Persona 5 Royal Sojiro confidant guide: Hierophant choices & unlock list

The social link mechanic returns in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal, though in this game it's known as Cooperations with your Confidants. Getting to know each confidant levels up your relationship, unlocking bonuses for Persona Fusion. This guide is here to help you with the confidant relationship with Sojiro Sakura, the fatherly figure who appropriately represents the Hierophant (Le Pape) arcana.

This guide lists every rank of the cooperation confidant relationship with Sojiro alongside the choices you can make in those conversations to ensure you max out your relationship as quickly and efficiently as possible. Maxing out the relationship more quickly will thus allow you to spend more time on other things - like other character relationships listed in our Persona Royal 5 Confidant guide.

The Sojiro confidant relationship is a chance to get closer to someone your senior, and carries strong rewards.

Sojiro Sakura Confidant Cooperation Guide - Hierophant (Le Pape - V) 

  • Sojiro Location: Sojiro Sakura is found in LeBlanc Cafe, your home, at night.
  • Days Sojiro is available: You'll usually be able to hang out with Sojiro every evening except for Wednesdays. If it's a rainy day, he'll be available day and night.
  • Gifts for Sojiro: New in Persona 5 Royal, you can give gifts to certain male confidants. Sojiro is one of them; consult our Persona 5 Royal Gifts guide for the detail on what he likes.

Below you'll find all ten ranks for Sojiro Sakura, The Hierophant, and your confidant cooperation relationship. Remember that the point additions noted add to an invisible stat that determines your rank - the more points, the sooner you'll rank up. Our point totals assume you're getting the Arcana Bonus, which is added when you have a Hierophant Persona with you whenever spending time with Sojiro.

Our guide features all of the dialogue choices for the Sojiro Confidant cooperation in Persona 5 and P5 Royal

Rank 1:

  • As the story progresses, you'll unlock the ability to befriend Sojiro.   

Impactful Conversation Choices for this rank:

  • You know what I'm talking about, right?
    • Option 1: "Got it." +3
    • Option 2: "That was our deal."
    • Option 3: "It's the least I can do."

Rank 2:

Impactful Conversation Choices for this rank:

  • You know what I'm talking about, right?
    • Option 1: "Making coffee." +2
  • Ugh... I don't know where he caught wind of this place.
    • Option 2: "That guy seemed suspicious." +2
  • Besides, ladies love a guy who knows his coffee. This isn't such a bad deal for you.
    • Option 1: "I want the ladies to love me." +2
  • Phone Conversation (P5R): Seems like you’re a quick study, so I hope you've got the hang of it.
    • Option 1: "Got it." +2

Unlocks Coffee Basics, a new ability that lets you create a coffee item that can restore SP in battle using LeBlanc's coffee brewing facilities. As a bonus, also gives a +3 to your Kindness social stat.

Rank 3:

Before you start this rank, you'll have to make coffee once. After that, you can spend time with Sojiro again on a subsequent night. Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

  • ...Are you listening to me? What grind are you supposed to use?
    • Option 1: "Medium-fine." +2
  • Sorry, something just came up. We can keep going with the lessons some other time.
    • Option 2: "Is it trouble?" +2
  • Phone Conversation (P5R): But don't worry, I'll put you to work. We’ve got lots of time on our hands.
    • Option 1: "I'm ready to work." +2
    • Option 3: "Thank you in advance." +2

Rank 4:

Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

  • That's because the acidity and the bean flavor profile all depend on the bean ratio. Pretty deep, huh?
    • Option 1: "Tell me more." +3
  • It looks like Sojiro's in trouble. What should I do...?
    • Option 2: "Call Sojiro's phone." +3
  • Phone Conversation (P5R): Just let him do his thing, and get on with the job. Got it?
    • Option 1: "Understood." +2

Unlocks the Leblanc Curry ability - this skill lets ytou create a curry item that can restore SP using LeBlanc's kitchen. Also gives +3 to your Kindness Stat.

Rank 5:

Available only after 8/22. Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

  • And what about you?
    • Option 3: "I think I'm addicted!" +3
    • Option 1: "It wasn't bad." +2
  • I thought my pick-up lines were the best in town, but not a single one worked on her... Heh...
    • Option 2: "She wasn't normal, huh?" +3
    • Option 1: "She was like Futaba?" +2
  • That's why when I took her in, I vowed to keep this recipe alive until she could eat it again.
    • Option 1: "It really paid off in the end." +2
  • Phone Conversation (P5R): It's only a problem when she asks for it three times a day.
    • Option 2: "She needs a balanced diet." +2

Also gives a bonus +3 to Kindness.

Rank 6:

Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

  • By the way, what are your thoughts on So-chan's life of solitude?
    • Option 3: "To each his own." +2
  • Doesn't quite seem to be the best environment for Futaba, now does it?
    • Option 3: "Shut your mouth." +3
    • Option 1: "You're wrong." +2
  • I don't even know how he managed to find me here... Maybe paying him was a mistake.
    • Option 1: "Saving Futaba was no mistake." +2
  • Phone Conversation (P5R): Futaba's fast asleep... Didn't mean to get you tangled up in all this mess.
    • Option 3: "If I can help somehow..." +2

Unlocks the Coffee Mastery ability, enhancing your coffee-making ability to allow for better items. Plus, the now-traditional +3 Kindness buff for completing another rank of the Sojiro confidant link.

Rank 7:

Requires rank 5 (angelic) kindness. Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

  • At the end of the day, the coffee and the curry people love so much are both just... excuses.
    • Option 1: "You might be right." +2
  • Phone Conversation (P5R): And that's only because you helped us connect, so... thanks for that.
    • Option 3: "Feel like a real dad now?" +2

Upon completion, gives +3 Kindness.

Rank 8:

Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

  • How about you? Anything you'd wanna add to the menu?
    • Option 2: "Something with curry." +3
    • Option 1: "You want my suggestion?" +2
  • What a pain in the ass. Don't you have enough problems already?
    • Option 2: "I was just protecting Futaba." +3

Unlocks the Mementos Mission Request: "The Money-Grubbing Uncle". Futaba and Sojiro Cooperations will be locked until this is complete.

Rank 9:

You must complete "The Money-Grubbing Uncle" mementos sidequest in order to start this rank. Impactful conversation choices for this rank:

  • How is it... living with Sakura-san? Please, you can speak honestly.
    • Option: 1 "It's great." +3
    • Option 2: "It's a bit of a nag." +2
  • ...Sojiro?
    • Option 2: "You have a great daughter." +3
    • Option 3: "Congrats." +3
  • Phone Conversation (P5R): Getting all sentimental like this? At my age?
    • Option 1: "You did great." +3
    • Option 2: "Futaba did great." +3
    • Option 3: "You two were already family." +3

Unlocks the Curry Tips skill, which enhances the quality of the curry you can make.

Rank 10:

  • Any choices you make will be irrelevant, since this is the max rank.
  • Unlocks the Kanda Church location if it isn't unlocked by this point. 
  • Unlocks Kohryu for fusion.
  • Unlocks Curry Mastery, making the curry you make fantastic at restoring your whole party's SP.