Hermit Arcana

The Hermit Arcana is a recurring Arcana in the Persona series.

Overview
Portrayed as an old man in a dark place or cave, holding up a lantern, the Hermit is associated with wisdom, introspection, solitude, retreat and philosophical searches.

Gameplay-wise, the Personas of the Hermit Arcana are commonly Personas excelling in Mental-Ailment skills. Mythological figures associated with the Hermit Arcana are usually hermits themselves, or are otherwise figures or deities that exist and operate behind the scenes.

Similarly, Hermit Arcana characters share the commonality of placing themselves in situations that hide them from the public eye. Hermit individuals hide away from others or act in more supportive roles rather than putting themselves in the spotlight.

Appearances

 * Megami Ibunroku Persona
 * Persona 2: Innocent Sin
 * Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
 * Persona 3 / FES / Portable
 * Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight: Accessory
 * Persona 4 / Golden
 * Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
 * Persona 5 / Royal
 * Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight: Accessory & Social
 * Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth

List of Personas
In Megami Ibunroku Persona and Persona 2, this Arcanum corresponds to the Holy race. However, Persona 2 also includes some Beasts and Wilders in it.

Megami Ibunroku Persona
The player can guarantee a fusion accident resulting in a Hermit Arcana persona by starting from a "hard reset" (as in, not already mid-game and loading a save or selecting "Return to Title") and performing a White Fusion after taking exactly 840 steps in an area where no enemies will attack, such as the Mikage Sun Mall.

Persona 3
The Hermit Arcana Social Link is represented by the online-player "Maya" ("Y-ko" in the Japanese Version). The protagonist can initiate the Social Link during the Golden Week, where Junpei Iori gives the protagonist the online game of Innocent Sin Online.

The Hermit Arcana Social Link can only be interacted during Holidays, and only during Mornings via examining the protagonist's desk in his room. Through the protagonist's interaction with "Maya", he helps her to cope up with her stress in her job. Should the protagonist manages to advance the Hermit Arcana Social Link to Lv. 4 or above, the protagonist may also gain access to the Devil Arcana Social Link.

Innocent Sin Online announces its servers will be permanently shut down. "Maya" thanks the protagonist for all his help and draws a message for him in the sand, which he takes a screenshot of and uploads to his phone as wallpaper. The max Social Link gives access to the ultimate form of the Hermit Arcana, Arahabaki, the aboriginal god.

In the epilogue, "Maya" is revealed to be the homeroom teacher of the protagonist.

The Hermit is also the Persona Arcana of Jin Shirato, member of Strega.

FES
The Hermit Arcana remains mostly the same as Persona 3, with the addition of two more Personas. Some of the Personas' levels have been altered due to the additions.

Portable
If the player chooses the female protagonist, the Hermit Social Link is represented by Saori Hasegawa, and is started on May 8th when the female protagonist chooses to join either the health or library committee.

Persona 4

 * See Also: Fox

The Hermit Arcana Social Link is represented by Fox in Persona 4. The Social Link is automatically initiated during the storyline during the protagonist' visit to the Tatsuhime Shrine. Unique from other Social Links, the Social Link can only be advanced when the protagonist accepts the Ema Requests from Shrine and completes the request. The requests can be accepted regardless of the weather and does not takes up the whole day; but reporting back to the Fox will take up the whole day.

Depending on how high the Hermit Arcana Social Link is advanced to, the protagonist may also receive discounts of restoring HP & SP from Fox during the Investigation Team's investigations in the Midnight Channel.

Completing the Social Link bestows the protagonist the ultimate form of the Hermit Arcana, Ongyo-Ki, the Shadow-Dweller.

Persona 5
The Hermit Arcana is represented by the Confidant with Futaba Sakura, which ranks up since August 31st as the protagonist interacts with her. This Confidant unlocks various support abilities for Futaba as it ranks up. Futuba's Confidant involves her fulfilling a "promise list" that she started with her mother, as well as saving a friend of hers from elementary school from her abusive parents. Futaba's Confidant is the only one tied to a Phantom Thief that involves a Mementos mission. With the help of the protagonist, Futaba learns to interact and socialize with the world outside her room and gain more self confidence.

As the Confidant reaches maximum Futaba's Persona, Necronomicon, will transmogrify into Prometheus. Completing the Hermit Arcana Confidant will also bestow the ultimate form of the Arcana, Ongyo-Ki.

In Persona 5 Royal, if the Hermit Arcana confidant is maxed out and the protagonist chooses to reject the false reality during the events of the third semester, Futaba Sakura will unlock her third tier Persona: Al Azif, by fusing Necronomicon and Prometheus.

Royal
In Persona 5 Royal, the Hermit Arcana has been altered slightly, with the addition of Loa and Fafnir.