Persona 5: The Phantom X – How to defeat the Matador mini-bosses

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A challenging boss doesn’t necessarily require the strongest attacks or largest health pool; instead, it should possess a truly irritating mechanic, and that is exactly what the Matador bosses in P5X offer. As you traverse Floor 3 of Mementos, you’ll run into four distinct battles with Matador mini-bosses, leaving you pulling your hair out due to their ability to consistently dodge specific attacks, making them a truly frustrating experience.

We’ll show you strategies to beat these bosses, by detailing their unique tactics and suggesting the ideal team composition for those fights.

Recommended party for P5X Matador fights

At Level 38, you’ll face off with the Matadors. It would be wise to ensure your team is at least Level 30 before engaging them, and even better if they are around Level 40. This is because the Matador has the ability to launch powerful attacks that can target the entire party.

For this encounter, we recommend the following party setup:

  • Wonder with your strongest Lightning Persona and a Persona with a party-wide healing skill
  • Skull
  • Closer
  • Panther
  • Puppet (Support)

Since Matadors are vulnerable to Lightning attacks, it’s wise to concentrate on utilizing that type of assault. Unfortunately, you can’t stun these opponents, not even when attacking their weak point, rendering them invulnerable to All-Out Assaults. Nevertheless, taking advantage of their vulnerability will still result in the highest damage output.

If you haven’t unlocked all these characters just yet, there are other options available. While Skull/Ryuji is an excellent choice, you could replace him with Mona if she’s been unlocked instead, as Windswept is a beneficial status effect to impose – the same goes for Burn Panther or Cattle, as they can also inflict this status.

Among all options, Puppet stands out as an exceptional choice due to its robust defensive skills. These abilities will shield you effectively from the Matador’s powerful assaults, as they can potentially incapacitate you if you’re not adequately prepared to endure the blows. To ensure your party stays vigorous throughout the battle, don’t forget to include a powerful Healing Persona with Wonder in your team.

How to defeat the Matador mini-bosses in P5X

In every encounter with a Matador, there’s a unique twist, yet they all revolve around the same tricky tactic: dodging assaults.

First Matador

In the initial battle, the Matador fights solo. At the onset of the combat, it will trigger an ability that ensures a 100% dodge for two types, either melee, ranged, or skill attacks, and each time you manage to hit it, it switches the types of attacks it can evade at random.

Your task is to find an opportunity to launch an attack that the enemy can’t dodge, aiming to set up a moment when Persona skills can be effectively used against it. Once this situation arises, unleash a powerful lightning attack to exploit its vulnerability. However, avoid attacking every turn as the Matador is strong and you wouldn’t want to endure numerous attacks from it. Essentially, the strategy is to wear down the enemy through a prolonged battle of resistance.

Second Matador

Initially, it might appear that this battle is unbeatable since it’s invincible to all attacks. But here’s a twist: when it takes its first action, it calls forth an ally. If you manage to defeat this summoned ally, the Matador will temporarily lose its defense mechanisms and become vulnerable. This brief window gives you an opportunity to attack relentlessly, causing significant damage during one round before it can retaliate again.

As soon as it regains strength, it will call forth a fresh companion, marking the start of another round. Remember to stay vigilant during the turns when you’re anticipating the arrival of your new comrade.

Third Matador

In the third encounter, a Matador emerges accompanied by a Bicorn as its ally. During the initial round, feel free to assault both of them without restraint. However, once the Matador and Bicorn have had their opening moves, the rules shift. The Matador will gain immunity to a specific type of attack, which changes each turn. Crucially, it’s essential to cease attacking the Bicorn. If you continue to assault the Bicorn excessively, it will begin enhancing the Matador’s abilities, making it more challenging to defeat the Matador first before finishing off the Bicorn.

Fourth Matador

In the grand finale, you’ll encounter two Matadors simultaneously, and as their name suggests, dealing with them can be quite a hassle. Similar to the initial Matador, they possess an ability to render themselves immune to two types of attacks concurrently, but unlike the first, they will only activate this defense on their turn, not when struck. It’s advisable to target one Matador at a time to minimize the damage you receive. However, if either of them exposes themselves to your Persona skills, prioritize that opponent during that round, as it offers the highest potential for damage.

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2025-07-04 13:16