It took Atlus eight years between the original release of Persona 4 to Persona 5 to do it, but this game is the most complicated social experiment the series has ever seen. With nine ladies to choose from, it can be hard to know whom to follow. There is also a question of legality since for all intents and purposes players, who we will refer to as the outside canon name of Akira Kurusu, are a kid.
He is of age more or less, but the fact that he can pursue four adult women is a big step for the franchise. It may seem weird to include them, but in a way it also makes sense. After all it may feel equally creepy for an adult playing this game to pursue kids. So if one is having trouble deciding whom to pick, or if they're just curious how we feel, here is a complete ranking of all nine Confidants.
9 Chihaya Mifune
Players can meet Chihaya Mifune in Shinjuku once they gain access to the district. She is interesting to say the least, but as a fortuneteller, her character is a bit distrustful. Getting to know her will explain why she is acting this way and sort of preying upon the weak and it makes sense in the end. However, because so much of the relationship is clouded in deceit, it takes a while to get to know the real Chihaya and there are simply better candidates on this list to sink time into
8 Haru Okumura
This happens a lot in Persona games where seemingly important characters are introduced way too late in the game for players to care about them. This is true for Naoto Shirogane in Persona 4 and Haru Okumura in Persona 5. We love her female spin on a Zorro type of character, but by the time she comes into the story, we already had a lot of time invested in so many other characters that it was hard to care. She's a great character, but we would have liked to actually get to know her faster.
7 Ichiko Ohya
Ichiko Ohya takes an interest in Akira because she is a freelance reporter. Having someone be invested in the player is a great way to tell a narrative. She's cool, collected, and maybe a little bit of a boozehound, but that's why we liked her. Still, as she is an adult that wants to always meet at a bar we are clearly too young to be at, going after her feels a bit unsafe if that makes sense. Is she really interested in us, or the story?
6 Futaba Sakura
As a nerd and geek based website, we of course love Futaba Sakura as a character. However, as much as we like her personality and appearance, there is something a bit off about wanting to date her. She is family after all albeit in a weird adopted sort of connection.
It wouldn't be wrong to hook up, but we still feel a bit weird about pursuing her especially since Sojiro has spent so much time and money trying to help Akira. It would feel like a betrayal.
5 Hifumi Togo
Here is a fun fact. At one point during development Hifumi Togo was actually going to be a playable character. Due to time constraints this idea was eventually cut, but she still remained a companion. Talking to her is a great way to raise one's stats, but she is also just a fun girl to get to know. While it is strange for players to play games in a church, this atmosphere is what also gives Hifumi a lot of character. How her conclusion ends is also great, which we won’t ruin her.
4 Ann Takamaki
Ann Takamaki is the obvious "hot" one of the group and because of this, she is ranked a bit lower for our picks. She is dressed in bondage gear for crying out loud. Part of what makes her character great is her fighting off this stigma in her culture. She doesn't want to be just a pretty face especially given what happens with her in the beginning of the game, which leads the team into the first Mind Palace. She is an important character whom we love, but there were three better ladies that we fancied more.
3 Sadayo Kawakami
Yes, it is kind of weird that Akira can fall for adults like Chihaya and Ichiko. This is one of the biggest reasons why those two were so low on the list. However, to be completely hypocritical, we're going to ignore Sadayo Kawakami's age for this and the fact that she is the player's teacher.
We should also mention that she, if pursued, also becomes Akira's maid with a French styled outfit and everything. It's a forbidden love topped with some typical role-play gear that is hard to resist. We also just like Sadayo’s realistic situation and nonchalant attitude.
2 Tae Takemi
Tae Takemi is also kind of a bondage dream. Forcing players to eat and drink her experimental concoctions may be weird and sadistic at first, but once one finds out why she is experimenting, it all comes together in a lighthearted conclusion we were not expecting. More so than her forceful nature, we cannot help but fall in love with her goth/punk design. She is also a forbidden love as an adult, but we don't mind. Take us under your wing Tae and experiment away.
1 Makoto Niijima
In all seriousness, Makoto Niijima is the one for us. She's a studious goody goody on the outside, and a rebel at heart. Talk about bondage, this girl is the real package. And because she is of age, there is no creep factor to weigh in on. Getting to know her throughout the course of the game and falling in love seems like the most natural fit among all of the female choices. Makoto is the best girl, no question about it.