Hydra is one of the early main story bosses that you will encounter in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance. You will be ambushed by the demon as soon as you reach Tokyo Tower, and depending on your level and your party, the encounter can be challenging.
Beginners who are still new to the JRPG will struggle quite a bit. If you have not properly grasped some of the combat mechanics in SMT 5 Vengeance, then Hydra will seem like an insurmountable goal.
However, there are a few things you can do to make the fights more manageable and prevent Hydra from being the boss you quit the game on.
Here is a guide on how to best tackle Hydra in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance.
Hydra Weakness and Resistance in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
Hydra’s Elemental Weaknesses and Resistances
| Element | Resistance/Weakness |
|---|---|
 Physical | – |
 Fire | Block |
 Ice | Weak |
 Electric | – |
 Force | – |
 Light | – |
 Dark | – |
Hydra Status Ailments Resistances
| Status Effect | Resistance/Weakness |
|---|---|
 Sleep | Resist |
 Confuse | Resist |
 Charm | Resist |
 Mirage | Resist |
 Seal | Resist |
 Poison | Block |
Hydra Skill Proficiencies in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
Elemental
| Element | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Physical | +3 |
| Fire | +3 |
| Ice | -4 |
| Electric | – |
| Force | – |
| Light | – |
| Dark | – |
Other Statuses
| Status | Proficiency |
|---|---|
 Almighty | – |
 Ailment | +2 |
 Recovery | -1 |
 Support | – |
Hydra’s Skills in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
Hydra’s Skills from the base Shin Megami Tensei 5 game has more-or-less remained the same in Vengeance. Here is a list of all its abilities:
Pernicious Venom (Innate Skill):
- While in the active part, all allies attack including Magic, may become critical hits against foes that have ailment.
Frenzy (+3):
- Medium physical damage to all foes
Toxic Breath:
- (Unique) Deal a moderate amount of curse damage to all targets With a chance to inflict poison.
Fire Breath (+3):
- Small fire damage that hits 2-5 times to random foes
Omagatoki Critical:
- All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.
How to beat Hydra in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
1) Stock up on Dark Dampeners to counter Toxic Breath
Hydra will always do its Toxic Breath attack after activating its Omagatoki: Critical. As the ability deals Dark damage while applying an ailment, you will be able to block the entire move from hitting your party by using a Dark Dampener.
You will be able to buy this item from Gustave at the Cadaver’s Hollow. So when you see the Hydra charging up Magatsuhi, you will need to do as much damage to it as you can in that round and then use the Dampener.
Make sure you are exploiting its weakness to continue your press turn, and when it comes back to the Nahobino again, use the item. On the Hydra’s turn, it will block th attack for all party members, consuming both its turns.
2) Have demons with Ice
Hydra is very weak to ice attacks. So make sure that atleast there are 2-3 members in your party has a Bufu skill. If you are falling short of one DPS threat then essence fuse Bufu into the Nahobino.
Even if you are not going for a Magic build on them, the Nahobino will atleast help in extending the press turn so that you can deal as much damage as possible every round.
Make sure to have some Ice Shards and Ice Gems in your inventory as well. Hydra has a lot of HP, and the Nahobino can run out of SP fast.
3) Do not sit on a full Magatsuhi Gauge
If your Magatsuhi Gauge is full, do not be afraid to pull the trigger. You might use Rakunda, Sukunda, and Tarunda to soften Hydra up a bit, and then go for the Critical round.
If you have demons with Beastial Bite then they will do even more damage to the Hydra once your Critical is active.
4) Try using demons with Fire or Ice block
If you are willing to grind till level 17 then you wil be able to fuse Ativaras. The demon will block all Fire damage and is also resistant to poison.
Ativaras can be the perfect pick for the fight. Additionally, if you level the demon up you can get its essence. You can then use Affinity Fusion to fuse all of its affinities onto the Nahobino.
Best demons for defeating Hydra in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
1) Best support demons
- Obariyon
- Neko Shogun
- Yoko (Canon of Vengeance)
Obariyin and Neko Shogun are some of the best support demons that you will be able to unlock for the fight. You can even fuse out Neko Shogun to make a Halphas if you feel that the demon is too under-leveled.
With these two demons, you will get access to Rakunda, Sukukaja, Sukunda, and Rakukaja. These are great at buffing your team and debuffing the enemy.
If you are playing the Canon of Vengeance, then you will have access to Yoko. Yoko comes with Tarunda and will lower Hydra’s ATK.
2) Best healer demons
- Angel
- Yoko (Canon of Vengeance)
If you are using Angel as the main healer, make sure you are using Dark Dampeners after the Hydra charges up Magatsuhi. Angel is very weak to curse, and Toxic Breath is enough to one-shot it.
In the Canon of Vengeance, you can use Yoko’s Dia skill to heal up. So make sure to have her in your active party.
3) Best damage demons
- Apsaras
- Azumi
- Nahobino
Apsaras is a must for the fight. She comes with Bufu with a +2 Ice Affinity. There are two ways to get her, either you grind to level 16 and fuse her, or you can complete her “Spirit of Love” side quest.
You will need to beat Leanan Sidhe to round out the quest, and Apsaras will join your team as one of the rewards. Even if you are below level 16, she will still join you.
If you sided with Leanan, Azumi will be the next best DPS choice along with the Nahobino. You will find a group of Azumi by the river to the south of Tokyo tower.
