How to unlock the third semester and true ending of Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal features a wide array of new content and features, from new areas of Tokyo to explore to two brand-new confidants to befriend. These confidants are much more than side characters, however, as they also tie directly into the lengthy new story segment of the game, a third semester that adds nearly 30 more hours to the game. The trick is that you don’t automatically unlock the third semester and new story content, as there are a few hoops you need to jump through. Make sure you know exactly how to unlock the third semester early on in Persona 5 Royal, as it’s easy to lock yourself out.

How to unlock the third semester in Persona 5 Royal

There’s only one real requirement to reach the third semester, although an extra ending and more story content can get locked out if you don’t do certain things, which we’ll get to next. To reach the third semester, you need to make sure you raise the Councilor Confidant, Dr. Maruki, to Rank 9 by November 17. This means you should absolutely prioritize hanging out with Dr. Maruki whenever he’s available, as you have limited time to raise his confidant rank. It’s vital to keep in mind that Maruki won’t be available at all during summer break, so you won’t be able to raise his rank from 7/26 to 8/21.

As long as Maruki reaches Rank 9 you’ll unlock the third semester, however, you should also consider raising the Confidant Rank for both Kasumi Yoshizawa and Goro Akechi, if you want to unlock the true ending.

How to unlock the true ending in Persona 5 Royal

If you want to see the true ending for Persona 5 Royal, you’ll need to raise two other confidants to a specific rank by a certain date. Akechi (Justice Confidant) needs to be raised to Rank 8 by November 17, while Kasumi (Faith Confidant) needs to be raised to Rank 5 by December 22. You can still play through the third semester without doing this, but there are some extra scenes and important context that you’ll miss out on.

Akechi is a bit harder to hang out with than the other Phantom Thieves, as his schedule can be a bit weird. Your best bet is to look for him at night on Wednesdays and Saturdays, just make sure to check your map and phone messages.

Kasumi, on the other hand, is a bit easier to tackle, especially since you have a few extra weeks to raise her Confidant Rank. She can generally be found during lunchtime or after school, but the days she’s available depends on the month. In June and September Kasumi is only available on Wednesday, but during July, August, and September, she can occasionally be found on Thursday and Sunday as well. Just to quickly sum up the requirements of the true ending, here’s an overview.

• Dr. Maruki (Councilor Confidant) - Rank 9 by November 17
• Goro Akechi (Justice Confidant) - Rank 8 by November 17
• Kasumi Yoshizawa (Faith Confidant) - Rank 5 by December 22

What’s new in the third semester?

Outside of more story, the third semester gives you some extra time to boost confidant ranks you might have been lacking on. You also get enough free time to boost stats or do anything else you want. Of course, a new Palace also means more opportunities to level up and purchase new equipment. The big addition, however, is the ability to transform all of your party member’s Persona into their third and most powerful form.

At Rank 10, your party member confidants will unlock their Persona’s second form, and if a confidant is at Rank 10 during the third semester you’ll get an option to hang out with them and unlock the third form. You don’t necessarily need to raise every party member to Rank 10 before the third semester, but it’s highly recommended as you have limited free time to hang out, and even less depending on each character’s individual schedule. It’s a better idea to leave one or two of the side confidants to level up during the third semester and make sure all of your party have hit Rank 10.