Linked Episode Hangout spots on the overworld map.
"Show your friends you value them by spending time together."
Linked Episode (リンクエピソード, Rinku Episoudo)? is a Daily Life mechanic that appears in Persona 3 Reload.
Overview[]
Linked Episodes are a counterpart to Social Links. This new mechanic, however, is meant specifically for previous important characters in Persona 3 who the male protagonist could not form Social Links with, specifically male characters. This includes all male members of S.E.E.S., Ryoji Mochizuki, and Takaya Sakaki. A character who currently has an available Linked Episode will have "!!" on top of their head in the overworld and the same symbol will appear on their location in the town map, similar to how Social Link characters have a tarot card. The protagonist may also receive a hang-out text message from a character with an available Linked Episode.
Unlike Social Links, these Linked Episodes can only be done at specific points in the story. Some characters have deadlines for these Linked Episodes to be initiated before the required date. If the player fails to hang out with these characters before the deadline, the Linked Episode may be locked forever. Another thing that makes Linked Episodes different from Social Links is that the protagonist can pick any answer since there is no correct option (with some exceptions to progress the Linked Episode) as these events do not require Social Link points since they are not present for these events. Linked Episodes only consist of five events throughout the game instead of the usual ten from Social Links, with the only exception being Junpei Iori if the requirements are met to initiate it.
Linked Episode Phone invites to the protagonist.
Hanging out with the Linked Episode characters may reward the protagonist with stat boosts for the Personas of the party members, increasing the protagonist's battle stats (HP and SP), increasing the protagonist's Social Stats and obtaining items. Similar to Social Links, if the protagonist completes a Linked Episode, the player will unlock a Fusion recipe after getting key items that will unlock that Persona in the Velvet Room.
The game additionally offers automatic Linked Episodes for Takaya Sakaki, with only his last event being optional, which first becomes available on January 13th. His Linked Episodes do not usually award you with any stat or item and mainly serve to give context to Strega. Only during the 2nd Linked Episode, Takaya will give to the protagonist a Folded Paper which contains information regarding how his group was used by the Kirijo Group on their experiments.
Mitsuru will sometimes have a Linked Episode "!!" but its only function is to start and advance Shinjiro's Linked Episode.
Some Linked Episodes recycle some story arcs and dialogue from Persona 3 Portable, specifically, the female protagonist's Social Link routes. Some examples may include Ken Amada and Koromaru giving the same Key Items to the protagonist or the Social Link ending dialogue.
Completing a character’s Linked Episodes awards the player with the ability to see a new scene where the protagonist says his goodbyes to them during March, in a similar manner to the characters who have normal Social Links.
List of Linked Episodes[]
- Note: Some of the notes found in this guide may contain spoilers, proceed at your own caution.
| Character | Date | Available | Deadline | Location | Item / Stats Obtained | Persona | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Night | ||||||
| Junpei Iori | ✓ | ✗ | May 12th | July 3rd | Gekkoukan High School | St +3 Hermes | Surt |
| ✓ | ✗ | August 9th | August 28th | Iwatodai Strip Mall | +1 Charm | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | November 7th | November 13th | Gekkoukan High School (Classroom) | +1 Academics | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | November 8th[1] | November 20th | Iwatodai Dorm 1F (Lounge) | - | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | December 19th | December 26th | Gekkoukan High School (Classroom) | +1 Courage | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | January 15th | January 29th | Gekkoukan High School (Classroom) | Baseball Glove | ||
| Akihiko Sanada | ✗ | ✓ | May 29th | July 10th | Iwatodai Station | +5 Max HP or +3 Max SP | Horus |
| ✗ | ✓ | July 24th | August 31st | Iwatodai Station | Luxe Tropical Fruit x1 Imperial Sweets Set x1 Fresh Juice x1 +1 Charm | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | October 9th | November 2nd | Iwatodai Station | +1 Charm | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | December 12th | December 26th | Iwatodai Station | +3 Max SP | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | January 4th | January 29th | Iwatodai Station | Hand Wraps | ||
| Koromaru | ✓ | ✗ | August 22nd | January 30th | Iwatodai Dorm (Outside) | +1 Charm | Byakko |
| ✓ | ✗ | September 4th | January 30th | Iwatodai Dorm (Outside) | +1 Courage | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | September 15th | January 30th | Iwatodai Dorm (Outside) | Ag +3 Cerberus | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | September 16th | January 30th | Iwatodai Dorm (Outside) | +1 Courage | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | January 5th | January 30th | Iwatodai Dorm (Outside) | Koromaru's Collar | ||
| Ken Amada | ✗ | ✓ | September 8th | September 30th | Iwatodai Dorm 2F | +1 Academics | Michael |
| ✗ | ✓ | September 15th | September 30th | Iwatodai Dorm 2F | +1 Courage | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | November 10th | December 2nd | Iwatodai Dorm (Outside) | +1 Charm | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | December 22nd | December 30th | Iwatodai Dorm 4F | +3 Max SP | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | January 19th | January 27th | Iwatodai Dorm 4F | Silver Key | ||
| Shinjiro Aragaki | ✓ | ✗ | September 4th[2] | October 2nd | Gekkoukan High School 1F Faculty Office Hallway (Mitsuru) Port Island Station Outskirts (Shinjiro) |
Reinstatement Form Courage +1 |
Hell Biker |
| ✓ | ✗ | September 11th | October 2nd | Port Island Station Outskirts | +1 Charm | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | September 13th | October 2nd | Port Island Station Outskirts | Extension Form +1 Academics | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | September 14th[3] | October 2nd | Gekkoukan High School 1F Faculty Office Hallway (Mitsuru) Port Island Station Outskirts (Shinjiro) |
+1 Courage | ||
| ✗ | ✓ | October 5th[4] | October 31st | Iwatodai Dorm 2F (Aragaki's room) | Incomplete Form | ||
| Ryoji Mochizuki | Auto | November 9th[5] | Gekkoukan High School | +1 All Equipped Persona Stats | Saturnus | ||
| ✓ | ✗ | November 12th | November 16th | Gekkoukan High School (Classroom) | |||
| ✓ | ✗ | November 19th[6] | Kyoto | ||||
| ✓ | ✗ | December 1st | Gekkoukan High School (Music Room) | ||||
| Auto | December 31st[7] | Iwatodai Dorm | Music Box | ||||
| Takaya Sakaki | Auto | August 14th | Moonlight Bridge | - | - | ||
| Auto | August 20th | Naganaki Shrine | Folded Paper | ||||
| Auto | September 18th | Port Island Station | - | ||||
| ✗ | ✓ | January 13th[8] | January 29th | Club Escapade | - | ||
- Notes:
- [1]This Linked Episode is skipped if the protagonist does not buy the White Flowers at the Rafflesia flower shop at Port Island Station after completing the previous Linked Episode. If the protagonist talks to Junpei in the Iwatodai Dormitory on a night before this Linked Episode’s deadline and and gives him the flowers by picking "Give to Junpei" when considering whether or not to give them to him, this Linked Episode is initiated and Junpei will decide to continue visiting Chidori Yoshino, which unlocks the Chidori-related events in January. This Linked Episode does not take up time but the cutscene during the after school timeslot on January 21st that it unlocks does. Pursuing this is entirely optional and not necessary for seeing the rest of Junpei’s Linked Episodes.
- [2]In order to initiate the Linked Episode with Shinjiro, the protagonist must first talk to Mitsuru Kirijo at the 1F Faculty Hallway in Gekkoukan High School and receive the Reinstatement Form from her.
- [3]Can only initiate this Linked Episode if the protagonist talks to Mitsuru at the 1F Faculty Hallway in Gekkoukan High School. The Linked Episode can only be completed if the protagonist chooses "Wait a minute." during his conversation with Mitsuru and then goes to talk to Shinjiro at the Station Outskirts. Talking to Mitsuru does not take up the after school timeslot of the day, but choosing to spend time with Shinjiro will.
- [4]Can only initiate this Linked Episode if the protagonist enters Shinjiro's room after the October Full Moon Operation and interacts with his desk. Does not take up time.
- [5]Takes up the after school timeslot of this day.
- [6]Can only initiate this Linked Episode if the protagonist talks to Ryoji on the night prior and picks "Promise Ryoji" when invited to go to the riverbank on the following day. Since this Linked Episode still happens during the Kyoto school trip with no pre-existing time-slot to take up, there is no cost for deciding to spend time with Ryoji at this time.
- [7]Takes up the evening timeslot of this day. Only finished if the protagonist avoids the bad ending and has completed all of Ryoji's prior Linked Episodes.
- [8]Can only initiate this Linked Episode if the protagonist visits Club Escapade, talks to the Suspicious-Looking Man, and accepts to see Takaya by picking "I’ll meet the Messiah." when asked.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Some of the Linked Episodes reference previously released games featuring future events, specifically the futures of Junpei and Akihiko who wished to return to a baseball team and become a police officer respectively. These goals are eventually attained as shown in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona 5.
See also[]