Persona 5 is one of the most celebrated and well-loved JRPG titles of the last 10 years, and will probably continue to be ranked among the best for generations to come.
One of the key mechanics of the modern Persona titles is that of social ranks with Confidants. Confidants are characters that you interact with through the game - both in the real world and outside of it. They are characters you can get to know, relate to, befriend, and ultimately build your stats with.
Each Confidant has their speciality in terms of growth for you - one could give you more powerful Personas, and another could allow you to swap party members mid-battle. Thing is, with Persona 5, your time is very limited. Each day flies by, what with school, work, family matters, saving the world, and so on. It’s up to you and your playthrough where you want to spend your precious free moments - including hanging out with your new Confidant friends.
This guide is for newcomers to the original Persona 5 title - Persona 5 Royal should get its own list. Choosing which Confidants to level up, and by how much, is an essential for anyone playing for the best outcomes in battles, or playing on normal/hard mode first time around. They will change how battles go for you, change what items you pick up/buy, and change your Personas and their strengths. Be the best Joker you can be with this guide.
15. Toranosuke Yoshida - The Sun (Good)
You can choose to join in his campaigning, and this builds your Charm stat. Charm is very useful for talking to Shadows and convincing them to either walk away, give you a gift, or even join you as a Persona. This makes Hold Ups quicker and less of a gamble, which is helpful for success in these ventures.
Particularly, if you are looking to pick up high-level Personas in the Metaverse towards the end of the game, you will want to complete this social ranking.
This social ranking is also somewhat automatic. You don’t need to have a lot of connections with the Sun arcana (by having a Sun Persona in your list) in order to continue Yoshida’s story. Make sure to agree to meet him and work on the campaign any time he asks, and you will go through his storyline easily. It’s a good one, too. Persona 5 has a lot to say about social issues in Japan, and Yoshida’s story highlights a real shift from the traditional values and beliefs into the millennial ways of life. It has been a very difficult transition for a lot of individuals, and this story highlights this really well.
Toranosuke Yoshida - Rankings
Rank 2 - Diplomacy - Occasionally ask for more money or items during negotiations.
Rank 3 - Fundraising - Allows you to ask for large amounts of money during negotiations.
Rank 5 - Manipulation - Occasionally raises the chances of an enemy giving you a rare item.
Rank 8 - Mind Control - Occasionally lets you skip negotiation when attempting to obtain a Persona.
Rank 10 MAX - Charismatic Speech - Allows you to form contracts with higher-level Shadows.
14. Makoto Nijima - The High Priestess (Good)
Makoto is a fellow student at Shujin Academy who joins your party after the third Palace. After this point, she can start to become a Confidant. Academic and hard-working, Makoto is usually found at the student council office after school hours. Even on non-school days she’s hanging around at the gates.
The main reason I have included Makoto on this list is for her heartbreaking and very real storyline. Again, it reflects on a changing Japan. Makoto is hyper-focused and determined that society and its pressures will not turn her away from her path. It also challenges Japanese traditional family expectations, and speaks about how trauma and unconventional upbringing can often bring out admirable strengths, whilst sacrificing personal growth.
Makoto’s social ranking will allow you to view some of the stats and information of Shadows, including their HP, potential item drops, and at rank 7, you can see which attacks you perform will be Null, Repel, or Drain, giving you a great advantage.
If you are using Makoto in your party, it’s also advisable that you level up her social rank in order to build her powers in battle. As with all party members, there are certain abilities that are very useful, such as Harisen Recovery (chance of immediate recovery from status ailments), and Protect (shielding Joker from a fatal attack), and these become essential as the game progresses.
Makoto Nijima - Rankings
Rank 1 - Shadow Calculus - Allows you to see skills and potential item drops on the analysis screen.
Rank 1 - Baton Pass - Allows you to pass your turn over to other Baton Pass users after a 1 More.
Rank 3 - Brainiac Talk - Chance to step in after Shadow negotiation fails, allowing a retry.
Rank 4 - Follow Up - Chance to perform a follow-up attack if Joker's attack does not down the enemy.
Rank 6 - Harisen Recovery - Chance to cure status ailments inflicted upon party members.
Rank 7 - Shadow Factorization - Allows you to see Null, Repel and Drain when highlighting a target in a battle.
Rank 8 - Endure - Chance to withstand an otherwise fatal attack with 1 HP remaining.
Rank 9 - Protect - Chance to shield Joker from an otherwise fatal attack.
13. Munehisa Iwai - The Hanged Man (Good)
If you can build up your Guts stat by taking on challenges and doing medical experiments with Tae Takemi (more on her later), then you can get to the level you need without much headache. However, in the time it takes to build up enough guts to speak to the guy, you probably won’t be able to advance his story too much on your first playthrough. Not to worry, even if you only make it to Level 3 of his social rank, you get to customise your weapons to inflict ailments such as Sleep, Freeze, Dizzy, and so on. Rank 7 is where it’s really at if you’re into customising weapons and other gear, but it’s more likely you’ll need to save this for NG+.
Being able to customise your weapons in Persona 5 gives you great advantages against certain enemies, and can help you decide on your tactics. For example, whilst Joker isn’t particularly strong in using his melee attack, you can customise your weapons to deal heavier damage, or focus on giving a hard-hitter like Skull more accuracy.
There are certain enemies who are vulnerable to gunfire, and you can easily take all of these out of a battle with your upgraded guns from Iwai. These tactics are also really useful when trying to collect Personas for your lists/fusions.
Iwai’s story is really interesting. He has a tattoo, has a bad attitude, and has clearly seen some serious stuff. As you progress through this social rank, you help him remember who he truly is. It’s one that needs to be completed at some point. Even if you don’t play NG+, look up his story on YouTube, it’s worth it!
Munehisa Iwai - Rankings
Rank 1 - Starter Customization - Allows you to customize guns to improve their performance.
Rank 3 - Medium Customization - Allows you to customize mid-grade guns.
Rank 5 - Discount - Decreases the cost of gun customization.
Rank 7 - Expert Customization - Allows you to customize high-grade guns.
Rank 10 MAX - Ace Customization - Allows you to customize special-grade guns.
12. Sojiro Sakura - The Hierophant (Good)
There is plenty of opportunity to rank up with Sojiro, and even when you don’t, you can gain some Kindness points and create some helpful consumables for getting through Palaces in one go, or levelling up in Mementos - both of which you will want to do if you’re trying to make the most of your free time. Getting stuck on a difficult area because you’re a low level, or having to revisit Palaces on multiple days because you ran out of stuff is really frustrating.
The consumables in question are coffee and curry. Food and drink of the soul. I now eat Japanese curry and drink coffee with it, because of this game. It’s so warming, and has every flavour you could possibly want - bitter, sweet, sour, salty, and - of course - umami. Back to the point, Sojiro teaches you the things you need to know about brewing a great cup, or how to get that hint of sour into your broth. You will want to get to Curry Mastery at rank 10 by the end of the game, as you will be forced into longer and harder battles towards the end - understandably.
These consumable items grant you and your party SP - which are the points you need in order to use Persona powers. As these powers essentially dictate how you might take down enemies, they are pretty important. You don’t want to be in a tough fight without SP. There are ways to replenish when in the Metaverse outside of battles, but there will be occasions where you’re partway through, and the need to scoff a curry overcomes you…
The more you rank up Sojiro’s Confidant social link, the more SP you can recover, and the more members of your party you can aid. It’s really quick and easy to spend some time making coffee and curry when you have an evening free - though there are other ways to combine Confidant’s perks to make this work even better for you. Read on to find out how!
Sojiro Sakura - Rankings
Rank 2 - Coffee Basics - Allows you to make coffee which slightly restores SP to one ally.
Rank 4 - Leblanc Curry - Allows you to make curry that slightly restores SP to all allies.
Rank 6 - Coffee Mastery - Allows you to make coffee which greatly restores SP to one ally.
Rank 9 - Curry Tips - Allows you to make curry that moderately restores SP to all allies.
Rank 10 MAX - Curry Mastery - Allows you to make curry that greatly restores SP to all allies.
11. Yusuke Kitagawa - The Emperor (Good)
Yusuke’s unique social link abilities are mostly used for his power in battle. The most classic Japanese Phantom Thief, Yusuke harnesses the powers of legendary samurai Ishikawa Goemon. It’s very fitting that his abilities lie with katana strength - and his mask represents the kabuki version of a kitsune fox. Indeed, there is a conversation early in his story, where the argument is made that he should use a Japanese code name, whereas the other Phantom Thieves are known by English words. He is elegant and romantic, and moves fluidly through the Palaces and their battles. You can level him up to be a real powerhouse of melee, though he also uses ice magic. The physical attacks that Goemon can provide to Yusuke are unparalleled, unless you’re more keen on having Ryuji with you instead.
Yusuke is an artist, and his storyline focuses on that aspect of his life - which he would say is his whole life. Indeed, he puts his artistic talents to use as part of your team, as he creates the logo for the Phantom Thieves, and going through his social link will allow him to paint Skill Cards for you. Skill Cards can be picked up in battles, and used to gain more abilities and powers for your Personas. You can have a Persona with fire abilities and give it an ice spell, if you really want.
At rank 7, Yusuke can duplicate high-level cards, so you are able to match and transfer any ability you like to your current Persona. It’s not always the case that higher level Palaces mean better Personas, and you may well keep one or two with you for a long time. It’s best to get some of these Skill Cards ready for them. If you’re anything like me, you grow attached to your Personas…
Ultimately, Yusuke’s social link is a powerful one if you put it to good use, and he can be a tank in battle, but you can get through the game easily without him. Just, why would you want to? He’s one of the most interesting and exciting characters in the entire game.
Yusuke Kitagawa - Rankings
Rank 1 - Novice Duplication - Allows Yusuke to use Blank Cards to duplicate low rank Skill Cards.
Rank 2 - Baton Pass - Allows you to pass your turn over to other Baton Pass users after a 1 More.
Rank 3 - Follow Up - Chance to perform a follow-up attack if Joker's attack does not down the enemy.
Rank 4 - Artist Talk - Chance to step in after Shadow negotiation fails, allowing a retry.
Rank 5 - Adept Duplication - Allows Yusuke to duplicate mid-rank Skill Cards.
Rank 6 - Harisen Recovery - Chance to cure status ailments inflicted upon party members.
Rank 7 - Master Duplication - Allows Yusuke to use Blank Cards to duplicate high rank Skill Cards.
Rank 8 - Endure - Chance to withstand an otherwise fatal attack with 1 HP remaining.
Rank 9 - Protect - Chance to shield Joker from an otherwise fatal attack.
10. Haru Okumura - The Empress (Good)
Haru is a sheltered heiress, with a lot to say about the pressures that come along with having a path laid out for her by other people. She’s desperate to take control of her own life, and the Phantom Thieves offer her a way of being able to start doing just that.
It’s the veggies that you want to level up Haru’s social link for. As the game amps up in pace towards the explosive end, Haru’s veggies are a perfect accompaniment to Sojiro’s coffee and curry in replenishing your SP during battles and inside Palaces. You’ll need to max the Proficiency stat to get past rank 1.
If you make it to rank 5, you can increase the yield that a crop will give you, and rank 7 will decrease the time it takes for the crop to grow. You can choose what you want to grow, based on what you think you are going to need for the battles that are coming up. It’s best to think back on which members of your team often run low on things like SP. For example, if you have Ann, Makoto or Morgana on healing, you will definitely want to be throwing moonlight carrots their way. If you’re focusing on Persona abilities all round, get those tomatoes growing!
Haru will also level up her party abilities, in the same way as Yusuke and Makoto. Haru’s fighting abilities include psy attacks, and a heavy whacking, two-handed melee weapon. She also likes to blast enemies with a grenade launcher. If you choose to have her in the team, you may need to balance out with some characters more focused on faster and more spread out attacks, such as Ann and Morgana, but Haru is definitely impressive and fun to play with. It’s always advisable to level up the social links of all the Phantom Thieves anyway, but there are certainly characters outside of that which will give you much better advantages.
Depending on what else you’re doing towards the end of the game, you may not get to the end of the social link story with Haru. It’s a shame, as it feels as though a pretty dramatic and heavy storyline has been left unfinished. It can leave you feeling really sympathetic towards Haru, but she’d rather you didn’t pity her. She’s ready to take control of her life, it’s just that it might take some time.
Haru Okumura - Rankings
Rank 1 - Cultivation - Allows you to grow vegetables with Haru on the Shujin Academy rooftop.
Rank 2 - Baton Pass - Allows the protagonist to pass your turn over to other Baton Pass users after a 1 More.
Rank 3 - Follow Up - Chance to perform a follow-up attack if Joker's attack does not down the enemy.
Rank 4 - Celeb Talk - Chance to step in after Shadow negotiation fails, allowing a retry.
Rank 5 - Bumper Crop - Increases the total vegetable yield of a single harvest.
Rank 6 - Harisen Recovery - Chance to cure status ailments inflicted upon party members.
Rank 7 - Soil Improvement - Decreases the total amount of time it takes to cultivate vegetables.
Rank 8 - Endure - Chance to withstand an otherwise fatal attack with 1 HP remaining.
Rank 9 - Protect - Chance to shield Joker from an otherwise fatal attack.
9. Ryuji Sakamoto - The Chariot (Great)
Ryuji and the protagonist are thrust together without a choice, and it was clearly always meant to be. His social link storyline begins as a part of the game progression anyway, and you can continue it quite easily and early on by meeting with Ryuji outside your classroom or in the arcade. I always found it really interesting that Ryuji is not in your class, despite being in the same year. It’s part of what makes the dynamics of these teenagers’ relationships so believable. He’s a loner who would much rather be recognised and loved for greatness, and sitting in a school classroom must be nothing short of purgatory for him. There’s no outlet for Ryuji’s energy, until he finds you.
With Ryuji’s social link, you are introduced to the mechanics of how ranks work when someone is a member of your Phantom Thieves team. Ann is another early character who is a party member, but you need to have level 2 Kindness stat to progress, and it takes a little longer.
Ryuji doesn’t have much in the way of abilities that are exclusive to levelling up his social link, but at rank 7, Ryuji grants the ability of insta-kill. This means that when you’re in Palaces, you have a chance of insta-killing the enemy you ambush - if they are a lower level than you - and getting you a new Persona. However, you do not get the EXP or money that you would have gotten if you had fought the enemies in a battle. Some players really find this mechanic frustrating, especially when they are trying to get hold of a certain Persona for its powers, or to fuse it with another one. However, the chances of insta-kill do not outdo the chances of getting into a battle, and you will encounter the Personas you need at some point - if not in the Palace, then in Mementos. Insta-kill is a satisfying skill to have when going back and forth through a Palace.
As for Ryuji’s story, it’s another one that will leave you remembering that everyone has their battles, their demons, and their values, and that we should never be quick to judge. This one has a happy and uplifting conclusion to it, and certainly gives you the confidence to keep Ryuji in your party.
Ryuji Sakamoto - Rankings
Rank 2 - Baton Pass - Allows you to pass your turn over to other Baton Pass users after a 1 More.
Rank - 3 - Follow Up - Chance to perform a follow-up attack if Joker's attack does not down the enemy.
Rank 4 - Punk Talk - Chance to step in after Shadow negotiation fails, allowing a retry.
Rank 6 - Harisen Recovery - Chance to cure status ailments inflicted upon party members.
Rank 7 - Insta-kill - Chance to instantly win a battle after a successful ambush.
Rank 8 - Endure - Chance to withstand an otherwise fatal attack with 1 HP remaining.
Rank 9 - Protect - Chance to shield Joker from an otherwise fatal attack.
8. Caroline and Justine (The Twins) - Strength (Great)
As you advance through this social link, you will be learning about how Personas level up, and what sort of abilities they gain, all whilst discovering a little about the origins of each Shadow - key background information of all Persona titles. The Twins also help you with fusion of Personas in order to create even better ones, or to consolidate abilities into one, or to get a Persona that is under a certain arcana.
The point to all of this is not simply just about getting the best Personas, but it also helps you complete challenges The Twins will set you in order to advance their social link, as well as the potential of helping you with others. In nearly all cases, if you have a Persona in your current list that is linked to the arcana of a Confidant, you will rank up quicker in their social link story when you hang out with them. Similarly, the Persona’s stats will also be affected by how high a level the social rank is with your corresponding Confidant.
At rank 1, you will be introduced to the perks that following this social link quest line can bring. You’ll be able to fuse three existing Personas together in order to create ones that are potentially more powerful. Keep an eye on the stats and abilities of these Personas to make sure it’s worth the sacrifice. Thankfully, The Twins will always let you know before you make a final decision. At rank 3, you can leave a Persona of choice in the capable hands of Caroline and Justine, and over time it will gain a passive skill in resistance. This is usually elemental, so a Persona can learn to resist, dodge, or repel. At the highest level, it can even drain these elemental attacks, and get back some HP or SP for you. As the ranks go up, these perks get stronger, and at rank 10 you are able to pay The Twins to create higher level Personas for you. Make sure you complete this social link before December 24th. That’s all I’ll say on that one.
Caroline and Justine - Rankings
Rank 1 - Group Guillotine - Allows you to fuse three Personas to create powerful new ones.
Rank 3 - Lockdown - Allows you to leave a Persona to learn an attribute resistance.
Rank 5 - Guillotine Booster - Increases the possible fusions of Personas in Group Guillotine.
Rank 8 - Isolation - Allows you to learn stronger attribute resistance skills from Lockdown.
Rank 10 MAX - Special Treatment - Allows you to pay to create Personas of a higher level.
7. Shinya Oda - The Tower (Great)
Shinya is a very young gamer kid, with a tough exterior. He feels he needs this toughness to be able to cope with the life he’s living - and this has been exacerbated by the attitude of his mother. As a single parent, she has been battling her own demons about her social status, unfortunately at the expense of her son’s well being.
The social link follows this story, and grants you some great Kindness points along the way. Shinya looks to the protagonist as an older brother as time goes on, and in payment of this, he teaches you how to use your gun to great effect in the Metaverse through the techniques learned in a lightgun game at the arcade in Akihabara.
Each of the perks that this social link grants you is powerful and very useful. As the game amps up in difficulty, you will want to add new and fast-paced techniques to your battles in the Metaverse. Developing your skills with a gun is one of the ways to do this. Gun action in a turn-based RPG like Persona 5 is thrilling and satisfying. There’s something about the combination of costume, music, animation, and sound design that makes the whole thing super-immersive - you truly feel like a Phantom Thief. Gun abilities come highly recommended!
In particular, at rank 2, you get the ability Bullet Hail, which gives you a chance to fire on an enemy you have ambushed, before the start of the battle. It’s a fantastic addition to the animation sequence, and gives you the satisfaction of hammering a button to great effect.
There’s something about this social link that leads me back to it every time. The story itself isn’t the most impactful or sympathetically written, and the English VA turns a lot of fans off. It can also be easy to miss Shinya if you don’t know where to look for him - but believe me, use the gun abilities each time you go to the Metaverse, and see how they become meatier and more gratifying as you rank up.
Shinya Oda - Rankings
Rank 1 - Down Shot - Allows you to use all rounds to down one enemy.
Rank 2 - Bullet Hail - Chance to enter a gun-based All-out Attack after a successful ambush.
Rank 3 - Warning Shot - Able to scare enemies in negotiation to make it easier to obtain a Persona.
Rank 5 - Ammo Pouch - Increases the maximum number of bullets you can carry.
Rank 6 - Cheap Shot - Decreases the total number of bullets used to carry out a Down Shot.
Rank 8 - Electric Slug - Increases the damage inflicted by Bullet Hail.
Rank 10 MAX - Oda Special - Allows Joker's gun attacks to ignore resistances and hit the enemy.
6. Hifumi Togo - The Star (Great)
Being a shogi player, whilst the protagonist definitely is not, Hifumi has a lot to tell you about tactics and strategy. She will guide and advise you about when to hold position, sacrifice a piece on the board, or even walk away from a fight. You then apply these tactics to Metaverse battles, and learn abilities that allow players to swap out mid-fight, easily escape a fight that they don’t want, and reap better rewards after quick victories.
As enemies get stronger and harder to down, you will want some of these tactics, for sure. Items that deal elemental damage can be used by anyone, so throwing a molotov cocktail at an enemy weak to fire damage will down them. However, like most RPG titles, the items are not as readily available as you might like them to be. Besides that, not all of these items deal a significant amount of damage to enemies with lots of HP, so using them might not always be the best idea. There are battles with different kinds of enemies at once - all with various weaknesses. This means that swapping members of the party can be really beneficial in a pinch, and you’ll thank yourself for getting hold of that ability.
Hifumi Togo - Rankings
Rank 1 - Koma Sabaki - Allows you to swap current party with backup members during Joker's turn.
Rank 3 - Uchikomi - Chance for follow-up by a backup member if Joker downs an enemy.
Rank 5 - Kakoi Kuzushi - Allows you to attempt to escape, even when surrounded by the enemy.
Rank 7 - Narikin - Earn double money if a battle is won in 1 turn after a successful Ambush.
Rank 9 - Touryou - Decreases turn delay to zero, allowing you to instantly escape battle.
Rank 10 MAX - Togo System - Allows you to swap current party with backup members during anyone's turn.
5. Tae Takemi - Death (Best)
Each rank that grants a new ability (ranks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10) gives more choice of items to purchase, or grants you a discount on the things you buy. Tae Takemi was a strong choice for the most important Confidant to rank fully, but I believe there are others who are even better. However, be aware that without going through to at least level 5, you are going to seriously struggle to gain back enough HP and SP when in Palaces for any length of time. The other items that can give you HP and SP are simply too sparse, or not powerful enough. You’ll get a lot of money from fights, and most of it will be spent on Tae’s medicines - especially in your first playthrough.
To put it simply, Tae Takemi is an essential Confidant to spend time with. Her story is also deeply interesting and touching. Another reminder for us all that there are still good people in the world, trying to do the right thing. It’s another key theme of the game. Whilst the Phantom Thieves are changing the world from the Metaverse, others are quietly doing the same thing in the real world. There’s a reason why the protagonist makes friends like these.
Tae Takemi - Rankings
Rank 1 - Rejuvenation - Increases the selection of healing items at the clinic.
Rank 3 - Sterilization - Adds more healing items to the clinic.
Rank 5 - Immunization - Adds support items to the inventory at the clinic.
Rank 7 - Discount - Decreases the price for all items sold at the clinic.
Rank 10 MAX - Resuscitation - Increases the selection of revival items at the clinic.
4. Yuuki Mishima - The Moon (Best)
Mishima’s story is almost comic relief, but there is real darkness and relatability to his desire to be loved, adored, even appreciated properly. He’s one of the best supporters of the Phantom Thieves, not just down to his praise of them. Mishima sets up the requirement of levelling up in Mementos, and moving forward through it.
Persona 5 is an RPG, therefore EXP (experience points) is an absolute essential - particularly on a first playthrough. You will need to meet with Mishima as regularly as you can. You start his social link as part of the story, and are then able to find him standing on the streets of Shibuya, then Shinjuku, then Akihabara. He wanders the streets at night, looking for potential ne'er-do-wells that might need a change of heart.
Mishima’s social link will grant you perks in EXP, giving you better opportunities to level up your party members. The higher you rank up your social link with Mishima, the higher EXP benefits he will give you. It’s definitely advisable to max his rank as soon as you can, as the rank 10 perk is Salvation Wish, which means that all backup members will earn the same EXP as party members. As mentioned a few times already, backup members of your party are likely to be swapped more often as you progress into harder Palaces and through Mementos. EXP will allow for better and more powerful abilities for you and your party, as well as improve the fusing of higher level Personas in the Velvet Room. Mishima is a no-brainer, so enjoy going through this wacky social link for a great set of rewards.
Yuuki Mishima - Rankings
Rank 1 - Mishima's Support - Allows backup members to earn EXP.
Rank 3 - Mishima's Enthusiasm - Increases EXP earned from battle.
Rank 5 - Mishima's Desperation - Increases EXP earned by backup members.
Rank 7 - Phanboy - Greatly increases EXP earned from battle.
Rank 10 MAX - Salvation Wish - Allows backup members to earn the same EXP as current party members.
3. Chihaya Mifune - Fortune (Best)
However, embarking on the social link storyline for Chihaya grants one of the most powerful supporting abilities in the vanilla game. You can spend time with Chihaya during the day to use some of these abilities, all without advancing time - giving you the chance to go and do something else afterwards. However, the Confidant part of your relationship can only advance on certain evenings. Chihaya can also be one of those characters it’s easy to miss, as you don’t start the social rank as part of the story. Be sure to check all the alleys and corners of Shinjuku to find her.
What exactly is it that makes Chihaya’s Confidant abilities so good? There is the obvious fact that you’re able to use them and not have to pass time, but also that they make that first playthrough way less stressful and frustrating, what with all the things you feel you should be doing day to day.
As you go through the social link, you can visit Chihaya and get a fortune reading that will grant higher growth of a social stat, or a social link, and it will take effect when you next do that activity. So, if you have a niggling stat that you are itching to level up, or a social link that you want to get to the next level quickly, then you can easily see where Chihaya’s powers come in handy.
At rank 1, you get the ability to grow a social stat quicker after a fortune reading, then at rank 5, you can get a fortune reading to see what perks will be granted by which Confidants, and this is really helpful for when you’re deciding which social link you want to focus on next. Rank 7 is where you’ll be able to improve your social link with someone, so this is the one you want to aim for. Rank 10 simply allows you to see all Confidant abilities that you haven’t got yet, which is great, but it’s not game-changing.
Chihaya’s story is interesting and very set apart from the others, and it’s well worth putting in the effort to rank up if you’re on a first playthrough.
Chihaya Mifune - Rankings
Rank 1 - Luck Reading - Temporarily increases the growth rate of a selected social stat.
Rank 3 - Money Reading - Temporarily increases money earned from battle.
Rank 5 - Fate Reading - Provides a preview of some abilities for a Confidant of your choice.
Rank 7 - Affinity Reading - Deepens your bond with a Confidant of your choice.
Rank 10 MAX - Special Fate Reading - Provides a preview of all abilities for a Confidant of your choice.
2. Futaba Sakura - The Hermit (Best)
There are many reasons why Futaba is such a great character - most notably is that she is written sympathetically, and it’s made very clear, with great understanding, the reasons why she is who she is. Whilst her storyline is a key part of the main story, the social link Confidant story runs parallel to it, and adds great depth and context.
There is a difference with Futaba being a member of the Phantom Thieves, in that she is not an active fighter in the party. Futaba instead provides navigation through the Metaverse, as well as back up abilities and passive statuses. Unlike the Confidants who are party members, Futaba’s perks are all about support. Not only do you get the chance to recover HP and SP during a fight, or have a chance to Hold Up enemies before a battle, but Futaba’s navigation skills also have a chance to map out areas of Mementos (it’s randomly generated), and replenish treasures that can be picked up.
As the game progresses in difficulty, and you rank up Futaba’s social link, she gains incomparable abilities in recovery and protection from a dreaded game over. It’s an arguable point, based on some of the abilities that other social links can provide, but the difference here is that Futaba is always with you in the Metaverse, and the chances of her being able to support right when you need it is far more important. You absolutely want to complete this social link.
Futaba Sakura - Rankings
Rank 1 - Moral Support - Chance to cast Kaja or party-healing magic during battle.
Rank 2 - Mementos Scan - Chance to fully map a floor of Mementos when entering that floor.
Rank 4 - Position Hack - Chance to instantly Hold Up enemies when starting a battle.
Rank 6 - Active Support - Moral Support may now Charge or recover SP.
Rank 7 - Treasure Reboot - Chance to revive search objects in the area after battle.
Rank 9 - Emergency Shift - Chance to swap current party with backups when 2 or more people are KO'd.
Rank 10 MAX - Final Guard - Chance to nullify a fatal attack to a current party member.
1. Sadayo Kawakami - Temperance (Best)
When considering this list, I immediately thought of Kawakami and the unparalleled abilities she brings into the game, but I also consulted online communities and found that others think the same way. Therefore, Kawakami is absolutely number one on the list of must-do social links.
The first thing Kawakami allows you to do at rank 1 is slack off in some of her classes. This means you can work on something else instead - such as reading a book to get some social stat points, or falling asleep and dreaming about one of your existing Confidants and feeling a little closer to them.
As you go through the social link with Kawakami, she will allow you more and more time to fill up with other, more pressing advances. She will make the consumables that give you SP, or craft infiltration tools for you. There is a reason she can do these things, and do them well, but it would spoil her character somewhat to describe them here. Just know that rank 10 is absolutely where you want to be with Kawakami, as soon as you can. As part of her story needs to take place during school, you don’t want to leave it too late in the school year to meet up with her. There’s a long summer break, so be aware of that.
Rank 10 is the level that all Persona 5 players want to reach with Kawakami, as it means you will be able to do activities in the evening after you’ve been to the Metaverse. This comes by way of relaxation that Kawakami helps you with. There are problematic connotations with this Confidant, of course, but at the same time it makes for a great story, and the perks you gain are the unrivalled best of the game!
Sadayo Kawakami - Rankings
Rank 1 - Slack Off - Allows you to perform various activities in Kawakami's class.
Rank 3 - Housekeeping - Allows you to request Kawakami to make coffee or do laundry for you.
Rank 5 - Free Time - Gain free time in other teachers' classes with Kawakami's help.
Rank 7 - Super Housekeeping - Allows you to request Kawakami to make curry or infiltration tools for you.
Rank 10 MAX - Special Massage - Request a massage after going into the Metaverse, letting you go out at night.
