Fox: The Hermit

A mysterious fox who lives at the Shopping District Shrine is the Hermit arcana’s representative in Persona 4. Much like the hermit it represents, the fox cannot directly interact with society, because that would be… disconcerting to some people.

To raise this social link, you’ll need to fulfill the wishes that Inaba’s citizens send to the shrine. You, the hero, are the hermit’s window to the world.

For completing this social link, you’ll gain a greater understanding of the people and setting of Inaba. You’ll also make the fox’s SP restoration services cheaper, which saves you a lot of money on items used inside the TV. This social link automatically starts on May 5th.

Rank 2 – I Wish For Love

Your first quest is quest 7 in the list: I Wish For Love. To begin this quest, wait until the next day after accepting the ema. Talk to the girl standing in front of the shoe lockers in classroom building 1F. She’s left a letter for her crush in the wrong shoe: yours.

The day after this, she’ll be standing outside your classroom. Talk to her again and tell her “I read it.” The next day, she’ll be in the same spot. Talk to her one final time, then report your success to the fox.

Rank 3 – I Wish I Didn’t Crave Snacks

This quest is Quest 8: I Wish I Didn’t Crave Snacks. This request is from a woman standing in front of Shiroku Store, battling her internal demons. By that, I mean cravings. To help her fight her craving for snacks, we’ll need to find something gross to feed her.

On a day where you aren’t actively investigating something, find Chie on the roof of the school. Ask her about snacks, and she’ll give you a Meat Gum. Bring this to the woman, then report to the fox.

Rank 4 – We Wish Our Dog Would Return

Your next ema request is Quest 09: We Wish Our Dog Would Return. For this request, you’ll be helping a family whose dog has run away. You can find Koro on the same day you get the request. He’s at the riverbank.

The next day, Koro will be in the Northern end of the shopping district, near the shrine. Talk to him gently.

The dog will alternate locations every sunny day until one day where you get the option to feed him. Bring him a Beef Skewer from Souzai Daigaku, and he will go home to his family. Return to the fox with your good results.

Rank 5 – I Wish I Had Friends

For this request, you’ll be completing Quest 10: I Wish I Had Friends.

There’s a little boy at the floodplain who really wants to make some friends at school. Talk to him and tell him “I don’t want your money.” He wants a prize sticker, which you can get from ordering items on the shopping channel. If you already have one, give it to him.

Return the next day, and he’ll say he wants a kid’s sticker. You happen to live with a kid. Ask Nanako for a sticker at night and she’ll give you one. Bring it to the boy.

The day after this, go back and talk to the boy one more time, then tell the fox you’ve succeeded.

Rank 6 – I Wish My Life Had Meaning Again

The quest for this rank is Quest 11: I Wish My Life Had Meaning Again. For this quest, you’ll be helping the modelmaker in the north end of the Shopping District. Talk to him and ask him “Want me to make it?”. He’ll give you an unfinished model.

When you go home at night, you can work on this model at the table in your room. It will take 4 sessions. Once you’re finished, give the model to the man, then go to the fox to rank up. You can actually talk to this man after you’re done with his quest and get more models from him. When you finish these, they’ll decorate the shelf in your room.

Rank 7 – I Wish I Was Better At Speaking

The next Hermit rank involves Quest 12: I Wish I Was Better At Speaking. For this one, you’ll need high Understanding, Expression, and Courage stats, so upgrade those before you do this.

The person you need to talk to is a girl on the school roof. Talk to her on this first day, then come back again the next day. Choose “Do you need help speaking?” and then say you can “Give Her Lessons.”.

The next day, return to her again and choose “It takes courage to apologize.”. When you’re done, go back to the fox.

Rank 8 – I Wish I Didn’t Fear Cats

For rank 8 of the fox social link, you’ll be talking to a man who’s terrified of marrying into a family with cats. This quest is the aptly named Quest 13: I Wish I Didn’t Fear Cats. To start, go to Samegawa Floodplain after you get this ema from the fox. Talk to this man and ask him about cats.

For the next part, you’ll need a cat to spawn at your house, which requires you to do Quest 20: Please Feed the Cat. Talk to the guy outside the shopping district’s bookstore. Next, go to the cat in the Samegawa Floodplain, and feed it some fish. You can either catch these through fishing or buy them from the Sunday shopping program on TV. Once you’ve fed the cat enough, you’ll get a book, and the cat will show up at your house.

Once you see the cat at your house, tell it to follow you. On the day after this, talk to the man who’s afraid of cats, and “Let him see” the cat. The day after this, the man will want a cute fish to befriend the cat with. Catch a red goldfish and bring it back to him. The final day, talk to him one more time, then finish the quest with the fox.

Rank 9 – I Wish My Wallet Would Return

The 9th Hermit Quest is Quest 14: I Wish My Wallet Would Return. After getting the ema, go to the left end of the Samegawa Floodplain. You should see a woman walking near the shrine. Talk to her, then go down the stairs to the riverbank. Look in the bush to the right of the stairs, and you’ll get a wallet. Problem is, it’s the wrong one.

After trying to give the woman the wrong wallet, head to the north shopping district. There is a lamppost next to the entrance to the shrine. Interact with it to get another wallet. This is the right one! Bring it back, then talk to the fox at the shrine.

Rank 10 – The Shichiri Beach Guardian

Your final and most difficult assignment is here. To max out the Hermit social link, you’ll need to complete Quest 15: The Shichiri Beach Guardian. As a prerequisite, you must have access to the scooter, and then you will need to ride it 6 times to find Shichiri Beach.

Start by talking to the old man at the riverbank. His dream is to see a legendary fish, and he wants to test you by having you catch a River Guardian. For this fish, you will need to get an Inaba Jewel Bug from the bug catching minigame at the shrine. Use this bug to catch the River Guardian at the riverbank. It has a higher spawn rate on rainy days.

When you’ve finally caught a River Guardian, show the old man, and he’ll give you a new fishing rod. Talk to him again, and he’ll tell you about the Sea Guardian he almost caught in his youth. At night, catch a Genji Beetle at the shrine (multiple if you can). If August 22 is soon, you can also buy some from the shopping channel. Now take your bait to Shichiri Beach and catch a Sea Guardian. Bring it back to show the old man, then hand your quest in to the fox.

Congratulations, you’ve finished the Hermit social link! You will get the cheapest rate on SP restoration in dungeons. You’ll also receive the Gratitude Ema, which lets you fuse the ultimate Hermit persona, Ongyo-ki.