Persona 4 Golden has so many paths for players to follow through Social Links that players can't possibly go through all of them. But that’s part of the magic of the Persona series. Choosing who the character spends their time with to enhance the Social Link between the protagonist and the mini characters in the game can open up more avenues for exploration. But not all Social Links are equal. Some can be exciting, some are insightful, and some are inspiring.
Detraining which Social Links to pursue can shape players experience of the game, so choosing which characters to spend players time with is crucial for getting the most out of Persona 4 Golden. But considering the fact that limited time demands that there must be a tradeoff, which Social Links are the most important to build?
Chie
One of the most compelling characters to build a Social Link with in Persona 4 Golden is Chie. In addition to the strength boost that Yu Narukami gets by hanging out with Chie, she is also a fun addition to the story.
She is a lively and passionate character who goes out of her way to defend the weak, which makes her an exciting character to create a Social Link with. Chie has the added bonus of being one of the characters that Yu Narukami can form a romantic bond with.
Fortune
Another Social Link with exploring is Fortune. Her story of being born into a family of detectives gives an extra layer of depth to the game. With so much to explore in-between defeating the game's main villains, this is a story that would not be otherwise covered if the player didn’t pursue this Social Link specifically.
But pursuing this Social Link will first take some work, as Fortune's story can’t be pursued until Yu Narukami’s Knowledge and Courage stats are first maxed out.
Naoki Konishi
Naki Konishi is one of the first victims of the tragic events that take place in the main story, and exploring this Social Link shows players the emotional depth that Persona 4 Golden has become popular for. Forging a Social Link with Naoki Konishi takes this game from an ordinary RPG to an immersive experience, as players follow his journey while trying to cope with the death of his sister.
The SocialLlink that players have the opportunity to build with Naoki is a quintessential example of the emotional depth of this game, which is what causes it to be considered by many as one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
Tohru Adachi
This is perhaps one of the most important Social Links that players can forge in the world of Persona 4 Golden, because it can have such massive implications by altering the main story as a whole. Once this Social connection is established, player’s have the opportunity to establish an alternate ending to the game.
Persona 4 Golden gives players the power to shape the story by determining how they spend their time in the game. The freedom given in the Persona series allows players to shape their own experience, and actually form emotional bonds with characters in the game. So ultimately, the best Social Link for players to develop depends on which characters they are most interested in.
Ryotaro Dojima
This is Another fascinating social link is that of Ryotaro, a police detective and the uncle of the main protagonist. Pursing this social link will help illuminate more about the main character, since their relationship extends beyond the scope of the events that take place in Persona 4 Golden.
For this reason, this social link is worth the time it would take to develop. Like other characters in this story, Ryotaro is coping with the death a loved one, and he is devoted to finding the person responsible for her death. Although Ryotaro isn’t a character that helps keep the story light, pursuing this social link will help shed light on the events surrounding the main story.
Hisano Kuroda
Hisano Kuroda
Hisano is another character who is coping with the death of a loved one. When a Social Link is formed with Kuroda, her story follows her as she tried to grieve after the death of her husband. She often gets philosophical about the relationship to life and death as she reflects on her situation.
She also refers to herself in conversation as “death”, but declines to give the main character an explanation for why she does so. Through building a social link with Hisano, players will slowly learn the heart-wrenching details of her husband’s Alzheimer's causing him to forget who she was.
Ai Ebihara
This character can be the protagonist's dramatic and turbulent first love. She is the first character in the game that players have an opportunity to pursue a romantic relationship with, however, stating a relationship with this character will block players from pursing other romantic arches later in the game.
Ai’s dramatic personality makes this social link entertaining to pursue. The social Link with Ebihara is complex, because the player's relationship to the character is not what it appears. Pursuing this social link can give players a drama-filled pause from the emotionally charged main story.
Persona 4 Golden available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.