Persona 5 Royal Demon Negotiation Answers & Hold Up guide

by Alex Donaldson on 01 October, 2022

Demon Negotiation is back in Persona 5 Royal. This is a staple of the SMT series, of which Persona is technically a spin-off. Negotiation is one of the ways you can obtain a new Persona - allowing you to ‘Hold Up’ enemies in order to persuade them to join your side.

To start the Persona 5 Royal Demon Negotiation mini-game, you simply need to choose the option that asks the demon to “Lend me your power” during a Hold Up sequence. At this point, a dialogue sequence unfolds.

In this guide, we detail all of the Persona 5 Royal Demon Negotiation Answers, helping you to get any Persona you like to join your side. This guide will also work for Vanilla Persona 5.

Persona 5 Royal Demon Negotiation guide

Persona 5 Royal Demon Negotiation takes place in a similar to its appearance in other games - meaning it's all about answering questions the right way.

P5R’s Demon Negotiation is in many ways similar to navigating your relationships as detailed in our Persona 5 Royal Confidant choices guide - you have to select the right options in order to impress the enemy shadow and encourage them to join you as a Persona. If you choose the wrong options, you’ll be thrown into a battle with the shadow instead.

In Persona 5 Royal Demon Negotiation works in a relatively simple manner, and it’s all based on the personality of the Shadow/Persona you’re facing off with. To enter Demon Negotiation, first hit a shadow with its weakness - and then rather than an all-out attack, choose to perform a Hold Up and talk to them.

Once in Demon Negotiation, each Persona/Shadow fits into one of 4 different personality archetypes. These personalities determine Demon Negotiation. Each personality type likes a particular ‘style’ of response. If you give the right kind of answer, you proceed. If not, they get mad - and Demon Negotiation fails, leading to a fight.

Demon Negotiation Answers & Shadow Personalities

The answers you give to each Shadow in Demon Negotiation will determine if you get a new Persona or end up in a battle.

The personality types and their likes & dislikes are as follows:

Gloomy - Likes: Vague / [Dislikes: Serious, Funny]
Irritable - Likes: Serious / [Dislikes: Vague, Kind]
Timid - Likes: Kind / [Dislikes: Vague, Funny]
Upbeat - Likes: Funny / [Dislikes: Serious, Vague]

You should tailor your answers to the likes and dislikes above. So, for instance, if you come across a shadow of the Irritable personality trait, you should try to give Serious answers during Persona 5 Royal Demon Negotiation sequences.

The personality type of each Shadow appears above their level when you hold them up, and also when you analyze them. What they ask you will also provide a clue.

So, for instance, a demon might ask the following question: “...I gotta ask. How do you work out?”

The answers to this question correspond to the personality types above. Irritable demons will appreciate a serious answer (“I don’t really train.”), while Gloomy demons will like an appropriately vague, gloomy answer (“At a gym from hell.”).

Some Shadows may ask multiple questions before they're tamed and offer to join you. It’s worth noting that not all Persona can be obtained through negotiation - including bosses, of course, but also Persona that are of a higher level than you and your current deck of Persona. Everyone else is fair game, however - and it’s an ideal way to gain powerful Persona for fusions.

As with the Persona 5 Royal school answers, getting these little mini tests right will help you to progress - in this instance by giving you another Persona to battle with and fuse. There are hundreds of questions and answers in total, and the only real punishment for going wrong is a battle - so try experimenting, while keeping the above rules in mind.