Tang Ze

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Tang Ze (唐泽君)
Alias(es)	Tang Ze Zhao; Joker; Curacao; Yusuke Kitagawa (assumed identity) 482 703 967 1158
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	18 14
Affiliation	Leader of the Phantom Thief Troupe / Phantom Thieves of Hearts 861
Occupation/Role	Teitan High School student; Phantom Thief; former undercover operative in his past life 67 188
Status	Alive 1268

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
The Magician Arcana — Rank 1	7	Formed a new pact with Lavenza and gained the ability Free Fighting.
Persona Awakening — Arsene Robin	12	Awakened Arsene Robin in Maru Denjirou's Cognitive World after tearing off his mask.
Full Effort of a Genius	883	Gained a passive effect increasing all skill-experience gain by 50%.
Rank 5	1055	Reached Rank 5 after recognizing the Organization's manipulation of his first-loop self.
Resolve Lv. 2	1058	Acquired after separating from Furuya Rei; the exact effect is not specified.

Background

Tang Ze's past-life self spent six years embedded in an undercover operation codenamed Operation Wosha. Chosen partly because he lacked attachments and could regulate his emotions, he retired after the mission succeeded. 67

In his current life, Tang Ze describes his childhood condition as high-functioning autism connected to hyperthymesia—an overwhelming memory capacity. His parents, Tang Ze Yichuan and Tang Ze Leona, devoted themselves to his treatment and taught him a method of isolating memories into separate mental “drawers.” At age ten, he used this method to overcome his cognitive impairment and begin functioning normally. 405 482 746

The Organization later seized control of his parents and their cognitive-science research. After their deaths, Tang Ze sealed memories related to them rather than risk revealing their work under coercion. His memories were subsequently tampered with during the period between his arrest and trial, leaving him with fragmented trauma and a false understanding of his own past. 77 482

Transferred from Kyoto to Tokyo under the stigma of a wrongful criminal accusation, Tang Ze initially adopted the role of a withdrawn, unstable, and socially awkward teenager to lower the Organization's guard. He lived above the Polo Cafe, entered the Cognitive World through the Otherworld Navigator, and became the Phantom Thief known as Joker. 10 188 482

Appearance

Tang Ze is an eighteen-year-old boy of mixed heritage whose rounded, baby-faced appearance makes his preferred mature clothing style look younger rather than older. 14 676 761

• Prefers smart-casual clothing, especially khaki or deep-gray jackets, trench coats, and black, white, or gray layers. 10
• Has a long, raised scar running diagonally across his waist and abdomen. 163
• His early Phantom Thief attire consists of black clothing and a scarlet scarf, manifested after Arsene Robin's awakening. 12
• When invoking Twenty Faces, he can manifest a pitch-black cloak and a bone-like mask. 180
• His Phantom Thief form includes white strands framing his face and an unusually long red scarf. 91 355

Personality

Tang Ze is observant, calculating, and exceptionally skilled at reading people. He can rapidly infer motives from behavior, exploit social expectations, and construct believable roles for different audiences. His acting is so habitual that he treats it as a passive skill. 65 465 798

His personality is layered. Around strangers, he presents the quiet, reclusive image expected of Tang Ze Zhao; once he chooses to close the distance, he becomes witty, considerate, and easy to trust. Beneath both layers, he remains guarded and keeps his deeper emotions hidden. 188 472

Despite his manipulative methods, Tang Ze is driven by empathy and a refusal to abandon victims. He resists treating allies as disposable tools, supports people facing trauma or uncertainty, and repeatedly uses his power to give others a second chance. 140 271 689 1193

He prefers to retain control of a situation and make the final decision himself. Tang Ze listens to advice, but his concern for others often manifests as quietly arranging outcomes he believes will protect them. 883 1076

Abilities & Skills

Wild Persona

Tang Ze possesses the Wild attribute, allowing him to use multiple Personas rather than being limited to a single one. He attributes this capacity to the methods used in his parents' training and treatment. 800

• Arsene Robin — His awakened Persona, first summoned against Maru Denjirou. 12
• Orpheus — Grants physical absorption and immediate recovery; Tang Ze used it to survive a gunshot wound. 77
• Izanagi-no-Okami — A powerful graduate Persona summoned against cognitive Gin. 235
• Yoshitsune — A physical-damage Persona used to perform Hassou Tobi. 1217
• Tens of Thousands of Proverbs — A high-damage skill used against cognitive Gin. 236
• His ordinary offensive Persona skills cannot directly affect reality, though his physical durability and recovery still function there. 77
• The Organization's cognitive “protection mechanism” can cause wounds suffered in a Palace to reopen after he returns to reality. 239

Cognitive-World Navigation

Tang Ze uses the Otherworld Navigator to enter Palaces and other Cognitive Worlds. He understands that a Palace reveals its owner's desires and hidden self, making it a powerful intelligence-gathering tool. 67 658

• Leads the Phantom Thief Troupe during Cognitive World operations. 230 861
• Uses the Third Eye to locate targets, follow Tarot guidance, and identify hidden paths or dangers. 593 787
• Combines battlefield analysis with rapid movement, acrobatics, and Persona switching. 230 282
• Can identify and exploit a Palace owner's distorted cognition through observation and psychological analysis. 67 800

Wish-Granting and Resurrection

Tang Ze possesses a special ability related to wishes and Desire Stones. He states that this power is separate from his parents' research. 577 883

• Revived Hirotsugu Morofushi with Edo Tensei. 689
• Helped bring Matsuda Jinpei back through the hatching of a second egg. 745
• His wish initially began reviving Furuya Rei's fallen friends without Furuya's consent. 1193
• Attempts to revive his parents and later Kihara River failed. 883 1193
• The Desire Stone appears subject to an unknown condition or cooldown. 1193

Contract-Derived Support Skills

Tang Ze's connections with allies function as transactions or contracts that can produce specialized support effects. 1156

• Can transfer negative conditions from allies onto himself; he exploits Persona immunities to neutralize transferred debuffs. 274
• Temporarily transferred Conan's APTX4869-induced child state onto himself, restoring Conan's adult body for up to twenty minutes. 658
• The transformation-transfer skill has a two-hour non-combat cooldown and causes severe pain to Tang Ze. 658
• Can temporarily grant a weakened version of one person's special ability to another while directing the team. 1103

Disguise, Acting, and Sleight of Hand

Tang Ze is an accomplished actor and disguise specialist, capable of adopting identities ranging from fragile victim to threatening criminal mastermind. 65 350 454

• Uses makeup, hairstyling, clothing, and skin suits to alter appearances. 94 508 748
• Has impersonated or maintained identities including Yusuke Kitagawa and Curacao. 703 1158
• Can perform close-up card magic convincing enough to impress professional magicians. 414 870
• Uses disguise equipment as both infiltration tools and potential close-quarters weapons. 508

Combat and Physical Skill

Tang Ze combines his Persona-enhanced body with prior undercover experience and formal combat techniques.

• Received Free Fighting through his Magician Arcana pact. 7
• Can perform grapples and takedowns against larger opponents. 654
• Maintains exceptional stamina and can overwhelm large groups in the Cognitive World. 89 209
• His K Brooch further enhanced his already abnormal physical abilities. 281

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Otherworld Navigator — Phone-based interface used to access the Cognitive World and manage his team. 658
• Red scarf — A will-responsive scarf that can extend into a highly mobile rope or zipline. 91 951
• K Brooch — A brooch containing X Alloy; it improves Tang Ze's physical performance and is connected to Kaito Kid's father's disappearance. 281 363
• Desire Stones — Items tied to his wish-granting and resurrection attempts. 577 1193
• Disguise supplies — Makeup, hairstyle accessories, cards, clothing, and skin suits used for infiltration. 414 508 748

Relationships

• Tooru Amuro / Furuya Rei — Initially Tang Ze's wary guardian and interrogator; later a trusted ally who plans operations with him and encourages his wishes. 7 302 800 883
• Hoshikawa Teru — First major recruit and close partner. Tang Ze helped free him from Organization conditioning, while Teru later impersonates Tang Ze at school and assists in troupe operations. 77 736
• Ai Haibara / Shiho Miyano — His parents' former experimental assistant and a sibling-like ally. Tang Ze supports her research and protects her safety. 239 274 667
• Akemi Miyano — Teammate and trusted collaborator in Palace battles, research discussions, and troupe planning. 230 239 354
• Edogawa Conan / Shinichi Kudo — Friend, confidant, and occasional investigative partner. Tang Ze offers emotional guidance and temporarily restores Conan's adult form at personal cost. 144 658 666
• Ran Mouri — Friend whom Tang Ze encourages through romantic insecurity, career uncertainty, and psychological stress. 140 272 801
• Lavenza — His enigmatic guide and pact-maker, responsible for granting the Magician Arcana and providing cryptic guidance about his identity and wishes. 7 482 577
• Kaito Kid / Kaito Kuroba — Uneasy ally and fellow master of disguise. They cooperate around X Alloy and have exchanged identities during operations. 363 967
• Hirotsugu Morofushi — A resurrected ally whom Tang Ze encourages to live freely and begin again. 689 703
• Matsuda Jinpei — Another revived ally; Tang Ze supports his return to public life and gives him opportunities to act openly again. 745 1079

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Arrival in Tokyo and first awakening — Tang Ze receives the Magician Arcana from Lavenza, enters the Cognitive World, and awakens Arsene Robin while confronting Maru Denjirou. 7 12
• Formation of the Phantom Thief Troupe — He recruits Hoshikawa Teru, assumes the identity of Hayato Tonokuchi as part of his Organization infiltration, and begins building a team of Persona users. 77 94
• Palace operations against the Organization — Tang Ze leads assaults on Cognitive Worlds connected to Organization members, including Kenzo Masuyama's Roman-colosseum Palace. 230 235 236
• Identity and memory investigation — After recovering fragmented memories, he concludes that Tang Ze and Tang Ze Zhao are the same person and that he sealed his own memories to protect his parents' work. 465 482
• Kihara River investigation — Tang Ze deliberately feigns psychological instability and cooperates with hypnosis sessions to expose Kihara's obsession with Tang Ze Yichuan and locate his Palace. 746 798 800
• Resurrection efforts — He uses wish-related powers to restore Hirotsugu Morofushi and Matsuda Jinpei, while continuing to seek a way to revive his parents. 689 745 883 1193
• Continuing war against the Organization — Tang Ze uses intelligence networks, false identities, Cognitive World raids, and his expanding social connections to dismantle the Organization's infrastructure. 625 1006 1183

Notable Quotes

“I'm actually a very easily satisfied person. I have no other desires, I just want to live a peaceful life. I don't like to dwell on wins or losses. Those things bring me trouble and enemies. But if you insist on fighting me, I won't lose to anyone.” 269

“Mr. Morofushi, you are your completely free self. You have been reborn.” 689

Trivia

• Tang Ze prefers clothing suitable for a much older man, but his baby face makes the style appear unexpectedly childish. 10 14
• His English score is in the 70s, despite being able to speak Chinese fluently. 383 946
• He openly enjoys close-up magic, though he claims his repertoire is limited. 414 870