Persona 4 Complete Guide (31 Sections) | Ludo.guide

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Welcome to Persona 4! You’re stepping into the shoes of a transfer student in the quiet, rural town of Inaba, where you’ll juggle high school life with a mysterious murder case. By day, you’ll build relationships with friends and classmates, strengthening your Social Links. By night, you’ll dive into the TV world, battling shadows and solving puzzles in dungeons to uncover the truth behind the bizarre events plaguing the town.

This guide is your companion through Inaba's twists and turns. We’ll help you navigate the day-by-day progression, master the game’s many systems, and ensure you don’t miss a single crucial item, from Skill Cards to Key Items. Whether you’re aiming for a specific ending or just want to experience everything Persona 4 has to offer, we’ve got you covered.

Introduction (why use this guide?)

Hello. Before anything else, thank you for choosing this guide. I hope it makes your experience with this awesome game that much more enjoyable.

Now on to business. I suppose you're thinking "what's so different about this guide compared to the others?". Well, in one word, choices. Or rather, which choices you can make at any given moment. Persona 4 Golden, much like 3 (correction: Persona 3 doesn't have these at all) and 5, has certain dialogue options locked behind a Social stat "paywall", and those are generally the best options to pick. This guide was tailored to have access to every dialogue option you're given, effectivelly making it seem these "paywalls" don't exist. In other words, you can get a 2nd playthrough experience on your 1st playthrough (except for two choices at the start of the game, where it's fundamentally impossible to reach that threshold in a 1st playthrough, and the secret boss fight).

However, full disclosure, to be able to achieve this kind of experience, we'll rely heavily on save scumming. Persona 4 Golden (like Persona 3 and 5) has a lot of RNG dependent activities, and we need to always get the best results to reach specific thresholds in time. And since these are random by nature, your mileage may vary on the amount of times you need to load back to get them (personally, I had to spend more than an 1 hour, once). All the results stated are possible, but there may be times when it feels like they aren't, is what I'm saying. And the only way around it, is by pushing through.

But if you decide to follow this guide anyway, you'll max out your Social Stats and get you the Golden Ending (True Ending plus the epilogue scene). Which means you're free to do as you want in your New Game + playthrough, and have access to the secret Persona through 12-way fusion.

Additionally, the guide allows you max out every Social Link. And in the case of the girls, romance how many you want. Not much, but most guides I've seen had you date every girl. Here, having a harem is optional. And in the case of party members, it allows all but one of your party members to unlock their 2nd Persona by the 5th dungeon (so, you can do 5 dungeons with their evolved form). The odd one out is due to them joining after the 5th dungeon, so they unlock it by the 7th (so, it's 3 dungeons for them). Also related to this, you can invite anyone you want to every event(Summer Festival, Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's) party member or not.

It also allows you to make 5 scooter rides with 4 party members (your Navi + 3 members of your choosing), unlocking 15 different skills for them to use in battle (your Navi doesn't learn new skills, but increases the damage done by your All-Out Attack up to 5 times). This totals 15 skills + 5 upgrades to your All-Out Attack.

Also, it allows you, at least, 6 free days to do as you want. This number can reach 8 (without losing anything), or 12 (you lose 3 free level ups and a costume set). These days can be used to get skill cards, go fishing, level-up for free, or grind. I'll leave the choice to you. But, if you're willing to, you can reach 13 free days (where you don't secure the method to get specific skill cards, alongside the 12 days' caveats).

Plus, you get 6 free nights (with potentialy 4 more), where you can gain up to 90,000 yen (or 150,000 yen, if you get all the extra nights).

For the completionists, it includes the time-sensitive optional achievements (i.e., those that are unlocked in Inaba, and not in battle - except for the battle voicelines one, since there's a caveat to it), and steps needed to complete every sidequest. It also accounts for all the costumes for every character, models, dolls and Pub weapons, and every exam is aced. The only thing missing is all the skill cards.

All of this can be achieved on a first playthrough.

And, if you're still up to it, there's also a New Game + guide to help you make the most of your newly acquired free time.

Should you find some mistake, or have any questions, feel free to message me. I can't directly respond to or ask for clarification about feedback given to the guide, so I'd prefer if you sent me a direct message. But, please, try to be precise (i.e. tell me where it is, what is wrong and what happened with you) so I can more easily correct it. Every bit helps.

Thank you for your time. Enjoy!

Introduction (why use this guide?) (2)

This guide is designed to help you access every dialogue option in Persona 4 Golden, even those normally locked behind Social Stat requirements. This allows you to make the best choices available from the start, effectively giving you a second playthrough experience on your first attempt, with the exception of two early-game choices and the secret boss fight where reaching the necessary thresholds is impossible on a first playthrough.

To achieve this, the guide relies heavily on save scumming (repeatedly loading a saved game) due to the random nature (RNG dependent) of many activities. This is necessary to consistently achieve the best results needed to meet specific thresholds within the game's timeline. While all stated results are possible, you may need to reload your save multiple times, potentially spending over an hour in some instances, to achieve them. Pushing through these moments is key.

Following this guide will enable you to max out all your Social Stats and achieve the Golden Ending, which includes the True Ending and an epilogue scene. This provides freedom in New Game+ playthroughs and access to secret Personas through 12-way fusion.

Furthermore, you will be able to max out every Social Link. For romantic interests, you have the option to romance as many as you wish, creating a harem is optional. All but one party member can unlock their 2nd Persona by the 5th dungeon (meaning they can use their evolved form for 5 dungeons). The remaining party member, who joins after the 5th dungeon, will unlock their 2nd Persona by the 7th dungeon (meaning they use their evolved form for 3 dungeons). You can also invite any character, party member or not, to all events, including the Summer Festival, Christmas, New Year's, and Valentine's Day.

The guide also opens up making 5 scooter rides with 4 party members (your Navigator plus 3 chosen members). This unlocks 15 different skills for them in battle. Your Navigator does not learn new skills but can upgrade their All-Out Attack damage up to 5 times. This totals 15 skills and 5 All-Out Attack upgrades.

You will have at least 6 free days to use as you wish, with the possibility of reaching 8 free days without losing anything, or 12 free days at the cost of 3 free level-ups and a costume set. These days can be used for obtaining skill cards, fishing, leveling up, or grinding. Reaching 13 free days is also possible, but it means not securing the method to obtain specific skill cards and comes with the same caveats as the 12-day option.

Additionally, you get 6 free nights, with the potential for 4 more, allowing you to earn up to 90,000 yen (or 150,000 yen with all extra nights).

For completionists, this guide includes steps for time-sensitive optional achievements (those unlocked in Inaba, excluding the battle voicelines one due to a caveat), and completing every sidequest. It also covers all character costumes, models, dolls, Pub weapons, and ensures all exams are aced. The only collectible not fully covered is all skill cards.

All of this is achievable on a first playthrough.

A New Game+ guide is also available to help you maximize your time in subsequent playthroughs.

Tips:

Message the author directly if you find any mistakes or have questions, providing precise details about the issue (location, problem, what happened) for easier correction.
Be prepared for extensive use of save scumming to achieve optimal results for Social Stats and Social Links.
Embrace the ability to make choices freely, as the guide aims to remove Social Stat

Bike Skills

Hey there! So, you're diving into Persona 4 Golden and wondering about those special 'Bike Skills'? Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it sounds. These are basically unique abilities your party members can learn, and some of them are super handy. Think of this as a quick rundown so you know what to expect and how to make the most of your team.

Let's break down what each character can pick up:

Yosuke

Confuse Boost
Megido
Green Wall
Makara Break – This is a lifesaver! It completely shatters any enemy's Makarakarn, which is that magical shield they sometimes put up.
Diarahan

Chie

Hama
Mind Slice
Hamaon
Tetra Break – Similar to Makara Break, but this one takes down Tetrakarn, the shield that blocks physical attacks. Super useful!
Bufudyne

Yukiko

Valiant Dance – This move can actually Enrage all enemies, making them go wild and attack randomly.
Matarunda
Red Wall
Spirit Drain
Mind Charge

Kanji

Media
Atom Smasher - This hits all enemies with moderate Physical damage and has a good chance of inflicting Fear.
Blue Wall
Fast Heal – This is a passive skill that halves the time it takes to recover from status ailments. So handy for getting back in the fight faster.
Mediarama

Rise

Rise has a special role when it comes to All-Out Attacks. If you trigger one, she might jump in and boost its damage. The more bike rides you took with her, the bigger the boost:

+ 100% damage
+ 200% damage
+ 300% damage
+ 400% damage
+ 500% damage

So yeah, taking Rise out on those bike rides really pays off in battle!

Teddie

Dekunda
Life Drain
Mustard Bomb – This one hits all enemies with moderate Physical damage and can also Enervate them.
White Wall
Evade Physical

Naoto

Bufudyne
Ziodyne
Tetraja – This skill is great for protecting an ally from instant death spells.
Myriad Arrows – This unleashes up to 3 heavy Physical attacks on all enemies.
Angelic Grace – Another passive skill that doubles your evasion against all magic attacks, except for Light, Dark, Almighty, and Ailment spells.

Knowing these skills will definitely help you strategize better. Keep an eye on what your party members can do, and you'll be cruising through battles in no time!

Guide (1st half)

Walkthrough

1
4/12: Choose "You calling me a loser?" to gain +3 Courage.
2
4/13: Listen to the lecture during class to gain +3 Knowledge.
3
4/14: Answer "1 B.C." during class for +3 Knowledge. Choose "Are you guys okay?" to gain +3 Understanding.
4
4/15: Select "I’m worried about Chie" to gain +3 Understanding. Complete the tutorial battle by following Teddie's instructions. Engage in the boss battle against Shadow Yosuke.
5
4/16: This day is part of the storyline.
6
4/17: Visit Daidara Metalworks (equipment shop). Note that you cannot return to this shop until you beat the first boss of the next dungeon. You also cannot save after entering the next dungeon. Consider buying better armor if you feel it will make you safer. After exiting Daidara, an event regarding a blue door will occur. Save your game at the light blue butterfly save point across the street. Head to Junes by going south and then east to begin your first dungeon crawling session.

Tips

Shadow Yosuke Weakness: Electricity.
Shadow Yosuke Strategy: When Shadow Yosuke guards, you cannot Down it, and it will use Wind of Oblivion. Guard yourself during this time. Guard again after it uses Power Charge.
Saving: Persona 4 Golden is a large game with a calendar system, making mistakes hard to undo. It is highly advisable to have multiple back-up saves, perhaps one for each time you enter a dungeon.
Downing and All-Out Attacks: Hitting an enemy with its weakness or landing a critical hit will Down it, granting you an additional action. If you Down all enemies, you can perform an All-Out Attack. Dizzying an enemy (hitting a Downed enemy with its weakness or a critical hit) increases damage and prevents them from attacking for a turn, but usually doesn't work on bosses.
Shuffle Time: This mechanic occurs after defeating all remaining enemies with an All-Out Attack. You can choose a card for various bonuses, including Personas, money, EXP, and stat boosts. Focus on getting Persona cards (for a new Persona) and Temperance cards (for a key to golden chests).
Skill Cards: During Shuffle Time, look for Sword cards which grant a random skill card based on the card's rank. At rank 1, these can include Agi, Bufu, Garu, Zio, Tarukaja, Tarunda, Rakukaja, Rakunda, Sukukaja, Sukunda, Dia, Patra, Mutudi, and Sharp Student.
EXP Distribution: Only the Persona equipped at the end of a battle receives EXP. To level up a specific Persona, switch to it just before finishing the battle.
Equipped Persona Memory: You can disable "Equipped Persona Memory" in the game's settings. This ensures the Persona you started the battle with is automatically re-equipped, preventing you from accidentally starting the next battle with a weak Persona.

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