It's time once again to join the Phantom Thieves on their mission to change the evil hearts in Tokyo! To do it, you need to head into the Persona 5 Royal Palaces. But what are they, and who should you take?
Obviously, this comes with a spoiler warning, as all Palaces in Persona 5 Royal are listed here. This includes those of the third semester. We'll give a quick run-down of what Palaces there are, when they can be accessed, and when their deadlines are, to complete them and steal the treasure within.
Not sure which platform to play Persona 5 Royal on next? Here's our review of it on the Nintendo Switch, to help you choose. You might find yourself questioning which Confidants to prioritise too, so check out our guide to make it easier.
What are Palaces in Persona 5 Royal?
In the Persona series, a Palace is the term for what is essentially Persona 5's boss dungeons. Each Palace has a mysterious way of entering it, and then a hefty, puzzle-laden map within. In the Palaces there are Shadows that can be battled to gain new Personas, along with XP and money.
Eventually, the Phantom Thieves will meet the boss of the Palace, and have to defeat them in order to steal the treasure. This will ultimately change their hearts without causing harm. Once the treasure is located, the Thieves can send a Calling Card to the Palace owner, making them aware of your presence, and causing their treasure to materialise. The next day, you will automatically head into the Palace and will need to defeat the boss.
Each of these bosses and Palaces have a different theme based on one of the seven deadly sins (or similar indiscretions), which dictates the decoration and set-up of the area within.
click to enlarge
+ 2How many Persona 5 Royal Palaces are there?
In total, there are nine palaces in Persona 5 Royal. We're including the final boss of Mementos here, as it essentially functions as a Palace, and the 'new' palace that was added in Royal's third semester. The Palaces and bosses are:
- Kamoshida - Castle of Lust
- Madarame - Museum of Vanity
- Kaneshiro - Bank of Gluttony
- Futaba Sakura - Pyramid of Wrath
- Okumura - Spaceport of Greed
- Sae Niijima - Casino of Envy
- Shido - Cruiser of Pride
- Depths of Mementos - Prison of Sloth
- Maruki - Center of Melancholy
When do the Persona 5 Royal Palaces unlock?
Each Palace in Persona 5 unlocks as you progress through the story, with a bit of free time in between to fill as you please. However, keep an eye on the date, and make sure your infiltrations are done in time.
| Palace | Unlock date | Minimum required visits | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamoshida | April 11 | 3 | May 1 |
| Madarame | May 16 | 2 | June 5 |
| Kaneshiro | June 19 | 3 | July 8 |
| Futaba | July 25 | 2 | August 20 |
| Okumura | September 15 | 3 | October 10 |
| Sae Niijima | October 29 | 2 | November 19 |
| Shido | November 24 | 3 | December 17 |
| Depths of Mementos | December 24 | 1 | December 24 |
| Maruki | Seen in October, accessed January 2 | 5 | January 6 |
When do I send a Palace owner a Calling Card in Persona 5 Royal?
Sending a Calling Card to the Palace's owner means that you're about to finish that Palace's section of the game, and won't be able to return to the Palace after it.
We recommend you send the calling card quickly, unless you want to grind through the Palace for XP or money - though Mementos can serve this purpose. Until you send the card, your confidants won't hang out with you. After you've beaten the boss, though, your time is free for you to do as you like, so get it done quick!
click to enlarge + 2Recommended teams and Persona elements for each Persona 5 Royal Palace
By the time you reach the second Palace, you'll have more teammates than slots to fill. From then on, you'll need to make some choices. As for Kamoshida's castle, the first dungeon, you'll only have Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana, so you won't need to leave someone behind.
| Palace boss | Team |
|---|---|
| Madarame | Joker, Yusuke, Ann, Ryuji |
| Kaneshiro | Joker, Ryuji, Ann, Makoto |
| Futaba | Joker, Yusuke, Morgana, Makoto |
| Okumura | Joker, Haru, Makoto, Morgana |
| Sae Niijima | Joker, Akechi, Makoto, Ryuji |
| Shido | Joker, Makoto, Ann, Ryuji |
| Depths of Mementos | Joker, Yusuke, Ann, Makoto |
| Maruki | Joker, Makoto, Kasumi, Morgana |
Really, the only proper recommendation we have is to take Haru during the Okumura boss fight, as you will need her Psi skills.
Other than that, Yusuke deals the most physical damage, Morgana has healing ability, and the others can be built to deal massive amounts of their Persona's element damage.
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