If there’s one thing ATLUS has mastered since the release of Persona 3, it’s creating characters with a backstory and developing them through gameplay, a skill the developer brings back in Metaphor: ReFantazio. This is done through the Social Links mechanic, aptly renamed Bonds in this new fantasy RPG.

In Metaphor: ReFantazio, the protagonist interacts with one of his Followers, learning more intimately about their lives and what troubles them. These interactions also increase their Bond rank, unlocking new abilities for the game.

The main difference between Metaphor: ReFantazio and Persona is that in the former, you don’t have to choose the correct responses to increase an invisible relationship meter to rank up. Each interaction increases the Bond rank.

However, some ranks require you to talk to the Follower in a particular location or to have a certain level in a specific Virtue. In this case, Wisdom Virtue. Using Hulkenberg as our example, we’ll show how to progress her Bond ranks and what’s required to do so.

Spoilers: We’ll reveal major plot points for Hulkenberg as her ranks increase, so if you want to experience them for yourself, we suggest returning here only if you’re stuck on her Bond progression.

Character Overview

Hulkenberg became a royal knight in her youth. When she failed to prevent the attack that cursed the prince, her lack of mental fortitude took its toll, and she was deeply affected by her failure.

After the prince was declared dead and disappeared, the knight still believed he was alive and spent a long time searching for him, though in vain.

We first meet Hulkenberg after Grius tries to behead Louis in public, but fails. When we enter the Regalith Grand Cathedral searching for the Necromancer, she offers her help.

After our first foray into the Mausoleum, where Hulkenberg faces her old comrade-in-arms, Grius, and learns that the prince is alive, she awakens to the power of the faithful Knight archetype.

As the player continues to follow Hulkenberg’s Bonds, they learn more about what happened after she left her post as head of the royal knights in search of information about the prince and the consequences of her departure.

Hulkenberg’s Bond Ranks Explained

As with all Bonds, Hulkenberg has eight ranks, which are increased with each new interaction with her.

Like the other party members in Metaphor: ReFantazio, some of her interactions occur in the city, while others happen during a trip on the Gauntlet Runner. Certain ranks also require a specific Virtue level, which we’ll detail here.

Rank One

When Hulkenberg confronts Grius, now controlled by necromantic forces, she almost falters, but the news that the prince is alive gives her a second wind, awakening the power of her Archetype.

The game automatically starts a new Bond with Hulkenberg, unlocking the tank Archetype Knight for all party members.

Rank Two

The first interaction with Hulkenberg begins with the knight proposing a training session with the protagonist. The training takes place off-screen, but after that, she feels comfortable enough to talk about her early days as a royal guardswoman.

Hulkenberg shares that she trained with one of her closest comrades every night, always striving to perfect her craft and vowing to become a royal knight worthy of the title.

Coincidentally, that comrade, a rhoag named Rhodanthe, appears on the scene. But unlike Hulkenberg’s fond memories of him, Rhodanthe is hostile. He directs xenophobic insults at the Elda protagonist and even accuses Hulkenberg of abandoning her post. Yet, she remains unfazed.

A paripus asks Hulkenberg how she knows the man and then walks away. The knight extends the invitation to train again aboard the Gauntlet Runner.

Rank Three

This is one of the most comical Bond Ranks in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Aboard the Gauntlet Runner, Hulkenberg takes on the role of a drill sergeant for the protagonist and Strohl, who undergo intense training.

At one point, Hulkenberg even sits on Strohl while he does planks—an image many players would surely envy. It’s a welcome lighthearted moment in the game, offering a nice contrast to the otherwise serious tone of the narrative.

By the end of the interaction, Hulkenberg apologizes for her strictness and mentions that she and Rhodanthe devised this training regimen. She admits that his accusations of her being a fallen knight affected her more than she would like to admit.

She tries to brush it off by offering the protagonist a dried caterpillar, reinforcing her dangerously unfiltered gluttonous trait.

Rank Four

The sparring swords break during training, and the group heads to Grand Trad to buy new ones. In Sunshade Row, we find Rhodanthe carrying out a public execution. When Hulkenberg questions the perpetrator’s crime, she learns it was for insulting the royal knights.

Hulkenberg confronts Rhodanthe over his abuse of power as knight-commander but fails to convince him, and she is almost sentenced for treason before the protagonist steps in.

She resents how far the royal knights have lost themselves and admits she feels partly responsible for how Rhodanthe turned out, but she brushes it aside for another time. The paripus from before is seen eavesdropping on their conversation.

Rank Five

Back aboard the Gauntlet Runner, Hulkenberg opens up, revealing that her family ascended to nobility through scholarship and politics, but she was always the odd one out.

She tried to apply to join the guards, but her family forced her to join the knights to maintain House Hulkenberg’s prominence.

She met Rhodanthe during training, and they shared a similar past. Both tried to climb the ranks on their own merit without relying on their families.

Rhodanthe was being considered for a position in the prince’s royal guard, but in the end, Hulkenberg was selected, not because of merit, but because her family pulled some strings with the right people.

After she left the royal guard, Rhodanthe became knight-commander but has since abused his power. Hulkenberg questions if she has the right to judge him, as she never knew whether she joined the knighthood on her own worth or due to her family’s influence.

The protagonist helps Hulkenberg strengthen her resolve. She says she needs to align her thoughts before deciding on her next steps.

Rank Six

After thinking for some time, Hulkenberg decides she’ll request a duel with Rhodanthe. She plans to make the request publicly, believing the knight-commander wouldn’t refuse to avoid staining his honor.

She states that this duel is not just to right the wrongs of Rhodanthe’s actions but also to prove that she possesses the skills worthy of a knight by defeating her once-comrade.

She asks the protagonist to witness the duel but to not interfere, no matter what happens. Hulkenberg says she will propose the duel in the days to come.

Rank Seven

We return to Sunshade Row, where Hulkenberg confronts Rhodanthe, now carrying out the public execution of eight individuals. She challenges the knight-commander in front of the people, and he has no choice but to accept.

Rhodanthe calls Nacetum to be his witness, and the two suggest holding the duel in front of the Great Gate to avoid harming civilians. As the duel begins, Nacetum casts a paralyzing spell on Hulkenberg.

When the protagonist tries intervening, Hulkenberg stops him, saying this duel is hers. Through sheer willpower, Hulkenberg breaks free from the paralysis and strikes down Rhodanthe with a single blow. Though the man spews insults, Hulkenberg remains unaffected.

The paripus observing from before reappears, revealing himself as a knight from the Shadowguard. He had been conspiring with Hulkenberg to catch Rhodanthe red-handed, which allowed them to strip him of his title as knight-commander.

Rank Eight

The final Bond interaction with Hulkenberg occurs once again aboard the Gauntlet Runner. Hulkenberg explains that Rhodanthe is now secluded in an underground cell after being imprisoned by the Shadowguard.

The knight says that traveling the world proved to her that she is more than enough and that she will never again hide behind her power to mask her sense of inferiority.

She renews her commitment to the knighthood, claiming that a knight without their oath is nothing. Hulkenberg swears to protect the protagonist until the royal prince is saved and order is restored.

Finally, she thanks the protagonist, thus concluding Hulkenberg’s Bond.