Fans of the Persona series are no doubt familiar with the social stats that gatekeep players’ ability to strengthen their bonds with social links. That mechanic is just as integral in Persona 3 Portable as it is in more recent installments in the series.
While Persona 4 and Persona 5 have five social stats to juggle during the course of a playthrough, Persona 3 Portable has just three: Academics, Charm, and Courage. Social Stats are used to unlock new social links, including new romance options.
Players have options for raising their stats, but a lack of clarity combined with some RNG makes it difficult to figure out how all these systems work. Here is how players can raise social stats in Persona 3 Portable and the kinds of yields players can expect.
What Are Social Stats
Players can raise social stats in Persona 3 Portable by studying and taking part in other activities. The number of points towards leveling up that players receive varies based on when they do this and RNG.
Eating different foods, working different jobs, and watching certain movies can all increase social stats. Players also have select opportunities to improve social stats and their social links simultaneously. There are in-game benefits as well as some trophies that can be earned.
Most of these require players to use up blocks of time, forcing them to choose between raising social links and increasing social stats. However, there are chances to increase social stats that don’t use time. For example, players receive Charm points by answering questions correctly in class. Here’s how to raise each social stat.
How to Increase Courage
- Eat the Mystery Burger at Wild Duck Burger
- Watch movies on Monday or Tuesday
- Play Horror House at the arcade
- Sing Karaoke at Mandragora
- Work at Chagall Cafe or Screen Shot
- Drink the mystery concoction at the school infirmary when sick
Courage is the easiest social stat to max out in Persona 3 Portable. Players require just 80 points to max out the stat, which results in it often being the first stat that players have maxed out.
Players can work jobs, visit the mall, and watch movies on Monday or Tuesday to increase their Courage stat. One unique way to increase the stat is by visiting the school’s infirmary when feeling unwell. If the player chooses to accept the mysterious treatment, they receive a boost to their Courage.
How to Increase Charm
- Drink Pheromone Coffee at Chagall Cafe
- Watch movies on Wednesday or Thursday
- Eat Tuna at Hagakure
- Place at the top of the class during exams
- Play Print Club at the arcade
- Work at Chagall Cafe or Be Blue V
The process for raising the Charm social stat is largely the same as Courage. Players can visit the movie theatre on Wednesday or Thursday or make the Chagall Cafe their go-to eatery and workplace. The Print Club game at the arcade also gives players the chance to boost Charm.
Charm doesn’t require much more effort to max out than Courage, but it does take a bit more effort. It’s still much easier to handle than Academics, which requires more than double what Charm requires and almost triple the requirement of Courage.
How to Increase Academics
- Study
- Stay awake during class
- Watch movies on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday
- Work at Be Blue V or Screen Shot
- Play Quiz Game at the arcade
- Buy sushi at Wakatsu Restaurant
- Watch movies on 8/18, 8/24, 8/28, or 8/30
The standard, optimal method for raising the Academics stat is studying during nighttime hours. Players receive two points but have a small chance of having that doubled to four. Studying in the school library offers a guaranteed four points, and studying on Sunday offers four with a chance of getting six. This is decided randomly, and players can reset their game to receive the bonus consistently.
There are various other options that offer four points but will often directly cut into players’ ability to spend time with social links. Working a part-time job at De Blue V, playing the Quiz Game at the arcade, and eating sushi at the Wakatsu restaurant all raise Academics by four points.
The road toward maxing the Academics stat is much longer than the other two stats, but the requirement was lowered in Persona 3 Portable relative to Persona 3 FES. Players should still seek to have their Academics stat maxed out by the end of their second term.
Persona 3 Portable releases on January 19, 2023, for PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.