This guide is for Persona 5 Royal. Akechi’s Justice Confidant has player-advanced ranks in Royal, unlike the largely automatic progression in the original Persona 5. For his third awakening, the key responses are “You’re my rival” at Rank 7 and “I accept” at Rank 8, followed by “I want to keep our promise” after the Cruiser Palace Treasure route and “We’re stopping Maruki” on February 2.
When does Akechi’s Justice Confidant become available?
Rank 1 begins through story progression on June 10. Later ranks require arranging meetings, and some are gated by social stats or story progress. Akechi’s meetings are generally in the evening around Kichijoji and the Darts & Billiards Bar, often on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There is also an additional Tuesday availability window from mid-July to mid-August. Treat those patterns as a guide, not a guarantee: story events can change access, so check the in-game invitation and location.
- Rank 3: Requires Charm level 3 (“Suave”) and Knowledge level 3 (“Scholarly”).
- Rank 6: Unavailable until September 3; the meeting takes place at Leblanc at night.
- Rank 7: Unavailable until November 2 and requires Knowledge level 4 (“Encyclopedic”).
- Rank 8: Aim to complete it by November 17. Story progress can close access. One living walkthrough lists November 20 instead, so November 17 is the safer target.
Which dialogue choices matter for the third awakening?
Most rank-conversation answers affect affinity rather than acting as unique story prerequisites. For the third-awakening route, however, make these specific choices:
- At Rank 7, choose “You’re my rival.”
- At Rank 8, choose “I accept.”
- After securing the Cruiser Palace Treasure route, choose “I want to keep our promise.”
- On February 2, choose “We’re stopping Maruki.”
The February 2 choice involves late-game and third-semester story material. If you want to avoid spoilers, stop here until you reach that point in the game.
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- Base game and over 40 items of previously released downloadable content
- Explore Tokyo, unlock Personas, customize your own personal Thieves Den, experience alternate endings, and more
- Become the ultimate Phantom Thief and defy conventions, discover the power within, and fight for justice in the definitive version of Personal 5 Royal
- Choose between Japanese and English VO
What are the recommended affinity answers for each rank?
These selections are affinity-optimization recommendations, not a claim that every answer is required to unlock the awakening. Some guides give alternate high-affinity wording or phone answers.
- Rank 2: “You always seem so busy”; “I see a lot of things”; “As rivals?”
- Rank 3: “Should’ve figured”; “Wasn’t it fun?”
- Rank 4: “Now this is my kind of club”; “Any recommendations?”; “It’s a great place”; “I kinda get it.”
- Rank 5: “Are you used to gunplay?”; “You wanted to be a hero?”
- Rank 6: “A while, huh?”; “…You’ve been through a lot”; either “This is nothing” or “I’ll stay until you’re ready”; “Same”; “I think you’re right”; “My bad, I guess.”
- Rank 7: “That’s why it’s so fun”; “I couldn’t let myself lose”; then select “You’re my rival” for the awakening route.
- Rank 8: Select “I accept” for the awakening route.
What does the Justice Confidant unlock?
Akechi’s Justice progression includes battle support and persona upgrades. The listed abilities include chances to reveal enemy affinities at the start of battle and a chance to cure an ally’s status ailment. Rank 10 adds Endure and Protect effects. His progression also leads to persona awakenings; after the required story and dialogue conditions, Robin Hood evolves into Hereward during the third awakening.
Rank #2
- New characters and confidants
- new story elements with a new semester at shujin Academy
- new story Arc, cutscenes and alternate endings
- new locations to explore
- new gameplay mechanics like the grappling hooknew personasexplore and customize your own personal Thieves Den
What happens after Rank 8?
If Rank 8 is complete, Ranks 9 and 10 occur automatically during the Cruiser Palace sequence. After securing the Palace Treasure route, the “I want to keep our promise” response is part of the third-awakening path; the February 2 response completes its final dialogue requirement.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Prepare for the award-winning RPG experience in this definitive edition of Persona 5 Royal
- This title is packed with beloved characters, confidants, story depth, and plenty of locations to explore with many opportunities to strengthen your abilities in the metaverse and in your daily life
- Explore Tokyo, unlock Personas, customize your own personal Thieves Den, experience alternate endings, and more
- Become the ultimate Phantom Thief and defy conventions, discover the power within, and fight for justice in the definitive version of Personal 5 Royal
Rank #3
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