Yamata-no-Orochi is a boss fight that you unlock after accepting the “Heroes of Heaven and Earth” side quest in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance. The mission is Canon of Vengeance exclusive and you will be required to defeat Yamata-no-Orochi in Da’at Shinjuku after Kikuri-Hime asks you to retrieve the Heavenly Keystone.
While on the surface it may seem like a simple boss encounter, what makes it one of the most difficult challenges in Shinjuku is that Yamata-no-Orochi comes with 8 press turns. So even if you have got around 10 levels over him, you are still going to struggle if you do not have a balanced party set up.
Orochi’s passive increases his Critical Rate allowing him to keep extending his press turns. He also drops with a massive amount of HP, and it can take you a while to kill him.
So if you are struggling in the fight, here is a guide that can help make Yamata-no-Orochi’s encounter significantly easier in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance.
Yamata-no-Orochi Weakness and Resistance in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
Yamata-no-Orochi Elemental Weaknesses and Resistances
| Element | Resistance/Weakness |
|---|---|
 Physical | – |
 Fire | Block |
 Ice | Block |
 Electric | Weak |
 Force | – |
 Light | – |
 Dark | – |
Yamata-no-Orochi’s Status Ailments Resistances
| Status Effect | Resistance/Weakness |
|---|---|
 Sleep | Weak |
 Confuse | Weak |
 Charm | Resist |
 Mirage | Resist |
 Seal | Resist |
 Poison | Weak |
Yamata-no-Orochi Skill Proficiencies in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
Elemental
| Element | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Physical | +4 |
| Fire | +3 |
| Ice | – |
| Electric | -2 |
| Force | – |
| Light | – |
| Dark | – |
Other Statuses
| Status | Proficiency |
|---|---|
 Almighty | – |
 Ailment | -5 |
 Recovery | – |
 Support | – |
Yamata-no-Orochi skills in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
Brewing Storm:
- When switching out, the switched ally’s next Strength-based attack will be 100% accurate and guaranteed Critical.
Dragon Eye:
- Greatly raises Accuracy
Murderous Glee:
- Greatly raises Accuracy.
Omagatoki Critical:
- All attacks, including magical attacks, will become Critical hits for all allies for 1 turn.
How to beat Yamata-no-Orochi in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance
1) Use demons with Phy block and Resist
Yamata-no-Orochi always does normal attacks, so it’s best to have a team that resists or blocks physical attacks. At around levels 55-65, you will get options like Ganesha, Fafnir, and Gogmagog will fit the bill perfectly.
if you don’t have demons who can counter his attacks Orochi will be able to continue his press turns. The boss hits like a truck and because of his two passives he will rarely miss even after two Accuracy-downs and will get a crit hit most of the time.
2) Make sure to keep Physical Dampeners
Physical Dampeners are a must for this fight. If you do not have a demon who can perform a Phy Block, you will need to rely on the dampeners. If you block one of Orochi’s attacks you will consume two of his press turns.
However, he is capable of attacking the same ally again. He will rarely distribute all hits amongst allies, so if he keeps attacking the same ally, he will be able to extend his press turns. So be careful of that once you see him activating Omagatoki: Critical.
3) Have demons with Sleep, Confusion, and Poison skills
Yamata-no-Orochi is weak to Sleep, Confusion, and Poison. You will be able to exploit this during the fight to make things much more manageable. A good demon choice for inflicting the boss with both is Pale Rider.
It’s a special fusion and the demon comes with both Toxic Cloud and Tentarafoo with great Ailment affinity. Another great option will be Kudlak who can inflict sleep.
Best demons to beat Yamata-no-Orochi
Best Support and Healers
- Lachesis
- Ishtar
- Titania
- Clotho
These are some of the most reliable supports and healers that you can use against Yamata-no-Orochi. With the right fusion combinations, you will be able to give them great healing skills along with a lot of -kaja and -nda abilities.
Best for Status Ailment:
- Pale Rider
- Kudlak
- Hydra
These demons will be some of the best options to exploit Yamata-no-Orochi’s weakness to Poison, Sleep, and Confusion.
Best Damage:
- Loki
- Ishtar
- Titania
- Nahobino
Loki, Ishtar, and Titania have Ziodyne along with Elec affinity making them great and dealing more damage to Yamata-no-Orochi. If you are building a mage on the Nahobino, then skills like Ruinous Thunder will be able to do a lot of damage to him as well. Just make sure you have invested some Glory into Elec mastery.
Once you have defeated Yamata-no-Orochi, report back to Kikuri-Hime to complete the side quest in Atlus‘ RPG.
