Guide on How to Defeat Shadow Madarame (Azazel)
Shadow Madarame is the second boss the Phantom Thieves will face both in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. The boss is encountered at the end of their mission at Madarame Palace.
Shadow Madarame has two forms. The first form consists of four picture frames and while the second one is the boss’s main body. The picture frames can be annoying to put down, but the main body isn’t so bad. However, if you don’t take down the main body fast enough, he can regenerate back to his painting form.
| P5 Kamoshida Palace Guide | P5R Kamoshida Palace Guide |
Boss Information
Here is a breakdown of the boss’ strengths and weaknesses, stats, and skills.
Boss Strengths and Weakness
Each part possesses the same stat distributions but varies in the attributes they drain. The mouth drains Physical and Gun attacks, the eyes drain Fire, Ice, Electric, and Wind attacks, and the nose drains the remaining attributes.
Painter’s Eye (Left and Right)
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| – | – | Drain | Drain | Drain | Drain |
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Technical |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Painter’s Nose
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| – | – | – | – | – | – |
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Technical |
| Drain | Drain | Drain | Drain | – | – |
Painter’s Mouth
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| Drain | Drain | – | – | – | – |
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Technical |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Ersatz Fury (Red)
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| Strong | – | Repel | Weak | Repel | – |
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Technical |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Ersatz Joy (Yellow)
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| Strong | – | Repel | – | Repel | Weak |
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Technical |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Ersatz Sorrow (Blue)
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| Strong | – | Weak | Repel | – | Repel |
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Technical |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Ersatz Mirth (Green)
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| Strong | – | – | Repel | Weak | Repel |
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Technical |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Shadow Madarame
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| – | – | – | – | – | – |
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Technical |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
Boss Stats
Painter’s Eye (Left and Right)
| Level | 18 |
|---|---|
| HP | 300 |
| SP | 280 |
| Strength | 15 |
| Magic | 12 |
| Endurance | 12 |
| Agility | 10 |
| Luck | 10 |
| EXP Rewards | – |
| Yen Rewards | – |
Painter’s Nose
| Level | 18 |
|---|---|
| HP | 300 |
| SP | 280 |
| Strength | 15 |
| Magic | 12 |
| Endurance | 12 |
| Agility | 10 |
| Luck | 10 |
| EXP Rewards | – |
| Yen Rewards | – |
Painter’s Mouth
| Level | 18 |
|---|---|
| HP | 300 |
| SP | 280 |
| Strength | 15 |
| Magic | 12 |
| Endurance | 12 |
| Agility | 10 |
| Luck | 10 |
| EXP Rewards | – |
| Yen Rewards | – |
Ersatz Fury (Red)
| Level | 18 |
|---|---|
| HP | 250 |
| SP | – |
| Strength | – |
| Magic | – |
| Endurance | – |
| Agility | – |
| Luck | – |
| EXP Rewards | – |
| Yen Rewards | – |
Ersatz Joy (Yellow)
| Level | 18 |
|---|---|
| HP | 250 |
| SP | – |
| Strength | – |
| Magic | – |
| Endurance | – |
| Agility | – |
| Luck | – |
| EXP Rewards | – |
| Yen Rewards | – |
Ersatz Sorrow (Blue)
| Level | 18 |
|---|---|
| HP | 250 |
| SP | – |
| Strength | – |
| Magic | – |
| Endurance | – |
| Agility | – |
| Luck | – |
| EXP Rewards | – |
| Yen Rewards | – |
Ersatz Mirth (Green)
| Level | 18 |
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| HP | 250 |
| SP | – |
| Strength | – |
| Magic | – |
| Endurance | – |
| Agility | – |
| Luck | – |
| EXP Rewards | – |
| Yen Rewards | – |
Shadow Madarame
| Level | 18 |
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| HP | 1,800 (P5) 2,400 (P5R) |
| SP | 1,800 (P5) |
| Strength | 5 |
| Magic | 5 |
| Endurance | 9 |
| Agility | 5 |
| Luck | 5 |
| EXP Rewards | 1,200 |
| Yen Rewards | 12,000 |
Boss Skills
Painter’s Eye Skills (Left and Right)
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
|---|---|
| Tarukaja | Buff attack power of 1 ally for 3 turns. |
| Rakunda | Debuff defense of 1 foe for 3 turns. |
| The Artist’s Grace | Inflict weaknesses to all affinities to 1 foe for 1 turn. |
| Restore | Revive one part with 1/4 HP recovered. |
Painter’s Nose
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
|---|---|
| Flame Dance | Medium fire damage to 1 foe. |
| Silent Snowscape | Medium ice damage to 1 foe. |
| Thunderclap | Medium electric damage to 1 foe. |
| Maelstrom | Medium wind damage to 1 foe. |
| The Artist’s Grace | Inflict weaknesses to all affinities to 1 foe for 1 turn. |
| Restore | Revive one part with 1/4 HP recovered. |
Painter’s Mouth
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
|---|---|
| Bite | Medium Physical damage to 1 foe. |
| The Artist’s Grace | Inflict weaknesses to all affinities to 1 foe for 1 turn. |
| Restore | Revive one part with 1/4 HP recovered. |
Ersatz Fury (Red)
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
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| Agi | Light Fire damage to 1 foe. |
Ersatz Joy (Yellow)
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
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| Zio | Light Electric damage to 1 foe. |
Ersatz Sorrow (Blue)
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
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| Bufu | Light Ice damage to 1 foe. |
Ersatz Mirth (Green)
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
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| Garu | Light Wind damage to 1 foe. |
Shadow Madarame
| Skill Name | Skill Effect |
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| Madara-Megido | Light Almighty damage to all foes. |
Party Setup and Recommendations
Here is a breakdown of recommendations for the party before facing the boss.
Recommended Setup
This is the current capacity of each party member:
| Party Member | Damage | Healing | Cure | Buffs | Debuffs | Reflect |
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| Joker |
(✓) | (✓) | (✓) | (✓) | (✓) | (✘) |
| Skull |
(✓) | (✘) | (✘) | (✓) | (✘) | (✘) |
| Mona |
(✓) | (✓) | (✓) | (✘) | (✘) | (✘) |
| Panther |
(✓) | (✓) | (✘) | (✘) | (✓) | (✘) |
| Fox |
(✓) | (✘) | (✘) | (✓) | (✘) | (✘) |
For this boss battle, we can only have one party setup against the boss:
- Front-Heavy Party – consists of Joker, Skull, Fox, and Mona.
- Balanced Party – consists of Joker, Panther, Skull/Fox, and Mona.
- Buff/Debuff-Heavy Party – consists of Joker, Panther, Skull, and Fox
Joker, Panther, Skull, and Fox’s roles are to apply buff/debuffs and heavy damage against Shadow Madarame. Mona will still be the party’s primary healer while also dealing additional damage to the boss.
Recommended Party Level
We recommend having all party members at level 22 to be able to unlock essential attacks or skills. You can farm experience by repetitively fighting shadows in the treasure hall area. The shadows are stationed mostly on the second floor of the treasure hall.
Recommended Attacks and Skills
Here are our recommended skills for the boss battle against Shadow Madarame. You are not limited to these skills, especially with Joker.
| Party Member | Persona | Recommended Skill | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joker |
Arsene and other Personas |
Masukunda | Decrease all foes’ Agility for 3 turns |
| Marakunda | Decrease all foes’ Defense for 3 turns | ||
| Frei | Light Nuclear damage to 1 foe | ||
| “All Element Attacks” | Deal an element-based attack to 1 foe or multiple foes | ||
| “Any Healing Skills” | Provide restoration of HP | ||
| Skull |
Captain Kidd |
Tarukaja | Increase 1 ally’s Attack power for 3 turns |
| Rampage | Light Physical damage to all foes 1x to 3x | ||
| Zio | Light Electric damage to 1 foe | ||
| Mazio | Light Electric damage to all foes | ||
| Agi/Garu/Bufu/Frei accessory (P5R only) | Light Fire/Wind/Ice/Nuke damage to 1 foe | ||
| Mona |
Zorro |
Garu | Light Wind damage to 1 foe |
| Magaru | Light Wind damage to all foes | ||
| Dia | Slightly restore 1 ally’s HP | ||
| Media | Slight restore party’s HP | ||
| Zio/Agi/Bufu/Frei accessory (P5R only) | Light Electric/Fire/Ice/Nuke damage to 1 foe | ||
| Panther |
Carmen |
Tarunda | Decrease 1 foe’s Defense for 3 turns |
| Agi | Light Fire damage to 1 foe | ||
| Maragi | Light Fire damage to all foes | ||
| Dia | Slightly restore 1 ally’s HP | ||
| Dormina | Inflict Sleep (high odds) to 1 foe | ||
| Zio/Garu/Bufu/Frei accessory (P5R only) | Light Electric/Wind/Ice/Nuke damage to 1 foe | ||
| Fox |
Goemon |
Sukukaja | Buff agility of 1 ally for 3 turns |
| Bufu | Light Wind damage to 1 foe | ||
| Mabufu | Light Ice damage to all foes. | ||
| Vicious Strike | Deal medium Phys damage to all foes. | ||
| Zio/Agi/Garu/Frei accessory (P5R only) | Light Electric/Fire/Wind/Nuke damage to 1 foe |
Boss Strategies
Here is a breakdown of the battle strategies against boss. This applies to both Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal unless otherwise specified.
Debuff Parts of Madarame’s Painting Form
At the start of the battle, land debuffs to different parts of Madarame’s painting form. His painting form comprised of several parts and each can use a variety of elemental spells. You can start off with Joker’s Marakunda skill if available (can be accessed from Orobas).
When one part is defeated, he can restore it with 25% HP. When he does so, immediately kill the newly restored body part. His mouth can be a bit of a pest, as it will bite a target every now and then. To make things worse, the mouth heals whenever hit by physical attacks whereas the eyes heal if hit with magic attacks.
Apply Tarunda or Sukunda to the Painter’s Mouth first. Then, to the Painter’s Nose and Painter’s Eyes. While applying these debuffs, make sure your party member’s HP is secured with Dia or Media. Next to debuffs and heals are buffs to your party members. Make use of Ryuji’s Tarukaja and Yusuke’s Sukukaja to buff your party.
Use Physical Attacks to Painter’s Eyes and Painter’s Nose
Defeat the Painter’s Eyes and Painter’s Nose by using physical attacks.
You can also use elemental-based attacks but make sure they will hit the right part. Although not his weakness, Madarame’s painting form suffers greatly from Nuke attacks. Make sure that these parts are defeated before putting your focus on the Painter’s Mouth.
Use Magic Attacks to Painter’s Mouth
Once the Painter’s Eyes and Painter’s Nose are defeated, focus your attention on the Painter’s Mouth.
You are free to use any magic-based attacks, including Nuke attacks (can be accessed from Suzaku or Makami). Make sure that your party is well healed to keep your party sustained from its Bite attack.
Debuff and Attack Shadow Madarame (Persona 5 Only)
After defeating the different parts of Shadow Madarame’s painting form, he will revert back to his shadow form. When he’s in this form, the phase starts with an all-out attack.
Cast Rakunda to Shadow Madarame while Ann can swap between Agi and Tarunda on him.
Make Yusuke, Ryuji, or Morgana use their physical attacks. The boss will cast a multi-target Almighty attack now and then, but it shouldn’t be that damaging as long as he’s affected by Rakunda and Tarunda.
If you don’t kill him in one turn, he’ll go back to his painting form. If you beat him in this shadow form, then he won’t have a chance to use Artist’s Grace.
Focus on Defeating Madarame’s Counterfeits First (Persona 5 Royal only)
Instead of facing Shadow Madarame alone, he will summon four counterfeits that will help him in battle.
These counterfeits have a single elemental affinity ranging between Electric, Fire, Ice, and Wind. Use single-target magic attacks that will exploit their weaknesses while taking advantage of the Baton Pass mechanic.
If there is more than one counterfeit with the same elemental weakness, you can use multi-target magic attacks instead. However, don’t use multi-target attacks with a present counterfeit that will drain or repel the damage back to your party member.
Until the original Shadow Madarame is defeated, he will keep on summoning his elemental counterfeits. The type of counterfeit appearing after defeating the first ones in battle is random. However, they appear more than once so this is an opportunity for your party to capitalize. Lastly, whenever Shadow Madarame summons his counterfeit, he becomes progressively weaker in battle.
| ← Shadow Kamoshida Boss Guide | Shadow Kaneshiro Boss Guide → |
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How do you get Masukunda for Joker this early in the game? I’m having trouble figuring out how to get it.
Fuse an Orobas and level it, it learns it pretty quickly.
This was a hard battle for me. I don’t think I was set up for it well with Personas, and I had nothing to revive KO’d allies. I was having Morgana use Media every turn, but that alone wasn’t enough and I had to retry several times. When I started having Fox raise everyone’s evasion, along with Morgana healing, and just have MC and Ann beat the stuffing out of it, it finally came together, but that evasion was major! Thanks for this! Other guides did not help at all!
they probably played on easiest dif lol
Beat him on hard at level 16 but to say it was “an ordeal” would be an understatement.
Same I beat it on hard at level 17, and boy did rampage come in handy. I downed all three arts besides mouth in 2 turns and mouth was easy as well. It wasn’t that bad but it was difficult at times when the mouth got a crit and OHK’d members.
Quite true but for those new to the mechanics of Persona 5, they might have a hard time. Since they added a few things that old players may be more familiar with. :))
This guide fails to mention he cant bring his face parts back to life if you try to kill them off one by one. Has wind, fire, lightning aoe spells, attack buff, and a debuff which makes one of your party members weak to all elements. This is also technically a 4 stage battle not 2 as once he goes into his human for you can only take off half of his health before he goes back into his painting form and you have do whittle that down again. If you work on cancelling his debuffs it drags the battle out and requires quite a bit of healing. If you dont cancel his debuffs out he can attack 3 times his every turn. Make sure you have tons of healing whether its items or magic and make sure you can revive a party member once or twice.
He can revive his face parts if you try to kill them one by one, it happened to me several times. It’s no big issue as long as you immediately kill the revived part again though.