Unlike Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal adds a new act to the original story. However, newcomers to the P5 franchise can easily miss out on the exclusive content if they're not balancing Joker's school life and phantom thievery. Failing to unlock the final story will net players the original ending from Persona 5.

The third semester in Persona 5 Royal takes place after the final boss from Persona 5. Along with a new Palace to infiltrate, this new act gives players more time to max out Confidants they may have missed prior to the December deadline. Getting the third semester requires the completion of one of the new Confidants, and surprisingly, it isn't Kasumi Yoshizawa.

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Complete the Councillor Confidant

When Persona 5 Royal was first announced, it introduced two new characters: Kasumi Yoshizawa and Takuto Maruki. Yoshizawa was the new Phantom Thief, while Maruki was only a new Confidant. As such, many theorized that Yoshizawa's Confidant would need completing to get the third semester - like Marie in Persona 4 Golden.

However, while it doesn't hurt to spend time with Yoshizawa to unlock the grappling hook's full potential, players will want to complete Takuto Maruki's Confidant before its deadline. Maruki's Confidant has a deadline of November 18th. Fortunately, players will receive in-game reminders from characters like Kawakami as the Councillor Confidant deadline draws near.

Takuto Maruki's Rank 1, Rank 2, and (if unlocked) Rank 10 will be part of the main story, so all players need are Ranks 3-9. However, Maruki's Confidant is tied to the story. This means there will be times when it's locked off, requiring players to reach a certain point in Persona 5 Royal.

Jokercannot spend time with Maruki during holidays. This aside, the Councilor Confidant will be accessible on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Players can find Maruki on the first floor of the Practice Building at Shujin Academy after May 13th. If players forget when Maruki is available, they can check his availability by opening the map and viewing which Confidants are available at Shujin. Furthermore, Maruki will send Joker an IM if the Confidant is ready to Rank Up.

In short, players will want to reach Rank 9 of Maruki's Confidant BEFORE November 18th. If done correctly, Rank 10 will play out on the 18th. This formally unlocks the third semester.

Councillor Confidant Guide

Each time Joker answers a Confidant "correctly," he'll receive Confidant Points. If the Confidant disagrees with Joker's reply, then no Confidant Points will be given for that answer/question. Equipping a Persona of the same arcana as the Confidant will increase the Point Value for the optimal choices. Since Maruki is of the Councillor Arcana, Joker will want a matching Persona.

Some examples of Councillor Persona are (from lowest to highest level):

1. Kushi Mitama
2. Nigi Mitama
3. Decarabia
4. Ananta
5. Yatagarasu
6. Seiryu
7. Dionysus
8. Vohu Manah

As long as Joker has the Persona on his lineup, he'll get more points for the right answers. Having a matching Persona isn't necessary, but it will quicken the Confidant "level" and make it easier to Rank Up.

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Don't Sell Out Your Friends

While maxing out Maruki's Confidant gets the third semester, players can still get the Bad Ending in Persona 5 Royal during Sae Niijima's interrogation. Following the sixth Palace, players will be subject to a series of questions from Niijima. The answers involve confirming her suspicions or claiming ignorance.

Protect the Phantom Thieves. Choose the answers that deny any claims that Joker may know their identity. If done correctly, then Niijima's Confidant will reach Rank 10. There's one more choice players will have to make if they want to get the third semester.

Refuse Igor's Offer

In what was once Persona 5's final act, players will have a confrontation with the Velvet Room Wardens and Igor. Sit through a series of cutscenes, and players will eventually have the choice to "accept" or "refuse" Igor's offer. Refuse him to avoid one of Royal's many Bad Ends, and continue with the story.

If players do all of the above, they'll have access to the third semester. The most important thing is to complete Maruki's Confidant. If the wrong answers are given to Sae and Igor, players can simply reload a save file and start over. However, since Maruki has a deadline, it's best to prioritize his Confidant before anyone else.

Persona 5 Royal is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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