Why Is Prisoner So Popular in Identity V?

The chaotic rise of Luca Balsa, memes, pain, electricity, and one very dangerous smile.

If you’ve been around the Identity V fandom long enough, you already know one thing:

No matter how many new survivors get added… somehow Prisoner fans are still everywhere. 😭⚡

And honestly? I get it.

I started playing Identity V way back in 2019 too, when being chased by a Smiley Face felt like a genuine life-or-death experience and everyone thought Forward mains were terrifying. I quit for a while, came back around 2021, and ever since then I’ve been in that “sometimes obsessed, sometimes casual” relationship with the game that most of us understand a little too well.

But recently, because of the Nymph Awards and all the insane fan support, I got curious again:

Why exactly is Prisoner (Luca Balsa) THIS popular?

And after digging through player discussions, memes, stage play clips, fan edits, and approximately 5000 comments screaming about tiger teeth, I think the answer is:

It’s not just one thing.
It’s literally everything lining up at once.

The Smile That Accidentally Ruined Everyone’s Life

A lot of players said they fell for Prisoner immediately after seeing him for the first time.

Like this comment:

“I started in June 2024. During the beginner character selection, I saw him smiling with his little fang showing and that was it.”

And honestly??? VALID.

Luca’s design hits this weirdly perfect balance:

• messy genius energy
• exhausted scientist vibes
• chaotic gremlin behavior
• but also strangely cute???

That little tiger tooth smile has probably caused irreversible psychological damage to half the fandom at this point.

He looks like someone who hasn’t slept in three days because he accidentally electrocuted himself trying to invent something impossible. Which, to be fair, is basically canon.

His Story Is Actually Really Sad

One thing even non-Prisoner fans agree on:

Luca’s backstory hurts.

A LOT.

He’s based loosely on inventor Nikola Tesla, and his whole character revolves around obsession with truth, invention, ambition, guilt, and isolation.

There’s something painfully human about a character who keeps chasing knowledge no matter how much it destroys him.

One player described it perfectly:

“I’ll always be moved by people who pursue truth no matter what.”

That’s kind of Luca in one sentence.

He isn’t written as a perfect hero. He’s messy, stubborn, emotionally unstable, and absolutely capable of making terrible decisions. But that’s exactly why people love him.

The Memes Never Stop 😭

Another huge reason Prisoner exploded in popularity?

The memes.

SO many memes.

Especially the famous “lying on the ground” expressions that somehow became reaction images for literally every emotion possible:

• tired
• dramatic
• emotionally destroyed
• academically exhausted
• mentally offline
• socially dead

There are also endless fan edits, parody videos, and absurd audio clips from the stage plays that spread everywhere across TikTok, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu, and Twitter/X.

At some point Luca stopped being “just a game character” and became:

a full-time internet reaction image.

Which honestly increases survivability in fandom culture by like 500%.

Timing Helped Him Explode

Players also mentioned that Prisoner’s popularity wasn’t just luck — it was timing.

Things that boosted him:

• the Bungo Stray Dogs collaboration
• free crossover skins
• fan-made meme culture
• “Hidden Prisoner” CP popularity
• stage play voice clips going viral
• community campaigns asking NetEase to optimize his skins
• fan creators constantly posting edits and animations

One comment summed it up perfectly:

“Timing, memes, collabs, and fan support. Everything aligned.”

And honestly? Yeah.

The fandom basically adopted him collectively.

He’s Also Just… Really Comfortable to Play

This part matters more than people admit.

A LOT of casual players genuinely enjoy using Prisoner because:

• decoding feels satisfying
• connection gameplay is fun
• less rescue pressure
• easy to understand for beginners
• contributes to the team consistently

One newer player said:

“I use Lawyer and Prisoner the most because I love the decoding speed. And Prisoner doesn’t stress me out with rescue timing.”

That’s actually huge for character popularity.

Sometimes a character becomes beloved not because they’re the strongest — but because they feel good to spend time with.

And Luca absolutely feels like that character.

The Real Reason People Stay Attached

I think what makes Prisoner special is that he feels incredibly fandom-friendly.

He can be:

• tragic
• cute
• intelligent
• pathetic
• funny
• dramatic
• comforting
• chaotic

All at the same time.

He works in serious lore analysis.
He works in comedy edits.
He works in angst fanfiction.
He works in wholesome ship art.

That kind of flexibility creates fandom monsters. 😭

And once a character reaches meme status and emotional attachment status simultaneously… it’s basically over for everyone else.

So… Who’s YOUR Favorite Identity V Character?

That’s the fun thing about Identity V honestly.

Everyone enters the manor for a different reason.

Some people stay for the horror.
Some stay for the gameplay.
Some stay because one emotionally damaged little electrician smiled at them once.

And suddenly it’s been five years.

Identity V Merch & Future Fanmade Goodies 🖤

The Identity V Collection section on KiraKira Picks is still being updated, but future drops will include:

• acrylic keychains
• phone cases
• plush keychains
• card holders
• fanmade accessories inspired by Prisoner, Night Watch, Perfumer, Antiquarian, and more ✨

If you’re the type of player who screenshots every Luca smile frame-by-frame… yeah, you’ll probably want to keep an eye on it.