Look, playing Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal is a massive time sink. You’ve got maybe 100 hours of gameplay ahead of you, and if you mess up your schedule, you’re going to miss out on the best abilities in the game. It’s stressful. You’re trying to save the world from corrupt adults while also making sure you finish your homework and hang out with a politician who likes beef bowls.
This Persona 5 confidant guide isn't about telling you exactly what to do every single day—that's what those spreadsheet-style walkthroughs are for. Instead, we're talking about how the system actually works, which characters actually deserve your limited free time, and how to stop wasting days on rank-ups that don't matter.
Why Confidants Are More Than Just "Friendship Simulators"
In most RPGs, you level up by hitting things with a sword. In Persona 5, you level up by grabbing coffee or playing shogi. It sounds weird, but the Confidant system is the literal backbone of your combat effectiveness. Every time you rank up a relationship, you gain "Social Link" bonuses that grant your fused Personas extra experience.
💡 You might also like: Dying Light The Beast Volatile: Why Kyle Crane's New Form Changes Everything
But it goes deeper than just XP.
The real meat is in the abilities. Take Hifumi Togo, the Star Arcana. If you ignore her, you’re stuck with the party members you started the battle with. If you rank her up, you can swap party members mid-fight. That is a game-changer when you’re facing a boss that suddenly starts reflecting Physical damage and your current team is all physical attackers. Honestly, if you aren't prioritizing the right people, you're making the game twice as hard for yourself for no reason.
The Absolute Priority: Who to Rank Up First
If you’re playing Royal, your priorities shift slightly because of the third semester requirements. You basically have to max out Takuto Maruki (the Councillor) before November 18th. If you don't, you miss a massive chunk of the game. It’s that simple. Don’t be the person who finishes the "final" boss only to realize they locked themselves out of the true ending.
Aside from the plot-mandatory stuff, you need to look at Sadayo Kawakami and Chihaya Mifune.
Kawakami is your teacher. Her Rank 10 ability, Special Massage, lets you go out at night even after you’ve spent the afternoon in a Palace or Mementos. Normally, Morgana just tells you to go to sleep. With Kawakami, you get your nights back. It effectively gives you dozens of extra time slots over the course of the year.
Then there’s Chihaya, the fortune teller in Shinjuku. She is expensive. You have to drop 100,000 yen just to get her started. Do it anyway. Her "Affinity Reading" allows you to gain points with another Confidant without spending time with them. This is the secret sauce for a max-rank run. Instead of spending a "dead" afternoon hanging out with Ryuji where nothing happens, you pay Chihaya some cash, get the points, and then do the rank-up event the next time you see him.
Don't Ignore the "Useless" Ones Early On
People often sleep on Toranosuke Yoshida, the Sun Arcana. He’s the guy giving speeches in Shibuya. You can only find him at night, and he disappears earlier in the story than most other characters. His perks allow you to demand more money and rare items from shadows during negotiations. If you’re constantly broke in the early game—which you will be—Yoshida is your best friend. Plus, his story about "No-Good Tora" is genuinely one of the most moving arcs in the game.
Navigating the Conversation Choices
You’ve probably noticed the little musical notes that pop up over a character's head during a conversation. Those aren't just for show. They track how much "affinity" you’re gaining.
To maximize this, you must carry a Persona of the matching Arcana. If you're hanging out with Ann (Lovers), make sure you have a Pixie or a Leanan Sidhe in your inventory. It boosts the points you get for every correct answer. It’s the difference between ranking up every visit and having to waste days "deepening your bond."
Also, don't be a sycophant.
While many characters like it when you agree with them, some appreciate it when you challenge them or show genuine concern. For example, Sojiro Sakura (Hierophant) is a tough nut to crack. In the early ranks, he doesn't really care what you say; your progress is actually gated by the story. Don't waste time trying to force his rank up until after the fourth Palace.
The Royal Additions: Kasumi and Akechi
In the original Persona 5, Goro Akechi's rank was automatic. In Royal, you have to manually hang out with him. It’s weird, it’s tense, and it’s totally worth it. His skills help you reveal enemy weaknesses at the start of a fight, which saves you SP and turns.
Kasumi Yoshizawa (Faith) only goes up to Rank 5 before the third semester. Don't freak out when you can't progress her further in the summer. Just get her to 5 and leave her be. Her combat abilities, like the grappling hook ambush, are flashy, but her real value is in the HP boosts she gives you during training sessions.
Social Stats: The Invisible Barrier
You can’t just talk your way through this Persona 5 confidant guide without hitting a wall. The game uses Social Stats—Knowledge, Guts, Proficiency, Kindness, and Charm—as gatekeepers.
- Soejiro requires high Kindness.
- Makoto requires high Knowledge (and eventually Charm).
- Iwai (the gun shop owner) requires high Guts just to talk to him.
Stop studying in the library. It’s a bait. The best way to raise Knowledge is by answering classroom questions correctly (Google is your friend here) and studying at the Diner on rainy days for the extra boost. For Kindness, clean Leblanc or buy the expensive plant nutrients from the flower shop in Shinjuku.
The "Big Bang Challenge" at the burger joint is the best way to multi-task your stats. It hits Guts, Knowledge, Proficiency, and Charm all at once if you succeed. Just make sure your stats are high enough to actually clear the challenge, or you’re just paying for a very expensive stomach ache.
Dealing with the "Dead Days"
There will be days when nobody you want to talk to is available. This usually happens during exam weeks or right after a major story beat.
Don't just go to the movies. Go to the Jazz Club in Kichijoji (unlocked via Akechi). You can bring party members here to give them specific skills they wouldn't otherwise learn, like Ali Dance or Arms Master. It’s a way to "optimize" your teammates' Personas without relying on their standard level-up moveset.
Alternatively, head to the gym. If you're going for a New Game Plus run, the HP and SP gains you get from working out actually carry over. It makes the early game of your second playthrough a total breeze.
👉 See also: When are Fortnite servers up: What most people get wrong about downtime
The Strategy for Late Game Cleanup
By November, you should be wrapping up most of your Confidants. If you’re sitting at Rank 7 or 8 with ten different people, you’re in trouble. Pick a few and finish them. The Rank 10 abilities are significantly more powerful than anything else.
For your party members, Rank 10 is mandatory. It evolves their Persona into a second (and later, third) form, giving them new resistances and a high-tier skill. Ryuji's "Protect" and "Second Awakening" make him one of the best tanks in the game. Without them, he's just a guy with a pipe who dies too quickly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the Twins: Caroline and Justine (Strength) don't take up time. You rank them up by showing them specific Personas with specific moves. You can do this all in one afternoon if you have the money and the fusion recipes. This unlocks the ability to fuse Personas that are a higher level than you. It is arguably the most broken mechanic in the game.
- Spending too much time in Palaces: Try to finish every Palace in one or two days. Every extra day you spend in a dungeon is a day you aren't ranking up a Confidant. Use SP adhesives from Takemi (Death Arcana) to keep your energy up.
- Forgetting the Phone Call: After every hangout, you'll get a phone call. Always give the "best" answer here for an easy +2 points. It’s a freebie.
Mastering the Calendar
Success in Persona 5 is about momentum. You use the Death confidant to get better healing items, which lets you finish Palaces faster. You use the Temperance confidant to get more free time, which you use to see the Fortune confidant. The Fortune confidant then makes every other relationship faster.
It’s a cycle.
Once you break into that rhythm, the game stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like you’re actually gaming the system. You’ll find yourself with a maxed-out social circle and a protagonist who is essentially a god among men by the time the snow starts falling in Tokyo.
Your Actionable Checklist
- Prioritize Maruki, Kawakami, and Chihaya immediately. These are the non-negotiables for a "perfect" run.
- Always carry a matching Arcana Persona. Never show up to a meeting empty-handed.
- Visit the Velvet Room often. Check your Strength Arcana progress; it doesn't cost time, only money and thought.
- Use the Diner on rainy days. The stat boosts are significantly higher when it's pouring outside.
- Buy the Bio-Nutrients every time you go to Shibuya/Shinjuku. Keeping your plant healthy is free Kindness points that don't use up a time slot.
- Finish Palaces as soon as they open. The peace of mind—and the extra weeks of free time—is worth the initial grind.