Persona 3 Portable: Saori (Hermit) social link choices guide

Exclusive to the female side of Persona 3 Portable, the Saori Hasegawa social link replaces the online game S-Link as your Hermit Arcana representative - and tells an interesting story around a young woman suffering under the expectations and judgment of others.

You’ll meet Saori as you advance the story and join a school committee, and advancing her social link will both reveal more of her story and give you more powerful and impressive options and results when fusing for a Hermit Arcana Persona. On this guide, we list all of the dialogue options for this S-Link, which will help you hit max rank fast.

Saori Hasegawa S-Link Guide - Hermit

The Persona 3 Portable Saori social link is the representative for the Hermit Arcana, but only for the female protagonist. Here's how to rank up this S-Link fast.

The Saori Hasegawa social link is a memorable sub-plot that’s exclusive to Persona 3 Portable’s female protagonist, a storyline about expectation and unfairness in society that’s worth seeing. To see it all, you’ll need to rank up the S-Link.

In Persona 3, social links rank up based on an invisible EXP stat that rises each time you spend time with the character in question - but you can get bonus EXP that speeds up those rank ups by saying the right things to certain dialogue prompts. This guide helps with that, listing every dialogue option that makes a difference to how quickly you’ll hit Hermit Rank 10.

Any dialogue not listed here doesn’t have an impact, meaning you can say whatever you like in those instances. Otherwise, more points as listed below is better - and our point totals include the Arcana Bonus, so make sure to have a Hermit Persona with you every time you see Saori

  • Once you begin her S-Link, Saori is available on Tuesday and Thursday daytimes, and is found in Gekkoukan School - though where depends on which club you’ve joined. She’ll either be near the Library or the Nurse’s Office.

Unlock & Rank 1:

The Saori Hasegawa S-Link will unlock as the story progresses, when in early May the female protagonist has to join the Health or Library Committee. Whichever one you join, this unlocks the Saori Social Link, which represents the Hermit Arcana. The male equivalent is the Maya social link, which is listed with every other S-Link in our full Persona 3 Portable Social Link guide.

As is the norm, none of the dialogue in the first rank of the Saori social link has any effect, so you can answer freely in whatever way you choose.

Rank 1 > 2:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • We should put them on the shelves. Can you help me out?
    • “Of course!” +3
  • I see you sometimes in the hall, and you always look like you’re having fun.
    • “You should’ve come talk to me.” +3

Reaching this rank is a prerequisite for being able to start the storyline that leads to the Tanaka Social Link. 

Rank 2 > 3:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • Whew. Today was pretty rough, don’t you think?
    • “Let’s stay here a little longer.” +3
  • Well, there’s no point complaining about what I don’t have.
    • “Won’t you confront her?” +3
    • “But she’s being terrible to you!” +2

Rank 3 > 4:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • If he really wants to go out with me, then…
    • “Aren’t you being a doormat?” +3
    • “Stand up for yourself!” +2
  • Do you think it’s wrong to think that way?
    • “I can understand that.” +3
    • “How is that fun, though?” +2

Rank 4 > 5:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • I’m sorry you had to see that…
    • “I don’t mind at all.” +3

Rank 5 > 6:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • I wonder… Is it my fault that nobody’s come in today?
    • “What did you do?” +3
  • If they see you with me, they might start new rumors…
    • “Let them talk.” +3

Rank 6 > 7:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • If you stay near me, you’re going to lose any reputation you had.
    • “Don’t worry about it.” +3

Rank 7 > 8:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • Saori hangs her head low…
    • “Don’t let it get to you.” +3
    • “C’mon. Stay strong.” +2
    • “Are you alright?” +2
  • …I don’t want to get you involved.
    • “I don’t mind that at all.” +3

Rank 8 > 9:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • ……
    • “I’m going to punch them.” +3
    • “I’m going to shut them up.” +2
  • I don’t care how other people see me… But I want you to know that.
    • “I believe you.” +3

Rank 9 > 10:

The following choices can impact your relationship with this rank.

  • I’m going to try to start over and try to stand up on my own.
    • “You can do it, Saori.” +3
    • “I’ll be lonely without you…” +3