The Persona 5 Royal Confidants are much more accessible compared to the original game, both because you get more free time, and because you gain more Confidant and stat points overall. This makes it easier to level and even max out multiple Confidants, and that means stronger Personas and dozens of bonuses for you.
The question, then, is what are the best Persona 5 Royal Confidants to level? Well, that mostly depends on which characters you like and what abilities you favor, but there are a few standout Confidants that everyone should go for just to make the game more fulfilling. We've outlined all the Confidants, how to unlock them, and what benefits they offer below. First, though, we've picked out a few recommended Confidants.
Recommended Persona 5 Royal Confidants
Party members for party bonuses*
Your main party members all have Confidants of their own - Chariot, Lovers, Magician, Empress, Priestess, Hermit, and Emperor - and all of them can unlock neutral party bonuses which allow them to cure statuses, endure attacks, improve negotiations, and perform follow-up attacks. We recommend leveling at least three active party members' Confidants to max, in addition to Futaba's, so you can have a full team with all available party bonuses.
Fortune to speed up all other Confidants
Fortune is the most valuable Confidant in the game. At Fortune level five, you unlock the ability to pay 5,000 Yen to instantly deepen your affinity with any other Confidant, and you can do this once a day. This won't actually level your Confidants, but it will cut out virtually all of those dreaded "just hang out to gain notes" sessions, which makes leveling multiple Confidants much easier.
Temperance to save a ton of time
The Temperance Confidant will also save you time in the long run, letting you spend more time on Confidants and social stats and less time handling busywork. You'll be able to make tools and read books in class, do laundry without blowing your evening, and even hang out with Confidants on days you explore the Metaverse.
Strength to make the strongest Persona
Once you raise the Strength Confidant a few levels, you'll unlock the ability to fuse Persona which are above your current level - in exchange for a hefty chunk of change, that is. This ability is well worth it, because even a single high-level Persona can carry you through some tough fights.
Councillor, Faith, and Justice for the third semester
Persona 5 Royal features three new and critical Confidants: Councillor, Faith, and Justice. These are all tied to characters who play major roles in the events of the new third semester, so it's important to level all of them. As outlined below, these Confidants also have deadlines attached to them, so prioritize them when you can.
Persona 5 Royal Confidants guide
| Header Cell - Column 0 | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CONFIDANT | CHARACTER | HOW TO UNLOCK AND LEVEL | CONFIDANT BENEFITS |
| 2 | Fool | Prison Master | Unlocked and leveled through the story. | Negotiation, Third Eye Hold more Persona Earn more fusion burst EXP |
| 3 | Magician | Morgana | Unlocked and leveled through the story. | Craft more infiltration tools Party bonuses* |
| 4 | Priestess | Makoto Nijima | Meet Makoto at school to unlock and level. Knowledge level three needed for rank, Charm level five needed for rank six. | Analyze enemy moves, drops, and defenses Party bonuses* Romanceable |
| 5 | Empress | Haru Okumura | Meet Haru at school to unlock and level. Proficiency level five needed for rank three. | Grow vegetables which restore party SP Party bonuses* Romanceable |
| 6 | Emperor | Yusuke Kitagawa | Meet Yusuke in the Shibuya underground walkway to unlock and level. Proficiency level four needed for rank six. | Duplicate and create skill cards Party bonuses* |
| 7 | Hierophant | Sojiro Sakura | Speak to Sojiro at Leblanc to unlock and level. Level capped until Futaba's arc. Kindness level five needed for rank seven. | Make coffee and curry which restore SP |
| 8 | Lovers | Ann Takamaki | Speak to Ann in the Shibuya underground mall to unlock and level. Kindness level two needed for rank two. | Chance to cancel enemy moves Party bonuses* Romanceable |
| 9 | Chariot | Ryuji Sakamoto | Speak to Ryuji at school to unlock. Speak to him at school, in Shibuya, and over text to level. | Stealthier dashing Insta-kill low-level enemies by dashing into them Party bonuses* |
| 10 | Justice | Goro Akechi | Speak to Akechi in Kichijoji at night to unlock and level. Intelligence level four needed for rank seven. Must reach level eight by November 18. | Chance to reveal enemy affinities at start of battle Party bonuses* |
| 11 | Hermit | Futaba Sakura | Speak to Futaba outside Leblanc to unlock and level. Kindness level four needed for rank two. | Chance to restore HP/SP, give Kaja or Charge buffs, swap KO'd members, or block attacks Chance to instantly map Mementos floors Chance to Hold Up at start of battle Chance to reset search objects after battle Romanceable |
| 12 | Fortune | Chihaya Mifune | Speak to Chihaya in Shibuya on clear days to unlock and level. | Fortune readings which: Improve social stat growth; Grant more money in combat; Raise any Confidant affinity; Reveal all Confidant benefits; Trigger Velvet Room alarm; Or highlight optimal conversation choices Romanceable |
| 13 | Strength | Twin Wardens | Speak to the Twin Wardens in the Velvet Room, to the left of your cell gate. Complete Persona fusion challenges to level. | Group Persona fusions Train Personas in the Velvet Room to add attribute resistances Fuse Persona that are a higher level than you |
| 14 | Hanged Man | Iwai Munehisa | Speak to Iwai in his shop after receiving the mystery bag. Guts level four needed for rank one, Guts level five needed for rank eight.. | More guns available at shop Custom gun mods which add elements |
| 15 | Death | Tae Takemi | Speak to Takemi in her clinic at Yongen-Jaya. Guts level two needed for rank two, Charm level four needed for rank eight. | Healing items and accessories for purchase Romanceable |
| 16 | Temperance | Sadayo Kawakami | After the maid event with Ryuji, call Kawakami from Leblanc on Fridays and Saturdays to unlock and level. Guts level three needed for rank one. Level capped until the end of summer break. | Chance to gain free time at school Save time by having Kawakami make coffee or curry, craft infiltration tools, or do laundry for you Head out even after Metaverse excursions by receiving a massage Romanceable |
| 17 | Devil | Ichiko Ohya | After the Madarame arc, speak to Ohya in the Shinjuku bar to unlock and level. | Reduces Palace security levels and makes ambushing easier Romanceable |
| 18 | Tower | Shinya Oda | After encountering the cheating gamer in Mementos, speak to Shinya at the Akihabara arcade to unlock and level. | Unlocks gun-based bonuses and attacks for ambushing and negotiating, including a guaranteed down shot Buffs gun attacks |
| 19 | Star | Hifumi Togo | Speak to Hifumi in the Kanda church at night to unlock and level. Charm level three needed for rank one, Intelligence level five needed for rank eight. | Swap party members in combat Allow backup members to do follow-up attacks Hastens escape, and lets you escape while surrounded Earn extra money by winning battles in one turn Romanceable |
| 20 | Moon | Yuuki Mishima | Speak to Mishima in Shinjuku to level. Clearing Mementos targets is essential to progressing this Confidant. | Increases EXP gains Allows backup members to earn EXP |
| 21 | Sun | Toranosuke Yoshida | To unlock, work at the beef bowl restaurant after speaking with Yoshida at the Shibuya station square (multiple times). Speak to Yoshida in the station square on Sunday nights to level. | Chance to improve negotiation results Recruit Persona that are a higher level than you |
| 22 | Judge | Sae Nijima | Unlocked and leveled through the story. | Story purposes only |
| 23 | Faith | Kasumi Yoshizawa | Speak to Kasumi to unlock and level. She will initiate most hangout sessions during story moments. Level capped until later in the story. Must reach level five by December 18. | Raises Joker's HP Ambush enemies even if they hit you first Ambush enemies from a distance using the grappling hook Romanceable |
| 24 | Councillor | Takuto Maruki | Speak to Maruki at school to unlock and level. Must reach level nine by November 18. | Raises Joker's SP Chance for Joker to instantly recover ailments Chance to become Charged and Focused at start of battle Chance to recover SP when low |
| 25 | World | N/A | Unlocked and leveled through the story. | Story purposes only |
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