Let’s not beat around the bush: Persona 5 is one of the best JRPGs ever made.
This adventure game has practically everything: an overflowing personality, a fantastic story, atypical and charismatic characters, a unique combat system, impeccably designed dungeons, epic battles against final bosses, an addictive progression system full of possibilities, bombproof replayability, and a seemingly endless amount of content.
If you are a fan of Nocture, the Return of the True Demon DLC is a must. As the name implies, this questline will have you fighting monsters that you may recognize from Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.
This mission leads to some of the game’s most challenging encounters, amongst which you will have to face Daisoujou himself.
After beating Matador, your second encounter will be against Daisoujou, a dark monk that targets Nahobino’s default weakness: darkness.
Without the proper setup and strategy, Daisoujou will wipe your entire party in an eye. Luckily for you, this Daisoujou Guide will walk you through the basics of who Daisoujou is, what his stats are, and how to beat him ultimately.
I think having Daisoujou come back from Nocturne in this DLC is a sight for sore eyes, really. Even if he does not come off as difficult or as exciting as he did back in Shing Megami Tensei 3, he still continues to be a legendary demon from the series.
The fact that his build was blatantly strong and even “broken” was a big meme back in the Persona meme back in the day- everyone feared Daisoujou’s Meditation skill. Persona 5 gives you the chance to go up against this demon once again and either relive those old memories or create this exciting experience for yourself.
Daisoujou at a Glance
Stats
| Strength | Magic | Endurance | Agility | Luck |
| 22 | 33 | 24 | 25 | 29 |
Classification
| ID | Race | Level | Alignment | Fusion Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLC 5 | Fiend | 30 | Dark-Chaos | 11,000 |
Elementals
| Physical | Gun | Fire | Ice | Electric | Wind | Psychic | Nuclear | Bless | Curse |
| – | Resist | – | – | – | – | – | – | Null | Weak |
Skills
| Level | Type | Name | Effect | Cost |
| 0 | Bless | Makouga | Deal medium Bless damage to all foes. | 16 SP |
| 0 | Almighty | Spirit Drain | Drains SP from 1 foe. | 3 SP |
| 43 | Bless | Samsara | High chance of instantly killing all foes. | 44 SP |
| 44 | Passive | Bless Boost | Strengthen (non-instant death). Bless attacks by 25%. | – |
| 45 | Healing | Diarahan | Fully restore one ally’s HP. | 18 SP |
| 46 | Healing | Me Patra | Cure Dizzy/Forget/Sleep/Hunger of the party. | 8 SP |
| 47 | Passive | Null Rage | Impart immunity against Rage. | – |
History
Based on Buddhist mummies, Sokushinbutsu. These monks would self-mummify themselves by following a rigorous diet of nuts and, eventually, a kind of poisonous tea for a thousand days. After those thousand days, they would be buried alive with barely enough room to sit cross-legged.
A tube would be placed in the ground that conducted air into the grave. The monk would have a bell with him, and every day, someone would go to listen to the bell to make sure the monk was still alive. When the bell no longer rang, the air tube would be removed, and the tomb would be completely sealed.
After an additional one thousand days, the body would be exhumed. If the body had been corrupted, it would be buried with special honors. But, on the other hand, if it were preserved, it would be revered as a god.
Design
Daisoujou appears as a human skeleton. He has monk robes of yellow, green, and a little white. He has three silver details on his long cap. He carries a bell in his right hand and his left hand a Hindu rosary also used by Buddhists called “Japa Mala.”
Description
Daisoujou is the sixth Persona of the Arcana Hierophant and can only be obtained through a fusion in the Velvet Room. He is the first Persona usable by the protagonist to learn the Diarahan skill (Complete Cure to a target). When “Itemized,” Daisoujou will grant the Makouga card (Average Bless/Light damage to all enemies).
Fun Facts
- He is the only demon in the Persona saga capable of learning the “Samsara” skill (Bless/Light Instakill to all enemies with high probabilities). Unfortunately, this ability cannot be inherited from another Persona.
- As his description dictates, it is said that he will appear in front of people on the day of salvation.
Previous Appearances
Daisoujou ( いそうじょう) is a not-so-recurring demon in the saga. He debuted in the first Shin Megami Tensei 1 and went on to have a few other not very memorable appearances, except for one in specific.
Shin Megami Tensei
Daisoujou is one of three rare and difficult demon bosses that can be found hidden throughout the game. If the protagonist defeats him, there is a slight chance that he will drop the Reaper’s Bell, the most potent weapon in the Chaos lineup.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Daisoujou appears as a boss in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. After the Demi-fiend’s encounter with Gozu-Tennoh, a soul in front of the Mantra CG in Ikebukuro will mention a “Strange Monk” in the city’s eastern part.
When the Demi-fiend travels to that area, he will be transported to another realm by Daisoujou, where the battle will be fought.
He will insist on the futility of the Demi-fiend’s efforts, believing in the absolute power of the rules created for humankind. Finally, after being defeated, he will release the Candelabrum of Eternity.
Persona 3
To acquire Daisoujou, the protagonist must perform a pentagonal fusion between Mithra and the four Mitama Personas (Sali, Nigi, Ara, and Kusi -Mitama). Fusing Daisoujou is also necessary for one of Elizabeth‘s requests. Also, in P3, the Samsara ability makes its first appearance.
Persona 4
Daisoujou reappears as an Arcana Hierophant Persona, still maintaining his signature move, Samsara.
Walkthrough
Location
You will come across Daisoujou near the Tennouzu Leyline only after you have accepted the quest from Sophia in the World of Shadows. So, first, you’d need to climb up to find the purple beam. Then, examine it to investigate its presence. This is when our skeleton friend will show up and introduce himself.
Pre-Battle Setup
Daisoujou’s Vulnerability
Daisoujou is weak to fire, so you will look for every way to exploit this vulnerability. You can either bring party members with Agi/Agilao skills or pack up some Fire Gems and Fire Shards before the battle.
Debuffing Daisoujou
I believe this battle is more about defending than attacking. The best way to defend yourself is to use Tarunda, Sukunda, and Rakunda to render Daisoujou more susceptible. Buffing is excellent, but make sure you debuff him first so his attacks don’t wipe your party.
Healing Up
Medicines are still effective, but if you can, cast Media. Also, bring some Light and Dark Dampeners; these can help you defend against Daisoujou’s strikes.
Chakra Drops are an absolute must to restore MP.
Recommended Party
Daisoujou can use both Mahama and Mamudo to avoid bringing demons weak to those elements and anyone having a Dark and Light vulnerability. This being the case, I think your best party setup is Lilim, Cironnup, and Shiki-Ouji.
Lilim learns Resist Dark at level 34. You can get Resist Light on her if you fuse her with a level 28 Jack Frost. Likewise, Cironnup is ordinarily weak to Dark, but Yakshini learns it at level 32, so you could pass it on to him via fusion.
This will make a great party use since most of the other demons in that range have a weakness to either one or the other (ones focused on Light or Dark). You shouldn’t have to worry about Nahobino since you can toss a Shiki-Ouji Essence on him for the affinities.
The Battle, Explained
In short, Daisoujou will drain and attack you until he gets to low health. During this phase, you should boost your fiends and debuff him. Make sure you lower his defenses and boost yours, as the second half can be deadly. Increasing your fiends’ damage is critical as well.
He will start launching his instakill attacks once he gets to -50%. By now, you should be buffed up and have enough MP points to deal fire damage like crazy. He should be finished off as fast as possible so he doesn’t get a chance to wipe your party.
Daisoujou’s Turn
Daisoujou can perform two moves per turn. He will likely begin the battle with Meditation, which sucks up some of your HP and MP points and gives it to Daisoujou. It may seem like a harmless drain, but it drains both HP and MP, and trust me, you don’t want to lose much MP in this battle. A regular attack will follow this.
Preach has a chance to infect the entire party with three exceedingly terrible illnesses. Sleep, Confusion, and Charm are all afflictions that no one wants to have, and happily, Lilim resists Sleep and blocks Charm. Shiki-Ouji is vulnerable to Confusion, but his resistances are priceless, so it’s a risk you’ll have to accept.
Daisoujou’s HP bar is relatively small so that he will reach -50% quite fast. However, be careful, as he will now attempt to instakill you right after a Magatsuhi charge with either of these two if you are not careful. So the sequence follows: Charge Magatsuhi, perform Mamudo; charge Magatsuhi, perform Mahama.
Player’s Turn
Reducing his defenses using Rakunda, you will have the upper hand throughout the entire battle. Make sure to use Agilao, as he is fragile to fire. If you can boost your evasion or defense, definitely do that before your turn is over.
Dark Dampener will make Daisoujou’s dark element much weaker. If he has drained some of your fiends’ MP points, make sure you bring enough Chakra Drops to use on anyone running low.
Rewards
After the defeat of Daisoujou, you will receive the Menorah of Eternity. The boss can also be obtained through Special Fusion with Sophia in the World of Shadows.
Quotes
As Daisoujou is an optional boss, he doesn’t say much except for his battle introduction. However, here are some of his quotes:
- “All things are destined to come to an end. Life gives way to death, creation to destruction.”
- “Let us discover whether you are worthy of knowing such secrets!”
- “It seems you are worthy. Well done. Yes, well done indeed…”
FAQs
Question: Can You Acquire Daisoujou as You Play?
Answer: The only way to get a Daisoujou is through fusing him in the Velvet Room.
Question: How do You Make Daisoujou?
Answer: The cheapest and most straightforward way to make Daisoujou is to fuse a Unicorn persona and a Regent persona in the Velvet Room.
Question: How Much Cash do You Need to Fuse Daisoujou?
Answer: It depends on the persona fusion you are starting from. Recipes can range from ¥54,235 to ¥108,091.
Daisoujou Guide: Final Thoughts
Persona 5’s Daisoujou is merely a shadow of the unbeatable persona players went against in previous entries, but he still is no pushover. His slow HP and MP drainage and his Dark and light weakness exploitation should not be underestimated.
However, this recurring demon can be beaten quite easily as long as you watch him and don’t get cocky trying to deal constant damage. With the right party, valuable healing and debuffing items and spells, as well as a pocketful of fire spells and items, you will be able to reduce Daisoujou’s HP gauge to zero in no time.
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