With the introduction of the new Royal DLC for Persona 5, players have been excitedly diving in to learn what it contains. In addition to the wealth of content, rewards, and new enemies is the canon ending of the game with bonus scenes regarding the characters.
For players wanting to learn how the story is supposed to play out, there are a number of steps to tackle before the secret will reveal itself. It’s not terribly hard if the player knows what they’re doing and acts efficiently to ensure they meet the requirements. Here is a spoiler free overview of what the player needs to do and how to get the real ending.
10 Don’t Betray The Phantom Thieves
A recurring thing players need to remember throughout the game is that their loyalty is first and foremost with the Phantom Thieves. The game tries to tempt the player into betraying other members and doing so locks out the true ending.
It’s important for the player to keep this in mind whenever presented with an important decision or choice. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does happen it’s important to make the right choice.
9 How To Avoid Betraying The Phantom Thieves
The big one to remember comes November 20th when the player talks to Sae Nijimia. This entry will avoid any spoilers but it should be fairly obvious which decision the player needs to make to stay loyal to the Phantom Thieves.
It should also be noted this is the same choice that is needed to be made in order to get the original true ending before the DLC. If the player makes the same choice that they did before, they shouldn’t run into any trouble and will maintain their loyalty to the group.
8 Councilor Arcana Rank 9
The next step is to reach Councilor Arcana to its highest rank, Rank 9 by November 17. Once again without going into any spoilers, it’s important to have Dr. Maruki as max ranked confidant for the true ending and it needs to happen before November 17.
If the player fails to reach the max rank with Dr. Maruki then they’ll be missing an important criteria to unlock the true ending. Because of this, the player needs to make sure they are prioritizing Councilor Arcana as soon as possible.
7 How To Get Rank 9 Councilor Arcana
To get a Rank 9 this early actually isn’t terribly difficult if the player is striving for it as soon as possible. Dr. Maruki is encountered on May 13, and can be found Monday and Friday during the day at the school. He has a soft Rank 5 cap until September 19 so if the player hits that rank before then they should focus on the other items on this list.
After September 19 the player can boost the relationship to Rank 9. It’s a good idea to follow a guide regarding dialogue choices to rank up quickly. It also helps to hold a persona matching Dr. Maruki’s Arcana to increase the rank even faster.
6 Faith Arcana Rank 5
Another relationship that needs to be established quickly is with Kasumi Yoshizawa. Players need to reach Rank 5 with the Faith Arcana before December 18. Failing to do this will lock out the true ending.
While this isn’t as tough to accomplish as reaching Rank 9 with the good doctor, it can be overlooked if the player isn’t careful. There are a number of things the player can and should do to quickly reach this ranking in time.
5 How To Get Rank 5 Faith Arcana
The first chance to meet Kasumi is May 30 on the school field trip. The player can reach a max Rank of 4 before December 22 and it’s important to do this as failure to do so by the date locks out Rank 5 afterward.
In the months of June, September, October, and November she can only be spoken with on Wednesday. During July, August, and December she can also be encountered on Thursdays and Sundays, though this isn’t a guarantee. The player should follow a dialogue guide and use gifts like Designer Perfume, Crimson Lipstick, and the Mini Cactus to boost the rank gains. Also having a Faith persona helps.
4 Justice Arcana Rank 8
The last relationship that needs to be established to a certain point is with Goro Akechi. He’s the Justice Arcana and this relationship must be Rank 8 by the 17th of November. This might be tricky for players who played the original Persona 5, as his relationship ranked up automatically, so it can be hard to remember he’s now like everyone else.
That being said it’s like any other Confidant and shouldn’t be too tricky. There are some basic things to remember and as always it’s important to know the deadlines.
3 How To Reach Rank 8 With Justice Arcana
The soonest the player can start working on their relationship with Goro is June 10th. He can be found at the Darts & Billiards Bar and Kichijoji station on Wednesday and Saturday nights. In the middle of July and August he can also appear on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
It’s important to have Knowledge to Rank 4 and Charm at Rank 3 to pursue the dialogue options. Rank 6 is locked off until September 3rd, Rank 7 can’t be reached until after November 2nd. This gives a narrow window to reach Rank 8 so having a Faith persona helps.
2 Refuse The Final Boss’s Offers
If the player manages to do all of the above then the last thing is to deny the offers given by the final boss. Again no spoilers, but this won’t happen until near the end and it’s very obvious which choices the player should pick.
Generally speaking the final boss will give the player the easy way of beating the game. If the player refuses to do so things get more complicated, but its necessary to reaching the true ending.
1 Final Tips
It sounds a lot more complicated to reach the true ending than it really is. As long as the player puts the Phantom Thieves first, builds the required relationship with the three individuals, and denies the offers given by the Big Bad Boss they’ll be fine.
It’s mostly a balancing act and meeting the required deadlines. It helps to establish a schedule to meet the three individuals throughout the week, have a strong relationship with Sadayo Kawakami to free up time to get all the above done, and other things to be more efficient and strategic.