(Canon Point: Post-game)

Yusuke Kitagawa is an artist down to his very marrow. He has a keen eye for aesthetics and chooses to find beauty in even the most mundane objects and daily activities. Though only in high school, he has been awarded many accolades and scholarships for his skills and works hard to maintain expectations.

Yusuke may be articulate when it comes to his art, but he's a bit of a mess in other regards. The collected and rational demeanor he carries himself with can easily come off as aloof and peculiar. Tact is a foreign concept to most of his social circle and he is definitely not exempt from that. Rude comments will fly from his mouth without a second thought, but this has less to do with him being cruel and more so because he stays true to his ideals and beliefs. Yusuke will not hesitate to speak his mind on any subject. Although his passion is one to be admired, his pride and standards as an artist can often cause him to bump heads with other. Dedication to art also gets in the way of his own health, as he will often choose to spend his money on art supplies as opposed to food and basic necessities. If he were not living in his high school dormitory due to a full ride, he would likely be painting on the streets.

Persona 5 spoilers past this point. Abuse and suicide content wanring.

Much of Yusuke's interest in art is his own, but it was also fostered for the selfish gain of a man named Madarame. Madarame knew Yusuke's mother when the boy wasn't even old enough to remember his mother's face. When Madarame found her suffering from a fatal stroke, he chose not to act and let her die so that he could steal and profit off of her art. He took the boy in as his own and stole his mother's masterwork, the "Sayuri". The painting depicted a mother with her infant son and was meant to signify maternal love. However, in order to "give it more value in the art world" and distance its connection to Yusuke's mother, Madarame desecrated her work by painting white clouds over the infant, giving the piece a more mysterious air.

The "Sayuri" would go on to be highly praised as Madarame's finest work and was heavily sought after. When he smelled a money making opportunity, he devised a scheme to profit off the painting's success. A lie was fabricated that the original "Sayuri" was stolen. After this fact was accepted by the media, Madarame began selling forgeries to unsuspecting art critics who were told that it was the real deal. The real "Sayuri" was safely tucked away in a locked room in his shack and the public, and even Yusuke, remained none the wiser. Madarame was praised as a visionary artist, but while this may have been the case once upon a time the truth was he saw art as nothing more than a means to make a profit.

Yusuke, who knew nothing of his guardian's past actions, grew up believing that Madarame was a kind and talented mentor - a paragon of the art world. However, there was still evidence in plain sight that suggested otherwise. Madarame was known for bringing in art pupils and abusing them. He would take their artwork and publish them as his own, greatly bolstering his reputation as a versatile artist. The pupils couldn't take the constant abuse, nor could they speak up against Madarame as any criticism would be silenced. Many either wound up homeless or committed suicide after their service to him was done. Yusuke himself was not exempt from this treatment. However, Yusuke lived in denial that what his guardian was doing was wrong. He was indebted to Madarame for fostering him and would give anything to pay him back, even his own artwork and self respect.

This finally changed when he met the Phantom Thieves. The Phantom Thieves were a group of vigilantes who had the mysterious power to change people's hearts. This was accomplished by entering a person's heart through an alternate world based on cognition called the "Metaverse." If a person has distorted desires or emotions, they form what is called a "Palace" in the Metaverse. In this Palace, the distorted desires of the owner take the form of a "Treasure" located deep within." When this Treasure is stolen, that person loses all their twisted desires, hence undergoing a change of heart. If they are guilty of sin, they become overwrought with guilt and confess all their wrongdoings. After the Phantom Thieves had accomplished once with an abusive high school teacher, they decided to move on to a new target. This next target was Madarame.

Yusuke refused to listen to the Phantom Thieves when they insisted that Madarame was abusive and became increasingly hostile when the subject was brought up. However, after gaining access to the room Madarame locked "Sayuri" away, he ran from him straight into the Metaverse. It was there that Yusuke learned what his mentor truly thought about art. After seeing the blackness of his mentor's heart with his own eyes, Yusuke could deny the truth no longer. After gaining the strength of will to rebel against his abusive mentor, he gained the power of "Persona" and fought alongside the Phantom Thieves to steal Madarame's Treasure and make him confess his sins. After the operation was successful, Yusuke gained a new resolve in life and continued to serve the Phantom Thieves for a long as the Metaverse remained active.

Though Yusuke thought his feelings regarding Madarame were resolved along with the heist, in truth he still had mixed feelings. He couldn't simply be rid of years of admiration he had for the artist, despite knowing that he was simply being used. Yusuke also went into an artist's slump, wondering if he was painting for the love of the craft or for an unspoken desire for attention. At the time he could only view things in black and white; there could only be one definite answer to anything. However, his teammates showed him that life was far more complex than that. There could be beauty in despair, and hope in turmoil. After coming to this realization, he was finally able to rid himself of his artist's block and come to terms with his relationship with his mentor.

Spoilers end here.

Yusuke has grown extensively since his time with Madarame. Though his eccentric nature can be difficult for some to handle, he has become much less introverted and has found his own group of friends. He has become more compassionate and understanding and is quick to offer his assistance. His analytical eye is a great asset to his team, and he's often the one to ask questions no one else thinks to.