Persona 5 Royal is Atlus's definitive edition of their acclaimed JRPG, adding a new third semester, a new party member in Kasumi Yoshizawa, a new confidant in Takuto Maruki, and the Thieves' Den. The game blends dungeon-crawling turn-based combat with a social simulation where you manage your time between school, part-time jobs, building relationships, and infiltrating the cognitive Palaces of corrupt adults. With over 100 hours of content, the fusion system's depth lets you create Personas with custom skill loadouts. Royal's quality-of-life improvements including grappling hooks in Palaces and the revamped Baton Pass system make it the definitive way to experience the Phantom Thieves' story.
Persona 5 Royal features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order — what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kamoshida's Palace | April (Level 5-12) | Baton Pass tutorial, first Persona awakening, core combat understanding | Ryuji (Chariot) |
| 2 | Kaneshiro's Bank | June (Level 22-28) | Makoto joins party, Nuclear element access, mid-game Personas | Ryuji (Chariot) |
| 3 | Okumura's Spaceport | September (Level 40-45) | Haru joins party, Psy element access, challenging boss experience | Joker (Wild Card) |
| 4 | Shido's Cruiser | November (Level 55-63) | Story climax, high-level Personas, endgame gear | Joker (Wild Card) |
| 5 | Maruki's Laboratory | January (Level 70-80+) | True ending, Akechi's full power, best Personas and equipment in the game | Joker (Wild Card) |
Kamoshida's Palace — Starting Area
The tutorial Palace styled as a medieval castle. Teaches core mechanics: ambushes, elemental weaknesses, safe rooms, and the calling card system. Suguru Kamoshida's Shadow fights with a goblet that heals him — destroy it first.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | April (Level 5-12) |
| Key Rewards | Baton Pass tutorial, first Persona awakening, core combat understanding |
| Recommended Build | Ryuji (Chariot) |
| Key Equipment | Mjolnir (Ryuji) |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of calendar system — this is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to Kaneshiro's Bank.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
Kaneshiro's Bank — Early Game
A bank vault themed Palace where security level increases rapidly. Features the first real difficulty spike with Shadow enemies that drain SP. The boss fight against Piggytron requires targeting the robot and Kaneshiro separately.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | June (Level 22-28) |
| Key Rewards | Makoto joins party, Nuclear element access, mid-game Personas |
| Recommended Build | Ryuji (Chariot) |
| Key Equipment | Mjolnir (Ryuji) |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering persona fusion — it's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Mjolnir (Ryuji) if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in Okumura's Spaceport.
Okumura's Spaceport — Mid Game
A sci-fi factory Palace widely considered the hardest dungeon due to airlock puzzles and the boss's robot waves with tight turn limits. The boss fight requires killing all robots in the same turn to prevent respawns.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | September (Level 40-45) |
| Key Rewards | Haru joins party, Psy element access, challenging boss experience |
| Recommended Build | Joker (Wild Card) |
| Key Equipment | Mjolnir (Ryuji) |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Paradise Lost (Joker) becomes accessible here — prioritize getting it.
- Master palace infiltration for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Shido's Cruiser — Late Game
A massive cruise ship Palace with five mini-boss sections before the final confrontation. Shido himself has multiple forms. This is the longest Palace and requires strong SP management across many floors.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | November (Level 55-63) |
| Key Rewards | Story climax, high-level Personas, endgame gear |
| Recommended Build | Joker (Wild Card) |
| Key Equipment | Paradise Lost (Joker) |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Paradise Lost (Joker) should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- baton pass mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Maruki's Laboratory.
Maruki's Laboratory — Endgame
Royal-exclusive final Palace available only if you maxed Maruki's confidant by November 18th. Features the game's true ending and the hardest boss fights. Akechi and Kasumi join your party with powerful unique skills.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | January (Level 70-80+) |
| Key Rewards | True ending, Akechi's full power, best Personas and equipment in the game |
| Recommended Build | Joker (Wild Card) |
| Key Equipment | Paradise Lost (Joker) |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Akechi (Justice) for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order — Kamoshida's Palace → Kaneshiro's Bank → Okumura's Spaceport → Shido's Cruiser → Maruki's Laboratory. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner — Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your equipment — Some areas favor different equipment types.
- Read the walkthrough — Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush — Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.
More Persona 5 Royal Guides
- Persona 5 Royal Persona 5 Royal Overview
- Persona 5 Royal Best Builds
- Persona 5 Royal Tier List
- Persona 5 Royal Walkthrough
- Persona 5 Royal Beginner's Guide
- Persona 5 Royal Tips & Tricks
- Persona 5 Royal Weapons Guide
- Persona 5 Royal Combat Guide
- Persona 5 Royal Boss Guide
- Persona 5 Royal Crafting Guide
- Persona 5 Royal Classes & Characters
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