Players ofPersona 5 Royalwillsee Haru Okumura in the backgroundduring various school scenes, but she doesn’t become a major part of the story until her father becomes the next target of the Phantom Thieves. At that point she joins the team, and from then on she’s an essential member whose Psychokinesis skills can get Technical hits on all kinds of status ailments.
Haru also becomes a confidant starting at the end of October, and players will have to rush through her story since she’s the last confidant to show up inPersona 5 Royal. But while Haru might not be the most well-developed Phantom Thief, her confidant abilities are definitely worth the effort.
RELATED:Even After Persona 5 Royal, Haru Still Doesn’t Get the Character Development She Deserves
General Information
The Empress Arcana has two main interpretations: a female figure of great temporal power and intelligence, and a mother figure associated with fertility and growth. Since Haru is the heiress of a major business and her hobby is growing plants with a green thumb, she manages to combine both interpretations in one character. Haru’s persona is Milady, one of the main villains ofThe Three Musketeersand a spy who manages to talk her way out of trouble multiple times.
Haru doesn’t have a consistent schedule, but players can find her on the Shujin school roof on most days when it isn’t raining or snowing. Players can interact with her to plant or harvest vegetables after starting the Empress confidant, or they can hang out with her to gain relationship points and advance her events. Joker will have trouble going to schoolin late November and early December, but he can still sneak up to the rooftop to speak with Haru.
Haru will invite Joker to visit Asakusa on 11/6, although players may have trouble seeing this event if they’ve chosen the friendship path with the Devil confidant. Going out with Haru on this day will give JokertheKumaderoom decoration. Haru will also ask Joker to join her at the movies during the evening of 11/6, and Joker can invite her to Tsukishima to get theGiant Spatula. Her favorite gifts are theHeart Ring, theGlass Vase,Wrist Weights, theWatercolor Postcard, and theFlower Basket.
While the Hawaii vacation happens too early to invite Haru, players can ask her to hang out during the school festival on 10/26. Unfortunately, players won’t get any relationship points during this event since they can’t start her confidant ranks until later. At the end of it she’ll give Joker aSakura Amezaiku, which gives 100 SP to a single ally.
If Joker reaches rank 10 and romances Haru, he can invite her to celebrate Christmas Eve together. Her present is aHat, which will give players more same-Arcana relationship points during New Game Plus. Romancing players can also spend time with her on Valentine’s Day to getHaru’s Chocolate, which restores all SP for one ally, and go on a date with her on White Day.
RELATED:Persona 5 Royal: Okumura Palace Walkthrough
Rank 1
Haru will become available for confidant events after the school festival ends and the window for exploring Nijima’s Palace opens up.There are no requirementsto get things started, so head up to the rooftop and agree to bring Haru’s vegetables to Leblanc. Most dialog choices have no consequences, but the last one can give players a starting boost to Haru’s relationship points.
As the last confidant in the game, Haru is relatively easy to rank up. Still, it helps to have an Empress Persona in stock during these events, and the point values listed assume that players have one.
For starting the Empress confidant, Joker will getCultivation. By speaking to Haru, Joker can have her plantMoonlight Carrots(full SP restore for 1 ally),Sun Tomatoes(100 SP for all allies),Earth Beans(Charge for one ally), orStar Onions(Concentrate for one ally). Each plant has its own growth period and yield, but all of them will take less than a week to grow. Haru is always tending her garden on non-rainy days even when she isn’t ready to hang out, so players should speak with her frequently.
RELATED:JRPGs To Play If You Loved Persona 5
Rank 2
During the next hangout, Haru will mention the new Okumura Foods president and how she’s worried about whom to trust.
While Haru can’t grow any Jewel Melons, the option is a reference toPersona 4 Golden. One of the plants the protagonist of that game can grow is the Bead Melon.
Rank 3
Aside from the new president, Haru’s other worry is her fiancé. Her contract with him is still active, and according to him breaking it will incur a heavy fine on Okumura Foods.
At this rank, Haru will getFollow Up. After Joker’s turn, Haru has a chance to ask for a follow-up attackthat will hit every enemy with a critical blow.
RELATED:New Mobile Game Persona 5: The Phantom X Explained
Rank 4
Haru invites Joker to try out some expensive coffee at the Shibuya buffet, but to fully comprehend itJoker will need Proficiency 5 (Transcendent). During the coffee break, Haru unexpectedly runs into President Takakura, who tells her to take things easy.
Joker’s reward this time isCeleb Talk. If Jokerfails to convince a Shadow to join him, and there are a group of Shadows still on the field, Haru can give him one more chance to talk.
Rank 5
During the next event, Haru brings Joker to Big Bang Burger to talk more about how hard it is to trust anyone at Okumura Foods.
The reward for reaching rank 5 isBumper Crop. Haru will now produce one more vegetable each time she harvests her garden.
RELATED:Persona 5 Royal: Where to Find Every Book
Rank 6
Rank 6 has Haru drag Joker to Jinbocho to research coffee beans, but once again the outing ends with an unwelcome encounter. This canunlock Jinbocho as a destinationif players haven’t found it yet.
This event’s reward isHarisen Recovery. On her turn, Haru has a chance toend a status ailment on one ally for free.
Rank 7
All the stress from the business is getting to Haru. She’s heard President Takakura wants to start a new café chain, but she has no idea what he plans to do with it.
The reward for this rank isSoil Improvement. Every plant type will take one less day to grow, and this includes whatever’s currently in the garden during the rank 7 event.
RELATED:Best JRPGs On The PS5
Rank 8
Haru is feeling better after last time, and she’s come up with a plan to use home-grown coffee as a way to express herself to President Takakura.
The rank 8 reward isEndure. Haru now has a chance to survive a normally fatal blow with 1 HP.
Rank 9
The rank 9 event is the big meeting with Takakura, which goes better than Haru had feared.
If players are on the friendship path:
If players are on the romance path:
For reaching rank 9, Haru will getProtect. Ifa single-target attack would kill Joker, Haru has a chance to jump in the way and take the attack herself.
RELATED:Persona 4 Golden’s Fox Social Link Was a Great Confidant Prototype
Rank 10
Rank 10 starts the same whether players are on the friendship or romance path, but the romance path will end in Joker’s room. Relationship points no longer matter, but if players want to get the best results they should choose2 or 3for the first dialog option of either path and thenanyresponse for the rest.
Maxing the Empress confidant will give Haru herSecond Awakening. Milady becomes Astarte, a Phoenician and Canaanite goddess of war and beauty. She gains a null Psy and strong Ice affinity, along with the skill Evade Nuke. This also gives Joker access toMother Harlot,the ultimate Empress Persona.
Rank 11
Players who reach Empress 10and unlock the third semesterwill have a chance to speak to Haru in January. This isn’t an official rank, but it does end with Haru’sThird Awakening. Astarte becomes Lucy, the real Countess of Carlisle whose exploits partly inspired the character of Milady de Winter. Haru’s Icy Glare becomes Cool Customer, dropping the chance of an ailment hitting a party member by 50 percent instead of 25 percent. She also gets the skill Life Wall, which applies a Physical and Magical barrier to all party members with one action.
If players get to rank 10 with Haru, they can speak with her on 3/19 to get aDyed Handkerchief. This will give Haru the Soil Improvement skill immediately after players reestablish the Empress confidantduring a New Game Plus.
Persona 5 Royalis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
