Persona 5's popularity and the Phantom Thieves' adventures aren't done yet! The game has just released across all major platforms, so let's dive back in and take a look at the Persona 5 Royal Confidants available to us in the game.
Each confidant character in Persona 5 Royal has a different schedule, and won't be available all the time. Juggling this, school, jobs, and Metaverse exploration can be tricky. Pay attention to what each confidant's ranks will give you, and plan your choices accordingly. Some give bonus skill points, others provide Palace exploration help, and others can reduce prices in their shops.
Excited to play Persona 5 Royal, either for the first time or a re-do? Check out our Switch review of the game to see what we thought. If you're a big Atlus fan, we also reading up on Soul Hackers 2 demons.
All Persona 5 Royal Confidants
Here is a quick rundown of each confidant, including who it is, which card they are represented by, and what they offer.
| Character | Who are they | Confidant | How to unlock confidant | How to rank up | Rank up bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Igor | Velvet Room master | The Fool | Automatically unlocked | Automatic with story | Shadow negotiation, Velvet Room bonuses, Third Eye sense |
| Ryuji Sakamoto | Phantom Thief | The Chariot | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Chance to Insta-Kill shadows, increases stealth in Palaces |
| Anne Takamaki | Phantom Thief | The Lovers | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Chance to cancel enemy attacks, can retry negotiations |
| Morgana | Phantom Thief | The Magician | Automatically unlocked | Automatic with story | Unlock infiltration tools, ability to steal items |
| Sojiro Sakura | Leblanc owner | The Hierophant | Unlockable after Kamoshida's Palace is cleared | Hang out with character | Unlocks coffee and curry making |
| Yusuke Kitagawa | Phantom Thief | The Emperor | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Unlocks skill card duplication and creation, chance to perform follow-up attacks |
| Caroline and Justine | Velvet Room attendants | Strength | Automatically unlocked | Complete Fusion tasks | Velvet Room benefits like triple fusion, pay for stronger Personas, and reduces cost |
| Tae Takemi | Doctor | Death | Visit the clinic and speak to Tae | Hang out with character | More purchasable items in clinic, cost discount, increases Guts stat |
| Sadayo Kawakami | School teacher | Temperance | Can begin after Madarame's palace, approach Mishima in Shibuya Central Street at night | Hang out with character | Can perform activities while in classes, ability to go out at night, Sadayo can brew coffee and do other tasks for you |
| Kasumi Yoshizawa | School student | Faith | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Chance to avoid being surrounded in Palace, grows max HP, can ambush with the grappling hook, |
| Takuto Maruki | Student councillor | Councillor | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character, rank 10 automatic | Grows max SP, chance to gain Charge or Concentrate in battle, chance to restore SP |
| Sae Niijima | Prosecutor | Judgment | Automatically unlocked | Automatic with story | - |
| Makoto Niijima | Phantom Thief | The Priestess | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Shows null, repel, and drain elements in battle, can see skills on analysis screen |
| Toranosuke Yoshida | Street orator | The Sun | Work two shifts at the Beef Bowl Shop in Shibuya, and listen to Yoshida outside the station | Hang out with character | Chance to ask for more in negotiations, rank 10 allows you to use high level shadows. |
| Yuuki Mishima | School student | The Moon | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Team mates can earn XP when not in party, unlocks Mementos requests |
| Ichiko Ohya | Reporter | The Devil | Make a deal with her at the Crossroads Bar in Shinjuku | Hang out with character | Decreases security levels in palace, lowers with further ranks |
| Shinya Oda | Arcade game champion | The Tower | Unlocked via the "Winners Don't Use Cheats" Mementos request | Hang out with character | Can perform knock down shots, gun-based All-Out Attack unlocked, increase gun damage |
| Hifumi Togo | Shogi player | The Star | Must reach rank 2 with Yusuke, and reach Charm level 3. Then, you can go and find Hifumi in Kanda. | Hang out with character | Can swap out party members during Joker's turn, chance for follow-up moves, chance for double battle cash, chance to escape being surrounded |
| Chihaya Mifune | Fortune teller | Fortune | Visit Chihaya in Shinjuku at night, after June 22. Purchase the Holy Stone, and return to her | Hang out with character | Unlocks readings for buffs to money earning or skill growth, can trigger fusion alarm |
| Munehisa Iwai | Model gun shop owner | The Hanged Man | Raise Guts stat to 4 and visit the model gun shop. | Hang out with character | Unlocks gun customisation, Proficiency points, cost decrease in store |
| Futaba Sakura | Phantom Thief | The Hermit | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Chance to heal in battle, chance to unlock Mementos floor maps, chance to perform instant Hold-Up |
| Haru Okumura | Phantom Thief | The Empress | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character | Grow vegetables in school garden, then decreases time |
| Goro Akechi | Detective | Justice | Automatically unlocked | Hang out with character, rank 9 and 10 are automatic | Chance to reveal enemy affinities in battle, unlocks Jazz Club |
All of your on-field teammates have the same perks that unlock in later ranks. Namely, they have a chance to endure fatal attacks, a chance to shield Joker, and can perform a healing move. They will also receive two Persona transformations when their rank is maxed out in each semester.
How to max out Akechi's Confidant
Look away now if you don't want spoilers until you reach this point in the game!
Still here? Good. Akechi is a problematic character in terms of story. You will need to reach rank 8 of his confidant in order to access the true ending of the game.
To do this, look for the following options in dialogue, and choose them:
- During rank 7's hangout, choose "You're my rival".
- During rank 8's hangout, beat him in battle, and then choose "I accept".
- After the events of Shido's Palace, tell him "I want to keep our promise".
Choosing these correctly will unlock the correct endings, and keep Akechi around.
click to enlarge
+ 2What are Persona 5 Royal Confidants?
Confidants are friends and allies that you form bonds with during the story of Persona 5 Royal. Usually, when Joker first has a meaningful moment or experience with a character, the screen explaining their confidant will arise and the first rank will unlock. From there, further ranks will unlock extra perks, rewards, or skills for you to use.
Generally speaking, to rank up your confidants, you need to check which are available on the map, and go hang out with them. Some dialogue options can upgrade your rank quicker, but you'll get there no matter which you choose. By the way - unlocking later confidant with female characters will unlock a romance option, but don't feel obligated to go down that route.
A couple of them rank up automatically with the story, like Morgana and Igor, so you don't need to think about them. You'll need to pick the rest carefully, though.
click to enlarge + 2Which Confidants should I prioritise in Persona 5 Royal?
To begin, you will want to prioritise Kasumi, Maruki, and Akechi's confidants. They are important to the story, and are needed to unlock the 'Royal' part of the game: the third semester.
Other than that, the best confidant rewards come from Shinya in the arcade, Iwai at the model gun shop, Hifumi the shogi player, and Ryuji. Mishima's rewards unlock Mementos requests, so are highly suggested, too. Kawakami, in the final rank reward, will allow you to venture out at night, giving you another time slot to fill with activities. This is highly recommended, though a slog to get to.
Sojiro's coffee and curry is a big help if you don't have time to go shopping for items, and Yusuke's card creation is a bonus for those who frequently use them. Tae Takemi's clinic shop is another helpful location, and her confidant rewards will add more stock of healing items.
Looking for a new game to dive into? Check out our list of the best RPGs around, like Genshin Impact, Tower of Fantasy or Epic Seven.