Persona 3 Reload has its fair share of challenging battles as you make your way through the 12 Arcana Shadows. To prepare, you need to level up through Tartarus. That’s no easy task either though, because there are bosses stationed on certain floors that impede your progress—and you’re going to have to beat them.
Tartarus Guardian bosses in Persona 3 Reload
The bosses in Tartarus are Guardian bosses and they block your progress on certain floors. Most have weaknesses but some are immune to certain damage, which means you will need to know the best ways of defeating them.
The bosses are divided by the six blocks of Tartarus: Thebel, Arqa, Yabbashah, Tziah, Harabah, and Adamah. Each block has multiple bosses so you will have to prepare for each. Ensure you fuse the right Personas and your Social Links are high enough to level them up quickly.
To make things easier, we will be listing every boss’ location and their stats, which include their weaknesses and resistances, and whether they can nullify, repel, or drain certain attacks. This is what each stat will do, so you know what to expect.
- Weak: You will deal bonus damage with these attacks.
- Resist: You will deal less damage with these attacks.
- Null: Your attack will deal no damage.
- Repel: Your attack will be reflected back to you, dealing full damage.
- Drain: Your attack will be drained, fully healing the enemy for the damage dealt.
Your attacks comprise physical damage (Slash, Strike, Pierce) and magical damage (Fire, Ice, Wind, Electric, Light, Dark.) And, unfortunately, we recommend against using instant-kill moves since they won’t work on most bosses.
Thebel bosses (Floor five – Floor 17)
There are only three bosses in Thebel and each of them has outright weaknesses that can be exploited. None of the bosses in this block will nullify, repel, or drain your attacks, so you don’t have to worry about your skills going to waste.
| Boss | Floor | Weak | Resist | Null | Repel | Drain |
| Ruthless Ice Raven (Duo) | Five | Fire | Wind | None | None | None |
| Barbaric Beast Wheel | 11 | Wind | Fire | None | None | None |
| Swift Axle | 17 | Electric | Slash, Strike, Wind | None | None | None |
- Floor five: Avoid using Yukari’s Garu and focus on Junpei’s Agi for damage.
- Floor 11: Defeat the Magic Hands first using Fire damage (weakness) before taking on the Barbaric Beast Wheel.
- Floor 17: Fuse a Persona with Electric damage, avoid attacking physically with Junpei and the Protagonist, and use Yukari’s Pierce damage.
Arqa bosses (Floor 28 – Floor 60)
The Arqa block has seven bosses, each more challenging than the last. Keep an eye out for repel and drain stats as well because losing a teammate to repel or healing the boss with drain can ruin your run.
| Boss | Floor | Weak | Resist | Null | Repel | Drain |
| Will o’Wisp Raven | 28 | Ice | Wind | None | None | Fire |
| Heretic Magus | 35 | Electric | Wind | None | None | None |
| Disturbing Dice | 36 | None | Fire | None | None | None |
| Clairvoyant Relic | 42 | None | None | Light, Dark | None | None |
| Servant Tower | 47 | Dark | Ice, Wind | Fire, Light | Electric | None |
| Lascivious Lady | 54 | None | None | Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind, Light, Dark | None | None |
| Fleetfooted Cavalry | 60 | None | None | Light, Dark | None | Wind |
- Floor 28: Focus on defeating the Lightning Ravens first with Wind damage (weakness) before shifting your attention to the Will o’Wisp Raven.
- Floor 35: The first of two back-to-back battles. If you have Akihiko in your party, deal as much Electric damage to the Heretic Magus.
- Floor 36: The second of two back-to-back battles. Defeat the two Slaughter Twins with Electric damage (weakness) and then move on to the Disturbing Dice.
- Floor 42: The boss will identify your weaknesses and have none of their own. Make sure to keep your healing and evasion skills ready while avoiding Light and Dark damage.
- Floor 47: Bring your strongest Dark damage dealing Persona for this one. If you don’t have one, defeat it with physical damage only.
- Floor 54: Defeat the Profligate Gigas first with Wind damage (weakness) and then take out the boss with physical damage. Beware of her Charm effects.
- Floor 60: Debuff the boss’ damage and defense while buffing yours. It will be a long fight, so keep your healing up.
Yabbashah bosses (Floor 77 – Floor 112)
The third block of Tartarus, Yabbashah, has 10 bosses spread out across two sections. The real challenge begins at this stage, so make sure you have appropriate Personas fused. There are not too many repelling and draining bosses here, but most of them nullify a lot of damage.
| Boss | Floor | Weak | Resist | Null | Repel | Drain |
| Ochlocratic Sand (Trio) | 77 | Ice | Light, Dark | Electric, Wind | Fire | None |
| Arcanist Decapitator | 82 | None | None | Ice, Wind | None | None |
| Tome of Atrophy | 90 | Fire | None | Electric | None | None |
| Deviant Convict | 90 | None | None | None | None | None |
| Controlling Partner | 91 | None | None | Slash, Strike, Light, Dark | None | None |
| Dependent Partner | 91 | Pierce | None | Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind, Light, Dark | None | None |
| Venomous Magus | 99 | Electric | None | Fire, Wind | None | None |
| Bloody Maria | 105 | Pierce | None | Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind, Light, Dark | None | None |
| Executioner’s Crown | 105 | Fire | None | Light | None | Wind |
| Imposing Skyscraper | 112 | None | Pierce, Wind | None | None | Electric |
- Floor 77: Focus purely on Ice damage for offense. Physical damage will work as a secondary damage type.
- Floor 82: Defeat the Heat Overseer with Wind or Electric damage, and the Sky Overseer with Fire or Ice damage before engaging the boss.
- Floor 90: Defeat the Tome of Atrophy with Fire damage first before using your strongest attacks on the Deviant Convict.
- Floor 91: Keep the Dependent Partner controlled with Pierce damage while you focus your damage and defeat the Controlling Partner first.
- Floor 99: Defeat the Five Fingers of Blight first with Dark damage. Then move on to the boss with Electric damage.
- Floor 105: Keep the Bloody Maria controlled with Pierce damage while you take out the Executioner’s Crown first. Then focus your damage on the Bloody Maria.
- Floor 112: Avoid using Pierce damage and focus your strongest Slash and Strike attacks on the boss. We recommend swapping out allies weak to Electric damage.
Tziah bosses (Floor 125 – Floor 171)
The Tziah block has the most varied bosses, of which there are 11. It is a long block that also comprises two sections. You will have to contend with heavy-hitting enemies. Weaknesses are still somewhat common, but there are also a lot more drain effects.
| Boss | Floor | Weak | Resist | Null | Repel | Drain |
| Rampaging Sand (Duo) | 125 | Strike | Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind | None | None | None |
| Heartless Relic | 125 | Electric | Light, Dark | None | None | None |
| Raging Turret | 126 | Wind | None | Slash | None | None |
| Terminal Table | 132 | None | None | Strike | None | Light |
| Jotun of Authority | 136 | Ice | None | Fire | None | Slash |
| Isolated Castle | 143 | None | None | Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind, Light, Dark | None | None |
| Pagoda of Disaster | 151 | Slash | None | None | None | Electric, Wind |
| Dancing Beast Wheel | 155 | None | Light | Ice | None | None |
| Demented Knight (Duo) | 161 | Wind | None | Pierce, Fire | None | None |
| Cruel Greatsword | 170 | Light | None | Slash, Dark | None | None |
| Invigorated Gigas | 171 | None | Ice | Light, Dark | None | None |
- Floor 125: Defeat the two Rampaging Sands first with Strike damage before moving on to the Heartless Relic with Electric damage. Akihiko is essential in this battle.
- Floor 126: Maintain a consistent barrage of Wind damage to keep knocking down the boss.
- Floor 132: Keep your party’s evasion up as much as possible to avoid instant-kill skills. Preferably use a Light-immune Persona for the Protagonist.
- Floor 136: Defeat the Subservient Left Hand with Fire damage and the Purging Right Hand with Electric damage. Then use Ice skills on the boss.
- Floor 143: Maintain debuffs on the boss while using your strongest physical damage skills.
- Floor 151: Defeat the two Tomes of Persecution with Dark damage. Then switch up to Strike damage for the boss.
- Floor 155: Maintain healing while chipping away at the boss with strong physical attacks.
- Floor 161: Keep both of the bosses knocked down with multi-target Wind attacks as your All-Out Attacks finish them off.
- Floor 170: Defeat the Serpents of Absurdity with Ice damage before engaging the boss with Light damage.
- Floor 171: Avoid using Ice, Light, or Dark damage. This will be a long battle so keep your healing up while you chip him down.
Harabah bosses (Floor 179 – Floor 225)
You’re almost at the top. The Harabah block showcases 12 bosses and weaknesses are starting to get scarce, so you will have to be resourceful. These bosses hit quite hard and will attempt to target weaknesses more often, so keep your evasion skills ready.
| Boss | Floor | Weak | Resist | Null | Repel | Drain |
| Cultist of the Storm | 179 | Dark | Fire | Strike | None | None |
| Merciless Judge | 184 | None | Electric | Slash, Strike, Ice | None | None |
| Executive Greatsword | 184 | Fire | None | None | Light | Electric |
| Chaos Panzer | 188 | None | None | Fire, Wind | Light | None |
| Necromachinery | 193 | None | None | Strike, Electric | None | Light |
| Icebreaker Lion | 203 | Fire | Dark | Strike, Ice | None | None |
| Luckless Cupid | 203 | Electric | None | None | Light | Fire |
| Voltaic Younger Sibling | 212 | Wind | None | None | Electric | None |
| Blazing Middle Sibling | 212 | Ice | None | None | Fire | None |
| Deadly Elder Sibling | 212 | None | None | None | Dark | Ice, Wind |
| Scornful Dice | 218 | None | None | None | None | Slash, Strike, Pierce |
| Minotaur Nulla | 225 | None | Light | Electric | Strike | None |
- Floor 179: Use your best Dark attacks while avoiding his strong Wind skills.
- Floor 184: Defeat the Executive Greatsword with Fire damage first, then focus your strongest attacks on the Merciless Judge.
- Floor 188: Defeat the two Resentful Surveillants with Slash damage, then use your strongest physical attacks on the boss.
- Floor 193: Maintain consistent healing while you use powerful attacks, preferably Almighty damage.
- Floor 203: Defeat the Luckless Cupid with Electric damage first, then focus your Fire damage on the Icebreaker Lion.
- Floor 212: Defeat the Younger Sibling and the Middle Sibling with Wind and Ice damage respectively. Then focus your strongest physical damage on the Eldest Sibling.
- Floor 218: Cure the boss’ Rage skill as often as you can. Then use your strongest magical damage on the Scornful Dice.
- Floor 225: Keep the party healed while you chip the boss’ health down with Slash and Pierce damage.
Adamah bosses (Floor 230 – Floor 255)
The Adamah block is the sixth and final one in Tartarus. Once you complete this block, not only will you have reached the top, but you will also max out the Judgement Social Link. There are eight bosses in this block and they are the strongest of the Guardian bosses the game has to offer.
Get ready to fight multiple bosses with no weaknesses and high damage, so bring your strongest Personas for these battles.
| Boss | Floor | Weak | Resist | Null | Repel | Drain |
| Obsessive Sand | 230 | None | Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind, Light, Dark | None | None | None |
| Comeback Castle | 236 | None | Ice, Electric | None | Strike | None |
| Overseers of Creation (Duo) | 241 | None | None | None | Light, Dark | None |
| Appropriating Noble | 246 | Ice | Strike | Light | None | None |
| High Judge of Hell | 247 | None | Slash, Pierce, Dark | Strike, Ice, Wind | None | None |
| Cultist of Death | 253 | Wind | Ice, Electric | None | None | Light, Dark |
| Hedonistic Sinner (Duo) | 254 | None | None | Fire | Slash, Pierce | Electric |
| Genocidal Mercenary | 255 | None | Slash | None | Strike, Electric, Dark | Ice |
- Floor 230: Focus your strongest physical damage to take the boss down quickly.
- Floor 236: Defeat the Foot Soldiers and Mage Soldiers with Fire and Pierce damage respectively. Then defeat the boss with strong Slash, Pierce, and Almighty damage.
- Floor 241: Avoid Light and Dark damage. Use your strongest attacks on the bosses.
- Floor 246: Defeat the Invasive Serpents with Strike damage before focusing on the boss with your most powerful Ice damage.
- Floor 247: Your best bet here is to use Fire, Electric, Light, or Almighty damage while healing your party constantly.
- Floor 253: Use your strongest Wind attacks while enduring the boss’ Almighty attacks by healing your party.
- Floor 254: Cure the debuffs on your party so you don’t get instant-killed. Use your strongest Strike and Almighty damage to take them out.
- Floor 255: Keep curing the Confusion effect on your party while you bombard the enemy with Pierce, Fire, Wind, Light, and Almighty damage.
Congratulations, you have defeated every Guardian boss in Persona 3 Reload. Barring the story bosses, there are a few other optional bosses in Tartarus you might be interested in. These bosses are hidden behind fixed Monad doors set up at certain Guardian boss floors.
These bosses will net you unique rewards and a key to the next Monad passage, making them worthwhile. Our Monad passage guide will help you get through each one.
