Mastering the Art: Conquering Okumura in Persona 5 Royal

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Okumura Boss Fight Walkthrough

Persona 5 Royal, the remastered version of Persona 5, introduces upgraded Palaces and additional phases to the original boss battles. One notable change is the enhanced difficulty of Kunikazu Okumura, the boss of the fifth Palace, which may prove highly frustrating for some players. Furthermore, Okumura's fight is unique as it includes a countdown timer - if players fail to defeat him within 30 minutes, it results in an instant game over.

Fortunately, there are several strategies to make the battle against Okumura easier in Persona 5 Royal. Firstly, it is advisable for players to reach a minimum of level 44 before issuing the calling card. Additionally, having certain Confidants maxed out or attaining significant progress with them can provide valuable benefits. Lastly, players should possess Skills capable of removing enemy buffs and healing their team's status ailments.

Updated by Ritwik Mitra on July 25, 2023: Persona 5 has cemented its position as one of the greatest JRPGs ever, captivating players with its stunning art style and captivating narrative. The game immerses players in its rich atmosphere, keeping them engrossed for hours as they infiltrate imaginative palaces and defeat formidable bosses.

While most boss battles in Persona 5 are exhilarating, the same cannot be said for the Okumura fight. Regrettably, this particular encounter stands out as one of the lengthiest and most frustrating in the entire game, with a single misstep resulting in the loss of nearly half an hour's worth of progress. Players must be mindful of the time limit and employ their best strategies to eliminate hordes of foes before finally gaining an opportunity to confront Okumura.

Best Set-Up Against Okumura

To effectively combat Okumura, it is essential to have a pre-established team. Since Okumura heavily relies on buffing his robots during the boss fight, players should consider bringing a Persona or a Phantom Thief capable of casting Dekaja. Dekaja is a non-damaging spell that eliminates buffs placed on enemies. Ann Takamaki/Panther acquires this spell at level 16. In the event that Dekaja has been unintentionally erased, players can have Ann regain the ability by visiting the Confessional in Kanda. Another valuable spell is Dekunda, which removes debuffs for all allies.

Alternatively, if Panther's level is too low or players prefer not to use her, Dekaja can be obtained from the following Personas: [content fragment ends here]

Alternatively, players can get Dekaja as a Skill Card by putting Mokoi in the Electric Chair during a Fusion Alarm. This way, any one of Joker's Personas can learn Dekaja.

Recommended Team

A recommended team to bring to this fight is:

Panther (for Dekaja)

Noir (for Mapsio and Amrita Drop)

Morgana or Queen (for Mediarama, Magaru, and Rakukaja/Masukukaja)

The lineup can be altered and interchanged based on Joker's Personas, but it is advised to include Morgana and Noir.

Players should then ensure that each teammate possesses a Ma- Ability. These abilities, such as Frei, Psio, Agi, are capable of targeting all enemies. By now, every Phantom Thief should have acquired at least one of their respective Ma- Spells.

Players should ensure they have a Phantom Thief in their team who can provide a team buff of either Accuracy/Evasion or Defense. Yusuke learns Masukukaja, which buffs the party's Accuracy/Evasion for 3 turns, at level 49. Johanna learns Marakukaja, which provides a Defense buff for the party for 3 turns, at level 48. If these characters only have Sukukaja and Rakukaja, players should focus on casting these buffs on the Phantom Thief that Okumura targets.

When Haru/Noir first joins, her Persona, Milady, will have the spell Amrita Drop. Players should prioritize keeping this spell, as it removes all ailments for the party. During the battle, Okumura will inflict the Hunger Ailment on the entire team, so having this spell available will be essential.

Items

If players don't have the right spells, they should make sure they have the following items and equipment:

Confidants

The Togo System Ability is most beneficial when Hifumi's Confidant is at Rank 10. It allows players to easily swap current party members with back party members during anyone's turn, eliminating the need to cycle back to Joker for this action.

In addition, having Maruki's Confidant at Rank 2 provides Joker with the Detox X ability. This skill occasionally cures any status ailment that Joker may receive. It's important to note that this ability only applies to Joker and not the other members of the Phantom Thieves. However, in scenarios where Joker is afflicted with Hunger during a boss fight, Detox X can activate and save a valuable turn.

Okumura Boss Fight Walkthrough

Okumura's battle has a 30-minute timer. To skip through the talking, players can hold down the Triangle/Y button.

To defeat Okumura, players must take out all robots simultaneously. If one robot remains after three of its allies are defeated, it will escape. This triggers Okumura to summon the same line of bots again, and players will have to start over. Occasionally, Okumura will command a robot to self-destruct, which does not count as a "defeat" and will restart the cycle.

The Phantom Thieves won't be able to perform an All-Out Attack on Okumura's robots even if they're downed. However, players can still use the Baton Pass.

First Wave

Okumura will begin the battle by summoning a row of level 43 MDL-WKR Corporobos. Afterwards, he will choose a Phantom Thief at random for his bots to target during their respective turns. The targeting pattern will shift once Okumura introduces a fresh wave of Corporobos.

Regardless, all of these MDL-WKRs are susceptible to Fire and Wind attacks, while they possess resistance against other forms of damage, excluding Gun-based attacks. To counter this, players should consider utilizing Panther's Maragi or Morgana's Magaru abilities.

Second Wave

After removing the WKRs, Okumura will summon Cognitive Haru to aid him. With the help of Cognitive Haru, Okumura gains the ability to move twice in succession. This allows him to weaken the player's team and then strengthen his own robots.

Third Wave

Okumura's upcoming challenge is the Corporobos MDL-CH, which possesses a vulnerability to both Ice and Psy elements. To effectively confront this foe, players should firstly nullify its Defense buff through the use of Dekaja (or alternatively, Baptismal Water). Following this, it is advisable to employ Haru's Mapsio skill to incapacitate the adversaries, subsequently allowing for a swift elimination of the threat.

In the third wave, the MDL-AM robots possess resistance against all attacks except Gun, Electricity, and Nuke. To effectively deal with these bots, players can utilize Makoto's Mafrei or Ryuji's Mazio skills. Another option is to employ Haru's Triple Down ability, which inflicts 1-3 Gun Damage on all enemies.

To ensure that all the robots receive equal damage, players should make it a habit to use Dekaja (or Baptismal Water) and buff spells.

Fourth Wave

The MDL-DM robots in the fourth wave are resistant to all attacks except Gun, Wind, and Bless. However, they are particularly vulnerable to Wind and Bless skills, making Morgana's Magaru a highly effective option. If Joker possesses a Persona that can utilize Bless abilities, it is advisable for players to employ it in order to provide additional assistance.

Fifth Wave

The fifth wave consists of MDL-GM. They resist all Affinities and physical hits (sans Gun) and are weak to Psy and Curse.

Sixth Wave

Okumura will dispatch MDL-ED. Taking down this opponent won't be a walk in the park, but luckily, he doesn't possess any resistances, giving players a real opportunity to excel. In case the team is running low on SP, it's advisable to replenish it using SP items, such as Leblanc Coffee, or substituting affected party members with ones positioned at the back. From here on, subsequent adversaries won't exhibit Affinity Weaknesses, so there's no need to fret about ensuring specific teammates remain at the forefront.

Final Wave

When utilizing the Big Bang Order, MDL-ED should opt for the strategical approach of Blocking. Following this, unleashing the Big Bang Challenge will inflict a significant amount of Almighty damage, amplified by a 2.5x multiplier, upon all affected targets. Additionally, it will impose the ailment of Hunger on those struck by its force. Nevertheless, in the event that an individual is already suffering from Hunger, the Big Bang Challenge will serve as a means to "cure" this particular affliction.

Once MDL-ED is overcome, Okumura will unleash Cognitive Haru. Fortunately, Cognitive Haru is relatively weak, but she will activate Selfless Devotion when her health is low. This sacrificial act will annihilate Cognitive Haru while inflicting considerable Almighty damage to the entire party. The key tactic here is to Intercept when Okumura issues the command for her self-sacrifice, as if Joker is incapacitated, it will result in an immediate game over, even if his allies are still functional.

Okumura will be left alone once all of his robots are destroyed. He has weak defenses, so defeating him will only require one or two hits. Once he is defeated, players can enjoy a satisfying cutscene before they save the game.

Players should remember to watch the timer. If the timer reaches 5-10 minutes and the Phantom Thieves have not yet battled MDL-ED, it is advisable to restart the battle.

Persona 5 Royal is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PS5.