Most players who play Metaphor: ReFantazio have probably played the Persona series, which was made by the same developers. With that in mind, players want to level up bonds with all the characters in Metaphor: ReFantazio because they unlock a lot of cool things and even exclusive cutscenes with the characters.
As you meet more characters joining your party in the game, you’ll constantly struggle with keeping your bond up with everyone, and you might overlook leveling up your first few characters like Hulkenberg. However, Hulkenberg’s progression is much easier than the others because she joins your party relatively early. Here’s how to increase your bond with Hulkenberg in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
How to Increase Bond Ranks With Hulkenberg in Metaphor ReFantazio
First, you must unlock Hulkenberg as a new ally when going through the Regalith Grand Cathedral dungeon. You’ll get the Knight archetype immediately when you form a bond with her, but you can’t increase your bond rank if you haven’t finished the dungeon yet. There aren’t really any interactions available with Hulkenberg as you are exploring Grand Trad during the Grand Cathedral dungeon mission.
Go through the Grand Cathedral, rescue the hostages, beat the Spektos boss, and bring down Zorba, the Necromancer. Once you have finished the whole dungeon, you’ll be free to increase your bond with Hulkenberg by interacting with her in the Hushed Honeybee Inn.
The rest of the interactions will be in the Gauntlet Runner while traveling. If Hulkenberg has a different icon (crown-like) on her head instead of a chat icon, interacting with her will increase your bond and trigger a dialogue.
For more specific information about Hulkenberg’s locations to level up her bond ranks, refer to this table:
| Rank | Unlock | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | On 6/11, after leaving the mausoleum for the first time. | Knight Archetype unlocks (part of the story). |
| Rank 2 | Speak to Hulkenberg inside the Hushed Honeybee Inn after completing the Regalith Grand Cathedral dungeon. | Knight Enlightenment: Reduces the MAG cost of studying the Knight Lineage; Guard Duty: Hulkenberg may defend the protagonist from an attack on his weakness. |
| Rank 3 | Speak to Hulkenberg on the gauntlet runner while traveling to a destination. | Knight Archetype: Adept: The party can now study the Magic Knight. |
| Rank 4 | Speak to Hulkenberg during a trip on the gauntlet runner. | Scion’s Skill: Increases skill inheritance slots for the Knight Lineage to 2. |
| Rank 5 | Speak to Hulkenberg during a trip on the gauntlet runner. | Knight Veneration: Significantly reduces the MAG cost of studying the Knight Lineage; Battle Aura: While in reserve, the amount of experience Hulkenberg gains increases. |
| Rank 6 | Speak to Hulkenberg while on a trip in the gauntlet runner. | Scion’s Merit: Increases skill inheritance slots for the Knight Lineage to 3; Battle Hypnosis: While in reserve, Hulkenberg will gain experience at the normal rate. |
| Rank 7 | Speak to Hulkenberg when not on a trip in the gauntlet runner (must be Wisdom rank 4). | Knight Archetype: Elite: The party can now study the Paladin and Dark Knight. |
| Rank 8 | Speak to Hulkenberg while on a trip in the gauntlet runner. | Scion’s Essence: Increases skill inheritance slots for the Knight Lineage to 4; Special Guard Duty: High probability for Hulkenberg to defend the protagonist from an attack on his weakness. |
Related: Best Archetype Party Formation in Metaphor ReFantazio
How to Max Out Your Bond With Hulkenberg in Metaphor ReFantazio
After going through all the bond ranks, you’ll hit a snag getting it to rank 7. You must increase your Wisdom rank to four before unlocking the next interaction with Hulkenberg outside the Gauntlet Runner.
Since the max bond is at rank 8, you still have another interaction to go through to reach it. However, you don’t need to max out any other Royal Virtues to reach it. You just have to wait out another free day and look for Hulkenberg while on a trip in the Gauntlet Runner.
What Do You Get When You Max Out Your Bond With Hulkenberg?
Most rewards are random passives, bonuses, skills, and an upgraded Knight archetype. They all revolve around reducing MAG cost when studying the Knight archetype, increasing skill inheritance slots for Knights, and improving the leveling progression with Knight archetypes on other characters.
The biggest upgrades are the new Knight archetype branches like the Paladin and Dark Knight, which unlock at rank 7. You also get a new heroic embodiment of Hulkenberg at rank 8, along with the special guard duty, fitting for the perfect knight in the game.
