Persona 5 Royal Akechi confidant guide: Justice choices & unlocks

Alongside the varied all-new additions to Persona 5 Royal are some major changes from the original Persona 5, including an all-new, fully-fledged Confidant Cooperation Relationship for mysterious party member Goro Akechi, who has the Justice arcana.

In the original P5, Akechi has a confidant relationship that automatically ranked up - but in P5R you must hang out with him like with other Confidants, which means you can speed up the rank-up process by answering in ways he likes. On this page, we detail exactly how to speed through his cooperation to rank 10 - which in turn helps to unlock the true ending.

We’ve done the same for the entire cast of P5 and P5R - so check out our full Persona 5 & Royal Confidant Cooperation Choices guide for more. 

Goro Akechi Confidant Cooperation Relationship Guide - Justice

Goro Akechi is a truly different confidant cooperation storyline depending on which game you’re playing - Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal.

If you’re playing the original Persona 5, this guide is irrelevant: Akechi’s confidant cooperation will rank up and abilities will unlock on certain dates or when you complete certain story beats. In Persona 5 Royal, Goro has a fully-fledged confidant relationship with major choices to be made.

This is the third new confidant in P5R alongside Kasumi and Maruki, and is another way in which P5R is completely different - just like how it has a separate P5R set of school test, quiz and exam questions and answers and all-new features like the Crosswords.

On this page we cover the ranks and conversation choices for Goro Akechi in Persona 5 Royal, detailing how to level up his relationship quickly. This relationship is key to getting the P5R true ending, but we’ve tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible. You don't have to worry about gifts for Akechi. 

Any conversation choices not listed here have no impact on your relationship or the hidden XP counter tracking when your confidant relationship ranks up. The numbers shown are the gains you’ll make when you have a Justice Arcana Persona in your stock when hanging out with Goro, which gives you bonus points. Always have a Persona of the correct Arcana on you to maximize your gains.

• Location & Availability: Once this confidant relationship is open, you'll be able to meet Goro Akechi in the likes of Kichijoji and the Darts & Billiards Bar. He shows up on Wednesday and Saturday nights, but between mid-July and mid August he's also available on Tuesday and Saturday.
• Your confidant relationship with Goro Akechi begins on June 10 through story progression. 
• Several ranks have gates of certain skills, like Knowledge. Some ranks only occur on or after certain dates, which is noted below.
• Maxing out Akechi's confidant relationship adds an extra scene to Persona 5 Royal's true ending.
• You must reach Rank 8 by November 17 if you want to see the full extent of this confidant line and the true ending in Persona 5 Royal.

Rank 1:

• You’ll meet Goro Akechi through the natural progression of the story in both games. In Persona 5 Royal, where his relationship isn’t automatic, you’ll first begin the confidant cooperation relationship on June 10.

Rank 2:

Impactful Conversation Choices for this Rank:

• I found myself with some free time, so I was hoping to find someone to play against.
  • Option 1 (“You always seem so busy.”) +2
• How will you handle this?
  • Option 1 (“Shoot very carefully.”) +2 
  • Option 2 (“I’ll go for a power shot.”) +2
• Frankly, I didn't expect you to see through it.
  • Option 3 (“I see a lot of things.”) +3
  • Option 1 (“Maybe I’ll be a detective.”) +2
  • Option 2 (“I see a lot of things.”) +2
• Phone Conversation: If you're so inclined, we could go out again sometime.
  • Option 3 (“As rivals?”) +2

Unlocks Sleuthing Instinct - a passive ability that gives you a chance to reveal one enemy affinity at the start of a battle.

Rank 3:

This rank requires Knowledge Rank 3 and Charm Rank 3 to initiate. Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

• Looks like I've been spotted.
  • Option 1 ("Should’ve figured.") +3 
  • Option 3 (“Your life must be so hard.”) +2
• Phone Call: I saw first-hand what happens when I'm too careless with my words around you.
  • Option 2 ("Wasn't it fun?") +2

Rank 4

Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

• You get to hear some great performers here.
  • Option 3 ("Now this is my kind of club.") +3 
  • Option 1 ("Do they have coffee?") +2
• Well then, why don't we get some drinks?
  • Option 1 ("Any recommendations?") +3 
  • Option 2 ("Anything’s fine by me.") +2
• How relaxing. I really do like coming here.
  • Option 1 (“It’s a great place.”) +2
• That reminds me, do you cook?
  • Option 1 ("Pretty frequently.") +3
  • Option 2 (“I can use a microwave…”) +3
  • Option 3 (“All I need is curry.”) +2
• Phone Call: It's a euphoria like when I manage to solve a case.
  • Option 2 ("I kinda get it.") +2

Unlocks Sleuthing Mastery, an ability that gives you a chance to reveal all of an enemy’s affinities at the start of a fight.

Rank 5:

Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

• What a realistic game.
  • Option 1 (“Are you used to gunplay?”) +2
• All this reminded me of running around the house with it, playing hero...
  • Option 1 (“You wanted to be a hero?”) +3
  • Option 2 (“Very interesting.”) +2
• Phone Call: I wish I'd played better.
  • Option 1 (“You did fine.”) +2
  • Option 2 (“You’ve still got a long way to go.”) +2
  • Option 3 (“You were getting cocky.”) +2

Rank 6:

Available from 9/3 onwards; triggers at LeBlanc. Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

• Ahh, this feels wonderful... It's been a while.
  • Option 3 (“A while, huh?”) +3
  • Option 1 (“So relaxing...”) +2
• Whenever she had to bring a man home, she'd send me off to the local bathhouse.
  • Option 2 (“...You’ve been through a lot.”) +2
• I know the hot water can make people dizzy...
  • Option 1 (“This is nothing.”) +3
  • Option 2 (“I’ll stay until you’re ready.”) +3
  • Option 3 (“Are YOU okay?”) +2
• I think I feel a little lightheaded.
  • Option 1 (“Same.”) +3
  • Option 2 (“Guess I win.”) +2
• I wonder why I told you? Curious indeed.
  • Option 1: "Because we get along." +2
  • Option 2: "Because we're similar." +2
• We're both victims of the adults who unfairly impacted our lives.
  • Option 1 (“I think you’re right.”) +3
  • Option 3 (“Can I put my clothes on?”) +2 
• Phone Call: If they saw how I was acting today, perhaps they'd say I wasn't acting like the Detective Prince.
  • Option 3 (“My bad, I guess.”) +2

Unlocks several abilities: Baton Pass, to pass turns to other characters, Follow Up, for a follow-up attack, and Detective Talk, for helping with Shadow Negotiation.

Rank 7:

Can be triggered from 11/2 onwards. Knowledge rank 4 required. 

Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

• You have to be indirect, but precise, to land it in the pocket...
  • Option 1 (“That’s why it’s so fun.”) +3
  • Option 2 (“Yeah, it’s convoluted…”) +2
• I'm impressed that you beat me. You've become quite skilled.
  • Option 2 (“I couldn’t let myself lose.”) +3
• ...the teammates you have now. How about it?
  • Option 3 (“You’re my rival.”) +
    • Choose this option for extra dialogue later.
  • Option 1 (“I’ll think about it.”) +
• Phone Call: Option 3 (“We’re rivals, aren’t we?”)

Rank 8 :

Reminder: You need to hit this rank by November 17 in order to not be locked out of future progress. 

Some elements of this rank will only occur if Akechi’s HP is reduced to 1/3rd or less. Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

• If we had fought to the end, do you see yourself winning?
  • Option 1 (“I definitely wouldn’t lose.”) +3
• You're the one person I refuse to lose to.
  • Option 2 (“Really hate losing, don’t you?”) +2
  • Option 1 (“Same here.”) +1
• Should the opponent accept the glove, the duel is also accepted.
  • Option 1 (“I accept”) +
    • Choose this option for extra dialogue later.

NOTE: After your infiltration of the Cruiser Palace, at some point during the night, you will have an extra choice right before going to sleep. When prompted, choose "I want to keep our promise." for an optional/extra conversation later on. This does not impact your ending.

Rank 9 & Rank 10

Both Rank 9 and Rank 10 of Akechi’s Confidant Cooperation will occur naturally through progressing Persona 5 Royal's story, so long as you hit Rank 8th before November 17th. However, along the way there is one key, story-altering choice:

• When you're preparing to assault Shido's palace, tell Akechi: "I want to keep our promise."
• When you meet on February 2nd, tell him, "We're stopping Maruki."
• Choosing options other than this will lead to the bad ending, as detailed in our Persona 5 Royal endings guide. 

Hitting Ranks 9 & 10 will unlock the Endure ability that’ll let Goro take a blow in combat that’d usually kill, and the Protect ability, giving Goro the ability to take a blow for Joker that’d otherwise kill the protagonist. It also unlocks Metatron for fusion.