Key Takeaway
You can start Kanji’s Social Link, the Emperor, as early as June 9. His Persona, Take-Mikazuchi, favors lightning-based attacks, and maxing out his Social Link will enable you to fuse Odin.
The friends you make are the key to becoming unstoppable on the battlefield. Getting to know Kanji Tatsumi in Persona 4 Golden and progressing the Emperor Social Link will unlock more of the delinquent’s powerful lightning abilities, making it much easier to plow through Shadows in the TV World.
Table Of Contents
About the Emperor Social Link
Known around Inaba as a wild troublemaker and delinquent, Kanji Tatsumi is a student at Yasogami High School, though he skips class more often than not. He’s the only child of the Tatsumi Family, who own the textile shop in the Central Shopping District.
Despite how he looks, Kanji is skilled at sewing and knitting, though he’s embarrassed by this and attempts to act more ‘manly’ to cover up his more ‘feminine’ hobbies. Throughout the game, Kanji learns to overcome his insecurities, becoming more comfortable in his own skin and more understanding of his deeper feelings and emotions.
Kanji commands the Emperor Arcana and wields the power of lightning. He’s the fourth character to officially join the Investigation team.
The earliest you can start Kanji’s Social Link is June 9. On school days, he can be found on the first floor of the practice building at Yasogami High School. On free days, Kanji hangs out near Tatsumi Textiles in the Central Shopping District.
Starting on April 19, you can sneak out of the house at night as long as Ryotaro Dojima isn’t home. It’s not possible to advance a Social Link at night. However, it can progress to the next rank the following day. Hanging out with friends in the Central Shopping District at night will also reward you with an item. As such, keep that in mind if you have a little spare time.
Emperor Social Link Skills
Each time you progress Kanji’s Social Link, he’ll learn new abilities. Prioritize spending time with your friends as much as you prioritize training in the TV World to unlock every possible move!
Below, we’ve compiled a list of unlocks for each Social Link level.
| Rank | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assist | Can now wake up a knocked-down ally during battle. |
| 2 | Dizzy Boost | Persona gets to learn the Dizzy Boost skill. |
| 3 | Follow Up | Can now perform a follow-up attack during battle. |
| 4 | Masukunda | Persona gets to learn the Masukunda skill. |
| 5 | Recover | Can now cure severe ailments during battle. |
| 6 | Power Charge | Persona gets to learn the Power Charge skill. |
| 7 | Endure | Can now endure a mortal blow during battle. |
| 8 | Regenerate 3 | Persona gets to learn the Regenerate 3 skill. |
| 9 | Protect | Can now take a mortal blow for you in battle. |
| MAX | Second Awakening ___ Evade Wind | Transforms Persona. ___ Persona gets to learn the Evade Wind skill. |
Emperor Hangout Conversations
Certain dialogue choices will increase your friendship more quickly when you spend time with Kanji. Below, we’ve included every possible dialogue choice, along with the number of points you’ll receive for choosing each option.
TipRank 1
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Oh, you here to tell me off or somethin'?" | •Something like that. •You're not far off. •I'm just here to talk. | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
| "Senpai, you suspecting me!?" | •That's right. •I want to believe in you. •You heard me! | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
| "At this rate, I'll be causing trouble for you guys..." | •Everyone's like that. •Don't worry about it. •It's no trouble. | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
Rank 2
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "She's always apologizing for me. She's been sprouting more and more white hairs..." | •Apologize to her. •You just need to change. •That's what kids do. | •2 •3 •0 | •1 •2 •0 |
Rank 3
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "......" | •Get ahold of yourself. •Let's hurry. •What happened? | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
| "Sorry. Looks like it was no big deal..." | •That's good. •I don't blame you. •You wuss. | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
| Kanji's mother: "He's always had trouble getting along with people. He didn't have any friends like you before." | •Because of his hobbies? •Because of his looks? •Because of his attitude? | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
Rank 4
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Uhh...When you met Ma at the hospital...she say anything about me?" | •Plenty. •Nothing in particular... •I forgot. | •3 •2 •0 | •3 •1 •0 |
| "Oh, uhh...I'm gonna go now." | •Violence isn't the answer. •I'll go with you. | •2 •3 | •1 •3 |
| "Oh...Anyways, sorry 'bout dragging you into this..." | •Too bad you didn't find it. •That was boring. •You're giving him a new one? | •0 •0 •3 | •0 •0 •2 |
Rank 5
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Er..." | •Just tell him the truth. •This old man here made it. | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
| "Hah, he said I'm cool..." | •It was pretty amazing. •Don't get cocky. | •3 •2 | •2 •1 |
Rank 6
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Strange situation I got myself into, ain't it?" | •It's good for you. •You're not happy? •Looks like a pain... | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
Rank 7
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "That okay with you, 'big bro'?" | •Don't call me 'bro.' •Yeah, go ahead. •I want to learn too. | •0 •2 •3 | •0 •1 •2 |
| "There's something else I gotta confront too, ain't there?" | •Your weak heart. •Your past. •I'm drawing a blank. | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
Rank 8
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police officer: "...Come with me." | •On what charges? •Kanji didn't do anything. •You got a warrant? | •0 •3 •3 | •0 •2 •2 |
| Police officer: "Hmph, so you admit it. Not a shred of remorse, either." | •It's a misunderstanding. •He was just being nice. | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
| Police officer: "What a load of...There's no way you're getting me to believe that." | •Believe it! •The truth is the truth. •Tell him, Kanji. | •3 •2 •2 | •2 •1 •1 |
Rank 9
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "It's the first time I went on my own...Well, I had a lot to tell him." | •Tell him? •Why didn't you go before? •How was it? | •0 •2 •3 | •0 •1 •3 |
| "As long as there's someone like that snot-nosed kid to accept me, I ain't afraid of nothing!" | •Good for you. •Find more of them. •Your 'own self'? | •3 •3 •0 | •3 •2 •0 |
Max Rank
NoteThere are no dialogue options necessary to reach Max Rank with Kanji.
This legendary JRPG is an incredibly rich gaming experience; its well-written characters make it shine even more brightly. Kanji Tatsumi is a hard-hitting powerhouse in Persona 4 Golden, and ensuring that he learns as many abilities as possible via maxing out his Social Link is the key to optimizing his usefulness in battle. You won’t want to miss out on his heartwarming story either—this trash-talking bad boy isn’t quite what you’d expect at first glance.
