Persona 5 New Game Plus lets you carry levels, money, Personas, and key equipment into a fresh playthrough, giving you powerful advantages while preserving core challenge and story choices. This guide explains how NG+ works, which Confidants remain active, and how to plan a build that suits your playstyle. You will learn when to unlock NG+, how Confidants interact with replays, which social links offer the greatest leverage, and practical ways to optimize replay value without burning out.
What Is Persona 5 New Game Plus
New Game Plus is a post-game mode unlocked after you complete the main story and defeat the final boss. It preserves your current level, stats, Personas, money, equipment, and fusion progress, while enemies scale to remain challenging. In Persona 5 and Royal, NG+ is primarily a flexible replay framework that lets you experiment with different builds, Confidant paths, and heist strategies rather than a straightforward difficulty multiplier.
NG+ Prerequisites and Unlocks
To start NG+, you must defeat the final story boss and view the ending credits. The option appears on the title screen under New Game Plus. Note that some story choices and certain irreversible decisions remain locked to your first playthrough, but core systems such as Confidants, Persona fusion, and Palace exploration are fully carried over.
How Confidants Work in New Game Plus
Confidants are social bonds that provide gameplay bonuses, such as better fusion results, passive stat boosts, and access to unique abilities. In NG+, not all Confidants restart from scratch. Some retain progress across resets, while others must be rebuilt depending on story timing and your activity. Understanding which ones persist and which require reinvestment helps you plan weekly schedules and dialogue choices efficiently.
Persons Who Keep NG+ Progress
Several key Confidants maintain their levels and rewards in NG+, especially those tied to story milestones or those reached late in the game. This includes Confidants that unlock crucial abilities or provide essential fusion materials. Planning your first NG+ around maintaining these high-value relationships maximizes long-term gains without forcing you to grind every connection again.
Persons Who Reset in NG+
Early or purely social Confidants may reset or require substantial time investment to reach the same benefits again. For example, some school-based or routine-dependent links need consistent daily interaction to advance past previous milestones. The table below clarifies typical outcomes for notable Confidants, based on community verification and developer patterns.
| Confidant | NG+ Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Morgana | Carries progression | Key fusion and story unlocks persist |
| Ann | Carries progression | Late-game bond typically preserved |
| Yusuke | Carries progression | Art and fusion bonuses remain |
| Makoto | Partial reset | Some social rank may reset, core benefits remain |
| Haru | Requires rebuilding | Time-sensitive events may need replay |
| Mishima | Resets | School routines demand renewed daily interaction |
Planning Your NG+ Build
An effective NG+ strategy focuses on efficient level pacing, useful Persona synergies, and reliable sources of Healing and support. Because you retain your inventory, you can safely experiment with unconventional setups, such as a tanky Hibiki build, a magic-heavy Morgana, or a hybrid striker role. Use your existing resources to close gaps faster and prioritize new fusion branches or skills that were previously out of reach.
Stat and Skill Planning
Assign stat boosts and passive skills deliberately. If you struggled with survival in your first run, emphasize HP, Recovery, and Dodge enhancements. If damage output was limiting, focus on Magic, Strength, and Gun modifiers. Skills like Survival Trick, Dodge Dance, and Emergency Shift can dramatically improve survivability without altering your core playstyle.
Fusion and Persona Management
NG+ is an opportunity to optimize Persona fusion chains and target specific inheritance patterns. Use your preserved materials to complete missing Skill Cards, refine element coverage, and experiment with Joker-Only fusion for higher-quality results. Keep a balanced mix of offensive, defensive, and support Personas to handle the varied Palace encounters and public security adjustments.
Daily and Weekly Scheduling in NG+
Efficient scheduling is essential to maintain momentum without overcommitting. Plan your week around key Confidant checks, fusion opportunities, and Palace disruptions. Block time for school obligations, Shadow battles, and necessary downtime, and reserve flexible windows for unexpected events or side activities. This approach reduces grind and keeps the experience enjoyable across multiple loops.
Weekly Checklist Template
- Confirm active Confidant meetups for the week
- Schedule fusion slots based on target Personas
- Clear 2–3 Palaces or relevant objectives
- Check item and material drop rotations
- Allocate downtime for rest and optional content
Common Misconceptions and Status Clarifications
Some players assume NG+ is simply a harder mode or that all social links function identically to the first playthrough. In reality, carryover is selective, and some gameplay loops must be refreshed. NG+ also does not skip story beats; you will still experience major plot events, though certain background tasks may require less repetition thanks to preserved progress.
Optimizing for Long-Term Replay Value
Treat each NG+ as an opportunity to refine a specific theme or goal, such as maxing a single Confidant, completing fusion achievements, or collecting alternate Persona sets. Set clear objectives at the start of the cycle, track your milestones, and adjust your routine based on what you enjoyed and what felt repetitive. This keeps successive loops fresh and focused on high-impact activities.
Key Takeaways
- NG+ carries levels, Personas, and most progression, but not all story decisions
- Confidants vary by carryover status; plan around high-value, persistent links
- Use NG+ to experiment with builds, refine fusion, and explore alternative strategies
- Structured weekly planning reduces grind and highlights high-impact tasks
- Clear objectives across loops sustain long-term engagement and mastery