electrifyking

Player: Kaysper
Contact: kaysper also Kaysper on discord!
Age: Extremely over 18
Other Characters: N/A

Name: Akihiko Sanada
Canon: Persona 3 Reload
Canon Point: September 22nd, roughly 10 minutes to midnight
Age: 18

Backstory:
Linky. But in quick summary:
Akihiko grew up in an orphanage with his sister Miki and best friend Shinjrio Aragaki. He lost his sister in a fire, and this trauma still haunts him. He was later adopted by a wealthy couple. (And I headcanon they were nothing but kind, and this left him with all sorts of survivor’s guilt.) In his teen years he began to see a hidden hour at the stroke of midnight, and strange creatures inhabiting it. These creatures were called Shadows, and his potential as a Persona user enabled him to survive the Dark Hour. He was then approached by a young woman named Mitsuru Kirijo, who offered him a chance to fight those monsters. He jumped on that offer.

By pure luck, Shinjiro also gained the ability to summon a Persona. The three teens formed a group called “SEES” (Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad) dedicated to hunting Shadows. But in a short time, tragedy struck. Shinjiro’s Persona raged out of control and killed a young mother who had been pulled into the Dark Hour, leaving her son orphaned. Shinjiro left SEES because of this, leaving just Akihiko and Mitsuru. On the cusp of Akihiko turning 18, their group was suddenly flooded with new Persona users. Akihiko took to this eagerly enough, acting as a mentor to the group. He even managed to get his friend Shinji back on the team, was riding high… Which is when he gets pulled to another world.
Personality:
Akihiko at first glance is the perfect image of a cool upper classman: captain of his boxing team, good grades, and an attitude that is calm, collected, and more than a little aloof. But that’s only one side of himself: behind his attitude, Akihiko is a massive dork. He keeps that cool front up to help hide his awkward and uncertain side, and how he struggles to express himself. Better to not appear weak, at the very least.

Normally, Akihiko is driven, competitive, and has a protective streak a mile wide. He also struggles with a compulsive side. Akihiko also strives for control, both over himself and any situation he finds himself in.

Motivation wise, Akihiko is always driven to be stronger. The only thing he loves more than training is challenge and competition. As such, he treats almost everything as a way to be tougher or an obstacle to overcome. Which can leave people feeling he treats things too lightly, or as though everything is a game.

The unfortunate thing is that Akihiko doesn’t have a concrete end goal: in his eyes he’ll never be strong enough, much as he might pretend otherwise. Akihiko also doesn’t really understand what it means to overdo it. He pushes himself hard in studies and in training. (And to the dismay of his peers, often does both at the same time.) No one can say he isn’t determined and motivated… But there’s ample grounds to say he doesn’t know how to relax, or give anything less than 100% all the time.

But in reality, Akihiko does all this because of his past trauma. He’s driven by regrets and guilt from his sister dying. That level of loss drives him to be strong, so that he never has to feel powerless, or sit by and watch something happen.

Akihiko doesn’t like people seeing his weakness, or anything he thinks could be seen as a weakness. After not being strong enough to save anyone, he’s decided no one is allowed to see him hurt. Because of this, Akihiko tends to downplay his emotions a lot, keeping that cool tough guy front in place. This costs him a lot of ability when it comes to processing and expressing emotions that don’t directly tie into punching stuff.

Akihiko also fights for control. He needs to be capable of acting on any challenge he encounters, and ideally mastering it. While he doesn’t have much of a “might makes right” mentality on the surface, there’s some clues in games like Arena that there’s a little bit of that mindset wired into his darker side. And he does his best to suppress it.

The one thing he can’t handle is not taking action at all; sitting still and doing nothing is perhaps the worst punishment that can be inflicted on Akihiko. (And also makes him a royal pain if he finds himself benched because of broken ribs.) The idea of being powerless drives Akihiko to take all sorts of risks. And that’s on his better days.

In his worst moods, Akihiko is abrasive, blunt, and ruthless. He’d rather be angry and impulsive than idle, and falls back on that when in doubt. Akihiko’s anger tends to come in sharp bursts, usually in an attempt to force his way on something, or to keep himself from getting overwhelmed. He can also opt for violence if desperate or enraged enough.

The one time he completely breaks down is with experiencing loss. It forces him to confront a lot of emotions and pain he’d rather ignore. When this happens, Akihiko can break hard, emotionally shutting down or crying if he’s on his own.

Also, so much survivors guilt. Akihiko tries not to get weighed down by it, but the past still shadows him. It always leaves him discontent and wondering if he deserves any of the things he gets. (Personal head canon: this is why Akihiko also has an awkward relationship with his adopted parents, much as he appreciates their love and support. It’s also why he’s caught flat footed when it comes to sincere admiration and compliments.) Still, that same guilt can also drive him to take risks, and uphold what he cares about.

Unsurprisingly, Akihiko values strength, though not usually power for its own sake. Akihiko saves his respect and admiration for people who are protecters. In terms of ideals, Akihiko tries to live up to being a responsible, older brother type for his friends and his teammates; someone who can mentor, guide, and shield others. More than anything, he tries to be a better person than he was as a scared and helpless kid.

Because of that, Akihiko also strives to improve himself. It’s perhaps unsurprising then, why he values competition and chances to constantly challenge himself. The same is true for other people who have a drive to get better; in a lot of cases, Akihiko finds himself easily stepping into the role of mentor or teammate for such people. It’s a mixture of altruism with lifting others up, but also a chance to push and test himself in turn.

In terms of trauma, Akihiko tries to act aloof, and like he doesn’t bleed. He does his best to suppress his pain and uncertainty, because showing it means admitting he’s weak. Losing control of his body after honing and training it will certainly count as trauma.

Akihiko will do his best to mask his pain and fear, though the cracks will show on him. He’ll try to find an outlet, a way to fight back or maybe even find some control of his abilities. In terms of becoming a monster… A part of him might even embrace it. Because that means power, and a chance to be stronger than he ever was.

So ultimately? Akihiko is a mess, kind of a dork, and he does his best to be strong. He’s a quintessential cool senpai, for better or for worse. And he loves to solve his problems with fists.

Powers/Abilities:
Mundane wise, Akihiko is a talented boxer, a good student with a decent IQ (when he bothers to use it) and a bizarrely good dancer.

Supernaturally speaking, Akihiko has the following three powers active:
1. Persona Summoning: Akihiko can summon the Persona Polydeucus, and this is the basis for the rest of his powers. He summons Polydeucus using his Evoker (and which comes with its own suicide imagery TW) but Arena shows that with enough drive, he can summon without his Evoker. For the game purposes, I would like his Persona to be a little on the fritz, and unpredictable with how it manifests and with using his other two abilities.
2. Zionga: Akihiko can call down lightning, and cause both damage and paralysis on his targets. In terms of Persona canon, Zionga is in the mid-tier of spells. (Read: it usually does triple digits)
3. Diarama: Akihiko can cast a healing spell that mends wounds and injuries, curing moderate damage.

In addition, Akihiko is weak to cold and ice magics. They have a way of slowing him down and throwing him off balance.
Inventory: Akihiko arrives with the clothes on his back, his Evoker for Persona summoning, and dressed in his SEES equipment. Which basically means he rolled up his sleeves, slapped on a cestus, put on a shoulder holster, and carries a small supply pack; for the sake of book keeping he’s carrying 3 HP recovering items, 2 SP recovery items… And 1 energy drink.
Game Plans: I would like to have Akihiko grapple with his drive for power and strength, and what happens when he gets more than he can handle. He’ll do his best to try and keep control, but it will likely be a losing battle for him; though trying to strive for Nirvana will give him something to work towards.
Monster Choice:
1. Yokai: Raiju
Akihiko has an affinity for lightning magic, and a wild, bestial, storm monster would be a cool fit for him! It would also tie into his impulsive side and fuel that.
2. Zoanthrope: Werewolf
Similarly, Akihiko’s impulsive nature would also tie in well with a werewolf. His emphasis on strength and power also plays well with the werewolf abilities!
3. Volare: Gargoyle
Akihiko’s protective side would tie in well with a gargoyle monster, alongside their physical prowess. and those badass wings.
Vehicle Choice: I would like to go with the Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle for Akihiko. And I’ll also go with the Fast quality for it.
Sample: Here!

OOC:

Player Handle: Kaysper
Contact: kaysper on discord, kaysper
Pronouns: she/her

Invite/Current Player: Invite Link
Other Characters: N/A


IC:

Character Name: Akihiko Sanada
Age: 18
Canon: Persona 3
Canon Point: September 22nd, midway through the game.

CRAU: N/A

History: Wiki link!
Quick version is that Akihiko grew up as an orphan. He lost his sister in a fire at a very young age, and this ordeal left a lot of scars on him. Since he was powerless to help her, he vowed to become stronger, taking up boxing.

When he hit his teens, he gradually became aware of a hidden hour at midnight, and the monsters dwelling there. He had no one to share this information with, and was likely convinced he was going crazy.

Before that spilled over, Akihiko met Mitsuru and was brought into the monster fighting, student organization known as SEES. Along with Mitsuru, Akihiko brought his childhood friend Shinjiro. Shinji eventually left after a terrible accident, but Akihiko stayed on. Gradually SEES gained more members. Akihiko has acted as an older brother mentor and team dad to a lot of new recruits, all the way up to September.

Personality:
At first glance, Akihiko is the textbook definition of a boxing king, and perfectly fits his emperor arcana. He is a touch aloof, with a calm and collected front, and a knack for both command and gentle lead-by-example authority. Strong, tough, and just a little bit cool.

This isn’t a complete lie, but it’s also not a complete picture on who he is.

This boy is a straight A student with the emotional intelligence and finesse of a brick. He can ace exams, obliterate boxing matches, and go toe to toe with some of the fiercest monsters… But when it comes to actually interacting with people on anything outside of a formal introduction? His main approach is to be as aloof and detached as possible.

This is because of trauma… And because Akihiko is in fact a massive dork past that initial cool front. He’s a little awkward with expressing himself, and a bit too enthusiastic about tackling challenges.

Akihiko doesn’t like people seeing his weakness, or anything he thinks could be seen as a weakness. After not being strong enough to save anyone as a child, he seems to have decided no one is allowed to see him cry. (Or bleed, for that matter.) Because of this, Akihiko tends to downplay his emotions a lot, keeping that cool tough guy front in place.

This costs him a lot of ability when it comes to processing and expressing emotions that don’t directly tie into punching stuff, or anything he can turn into a competition.

This said, Akihiko works well as a second (or even third) in command, acting like a big brother mentor towards a lot of his SEES teammates. He’s a person who leads by example, and doesn’t do a ton of ordering people around. Mostly he just sets the pace and figures everyone else will either keep up, or he’ll help carrying them along. He doesn’t browbeat or bully people, but there’s a part of him that needs to be leading the charge.

Akihiko fights for control all the time. He needs to be capable of acting on any challenge he encounters, and ideally mastering it. While he doesn’t have much of a “might makes right” mentality on the surface, there’s some clues in games like Arena that there’s a little bit of that mindset wired into him. And he does his best to suppress it.

He is, however, incredibly competitive. And has a very gung-ho “come on guys, let’s go get them!” attitude towards any and all challenges. Whether that’s an eating contest, or a physical bout. The one thing he can’t handle is not taking action at all; sitting still and doing nothing is perhaps the worst punishment that can be inflicted on Akihiko.

This is largely because despite it all, Akihiko still has a kind heart. While his main concern is getting stronger, that ties into a need to help others. He’s not one to stand back if there’s trouble, and is more than ready to charge headfirst into the fray.

In short, a very dorky and complicated but good hearted young man.

Abilities: Akihiko is a skilled athlete and boxer. He is also a Persona user, capable of summoning a supernatural and mythological aspect of himself that can rain down lightning, provide rudimentary healing, and slap down some debuffs to an opponent’s attack, defense, and evasion. He normally summons this using an Evoker, which resembles a gun. However, he uses it to suppress his conscious mind in order to bring forth his Persona... With some very suicide heavy imagery. Later canon implies that he can also learn how to summon without an Evoker. Also a surprisingly decent dancer.

Inventory: His school uniform, a pair of reinforced leather gloves, and an Evoker.

Eternal Reward: The chance to talk to his sister one more time.

Goals/Ideas: Hunt monsters! Fruitlessly search for his departed sister since she’s dead! (But very much not here given that she died as a child, but this won’t stop him from looking.) Try to work nicely with the police force and likely fail a lot at it. Be wary but intrigued by the pro-fighting AWE circuit, absolutely sign on with BEASTFORCE to better fight and hunt monsters. And maybe adopt a Lisa Frank-tier neon kitten, boy needs to learn how to express his sweet side.

Samples: Sample

Secret Code Phrase: "All glory to the Neon Hypnotoad."