryuji “crushed his teammates' hopes” when he became a traitor. This is partially Kamoshida just being an asshole, but it's so perfect for Ryuji's aspect being the opposite of Hope. Also, Ryuji did occasionally invert into a Thief of Hope, “one who steals Hope or steals through Hope for themselves", when he became too focused on the Phantom Thieves' growing popularity and becoming a hero.

Another reason for Rage is that it makes sense on a metanarrative level when interpreted as a story element. Rage is thought to represent plot contrivances and anything in a story that makes the audience feel frustrated. We see this with Ryuji being the butt of the joke in P5’s story constantly, like when he gets beat up for comedic effect after serious plot points (his social link and after they escape Shido’s palace). Also, Ryuji has a ton of "dumb" moments in the game where he's too loud or impulsive and almost exposes the PTs. I’ve seen this infuriate so many people online, which is a pretty meta example of Ryuji literally inspiring Rage in people on his behalf. He's a large source of comedic relief in the game, but he’s often underestimated and mocked, which tracks for both the Rage aspect and Ryuji being a Page in general. One last thing I like about this typing is that Pages are thought to have a mentor who helps them on their journey. I think Joker acts as this for Ryuji, being the one to help him out with the track team, and with Ryuji being the “Bro” character in Persona 5. Joker being the Knight to Ryuji’s Page is just adorable. Alongside Knights, Sylphs can fit the mentor role for Pages too, but that classpect is a spoiler for part 3...

Ann Takamaki: WITCH of HOPE

“One who manipulates Hope or manipulates through Hope for themself.”

The Witch class is the Active (-) class, meaning they purposefully exploit their aspect by breaking the rules of what it can and cannot do. The Hope aspect is about belief, positivity, plot coherence, and miracles.

A Witch of Hope rebels against belief and miracles for their own benefit. They play around with people’s faith, influencing what people believe in by easing fears or manifesting desires. The Witch class wants to bring positive change to their environment, so a Witch of Hope is even more passionate about making their dreams a reality. This can be literal, as a Witch of Hope can manipulate the concept of realness and authenticity to reflect what they wish were true. They are the ultimate optimistic force, remaining confident in their perceptions, even if their beliefs sink into delusions. Ultimately, the Witch of Hope is the biggest cheerleader, seeing the silver lining to all situations and seeking to share their happiness with others.

The lives of Witches are spent surrounded by their aspect, both due to their interests and the environment they are raised in, to the point that their aspect threatens to overwhelm them. For a Witch of Hope, that means they’ve experienced a lot of optimism and desire, but are also held back by outside forces that dominate the Witch with their own beliefs and desires. Witches have both a Patron, the embodiment of their aspect, which seeks to control them, and a familiar, a guide that aids them with their aspect. The task of the Witch of Hope is to assert their own faith in themselves and their goals, rebelling against those restrictive forces to change the world into their ideal vision. 

I think Ann fits the Hope aspect pretty well, as she’s a very bubbly, enthusiastic person who likes to spread joy to others. This can cause her to be naive or make impulsive decisions, which is the kind of behavior she shows during her social link. We see her happy-go-lucky attitude towards modeling and the excuses she makes regarding how she prepares for shoots, like her inability to resist crepes. It’s when Ann sees the dedication Mika puts into her modeling that she begins to really challenge herself as a model. At the same time, Ann is inspired by Shiho’s strength, which fuels her to improve as a person. Ann says that she wants to be a “ray of light” for both Shiho and the people who see her in magazines (which could also mean her wanting to be a positive representation for other half-Japanese people ostracized by society). During the rooftop scene of her confidant, Shiho tells Ann that it was thanks to her that she was able to return to that roof, and that seeing her “eyes sparkle with motivation” helped her push through recovery. Shiho then said, “Being able to change others, that’s what true strength is,” which fits shockingly well for Ann as a Witch of Hope. Overall, Ann’s wish to be a source of optimism and inspiration for others is why I chose the Hope aspect for her.

Ann’s class is what I still really struggled with deciding on, but I really like her being a Witch. I was debating whether she could be a Mage of Hope, but then I remembered her second awakening Persona is Hecate, the literal goddess of witches, so I really had no choice in the matter! I’m pretty solid on who her familiar would be, but her patron was giving me some issues. I definitely think Morgana is Ann’s familiar since he’s 1) in love with her, 2) a cat, and 3) the embodiment of humanity’s hope. For her patron, one idea I had was typing Kamoshida as a Thief of Hope, “one who steals Hope or steals through Hope for themself” who then acts as a malicious force that steals Hope from Ann and her loved ones. We all hate Kamoshida, though, so another idea could be Carmen as her patron somehow, but I have no idea what kind of entity she would be in Sburb. Another thing I like about Witch of Hope for Ann is that it fits with her purely magic-based skillset in the game. Her fire powers and aesthetic match with the kind of white magic fire that Hope players wield. Also, Ann’s unique skills, "Crocodile Tears” and “Sexy Technique,” are examples of her manipulating Hope by making enemies believe she’s a damsel-in-distress or entrancing them with her looks. One last thing is that Ann and Ryuji having opposite aspects is hilarious and not intentional, but it does make sense!

Yusuke Kitagawa: HEIR of SPACE

“One who inherits Space or inherits through Space for others.”

The Heir class is the Passive (+) class, meaning that they passively manipulate their aspect and inherit the very qualities that aspect represents. The Space aspect describes creation, beginnings, setting, biology, and art. 

An Heir of Space naturally gravitates towards creation, art, and biology in order to manipulate them for the sake of others. The Heir of Space is an individual who is incredibly influenced by their own creativity, allowing their intuition and bouts of inspiration to lead them in life. Their attention bounces from interest to interest, fixating on the abstractness or complexity of one concept before moving to the next once they’re satisfied. As an Heir, they are easily influenced by their environment, trying out strange or foreign experiences if there’s even a slight connection to their current fascination. Their intense inquisitiveness makes the Heir of Space incredibly knowledgeable about their obsessions, from the tiniest details to large-scale theories.

With the Heir’s passion comes the risk of losing themselves to their aspect, which is especially concerning for the Heir of Space. To inherit Space also means to inherit loneliness, as Space is the aspect of physical, mental, and emotional distance. The Heir is susceptible to being changed through their own creation, being consumed by the immenseness of their surroundings. A Heir of Space must learn to let their creativity and instinct be a guide, adapting Space to their benefit rather than letting Space bend and shape them at its will.

Now, this one was obvious. Yusuke is the epitome of the Space aspect, even down to the way he constantly frames things with his fingers like Jade. And since he embodies a lot of the Space aspect, that means Yusuke being in the Heir class is also a good match. Kinda like Akechi, every scene with Yusuke shows why he fits his classpect. When we first meet Yusuke, we learn that he’s the pupil of the famous artist Madarame and the son of one of Madarame’s students. From when he was born, Yusuke was surrounded by art and the art world, literally inheriting the creative passion of his mother and the “skills” of his mentor. He even receives a physical heirloom from his mother once he’d learned the truth about the Sayuri, making him a true Heir of Space. His upbringing also matches the isolation Space players experience, as Yusuke eventually became the only student staying at the atelier when Madarame's abuse had driven away everyone else. He was forced to live in that shack by himself, barely given enough food or a proper bed. Even after Madarame’s heart is changed, Yusuke expresses how he doesn’t really have a home, having to stay at his school’s dorms. 

Yusuke’s social link is all about him trying to break out of his slump and create true beauty in his environment. Throughout his confidant, we see Yusuke determined to understand human emotion through observing the complexities of both Tokyo and Mementos. The trauma he experienced from Madarame made him feel as if he’d lost the instinctual purity with which he’d approached artistry. Yusuke expresses that he wants to change for the better and not be influenced by worldly desires like greed. The Phantom Thieves gave Yusuke the family he needed and the hope that inspired him to push past his challenges. Yusuke’s pursuit throughout the confidant showed him learning how to interact with his Space aspect, resisting being controlled by it, but also learning how to effectively use it in his life. Lastly, some small details for Yusuke being an Heir of Space in P5 are his ability to make skill cards and his specialization in Physical attacks! Also, Yusuke’s bad spending habits and starving artist shtick reflect how he’s easily influenced by physical concepts, or Space, which can cloud his better judgment.

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