This guide covers Haru Okumura’s Empress Confidant in Persona 5 Royal. Her route opens late in the calendar, and the answers below are a recommended path through every rank, including the friendship-or-romance decision. Rank progression and features differ between the original Persona 5 and Royal.
When and where to find Haru
Haru’s Empress Confidant becomes available on October 30, after you clear her father’s Palace. Look for her on the Shujin Academy rooftop during the day. Her availability is irregular and weather-sensitive; rain prevents a meeting, so check the in-game map instead of relying on a fixed weekly schedule. These availability details are reported by Prima Games and the GameFAQs Royal guide.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Persona 5 Royal (PlayStation PS5) | $28.77 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Persona 5 Royal für PS5 (Deutsche Verpackung) | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Persona 5 Tactica (PlayStation PS5) | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Persona 5: Royal - AU (PS5) | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
What to prepare before ranking up
Raise Proficiency early
Maximum Proficiency, called Transcendent, is a gate in Haru’s route, but guides disagree on when it applies: the GameFAQs guide updated July 27, 2026 places it at Rank 4, while Prima Games and RPG Site place it at Rank 2. Build Proficiency before starting her route so you do not lose access when you reach the requirement.
Bring an Empress Persona
Having a Persona of the Empress Arcana with you when you spend time with Haru adds affinity, helping the relationship progress toward its next rank. RPG Site also lists gifts such as a Heart Necklace, Chocolate Truffles, and Glass Vase as favored options; gift names and availability can vary with localization and inventory, so check what you have in-game.
#1 Best Overall
- Erkunde Tokio, schalte Personas frei, gestalte deinen ganz persönlichen Diebesunterschlupf, erlebe alternative Enden und mehr
- Werde zum ultimativen Phantomdieb und setze dich über alle Regeln hinweg, entdecke die Kraft in dir und kämpfe für Gerechtigkeit
- Enthält über 40 zuvor veröffentlichte herunterladbare Inhalte
- Freie Auswahl zwischen japanischer und englischer Sprachausgabe
Haru’s Confidant rewards by rank
The rank-to-ability mapping below follows the current GameFAQs guide and Prima Games.
| Rank | Reward | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cultivation | Grow vegetables with Haru on the Shujin rooftop. |
| 2 | No ability listed | The current GameFAQs rank table lists no new ability at this rank. |
| 3 | Follow Up | Haru may perform a follow-up attack if Joker does not down an enemy. |
| 4 | Celeb Talk | Chance to retry a failed negotiation with a group of Shadows. |
| 5 | Bumper Crop | Increases the number of vegetables harvested. |
| 6 | Harisen Recovery | Chance to cure a party member’s ailment. |
| 7 | Soil Improvement | Reduces cultivation time. |
| 8 | Endure | Chance to survive a fatal attack with 1 HP. |
| 9 | Protect | Chance for Haru to shield Joker from a fatal attack. |
| 10 | Second Awakening | Haru’s Persona evolves into Astarte. A separate third-semester event can unlock her Third Awakening and Lucy. |
Recommended Empress Confidant answers
These choices are a recommended point route from Prima Games. “Any” means the guide does not identify a material preference for that prompt. Exact localized wording may differ slightly; choose the closest matching option.
Rank #2
- Persona 5 Royal für PS5 (Deutsche Verpackung)
Ranks 1–4
- Rank 1: Any; any.
- Rank 2: “You like coffee?” or “Are you opening a café?”; “He sounds suspicious.”; “This is a complex issue.”
- Rank 3: Any; “I don’t want to go with you”; “Not yet” or “Too many times to count”; phone: “Smart response.”
- Rank 4: “It must be amazing”; “I can’t let you do that” or “Cheers”; any; “Let’s ask him”; “I’m not really sure”; phone: “Let’s get coffee again sometime.”
Ranks 5–8
- Rank 5: “Somebody’s telling the truth”; “There has to be another way”; “I don’t think so”; phone: “Pinch yourself.”
- Rank 6: “That’s fascinating” or “Can you make some for me?”; “I had no idea”; “That would be bad” or “Black like coffee?”; any; “Be strong, Haru”; phone: “You can talk to me anytime.”
- Rank 7: Any; “What do you want to do?”; any; any; phone: “I’ll always have your back.”
- Rank 8: “The soil?”; “It’ll help him understand you” or “He’s going to love it”; “I’ll be cheering for you” or “You’re amazing, Haru”; phone: “I want some too.”
Ranks 9–10: friendship or romance
- Rank 9: Any; “I’m sure you’ll do great” or “Give it all you’ve got, Haru”; “You’re very welcome” or “You did amazing.” Then choose “He saw us as good friends” for friendship or “I like you too, Haru” for romance. The follow-up phone response is “You sound so happy” for friendship, or “I wanted to hear your voice” / “I miss you” for romance.
- Rank 10, friendship: “You’ve done great, Haru”; “I’m sure you’ll succeed”; any; any.
- Rank 10, romance: “You’ve done great, Haru”; “I’m sure you’ll succeed”; any; “I’m glad too” or “Just my teammate?”
How the romance choice works
Rank 9 is the route-defining choice: select the friends response to keep the relationship platonic, or the direct confession response to begin romance. The following phone conversation changes with that choice, and Rank 10 has different final answer options for the two routes. The skill progression is shared; the choice changes the relationship dialogue, not the listed Confidant abilities.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the official Confidant description says
Atlus describes the system generally: “Deepening your bond with your Confidants will broaden and improve your abilities as a Phantom Thief.” That is a broad explanation of Confidants, not a Haru-specific statement about individual ranks. Atlus’s Persona 5 Royal overview provides the official context; the Haru-specific rank and dialogue information here comes from walkthrough guides.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Gather a team of popular heroes to face the armies of oppressors in exciting turn-based battles
- Lead a riot of hearts in a brand new story that plays in the legendary Persona universe
- Beat your enemies with powerful personas, a selection of weapons and defeat them in style!
- In addition to the game, the first edition includes a DLC code for 2 Persona games ("Orpheus Picaro" & "Izanagi Picaro") in the box
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
