How to defeat Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X

The fight against Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X is one of the most involved boss battles in the early game. As the ruler of the second palace, this boss doesn’t just rely on strength; his phases involve deception, status effects, and a few mechanics that can quickly turn the fight against you if you’re not paying attention.

This guide will go over how to take down Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X.

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Best team to bring for Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X

Shadow Miyazawa's details and skills (Image via SEGA)

Miyazawa deals mainly curse damage, so make sure you bring teammates that can either resist or nullify it. Pair Soy with Ann, Closer, Sumi, and Joker. Sumi and Joker both have curse affinity, which helps reduce incoming damage. For Wonder, equip a curse-based Persona and consider Skill Inheritance to add Media or another healing skill, especially if it is your primary healer.

Keep a few Relax Gels or Alert Capsules handy, and make sure someone on your team can cleanse debuffs — Minami Miyashita, Morgana (Medic), or Silky are solid options.

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How to beat Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X

Phase 1

The duel with the boss (Image via SEGA)

In this first part, the fight is straightforward. Focus on dealing damage while managing your healing. Use your strongest single-target attacks, preferably Ice or Physical. Once Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X drops below half HP, the next phase begins.

Phase 2

Miyazawa splits into three copies of himself. Only one is real, and if you attack a fake, he’ll immediately counterattack the character who hit him. Here’s how to safely find the real one:

• Watch for head movement: The real Miyazawa nods off slightly and shakes his head awake.
• Check HP: The real one usually has slightly more HP than the others.
• Observe after attack: When the real Miyazawa finishes an attack, he drops his sword before returning to his spot.

Stick to single-target attacks in this phase. AoE attacks will hit all copies and trigger counters. Once you’ve landed enough hits on the real one, he moves to phase three.

Phase 3

In this phase, Miyazawa returns to normal and doesn’t use any more clones. His attacks are stronger, and his turns will often include a heavy hit on one party member followed by AoE damage. Maintain consistent healing with Morgana and be prepared to guard if your team’s health is low.

Phase 4

Here, Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X applies a special debuff called Nuisance to one character and then hides behind a wall. The afflicted teammate will attack allies unless cleansed.

To deal with it,

• Use a Persona skill or Relax Gel/Alert Capsule to remove the debuff.
• Have the rest of the party guard to reduce damage until he returns. (Use Soy’s Icy Defense to draw Miyazawa’s attacks)
• Once he’s visible again, use the turn to deal solid damage before he disappears again.

Continue this process until the phase is complete.

Phase 5

Dialogue exchange during the battle (Image via SEGA)

Miyazawa now summons two camera projectors. These don’t attack you directly, but if left standing, Miyazawa will charge up and hit a teammate with a strong strike. They are weak to Physical damage, so use that to destroy them quickly.

Once both are gone, Miyazawa becomes vulnerable. Use this chance to deal uninterrupted damage before the fight resets again.

Phase 6

In this final phase, Miyazawa summons four swords, but only one is real. Hitting the wrong ones will give him a buff, and destroying the wrong one triggers a powerful AoE attack. You can tell which sword is real by looking for an accessory/tassel on the hilt or handle. Avoid AoE and stick to single-target Ice attacks to safely destroy the right one.

Note: If you're using "One More" attacks, disable Auto Select 1-More Target in your battle settings. This way, your Ice attack won’t accidentally target a fake sword.

After the correct sword is destroyed, Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X comes back with a group attack. Continue this pattern until the fight is over.

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This concludes our guide on defeating Shadow Miyazawa in Persona 5: The Phantom X.

Check out: How to farm Konpaku Gems in Persona 5: The Phantom X