Once Upon A Katamari Unlock Cousins: How to Complete the Roster

Learn how to unlock every cousin in Once Upon A Katamari, including save-data bonuses, replay tricks, and the rewards tied to full completion.

Why Cousin Hunting Matters in Once Upon A Katamari

Every roll is better with family, and in Once Upon A Katamari, cousins are the family you collect. They are not just cosmetic bonuses; they are required for full completion. If you want the complete roster, the two secret "Tag, You're It!" levels, and every Crown-related trophy, you need to understand how Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins works. This guide explains the Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins rules, the save-data shortcut, and the replay tricks that save hours.

Cousins are tracked separately from the main story. According to walkthroughs and player experience, collecting every cousin is required to unlock two later levels. Those levels contain Crowns, and each Crown has a trophy or achievement attached. That means the Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins process sits at the center of endgame completion. Ignore it, and you will miss content even after finishing the story.

Table: What Cousin Collection Unlocks

Reward	Requirement	Why It Matters
Two "Tag, You're It!" levels	Collect all Cousins	These stages stay locked until the full roster is complete.
Crown collectibles	Unlock the Tag levels	Crowns are tied to trophies and achievements.
Full playable roster	Find each cousin	More character choices for future runs.
Completion trophies	Finish the cousin hunt	Needed for platinum or 1000G.

Community reports also note that cousin collection is not always a one-and-done task. Some stages contain multiple cousins, but only one appears per successful run. You must roll up the first cousin, finish the level, and then replay the same stage to make the next cousin spawn. This replay requirement is one of the most common reasons players miss a cousin and think their game is bugged.

Once Upon A Katamari Unlock Cousins: Core Rules and Save-Data Bonus

The Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins system follows a few consistent rules. Most cousins appear as special objects or characters inside a stage. You need to reach them with a large enough Katamari and roll them up. Others may require story progress, level completion, or save data from earlier games. The exact trigger varies by cousin, but the general loop stays the same: enter a stage, find the cousin, roll them up, and finish the level so the unlock is saved.

Table: Cousin Unlock Methods at a Glance

Method	How It Works	Notes
Story progression	Advance through the main game	Some unlocks open as you complete more levels.
In-stage collectible	Find and roll up a cousin during a level	Often hidden or placed near larger objects.
Multi-cousin replay	Clear the stage with one cousin, then replay	Community reports say only one cousin appears per run in certain levels.
Save-data bonus	Have compatible save data from earlier Katamari games	The official Bandai Namco news post mentions this for the Young King cousin.
Full completion	Collect every cousin	Unlocks the Tag, You're It! levels and related trophies.

One important note: some guides say the game must be completed before all cousins become available. Other players report finding several cousins during normal story progression. The safest approach is to finish the main story first, then return to each stage with a checklist. That way you avoid wasting runs on a cousin who is not yet spawnable.

Save-Data Bonus: How to Get the Young King Cousin

The easiest cousin to miss is also the easiest to claim if you own the right games. According to Bandai Namco's official Once Upon A KATAMARI news post, players can unlock the Young King cousin if they have saved data from Katamari Damacy REROLL or We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie. This is a cross-save bonus, not an in-game collectible, so you will not find Young King by searching a stage. Check your save files before starting a fresh file if you want this character on your roster from the beginning.

Table: Save-Data Cousin Bonus

Save Data Source	Unlocks	What to Do
Katamari Damacy REROLL	Young King cousin	Keep a save file on your system before starting Once Upon A Katamari.
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie	Young King cousin	Same bonus; either compatible save file can trigger it.
No compatible save	No Young King	You can still unlock all standard cousins through normal play.

If the bonus does not appear, community reports suggest checking that the save data is on the same platform account and that you have loaded the game at least once. Avoid deleting older Katamari saves until you confirm the unlock. The save-data bonus is the only part of Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins that does not happen inside a stage.

Step-by-Step: Efficient Cousin Hunting Checklist

To complete the Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins checklist without wasting hours, treat it like a collectible cleanup. Do not try to grab every cousin on your first blind playthrough. Finish the story, then use level select to hunt down missing characters one stage at a time. The table below outlines a reliable order of operations based on walkthrough advice and player experience.

Table: Efficient Cousin Hunting Checklist

Step	Action	Why It Helps
1	Finish the main story first	Opens late-game stages and removes story gating.
2	Check your in-game roster	Shows exactly which cousins are missing.
3	Sort stages by missing cousins	Focus on one stage at a time instead of jumping around.
4	Clear multi-cousin stages one cousin per run	Only one cousin may appear per successful attempt.
5	Replay the stage immediately after a clear	The next cousin often spawns on the next attempt.
6	Use a size-appropriate route	Some cousins sit near large objects you cannot roll early.
7	Save and quit after each unlock	Confirms the cousin is registered before you move on.
8	Check save-data bonus	Claim Young King early if you own REROLL saves.

A common mistake is to roll up a cousin and then fail the stage. In most Katamari games, the unlock is only saved when you complete the level. If you grab a cousin and then time out or quit, you will likely have to find them again. Always finish the run after a cousin pickup. This is especially important in multi-cousin stages, where a failed run can reset the spawn order.

Multi-Cousin Stages and Replay Rules

Several stages in Once Upon A Katamari contain more than one cousin. Community reports and Steam guides note that in these levels, you must first clear the stage with one cousin, then replay the level for the next cousin to appear. This is similar to how We Love Katamari and Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE handled multiple cousins. If you are missing a cousin in a stage that you swear you have searched, the answer is usually that you need another clear.

Table: Multi-Cousin Stage Replay Flow

Attempt	What Happens	What You Should Do
First clear	One cousin appears	Roll them up and finish the stage.
Second run	A different cousin may spawn	Replay the same stage and search again.
Third run	Another cousin may spawn	Continue until the stage stops giving new cousins.
After all spawns	No new cousin appears	Check your roster and move to another stage.

Do not assume a cousin is permanently missable. In most cases, you can return to any stage from level select and try again. The only exception is the save-data bonus, which depends on external files rather than in-stage spawns. If a cousin still refuses to appear after several clears, double-check that you are finishing the stage with a high enough score or that you have not already collected that cousin in a previous run.

Tracking Your Cousin Roster and Rewards

Once you start collecting, keep a simple checklist. The game's roster screen is your best tool, but it may not show stage names for missing cousins. Pair it with a community walkthrough that lists cousin locations. According to Katamari wikis, the full roster includes series staples such as Ace, Dipp, Foomin, Fujio, Havana, and Honey, alongside the Prince and other mainline cousins. The exact order may vary, but the completion goal is the same: fill every slot.

Table: Cousin Collection Tracking Table

What to Track	Where to Check	Tip
Collected cousins	In-game roster	Use this as your master checklist.
Missing cousins	Roster gaps	Note the stage if the game provides a hint.
Multi-cousin stages	Stage list and guides	Replay until no new cousin appears.
Save-data bonus	Main menu or roster	Young King may appear automatically.
Crowns and trophies	Tag, You're It! levels	Finish cousin collection first to unlock these stages.

The payoff for the Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins grind is more than a full character select screen. Collecting all cousins unlocks two later levels, and those levels contain Crowns that are tied to trophies and achievements. If you are chasing 100% completion, cousin hunting is not optional. It is a required step in the collectible chain.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Even with a good checklist, cousin hunting can go wrong. The table below covers the most common issues players report and the fastest fixes.

Table: Cousin Unlock Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Cousin does not appear	Stage has multiple cousins	Clear the stage with the current cousin, then replay.
Cousin is too far away	Katamari is too small	Grow larger first or choose a better route.
Young King is missing	No compatible save data	Check for Katamari Damacy REROLL or We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie saves.
Roster still incomplete	Missed a replay-only cousin	Revisit stages with multiple cousins and clear them again.
Unlock did not save	You quit or failed after pickup	Finish the stage after rolling up a cousin.

If you are still stuck with Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins, search for the specific cousin name plus the stage name. Community guides often include screenshots or video timestamps. Just remember that player experience can vary by version and patch. The core rules above should hold true across the board, but a rare bug or spawn condition may require a restart or a fresh stage load.

FAQ: Once Upon A Katamari Unlock Cousins

How many cousins are in Once Upon A Katamari?

Katamari wikis list the mainline roster as 23 cousins, or 24 including the Prince. Once Upon A Katamari adds its own lineup and bonuses, so check the in-game roster for the exact count in your version.

Do I need to finish the game to unlock all cousins?

Some guides say story completion is required before every cousin becomes available. In practice, many players find cousins during normal play, but finishing the story first is the safest way to avoid missing spawns.

What is the fastest way to Once Upon A Katamari unlock cousins?

Finish the story, check your roster, then replay stages with missing cousins one at a time. In multi-cousin stages, clear the level after each pickup and replay until no new cousin appears.

What do I get for collecting every cousin?

You unlock the two Tag, You're It! levels. Those levels contain Crowns, and each Crown is tied to a trophy or achievement. A full cousin roster is required for full completion.