Guide on How to Defeat Black Rider in Shin Megami Tensei V
Black Rider is a DLC subquest optional boss enemy faced by the Protagonist or Nahobino in Shin Megami Tensei V (SMT 5). The demon is encountered at Da’at’s Chiyoda Region.
How to Unlock Black Rider Boss Fight
In order to face Black Rider in battle, start the subquest: “Return of the True Demon”. From the Akihabara Electric Town Leyline Fount, head southwest to the building rooftops and go northeast to find a rooftop with a portal. You must defeat Black Rider first before you find the portal. Make sure to save your game before the boss fight.
The Return of the True Demon Subquest Walkthrough
Black Rider Boss Information
Here is a breakdown of the boss’ stats, strengths and weaknesses, and skills:
Black Rider and Legion Details
| Boss Type | Optional Boss (DLC Subquest) |
|---|---|
| Recommended Level | Level 52 or higher |
| Recommended Party Members | Cu Chulainn, Titania, Oberon, or any ally demons. |
| Macca Rewards | 9,950 Macca |
| Other Rewards | Black Rider Demon Fusion, Large Glory Crystal x1, Stamina Balm x1, Ice Sutra x1 |
Black Rider Stats
Black Rider Demon Stats and Skills
Legion Stats
Black Rider Strengths and Weaknesses
| Physical |
Fire |
Ice |
Electricity |
|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | Reflect | – |
| Force |
Light |
Dark |
Ailment |
| Weak | Resist | Resist | Resist/Null |
Legion Strengths and Weaknesses
| Physical |
Fire |
Ice |
Electricity |
|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | Weak |
| Force |
Light |
Dark |
Ailment |
| – | Weak | Void | Resist |
Black Rider Skills
| Skill | Skill Effect |
|---|---|
| Soul Divide +5 |
Severe Almighty attack to all foes. Chance of inflicting Seal/Mute. Low Accuracy. (Unique) |
| Glacial Blast +7 |
Medium 2-5 Ice attacks to random foes. |
| Megidolaon +5 |
Severe Almighty attack to all foes. |
| Dekaja +1 |
Negates status buff effects on all foes. |
| Call Souls | Summons a demon. |
| Omagatoki: Critical |
All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn. |
Legion Skills
| Skill | Skill Effect |
|---|---|
| Tetrakarn |
Reflects Phys attack once for 1 ally for 1 turn. |
| Matarukaja |
Raises Attack of all allies by 1 rank for 3 turns. |
| Heat Wave |
Weak Physical attack to all foes. |
| Omagatoki: Critical |
All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn. |
Black Rider Boss Setup
Here is a breakdown of the battle preparation against the boss:
Carry HP and MP recovery items
Before engaging the boss, bring HP and MP recovery items in case your party runs out of HP and MP during battle.
Max your Magatsuhi Gauge
In addition, make sure that your Magatsuhi gauge is already maxed. Having it maxed prior to battle is helpful in setting up your offense. Also, having a Miracle skill, Magatsuhi Wellspring, will provide your party HP and MP recovery at the start of your party’s turn.
Assign Nahobino Force, Elec, and Light skills
Make sure to import Force, Electricity, and Light skills if you can in order to exploit the weakness of the boss. Otherwise, you can rely on your ally demons to have those skills for you. To add, complement your offense with strong Physical skills like Aramasa/Wrath Tempest and/or with strength-based elemental skills such as Wind/Storm/White Dracostrike.
Furthermore, put in Support and Passive skills to boost damage if there are still skill slots remaining. Recovery skills are optional if your active party members do not have these skills. This is to sustain the party during battle.
Attach resistances to Nahobino that nullify Phys and Ice skills
With the Divine Amalgamation Miracle, Nahobino can implant new resistances from essences. Add to Nahobino resistances that can Reflect/Absorb/Void/Resist Physical and Ice skills.
Pick ally demons that can counter Phys and Ice skills
Bring party members can innately Reflect/Absorb/Void/Resist Physical and Ice skills, if possible. If you can’t, make it a point that their weaknesses are covered during battle. Options include using Block skills or consuming Dampener items.
Add demons that can use Phys, Force, Elec, and Light skills
Similarly, add demons to your active party that can use Physical, Force, Electricity, and Light skills. If they don’t have access to those skills, utilize Essence Fusion to grab those skills from demon essences. Preferably, implant these skills to demons with skill potential on those skill types.
Legion Boss Strategies
Here is a breakdown of the battle strategies against the mini-bosses:
Pass action to support demons
If you start the battle with Nahobino and don’t have access to debuff/buff Support skills, make use of the Press Turn System and pass your turn to demon allies that can use debuff Support skills.
Start with Elec and Light skill users
Assign to Nahobino party members that can deal single-target Electricity and single-target Light damage. Preferably those who have their own buff skills at their disposal.
Land debuffs
Land debuffs on the boss while leaving some MP for offense and recovery. Debuffs are in the form of attack power decrease (Tarunda/Matarunda), defense power decrease (Rakunda/Marakunda), and hit/evasion power decrease (Sukunda/Masukunda). These debuffs can be accessed by Nahobino and any demons in your party.
Prioritize on landing Sukunda/Masukunda first. Followed by Tarunda/Matarunda and Rakunda/Marakunda. Since the boss will keep on using its Matarukaja skill, cast Dekaja or -nda debuffs again to impede the bosses in battle.
Cast buffs
Cast buffs on your party members as well. Buffs can be in the form of attack power increase (Tarukaja/Matarukaja), defense power increase (Rakukaja/Marakukaja), and hit/evasion power increase (Sukukaja/Masukukaja). These buffs can be accessed by Nahobino and any demons in your party.
Prioritize on landing Sukukaja/Masukukaja first. Followed by Rakukaja/Marakukaja and Tarukaja/Matarukaja. You may also use Charge/Donum Gladi and Concentrate/Donum Magici buffs to boost your party’s damage even further if available.
Inflict Any Ailment to Legion
Legion has no direct weakness to any Ailment but it can still be inflicted by chance. Especially when the caster or user of an Ailment skill has a higher Luck stat than the target. Choose any Ailment such as Sleep, Seal/Mute, Confusion/Panic, and etc. You can also use Ailment items to inflict the same effects if you and your ally demons don’t have them during the battle.
Use Elec and Light skills against Legion
Legion is weak against Electricity and Light skills which Nahobino and his ally demons can capitalize on. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Concentrate/Donum Magici.
If you are setting up for Storm/White Dracostrike, cast Charge/Donum Gladi instead to boost the damage.
Use Phys skills against Legion
Legion does not have resistance against Physical skills so add party members that specialize in this skill type. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Charge/Donum Gladi. This is to maximize the damage potential of your Physical attacks.
Black Rider Boss Strategies
Here is a breakdown of the battle strategies against the boss:
Switch party members to Force skill users
After defeating Legion switch your damage dealers to Force skill users. Preferably those who have their own buff skills at their disposal.
Land debuffs again
Start landing debuffs against Black Rider. Prioritize on landing Sukunda first. Followed by Tarunda and Rakunda.
Cast buffs again
Cast buffs on your party members again in order to boost your newly summoned ally demons.
You may also use Charge/Donum Gladi and Concentrate/Donum Magici buffs to boost your party’s damage even further if available. Since the boss will keep on using its Dekaja skill, cast -kaja buffs again to boost your party’s capabilities in battle.
Use Block skills or Dampener items to void enemy skills
Before using a Magatsuhi skill in your next turn, you can use a Block skill or a Dampener item to nullify an enemy’s upcoming attack. You can prioritize voiding Ice since the boss has a multi-target skill on it. Once the attack misses, it will consume an additional press turn resulting in fewer actions. Take note that you can only block one affinity or element per turn and it is not stackable.
Activate Magatsuhi skill
Unleash the Magatsuhi skill such as Omagatoki: Critical to boost your damage even further. Make sure to use it once debuffs and buffs are already set. Activate the Magatsuhi skill on Nahobino’s turn and you will have up to 8 possible actions against the boss.
If you already unlocked the Race Transcendence Miracle skill, you can also use other Magatsuhi skills held by other party members.
Use Force skills against Black Rider
Black Rider is weak against Force skills which Nahobino and his ally demons can capitalize on. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Concentrate/Donum Magici.
If you are setting up for Wind Dracostrike, cast Charge/Donum Gladi instead to boost the damage.
Use Phys skills against Black Rider
Black Rider does not have resistance against Physical skills so add party members that specialize in this skill type. The damage will be higher if the party is buffed with Tarukaja/Matarukaja and Charge/Donum Gladi. This is to maximize the damage potential of your Physical attacks.
Heal allies
Keep the party’s HP sustained by using healing skills. Especially when other party members are getting overwhelmed by enemy damage.
Black Rider Boss Video
Here is a boss fight video against Black Rider. The battle is already timestamped so you no longer need to browse through the whole video:
| ← Red Rider (Level 47) | Pale Rider (Level 57) → |
Other Bosses
Canon of Vengeance Bosses
Minato Region - Vengeance Route Main Story Bosses
| Beast Glasya-Labolas (Level 8) |
Drake Hydra (Level 15) |
| Qadistu Naamah (Level 18) |
Fallen Eligor (Level 20) |
| Lady Nuwa (Serpentine) (Level 22) |
- |
Shinagawa Region - Vengeance Route Main Story Bosses
| Naamah and Beast Glasya-Labolas (Level 22) |
Vile Lahmu (Level 24) |
Other Vengeance Route Main Story Bosses
| Qaditsu Eisheth Zenunim (Level 28) |
Human Yuzuru Atsuta and Holy Hayataro (Level 38) |
| Deity Khonsu (Level 46) |
Meta Shohei Yakumo and Lady Nuwa (Level 49) |
| Qaditsu Agrat bat Mahlat (Level 50) |
Qaditsu Lilith (Level 52) |
| Herald Abdiel (Level 58) |
Deity Odin and Deity Zeus (Level 72) |
| Tyrant Beelzebub (Level 72) |
Herald Metatron (Level 79 |
| Fallen Abdiel and Human Ichiro Dazai (Level 80) |
Tiamat (Level 83) |
| Tehom (Law Route) (Level 84) | Herald Mastema (Chaos Route) (Level 84) |
| Matter Lucifer (Level 85) | - |
Canon of Creation Bosses
Minato Region Main Story Bosses
| Drake Hydra (Level 15) |
Fallen Eligor (Level 20) |
| Lady Nuwa (Serpentine) (Level 22) |
- |
Minato Region Optional Bosses
| Vile Pazuzu (Level 16) |
Yoma Apsaras (Level 16) |
| Femme Leanan Sidhe (Level 17) |
Brute Oni (Level 17) |
| Megami Anahita (Level 18) |
Brute Shiki-Ouji (Level 19) |
| Dragon Xuanwu / Genbu (Level 23) |
Avian Jatayu (Level 25) |
| Holy Baihu / Byakko (Level 43) |
Avian Zhuque / Suzaku (Level 43) |
| Kishin Koumokuten Part 1 (Level 44) |
Dragon Qing Long / Seiryu (Level 45) |
| Kunitsu Ouyamatsumi / Oyamatsumi (Level 48) |
Drake Seth (Level 62) |
| Deity Khonsu (Level 64) |
Kishin Koumokuten Part 2 (Level 65) |
| Dragon Huang Long / Kohryu (Level 70) |
Fury Zaou-Gongen (Level 75) |
Shinagawa Region Main Story Bosses
| Vile Lahmu Part 1 (Level 23) | Beast Loup-garou (Level 28) |
| Genma Fionn mac Cumhaill Part 1 (Level 32) | Vile Lahmu Part 2 (Level 38) |
Shinagawa Region Optional Bosses
| Tyrant King Frost (Level 28) | Divine Principality (Level 28) |
| Night Lilim (Level 32) | Haunt Kumbhanda (Level 34) |
| Avian Thunderbird (Level 35) | Tyrant Loki (Level 36) |
| Kishin Zouchouten Part 1 (Level 36) | Tyrant Belphegor (Level 38) |
| Vile Girimekhala (Level 46) | Genma Amanozako (Level 51) |
| Kunitsu Arahabaki (Level 62) | Kishin Zouchouten Part 2 (Level 65) |
| Deity Baal (Level 69) | Deity Khonsu Ra (Level 82) |
Chiyoda Region Main Story Bosses
| Meta Shohei Yakumo (Level 46) | Tyrant Surt (Level 49) |
| Lady Ishtar (Level 52) | Fury Chernobog (Level 53) |
| Tyrant Arioch (Level 55) | Herald Abdiel (Level 58) |
Chiyoda Region Optional Bosses
| Fury Dionysus (Level 44) | Night Black Frost (Level 44) |
| Deity Horus (Level 46) | Jaki Hecatoncheires (Level 47) |
| Holy Chimera (Level 50) | Kunitsu Okuninushi, Oyamatsumi, Sukuna-Hikona, and Take-Minakata (Level 39-50) |
| Kishin Jikokuten Part 1 (Level 51) | Tyrant Moloch (Level 51) |
| Herald Camael (Level 54) | Kishin Jikokuten Part 2 (Level 65) |
| Fury Asura and Tyrant Mithras (Level 71) | - |
Taito Region Main Story Bosses
| Deity Zeus Part 1 (Level 72) | Drake Vasuki (Level 72) |
| Deity Odin (Level 72) | Herald Metatron (Level 78) |
| Herald Melchizedek (Level 79) | Herald Sraosha (Level 80) |
| Lady Alilat (Level 81) | Nahobino Abdiel (Level 83) |
| Nahobino Tsukiyomi (Level 83) | Nahobino Nuwa (Level 83) |
| Matter Lucifer (Law and Chaos Route) (Level 85) | Matter Lucifer (True Neutral/Humanity Route) (Level 90) |
Taito Region Optional Bosses
| Kishin Bishamonten Part 1 (Level 58) | Tyrant Abaddon (Level 61) |
| Kishin Bishamonten Part 2 (Level 65) | Genma Fionn mac Cumhaill Part 2 (Level 66) |
| Wargod Futsunushi (Level 69) | Fallen Adramelech (Level 71) |
| Tyrant Amon (Level 73) | Herald Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel (Level 74) |
| Avian Garuda (Level 80) | Herald Michael (Level 80) |
| Tyrant Belial (Level 80) | Megami Maria (Level 81) |
| Lady Inanna (Level 81) | Lady Danu (Level 81) |
| Deity Zeus Part 2 (Level 86) | Fury Shiva (Level 96) |
DLC Optional Bosses
| Dragon Quetzalcoatl (Level 34) | Megami Artemis (Level 37) |
| Femme Cleopatra (Level 61) | Tyrant Mephisto (Level 79) |
| Fiend Matador (Level 24) | Fiend Daisoujou (Level 30) |
| Fiend Hell Biker (Level 36) | Fiend White Rider (Level 43) |
| Fiend Red Rider (Level 47) | Fiend Black Rider (Level 52) |
| Fiend Pale Rider (Level 57) | Fiend Mother Harlot (Level 64) |
| Fiend Trumpeter (Level 73) | King Demi-fiend (Level 99) |
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Recommended Article List
SMT V: Vengeance Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Game Guides
Collectible Guides
General Collectibles
| Mimans List | Talismans List |
| Demon Statues List | Abscesses List |
| Amalgams List | Periapts List |
| Aogami Husks List | Cirronup Fox Demons List |
| Demon Navigators List | - |
Map Collectibles by Region
| Minato Map Collectibles List | Shinagawa Map Collectibles List |
| Chiyoda Map Collectibles List | Shinjuku Map Collectibles List |
| Taito Map Collectibles List | - |
Beginner Guides
Basic Information
| Pre-Order Bonuses | Game Editions |
| DLC List and Information | Game Difficulty |
| Game Controls | Gameplay Features and Changes |
| Permanent Events and Missables | Save Data Transfer Bonuses |
| PC System Objectives and Specs | Platform and System Differences |
| How Long to Beat | Metacritic Reviews |
| Differences with Persona Games | Differences with SMT Games |
| Tips for Beginners | - |
Strategy Guides
Useful Information
| Post-Game Unlockables | New Game Plus Unlockables |
| Endings Routes Guide | Canon of Vengeance Route Guide |
| Fast Leveling Guide | Money Farming Guide |
| Glory Farming Guide | Incense Farming Guide |
| Sutra Farming Guide | Battle System Guide |
| Virtual Trainer Battle Guide | - |
Tier List Guides
How-to Guides
Nahobino Guides
| Stats Guide | Attributes Guide |
| Skill Types Guide | Status Effects Guide |
| Magatsuhi Skills Guide | Skill Potential Guide |
| Essences Guide | Moon Phase System Guide |
| Relic Items Guide | Nahobino Forms Guide |
Demon Guides
| World of Shadows Guide | Cadaver's Hollow Guide |
| Demon Fusion Table Guide | Demon Negotiation Guide |
| Mitama Demons Guide | Unlockable Demons List |
| Special Fusions List | Special Conversations List |
| Demon Navigator Guide | Guest Characters Guide |
| Magatsuhi Demon Guide | Demon Haunt Guide |
| Original Mode Virtual Trainer Battles List | Challenge Mode Virtual Trainer Battles List |
Game Database
General Database
| Items List | Demon Skills List |
| Bosses List | Demons List |
Item Database
| Battle Items List | Boost Items List |
| Dungeon Items List | Essence Items List |
| Relic Items List | Key Items List |
Demon Skill Database
| Physical Skills List | Magic Skills List |
| Instant Death Skills List | Ailment Skills List |
| Recovery Skills List | Support Skills List |
| Passive Skills List | Magatsuhi Skills List |
| Miracle Skills List | - |
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