Key Takeaway
The Strength Social Link is shared between Kou Ichijo and Daisuke Nagase. The character you’ll bond with depends on whether you join the Basketball Team or the Soccer Team. Choosing the Basketball Team will trigger a friendship with Kou.
You can begin the Strength Social Link as early as April 19 by approaching the exit on the first floor of the Classroom Building at Yasogami High School and selecting the Basketball Team when given the option.
Reaching Max Rank in the Strength Arcana enables you to fuse the powerful Persona Zaou-Gongen.
Joining a sports club and spending time with Kou Ichijo in Persona 4 Golden boosts your Social Link for the Strength Arcana, making it easier to fuse powerful Personas. Talk to Kou, the captain of the basketball team, during and after practice—it’s worth your time.
Table Of Contents
About the Strength Social Link
In order to progress the Strength Social Link, you can choose to spend time with either Kou Ichijo or Daisuke Nagase. Join the Basketball Team to spend time with Kou. To spend time with Daisuke instead, join the Soccer Team.
WarningWith a sunny and happy-go-lucky personality, Kou can often be found cracking jokes and trying to cheer his friends up when they’re down or depressed. If you decide to join the Basketball Team, Kou is over the moon, happy to have another member to help keep the team afloat.
His best friend is Daisuke Nagase, whom he has known since childhood. Given his handsome appearance, he’s often the target of romantic advances from girls at Yasogami High School.
You join a sports club as early as April 19. Head to the first floor of the Classro0m Building and, upon approaching the doorway outside, choose to join the Basketball Team.
TipStrength Hangout Conversations
When spending time with Kou, you’ll often be able to contribute to the conversation. Choosing the right responses will improve your friendship with him more quickly, and having a Persona of the Strength Arcana equipped will grant additional affinity.
We’ve listed all possible dialogue choices below, along with the corresponding points for each response.
Rank 1
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| P.E teacher: "Here, why don't you say something to the team?" | •Hi... •Nice to meet you. •I'm your new captain. | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
| "...You've played before, right?" | •I used to play all the time. •A little. •Nope, never. | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
| Daisuke: "I'll help you. Let's get this done and get outta here." | •Help out •Be an ass and leave | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
Rank 2
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Hey (protagonist), Aiya or Junes? You decide." | •Aiya. •Junes. •Let's go home. | •3 •3 •2 | •3 •3 •1 |
| "Well, I do like me some sweets..." | •I'm jealous. •Not happy about it? •Sounds like a pain... | •2 •0 •0 | •2 •0 •0 |
| "You like sweets, (protagonist)? Want me to get you some, too?" | •Sure. •That's okay. | •2 •2 | •2 •1 |
Rank 3
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daisuke: "...I want you to help him out." | •What do you mean? •Just tell me how. | •0 •3 | •0 •3 |
| Daisuke: "She calls it 'barbaric.'" | •That sucks. •But it's just a sport... •I can see that. | •0 •2 •2 | •0 •2 •1 |
| Daisuke: "So...I want you to help him out." | •Easier said than done... •Leave it to me. •What can I do? | •0 •3 •2 | •0 •3 •2 |
Rank 4
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Just the other day I was greeting people at one of those high society gatherings. Can you imagine? Me, at one of those things?" | •It's hard to imagine. •I can see that. | •2 •2 | •1 •1 |
| >Kou tries to sound cheerful... | •That's good for you. •Cheer up, man. •...... | •2 •2 •0 | •1 •1 •0 |
Rank 5
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Hey. Practice over already?" | •It's been over for hours. •You've got some nerve... •Something wrong? | •0 •3 •2 | •0 •2 •2 |
| "But me, I'm feeling like I've sunk to the bottom of the ocean." | •Get a grip, man. •You just need a rest. •Let's go do something fun. | •0 •2 •3 | •0 •2 •2 |
Rank 6
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daisuke: "Hey, (protagonist), what's his problem? Is he sick or something?" | •You could say that... •It's something else. | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
| Daisuke: "Right?" | •You're right. •A real game? Impossible... •We gotta save Kou. | •3 •3 •2 | •3 •2 •2 |
| Daisuke: "I got some dirt on a bunch of other guys too, so we should have no problem getting together a full team." | •You're quite a strategist. •Isn't that blackmail...? •What about yourself? | •3 •2 •3 | •2 •2 •2 |
Rank 7
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Should I just leave?" | •You're thinking too much. •Did they say anything? | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
| "Yeah, the orphanage." | •What for? •Planning to run away? | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
| "I was thinking maybe I'd ask about my real parents." | •And once you know? •You going to meet them? •I'll go with you. | •0 •0 •0 | •0 •0 •0 |
Rank 8
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daisuke: "I'm kinda worried..." | •About what? •Let's catch up to him. | •0 •3 | •0 •3 |
| "What are you two doing here?" | •You alright? •Find anything out? | •3 •3 | •3 •3 |
| "I have no one..." | •That's not true. •What do you mean? | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
Rank 9
| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "And now that I don't have to wear that mask anymore...I guess it's time to step off the stage." | •You're going to leave? •What do you mean? •Don't jump to conclusions. | •0 •0 •3 | •0 •0 •2 |
| "...What do you think?" | •It was stored well? •The letter was swapped? •It was written recently? | •0 •0 •3 | •0 •0 •2 |
| "How 'bout you? Wanna go for a dip?" | •No way. •I better get home. | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
Max Rank
Note| Dialogue | Possible Responses | Points WITH Matching Persona | Points WITHOUT Matching Persona |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Studying, lessons, and all that crap...I think I'm gonna keep doing it all." | •Isn't that a bit much? •You can do it, man. | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
| Daisuke: "D-Dude...We can't take this...!" | •Return it to Kou •Accept it | •0 •0 | •0 •0 |
Joining a sports team in Persona 4 Golden will not only lead to more powerful fusions but also increase Diligence points and deepen meaningful friendships as well as your Social Link with Kou Ichijo or Daisuke Nagase. Similar to real life, being a well-rounded student and prioritizing both your studies and your extracurricular activities will pay off in a big way.
