Sumire Yoshizawa

Sans-Senpai, ketchup me!

**Sumire Yoshizawa** is a major protagonist from **Persona 5 Royal**. She made her series debut in *Be My Valentine*.

## Canon

Sumire Yoshizawa is a talented gymnast who, while studying at Shujin Academy became involved with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts through befriending their enigmatic leader, codename Joker.

Raised alongside her sister, Kasumi, the two shared an incredibly close bond and trained in gymnastics together from a young age. Though they got along well, the sisters were like polar opposites: Kasumi was strong and confident, able to act maturely and look after her sister. Sumire, on the other hand, was insecure and anxious, and often had to rely on Kasumi to look after her. Additionally, Kasumi excelled in gymnastics where Sumire stumbled, which bred an inferior complex within the latter sister—she resented living in Kasumi's shadow, and wished she could be more like her.

One day, whilst walking home from gymnastics practice, Sumire became flustered and frustrated at her perceived failure. She stormed off from Kasumi and carelessly wandered into the road, out in front of a car. Kasumi raced after her, and pushed her out of the way—but tragically, was struck by the car instead.
Kasumi died there, in the street, having sacrificed herself to save Sumire.

Sumire was completely devastated, totally withdrawing into her own self-hatred and despising herself for what had transpired. She blamed herself, wishing she was the one who had died, and was crippled by depression and guilt. In an effort to help her, Sumire's parents arranged for her to meet with Takuto Maruki, a local counsellor. Unbeknownst to either of them, Maruki was beginning to awaken to his powers of Actualisation—which both would soon see the effects of.

Confiding in him, Sumire told Maruki that she wished it had been her that had died, and that her sister had survived instead. She told him that she had always longed to become her sister—and something in his subconscious was triggered. Without control over what was happening, Maruki's powers activated, and rearranged Sumire's mind: Now, she firmly believed she was indeed Kasumi, and that Sumire was the one who had died. Her personality and memories were completely altered, and whenever someone called her "Sumire," she would instead hear "Kasumi", assuring the illusion could not be broken.

Eventually, "Kasumi" met Joker, the leader of the Phantom Thieves, while attending Shujin Academy. Initially introduced by Maruki, the two became close friends. One day, however, "Kasumi" left behind a good luck charm at school, which Joker found. Intent on bringing it back to her, Joker went to find her—only to discover, to his shock, that she had wandered into a mysterious Palace resembling a laboratory. It was here that she was attacked by Shadows, and awakened to her Persona Cendrillon—and the distortion in her mind began to crack.

Eventually, "Kasumi" would stumble into this Palace again in January, when it would be revealed that it in fact belonged to the now godlike Maruki. It was here that the truth was finally revealed, and she became Sumire once again. After an initial battle against the Phantom Thieves, wishing to stay in Maruki's ideal reality, Sumire eventually saw the error of her ways and agreed to help them defeat Maruki.

Alongside Joker and the Phantom Thieves, Sumire swore that she would live as her authentic self and not let the death of her sister weigh her down. With the strength of her Will Power, she helped to defeat Maruki and tear down his ideal reality, restoring the world back to how it was meant to be.

Inspired by her time with the Phantom Thieves, Sumire returned to gymnastics with a renewed confidence. Her life had been changed for the better, and in Kasumi's honour, she would live her life truthfully and to the fullest.

## Pre-ArcRift

Sumire was recovering from an intense gymnastics competition, emotional after a rigorous amount of training ultimately bore little fruit. She received the mysterious Valentine's letter and, upon reading, was knocked unconscious and transported to the Valentine's party.

## Plot Involvement

*This information will be elaborated upon within further progress of the Arc.*

## Character Relationships

* *Sans* - A character from **Undertale** who also debuted in *Be My Valentine*. TBA

## Trivia

* ArcRift's Sumire is taken from four years after Persona 5 Royal, placing her in 2020.