Social Links are a key feature of Persona 4 Golden as with any other Persona game. They represent the bonds you form with other characters in the game, and by increasing your Social Links, you can gain access to new Personas, skills, and abilities. There are a total of 23 Persona 4 Golden Social Links, each associated with a different Arcana. The Arcana, on the other hand, is a system used in Persona games to categorize Personas. They each correspond to a different personality trait or archetype.
In this guide, we’ll explore all the Persona 4 Golden Social Links available and offer tips on how to maximize their benefits.
All Persona 4 Golden Social Links and Arcanas
Yosuke Hanamura (Magician Arcana)
The first Social Link you’ll encounter in the game is with Yosuke Hanamura, your energetic classmate and one of your first teammates. By spending time with Yosuke, you’ll strengthen the Magician Arcana, unlocking new abilities for Yosuke’s Persona and enhancing your teamwork. You can unlock this Social Link as early as April 16th by talking to Yosuke.
The Investigation Team (Fool Arcana)
This Arcana progresses automatically with the story. Take note that there are other Persona 4 Golden Social Links that automatically increase as you play the game’s main story. This one, in particular, represents the main characters’ Investigation Team. Furthermore, this Persona 4 Golden Social Link automatically starts on April 17th.
Chie Satonaka (Chariot Arcana)
Chie, your best friend and a fellow member of your team, offers the Chariot Social Link. Strengthening this bond grants new powers to her Persona and provides advantages in combat, such as the ability to perform follow-up attacks. You can unlock this Social Link as early as April 18th by talking to Chie.
Marie (Aeon Arcana)
Marie is a mysterious girl who appears later in the game. By establishing the Judgment Social Link, you’ll learn more about Marie’s story and unlock new abilities related to the Aeon Arcana. Unlock this Social Link by taking Marie out of the Velvet Room sometime after April 18th.
Fellow Athletes – Kou Ichiko or Daisuke Nagase (Strength Arcana)
You can unlock the Strength Arcana by enlisting in a sports club. Persona 4 Golden gives you two choices: either join the Basketball Club and meet Kou Ichiko or join the Soccer Club and be friends with Daisuke Nagase instead. Nevertheless, you can unlock this Social Link by joining either club on or after April 19th.
Eri Minami (Temperance Arcana)
Eri Minami is a young woman working at the daycare center. Developing the Temperance Social Link with Eri allows you to save time during daily activities, granting you more opportunities to engage in other activities or explore the game’s world. Unlocking this Social Link requires you to work at the Daycare on or after April 23rd.
Yumi Ozawa or Ayane Matsunaga (Sun Arcana)
The Sun Social Link allows you to develop a bond with Yumi Ozawa or Ayane Matsunaga by joining either the Drama or Band Club. Doing so unlocks new personas with new abilities related to the Sun Arcana, such as increased healing effects and buffs. Unlock this Social Link by joining either club on or after April 25th.
Nanako Dojima (Justice Arcana)
Nanako is your young cousin who lives with you and your uncle. The Justice Social Link focuses on your interactions with Nanako and deepens your bond with her. This Social Link provides various bonuses, including improved negotiations during Persona fusion. This Social Link unlocks after talking to Nanako in the Dojima Residence living room on May 3rd.
Fox (Hermit Arcana)
Fox is a mysterious animal who lives in the Inaba Shrine. It is believed to have spiritual powers. By establishing the Hermit Social Link with Fox, you’ll unlock special abilities that can assist you in dungeons, such as healing and recovery skills. You can do so by talking to it in the Shrine on May 5th.
Ryotaro Dojima (Hierophant Arcana)
Ryotaro Dojima is your uncle and a detective in the local police department. By developing the Hierophant Social Link with him, you’ll strengthen your bond and unlock new strong personas bound to his specific Arcana. The Social Link with Dojima as early as May 6th by talking to him in the living room of his house, assuming that you have high enough social stats.
Adachi (Jester Arcana)
The Jester Arcana, just like the Aeon, are exclusive Persona 4 Golden Social Links. It is not in the vanilla version of the game. Nonetheless, Jester Arcana establishes by being friends with Dojima’s lackey in the Detective agency, Adachi. You can unlock this exclusive Social Link by talking to Adachi as early as May 13th assuming that you have high enough social stats.
Margaret (Empress Arcana)
Margaret is the Velvet Room attendant and Igor’s assistant. By interacting with Margaret, you can strengthen Empress Arcana. The Empress Social Link grants you the ability to fuse powerful Personas with a variety of skills. You can unlock this Social Link after your Knowledge social stat reaches Expert rank on or after May 20th. Talk to Margaret to do so.
Sayoko Uehara (Devil Aracana)
Sayoko Uehara is a nurse at the local hospital. By establishing the Devil Social Link, you’ll unlock various benefits, such as increased healing effects, reduced status ailment durations, and new abilities for Devil Arcana Personas. Work at the Hospital on or after May 25th to unlock the Devil Arcana.
Shu Nakajima (Tower Arcana)
Shu Nakajima is a part-time janitor at the local hospital. The Tower Social Link allows you to develop a bond with Shu and unlock personas bound to the Tower Arcana, thus, enabling you to create new Personas with unique skills. Unlock this Social Link by working as a Tutor on or after May 25th.
Kanji Tatsumi (Emperor Arcana)
Kanji, the tough delinquent with a softer side, offers the Emperor Social Link. By spending time with Kanji and deepening your connection, you’ll unlock new abilities for his Persona and gain advantages in battles against strong foes. You can unlock the Emperor Arcana by talking to a girl in front of the stairs in Classroom Building 2F on June 11th.
Naoki Konishi (Hanged Man Arcana)
Naoki is a fellow student who recently lost his sister. By establishing the Hanged Man Social Link, you can provide support to Naoki, and in return, receive benefits like enhanced fusion spells and discounts at certain shops. You can unlock this Social Link by talking to Naoki three times after June 8th with Understanding Rank 3. Take note that he won’t have the customary exclamation mark above his head on the first and second time you talk to him.
Teddie (Star Arcana)
As you progress through the game, you will automatically unlock Teddie’s Social Link, the Star Arcana. Developing this Social Link unlocks new abilities for Teddie and enhances his effectiveness in battles. Like the Fool Arcana, the Star Arcana progresses automatically and will start on June 24th.
Rise Kujikawa (Lovers Arcana)
Rise, the popular idol who joins your team, presents the Lovers Social Link. Deepening your relationship with Rise enhances her abilities in battle and provides support skills that can be crucial during challenging encounters. Unlock this Social Link by talking to Rise on July 23rd.
Naoto Shirogane (Fortune Arcana)
Naoto is a skilled detective and the final member to join your team. Building the Fortune Social Link with Naoto grants benefits like increased experience points, improved stats, and new abilities for her Persona. Talk to “Man in Black” at the North Shopping District then talk to Naoto on October 23rd.
Ai Ebihara (Moon Arcana)
Ai Ebihara is a fellow student who initially appears cold and distant. By establishing the Moon Social Link with Ai, you’ll unravel her true nature and unlock abilities related to the Moon Arcana, providing support during battles. You need to have Rank 4 on Strength Social Link and high Courage social stat to unlock this Social Link. To do so, talk to her in Classroom Building 1F.
Hisano Kuroda (Death Arcana)
Hisano Kuroda is an elderly woman who resides in the local shopping district. By spending time with her and deepening your bond, you’ll unlock new abilities related to the Death Arcana. Therefore enhancing your battle performance. Unlocking the Death Arcana requires you to have Rank 4 on Devil Social Link. Talk to the elderly woman on Sundays at the Samegawa Flood Plain Riverbank.
Seekers of Truth (Judgement Arcana)
The final Arcana among the Persona 4 Golden Social Links. The Judgement Arcana Social Link automatically unlocks at the latter part of the main game. It starts and progresses with the story so you don’t really have to pay attention that much to this.
How to Increase Persona 4 Golden Social Links
There are a few different ways to increase your Persona 4 Golden Social Links. The most common way is to spend time with the Persona 4 Golden characters associated with the Social Links you want to increase.
You can spend time with characters by going to different locations, such as the Dojima Residence, the Junes Department Store, or the Shopping District. You can also spend time with characters by participating in activities. Moreover, when you spend time with a character, you’ll have the opportunity to talk to them. The choices you make during these conversations will affect how much your Social Link increases.
In addition to spending time with characters, you can also increase your Social Links by giving them gifts. Gifts can be purchased at various stores in the game world, and they can also be found by exploring the TV World.
When you give a character a gift, they’ll be happy, and their Social Link will increase. However, it’s important to note that not all characters will like the same gifts. Some characters will like specific types of gifts, while others will dislike them.
There are a few tips that can help you increase your Social Links more quickly. For example, make sure to always carry a Persona of the same Arcana as the Social Link you’re trying to increase. This will double the number of points you earn for each conversation.
Conclusion
Social Links are an important part of Persona 4 Golden. By increasing your Social Links, you can gain access to new Personas, skills, and abilities. You can also learn more about the characters in the game, and you can gain a deeper understanding of the game world. If you want to get the most out of Atlus’ masterpiece of a game, it’s important to make time to increase your Persona 4 Golden Social Links.
