Social Stats are a mechanic in Persona 4 Golden that open more in-game responses and Social Links once they've reached specific levels. These are broken up into five different levels that will accumulate points based on the protagonist's reactions or what he chooses to do in his free time. These stats include Kindness, Understanding, Expression, Knowledge, and Courage.
Courage, as its name indicates, allows players to be more forward when the protagonist is interacting with other characters. If his Courage isn't high enough, he won't be able to skip class (Moon Arcana) or give responses that might give him more points towards a Social Link. In Persona 4 Golden, Courage has fewer methods of leveling up compared to the other Social Stats, but it's not impossible to max out on a first playthrough.
Different Ways to Increase Courage
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Courage's five levels are:
- Average
- Reliable
- Brave
- Daring
- Heroic
To fully max out Courage, players will need to accumulate 140 or more Courage points. Some early-game responses allow players to gain one or two points towards Courage, but getting it to the next level will soak up some of the protagonist's free time.
Books and Jobs
The best ways of getting Courage points are by reading certain books and working at the hospital. Make sure to check the bookstore by the gas station in the Shopping District. The books that will influence the protagonist's Courage are:
- The Lonely Man
- Forever Macho
- *100 Ghost Stories
* "100 Ghost Stories" will double the amount of Courage gained from the hospital job.
Reading will take up the protagonist's afternoon or evening time. The best time to read is in between dungeons or on days when there aren't as many Social Links available. Classmates (such as Yosuke, Yumi/Ayane, and Naoki) won't want to spend time with the protagonist on specific days of the week, or when exams are coming up. Take advantage of this time to read Courage-raising books.
On May 25th, a hospital job will appear on the Bulletin Board by Aiya's (Chinese Diner) in the Northern Shopping District. Applying for this job is how players can start the Devil Social Link (Uehara), but simply working there will add a point towards Courage. Unfortunately, the hospital job is only accessible in the evening/night on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Other Methods of Increasing Courage
Once Yosuke pesters the protagonist about getting "motorcycles," players will be able to ride a scooter outside Inaba starting June 9th. Taking the time to explore the area will give a point towards Courage. It's also necessary to ride the scooter out to the beach to complete the Hermit Social Link. Keep in mind that once Okina Station and the beach are unlocked, riding the scooter to these areas won't award any more Courage points.
Return to a dungeon once it's been cleared and there will be a powerful Shadow in the boss room. These optional bosses are much tougher, so it's not recommended to challenge them until later in the game. However, defeating them is another way to gain Courage.
Finally, eating at Aiya's will give five points towards Courage depending on the type of beef bowl they're serving up for that day. Visit Aiya's on April 19th to get five Courage points. Players can also eat some of the food that's left in the fridge at home. For example, players will gain an increase in Courage for eating the food on May 2nd. Not all refrigerated food will give Courage. Keep in mind that eating "bad food" rewards Courage, but it will waste evening/night free time. The earliest day players can eat rotten food from the fridge is on April 25th. Be sure to check the fridge from April to October.
Benefits of Courage
As most players have probably noticed, answering questions correctly will give points towards Social Links. There are also some answers that are blocked off if the protagonist's Social Stat isn't at a certain level. One Social Link in Persona 4 Golden is completely locked until the protagonist has enough Courage.
Players will need Level 3 (Brave) Courage to start the Moon Arcana/Ai Ebihara's Social Link. Ebihara will make an appearance during Rank 4 of the Strength Arcana (Kou or Daisuke). Ebihara will be in Classroom Building 1F on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons, so speak to her after reaching Rank 4 of the Strength Arcana and once Courage is at the proper level.
It's not necessary to max out all Social Links in one playthrough to beat the game, but completing the Moon Arcana will unlock the fusion for Sandalphon, an Ultimate Persona. Be warned that it's very easy to Reverse the Moon Arcana if players give the wrong response to Ebihara. This will put the Social Link "on hold," and players will need to make up with Ebihara before they can hang out with her again. Avoid reversing Social Links to save on time.
As mentioned earlier, having enough Courage will allow players to answer with the more "daring" responses. This includes standing up to other characters who may be harassing one of the protagonist's Social Links. Doing so might give points towards one of the other five Social Stats, thus making it easier to max them out as well.
Persona 4 Golden is available now on PSP and Steam. A release for PC, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, and Nintendo Switch is scheduled for 2023.