In Persona 3 Reload, a formidable adversary known as the Hanged Man emerges during a critical mission, posing a significant threat to your team. This boss defies conventional combat rules, presenting a daunting challenge that requires careful coordination to overcome. Encounter the Hanged Man on November 3rd during the "November Full Moon Operation" mission, where it must be faced in three distinct phases. Ensure your team is equipped with your most powerful Personas for this mandatory battle, especially since it follows a confrontation with Jin and Takaya, necessitating resource recovery.
Best Team, Personas, And Strategies For Fighting The Hanged Man
For the battle against the Hanged Man in Persona 3 Reload, Yukari, Mitsuru, and Akihiko form the optimal team due to their ability to exploit weaknesses in the early phases. Given the absence of weaknesses in the Hanged Man, a diverse array of physical attacks is essential. Focus on utilizing your strongest physical moves, as they offer the most effective means of dealing damage during this stage of the game.
Aigis also proves to be a valuable asset in this fight, though she lacks some of Mitsuru's debuffing abilities. When selecting Personas for this encounter, prioritize those that nullify dark damage, as this grants resistance against the Hanged Man's potent attacks. Additionally, Persona resistance to strike damage is advantageous, as the Hanged Man primarily utilizes physical strikes of this type. Avoid using Personas or gear that rely on fire or dark attributes, as they play into the Hanged Man's strengths.
While many characters in Persona 3 Reload are limited to a single Persona, focus on utilizing buff and debuff abilities to counter the Hanged Man's advantages. Equip your team with gear that shares traits such as resistance to dark damage or immunity to strike attacks, further bolstering their effectiveness in this challenging encounter.
How To Beat The Hanged Man (Phase 1)
In the initial phase of the battle against the Hanged Man in Persona 3 Reload, the boss is suspended in the sky and cannot be damaged until you defeat three statue shadows supporting it. Each statue shadow is vulnerable to a specific type of physical damage: the central statue is weak to slash damage, the left one to strike damage, and the right one to pierce damage.
Utilize Akihiko to inflict strike damage, Mitsuru or yourself for slashing damage, and Yukari for pierce damage to trigger an All-Out attack against the statues swiftly. Once all minions are defeated, the Hanged Man descends to the ground, granting you a turn to act before it retaliates. Use this window to apply buffs to your team or debuffs to the boss to gain an advantage for the subsequent phases.
Before the Hanged Man becomes fully engaged in combat, aim to reduce its susceptibility to dark and strike damage using any available means. Then, unleash your most potent abilities to swiftly deplete the boss's HP until it calls forth the statues once more. Leveraging strong attacks from Personas obtained earlier in Persona 3 Reload can deal significant damage without excessively depleting your resources for the subsequent phases.
How To Beat The Hanged Man (Phase 2)
In phase 2 of the battle against the Hanged Man in Persona 3 Reload, the boss unleashes a new attack called Grim Transcendence, classified as an Almighty Attack. This powerful move grants the boss multiple turns, intensifying the challenge. Despite the increased aggression, the phase follows a similar pattern to the first, albeit with more frequent attacks from the Hanged Man.
Continue to prioritize buffing your allies and healing any party members who sustain significant damage. Take advantage of the turn when the Hanged Man is stunned after defeating the statues to bolster your defenses, preparing for the onslaught of multiple strikes from the boss.
As the Hanged Man's HP dwindles to about a quarter, it transitions to the third and final phase of the battle in Persona 3 Reload. Prepare for the climax of the encounter as you strive to emerge victorious against this formidable opponent.
How To Beat The Hanged Man (Phase 3)
In phase 3 of the battle against the Hanged Man in Persona 3 Reload, the boss summons a single statue with resistance against every type of single attack. To overcome this obstacle, utilize a Theurgy attack before the shadow inflicts significant damage. This powerful attack will once again leave the Hanged Man vulnerable for a turn, allowing you to heal or apply buffs to your team.
As phase 3 commences, the Hanged Man initiates Grim Transcendence twice, granting it the ability to unleash a barrage of six attacks against your team. Endure this onslaught while remaining vigilant, as the boss attempts to raise its Critical Hit rate and apply numerous buffs or debuffs. Be prepared for the possibility of status effects and instant death moves, as the Hanged Man employs all means to secure victory.
Persist in the fight and unleash your strongest attacks to whittle down the boss's remaining health to zero. Counter its debuffs with buffs when possible, prioritizing damage as you near victory. Defeating the Hanged Man in Persona 3 Reload signifies overcoming a significant story boss and allows you to progress with your team.
