The Emperor Beetle can be a tough challenge in Persona 3 Reload and its Episode Aigis DLC, but this fight becomes much easier if you can exploit its weaknesses—when it has any, that is.
The Emperor Beetle appears in two different forms in Tartarus: as a Monad Door boss in Tziah and as a regular mob in Adamah. As is the case with several other mobs that return—for instance, the Death Castle—it has different weaknesses in each version. This shadow also appears in the Abyss of Time’s Ptolomea block.
You can avoid encountering it in Tziah by not engaging with it inside a Monad Door, but we recommend taking it on. The XP and loot are worth the effort, though, since you generally get valuable materials to make better gear at Mayoido Antiques.
Here are the Emperor Beetle’s weaknesses, resistances, and affinities in Persona 3 Reload.
What is Emperor Beetle’s weakness in Persona 3 Reload?
The Emperor Beetle is weak to Fire damage when it’s a Monad Door boss, but nullifies Slash and Strike. As with any enemy that suffers more damage from fire, Junpei is the play here, alternating All-Out Attacks between him and the protagonist.
If you’re looking for the Adamah version of Emperor Beetle, this shadow nullifies Pierce and Ice. Concentrate and Megidolaon can seem scary at first, but by the time you’ve reached the final block of Tartarus, this regular shadow should barely pose a threat. If you miss the times when it was a challenge, though, playing Episode Aigis will pit you against this boss once more.
How to defeat Emperor Beetle in Persona 3 Reload
As a Monad Door boss, this enemy is weak to Fire, which creates huge openings to get All-Out Attacks. The protagonist and Junpei can exploit its weaknesses easily, but if you don’t have Junpei with you, Fire-based Gems can also work to bring the boss to its knees.
The Emperor Beetle has three main moves: Tarukaja, Revolution, and Deathbound. Normally, it will set up at least one of its two buffs before unleashing the souped-up Deathbound, threatening everyone with AoE Slash damage. This gives you more time to take it down, though: You can get in a couple of All-Out Attacks before it unleashes Deathbound, but brace for damage when it does.
What is Emperor Beetle’s weakness in Persona 3 Reload – Episode Aigis?
Emperor Beetle returns in Episode Aigis with the same affinities as its Monad Door boss form, nullifying both Slash and Strike and being weak to Fire damage. Aigis can be the one throwing Agi this time around, but bringing Junpei helps the fight so much you don’t even need to use him for physical damage. Likewise, Koromaru can also spend his SP to affect both the Emperor Beetle and the Adamant Beetle in the fight. Bringing the Adamant Beetle down quickly makes it easy to set up All-Out Attacks, which come in handy in the fight.
Taking down an Emperor Beetle is the key to completing Elizabeth’s Request No. 39, which tasks you with bringing her an Emperor’s Horn. This item can drop after beating the Emperor Beetle in a Monad Door, so there’s extra incentive to fight it (if the avalanche of loot wasn’t encouragement enough).
