The Persona series masterfully blends dungeon crawling and monster battling with deep social simulation, and Persona 5 Royal is no exception. At the heart of this acclaimed JRPG are Confidants, the characters you forge bonds with throughout your journey. These relationships, known as Cooperations, are essential for more than just story; they are key to unlocking significant gameplay advantages. This P5r Confidant Guide is your definitive resource to navigate every relationship efficiently, ensuring you reap all the rewards Persona 5 Royal has to offer.
Each Confidant in Persona 5 Royal is a unique individual with their own story to tell and a fresh perspective on Tokyo and the world of Persona 5. Building these friendships requires understanding each character, knowing the right things to say, and even choosing appropriate gifts. For some, your bond can even blossom into romance, adding another layer to your connections.
The benefits of deepening your bonds with Confidants are substantial. As you increase your Confidant rank, you unlock unique abilities that can drastically improve your gameplay experience. These abilities range from shop discounts to bonus EXP in battles and much more, tailored to each Confidant’s personality and Arcana. Furthermore, strengthening your Cooperation with a Confidant grants bonus EXP when fusing Personas of the same Arcana. Crucially, certain Confidants are integral to unlocking additional story content and achieving the true ending in Persona 5 Royal. In essence, mastering the Confidant system is paramount to your success as a Phantom Thief.
This guide is designed to be your comprehensive companion for all Confidant Cooperations in both Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. Whether you’re a newcomer or a returning player, this guide will provide the insights you need to maximize your relationships and your in-game potential.
Proceed with caution, Phantom Thieves! Minor spoilers regarding Confidant identities lie ahead.
Mastering Confidant Cooperations in Persona 5 & Persona 5 Royal: Conversation Choices and Ranking Up
Time is a precious resource in Persona 5 Royal. With a limited number of days to accomplish your goals, every action counts. Ranking up Confidant Cooperations is a significant time investment, with 21 unique relationships to nurture. Efficiently managing your time is crucial, and this guide is designed to help you do just that. By making optimal conversation choices during your Confidant hangouts, you can accelerate your relationship progression, saving valuable in-game days for other activities. No more guesswork – we provide the guidance you need to choose the right responses and strengthen your bonds effectively.
Beyond conversation choices, understanding which Confidants to prioritize and which abilities are most impactful is key to strategic gameplay. While we provide a comprehensive list of Confidants, we also offer targeted advice on:
- Confidant Prioritization: Which Confidants to Level Up First
- Best Confidant Abilities: Identifying the Most Powerful Confidants
For players looking to maximize their relationship gains, we also acknowledge the importance of gift-giving. While specific gift suggestions are included on each Confidant’s dedicated page (linked below), you can also explore our separate Persona 5 Royal Gift Guide for broader gift-giving strategies.
Ann (Lovers) Confidant Guide
Maximize your bond with Ann as quickly as possible with this guide, including romance options and gift suggestions.
Ryuji (Chariot) Confidant Guide
As your steadfast ally, Ryuji’s Confidant abilities are essential for any Phantom Thief. Learn how to deepen your bond and unlock his full potential.
Makoto (Priestess) Confidant Guide
Impress the intelligent and resourceful Makoto with our guide to her Confidant Cooperation, including romance tips and skill unlocks.
Yusuke (Emperor) Confidant Guide
Unlock the artistic soul and samurai spirit of Yusuke. This guide provides the optimal choices for ranking up his Confidant quickly.
Futaba (Hermit) Confidant Guide
Guide the reclusive Futaba out of her shell and unlock her incredible hacking and support abilities. Romance is also a possibility!
Haru (Empress) Confidant Guide
Befriend the refined Haru and unlock her unique gardening skills and strategic combat advantages. Find romance advice within!
Kasumi (Faith) Confidant Guide – Persona 5 Royal Only
Persona 5 Royal’s newest Confidant! Kasumi offers a unique storyline, romance options, and time-sensitive progression.
Goro Akechi (Justice) Confidant Guide – Persona 5 Royal Focused
Akechi’s Confidant is significantly expanded in Royal and tied to the true ending. Navigate his complex relationship with our guide.
Strength Fusing Solutions: Fusion Guide for Caroline & Justine (Strength) Confidant
Solve the Twin Wardens’ Persona fusion requests and unlock powerful Persona creation abilities.
Sadayo Kawakami (Temperance) Confidant Guide
Explore the unconventional relationship with your teacher Kawakami and gain incredibly useful time-management skills.
Tae Takemi (Death) Confidant Guide
Befriend the enigmatic Dr. Takemi and unlock access to increasingly potent medical supplies and significant discounts.
Ichiko Ohya (Devil) Confidant Guide
Dive into the world of journalism with Ohya and gain benefits related to palace security levels.
Shinya Oda (Tower) Confidant Guide
Learn from the gaming prodigy Shinya and unlock powerful gun-related combat abilities.
Sojiro Sakura (Hierophant) Confidant Guide
Gain the trust of Sojiro and unlock crucial Leblanc upgrades, including coffee brewing and curry recipes.
Hifumi Togo (Star) Confidant Guide
Master Shogi with Hifumi and unlock game-changing tactical combat abilities, including party member swapping.
Toranosuke Yoshida (Sun) Confidant Guide
Learn the art of negotiation from Yoshida and gain significant advantages in Persona recruitment and item acquisition. Be mindful of his deadline!
Chihaya Mifune (Fortune) Confidant Guide
Invest in Chihaya’s fortune telling services to unlock powerful abilities that accelerate your growth with other Confidants.
Iwai Munehisa (Hanged Man) Confidant Guide
Deepen your relationship with Iwai to unlock weapon customization and other valuable benefits from his shop.
Yuuki Mishima (Moon) Confidant Guide
Support Mishima’s Phantom Fan Club and unlock powerful EXP-boosting abilities for both active and reserve party members.
Takuto Maruki Confidant Guide – Persona 5 Royal Only
Persona 5 Royal’s new Councillor Confidant is crucial for accessing the new content and endings. Don’t miss this time-sensitive relationship!
Cooperation Guides: Fool, Magician & Judgement – Igor, Morgana & Sae
These key Confidants progress automatically with the story. Learn about their unlock timings and essential abilities.
Confidant Relationships to Prioritize
While you can develop Confidant relationships in any order, some offer more immediate and impactful benefits or have time constraints. Prioritizing strategically can significantly enhance your Persona 5 Royal experience. Here are key Confidants to focus on early:
- Sun (Yoshida): Yoshida’s Confidant has a strict deadline in mid-November. His abilities significantly improve Shadow Negotiation, making dungeon crawling and Persona acquisition much smoother. Don’t miss out on these valuable perks!
- Temperance (Kawakami): Kawakami provides essential time-saving abilities, allowing you to slack off in class and free up time for stat-boosting activities like reading, crafting tools, and studying. Her final massage ability is a game-changer. Like the Sun Confidant, Temperance also has a mid-November deadline.
- Moon (Mishima): Mishima’s Confidant offers substantial EXP bonuses, accelerating your team’s growth. While he is temporarily unavailable in November, the EXP benefits are worth prioritizing early on.
- Fortune (Chihaya): Chihaya is a strategic investment. By ranking her up early, you can boost your relationship growth with other Confidants, effectively speeding up your progress across the board.
The Best Confidants & Confidant Abilities in Persona 5
While every Confidant offers unique benefits, some abilities stand out as exceptionally powerful and game-changing. Here are our top five Confidants to prioritize for their outstanding abilities:
Death (XIII) – Tae Takemi
Back-alley doctor Tae Takemi provides arguably the most consistently useful ability set in Persona 5 Royal. As you deepen your bond, she unlocks a wider range of healing items in her clinic, culminating in a significant discount around the midpoint of her Confidant progression. Her potent medicines can dramatically simplify dungeon exploration and boss battles.
Find out how to befriend Tae and maximize the Death Confidant.
Moon (XVIII) Confidant – Yuuki Mishima
Mishima’s Confidant is unmissable, but his abilities are far from negligible. He unlocks some of the best EXP-boosting skills in the game. These skills allow reserve party members to gain EXP and significantly increase the overall EXP earned in battles, accelerating your team’s leveling and making Persona fusion more impactful.
Learn how to quickly rank up Mishima’s Confidant and make him happy.
Sun (XIX) Confidant – Toranosuke Yoshida
Politician Yoshida unlocks abilities that directly enhance your gains from dungeons and Mementos. As his Confidant rank increases, you’ll gain the ability to acquire more items during demon negotiations, increase the likelihood of Personas joining your team, and even obtain rarer loot from enemies. These abilities significantly improve resource gathering and Persona collection.
Discover how to meet and efficiently progress the Sun Confidant with Yoshida.
Star (XVII) Confidant – Hifumi Togo
Shogi prodigy Hifumi Togo provides tactical combat abilities that are invaluable for strategic players. Ranking up the Star Confidant unlocks increasingly powerful combat skills, culminating in the ability to swap party members during battle, even when in danger, and later, on the fly. This ability adds immense flexibility and strategic depth to combat encounters.
Find out how to meet Hifumi and make the best conversation choices to quickly rank her up.
Temperance (XIV) – Sadayo Kawakami
Temperance is a consistently strong Confidant choice due to her time-saving abilities. The ability to slack off in class is a valuable time-saver, but even more impactful is the ability to have Kawakami handle menial tasks like laundry and coffee brewing. This frees up your precious after-school time for more important activities, maximizing your efficiency throughout the game.
If you want to know how to initiate the Temperance Confidant and level it quickly, we’ve got you covered.
By utilizing this comprehensive P5R Confidant Guide, you’ll be well-equipped to forge strong bonds, unlock powerful abilities, and maximize your Persona 5 Royal experience. Happy Phantom Thieving!
