Persona 4 Golden

Izanami is the actual final boss of the True Ending of Persona 4 Golden. However, the game will try to trick you into not fighting or even seeking out this elusive enemy. There are a ton of things that you’ll need to make this fight happen, and while not rocket science, you have to be very meticulous to make it happen.

Here's what you need to do:

• First things first, you need to extend the game past the end of December. In order to do that you’ll have to not throw Namatame into the TV. On December 3rd, say the following options:
  • “Wait a second here…”
  • “We're missing something.”
  • “Namatame's true feelings.”
  • “Something's bothering me.”
  • “We're missing something…”
  • “Calm the hell down!”
• Then, on December 5th, accuse Adachi. And then take him down.
• You can do the optional dungeon if you like, with Marie, and gain access to the Hollow Forest, but it doesn't change the outcome of the ending.

Then finally, on March 20th, do the following:

• Talk to all maxed out Social Links.
• When the game asks whether you want to go home, say “No.”
• Then, head to Junes and click on the elevator. When they ask you to go home, say “no.”
• Click the elevator again and go to the food court.
• Next, go to the Samegawa Flood Plain and talk to Dojima and Nanako. Say "I want to talk to you."
• Go the Velvet Room, speak to Igor. Say, "There's one last thing..."
• Then, finally, exit the Velvet Room and talk to the guy outside the gas station, and say "Isn't this where I first..." and then ask questions about Adachi/Namatame, then "Have you met those two?", then "Did you do anything to them?", then "What did you do to me?", then "Did you give me the power?". After you've chatted some more with the attendant, you'll unlock the final dungeon, and the route to Izanami.

If you’ve already got the True Ending and this is your second playthrough and have beaten all optional bosses, you can return to the Velvet Room after speaking to Igor and fight Margaret before fighting Izanami if you want.

You don’t really need to do a lot of preparation for this fight, just be at a decent level - around 85-90. I went in as a level 80, which was kind of risky, but after fusing the Trumpeter, and getting the Debilitate Skill Card, I was confident that our party could do it. And I was right. Izanami, by the way, is level 90. So we were probably a touch underleveled.

In order to get to Izanami, you first have to fight through the Yomotsu Hirasaka Path dungeon. It’s a 9 level dungeon, with bosses on the 3rd and 6th floors, and Izanami on the 9th floor.

The key to the Izanami fight is quite simply debuffing her and buffing your squad. It’s like that in pretty much every boss encounter in Persona, but more so in the Izanami fight, especially if you’re underleveled.

There are 2 stages to Izanami. The first stage is a cakewalk. Firstly, she’ll only get 1 turn per round, which is massive, and when she does, she usually just casts Maziodyne and Megidolaon. Every so often she will Mind Charge, and you’ll want to guard the attack that comes from it.

When you’ve gotten through her health, the fight will turn into a stalemate, where you can’t do damage to her. The game will say “Izanami seems impervious,” and at this point, you’ll just have to block it out for a few turns. At some point you’ll recall what Igor said to you: “That is a crystal of power…” which will kick off phase 2… the actual proper fight.

Phase 2 is a bit of a slog. It’s absolutely key that you’re debuffing Izanami - especially if you’re a lower level. Debilitate is key, or anything that brings down her attack (and her defence if you can). You should also have a full-time healer here too. Yukiko with Salvation is great, but you’ll absolutely need SP items to assist.

This phase has many moving parts - and phases within the phase. Straight out the gate she’ll Mind Charge and screw you over with Marakunda and the like. It’s important to guard through this part of the fight, until the fight settles into more of a rhythm. When it does: use Purifying Salt to cancel out her debuffs on your party.

In terms of attacks, she essentially has two main ones for now:

• Fury of Yasogami - hits party with Physical, does decent damage
• Kuro Ikazuchi - again, another party attack (which looks like electric, but not sure it hits that way)

The fight should basically go, at this point: You debilitate, then buff, have someone attack and someone heal. She casts both of her spells. Then you use a heavy/severe magic/physical attack, buff, more attacks, and heal. That’s the pattern for a significant amount of time.

At some point she’ll change tacts, and she’ll use elemental spells like Bufudyne, which if it hits a weakness she casts Dekaja. She’ll also hit one of your party with Galgalim Eyes (which reduces them to 1 HP and gives them the Enervation status).

Again, use Purifying Salt to counteract Debilitate, and if you get a chance, cure the Enervation status ailment - although we’re sure you can’t at this point, and it’s just teaching you a lesson. The lesson being that her Summons to Yomi ability is devastating and kills anyone with Enervation.

It’s at this point the fight gets wild! WILD! She’ll use Stagnant Air and Mind Charge. You have to, and I repeat, absolutely have to guard any Mind Charged attacks in this phase. Because if not, you’re done for. What follows a Mind Charge is World’s End and then Summons to Yomi, and if any of your party doesn’t block they’re done for.

The next few cycles of turns basically goes as follows: she casts Stagnant Air and Mind Charge, you Guard, then she casts World’s End and Summons to Yomi. You will literally have to guard every other turn, and with your round after Summons to Yomi, you’ll attack and heal. It’s the only way to not risk everything.

When she gets to the last sliver of health, she’ll get desperate. Just fully heal every turn, make sure she’s debilitated, and block whenever she Mind Charges and you’ll get through it. When she casts the Thousand Curses spell it’s the end of the fight, so don’t worry. The rest is story-related. You’ve won! Congrats!

The achievement will pop when the day flicks over to March 21st.