So you got past the tutorial palace that was Kamoshida’s palace, acquired the treasure, and beat down all of his henchmen. Madarame is next up, and this man has a few henchmen or mini-bosses lurking around. The one I’m focusing on is the slender-looking wolf that is Makami.
It may look nice. You may even want to pet it, but Makami can be a devastating force if not defeated efficiently. Let’s kick off our Makami Persona 5 guide with some of the key features you need to know about Makami.
Key Features
Known as the divine wolf god in Japanese folklore, Makami appears as a long and slender, wolf-faced shadow. In Japanese folklore, Makami is used to ward off evil but feared for devouring humans. Makami is the third persona in the Temperance Arcana behind Genbu and Koppa Tengu. At least it made the top three, not that the rank matters.
Makami’s first appearance was back on the mainline series, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne and since has been in most game outings in both franchises. In addition, Makami also made an appearance in the Persona 4 anime.
The wolf god has even helped influence characters in other games. Both Okami and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess have wolves that are heavily influenced by the persona, so I guess Makami can say “take that number three spot.”
Location Location Location
Early on, you find Makami in Madarame’s Palace right after you defeat Kamoshida. You first have to leave the palace and return(unlocking the door in Madarame’s actual studio home), then you will come in contact with your first Makami as an easy mini-boss. After that, Makami appears throughout the palace.
If you play like me and forget to recruit him, you can also find Makami in Memetos on the Path of Chemdah. Persona 5/Royal does a great job of giving you another chance with recruiting personas if you missed your initial shot. The option for fusion is also on the table, but we will touch on that later.
Appearance
Makami, also known as the hunting wolf spirit, has an odd look to it for the essence that is to resemble a wolf. The body almost has the build of a ferret met an ancient unraveled scroll. The color is mostly silver minus the few greenish accent markings along the back and underbelly. The face I am still trying to understand.
At one point, I thought Makami was rocking a great hairstyle, but a closer look, the hair looks like a little bow or ribbon. Still not one hundred percent on what is going on up there. All that needs to be known is that this is not one creature you would want to take lightly.
Security Guard Shadow Mini Boss Fight
Upon reaching the treasure room in Madarame’s Palace, you’ll notice the security is tight all around his actual treasure. At some point, you will come across the security office where you can control the power, lasers, and gates surrounding the fortune.
When you open the gates, one of the guards comes dashing into the office. Here is the first encounter with Makami.
The wolf spirit is not a powerhouse when attacking alone. So for this encounter, you fight three at once. The plus side to this fight is that Makami has a weakness against electric attacks. So as long as Ryuji is in your party or you have a persona that knows Zio, this will be quick.
That said, Makami knows Double Fangs, a skill that does light damage 1-2 times which can put you in danger quickly if you’re not strong enough. It also knows Mafrei, a nuclear move that hits the entire party.
In conclusion, fight smart and utilize weaknesses. Once all the enemies fall to the ground use, “All-Out Attack” to speed up the process. He is one of the easier mini-bosses you will face the entire game. Take this time to enjoy the small victories because there are very few from here on out.
Hunting Wolf Spirit
Should you decide to stick around and level up(I always recommend doing so), Makami is open to recruiting as one of your own. Hunting wolf spirit is often mistaken for Inugami, the dog persona that evolves into Makami, because they moderately look the same.
The big difference is Inugami’s head is black and has a white body. I want to make sure you don’t recruit the wrong persona as I did.
At this point, you should already be a high enough level to recruit Makami(15). The strategy in this is honestly the same as before, use electric moves to down Makami. Chances are there will be other enemies in the fight, so dispose or down them as well. After that, you must answer the negotiation correctly, depending on the mood type.
Makami Stats
Mini-Boss Fight Stats
- Level – 15
- Health – 305
- SP – 111
- Strength – 17
- Magic – 12
- Endurance – 10
- Agility – 13
- Luck – 9
- Weakness – Electric
- Strong – Bless(Null), Gun (Null P5R), Wind, & Nuke
- Skills – Double Fangs & Mafrei
- Rewards – 1542 Yen(1047 Yen P5R)
Regular Encounter Stats
Nothing changes at all from the mini boss fight to the regular encounter.
- Level – 15
- Health – 305
- SP – 111
- Strength – 17
- Magic – 12
- Endurance – 10
- Agility – 13
- Luck – 9
- Weakness – Electric
- Strong – Bless(Null), Gun (Null P5R), Wind, & Nuke
- Skills – Double Fangs & Mafrei
- Rewards – 514 Yen
- Negotiation Drops – Devil Fruit, Old Morsel, Hiranya, Frei skill card, Rancid Gravy(P5R), Revival Bead(P5R), Alert Capsule(P5R), & Mafrei skill card.
Makami Persona Breakdown – Recruitment and Strategy
Makami isn’t one of the tough personas, but some skills could be helpful. Frei and Mafrei are nuke-based moves that, up until this point, I don’t believe we have come in contact with.
Makami bridges that gap until Joker gets a skill card or you have a party member (Makoto) that can utilize nuke moves. Not necessary, but it feels good to cover bases and have a bit of each type of skill.
As always, to enlist Makami, you got to pass the negotiation phase in battle. I have learned that if you get the first answer wrong and the second one correct you will succeed anyway. Makami has an upbeat type in both Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. Just give the wolf spirit a funny answer instead of serious or vague then you are clear for takeoff.
As a persona, Makami falls in the line of the Temperance Arcana. Anytime you decide to hang out with Sadayo Kawakami (your teacher), Makami is sure to help boost you to the next level faster.
Kawakami is only available upon request at night because she’s a teacher by day. Our noodle wolf also helps increase the Strength confidant as well. Justine and Caroline need a Shiisaa with the frei skill. Fuse Makami with Kelpie or Jack Frost, then Shiisaa inherits the skills, and you just enhanced up to the next level.
Taking Makami straight to the electric chair is also an option. Executing persona’s often gives you a great item you wouldn’t normally find from chests or stores.
In the base game Persona 5, you get the skill card Makajama which has a high chance of forgetting throughout a group of enemies. In Persona 5 Royal, your reward is a skill card of Frei, but during a fusion alarm, you will get Mafrei.
These are the rest of the skills Makami can learn via leveling up.
- Level 0 – Double Fangs
- Level 0 – Frei
- Level 0 – Energy Drop
- Level 17 – Mafrei
- Level 18 – Makajama
- Level 19 – Resist Despair
- Level 20 – Dodge Elec
Fusing Makami
Just like most persona’s, Makami has a few dozen of options on how to make it.
- 1) Jack Frost and Apsaras
- 2) Onmoraki and Kodama
- 3) Kushi Mitama and Hua Po
- 4) Ippon-Datara and Apsaras
- 5) Shiisaa and Saki Mitama
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question: Does Makami Drop Any Items after Defeated in Battle?
Answer: Yes, Makami drops Thick Parchment anytime you defeat it in battle.
Question: Why can’t I Find Makami in Madarame’s Palace?
Answer: Makami is only located near the treasure room since that is where you first encounter him. After that, check Mementos.
Question: What is Makami’s Persona Trait?
Answer: Skillful Technique. It helps strengthen technical damage by 25%.
Makami Persona 5 Guide: Final Thoughts
Not the strongest persona you will come across, but very useful in many ways. That alone makes Persona 5 such a great game. Something that doesn’t have much value in one place can be useful to you elsewhere.
It adds to the replay value of the story in case you missed out on your first time running through. That is if you are willing to deposit an added fifty-plus hours to the cause. I hope this guide helped out some. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled out there for your own Makami.
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