I have been playing RPGs my entire life, but no series has captivated my heart quite like the Persona series. When you think of a JRPG the first thing that probably comes to mind is Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy, maybe not now since Persona 5 completely took over the world for the last 8 years, but those games are more aligned with traditional JRPG ideals. After the immense success of Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal, many gamers look backward to get more Persona content while waiting for the next entry.
Persona 4 Golden is one of the best video games ever and deserves to be in the conversation for the best modern JRPG. Everything from its soundtrack to its commentary on society works together to create an interesting experience you’ll be talking about for years. Persona 4 Golden isn’t a difficult game by any means, but with our guide, you can make sure you don’t miss anything in this 100-hour RPG. You can read our review here.
©Persona 4 gameplay screenshot – Original
Persona 4: Golden Premise
The Persona series post Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is a dungeon-crawling RPG with social sim elements. Players must balance grinding levels and completing dungeons with the everyday hustle and bustle of Japanese school life. Persona 4 Golden is the enhanced definitive edition of Persona 4. The game keeps the main game intact with several additions to uplift the overall experience. These additions include but are not limited to:
- New Social Links
- A New Dungeon
- A New bad ending
- New difficulty levels
- New Music
- New Voice Actors for Chie and Teddie
Persona 4: Golden Main Characters
- Yu Narukami (Protagonist): The silent protagonist whose name can be chosen by the player.
- Yosuke Hanamura: Yu’s best friend who is clumsy and cheerful, known for his comic relief.
- Chie Satonaka: A tomboy with a love for kung-fu movies and martial arts.
- Yukiko Amagi: A refined and traditional girl who is the heiress of her family’s inn.
- Kanji Tatsumi: A tough delinquent with a talent for sewing and a sensitive side.
- Teddie (Kuma in the Japanese version): A mysterious bear-like creature from the TV world.
- Rise Kujikawa: A former idol who moves to Inaba to escape the pressures of fame.
- Naoto Shirogane: A young and serious detective prodigy with a mysterious background.
- Nanako Dojima: Yu’s younger cousin who lives with him during his stay in Inaba.
- Ryotaro Dojima : Yu’s uncle and Nanako’s father, a detective in the Inaba police department.
©Persona 4 Golden Screenshot. – Original
Other Persona Titles In The Series
- Revelations: Persona (1996) — Also known as Persona.
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin (1999)
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (2000)
- Persona 3 (2006)
- Persona 3 FES (2007) — Expanded version of Persona 3.
- Persona 3 Portable (2009) — Portable version with additional content.
- Persona 4 (2008)
- Persona 4 Golden (2012) — Enhanced version of Persona 4.
- Persona 5 (2016)
- Persona 5 Royal (2019) — Expanded version of Persona 5.
- Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (2018)
- Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight (2018)
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (2014)
- Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (2018)
- Persona 4 Arena (2012) — Fighting game.
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (2013) — Sequel to Persona 4 Arena.
- Persona 5 Strikers (2020) — Action RPG that continues the story of Persona 5.
- Persona 4: Dancing All Night (2015)
- Persona 5 Tactica (2024) — Tactical RPG spin-off.
Persona 4: Golden Cheat Codes
Unlockables
Endings
There are several endings you can get in the game. Bad Endings 1 and 2 can be obtained on December 3rd, while Bad Ending 3 and the Accomplice Ending are obtained on December 5th. You MUST complete Marie’s social link before clearing the December dungeon or you will be locked out of the Golden Ending. Please note that the Golden and Accomplice Endings are not in the original PlayStation 2 version.
Select the following dialogue options to get on the road to the Neutral/Good/Golden Ending:
“Wait a second here…” –> “We’re missing something. –> “[spoilers]’s true feelings.” –> “Something’s been bothering me.” –> “We’re missing something.” –> “Calm the hell down!”
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Accomplice Ending | Choose the correct person when prompted and choose to protect them. The game will jump to the final day. Meet with this person and do as they ask. |
| Bad Ending 1 | Choose to get revenge. |
| Bad Ending 2 | Choose not to get revenge. |
| Bad Ending 3 | When prompted to choose a person, choose the wrong person three times. |
| Golden Ending | On 1/2, ask Margaret to find Marie. Clear the Hollow Forest and get the good ending. You will receive an epilogue and a different ending screen. |
| Good Ending | Follow the steps to get the neutral ending, but don’t choose to go home when prompted. Instead, go back to the Junes food court. |
| Neutral Ending | Select the dialog prompts as described. Then, choose the correct person when prompted but don’t protect them. On the final day, choose to go home. |
Fight Margaret
Aside from fusing Personas, Margaret also serves as a hidden bonus boss. To unlock the battle, you must be playing on New Game+, max out her Social Link, defeat all the other optional bosses by the end of January, and be on the True Ending route on 3/20. Once you’ve obtained the Orb of Sight on that day, immediately go back into the Velvet Room and speak to Margaret alone. This must be done before you continue the story. She will give you the Aqua Invitation, and you’ll be able to find her on the 10th floor of the Heaven dungeon.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Margaret Boss Battle | Play on New Game+, max out her social link, defeat all other optional bosses, be on the True Ending route on 3/20, and visit the Velvet Room twice. |
Hollow Forest
The Hollow Forest is a bonus dungeon. To unlock it, you must max out Marie’s Social Link before December ends. Ask Margaret to inform you of Marie’s whereabouts throughout January, and say you’re not afraid of the danger. The Hollow Forest will then automatically unlock during a story event on 2/12, and you will have only through 2/13 to beat it.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Hollow Forest | Max out Marie’s Social Link, and ask Margeret to look for Marie throughout January. |
Margaret’s Rewards
If you take the time to fill out the Persona Compendium and finish Social Links, Margaret will reward you with various discounts and items.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Mandara Robe | Complete 100% of all Social Links. |
| Metal Bat | Complete 50% of active Social Links. |
| Velvet Card (15% Off Persona Compendium) | Complete 50% of the Persona Compendium. |
| Velvet Pass (20% Off Persona Compendium) | Complete 75% of the Persona Compendium. |
| Velvet Ticket (10% Off Persona Compendium) | Complete 25% of the Persona Compendium. |
| Velvet VIP (25% Off Persona Compendium) | Complete 100% of the Persona Compendium. |
Max Social Link Personas
By maxing out Social Links, you’ll be given the ability to fuse unique and powerful Personas for each Arcana.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Asura (Sun Arcana) | Max out Ayane’s/Yumi’s Social Link. |
| Attis (Hanged Man Arcana) | Max out Naoki’s Social Link. |
| Beelzebub (Devil Arcana) | Max out Sayoko’s Social Link. |
| Futsunushi (Chariot Arcana) | Max out Chie’s Social Link. |
| Helel (Star Arcana) | Max out Teddie’s Social Link. |
| Ishtar (Lovers Arcana) | Max out Rise’s Social Link. |
| Isis (Empress Arcana) | Max out Margaret’s Social Link. |
| Kaguya (Aeon Arcana) | Max out Marie’s Social Link. |
| Kohryu (Hierophant Arcana) | Max out Dojima’s Social Link. |
| Loki (Fool Arcana) | Max out the Investigation Team’s Social Link. |
| Lucifer (Judgement Arcana) | Max out the Seeker of Truth Social Link. |
| Mada (Magician Arcana) | Max out Yosuke’s Social Link. |
| Magatsu-Izanagi (Jester Arcana) | Max out Adachi’s Social Link. |
| Mahakala (Death Arcana) | Max out Hisano’s Social Link. |
| Norn (Fortune Arcana) | Max out Naoto’s Social Link. |
| Odin (Emperor Arcana) | Max out Kanji’s Social Link. |
| Ongyo-Ki (Hermit Arcana) | Max out the Fox’s Social Link. |
| Sandalphon (Moon Arcana) | Max out Ai’s Social Link. |
| Scathach (Priestess Arcana) | Max ou Yukiko’s Social Link. |
| Shiva (Tower Arcana) | Max out Shu’s Social Link. |
| Sraosha (Justice Arcana) | Max out Nanako’s Social Link. |
| Vishnu (Temperance Arcana) | Max out Eri’s Social Link. |
| Zaou Gongen (Strength Arcana) | Max out Kou’s/Daisuke’s Social Link. |
New Game +
If you beat the game once, you’ll unlock New Game +. This allows you to carry over Yu’s personality stats, money, key items, the Persona Compendium, and other features.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| New Game + | Beat the game once. |
Secret Persona Skills Through Skill Change
During certain in-game dates, the Velvet Room will have fusion forecasts where special events may happen if conditions are met. One of the fusion forecasts is “Skill Change” where one skill randomly selected will change into a different skill. The skill makes a parallel change; whatever it changes into will be the same rank as outlined by the rank of skill cards acquired through shuffle time. Most skills — both command and passive — have associated skill cards that can be acquired from shuffle time and/or from Chagall Cafe in Okina. There are two exceptions: God’s Judgement and Demonic Judgement. These two skills do not have corresponding skill cards however, once a skill changes into them, they can be passed onto any persona.
God’s Judgement and Demonic Judgement are both rank 10 skills that will reduce the target’s health by 50% to all enemies that aren’t immune to Light/Dark magic including the Golden Hands. Please note that Judgement skills are single-target only.
Rank 10 Skills eligible for change: Primal Force, Vorpal Blade, God’s Hand, Megidolaon, Salvation, Absorb Physical, Absorb Fire, Absorb Ice, Absorb Elec, and Absorb Wind.
To increase your odds of getting secret skills, do a triangle fusion and pass on five rank 10 skills on the skill change fusion forecast date to give you a 5/8 chance of getting the skill. If the resulting persona already has at least one rank 10 skill, you will then have 6/8 odds in your favor. Save and reload as necessary until desired results are achieved.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Demonic Judgement | Rank 10 Skill randomly has a chance of changing into Demonic Judgement |
| God’s Judgement | Rank 10 Skill randomly has a chance of changing into God’s Judgement |
Secret Weapons
Nearly every character has a secret weapon that can only be obtained by returning to a dungeon after it’s been completed once. Most of these involve beating an optional boss, but one can be found by searching the dungeon.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Algernon (Naoto) | Beat the Extreme Vessel in the Secret Laboratory. |
| Bear Claw (Teddie) | Beat the Momentary Child in the Marukyu Striptease. |
| Chakra Ring | Beat the Lost Okina in Heaven. |
| Gaia Sword (Yu) | Beat the Escapist Soldier in Void Quest. |
| Iron Plate (Kanji) | Beat the Intolerant Officer in The Steamy Bathhouse. |
| Skill Spanner (Yosuke) | Search through the Konishi Liquor area after Yukiko joins the party. |
| Suzaku Feather (Yukiko) | Beat the Contrarian King in Yukiko’s Castle. |
Ultimate Personas
Each character is capable of evolving their personas to a third, ultimate form with unique skills. To do this, you must max out their respective social links, and then speak to them for another social link meeting at any point after 1/10. Yu’s evolved persona is first unlocked by reaching the True Ending but must be fused in New Game+ to be fully playable.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Haraedo-no-Okami | Max out Chie’s social link, and meet her after 1/10. |
| Izanagi-no-Okami | Reach the True Ending. |
| Kamui-Moshiri | Max out Teddie’s social link, and meet him after 1/10. |
| Kouzeon | Max out Rise’s social link, and meet her after 1/10. |
| Sumeo-Okami | Max out Yukiko’s social link, and meet her after 1/10. |
| Takehaya Susano-o | Max out Yosuke’s social link, and meet him after 1/10. |
| Takeji Zaiten | Max out Kanji’s social link, and meet him after 1/10. |
| Yamato Sumeragi | Max out Naoto’s social link, and meet her after 1/10. |
Ultimate Weapons
Unlike in the original game, The Reaper can now be fought on your first playthrough. To encounter it, you must first open 20 chests. If you hear rattling chains, it’s an indication that you have a chance at the Reaper spawning. Find a chest in which you’d normally find a Shadow, and try opening it. If The Reaper is inside, Rise will warn you and ask again if you want to open the chest. If you defeat The Reaper, it’ll drop Ultimate weapons for whichever characters are in your party.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Ultimate Weapons | Defeat The Reaper. |
Easter Eggs
Secret Midnight Channel
When the clock of the Vita is between 12:00 (Midnight) and 1:00, Go to the TV Listings section. Once there, find the blinking channel with the flashing lights, touch/select it and you will find a minigame with Teddie.
Achievements
| Trophy | Description |
|---|---|
| Golden Completed | Earn all trophies |
| A Prince Appears | Rescue Yukiko Amagi. |
| A True Man’s Stand | Rescue Kanji Tatsumi. |
| The Lounge is Closed | Rescue Rise Kujikawa. |
| Game Over | Apprehended Mitsuo Kubo. |
| Boarded-Up Lab | Rescue Naoto Shirogane. |
| The Return of the Angels | Rescue Nanako Dojima. |
| Breaking Through the Fog | Secure Tohru Adachi. |
| Welcome Back | Rescue Marie. |
| The Truth In Your Hands | Defeat Izanami. |
| Fusion Expert | Perform 50 Persona fusions |
| Special Fusion Expert | Use 4 or more Personas in a special fusion. |
| The Nose Doesn’t Always Know | Experience a fusion accident |
| Persona Shopper | Buy a Persona from the Compendium |
| A Favor for Marie | Give Marie a Skill Card. |
| Card Collector | Register 100 skills cards |
| Displaying Adaptability | Switch Personas five times in one battle. |
| Hardcore Risette Fan | Hear 250 of Rise’s navigation lines |
| Going Nova | Deal over 999 damage in 1 attack |
| Skilled Commander | Perform 50 All-Out Attacks |
| Tactical Fighter | Exploit enemy weakness 100 times |
| Fill Your Hand | Get 50 Sweep Bonus |
| Grasping at Greed | Defeat a Golden Hand. |
| One Who Has Proven Their Power | Defeat Margaret |
| The Reaper Becomes the Reaped | Defeat the Reaper. |
| Food Fighter | Finish Aiya’s special dish. |
| Compulsive Reader | Read every book in a single playthrough. |
| It’s Working Today | Buy an item from the Capsule Machine |
| Lucky Me! | Win a prize from the vending machine |
| Granter of Your Desires | Bought 5 products from Tanaka’s Amazing Commodities. |
| Seize the Moment | Buy a special croquette from Sozai Daigaku |
| Cooking With Gas | Cooked 5 perfect meals |
| A Special Lady | Enter a special relationship with someone |
| Mr. Perfect | Maxed every trait |
| The Other Self | Obtained the Persona Izanagi |
| The Power of Truth | Fuse Izanagi-no-Okami |
| Moderate Bookkeeper | Complete 50% of the Persona Compendium |
| Thorough Bookkeeper | Complete the Persona Compendium |
| Fashion Plate | Fight a battle in costume |
| Head of the Class | Rank #1 in your class on an exam |
| Fishing Master | Catch the Sea Guardian |
| A True Bond | Max a Social Link |
| Bond Maniac | Maxed 10 Social Links in a single playthrough |
| Legend of Inaba | Maxed all Social Links in a single playthrough |
| An Acquired Taste | Drink the coffee at Chagall Cafe |
| Movie Buff | Go to 3 movies at 30 Frame |
| Bug Hunter | Swing the net with perfect timing |
| Advantage Mine! | Get a Player Advantage |
| Big Bro is Worried | Visit Nanako in the hospital 3 times |
| A New Quiz King | Win the Miracle Quiz Finals |
Persona 4 Golden Trainers
The following codes are only available for Steam and Xbox versions of Persona 4 Golden. These codes require third-party software and are not the way that the game was intended to be played. These cheats can have adverse effects on your Steam/Xbox account and your saved file. Use them with caution.
Wemod
Wemod offers 23 mods for players to use.
- God Mode
- Unlimited SP
- Unlimited Money
- Edit Money
- Multiply Player EXP Gain
- Multiply Persona & Allies EXP Gain
- Multiply Social Stats Gain
- Multiply S.Link Point Gain
- Edit Persona ID
- Edit Persona EXP
- Select Persona Stats Type
- Edit Persona Stats
- Select Persona Skill Slot
- Edit Persona Skill ID
- Select Social Stats Type
- Edit Social Stats
- Edit S.Link Level
- Edit S.Link Point
- Unlimited All Items
- Unlock All Equipment
- Items Never Decrease
- Instant Kill
- Game Speed
Fling Trainer
Fling Trainer offers 29 options for players to adjust Persona 4 Golden to their liking.
- Num 1 – Infinite HP
- Num 2 – Infinite SP
- Num 3 – Items Don’t Decrease
- Num 4 – Always Shuffle After Battle
- Num 5 – Edit Money
- Num 6 – Money Multiplier
- Num 7 – Infinite Exp
- Num 8 – Exp Multiplier
- Num 9 – Set Game Speed
- Num 0 – Super Damage/One Hit Kill
- Num . – Damage Multiplier
- Ctrl+Num 1 – Obtain All Weapons
- Ctrl+Num 2 – Obtain All Armors
- Ctrl+Num 3 – Obtain All Accessories
- Ctrl+Num 4 – Obtain All Materials
- Ctrl+Num 5 – Obtain All Expendables
- Ctrl+Num 6 – Infinite Shuffles
- Ctrl+Num 7 – Easy Level Up S.Link
- Ctrl+Num 8 – Stealth Mode
Edit your Persona’s stats with these key combinations:
- Alt+Num 1 – ST
- Alt+Num 2 – MA
- Alt+Num 3 – EN
- Alt+Num 4 – AG
- Alt+Num 5 – LU
Edit your stats with these key combinations:
- Alt+Num 6 – Courage
- Alt+Num 7 – Diligence
- Alt+Num 8 – Understanding
- Alt+Num 9 – Expression
- Alt+Num 0 – Knowledge
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Atlus.