The Hierophant Social Link is one of the earliest bonds you can make in Persona 3 Reload, represented by the elderly couple that owns the Bookworms store in Iwatodai Strip Mall. This is by far the easiest non-semi-automatic Social Link in the game, but be careful not to neglect it.
Persona 3 Reload Hierophant Social Link Guide (P3R)
The Hierophant Social Link can be started from 4/25 onward by visiting Bookworms in Iwatodai Strip Mall. Your classmates will inform you about its reopening during the morning, so use your time after school to meet Bunkichi and Mitsuko Kitamura there.
Once you first visit, they will mention a Persimmon tree in your school. The tree is in the Corridor past School Building 1F. Interact with it to receive a Persimmon Leaf, then return to the couple to start their Link.
You can stop by the bookstore every day except Mondays, including holidays. This makes the Hierophant Social Link your lowest priority since it’s also available during school breaks and weeks before tests (when most other Links are unavailable).
Always have a Hierophant Persona such as Omoikane to get extra points from your dialogue options. This will make you rank up quicker, and you’ll have more time to spend with the many other Links you have. If you get the “I feel like I might grow closer to the elderly couple soon…” message when interacting with the door, your next meeting is a guaranteed rank up.
Rank 2
| Question | Best answer |
| What was your name again? | Your name |
| Someone gave it to me, but I have more than enough. Go ahead and take it. | Thank you. |
| We have so many, my wife and I would take forever to fish them all. | Any |
| He should be here helping customers… Sorry about that. | Any |
| Oh, my dear, he’s… | Any |
Rank 3
| Question | Best answer |
| I don’t see it anywhere… | Looking for something? |
| I’m looking for my glasses- Er, not my glasses, my wallet! I can’t seem to find it… | Can I help? |
| I am one as well! I am a student at Gekkoukan! | Any |
| But you can call me “Bebe”! It’s quite nice to meet you! | Any |
| Why must you get into a car…? Do you want me to end up all alone!? | Any |
| On his way home from work, he got into an accident… He was hit by a dump truck driver who was drunk on the job… | Any |
Completing this rank allows you to start the Temperance Social Link if you have Academics Level 2.
Rank 4
| Question | Best answer |
| My wife just headed out to Gekkoukan. | I’ll wait here. |
| The…The… The tree… | Any |
| Do you know anything about this? | I’m worried. |
Rank 5
| Question | Best answer |
| We’ve been feeling a bit guilty for troubling you about the persimmon tree… | I wouldn’t worry about it. |
| Why now? Why do they want to cut it down now…? | It’ll be okay. |
Rank 6
| Question | Best answer |
| If we lose that tree… it would be like losing our son all over again. | Please don’t fight. |
| Unfortunately, that just reminded my dear the pain we felt the day our son died… | Any |
Rank 7
| Question | Best answer |
| Ah… | What happened? |
| They say the tree is a memorial to their former teacher… They don’t want it to be cut down. | That’s great. |
| You must be the one who called on them for this, right? | That’s right! |
Rank 8
| Question | Best answer |
| Who do you think it was? Here’s a hint: “signature.” | A petitioner? |
| I have to tell my son the good news! | Sure, let’s go. |
Rank 9
| Question | Best answer |
| What, is that surprising? I’m actually quite the net surfer, you know! | What does the letter say? |
| Are you curious about the letter? Excited, perhaps? Even exhilarated? | Exhilarated. |
Rank 10
| Question | Best answer |
| Bunkichi-san is sleep talking. Looks like he’s taking a nap… | Any |
| It’s the middle of the day, but I feel awfully sleepy… | Any |
| We asked them to go ahead and cut the persimmon tree down. | But…why? |
| He was a teacher, after all! | Any |
Completing the Hierophant Social Link awards you with the Persimmon Fruit, which allows you to fuse the ultimate Hierophant Persona Kohryu. You’ll probably be already by the end of the game when you’re able to do it, but not only it’s strong enough by itself and is also used for many of the even stronger late-game fusions.
What Happens if Bunkichi is Lost in Tartarus?
Elizabeth occasionally informs you of humans wandering into Tartarus. One of them happens to be Bunkichi on 9/12. The Social Link will be temporarily unavailable until you rescue him. If you fail to rescue him before the next Full Moon, you won’t be able to complete his Link for the rest of the game.
Even if you’re done with Hierophant, you should still take a night to rescue him for the rewards. Also, leaving the poor old man to die feels way too creepy, so do what you can to save him. The Social Link will be immediately available the following day.
