Persona 5 Strikers
Persona 5 Strikers

How to Beat Battle: Zenkichi Hasegawa (Valjean)

Defeat Zenkichi Hasegawa (Valjean) in Persona 5 Strikers by exploiting his weaknesses and managing your party's skills. Learn the best strategies for this chal.

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Boss Battle: Zenkichi Hasegawa (Valjean)

The battle against Zenkichi Hasegawa, or rather, his Persona Valjean, is a unique and challenging encounter that tests your party's adaptability and resource management. Valjean is a formidable opponent with a diverse moveset and a tendency to exploit weaknesses. This guide will help you navigate this intense fight.

Recommended Party Setup

  • Joker: Essential for his versatility. Ensure he has Personas with many elemental attacks (especially Bless and Curse, as Valjean has no resistance to them) and healing/support skills.
  • Sophie (Sophia): Her healing capabilities (Mediarama, Diarahan) and Bless attacks are invaluable. Keep her SP high.
  • Wolf (Zenkichi): While he's the boss, he's also a temporary party member during this fight. His Gun and Almighty attacks are useful, and his unique skill, Jail Breaker, can be crucial for breaking Valjean's defenses.
  • Panther (Ann): Her Agi skills and high damage output make her a strong choice for exploiting Valjean's weaknesses.
  • Skull (Ryuji): His Zio skills and physical prowess are excellent for dealing damage and setting up Shock.

Alternative Party Members: If you're struggling, consider Queen (Makoto) for her healing and Nuclear damage, or Fox (Yusuke) for his Bufu skills and critical hit potential.

Preparation is Key

  • Stock Up on Consumables: Bring plenty of SP-restoring items like Soul Food, Snuff Soul, and Coffee. HP restoratives such as Takemedic-All Z and Life Ointment are also highly recommended.
  • Equip Best Gear: Ensure all party members have their strongest weapons, armor, and accessories equipped. Prioritize accessories that boost SP, HP, or elemental damage.
  • Persona Fusion: Fuse Personas for Joker that cover various elemental types and have strong healing/support skills. Consider Personas with passive skills like Spell Master or Ailment Boost.
  • Bond Skills: Maximize relevant Bond skills such as Joker's Wild (for Persona stats), Oracle Recovery (for item drop rates), HP/SP Boost, and Healing Touch.

Valjean's Attack Patterns & Weaknesses

Valjean is a physically imposing Persona with several attacks. Understanding his moves is crucial for survival.

  • Elemental Affinities:
    • Weak: None initially.
    • Resist: Physical, Gun
    • Null: Fire, Ice, Electric, Wind, Nuclear, Psy
    • Drain: None
    • Repel: None
    • Neutral: Bless, Curse, Almighty
  • Key Attacks:
    • Grand Cross: A powerful Almighty attack that hits a wide area. Dodge this by dashing away or using environmental objects for cover.
    • Blade of Justice: A series of swift physical slashes. Guard or dodge through these.
    • Chains of Conviction: Valjean will summon chains that bind party members, leaving them vulnerable. Quickly switch to another character or use a strong attack to break free.
    • Judgment Ray: A laser beam attack that tracks your movement. Continuously dash sideways to avoid.
    • Despair's Embrace: Inflicts Despair on a single target, preventing them from using skills and slowly draining SP. Use Amrita Drop or Amrita Shower immediately.

Battle Strategy

Phase 1: Initial Assault

At the start of the battle, Valjean is resistant to Physical and Gun attacks and nullifies all elemental damage except Bless, Curse, and Almighty. Your primary damage dealers here will be Joker with Bless/Curse/Almighty Personas, and Wolf with his Gun/Almighty skills.

  • Focus on dealing consistent damage with Joker's Bless/Curse/Almighty skills.
  • Wolf's Jail Breaker is excellent for dealing significant damage and building up his unique gauge.
  • Keep an eye on your party's HP and SP. Sophie should be your primary healer.
  • Dodge Valjean's attacks. His movements are somewhat telegraphed, so learn his tells.

Phase 2: Breaking the Chains

After taking a certain amount of damage, Valjean will become enraged and his attacks will become more frequent and powerful. This is where Wolf's unique mechanic becomes critical.

  • Wolf's Jail Breaker: When Wolf's unique gauge is full, activate Jail Breaker. This skill will temporarily remove Valjean's elemental resistances and nullifications, making him vulnerable to all elemental damage types for a short period.
  • Exploiting Weaknesses: As soon as Jail Breaker is active, unleash your strongest elemental attacks. This is the perfect time for Joker to use powerful Personas like Yoshitsune (Hassou Tobi for Physical, though still resisted) or Alice (Die For Me! for Curse).
  • All-Out Attack: If you manage to inflict enough elemental damage to trigger a Down status, immediately follow up with an All-Out Attack for massive damage.
  • Repeat Cycle: The battle will largely revolve around building Wolf's gauge, activating Jail Breaker, and then unleashing elemental barrages.

Phase 3: Final Push

As Valjean's HP dwindles, he will become more aggressive, using his powerful attacks more frequently. Don't let up on the pressure.

  • Maintain Healing: Sophie's healing will be crucial here. Don't hesitate to use items if her SP is low or if multiple party members are in danger.
  • Persona Skills: Use Joker's strongest Persona skills, especially those that hit multiple times or deal high Almighty damage.
  • Showtime Attacks: Save your Showtime attacks for this phase to deal burst damage and potentially finish him off. Coordinate with your party members for maximum impact.
  • Environmental Hazards: use any environmental objects for cover or to perform Phantom Dashes for quick evasions and follow-up attacks.

Post-Battle Rewards

Upon defeating Valjean, you'll receive significant experience points, Yen, and potentially some valuable items. Most importantly, you'll unlock Zenkichi Hasegawa as a permanent playable character, Wolf, who brings his unique Gun and Almighty skills to your team.