The World Ends With You

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The World Ends With You
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The World Ends With You
Overview

"Uh-huh. And here's me playing the world's tiniest violin. Did you think you were special? Every Player here put up something they loved. Everybody makes sacrifices."
— Joshua to Neku (Joshua, Day 2)

Yoshiya Kiryu (桐生 義弥 Kiryū Yoshiya), nicknamed Joshua (ヨシュア Yoshua), is a major character in The World Ends with You and a playable character. He is Neku Sakuraba's second partner in the Reapers' Game during its second week. Joshua also has a small role in NEO: The World Ends with You.

Appearance[]

As a Player, Joshua has the appearance of a 15 year-old boy with a rather slender build. His eyes are dark violet-colored, and he has wavy, tousled, neck-length ash blond hair with a gray-ish tone (referred to as "ash-gray" in the Dream Drop Distance novelization).[2] He has slightly pale skin compared to other characters like Beat and Neku. Joshua wears a gray-ish lavender short-sleeved button-down shirt, with white lining around the hems of the sleeves. He also wears dark gray trousers that slouch over the tops of his white sneakers with black laces and soles. His shirt is loosely unbuttoned at the neck and the low hem of the shirt. Due to the amount of wrinkles and bagginess, his clothes appear a bit too big for him. According to Neku, Joshua's appearance may look weak or fragile, as he describes him as a "pipsqueak" when he meets him for the first time.[3] However, several other characters take note of his attractiveness, with both Kariya and a Wall Reaper referring to him as "pretty boy," and the latter implying he looks good in Natural Puppy.

ComposerSwitch

Joshua in his higher form.

As the Composer, Joshua is shown to have a taller, spiritual form in which he appears shrouded in a white mist, his features indistinct. His higher form still resembles his human form somewhat, with his distinctive hairstyle being visible. This form and the Secret Reports imply the appearance he had during the game was due to him downtuning, which resulted in him appearing as a teenager.

Although Joshua is never shown with wings in the original game, he was first given a pair of white feathery wings in Dream Drop Distance, and appears to posses a similar pair in The Animation ending scene. These were seemingly canonized in NEO: The World Ends With You, as Hazuki, another Composer, leaves behind a white feather when he vanishes. Joshua was also represented by the "baby angel" emoji during his character reveal on the official TWEWY PR twitter account, presumably due to the small pair of white wings it posseses.

In NEO: The World Ends with You, Joshua's appearance hasn't changed significantly, but there are some differences, like how he appears slightly older and a good bit taller, now reaching the name height as Beat. His hair now covers more of his right eye and is flared at the back. His hair appears more pointed and less curly, giving it a more deliberately styled look. He wears a white dress shirt with grey lining on its pockets and short sleeves. His sleeves have five black decorative print of stars that form a circle on them. He wears a lighter pair of jeans which notably do not cover as much of his shoes as compared to the first game. He wears plain white sneakers with white laces and soles, contrasting his black ones from the first game. His clothes are still a bit baggy, but appear to fit him a little better than before.

Personality[]

"It's quickly evident Joshua is clever beyond his fifteen years—as sly as they come. Unfortunately, his insufferably snotty attitude only serves to widen the gulf between him and Neku...but his knowledge, especially about the Game, does earn him some points."
— Game manual description
Joshua27

Joshua is extremely intelligent, boasting a refined taste in addition to vast knowledge of both the Realground and the Underground. Unfortunately, these traits are often overshadowed by his air of arrogance that can make him difficult to work with. Occasionally bringing up his own intelligence and sheer brilliance, he thinks and acts on his own, always keeping his intentions mysterious, and is difficult to predict. Joshua is often blunt with his words which can make him seem insensitive, even if he does have a point. He has a smug smile on his face most of the time, tends to tease when he is not sharing information and often answers ambiguously when Neku accuses him of something, thus not outright lying. These snobby qualities often make him appear condescending and antagonistic—especially to Neku, whom he deliberately seems to enjoy provoking. Some of this provoking includes flirtatious remarks, such as soon after their first meeting when Neku is suspicious of his true motives, Joshua tells Neku he'll blush if he keeps staring at him. Many of his lines like "You watch my behind, I'll watch yours" also seem to be intended with double meaning. He even gets nicknamed "Prissy Kid" by Beat due to his snobby attitude. However, he usually treats people other than Neku with a degree of cordiality and is easily amused by the people of Shibuya. Despite his snobbiness, he is also not above rather immature humour, as he enjoys teasing Neku whenever the Reapers request him to wear childish/silly clothing, and it's not lost on him that Shooter's explanation about Tin Pin Slammer including "a guy's fiery passion slamming into the other guy's" can be taken out of context.

Joshua rarely gets truly worked up about anything, usually faking it even when he appears to be exerting effort, and he never shows extreme anger and only rarely basic sadness, though he does express a genuine surprise and concern at times during the Game (over Megumi's, Sho's and Hanekoma's plans) and is at one point passive-aggressively annoyed and sarcastically thanks Neku when he says something really obvious at the time he is trying really hard to think and needs silence–something he does a couple times but never lets Neku in on what is truly going on. In the anime, he mentions he is a "work smart, not hard" guy. He tells Neku that he doesn't like to move much and hates sweating, and prefers to not run or try to get worked up about things like Neku does, finding Neku's stronger reactions either amusing or a bit tiresome. He often encourages Neku to take it easy and reminds him that other Players can finish missions for them, teasing Neku for being too serious about the Game. Despite this, when it's necessary to the mission, he puts his efforts equally. He is pragmatic and willing to cheat if he feels he needs to. He sabotages Shooter with no guilt and tells Neku they didn't have to win, but Shooter just had to lose. He can be cold and cruel, at one point putting pressure on BJ, mocking him for his crush and even rather nastily calling her "some tramp," with even Neku being surprised by this and reminding himself to not get on Joshua's bad side.

While he is often indifferent to people's problems that don't concern him, Joshua does seem to take interest in resolving situations. This is shown when he resolved the incident with 777's stolen megaphone, to the point that Neku mentioned that he acted like "private detective", calling him a "private dick extraordinaire". He also has extensive knowledge of Shibuya's culture and history, enjoys making lectures and sudden quizzes to Neku about them, and gets notably annoyed when Neku proves he hasn't paid attention. Apparently, Joshua also likes the anime Tin Pin Slammurai or at least has a fair amount of knowledge about it, as he explains the latest plot development of the week to Neku who internally judges him for watching "kiddie TV". He also appears to be a fan of Ranpo's The Fiend With Twenty Faces, a juvenile mystery novel. These two interests seem to highlight the fact that he possesses quite a bit of emotional immaturity, in contrast to how he's rather intelligent for his age. This is furthered in the Japanese version, where he childishly refers to his parents as "Papa and Mama" during his introduction. When visiting the alternate universe of Another Day, Joshua becomes addicted to the Tin Pin Slammer game and distracted to the point that Hanekoma has difficulty reaching him for several days. He shows a rare moment of petty annoyance when Neku beats him in a Tin Pin match and shows hints of being a sore loser about it by accusing his partner of practicing in secret with a genuinely annoyed expression. When Neku wonders why shopping is a game mechanic of the Reapers' Game in the first place, Joshua casually asks back why wouldn't it be and states that shopping is simply fun. During Week 2, he is also seen to have a liking for ramen and is capable of describing what he eats in great detail. In general, he seems to enjoy long philosophical talks about humanity and human relationships.

He often expresses himself with analogy and metaphor, while also using cordial and moderated language. While Joshua is not expressive or emotive, he tend to moves his hands a lot when talking or explaining things. He also likes to comb and play with his hair. During his idle animations, he is often seen combing part of his hair while looking side to side. In the anime, he also has a habit of snapping his fingers right before using his more advanced abilities such as controlling the environment or the people around him, though this appears to be purely his own personal habit to emphasize his power and authority as the Composer and not out of any necessity, as he never does this while posing as an ordinary Player. Whenever he becomes genuinely upset, he appears to close himself off completely, averting his gaze and clenching his fists. The similarities to his Composer sprite imply he often wears the same expression while in that form.

You killed me

Neku confronts Joshua about his lies and manipulation.

While much wiser and more mature than his appearance suggests, Joshua's attitude masks his deep-seated misanthropy, as he was willing to eradicate all life in Shibuya and often passively encouraged Neku to give in to his own hatred of others to help justify that decision. He feels that Shibuya is filled with shallow, unchanging people, and states on several occasions that he would rather not interact with others at all. He believes that him and Neku are similar in their preference to not be around other people and is amused and sometimes surprised and even confused when Neku acts and talks in a way he considers to be unlike him. He acknowledges to Neku that everyone has their own woes and hang-ups, but states that for those same reasons Neku isn't special for his troubles and that of course other people cannot be understood because "everyone has their own little internal world–a secret garden only they can enter" and each individual's world follows its own internal logic which means nothing in another and thus it's pointless to even try to understand–that understanding others isn't just hard, but downright impossible.

After the ramen episode, he briefly appears to show a more softer side and understanding of humans, describing how people find comfort in familiar things instead of constant adventure and new trends, and states that "love has always been the world's best secret ingredient." He then admits to Neku that he's been thinking and that perhaps everyone in Shibuya is there searching, struggling for a peek into their neighbors' worlds, and that people get scared when others around them change and feel they should change too, even if it means changing who they really are. He says people can't go through life alone as they live as part of a community, but then furthers Neku's antisociality by mentioning how the rules get trickier the more people connect, and thus those rules and the other people shouldn't matter. When the Taboo Noise are attacking both Reapers and Players, he gives the choice whether or not to help them to Neku. He saves Neku from Sho's attack and risks some harm on his own way at the end of the week, telling Neku with an encouraging smile that he thought he can't afford to lose and that giving up on himself means giving up on the world.

In spite of his cynical thoughts, Joshua does seem to have an interest in the progression of mankind as a whole, as according to Hanekoma he didn't create the entry fees to cause pain but to make Players think about what's truly important in life and improve themselves. Kitaniji has stated that Joshua's utmost concern was humanity's happiness, and that his work was motivated by a boundless love (though how well Kitaniji truly knows his Composer is unclear,) speaking of him like a flawless object of worship while describing him to the Players. Though, in the anime, he at one point seems a bit amused as he points out to Mitsuki Konishi that the Composer has a mischievous streak, acknowledging his more whimsical side. When talking to Kitaniji about his plans to wipe out Shibuya, it is implied he is only considering it as a last resort, as he mentions he has given it some thought and points out that he needs to act quickly in order to protect the remaining grounds from what he believes to be Shibuya's corrupting influence. He wishes for Kitaniji's success in his quest to save the city and later laments his failure to do so. In the Japanese version of A New Day, he is shown to be upset at the loss of life Shinjuku's destruction resulted in, bitterly noting that Tsugumi is the only survivor.

In addition, he refers to Kitaniji's plan as intriguing and it's implied he agreed to their Game out of curiosity as well. He generally appears to have a liking for and gets enjoyment out of games, including bets and duels, and even refers to his and Neku's final confrontation as a game in a casual way that greatly frustrates the other boy due to its callousness. While he acts casual and unconcerned with Neku's suffering as he confesses everything and makes him play a one final game, he advices him to remember the lessons Hanekoma has told him and appears to smile proudly at Neku along with Hanekoma right before he sends him back to the RG. In A New Day, he rushes to save Neku (portrayed with a very serious expression unlike the last time he shot someone,) but arrives too late. He claims to Hanekoma afterwards that he does not care about Neku who has "served his purpose" to him, but Hanekoma does not believe this is the case.

In the end, on more than one occasion, he gave chances to others to save Shibuya from extinction, namely Kitaniji and later on, Neku. These are indications that he does value Shibuya, much like many of the other characters in the story. Joshua's decision to not destroy Shibuya at the end of the game suggests that he believes Shibuya and the people in it still have value and the potential for change thanks to Neku's example. At the end of the anime, he admits to Hanekoma that Neku's change caused his own and in the Secret Reports Hanekoma describes it as "a change of heart brought on by exposure to his proxy's unbridled Imagination."

In NEO, Joshua admits to Hazuki Mikagi that when humans struggle, he just can't help but hope that they succeed and overcome the absurdity of their world, stating that he has fallen victim to humanity's irrationality (as Hazuki describes it.) This may be one of the reasons why he preferred not to intervene directly, along with the non-intervention rule, as Hanekoma believes that he perhaps meant to convey to Shibuya the importance of accepting your circumstances and taking action yourself, opting to let the Players and the Reapers get past their obstacles by themselves during the latest Game and have Shibuya itself prove its strength against a threat. However, he claims he had vowed to intervene if he absolutely had to and while he made no significant moves in the end he did appear to Neku simply to stabilize his mind by letting him know he was there. He also claims he saved Neku by sending him to Shinjuku after its purification and Hanekoma theorizes he also sent him there to "have him handle the situation there and keep him isolated and safe from those who would target him for his abilities." However, he also admits to Neku he had an ulterior motive as well and wanted him to keep his secrets to himself, although the latter is an English-only addition. He helped Rindo Kanade and Shoka Sakurane by resurrecting Shoka as a rare show of gratitude for their work, albeit in a rather cruel and confusing manner by making her disappear before Rindo's eyes and telling him to find her. He also shows some consideration towards Shiki, as he points out she shouldn't be kept waiting any longer when he sends Neku back to her and their friends. He refers to Neku as his "partner," and a "dear partner" at one point more teasingly, and still appears to enjoy being slightly irritating towards him though now appearing more genuinely friendly with him.

Deep down, Joshua is likely very lonely. Hanekoma reveals that Joshua had been alone most of his life without many friends. It is heavily implied that the reason Joshua came to the UG in the first place was due to his alienation from his peers in the RG, in part because of his ability to see the UG, where he felt he belonged. He also viewed life as incredibly boring, noting that it was what "felt like death", while the Game provided a rush. This suggests that Joshua's views on life and death were unusual from the beginning, and may explain why he seems so flippant towards them both. However, his sarcastic comment about how "lucky" he was to see things others couldn't shows he may harbor more bitterness towards his ability and connection to the UG than he lets on. The way he describes his RG life as being the same thing day after day, combined with his general misanthropy and loneliness, implies Joshua may have struggled with mental health while alive, showing several symptoms akin to depression. His sprite while talking about his past is also one he rarely uses, and seemingly only in situations where he is genuinely upset. His asking Neku why he wants to return to the RG and observation that he's alone there as he is in the Game may be a reference to Joshua's own life and could indicate he believes Neku feels a similar way he did. He also states he's a part of the UG because he wants to be and that being there "beats staying in there RG", which along with numerous other hints he drops make it highly likely he died by taking his own life.

While he is tuned up to his Composer form, Joshua is notably more reserved and comes across as emotionless in his conversation with Megumi, in stark contrast to his usual demeanor. Hanekoma also expresses guilt over hearing the Composer's "cheery voice," which may hint he is not used to Joshua sounding happy. The Secret Reports heavily imply that Shibuya reflects the Composer, as his change of heart also caused the city to metamorphose, which could mean the problems which plagued the city symbolized Joshua's own emotional state. Following this, his desire to destroy the city, combined with the fact he gives Megumi the opportunity to potentially kill him, and does the same thing with Neku even after he won, could mean Joshua's suicidal tendencies remain even in the UG. At the end of the first game, Hanekoma notes Joshua's sadness while looking down at his friends (Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme) possibly because he is not able to attend the reunion. When Hanekoma asks about his feelings, Joshua remains silent and flees, to which Hanekoma points out that Joshua is always putting up a front. Joshua seems to believe that humans have their world, which belongs to them, and that he is not a part of it.

In The Animation[]

Joshua's counterpart in The Animation seems to have undergone the greatest change out of the main characters. Many of his interests, such as Tin Pin, history, and shopping, as well as his love for ramen, are absent. While his tendencies to tease, snark with, and deliberately annoy Neku are toned down, he also comes across colder and more eerie, with his genuine moments reflecting on the connections between people and the ways they change often being re-written as condescending or dismissive, and the scenes where he displays vulnerability, such as recounting his life in the RG or being visibly upset over Sota and Nao's Erasure, also being rewritten to exclude that part of him. Many of the moments where he relates to Neku or bonds with him are also removed, or occasionally edited to make Joshua sound more bored and uninterested - such as his reaction to Neku finding out CAT's identity - placing a distance between the two to the point that Neku, unlike his game counterpart, never refers to Joshua as a friend, and doesn't invite him to Hachiko in the final episode (unless him offering his hand towards the viewer is meant to concey this.) On top of that, while he can often be seen touching Neku or getting in his personal space (when he gives Neku his memories back he moves his mouth very close to Neku's,) he is not verbally flirtatious, nor fond of innuendos, like his game counterpart is. He is also more energetic and active when attacking the Noise or Sho Minamimoto. When Taboo Sho tries to attack him, Joshua shows a more sadistic side as he impales him with multiple sharp attacks that leave him still conscious but stuck against the ground, as opposed to just swiftly crushing him like he did in the game. Unlike his game counterpart that smiles at Neku with Hanekoma after shooting him during their final confrontation and sending him back to RG, appearing to show pride in Neku's growth, in the anime his smile turns into a very serious expression despite smiling right before pulling the trigger. Instead, he smiles later while talking about Neku's growth privately with Hanekoma. The reasons for these changes are unknown, although the limited number of episodes may have played a part.

In A New Day[]

In A New Day, a false version of Joshua created by Coco Atarashi appears. This Joshua prefers to go by Yoshiya and is much more shy and introverted, being the opposite of the original Joshua. He seems extremely nervous, stutters often, and is quick to flee situations, though he appears more calm and doesn't stutter while speaking with Hanekoma. He is shocked by Beat's rather mild wording, calling it cursing. He likes poetry and computer games; it is unknown if these traits are based off actual interests of the original Joshua or merely fabrications referencing the original Joshua's fondness for literature and games in general. When talking about Yoshiya with Neku, Hanekoma emphasizes that someone like him does not come across as a Composer.

In Another Day[]

"Another Day" Joshua's personality is much the same as "main" Joshua, unlike most characters, who have slight personality changes. However, while "main" Joshua was rather misanthropic and cynical about human nature, "Another Day" Joshua mentions he is a humanitarian who loves people and his color should be Pink because it means love (though Neku is unconvinced and considers him somewhat villainous, once thinking he'd have evil bats as minions over any people, and Joshua's general tone and sprite imply he may have been sarcastic.) He is generally arrogant and suggested his color should be Gold because it is the color of wisdom, but can be more friendly and polite with others and seems to comfort Rhyme after her Pins got stolen (though he later reveals he knew she was lying all along.) He also appears more involved in RG activities, such as writing a column for the "Pinhead Weekly" magazine, and is referred to by Neku as "well-connected." Just like in the main game, he greatly enjoys teasing and embarrassing Neku every opportunity he gets.

He occasionally makes cryptic remarks and even breaks the fourth wall, as he explains that Shiki still appears in Eri's form because the player refuses to acknowledge Shiki's true form and indicates it would be extra work for the team to create new sprites just for the bonus story. It is implied that he has a similar position or powers to "main" Joshua, as evidenced by his remarks and knowledge and some adults seem to treat him with a certain amount of respect. However, given most of the Reapers appear to be alive in this universe and serve different roles (such as Megumi being the Mayor), it is impossible to tell if he is still the Composer. He generally seems to know what is truly going on most of the time, but goes along with the others for the fun of it or because he is too indifferent to take more direct action (he apparently doesn't tell the others about Rhyme's betrayal because Neku didn't call him Pink like he wanted.)

His flamboyance is slightly more comically exaggerated in comparison to the "main" Joshua, once telling Neku "shut up and walk, dear," right after Shiki and Beat assumed there was something going on between them and Neku expressed annoyance over it. While in the main story, Joshua himself is usually alone responsible for such remarks (which are usually much more subtle than in Another Day,) in this world Ken Doi apparently made a rainbow Solid Slammer specifically for him and Koki Kariya refers to him as "Roy. G. Biv of Tin Pin strategy" who "knows how to fill a hole." In the main game, such behaviour from him is much more ambiguous and could be simply acting to rile up Neku.

The two Joshuas meet in the Room of Reckoning. Unlike the rest of the group, neither Joshua is surprised by the other's existence. Both versions are shown to have liking for Tin Pin Slammer. This Joshua seems largely content with things remaining peaceful and even appears a little serious and surprised while questioning the other Joshua about his own non-peaceful world; however, he cryptically asks his Neku that what if they had a Game similar to the main story's one. Notably, he only seems to act that cryptic towards Neku, likely to further mess with him. He still seems to enjoy talking about history and trivia like his other counterpart, bringing up the River Styx while the group enters Shibuya River and points out it's "fascinating stuff," seemingly finding it amusing to hint at the river's connection to the world of the dead while the others are none the wiser.

Biography[]

Background[]

Clearly beyond them

Joshua tells Kitaniji about the contagious corruption in humanity.

According to Sanae Hanekoma, before becoming directly involved in the UG, Joshua had the ability to see the UG while residing in the RG. Joshua had been "alone his whole life," presumably because no one believed what he was seeing and isolated him as a result. He would often visit Hanekoma to learn more about the Reaper's Game.

By the beginning of the events in The World Ends with You, Joshua is already the Composer of Shibuya's Reaper Game. Roughly a week before Neku is sent to the Underground, Joshua begins a game with Megumi Kitaniji, his Conductor, to decide whether or not to erase Shibuya because Joshua felt that humanity was becoming increasingly clouded and corrupt, and that Shibuya was a major origin point of this corruption. Kitaniji is given thirty days to save Shibuya from its corruption and impotence, but his Entry Fee is not explicitly revealed.

Joshua kills Neku

Joshua confronts Neku before Neku's death.

Later, while being chased through the RG by Sho Minamimoto, Joshua and Minamimoto end up in the Udagawa Back Streets, where Neku Sakuraba is admiring one of CAT's murals. Joshua shoots at Minamimoto, barely missing. Minamimoto retaliates with a repeated fire, but Joshua stops the bullets midair and drops them to the ground, and shoots Minamimoto in the arm. After Minamimoto flees, Joshua shoots a petrified Neku dead, to use him as his Proxy against Kitaniji as Neku has a great amount of Soul and a vivid Imagination. Joshua drops a Player Pin on Neku which accounts for Neku's second Player Pin (in addition to the one he received for playing the Reaper's Game).

Week 1[]

Joshua spends most of this week hiding from Kitaniji. Neku runs past Joshua as he is fleeing the Noise on the first day. Joshua takes notice of his proxy and smiles. Joshua also observes Neku and Shiki throughout the first week after they form a Pact and battle the Noise at the Statue of Hachiko. Joshua keeps in touch with the Producer, Sanae Hanekoma, and constantly requests items from him, including improved phone functionality for the following week.

Week 2[]

Nekujosh pact

Neku and Joshua form a Player pact.

Joshua waits for Neku at the Statue of Hachiko on the first day and when he finds Neku looking for a partner he "helps himself." Joshua becomes Neku's partner for three reasons; to confirm Kitaniji's strategy, to teach Neku, and to protect him. Right from Day One, Joshua's attitude and behavior both irritates Neku and strikes him as highly suspicious. Joshua makes and receives calls on his phone, which had proved impossible for Neku and company in the last week. Joshua raises further suspicions when he reveals that he has been watching Neku, and that he is participating in the Game voluntarily. These irritations and grounds for distrust prove to be a psychological strain for Neku, who only manages to stay in the Game motivated by his Entry Fee.

Epic Joshua

Joshua attacks the Taboo Noise with his true power.

Throughout the week, Neku scans Joshua with his Player pin and is led to believe that Joshua shot him from the images seen in his mind. This is even more suspicious because Players are not capable of scanning other Players or Pin holders, implying that Joshua does not have a Player Pin. Meanwhile, Joshua regularly nags Neku to visit Hanekoma's coffee shop to receive items and upgrades for their phones. One upgrade allows them to detect Kitaniji's Imagination, and another upgrade provides the phone cameras with inter-temporal picture recording capabilities. Towards the end of the Week, an attack by Taboo Noise forces Joshua to reveal a greater portion of his powers.

Joshua saves Neku

Joshua saves Neku from Minamimoto.

On the final Day, Joshua and Neku go to Pork City to fight Minamimoto. At this point, Neku reads another thought from Joshua which implies Joshua never killed Neku. The two gain the upper hand and defeat Minamimoto, therefore winning the Game. However, Minamimoto lets loose the Level i Flare. Joshua shields Neku from the nuke, pretending to sacrifice himself. In actuality, Joshua had teleported away to another dimension: the dimension of Another Day. Before leaving Neku, Joshua tells Neku, "But Neku... I thought you couldn't afford to lose. Give up on yourself and you give up on the world."

Week 3[]

During most of the week, Joshua is in an alternate dimension until the final day of the third Week. When he arrives at the Shibuya River on the final day, he finds that Neku had defeated Kitaniji and reveals his identity of Composer to Neku. He is integrated by Kitaniji along with Shiki and Beat to form Draco Cantus, and Neku is forced to defeat Kitaniji once and for all.

Joshua Armed

Joshua aiming at Neku.

Having won the bet with Kitaniji, Joshua is free to destroy Shibuya, but instead wagers a game with Neku: both wielding a revolver, whoever shot each other first would decide the fate of Shibuya by becoming the Composer. Neku cannot bring himself to shoot Joshua, and so Joshua wins, but because Neku had changed and showed trust in Joshua, he decides to spare Shibuya, deciding that if the worst person in Shibuya can change, then so can Shibuya itself.

Mr H

Joshua and Mr. H watching Neku and his friends

In a secret epilogue unlocked after collecting all Secret Reports, Joshua in his true form is seen observing Neku and his friends meet up at the Statue of Hachiko with Hanekoma at 104 Building's rooftop. When Hanekoma says it's their choice to be with Joshua, he abruptly leaves in a ball of light.

This Day Ends with You![]

There are two versions of Joshua in This Day Ends with You!: one from the main universe that teleported to this one after the battle with Minamimoto, and one born in that universe. Joshua plays Tin Pin Slammer for a while, and hides in his base in the Shibuya River as well. It is implied Hanekoma eventually finds him and brings him back to the Underground, most likely after letting Neku play a "game" with him: the Final Time Attack.

A New Day[]

"Y-you know, it's quite uncouth to accost s-someone out of the b-blue like that. A-and another thing! You seem to b-be mistaken about my n-name. The p-proper pronunciation is "Yoshiya" - er, for my first name. "Kiryu" is my last. S-so uh... "Joshua"? Is not exactly a-accurate. Heh heh..."
— Yoshiya introducing himself

In A New Day, Joshua's illusion has no recollection of Neku and his friends, the Reapers' Game, or of being Composer. In the middle of being questioned by Beat and Neku about the "Expert Mode" Reapers' Game they're in, Yoshiya runs off into the Shibuya River to escape their harrowing interrogation. They chase after him, and he insists he has no idea what they're talking about, and that he isn't the Game Master. However, he mentions Hanekoma, whom he still has connections with in Coco's Shibuya. Yoshiya calls Hanekoma on his cell phone for them, and Hanekoma tells them to meet him at WildKat. After Hanekoma hangs up, Neku and Beat discuss Neku's visions. Yoshiya says it's gotten awkward then takes off again without saying goodbye. Hanekoma later says about Yoshiya to Neku and Beat "If that kid is who I think he is, then he probably doesn't know a thing. If he's who YOU think he is, then he probably won't say a thing."

Once Beat and Neku have destroyed the Dissonance Tapir and return to the RG in Udagawa, Coco shoots Neku in the back and kills him. The real Joshua appears slightly too late, and shoots Coco, only hitting her in the shoulder, and she manages to escape. Afterwards, Joshua and Hanekoma talk at the Pork City rooftop. Hanekoma says that Shinjuku has been erased and Noise are beginning to appear in the RG. Joshua mentions that Tsugumi-Matsunae is responsible for the precognitive visions Neku has, and with Coco's interference for some unknown plan of hers, he refers to these events as "the calm before the storm." Joshua, however, says nonchalantly that it isn't his problem anymore what happens to Shibuya, but theirs, presumably referring to the inhabitants of Shibuya. When Hanekoma asks him about Neku, he simply responds that Neku "served his purpose" and that he doesn't need him anymore.

NEO: The World Ends with You[]

Joshua appears in the prologue as the passerby who gives back the Reaper Pin to Rindo Kanade after he dropped it, though he is not explicitly revealed here. He reappears again during the climax of the Final Day to Neku and Beat, claiming to invite himself to the reunion and hoping to observe their efforts in person. Due to his role as the Composer, he does not dare to helped them with their plan in waking up Shibuya's citizens (especially when Hazuki Mikagi made some direct interventions in his attempt to lure Joshua into doing the same). Instead, Joshua chose to let Neku be aware of his presence with him, allowing the latter to stabilize his mind while focuses on connecting to the people's minds.

After Phoenix Cantus is defeated, Joshua formally introduces himself to Rindo and Shoka Sakurane with the same line he used to introduce himself to Neku in The World Ends With You. Under the pretense of playing a "game" with them both, he sends Shoka back to the RG without warning, much to Rindo's shock. He is later shown talking to Neku in the Udagawa Backstreets, explaining his own role in Neku's time in Shinjuku. He sends Neku back to the RG as well, so as not to keep "her" waiting.

Joshua is last shown in the Secret Ending with Hazuki Mikagi. He ribs Hazuki for his shortsighted pursuits of purification in an apparent attempt to "follow in [Joshua's] footsteps" and discusses the irrationality of humans--an irrationality which, he says, even the two Composers have fallen victim to. When Hazuki asked for the reason why, Joshua could only say the one thing he noticed is that every time he watch the people trying to overcome the absurdity of their world, he "can't help but hope they succeed."

Relationships[]

At first, Joshua shows no true relationships to anyone other than a mocking fondness towards Neku and a shared past with Mr. Hanekoma.

Neku Sakuraba[]

Joshua selected Neku to be his Proxy in the month-long game between himself and his Conductor, Kitaniji. His goal was to Erase Shibuya's UG, which he viewed as infected and incapable of growth and change, while Kitaniji aimed to prove it was worthy of saving. To do so, Joshua picked someone he viewed as similar to himself, in order to represent him in this game. He shot and killed Neku at the CAT mural in Udagawa, however, Neku does not remember these events until the final day.

During Week 2, Joshua partners with Neku in order to protect his Proxy, and forces the pact, something only he has been shown as able to do.

So what if i killed you

Joshua taunting Neku.

Joshua is abrasive to everyone, but during his week with Neku, Joshua plays into this side of his personality. He makes it his goal to antagonize Neku, oftentimes using flirtatious remarks to provoke him. Neku, still struggling to open up to others, is easily annoyed and frustrated by these antics. However, the two bond over their shared misanthropy, preferring to shut others out rather than risk getting hurt. By the end of Week 2, Neku has started to challenge his outlook, voicing this to Joshua. In turn, this makes Josh question his own views on people.

Throughout the week, Neku tries to scan Joshua, and sees partial visions of his own death. He slowly comes to believe that Joshua is the one who killed him, confronting him about this on Day 5. Joshua shrugs off the accusations, neither confirming nor denying them, and forces Neku to realize that if he wants to win the week, he still needs to work alongside his (suspected) murderer. On Week 2, Day 7, Neku sees another vision of his death, which (incorrectly) leads him to assume that Sho Minamimoto is his killer instead. Thus, when Joshua sacrifices himself at the end of the day, Neku is consumed with guilt and views him as a martyr for protecting him from Minamimoto's final attack.

On the final day of the Game, Joshua returns from the parallel universe he had hidden away in, and reveals himself to be the Composer, returning the last remnants of Neku's memory. At this point, Neku has been flirted with and antagonized by Josh for a week, never sure of anything during that time. This revelation following Joshua's supposed sacrifice is a betrayal, another (possibly unintentional) thing Joshua has used to make Neku hate him.

It is after all of this that Joshua explains himself, and forces Neku into a duel for the fate of the city. Either Neku can shoot him—someone who has done everything in his power to make Neku hate him—and become Composer, or Joshua will destroy Shibuya. In the end, Neku doesn't take the shot, and Joshua shoots him for a second time. Neku chooses to trust his partner, rather than shoot. Neku can't erase him, and values him more than the rest of the city, even after all Joshua has done. This is further supported by an interview from the official guidebook which confirms Neku believed his loss would result in the destruction of the city, meaning Neku chose to lower the gun despite thinking Shibuya would be erased because of it.[4]

Neku's trust, belief, and value in Joshua is what kept him from destroying Shibuya, because Joshua has watched his misanthropic Proxy grow and change. Neku went from someone who would kill their partner on Day 2 of the game with very little prompting, into a person who had all the reason in the world to shoot Joshua, and yet he couldn't. Neku is also the only one of the people Joshua knows by this point who chooses to value him more than Shibuya (Kitaniji instigated the Long Game rather than take a look at the deeper issues; Hanekoma gave Minamimoto Taboo Noise and helped assist him in his failed coup).

A week after being revived, Neku states to an absent Joshua that while he can't yet forgive him for his actions, he trusts him, and invites him to meet with his friends at Hachiko. Joshua does not attend, instead watching the meet-up from afar in his Composer form. It is implied that he wishes he could join them, but is incapable of doing so. Hanekoma remarks that he looks sad while they watch, unable to interact, and sulkily leaves when Hanekoma tells him it's their world.

In A New Day, Joshua appears armed to protect Neku from Coco - however, he is too late and Neku is killed. Afterwards, he informs Hanekoma he served his purpose but doesn't need him anymore, although this is proven to be a lie and is even pointed out by Hanekoma in the Japanese NEO Secret Reports. The A New Day Secret Addendums also confirm that Neku was the one who brought about Joshua's change of heart, and the Japanese version goes on to state that Neku's Imagination and Joshua's change of heart are what restored Shibuya to its rightful state.

In Another Day, both incarnations of Joshua are much more overtly flirtatious with Neku, and act less abrasive to him as well. However, the Joshua from the main universe refers to the main Neku as "his Neku" and is quick to point out Another Day Neku is not the Neku he chose, implying Joshua makes the distinction between alternate Nekus and the Neku from his universe. While Neku can often get annoyed and confused by Another Day Joshua's teasing, mocking and cryptic remarks, the two are often seen standing together during dialogue scenes, and Neku is secretly a fan of Joshua's "Pinhead Weekly" column.

In NEO, it's revealed that Joshua moved Neku to the purified Shinjuku after he was shot, to protect him and to make sure he kept the Composer's secrets to himself, as well as to allow him to handle the situation there. At one point, he is implied to talk to Neku/himself, hoping someone will wake up soon or else they will miss all the action. He appears to Neku at the end to provide mental support and stabilize his mind by "letting him know he was there," which is especially notable as Joshua's presence placed physical and psychological stress on him in the first game due to the Composer's high vibes, implying their relationship growth and strength of their bond is able to negate that. He refers to Neku as his "partner," which is returned by Neku. He has a talk alone with Neku before sending him back to RG to his friends, stating that he believed in Neku's capabilities and offering him Composerhood seemingly with no need for any further games, but Neku refuses. Joshua amusedly answers it's "his loss," although the Japanese version has him sound slightly sad about the rejection.

The Udagawa graffiti which was added in the ending of The Animation and canonized in NEO seems to represent their relationship, as it is composed of Neku's headphones and what appears to be Joshua's wings. It may be a reference to Neku saving Shibuya by bringing about Joshua's change of heart.

In the Secret Ending, Joshua mentions to Hazuki how he has also fallen victim to irrationality before, which most likely refers to the change he underwent due to his friendship with Neku.

Megumi Kitaniji[]

Noise95 - Draco Cantus

Joshua fused with the Conductor, Kitaniji, to form Draco Cantus.

It is established throughout several of the Secret Reports that Joshua may only have direct contact with Mr. Hanekoma and Kitaniji, both of whom share similar ideals and mutual respect. Although Kitaniji's relationship could be seen as a form of worship, his love of Shibuya outranks that for Joshua. Mr. Hanekoma's relationship could be seen as a mentor, or a guardian, but once again his love of Shibuya outranks Joshua.

When working as the Composer, Joshua only has contact with the Conductor and the Producer, and only may communicate directly with the Producer during games, and even then, he may only commission inventions. Further, he is idolized by the Conductor (all pronouns relating to Joshua, when said by Kitaniji, are capitalized in the biblical tradition; eg, He, Him), indicating that their relationship is not particularly personal. Kitaniji also appears unfamiliar with Joshua's downtuned appearance and his real name, not recognizing him as Composer until the final day, implying he has only seen him while tuned up. This is further supported by the contrast in how Kitaniji speaks about him as Composer versus as a Player, calling him a "fool" for seemingly sacrificing himself to save Neku, and generally appearing dismissive about his erasure.

In Another Day, despite being the Mayor, Kitaniji and Joshua are familiar with one another, and Kitaniji remarks he was looking forward to facing Joshua in the slam-off.

Sota and Nao[]

While at first Joshua appears to be testing Sota and Nao, revealing that only one Player gets to come back to life when Sota suggests they "get through this together," after their conversation he notes the two were "charming." It is implied Joshua was influenced by their outlook and became fond of them, as he is quick to jump Sota's defense alongside Neku when he is being attacked by Noise, and appears visibly saddened by their deaths. He is also uncharacteristically silent as Sota says his final words.

Although Sota and Nao's ultimate fate is unknown in the game, The Animation shows Joshua returned the two to the RG along with Neku and his friends.

The Other Players[]

Joshua has no meaningful relationship with Shiki or Beat; he paralyzes the both of them at the end of the Game to duel Neku one-on-one for the fate of Shibuya. He apparently never met Rhyme but Joshua knows Beat through their battles in the second Week; he jokingly states that if Beat is one of Neku's friends, he doesn't want to meet an enemy. Beat has low regard for him, referring to him as "that prissy kid [Neku] was partnered with."

During the epilogue, Joshua does not join the friends as they gather at Hachiko, instead observing them from the roof of the 104 building, despite Neku's desire for him to be there.

As of NEO, Joshua seems to have some small regard for Shiki in the English version, as he considered her feelings and didn't want to keep her waiting for Neku to return any longer, although the Japanese version has him simply state there's someone Neku wants to see. The English version also has Shiki refer to him by the nickname "Josh," which has only been used by Neku and Hanekoma so far. Beat also refers to him as Joshua in the Japanese version, despite not having used his name in the previous game.

The Reapers[]

Kariya believes that Joshua is an illegal entry after observing him, and confirms his extra power by baiting him into a situation where he would need to use those powers, though he incorrectly assumes that Joshua is alive.

Sho Minamimoto[]

Sho clearly recognizes Joshua as the Composer, and is aware of even his Realground form, and attempts to kill him in the Realground as Joshua searches for a Proxy to become the next Composer. Most Reapers have little to no contact with the Composer at all, though the Conductor may be the only exception, although he doesn't realize that the illegal player in Week 2 is Joshua; at the end of the game, he somehow instantly recognizes Joshua in his human form: therefore, it is unusual that Sho would know exactly who Joshua is, and his various appearances. The secret reports indicate that Sho likely learned of this due to the interference of a Fallen Angel. Sho, however, is quite pleased that Joshua is a Player in his game, and believes that he may have a chance against the handicapped Composer, especially given his expertise of Taboo Noise, though this ultimately fails. Joshua sees Minamimoto as good entertainment but crushing him as necessary self-defence for both Shibuya and himself.

In Another Day, the two are on much better terms; Joshua says that it's an honor to meet him, and Neku notes Sho blushes in response to the praise.

Sanae Hanekoma[]

"What, me and Josh? I've known him for a while now. He'd swing by when he was bored, and we'd talk. See, he's a little special... Yeah. He sees things. Pretty much. That's how he knew about the Game. He saw Players and Reapers and all when he was still alive. And when he wanted to talk about it, he came to me. There aren't many folks who'd listen, if you know what I mean. In a way, he's been alone all his life. He's pretty aloof, and can get prickly from time to time, but he's not a bad kid."
— Hanekoma about Joshua and their relationship, Joshua, Day 3
Neku final vision

Neku sees Hanekoma with Joshua.

During Week 2, the relationship between Joshua and Mr. Hanekoma begins to become apparent. He even says that Joshua would come to Hanekoma's café and talk to him about the UG. Throughout the course of the week, Hanekoma talks to Neku about Joshua, and Neku comes to realize a bond between the two, while obtaining one with Joshua. Joshua also frequently requests phone upgrades to be given to the Players. In the secret ending, Joshua and Hanekoma watch over Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme and Hanekoma shows surprise at Joshua's desire to join them.

The game states that only the Producer and the Conductor directly communicate with the Composer normally. As such, Mr. H knows Joshua quite well. He seems to be friendly towards Joshua, but the extent of this friendship isn't infinite; when Joshua challenges Kitaniji to a game for the fate of Shibuya, intent on erasing it, Mr. H begins developing a plan to prevent Joshua from doing so by giving Sho knowledge of Taboo Noise (in the hope that if all else fails, Sho will kill Joshua). It is never made clear if Joshua found out about this betrayal in The World Ends with You - in The Animation, Joshua talks about punishing Hanekoma for helping Minamimoto. However, there are several times during Week 2 where it appears as though Joshua is becoming suspicious of him, such as on W2D5 as he watches Hanekoma leave singing the correct numbers for the Taboo Noise sigil and becomes quiet. As of NEO, he has presumably found out about Hanekoma's actions, as Hanekoma is prevented from interfering in his and Kubo's Game because of them.

The alternate versions of Joshua and Hanekoma in Another Day do not interact directly, and Joshua questions Neku as to whether Hanekoma is a friend of his, which implies they do not know each other (although he may be lying). Instead, Neku seems to have taken Joshua's place in his friendship with Hanekoma.

During A New Day, Hanekoma and Joshua work separately while investigating Coco's Noise. Joshua also keeps the fact that he has transferred Neku to Shinjuku a secret, and in general seems to hiding more from Hanekoma than he did before, implying there may be some strain on their relationship.

As Hanekoma does not appear in person in NEO, there are no interactions between the two to showcase the state of their relationship. However, Hanekoma notably speaks more harshly about the other Composer, Hazuki, than he did about Joshua in the first game, which shows how he still cared for Joshua even when forced to betray him.

Despite all this, Hanekoma and Joshua are shown to have a close relationship. Joshua states that Hanekoma "has been in the business of saving [his] ass for a long time," indicating that they go far back, and that Hanekoma has been looking after him. While Joshua was alive he was presumably the only person who truly understood him. Hanekoma tells Neku that Joshua is pretty aloof and can be prickly from time to time, but states "he's not a bad kid," and encourages Neku to befriend him. He also expresses guilt for his actions when he reveals he's the Fallen Angel, prompted by hearing Joshua's cheery voice.

Rindo Kanade[]

Rindo serves as Joshua's proxy during his Game with Kubo, although unlike with his first proxy, Neku, the two have minimum interaction.

Joshua can be seen returning Rindo's pin to him when he drops it on Day 1, recognizable by his shoes and jeans as his face isn't shown. However, he doesn't formally introduce himself until the Final Day, with Rindo only learning about the existence of the Composer in this moment. Joshua then returns Shoka to the RG, but does not reveal this to Rindo, simply stating he "put her on the street with the rest of the stray cats," treating it like a game and leaving Rindo angry and confused. Despite this, the Secret Reports reveal that Joshua's actions were an expression of gratitude towards Rindo.

Joshua presumably leaves to meet Neku after this, and he and Rindo do not speak again. Therefore, Rindo does not learn of his status as Joshua's proxy or any further information about his involvement in the Game.

Hazuki Mikagi[]

Joshua Hazuki

Joshua and Hazuki catching up.

Hazuki is Joshua's junior as a Composer and seems to look up to him as a role model of sorts, referring to him as his "senpai" in the Japanese version - although the context of the scene, where Hazuki uses the term after being scolded for interactions with the lower planes and refers back to Joshua's own interactions from the first game, implies the term may be sarcastic or passive-aggressive in nature. In the English version, they refer to each other as "friends" in a way more akin to a greeting between two members of the same organization than genuine friendliness.

Hazuki is revealed to have been a proponent of Shibuya's cleansing and asks for Joshua's forgiveness. It is insinuated that he might have been trying to draw Joshua out and tempt him into breaking the higher plane's non-interference rule during the events of NEO's Week 3. Joshua did not take the bait, however, and the two have a conversation in a post game scene. Hazuki seems unsure of why he provided assistance to Rindo Kanade, allowing for the last replay of the game. Joshua comments that he, too has fallen victim to such irrationality and comments that for some reason, he can't help but hope for the main cast's successes.

It seems that Hazuki may have a bit of a fixation on Joshua, and may have moved to cleanse Shinjuku after seeing Joshua's initial plans for Shibuya in the first game. Joshua considers Hazuki inexperienced and mentions he's been a mess-maker forever in the Japanese version of their conversation, and also does not use honorifics when referring to him like he typically does with characters he is friendly with. The Secret Reports state that Hazuki's desire to see Shibuya purified remains unchanged, which may be part of the reason for Joshua's more negative attitude towards him. Regardless how he feels about Hazuki, Joshua acts casual with him and doesn't show open anger towards him.

Abilities[]

Neku burst rounds

Joshua summoning objects.

In The World Ends with You, Joshua attacks by using his phone to summon random objects to bombard enemies from above. He has two ways of fighting: ground and levitation. When Neku first forms a pact with him, Joshua will only attack on the ground. Joshua does not block attacks but dodges them instead, and only at the end of a combo does he truly attack. However, after Joshua, Day 5, Joshua will be able to levitate in combat. When Joshua is in the air, every input to his combo tree inflicts damage and is generally stronger, especially against groups of enemies.

While on the ground, as you progress through his combos he will target enemies. When he finishes the combo, debris will fall on each enemy that was targeted, with more and larger objects falling on those that are targeted multiple times. Additionally, by locking onto at least three enemies a minimum of two times each, Joshua will drop a single car to attack all enemies on one side of the field for tremendous damage.

Joshua can also cancel his ground combo to use the camera on his phone in an attempt to move targeted enemies to the opposite side and immobilize them, which can be used to gather and restrain enemies as a setup for his finishers. The chance of throwing an enemy is inversely related to the size and weight of the enemy and increases the more time Joshua locks on. The chance of immobilizing them is similarly based on the number of locks, particularly if they go beyond the number needed to throw the enemy.

  • Left/Y while attacking Right/A or vice verse (During a combo): Phone Camera - stuns/switches the position of Noise
  • Down/B (When idle): Sidestep - momentary invulnerability
  • Up/X (When idle): Levitate
  • Any button (When knocked in the air): Safe Landing - prevents knockdown damage

During Joshua's Levitation, he is immune to almost all ground attacks. However, if he is hit while levitating, he will be knocked down, then returned to the ground (if an attack does no damage, unless it has a knockback effect, it will not knock Joshua back down). When progressing through his combos, each button press causes a beam to attack an enemy. At the end of the combo, a larger beam comes down on one side and hit all enemies on that side twice. However, if you go through enough steps in Joshua's Combo Map (specifically, enough so that a single enemy is hit at least six times), then the finisher will change from his basic air finisher to a massively more powerful one, in which two colossal beams will fire down on either side of Joshua. This advanced finisher damages all enemies on the top screen three times. It is recommended that a Combo Map Upgrade II effect be used, such as Pi-Face's Jeans, to help guarantee the effect.

  • Down/B (When levitating): Return to ground

His abilities outside of combat are not truly seen. As the Composer, it can be inferred Joshua also has several incredibly powerful abilities, such as the ability to move between dimensions and the ability to erase the whole of Shibuya. He is also shown to be able to stop objects in mid-air, such as when Minamimoto tries to shoot him. The full scope of his abilities is not revealed; he is known to be suppressing himself during his week in the game, and Kitaniji admits that he would be no match for Joshua if the two were to fight against each other without handicaps. However, given that erasing the Composer is the only way to become the Composer, Joshua is most likely not immortal (he may live forever, but he can be dethroned). His power in relation to an Angel's is not fully understood, though it is clear that Angels have a higher Vibe than he. Because of his high amount of Imagination, only the Composer retains the ability to reincarnate Players at the end of a Game.

During the game, Joshua is revealed to be handicapping himself, not using his full powers, as stated during the dialogue between Kitaniji and Joshua as they decide to play a game. He is not bound by the rules of the Game, seeing how the Game is played in the UG, but he had lowered his Vibe in order to suppress himself, as well as change his appearance.

Fusion Stars[]

The way Joshua gains Fusion Stars is through Highs and Lows. At the end of Joshua's combos, there is a number. That number goes up to the number at the top that the arrow is pointing to. The goal is to get the combo numbers less than, greater than or equal to the number at the top, depending on the symbol in the corner of the top numbers.

  • Red arrow pointing up - greater than that number
  • White equal sign - equal to that number, i.e, get that number
  • Blue arrow pointing down - less than that number

Joshua gains a single fusion star when reaching a card at the end of the combo tree that fulfills the condition of his card. This is offset by the fact that his stars tend to be among the easiest to generate (he can see both the target number and the ones at the end of the combo tree; Shiki can see her combo finisher, but not the card to match it, and Beat must race against the fires to avoid getting his cards burned).

Fusions[]

  • Fusion-J1 Level 1: Neku and Joshua drop various street objects on enemies.
    • Joshua: "Follow my lead!"
    • Neku: "Screw that!"
  • Fusion-J2 Level 2: Joshua attacks the field with ice and Neku attacks the field with fire.
    • Joshua: "Work for you?"
    • Neku: "What do you think?"
  • Fusion-J3 Level 3: Crashes a meteor onto the surface of the Earth, inflicting massive damage to all enemies. Notably this is the only fusion where Neku speaks first.
    • Neku: "Another world awaits."
    • Joshua: "And you're going."

Solo Remix[]

As with all partners, Joshua's abilities were redesigned into a Partner Pin in Solo Remix. His attacks are activated by swiping down on an enemy where he will drop random objects much as in his DS ground finishers. These objects grow gradually larger the more hits he lands and the Heavy Hitter sticker allows him to drop even larger ones. When levitation is unlocked, Joshua is permanently in the levitating state and uses beams of light exclusively, effectively losing his earlier abilities. This new attack starts with his basic light beams, upgrades to his basic DS aerial finisher after a few hits, then activates his DS form's enhanced aerial finisher upon landing enough hits, after which it resets. See Joshua Partner Pin for the details.

Final Remix[]

JoshuaCo-OpG

Joshua's initial move set.

In The World Ends With You: Final Remix, Joshua, like all other partners, keep their pin usage style from The World Ends with You -Solo Remix-.

In Co-op, Joshua has 3 abilities at the beginning of Week 2, and switches to a different move set after Week 2, Day 5. near the end. In his grounded combat move set, he can use Telekinesis by tapping an empty space to send single objects that progressively get stronger as they hit, similar to his solo ability, use Higher Telekinesis by slashing across Joshua to send a cascade of multiple objects in that lateral direction, which similarly grow in size, or use Wield Telekinesis by dragging enemies and obstacles to attack, similar to Psychokinesis D.

JoshuaLCo-Op

Joshua's levitating move set.

After Week 2, Day 5, Joshua's co-op controls change to his Levitating move set, and cannot be changed back. He can tap an empty space to use Punishment to perform his solo mode combo of steadily increasing light beams, retains Wield Telekinesis from his ground-based moves, and can press an empty space to activate Execution, which fires a continuous laser from Joshua that can be moved once activated.

As with other partner characters, Joshua's solo moves have their damage reduced in co-op to seemingly compensate for the expanded move set. The Heavy Hitter sticker likely enhances Higher Telekinesis in a manner similar to Telekinesis.

Fusion Cards[]

In The World Ends with You -Solo Remix- and The World Ends with You Final Remix, Joshua’s Fusion attacks are powered by a card minigame. A series of cards numbered one, two, and three appear. Tapping the cards in ascending order will increase a multiplier bonus. However, some cards are inverted, and tapping them will not work.

The Animation[]

Josh Anime Psych 1

Joshua's Psychokinesis

In The World Ends with You The Animation, Joshua no longer attacks using his phone, instead using Psychokinesis controlled by a blue flame in his hand to ram objects into enemies as well as deflecting incoming attacks. He also uses small, light based psychs that allow him to shoot projectiles and attack in unison with Neku. His Psychokinesis can also be used to create blue barriers similar to Neku's Fire Barriers.

Whenever Joshua Syncs up with Neku during a joint attack, Joshua displays the ability to use Ice, allowing them to perform an attack similar to his Level 2 Fusion in the game. At their strongest sync up, Joshua and Neku were able to perform an attack similar to their Level 3 Fusion from the game by merging various floating fragments in the Imaginary Number Plane. Neku notes that he had never felt that much power from Joshua before when using said attack.

Joshua is also able to use his Angelic lasers like in the game. Like in the game, he is forced to unleash this when they are cornered by Taboo Noise that they could not erase with their normal attacks. When he uses this technique, he releases a bunch of angel feathers into the air before multiple beams burst out from the sky. Following Day 5 of his week, Joshua began to use his lasers more over his Psychokinesis. In the Animation, Joshua is capable of creating smaller beams in various forms. From the standard lasers that falls from the skies to arrow like beams that he can shoot forward, and even rain down smaller bursts of blue projectiles from the sky.

In the Animation, Joshua also displays a little bit more of his power as Composer compared to the game. Like in the game, he easily incapacitates Minamimoto during the last day, pinning him down with searing arrows of lights. During his final confrontation with Neku, Shiki, and Beat, he is able to stop Beat's attack from connecting without so much as moving. Here, he restrains Beat and Shiki before forcibly knocking them unconscious with nothing but a snap of a finger. Further demonstration of his power is seen when he creates two pistols out of thin air, whereas the game implies he had simply brought it out.

Items[]

Swag[]

The following is all of the Joshua-related items that the player can get in the game:

Threads[]

There are several Threads that give bonuses when worn exclusively by Joshua. Listed in order of their item number, they are:

Food[]

Joshua will react differently to certain foods, giving him more or less Sync than the food's description states. Joshua mentions being "a shio guy, myself" in unavoidable dialogue on Week 2, Day 3, hinting to the fact Shio Ramen is one of his favorite foods. This is one of the only in-game clues on foods characters enjoy, the other two being Neku asking for "a plain old shoyu" in Week 2, Day 3 or Beat's memorial in Miyashita Park Underpass having a can of Cola. Another interesting part of Joshua's tastes is loving the Sync Bar, a food that every other character hates. Joshua has the least hates with 3, shares with Shiki for most dislikes with 8, ties with Shiki for most likes with 13, and shares with Neku the least loves with 7.

His tastes out of the playable characters are more "westernized", enjoying strong meats, taste bud sensitive foods, and preserved goods.

Joshua's line eating food he loves with a 200% sync multiplier is "Mmmm. I'm in paradise." His 7 loved foods, listed in order of their item number, are:

Joshua's line eating food he likes with a 150% sync modifier is "Compliments to the chef." His 13 liked foods, listed in order of their item number, are:

Joshua's line eating food he's neutral on with a 100% sync modifier is "It'll have to do." His 12 neutral foods, listed in order of their item number, are:

Joshua's line eating food he dislikes with a 75% sync modifier is "Whatever doesn't kill me..." His 8 disliked foods, listed in order of their item number, are:

Joshua's line eating food he hates with a 50% sync modifier is "No thank you." His 3 hated foods, listed in order of their item number, are:

Etymology[]

The kanji of Joshua's Japanese name (桐生 義弥, Kiryū Yoshiya) literally translate from left to right as paulownia, birth, justice. Pawlonias are a symbol of the Japanese government, and can only grow after fires due to their sensitivity to infection, evoking themes of authority, death, and rebirth. While Yoshiya is a Japanese name and spelled with kanji here, it may be worth mentioning that it also has a Hebrew origin, which has the meaning "God delivers".

Joshua is derived from Hebrew name Yehoshua - an alternative of this name, Yeshua, can be transliterated in Greek as Iesous which through the Latin spelling Iesus comes the English spelling Jesus. Joshua also has the meaning of "God delivers" or "God is my salvation", once again repeating the religious theme associated with his name.

Quotes[]

  • "Howdy. The name's Yoshiya Kiryu. But Mother and Father call me Joshua. I guess you can call me Joshua, too-- seeing as how you're my dear, dear partner. Hee hee..."
  • "Is this going to be a problem? I need you to pull it together. Unlike some people, I'm new at all this. I'm expecting a bang-up job from you, Mr. Escort."
  • "Oh! I can't say I'm particularly interested, but... I'll go ahead and ask, for the sake of convenience. Do you have a name?"
  • "Sigh... I don't do the whole sweating thing, Neku."
  • "Very impressive, Neku. Show those fifth graders who's boss."
  • "Kinda, yeah. I'm surprised it worked this well." (about lying to Neku)
  • "Neku, you have Reaper friends, too? My, my. You certainly do get around."
  • "I should be careful, hanging out with you. If that was a friend, I'd hate to run into one of your enemies... Brr!"
  • "Everyone has their own little internal world-- a secret garden only they can enter. Each world follows its own internal logic--individuality. And the logic of one world means nothing in another. Understanding other people isn't hard, Neku. It's impossible."
  • "Maybe everyone in Shibuya is here searching, struggling for a peek into their neighbor's worlds. When those neighbors change, they get scared, feel they have to change."
  • "We can't go through life alone. We're part of a community. We have to live by its rules. And the more we connect with people, the trickier those rules get."
  • "Who needs other people's values? It's easier to just live by your own rules."
  • "It was a gift. The island of Niijima presented it in 1980 to commemorate a century under Tokyo administration. The name sounds like the Easter Island Moai statues it resembles-- but, as it happens, in the Niijima dialect, "moyai" also means "working together." Just like you and me, Neku. The very picture of "moyai.""
  • "Ever read Edogawa Rampo's "The Fiend with Twenty Faces"? You should. I mean, just think! You're walking through the pages of literature and history."
  • "Only by allowing strangers in, can we find new ways to be ourselves."
  • "But Neku, I thought you couldn't afford to lose. Give up on yourself, and you give up on the world."
  • "Hee hee... It was me, Neku. I'm Shibuya's Composer. I know that must unsettle you. Especially since we spent all that quality time together. Still, it's the truth, and I need you to face it. Megumi and I decided to play this Game to determine if Shibuya should exist or not."
  • "Life's little crossroads are often as simple as the pull of a trigger."
  • "No no no, I call Pink. The name is Yoshiya Kiryu. I should be Pink, because Pink is love, and a humanitarian like me loves people." (in Another Day)
  • "Hee hee... Shut up and walk, dear." (to Neku in Another Day)

Battle Quotes[]

  • Have fun, Neku. - Begin battle
  • Don't make this worse for yourself. - Begin battle
  • Why even bother? - Begin battle at low HP
  • There! - Attacking
  • You are done! - Combo finisher
  • Just die. - Combo finisher
  • Go away. - Combo fininisher
  • Smile! - Phone Camera
  • This is nothing. - Catching the puck
  • Now we're talking. - Catching the puck at 5x power
  • How's my aim? - Activating the partner pin in Solo or Final Remix
  • Keep it up. - Neku erases a Noise
  • Neku, do something! - Low HP
  • What?! - Knocked down
  • What's wrong? - Neku recovering from knockdown
  • How could you, Neku? - Game Over
  • AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! - Game Over
  • Heh. Predictable. - Noise erased
  • That was quick. - Noise erased
  • Neku... do you need a break? - Noise erased at low HP
  • That was a nice distraction. - ★-rank victory
  • You need to do better, Neku. - E-rank victory
  • Oh, we’re running? You didn’t seem the type. - Flee from Battle for the first time

Non-Canon Appearances[]

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance[]

"A boy who watches over the Players in the Game. He summoned Traverse Town to save Neku and the others before their existences could blink out."
— Joshua' character file
Joshua

Joshua in Dream Drop Distance.

Joshua appears in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, as Aaron Spann reprises the role. Prior to the events of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Joshua saved Neku and the others from the brink of obliteration by bringing the remnants of their dreams to Traverse Town when it appeared before him and uses Rhyme's dream to open the portal into it. However, Joshua did not expect the dreams to assume physical form in that world, and he decides to help in their restoration after learning that they have been separated from each other in what he believed to be two Traverse Towns existing in the same space. But through Rhyme's dreams, Joshua was able to exist in both versions at the same time.

When Joshua meets Riku in the Third District of Traverse Town, he tells him of the goings-on in town while offering his assistance. While Riku initially rejected his offer, he accepts once Joshua tells him that he knows Sora and that he is in the same world with them. The two are then confronted by Beat soon after, who challenges Joshua in the belief that he can return to his own world with Rhyme if he beats him. Joshua stands aside, watching with amusement as Riku fights and defeats Beat's Dream Eaters, and chuckles after Beat concedes the fight in frustration. Neither of them notice Riku passing out, and neither are there when he comes to. After Sora defeats the Hockomonkey in the Fifth District, Joshua appears before him and explains that he and Riku are in two separate versions of Traverse Town, as Sora sees an illusion of Riku and the Young Xehanort Riku sees a similar image of Joshua, Sora, and Rhyme after he defeats his side's version of the Hockomonkey.

Later, Joshua speaks to Sora and Riku simultaneously, revealing how he brought the others to Traverse Town and the world being splintered in two. He also tells them about how they are able to see each other is because of the strong bonds between, using Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme as examples. After answering Sora and Riku's shared question of "who he really is" with an ambiguous answer, Joshua sprouted wings and flew off.

On Sora and Riku's return trips to Traverse Town, Joshua coordinates between them in order to help Neku and the others defeat the Spellican. He leads Riku into the Third District to trap Spellican in the Traverse Town where Sora attempts to take it out. It was by that time, after Neku and Beat are reunited with their respective partners, that Joshua confided to Riku that his previous theory, of the two Traverse towns being parallel worlds was incorrect but more like the dreams of two different people. This leads Joshua to warn Riku to be on his guard as either version could be a trap.

Other Kingdom Hearts Titles[]

Joshua appears in several medals in Kingdom Hearts Union X:

Joshua, Neku, Shiki also make a brief appearance at the start of Kingdom Hearts III along with Sora's memories.

The Animation[]

"A smart-yet-smarmy boy whose intellect is equally impressive as it is unsettling."
— Joshua's description in The Animation's official website
Sneaky Joshua

Joshua observing Neku during Week 1.

Prior to his week, Joshua made two appearances in Week 1. Similarly to the game, he can be seen on the first day briefly, observing Neku's first game from the RG. He can be seen for a split second after Neku witnesses a Player being erased.

JSnap

Joshua stops the beams from killing Neku.

During the fifth day, after Neku and Shiki complete the mission, a massive Anguis Noise symbol appears and fires massive beams from the sky to erase Players. Joshua can be seen snapping his fingers from atop of a building to stop these lasers from erasing Neku, Shiki, and other players that managed to survive the carnage. After the events of Week 1's final day, when Shiki is taken as Neku's entry fee, Joshua can be seen atop of another building, laughing to himself.

Reapers( Episode )

Joshua during Week 2.

During Neku's second week in the game, Joshua finds Neku struggling to fight Carcinofolk Noise, unable to use his Psychs without a partner. When he is knocked away, Joshua catches him and forces a pact without Neku's consent. While Neku is surprised at this, he quickly focuses his attention on the Noise. Joshua slaps away a stray Noise coming for him and applauds Neku's abilities and introduces himself and nonchalantly tells him he's been monitoring him, not even pretending to ask what his name is anymore. After quickly deducing Sho's mission, he urges Neku to follow him to 104, but is pulled back by Neku who scans his memories. Suspicious of his new partner, Neku is forced to follow along to survive.

When they reach 104, the Game Master personally greets them and expresses shock at seeing them in the game. When Neku asks if he knows him, Joshua shrugs it off. Once other players began to gather at the building, Sho sics Dub Rhino Noises at them and blatantly tricks Players into attacking each other and Uzuki by telling them he'll save them if they do. When Neku is attacked by a Dub Rhino, Joshua fends the incoming Noise by slamming debris at it with his Psych. After Kariya summons more Dub Rhinos and the two are surrounded, Joshua excitedly tells Neku that it's their time to show what they can do. The two sync up and perform a Fusion Attack, raining down fire and ice at the Noise, quickly erasing all the Dub Rhinos surrounding the players.

Neku and Joshua Go Out For Ice Cream

Joshua teaching Neku about Reaper Decals.

During the second day, Joshua talks to Hanekoma on the phone. After they receive their mission mail, Neku asks Joshua to solve it and he explains the routes that Reapers refers to in Shibuya's UG. Joshua also tells Neku about Reaper Decals (something originally Hanekoma does in the first week for Neku and Shiki in the game). He demonstrates this by buying ice cream for the two in a shop marked by a decal. The two later encounter Taboo Noise and struggle to defeat them until they attack in unison. He watches Neku as he follows Eri to a flower shop. When she leaves, he tells Neku that he should listen to him if he wants to survive. Neku grabs him, venting out his suspicions against him, and accidentally scans him again. Joshua proceeds to ask Neku if he scanned him.

On the third day, Joshua tricks Neku into going to CAT Street after the latter refuses to go despite not having a mission. He later reveals that he faked the mission mail when they arrive at WildKat. Joshua has Hanekoma upgrade their phones. As he does so, Joshua tells Neku about what he thinks about the game; a thrilling recreation that can't be found in the Underground. Hanekoma tells Neku about Joshua's ability to see the game while he was alive later on.

Episode 6-1

Neku interrogates Joshua by grabbing his shirt collar.

On the fourth day, the two go to Udagawa and Neku has a vision of Joshua killing him. Neku interrogates Joshua and he winds up cracking his phone screen.

On the fifth day, Joshua asks Neku to come with him to Cat Street to fix his phone. Later, Neku comments on a closed business and says he spent his time exploring Shibuya after school. When Joshua asks if he did it with friends and Neku says no, Joshua compares Neku to the Underground: each area has their own rules and can't be moved between. Neku and Joshua philosophize about CAT's work, people, and communication. At Miyashita Park, Neku excitedly notices a new CAT graffiti. Joshua remarks that he's surprised that CAT can run a café in the middle of it. Joshua reveals CAT is Hanekoma and Neku obsesses over meeting CAT. Neku discovers from Kariya that Joshua's intense powers are due to playing the Reapers' Game while living.

On the sixth day, their phones receive a mission to defeat the bosses of 2.2360679's 0 and 5 within 60 minutes. Joshua explains the number is the square root of 5, and only Route 5 is open. Neku concludes the Noise that attacked him at the Scramble Crossing is the first boss and the second boss is at Udagawa. Running through Tipsy Tose Hall, they witness Sota and Nao get erased. Neku mourns them while Joshua is apathetic. Joshua summarizes it into Neku interacting with others and finding a new self. At Tokyu Hands, Neku and Joshua back up Uzuki and Kariya struggling to fight off Taboo Noise. Uzuki reprimands them for saving her and flies off. Kariya tells Neku that the Game Master isn't playing by the rules, and they need to watch out. At Udagawa, Joshua and Neku defeat a powerful Wall of Grizzly and complete the mission. Minamimoto flies down and taunts them, saying that on Day 7 he'll solve the calculation he screwed up "that day".

On the seventh day, before Joshua can pull out his phone to see the mission, Neku grabs tightly onto his wrist. He asks Joshua to promise him to tell everything once they win. Neku and Joshua defeat Minamimoto on the top of Mark City. Unlike the game, Neku weeps for Joshua's supposed death.

Joshua ( It's a Wonderful World - Episode )

Joshua reveals himself as the Composer.

Joshua appears in the final episode, It's a Wonderful World. Unlike the game, Joshua never appears to fuse with Kitaniji's Noise form to become Draco Cantus. Joshua reveals himself as the Composer to Shiki and Beat, and telekinetically incapacitates both of them after Beat tries to punch Joshua. Joshua challenges Neku to a shoot-off duel to determine the fate of Shibuya. Neku remembers Hanekoma's advice to trust his partner, so he drops the gun and tells Joshua he trusts him, and Joshua shoots him. Unlike the game, Neku does not see Hanekoma standing beside Joshua. The episode ends with Hanekoma and Joshua explaining various plot mysteries of the series.

Trivia[]

  • Joshua's official ages are the physical ages of the forms that he takes on in the lower planes. It is unknown what age his true form is or how many years it has been since he was actually born, as the Composers' human forms and apparent ages can change unlike those of Reapers who remain the age they died unless they are resurrected.
    • During Week 2, Joshua is shown to be unfamiliar with Taboo Noise sigils. However, Kariya recognizes them, which implies Joshua may not have been in the UG as long as he has.
    • At one point, he mentions becoming a regular in Hanekoma's shop while in the RG, and Hanekoma also talks about how he would drop by. Assuming the shop in question is the current WildKat, then Joshua would've had to been alive during the time period it was open.[5]
    • In Another Day, Joshua is seemingly alive and attending school, as he writes for the middle school column of Tin Pin Weekly. Since he is fifteen, this would mean he's in his final year of middle school.
  • Although no official confirmation exists for his height while in Composer form, Hanekoma, who is 5'9", reaches just below his shoulder when standing beside him in the Secret Ending. Therefore, it can be assumed he's at least 7'0".
  • Joshua's birthday, November 1, is also known as All Saints' Day, which may stem from his character's references to Jesus Christ. The Samhain festival also begins on the evening of October 31 and continues until the evening of the following day, and was known as a day when the veil between this world and the Otherworld was thinned, with both holidays being considered the origin of modern Halloween. His birthday also makes him a Scorpio.
    • The Day of the Dead is also traditionally celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, with the former date being dedicated to the spirits of deceased children.
    • The Scorpio sign is associated with the Death Major Arcana tarot card. Although this matches Joshua's role in a very literal sense, the Death card actually represents transformation, change and new beginnings, fitting the themes of Joshua's character arc.
    • His full birthday is written as 11/1, forming a series of repeating numbers. These are often known as "angel numbers" and come in sequences of three or four, with 111 being a commonly recognized one. Neku's birthday, April 21st, is also the 111th day of the year, which may allude to his role as Joshua's proxy.
  • According to Tetsuya Nomura, Joshua's nickname was decided before his real name but then his nickname became his real name[6].
    • It is unclear exactly what Nomura meant. It could imply that Joshua is his real name and that Yoshiya is a nickname or that Yoshiya was his nickname in development before becoming his real name.
    • Whenever Joshua introduces himself to people, he says "My name is Yoshiya Kiryu, but Mother and Father call me Joshua". While it could imply at first sight that Joshua parents refer to him with a nickname, it also could imply that his parents refer to him with his real name.
  • According to Tetsuya Nomura, Shibuya Reapers have a hidden kanji in their names that relate to the Chinese zodiac and represent their Noise forms. Joshua is associated with dragons, meaning his Noise form could potentially be a dragon.
    • While his surname Kiryu (桐生) doesn't have a kanji related to dragons, part of it is phonetically the same as "ryu," the Japanese word for dragon.
    • All the main characters have brands associated with them. Joshua's brand is apparently Dragon Couture due to the items associated with him.
    • When he fuses with Megumi, Megumi gains the powerful and golden dragon-like Draco Cantus form.
    • Shinjuku's Composer Hazuki Mikagi is associated with phoenix and the Phoenix Cantus while Joshua is associated with dragons, possibly referencing the Four Symbols, mythological Chinese creatures who guard four cardinal directions. Along with the tiger and the tortoise, they include a dragon and a bird which is often depicted as a phoenix.
  • Joshua's association with the dragons can also be seen as foreshadowing his status as being "different" as the Composer, as dragons are the only animal of the Chinese Zodiac which do not truly exist. The brand's items are also expensive, a possible nod to Joshua's power.
  • Although the game seems to imply Pegaso is Joshua's second favorite brand, since his stickers can be purchased in their store, he gets more bonuses from Lapin Angelique threads.
  • Joshua was drawn with the concept of a "rich bonbon" in mind, referring to a spoiled kid from super rich parents.[7] In Japanese, Kariya also refers to him as "bocchan" (坊っちゃん) which is used by servants to refer to a young master, but can also be applied to any boy from a very well-off family.
    • Several school uniforms can be acquired while collecting Secret Reports. For Week 2, the uniform is Boys' Uniform with Blazer, belonging to "the famous rich kid school for boy geniuses", which may be referencing this aspect of Joshua's design. The school's name, St. Michael's, also implies it is a Catholic school, a possibly nod to Joshua's religious motifs.
  • Nomura has stated the reason Joshua uses a cellphone as a weapon is because it is the only thing he could picture him with.[8]
  • During an interview about the concept art in 2007, Tetsuya Nomura commented that Joshua's fashion style is not necessarily conservative and that he wanted each character to have their own style[9].
  • Joshua was an illegal Player in the Game, and because of it as well as his status as a Composer, some rules do not apply to him.
    • He may not have had to pay an Entry Fee to participate in Week 2, but this is ultimately never discussed. He always proclaims out loud whenever he collects his game opponent's (Megumi's and Neku's) Entry Fee, however.
    • He lacks a Player Pin.
    • In the first game and The Animation, it's implied that he never experiences the forced sleep the Players are subjected to soon after completing their daily missions, as he is always awake and busy whenever Neku awakens.
    • He is shown not to react to the pain that comes from the mission timers appearing on their hands, meaning he may not receive timers at all or is largely unaffected by the pain in one way or another. In the anime, he is shown to have timers, but the painful aspect is removed from the adaptation altogether.
  • In The Animation, Joshua buys himself and Neku ice cream, and tells Neku that the donuts at Wildkat "aren't too bad." This is despite both foods being disliked by his game counterpart.
  • At one point, Kariya refers to Joshua as "The Petit Prince", a reference to the French novel of the same name, about a boy "who laughs, who has golden hair and who refuses to answer questions." This may also act as subtle foreshadowing towards the Secret Ending; the Little Prince's story leaves it up to the reader whether he made it back to his planet, or was killed by the snake, with the narrator waiting for his return. Similarly, the game's ending leaves it up to player interpretation whether Joshua ever does join Neku and his friends, or continues to remain alone, while Neku awaits their reunion at Hachiko.
  • In the Japanese version, Joshua is the only one of Neku's partners to refer to him with honorifics (calling him Neku-kun). He's shown to use "-kun" with characters he appears fond of, such as Neku and Megumi, and Sora and Riku in Dream Drop Distance. Curiously, he does not use "-kun" with Rindo and refers to him by just his name. Joshua also calls Shuto as "Shuto-kun" in the Japanese version.
  • Joshua makes a cameo in the beginning of every story, in a way the player is more likely to recognize during replay.
    • In Shiki, Day 1 during the first game, right before Shiki forms a pact with Neku, the player may look at the crowd in front of the Statue of Hachiko and Joshua will be standing right next to Neku. He is no longer present there after the pact is formed, as he has confirmed his Proxy is safe. He is also present in the same spot at the beginning of Week 2.
    • Joshua's cameo on the first day is also present in The Animation.
    • In the second game, Joshua appears when Rindo fails to catch the Reaper Pin Fret threw at him. His face isn't shown, but he is recognizable by his shoes. He picks up and gives the Pin back to Rindo, who very briefly thanks him, mistaking him for a random polite passerby and thus doesn't recognize him during their second meeting. This is implied to be the moment Joshua chose the boy as his Proxy and bestowed him his latent ability.
  • Upon first meeting Neku on Joshua, Day 1 he calls Neku by his name twice before asking what it is, but Neku doesn't catch on to this.
    • However, it should be noted that this is only present in the North American/European localization of the game; in the Japanese version, he never uses Neku's name until they are properly introduced. The English translation of The World Ends With You: Final Remix edits out these mentions, implying it was an error rather than a deliberate choice.
    • The Animation, however, reintroduces this in both the original Japanese and the dub.
  • Joshua's third level Fusion is the only one in which Neku speaks first before attacking.
  • Joshua is the only character who does not hate the sync bar, and instead has it as one of his favorite foods. The description states that those who eat it will be "making friends without even trying," alluding to his secret loneliness and desire to connect with others.
  • Characters when defeated against Noise will cry out, either in anger (Beat) or despair (Shiki). Joshua of note will occasionally state, "How could you, Neku..." as an expression of disappointment in his Proxy.
  • Joshua is the only partner character that Neku does not fight directly in a battle. However, Neku does fight him indirectly.
  • Despite the line being translated as "some people can't take no for an answer" in the English version, the original Japanese version of the Secret Ending has Hanekoma criticize Joshua on not being honest about how he feels. This is also seen in The Animation, where Hanekoma states Joshua "always puts up a front."
    • Hanekoma also tells Joshua he "looks lonely" in Japanese, as opposed to seeming down.
  • An interview revealed Joshua smiles before being captured by Kitaniji in the final battle due to him being humored by Kitaniji's desperation: "He was surprised for a moment when he was about to be captured, but he soon realized that it was [Kitaniji's] last attempt to defeat Neku. So for a moment, Joshua grinned. [Kitaniji] had already lost to Neku once and was dying, so Joshua thought, "This is all he can do."
Unused Joshua

Joshua's unused sprite.

  • Joshua has an unused bottom screen sprite for This Day Ends with You! where his Angel Feather is mistakenly layered in front of his hand rather than behind it.
  • Joshua is the only Player among the main Players to not be wearing a wrist, neck, or head accessory, such as necklaces, bracelets, hats, and headphones.
  • Joshua's rise to the position of Composer or previous history is not discussed. One possible hint is the description on the Eden pins, stating the equal judgement of the five kings, or the five different sets of pins of Gatito, and the goddess blessing her light upon a single individual. Some of Joshua's dialogue in Joshua, Day 5 resembles suicidal ideation, implying Joshua may have taken his life as a human.[10][11] Ultimately, his past is currently left to interpretation.
You seem down

Joshua smiling in only the Remix versions.

  • During the Secret Ending, a closeup of Joshua's face in Composer form is shown. In DS, he is seen frowning, but in both The World Ends with You -Solo Remix- and The World Ends With You: Final Remix he is smiling. The reason for this change is unknown, although Hanekoma's statement that he "seems down" remains unchanged. In the anime version, he smiles at first but turns more serious at the end until his face drops.
Room of Reckoning DS

The shadowed figure on the Throne of Shibuya in Another Day

  • The Shibuya River segment of Another Day features a scene where the Room of Reckoning background is briefly shown in red after Joshua mentions the Throne of Shibuya seating the one who rules the city. In the DS version, a shadowed figure can be seen sitting on the throne, which may be Joshua's Composer form, albeit with a single wing visible that the form lacks. It is unknown whether this was intentionally placed there or a leftover remnant from a scene that was cut from the finalized game, as it appears to have been removed in Final Remix.
  • As of NEO: The World Ends With You, Joshua's official color appears to be blue. During the official TWEWY PR twitter account's character reveals, he is represented by the "baby angel" (👼) emoji.
  • In a NEO developer interview with Famitsu, Kando stated there are certain parts of the story that don't add up "unless Coco is connected to Joshua in some way," but the nature of this connection is unknown.
  • During Joshua's NEO introduction, the song It's So Wonderful from the first game plays, similar to Neku and Twister, indicating this may be his official theme song.
  • Joshua quotes William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, "Parting is such a sweet sorrow", during Rindo and Shoka's farewell at the Final Day in the English Localization.
  • Joshua was designed by Tetsuya Nomura in NEO: The World Ends With You. According to his notes in the official guidebook, not much was changed from his previous design aside from his face and body being more mature. Although Nomura considered having Joshua appear in his Composer form, he eventually decided to have him match with Neku instead.[12]
    • In the same guidebook, Nomura also states Joshua has "a special place" in his heart. He was given the five stars on his shirt to reflect that.

References[]

  1. NEO: The World Ends with You: Official Guidebook + Setting Documents Collection (新すばらしきこのせかい公式ガイドブック+設定資料集 Shin Subarashiki Kono Sekai Kōshiki Gaidobukku + Settei Shiryōshū) exclusively released in Japan, July 2021.
  2. From Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance The Novel: Sora turned around to see a boy he didn't know. He had wavy, shoulder-length, ash-gray hair and was wearing a pale violet shirt that was open at the chest.
  3. Joshua: I guess you can call me Joshua, too--seeing as how you’re my dear, dear partner. Hee hee… Neku: Your what!? (This pipsqueak is my new partner!?)
  4. KH Insider Interview. Comments from Tatsuya Kando: Joshua won, but he decided to keep Shibuya alive. So Neku came back to life and returned to Shibuya. He was under the impression that the city would be erased because he lost.
  5. Joshua: The Game intrigued me. I was following it on my own when I met Mr. H. Neku: When was that? Joshua: Oh, years ago. So I became a regular at his shop, listening to his stories. The more he told me about the UG, the more I came to see its charm.
  6. KhInsider Interview, Comments by Tetsuya Nomura: His name was decided before his nickname, but in this case, the nickname is actually his real name.
  7. https://twitter.com/twewyNEWS/status/1364273823344918529
  8. KH Insider Interview. Comment by Tetsuya Nomura: As for his weapon, the only thing I could picture him with was a cellphone (laughs).
  9. https://www.deviantart.com/wewy/art/Joshua-Pose-digitization-82283738
  10. Joshua: People racing across the city in a life-or-death struggle? Find me another rush like that in Shibuya. Life for me was one giant bore. Just the same thing, day after day... Now THAT felt like death.
    Neku: So you... came here?
    Joshua: Yeah. I decided I belonged in the UG.
  11. Neku: What about you? How did you die?
    Joshua: Hee hee... Not telling ?
    Neku: What? (Ugh, nice.)
    Joshua: I'm here because I want to be. End of story. Ready to go?
  12. Nomura: Since he's a transcendent being, I didn't change much from his previous design and just made his face and body more mature. I had a hard time figuring out whether to go with his adult form from the conclusion to the original game, but I decided to have him match with Neku instead. This character has a special place in my heart, and is adorned with stars on his shoulder.
Characters in The World Ends with You
Neku SakurabaShiki MisakiBeatJoshuaRhymeSota HonjoNao 777BJCoco AtarashiKoki KariyaMegumi KitanijiMitsuki KonishiSho MinamimotoTenhoUzuki YashiroYodai Higashizawa
Shopkeepers
Aily UenoAkira YoshiiAnna AoiAyu HamaguchiBanzai AyanokojiFumi GotodaFumiko NishimuraHideki KikuchiHikaru KoikeHT MasuokaJun OdajimaKeiichi OkadaKen DoiKyoMakoto MikiMasanori ItoMay KurokawaMie SuzukiMiki KosakaNana MajimaPrincess KRayca HoshiRikako TodaSanae HanekomaShigemi KonnoShigemori IwataShinta IwataTadafumi SatoTak KimuraTatsuya OmuraTsubasaYoji IwataYosh IshinoYumi SheenaYuu Narumi
Other Characters
AiCATEiji OjiEriFutoshiItaru YokoyamadaKen DoiMakoto MikiMinaMr. MewNeku's best friendPin ProfSanae HanekomaShrimpShuto DanTsugumi MatsunaeWizard of SlamVice Wizard of Slam
Characters in NEO: The World Ends with You
Rindo KanadeFretNagi UsuiBeatShoka SakuraneNeku SakurabaSho Minamimoto Shiba MiyakazeSusukichiTsugumi Matsunae Fuya KawaharaKohei ToyohashiKatsuhiko Tanimaru Kanon TachibanaMaito Minami Motoi AnazawaSumio Tanaka Koki KariyaUzuki YashiroCoco AtarashiSho Minamimoto Shiba MiyakazeTanzo KuboAyano KamachiKaie OnoHishima SakazukiShoka SakuraneSusukichiTsugumi MatsunaeTsugumi Matsunae's brother
Shopkeepers
AadivAika KuribayashiAkari MinaminoAkira IshiwaAoi KyobeGenzo KoitabashiHirofumi ItoguchiHiromu TakaharaIzumi AriyoshiJo MakitaJun SonobeKana InadaKaoru NitobeKeiichi OkadaKen DoiKohei SuzukawaLinda WatanabeMai IseyaMasayaMichihisa TadashimaMiharu NakanoMiki SaionjiMiko YamamotoMitsuhide TojoMomoka OwadaNaoto KuwataRei MogiRenka SakumaRieko KawaharaRina TodoRintaro NakagawaRyojiRyoma UtsumiSakura KogaSayoko MorohoshiShinobu SatoSumire ChibaSuzu ItoTakumi MiyanoTamao SasaiTomoko HirasawaTomoyuki KondoTsukihimeWataru KoketsuYotsuba SanoYudai MikiYumi Takita
Other Characters
Ammonia BanksBuddy RapidsEiji OjiEiruGo ModoriyamaHazuki MikagiHide TakenouchiHonoka KondoItsuki KanedaJoshuaKashikiKen DoiMachastreeManami AkitaMarino OriharaMKNMr. MewReaper CommentatorRhymeRiko SekinoharaRyojiSanae HanekomaShiki MisakiShuntaro HarimaTaka the HandymanTaku IhamaTomonamiYoko NorimotoYuika KagaYusei Iseya
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