The 10 HARDEST Persona Bosses
from “Persona 5” (2017), Nyx Avatar from “Persona 3” (2007), Contrarian King from “Persona 4” (2008), and more!
The Reaper
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“Persona” series (1996-) This is a boss many players will have missed entirely depending on which game you’re playing. In “Persona 4”, for instance, you won’t find it at all unless you play the game more than once. However, in “3” and “5”, you’ve got to keep your wits about you while exploring Tartarus and Mementos. It essentially exists to stop you grinding in the dungeons for too long, to ensure the game’s pacing is kept intact. After all, you’re not supposed to reach the final boss of Tartarus and Mementos until the very end of the games, which is why the Reaper is designed to take out your entire party. It is possible to beat once your party is strong enough, but it’s always going to be a hugely difficult fight you’re better off avoiding – as the game wants.
Caroline & Justine
“Persona 5” (2017) In every game, Igor in the Velvet Room will have at least one assistant, ostensibly all related to each other, and that assistant will likely appear as an optional and potentially secret boss. Once you’re replaying “P5” in New Game Plus, you’ll be able to challenge the twins Caroline and Justine to do battle with you in Mementos between May and December. They are just as difficult as they claim to be, and you’re going to need a high-level party and LOTS of healing items to take them on. In “Persona 5 Royal”, you’ll be able to take on Lavenza instead, once Caroline and Justine are re-combined to create her.
Contrarian King
“Persona 4” (2008) Yet another optional boss, this one you could easily miss. It’s only available in Yukiko’s Castle, the first major dungeon of the game, and only after May 1st. Though he looks like a silly mascot you don’t need to take too seriously, he’s actually a notoriously tricky boss among the fans of the game, especially because he appears so early on. This might convince new players that they’re appropriately levelled to fight him, but they almost definitely aren’t, and should leave and come back later. But when you finally defeat him, you unlock a unique weapon for Yukiko once she joins the party, and get a permanent courage buff.
Madarame
“Persona 5” (2017) The final boss of the game’s second palace, Madarame stands out as one of the more difficult in the whole game. This is because he turns into a giant face made out of paintings. You’ve got to knock down all the different pieces of his face at once, otherwise they regenerate in a few turns. This also isn’t something new players will know right away, leaving them likely wasting SP in the beginning. The secret to the fight is to have attacks that can target all the paintings at once, which is easier said than done since they all have different amounts of HP and since attacks like that use a LOT of points.
Jin & Takaya
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“Persona 3” (2007) Takaya is set up as a major antagonist for most of “Persona 3”, though in typical “Persona” fashion, he’s not the final boss of the game. At one point you’ll need to fight Takaya and his less powerful but no less annoying techie, Jin, on the Moonlight Bridge. They’re formidable foes as the rival Persona users to the main party members, and will drain your vital resources during the Dark Hour while you make your way towards the level’s final boss. To add insult to injury, you don’t even really defeat them here; they’re able to escape. Two heads are always harder to beat than one.
Masayoshi Shido
“Persona 5” (2017) Like Takaya, Shido is set up as the main villain and the primary foil for the main character. His palace is the last “true” palace in the game, with the final one actually being found at the bottom of Mementos, and until you complete Mementos, he IS the final boss. His palace takes the form of an enormous cruise ship topped with Japan’s houses of government, indicating how he controls Japanese politics. Obviously, this can’t stand, and after his villainy is hinted at for the entire game, it’s cathartic to get to fight him. He is, of course, a difficult foe, not to mention totally arrogant. Few bosses in gaming have proven so satisfying to beat.
Cognitive Wakaba Isshiki
“Persona 5” (2017) Found at the end of Futaba’s Egyptian-themed palace, Cognitive Wakaba Isshiki is a demonic representation of Futaba’s own mother, appearing as a sphinx. She’s one of the game’s biggest and most threatening bosses, destroying the entire pyramid you’ve been battling through. She’s got a lot of powerful attacks that will inflict knock down on your party members, not to mention a monstrous area-of-effect dive attack. Much of the fight actually relies on Futaba going through a personal journey in the background, until she’s finally able to show up and help you win the fight for good with a gigantic crossbow and a UFO.
Izanami
“Persona 4” (2008) The real final boss, you eventually learn that Izanami has been pulling the strings all along. You also find out that another difficult boss, Ameno-sagiri, is actually just a small part of Izanami herself. For long-time fans of “Persona”, this won’t be the first time they’ve encountered her, as she also shows up in nearly every mainline “Megami Tensei” game as well as older “Persona” titles. But this encounter is particularly memorable, as we find out SHE’S the one who’s been giving people the ability to conjure personas. Eventually she transforms into Izanami-no-Okami, one of the most gruesome bosses in the franchise.
Nyx Avatar
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“Persona 3” (2007) The entire game, you’re threatened with the coming of Nyx, who plans to destroy Earth, after defeating the 12 bosses that symbolize the “Major Arcana”. The Nyx Avatar is infamously difficult, for good reason, found right at the top of Tartarus once you finally ascend. Even if you know exactly what you’re doing and have your party managed efficiently, the hardest part of this fight might simply be how long it can take. Though, long boss fights are something any fan of JRPGs will be familiar with. Nyx symbolizes death and fear and has a lot of phases to get through. Worse, its arcana will constantly change during the fight, meaning you’ve got to have varied personas at the ready to take it out.
Joke #1: The Big Bang Burger Challenge
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“Persona 5” (2017) It takes an entire game of grinding out those social stats to finally overcome the Big Bang Burger Challenge and become Tokyo’s foremost eating contest champion. We’re just kidding. Of course, the only conspicuous absence from our list is…
Yaldabaoth
“Persona 5” (2017) Also known as Demiurge, this is “Persona 5’s” true final boss, the entity fuelling the existence of Mementos. You need to journey all the way to the bottom of the dungeon, here represented as the Tokyo subway system, to finally reach it. Like Izanami, Yaldabaoth has also been seen across the franchise. Yaldabaoth is the one who wants humanity to submit to its darkest desires. In this way, it’s not just Yaldabaoth you’re fighting, but the corrupted desires of the entire population of Japan. He’s got multiple forms and phases, initially looking like the Holy Grail and then transforming into an angelic, robotic monster. This is another fight that’s going to take even the best player a LONG time to beat, so make sure you come to it with plenty of patience.
