Futaba Sakura's first interaction with the Phantom Thieves in Persona 5 Royal is an attempt to blackmail the group, but then she isn't the only future Thief to do so. Once she officially joins the team, she becomes the navigator, which means that she assists the party in several ways but never fights directly.
Futaba is also the Hermit confidant of Persona 5 Royal, an appropriate card considering the way she lived her life before the Phantom Thieves entered it. This guide will explain how to get the most relationship points during events and everything else players should know about ranking up this confidant.
General Information
In the Tarot deck, the Hermit Arcana typically depicts an old man looking off to the left, to his past. Its meanings include solitude, great knowledge, and regression, while its reverse meanings include rash action and a lack of wisdom. Futaba's Persona is Necronomicon, an evil book that frequently comes up in the fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.
After Futaba recovers from the events of her palace, players can find her outside Leblanc on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, but only during the day and when it isn't raining. Futaba doesn't go to school, and so none of her rank events are tied to school days or holidays.
Futaba will sometimes ask Joker to hang out. She'll be waiting in Leblanc on 9/25 and 10/10, she wants to see a movie on the evening of 10/2 (but only if the Yongen Jaya theater is running), and she'll ask him to go to Nakano together on 10/9. Joker can also invite Futaba to visit Akihabara to get the Hero Figurine room decoration and Nakamise Street in Asakusa to get the I <3 Tokyo Shirt. Her favorite gifts are the Heart Ring, Snack Pack, Cup Noodle Set, Local Mascot Set, and Katana Keychain.
If players reach rank 10 on the romance path with Futaba, Joker can spend Christmas Eve with her. Her present is a set of Headphones, and if players carry it into a New Game Plus they'll get extra relationship points from the same-Arcana bonus. Joker can also spend time with Futaba on Valentine's Day to get Futaba's Chocolate, an item that restores all SP for one ally, and go on a date with her on White Day.
Rank 1
Rank 1 happens automatically on 8/31. Futaba wants to visit the stores of Akihabara, but she's still having trouble with her agoraphobia. None of the choices matter during this event, so players will only need a Hermit Persona to get extra points starting with rank 2.
The reward for starting the Hermit confidant is Moral Support. At the start of each combat round (aside from the first one), Futaba has a chance to use one of the three buff skills on the party or heal everyone a moderate amount.
Rank 2
To get any further with Futaba, Joker will need Kindness 4 (Selfless). Once he does, Futaba will come up to his room and talk about the promise lists she used to make with her mother.
- That wouldn't solve anything. 0
- That's a great idea. 2
- If we work together. 3
- Want me to help? 2
- I don't know. 0
- Sounds good to me. 0
- Can you tell me again? (dialog will loop)
- I bet it will. 2
- I'm not sure. 0
- Why not ask him directly? 0
Note that the points listed are what Joker gets if he has a Hermit Persona in his stock. The reward for this level is Mementos Scan. With this ability, Futaba will sometimes fill out the map of a Mementos floor as soon as the party enters it, including every chest and stamp location and both exits.
Rank 3
Futaba gets started on her new promise list, and the first item is a return to Akihabara.
- I what? 0
- So you're okay? 0
- I was about to come find you. 3
- Good to see you again. 3
- You're the one who appeared. 2
- You need to be more careful. 0
- It'll only get tougher. 0
- You will. 0
- We'll both do our best. 2
Rank 4
Next on Futaba's list is to check out a high school. This event can happen on a day off, and only some of the dialog will change.
- Nope. 2
- Let's do this together. 3
- If you want. 0
- No, you're talented. 0
- I bet they were just surprised. 0
- Not at all. 2
- Everyone does it. 2
- I think it's cute. 3
- We'll take it slow. 2
- You need more training. 0
- I'll help you anytime. 2
Futaba's next ability is Position Hack. At the start of a battle, Futaba will sometimes knock down all the enemies so players can immediately start a negotiation or an All-Out Attack. This ability doesn't trigger during Ambushes, but it can trigger when the party is Surrounded.
Rank 5
Futaba is able to tick two boxes off her list by meeting Mishima at the diner and having an unusual conversation with him.
- He's in my class. 0
- Friend might be a bit much. 0
- I think you're right. 3
- No. 0
- Your... what? 2
- What's an NPC? 2
- Savage. 0
- He's the protagonist. 3
- You did great. 2
- That's nothing special. 0
- Ding! Level up! 0
Rank 6
When Futaba cleans up her room, she finds an old promise list and remembers Kana-chan, an old friend from elementary school.
- Were you happy? 2
- That must have been a shock. 3
- How did you react? 0
- You didn't know any better. 2
- Did you apologize to her? 0
- Sounds like it was her fault. 0
- Understood. 0
- Someone's pushy today. 0
- Are you running away again? 2
- Let's calm down first. 0
- I'm right here with you. 0
Completing this rank renames Moral Support to Active Support and gives the ability two new actions: the first will restore a small amount of SP for the party, and the second will give every active character the effects of both Charge and Concentrate.
Rank 7/Request
After their last talk, Futaba has tracked down Kana-chan's location and discovered that her parents are still abusing her. Players will need to fulfill a request to continue the Hermit confidant, making Futaba the only party member who has this complication.
- What horrible parents. 2
- We have to put a stop to this. 2
- Strange... how? 0
- I'll do it, for you. 3
- We'll show them the truth. 3
- Give me some time. 2
The reward for this rank is Treasure Reboot. After a battle ends, Futaba will sometimes reset all the search objects so that players can loot them again. In a Palace, this applies to every search object in every area, but in Mementos this only affects the current floor.
The request is called "Daughter's Just a Meal Ticket." Players will find Kana-chan's parents in Adyeshach Area 3, and they appear as a Succubus and an Incubus. Note that the Incubus is weak to Fire damage while the Succubus is weak to Ice damage and drains Fire. The reward for this fight is a Growth 3 Skill Card and the ability to continue the Hermit events.
Rank 8
With the parents taken care of, Futaba gets back in touch with Kana-chan and the two promise to go to school next year.
- That's incredible. 3
- I'm glad to hear that. 3
- Did you stutter at all? 2
- You worked really hard too. 3
- You're making me blush. 2
- Do I get a reward? 0
- Fine by me. 0
- That's all? 0
- Congrats. 2
- You've still got more. 0
- Want more pats? 2
Rank 9
Futaba is almost done with her promise list, but she isn't sure what to do about Joker.
- You've really matured. 3
- And if you're bullied again? 2
- That doesn't sound healthy... 0
- Are you okay, Futaba? 3
- You're imagining things. 2
- If you want. 2
- No way. 2
- You're giving up? 0
- Because we're teammates. 0
- Because I love you. 0 (romance flag)
If players are on the friendship path:
- A true friend. 2
- A partner. 2
- A key item. 2
If players are on the romance path:
- I would like that. 0
- If that's okay with you. 0
- Um, hello? 0
- Is something wrong? 0
- Earth to Futaba? 0
- Are you still alive? 0
- Instant yakisoba. 0
- Morgana. 0
- Do I really have to say it? 2
For either path, the reward for this rank is Emergency Shift. If two or three of the active party members are KO'ed, Futaba may ask Joker if she should swap in some random backup party members to replace them.
Rank 10
The rank 10 event is very different depending on whether players are on the friendship or romance path. In the friendship path, Futaba and Joker will go to Akihabara, while in the romance path Futaba goes to Akihabara alone and instead spends time with Joker in her room. Relationship points no longer matter, but on either path players should choose "You can't lose to her" to get the best reaction.
For completing the Hermit confidant, Futaba will get Fatal Guard, which is a chance to null an otherwise fatal attack against any party member. She also undergoes a Second Awakening as Necronomicon becomes Prometheus, the Greek Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. This gives Futaba a second skill, Treasure Skimmer: when combat begins, Futaba can point out Shadows who are carrying rare items. For his part, Joker gets access to Ongyo-Ki, the ultimate Hermit Persona.
Rank 11
If players unlock the third semester and max out the Hermit confidant, Futaba will ask to speak to Joker in the middle of January. This isn't a true rank event, but at the end of it Futaba will get a Third Awakening. Prometheus becomes Al Azif, the Arabic name for the Necronomicon, and gets the trait Infinite Scheme. This upgrades Explosive Scheme by restoring 100 percent of the party's HP instead of 25 percent when the trait triggers. Futaba also gets Ultimate Support, which renames Active Support and adds a new possible action that gives every party member every buff and heals them at the same time.
On 3/19, a rank 10 Futaba will give Joker her Promise List. During a New Game Plus, this item gives players access to Mementos Search and Treasure Reboot immediately after restarting the Hermit confidant.
Persona 5 Royal is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.