Persona 5 Royal has many different endings, but its “true” ending is very difficult to get and has some fairly vague requirements for getting into the new third semester.
Multiple endings are the norm in Persona games, though Persona 5 Royal takes things to a new level. Similar to Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal adds an extra chapter that extends the game beyond the original release’s ending. What makes it even trickier is the relatively precise requirements to get the true ending, which is tied to both raising social stats and leveling up certain confidants.
That makes it important to know the key moments and dates in the game, and what players need to do in order to press forward. Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Persona 5 Royal.
How to access Persona 5 Royal’s third semester
Players need to raise Maruki to confidant rank nine by 11/17 and defeat Yaldabaoth on 12/24 to access Persona 5 Royal’s extra third semester, which leads into the game’s true ending. Though there are other pieces of missable content associated with the third semester, the only thing players need to do to reach the third semester is raise their relationship with Maruki to rank nine by 11/17.
The biggest story additions to Persona 5 Royal are two new characters in Kasumi and Maruki, and an expansion on the confidant arc of Akechi. These three characters are integral for reaching the third semester in Persona 5 Royal. Unlocking and developing Kasumi as a confidant is folded into Persona 5 Royal’s story, but players will have to take special steps for both Maruki and Akechi.
Here’s a breakdown of what players need to do to reach Persona 5 Royal’s third semester and the requirements that players will have to meet during the main story:
- Raise Maruki to confidant rank nine by 11/17
- Deny all questions related to having accomplices in the Phantom Thieves during Sae’s interrogation on 11/20
- Reject Igor’s offer on 12/24
- Defeat Yaldabaoth on 12/24
Players are offered a few opportunities to accept a “bad” ending during Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. If players avoid these while raising Maruki to rank nine by 11/17, they will be on track to reach the third semester. Unlike Persona 3, which had a completely separate story chapter in its DLC and the Persona 3 FES re-release, the third semester unfolds organically as the game progresses.
Still, while there’s only one real extra requirement to get into the third semester, Persona 5 Royal’s true ending has some extra hurdles.
All Persona 5 Royal true ending requirements
To get the true ending to Persona 5 Royal, players must reach the third semester while also strengthening their relationships with Akechi and Kasumi by specific dates and making certain dialogue choices along the way.
Getting the true ending isn’t particularly difficult but there are a few moments that can send the player into a different ending. None of the new endings in Persona 5 Royal’s third semester are explicitly “bad” per se, but they’re not the definitive true ending.
To get the true ending to Persona 5 Royal, players need to meet these requirements and make these choices:
- 11/17- Raise Maruki to confidant rank nine
- 11/18- Raise Akechi to confidant rank eight
- 11/20- Deny all questions related to having accomplices in the Phantom Thieves during Sae’s interrogation
- 12/21- Have Kasumi at confidant rank five
- 12/24- Reject Igor’s offer
- 12/24- Defeat Yaldabaoth
- 1/9- Say “I can’t accept this reality”
- 2/2- Do not say “we’re taking the offer” when speaking with Akechi
Making these choices and meeting these confidant requirements ensures that players reach the third semester, witness as much content as possible, and get Persona 5 Royal’s true ending. Once players make the final dialogue choice with Akechi on 2/2, the final step is clearing the final palace. After players do so, they can witness the true ending.
