Persona 5
Persona 5

December

Persona 5 guide for December. Navigate Shido's Palace, face critical story moments, and seize final social link opportunities before the year ends.

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December

Welcome to December, a critical month in Persona 5 where the stakes are incredibly high. This section will guide you through the final Palace, crucial story beats, and important social link opportunities before the year concludes. Be prepared for intense battles and significant plot developments!

December 1st - 18th: Shido's Palace

The first half of December is entirely dedicated to infiltrating and conquering Shido's Palace, "The Cruiser of Pride." This is the penultimate Palace in the main story, and it's a long one, so make sure your team is well-equipped and your Personas are strong.

Palace Infiltration Strategy

  • Preparation is Key: Before entering, ensure you have a good stock of healing items (e.g., Soul Food, Snuff Soul for SP; Medical Ointment, Life Stone for HP), status ailment cures (e.g., Dispel Charm, Amrita Soda), and revival items (e.g., Revival Bead, Balm of Life).
  • Recommended Team Composition: For Shido's Palace, a balanced team is crucial. Consider bringing characters with diverse elemental coverage and strong physical attacks. Makoto (Nuclear/Healing), Yusuke (Ice/Physical), and Haru (Psy/Gun/Support) are often excellent choices due to their utility and damage output.
  • Cognitive Navigation: Shido's Palace is designed like a luxury cruise ship. You'll need to collect several "Letters of Recommendation" from various VIPs to gain access to the deeper parts of the ship. These often involve solving puzzles or defeating mini-bosses.
  • Mini-Boss Encounters: Expect several challenging mini-bosses. Ensure your Personas cover a wide range of affinities to exploit weaknesses. Remember to use Baton Passes and Technical attacks for maximum damage.
  • Safe Rooms: Utilize safe rooms frequently to save your progress, replenish HP/SP, and switch out party members if needed.
  • Treasure Room Access: The path to the Treasure Room is complex and requires careful exploration. Don't rush; take your time to uncover all pathways and solve the environmental puzzles.

Key Dates & Events

  • December 1st: The Phantom Thieves officially declare their intent to steal Shido's heart. This marks the beginning of the Palace infiltration period.
  • December 18th: This is the hard deadline for sending the calling card and defeating Shido. Failure to do so will result in a bad ending. Aim to complete the Palace and send the calling card well before this date to allow for the boss battle.

Shido's Boss Battle

Shido's boss battle is a multi-phase encounter. Here's a general strategy:

  1. Phase 1 (Beast of Human Sacrifice): Shido will be riding a large beast. Focus on exploiting its weaknesses (often Physical or Gun, depending on the form) and dealing heavy damage.
  2. Phase 2 (Wings of Human Sacrifice): After defeating the beast, Shido will transform. This phase often involves powerful elemental attacks. Ensure your team has Personas with resistances or immunities to common elements.
  3. Phase 3 (True Shido): The final phase is Shido himself. He's a formidable opponent. Keep your HP high, use buffs (Tarukaja, Rakukaja) and debuffs (Tarunda, Rakunda), and unleash your strongest attacks. A Persona with Concentrate/Charge and powerful single-target skills is highly recommended for Joker.

December 19th - 23rd: Post-Palace & Story Progression

After successfully stealing Shido's heart, the story takes several dramatic turns. Focus on following the main narrative during these days.

  • December 19th: The aftermath of Shido's change of heart. Expect significant story developments and conversations with your teammates.
  • December 20th - 23rd: These days are primarily story-driven. You'll be unable to engage in most social activities or Mementos. Pay close attention to the dialogue and plot revelations.

December 24th: Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is a special event in Persona 5. If you have a maxed-out (Rank 10) Confidant with one of the romanceable female characters, you'll have the option to spend Christmas Eve with them. This event provides unique dialogue and a special item from your chosen partner. If you haven't romanced anyone, you'll spend the evening with your male Confidants.

  • Romance Option: If you have a Rank 10 romanceable Confidant, you'll receive a special gift item from them (e.g., Ann's Lipstick, Makoto's Bike Helmet). These items grant unique abilities or stat boosts when equipped.
  • Friendship Option: If you're not in a romance, you'll spend the evening with Ryuji, Yusuke, and Mishima, receiving a different, but still valuable, gift.

December 25th onwards: The Final Stretch

The events following Christmas Eve lead directly into the game's climax. Be prepared for more intense story sequences and the ultimate confrontation.

  • Prepare for the End: Ensure your Personas are fused, your equipment is optimized, and you have a good stock of items. The final battles are challenging.
  • Confidant Completion: If you're aiming for specific Confidant achievements, make sure they are completed before December 24th, as opportunities become extremely limited afterward.

December is a whirlwind of activity, combining intense dungeon crawling with pivotal story moments. Stay vigilant, manage your time wisely, and prepare for the grand finale!