Persona 3 Social Stats Guide: Best Ways to Raise Charm, Courage, and Academics

Social stats are a huge part of Persona 3 Portable, affecting your day-to-day life when not crawling through the floors of Tartarus in the evening. Just like in later Persona games, your social stats will determine your success in relationships both platonic and romantic. Some people won’t even talk to you unless you have a certain level in a specific social stat — such as Mitsuru’s social link requiring the maximum level of Academics — so it’s best to raise them as early as possible. Not all methods are created equal, however, so these are the best ways to raise your social stats fast in Persona 3 Portable.

How to Raise Social Stats in Persona 3 Portable

Social stats in Persona 3 Portable are raised by visiting certain shops or working certain part-time jobs. Working part-time is usually the best-case scenario since it will provide a small boost to two different social stats, but other options like the arcade can provide dramatic boosts to just one social stat. To raise your social stats as high as possible, try to limit visits to Tartarus and try the strategies listed below frequently.

How to Increase Charm

Charm is required to begin social links with Yukari, Tanaka, Akihiko, and more. It defines how smooth your character is when it comes to social situations, so it’s improved by visiting locations that make you more attractive or teach you more advanced social skills. Here are all the ways to raise your Charm stat:

• Visit or work part-time at Chagall Cafe in Paulownia Mall
• Play the Print Club game at the Game Panic arcade in Paulownia Mall
• Watch a movie or work part-time at the theater at Port Island Station
• Eat pork ramen at the ramen shop at Iwatodai Strip Mall
• Answer questions correctly in class

The fastest way to maximize your Charm stat is to play Print Club at the Game Panic arcade in Paulownia Mall on Mondays and Thursdays and then go to drink coffee at the Chagall Cafe every other day of the week. This will grant the most amount of Charm points in the shortest amount of time.

How to Increase Courage

If you’re looking to increase your Courage, there are plenty of options available both after school and in the evening. Courage is used to start social links with Fuuka, Ken, and more. These are some of the best social links in the game, so it’s a good idea to raise your Courage early. Here are all the ways to increase your Courage stat:

• Work at the Chagall Cafe in Paulownia Mall
• Eat the Wild Duck Burger at the Wild Duck restaurant in Iwatodai Strip Mall
• Play the Horror House game at the Game Panic arcade in Paulownia Mall
• Watch a movie or work part-time at the theater at Port Island Station
• Sing karaoke at Mandragora on the second floor of Paulownia Mall
• Take medicine from the school nurse when feeling sick or tired

To raise your Courage stat from zero to max in the fastest time possible, then you’ll need to watch a movie at Port Island Station in the afternoon on Tuesdays and then play Horror House at the Game Panic arcade in Paulownia Mall on Tuesday evenings and all day Thursday. Also, visit the karaoke venue in Paulownia mall on Mondays and Wednesdays to maximize your Courage gains.

How to Increase Academics

Academics is the most straightforward social stat, governing how well you perform in school and on exams. You can raise it with activities outside of studying, however, and these will be the best use of your time if you’re looking for the largest gains in the shortest amount of time. Here are all the ways to increase your Academics stat:

• Study in the school library or your room
• Watch a movie at the theater at Port Island Station
• Eat at the Waketsu restaurant in Iwatodai Strip Mall
• Play the Quiz Game at the Game Panic arcade in Paulownia Mall
• Work part-time at De Blue V in Paulownia Mall
• Stay awake in class
• Answer questions in class correctly

To maximize your Academics stat as quickly as possible, make sure you don’t get any questions wrong in class and never doze off during a lecture. This will give you passive Academic stat gains while you work on other things at the same time. Make sure to always play the Quiz Game when it’s available at the Game Panic arcade on Wednesdays and Saturdays. When it’s not available, study at the school library or at your desk in your dorm room.

Persona 3 Portable is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.