Yusuke’s entire life’s passion is comprised of and surrounded by art. He searches for the aesthetic everywhere in his surroundings, from people to places. He sees every opportunity or challenge presented to him as a way to broaden his horizons, and primarily considers how it will benefit him greatly as an artist. He is captivated by the painting of “Sayuri,” and seeks to capture the sense of beauty that it portrays. This passion extends to his mentor, Madarame, who he believed created the painting and who took him in when he was young, completely ignorant that he is being used for Madarame's own profit. As such, Yusuke greatly admired and respected him to the point that he vehemently denied any of the rumors surrounding Madarame.

Even when he knows the rumors are true and finds actual proof supporting it, Yusuke claims that the abuse he faced was consensual as a means of keeping a roof over his head. Even after Madarame's fall, Yusuke still suffers from a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome towards his former mentor and still desires for Madarame to revert back into what he thinks he is, even if it is pretty clear that all of Madarame's good will was lost right when he was born. In Persona 5: Royal, this is shown when Takuto Maruki's cognition-altering powers create his ideal life, wherein Madarame is an honest and sincere teacher who never took credit for creating Sayuri and worked tirelessly for Yusuke's mother to receive her rightful acclaim, even putting the unaltered painting in a museum.

His passion for art is admired and respected by the group, though they also view him as rather strange. At one point, Ann claims that he is "on a different wavelength than other people." However, Yusuke is well-aware that his mind operates differently from that of most people's, to the point of admitting that he's eccentric, and is shown to be downright offended whenever someone makes fun of him for it, or even points it out.

Despite his eccentricities, Yusuke is incredibly level-headed and, in many ways, is the most mature of the group. He sees no use in panicking or getting nervous, as it does nothing to help the situation at hand. He is usually polite when dealing with others, particularly when compared to the vulgar Ryuji, condescending Morgana and passive-aggressive Akechi. However, when Madarame's shadow exposes himself to him, he doesn't hide that he felt betrayed and angered about it. He tends to be more sincere when dealing with subjects he admires from an aesthetic standpoint. For example, he is very direct and respectful when he approaches Ann out of a desire to paint her. However, this sincerity can make him appear pushy, showing that he has a very stubborn, headstrong side, which comes out when he is very inspired.

He displays a somewhat cold and haughty behavior towards people which are behaving in what he deems as an unseemly manner, or in ways that are against his personal aesthetic. This can be seen especially during his initial encounters with Ryuji and the protagonist, and during an encounter he has with two women who attempt to flirt with him. Additionally, he can be very sharp with people who make mistakes, such as when he calls out Ryuji for getting caught or when he chastises Makoto for being reckless. This even extends to the rest of the group, as when they're framed for murder, he angrily states they shouldn't have rushed into things.

Despite this, Yusuke tries his hardest to be a gentleman and is overall one of the kinder members of the team. He is very considerate regarding Futaba's slow growth, as he knows that deep-rooted issues like hers are not something that can be fixed in a few days, and despite arguing with her from time to time, he is also one of the first members to have a normal conversation with her. Yusuke also worries about his classmate, Naoya Makigami's, behavior, suspecting family problems are the cause. His sincerity and willingness to point out what he truly thinks, despite what others' reactions may be, makes him a very loyal, honest ally. Yusuke also claims he donates blood, calling it a "hobby."

Having been unhealthily sheltered for most of his life, Yusuke acts with pure intentions, but ultimately is unaccustomed to many of society's norms. The naïveté born from it shows more times than not, he in particular being unaware when he is coming off as intrusive until being directly informed. At times, he can cause trouble for other team members, such as being energetically pushy when asking for Ann to be his art model, when he remodels Futaba's Phoenix Ranger Featherman R figurines without her permission and his frequent criticisms of Ryuji's brashness. A running gag in the game is how Yusuke spends all his money on things that capture his attention without any foresight, such as on art books or lobsters at the beach because they are aesthetically pleasing. Despite his naïveté when it comes to social situations, Yusuke is highly intelligent and his wisdom is evident during Phantom Thief meetings and heists.

Over time, Yusuke’s disconnection from reality and his blunt introduction to his mentor’s vain and evil nature becomes a source of internal struggle to him. He wishes to paint purely for the sake of passion and capture the essence of the human heart, but detests that it becomes for the sake of gaining money, shelter and recognition. He realizes that the beauty he began to portray in his paintings became corrupt by society's expectations of him, deeming it as superficial without any meaning. The protagonist eventually helps him understand his calling on a deeper level and also helps him to convey his feelings on canvas properly.

As an art student, Yusuke is knowledgeable of and admires other artists as well, as he suggests that "Da Vinci" be his Phantom Thief code name, a reference to Leonardo da Vinci. In his Confidant, he compares the protagonist to Theo, the brother of Vincent van Gogh, who was his greatest supporter. Yusuke is talented at economical dining, using his own self-taught method that thoroughly calculates cost-performance. He likes going for walks (as a bonus, it also saves on travel expenses) and frequently watches people for artistic inspiration. His knowledge of the aesthetics of food, including information about ingredients, cooking methods and servings, is vast, and he’s committed himself to it. However, his monetary situation does not allow him to practice as much as he would like to in reality. Additionally, whenever Yusuke cooks, he tends to get creative with the ingredients, which can result in bizarre meals.