The Phantom Thieves of Persona 5 Royal meet Yusuke Kitagawa under some shady circumstances, and what he does after that doesn't help matters. Still, Yusuke eventually comes to understand the circumstances he's in and awakens to his Persona, joining the Phantom Thieves in their search for justice.
However, players won't get to access the Emperor confidant right away. His first rank becomes available on 6/18, well after Madarame's Palace finishes up. On the bright side, Yusuke's special ability offers some interesting possibilities, though only if players consistently remember to make use of it throughout Persona 5 Royal.
General Information
The Emperor of the Tarot Arcana represents a male figure of great secular power. That doesn't describe the perpetually poor Yusuke, but some more relevant meanings include confidence, intelligence, and someone who is calm rather than passionate. The reverse meanings include indecision and ineffectiveness, which are at the heart of Yusuke's confidant events. Yusuke's Persona is Goemon, a Japanese folk hero who lived and died at the end of the Sengoku period.
Once players establish the Emperor confidant, during the day they'll find Yusuke in the Underground Walkway of Shibuya, right by the exit to Central Street. He's available for confidant events on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. Players will sometimes find him in the Underground Walkway on other days, but they can only speak to him to duplicate cards.
During summer break, Yusuke will frequently show up at Leblanc to hang out with Joker. Specifically, he shows up on 7/27, 8/1, 8/4, 8/8, and 8/11. He'll also ask Joker to see a movie together on the evening of 8/5 and suggest a study session on 10/15.
Joker can invite Yusuke to several locations to get room decorations. Take Yusuke to Ueno to get a Nude Statue, to Meiji Shrine to get a Hamaya, and to Ikebukuro to get Star Stickers. Yusuke's favorite gift items are the Silver Bangle, Glass Vase, Uji Matcha Flan, Truffles, Castella, and the Watercolor Postcard.
Rank 1
Before starting the rank 1 confidant event, players should make sure they have an Emperor Persona in stock to get an extra relationship point and a Persona with Magaru. The event ends with Yusuke and Joker going into Mementos for some inspiration, and the two will get interrupted by a group of five Slimes. Slimes are weak to Wind, and so, Magaru will end the encounter almost before it can begin.
After the battle, Joker will receive a Blank Card. Yusuke will paint on it, turning it into a Recarm Skill Card. This unlocks the Emperor confidant and Card Duplication. From this point on, Joker can bring Yusuke a skill card and a blank card and have him copy the skill onto a new card. One day later, Joker can speak to Yusuke again to get the duplicated card. Before the two part ways, however, there's an opportunity to gain a few points:
- Thanks. 2
- I'll try not to. 2
- I'll be asking a lot. 3
These are the relationship points players can get if they have an Emperor Persona in stock. The rest of this guide will also assume Joker has an Emperor Persona in his stock.
Rank 2
The visit to Mementos has borne fruit, because during this event Yusuke brings his new painting to Leblanc for Joker to admire.
- It's novel. 2
- It's enigmatic. 2
- ...What is it? 0
- I can't wait. 3
- I hope you're right. 3
- Will people like it? 0
- You're already doing enough. 2
- I'm looking forward to it. 0
- Will you really? 0
Rank 3
Yusuke puts his painting, "Desire," on display in an art gallery, but not everyone is impressed with it. Players can unlock the Ueno destination with this event.
- That was harsh. 0
- What a dick... 0
- Don't let it bother you. 2
- Stop exaggerating. 0
- This is just the beginning. 0
- Stand up. 0
- You're really giving up? 2
- This isn't like you. 3
- Stand up, Yusuke. 0
- How exactly? 2
- That's the spirit. 2
- That's the spirit. 2
- You're taking this too far. 0
- That's all? 0
For reaching this rank, Yusuke gets the ability Follow Up. After Joker's turn, if Yusuke is in the active party he has a chance to ask Joker for a follow-up attack that will hit one enemy with an automatic critical.
Rank 4
After the failure at the art gallery, Yusuke decides to look for more inspiration in the rowboats of Inokashira Park. Players will have been to the park by the time Yusuke's confidant events begin, so this won't unlock a new location. Also, unlike most of Yusuke's events, this one can only take place if it isn't raining.
- What are we doing here? 0
- Why are we in a boat? 2
- I should bring a girl here. 2
- Love comes in all forms. 3
- Maybe you should train more. 2
- You have a wild imagination. 0
- Don't get discouraged. 2
- Just keep drawing. 0
- You lack love yourself. 0
This rank unlocks Art Talk. If Joker is trying to convince the only Shadow on the field to join him, Yusuke will sometimes provide a second chance if the player makes the wrong choices.
Rank 5
Yusuke's next stop on his hunt for inspiration is the church in Kanda. Joker gets access to the Star confidant if Yusuke is at rank 2 and the date is at least 6/25, so this event most likely won't unlock a new location.
- Make me beautiful. 0
- I dunno if I can do it... 2
- Do you want me to strip? 3
- I'm sure you will. 3
- It doesn't look like it. 3
- Do you want to give up? 2
- Don't overthink it. 0
- You have to keep drawing. 0
- There's still hope. 2
At this rank, Yusuke gets Card Creation. Yusuke can now recreate any card he's duplicated before, even if Joker doesn't have a spare copy for him to look at.
Rank 6
Players should be very careful about starting this rank, because the game's warning is vague and doesn't mention that Joker needs Proficiency 4 to complete it. Yusuke decides to head back to the old atelier, and he meets the art producer Kawanabe in the process.
- It feels nostalgic. 2
- Why are we here again? 0
- Are you going in? 0
- We should get it fixed. 0
- Let's force it open. 0
- Are you okay? 0
- You're not looking so good. 0
- Maybe he was sympathetic. 3
- He somehow knew you had skill. 2
- I couldn't possibly tell you. 3
- He had a certain dignity. 2
- He seems reliable. 0
- I'm not sure. 0
The reward for this rank is Yusuke's Harisen Recovery. At the start of his turn, Yusuke will sometimes end a status ailment on a party member.
Rank 7
For the rank 7 event, Kawanabe invites Yusuke to the sushi bar in Ginza to discuss his future. This can potentially unlock the location, but Ginza unlocks automatically on 7/24.
- That's a great name. 0
- What do you mean? 2
- Handsome...? 0
- The truth is within you. 3
- Money is important. 0
- Calm down. 2
- It's not a crime to enjoy sushi. 2
- Let's go again sometime. 0
The rank 7 reward is Live Painting. Yusuke will now create or duplicate skill cards immediately, though he still only takes one request per day. Players can also make this daily request during a Palace infiltration by speaking to Yusuke in a safe room.
Rank 8
Yusuke is running out of time to create a painting for a competition, so he asks his friends the Phantom Thieves for help.
- Scenery is always nice. 0
- I'd say Morgana. 0
- It has to be Ann. 2
- What's wrong with that? 2
- The same applies to everyone. 0
- You've really grown, Yusuke. 3
At rank 8, Yusuke gets Endure. Instead of falling, Yusuke has a chance to survive a fatal blow with one HP remaining.
Rank 9
Yusuke invites Joker to Mementos again, but this time to have a private chat about art and motivations. Luckily, no Shadows interrupt this time.
- Her love for her son. 3
- The pain of separation. 3
- I don't know. 2
- You've really changed, Yusuke. 3
- That's a great idea. 2
- It won't be easy. 0
The rank 9 reward is Protect. Yusuke now has a chance to take a single-target fatal attack instead of Joker, at least if he's in the active party.
Rank 10
The rank 10 event returns to Ueno, where Yusuke's new painting "Desire and Hope" is on display. For this event the relationship points no longer matter, and even if they did players will get the same point total no matter which options they choose.
For maxing out the Emperor confidant, Yusuke will undergo a Second Awakening. Goemon becomes Kamu Susano-o, the irresponsible god of storms in Shinto mythology, and he gains both null Ice and resist Wind affinities. He also gets the skill Evade Fire, which players can fit into Yusuke's skill list. Joker also gets access to Odin, the ultimate Emperor Persona.
Rank 11
If players reach Emperor 10 and enter the third semester, Yusuke will ask to speak to Joker in his room. At the end of this discussion, he'll have a Third Awakening and unlock Gorokichi, a nickname that was supposedly applied to Goemon in his younger years. Yusuke's Persona trait will upgrade from Scoundrel Eyes to Unparalleled Eyes, giving allies an even bigger chance of evading Physical attacks. He'll also get the skill Hyakka Ryouran, which applies all three buffs to all allies.
Players who max out the Emperor confidant can also speak to Yusuke on 3/19 to get the painting Desire and Hope. This will give players access to Card Creation and Live Painting immediately after reestablishing the Emperor confidant during a New Game Plus run.
Persona 5 Royal is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.