Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore was originally billed as a crossover between the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei series and it shows, as it has the ruthless boss battles that both franchises are known for. The bosses in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore are based on villains from the Fire Emblem series, yet they fight like some of the most obnoxious Shin Megami Tensei bosses.
The general tactic for fighting bosses in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore involves hitting the weapon type/spell element that they are weak to, in order to start multi-hit Session attacks. The RPG staple of using buffs and debuffs also works well here, especially ones that influence the hit & evade stats. The majority of the bosses have tricks under their sleeve that they like to unleash upon the player, which is why Screen Rant has created this handy guide to help the Mirage Masters defeat their foes and save the world.
Gojuin
Gojuin has a heavy-hitting attack called Cleave, but it's an easy boss so long as the player goes in with full health and has picked up a few abilities from fighting the enemies in the dungeon outside.
Gojuin is weak to both fire and spear attacks, which means that Touma has a huge advantage in this fight. If Itsuki has acquired the Lance-Slash ability and Tsubaba has learned Sword-Lunge, then the party can deal a triple combo if Touma starts the round with a Skewer attack. The boss starts out with two Caspar enemies, but these can easily be disposed of by Itsuki's Zio spell.
Gojuin has a move that will allow it to disappear, causing three Blob monsters to appear on the field. The player needs to hit the Blob that has a black shadow-like aura on its body to cause Gojuin to reappear. The Blobs will stay on the field after Gojuin has returned to the stage, assuming the player doesn't kill them first.
Aversa
Aversa enters the battle with two Umber Peg. Knights and these should be taken care of ASAP, as she can use them to perform Session attacks. The knights are weak to fire, wind, and hand axes (if the player has any). Aversa can summon more knights every few rounds, so the player needs to stay on top of defeating them.
Aversa uses a power called Dark Envy, which lowers the evasion and defensive stats of one character and she usually follows up with powerful Skewer attacks. Aversa generally focuses on one character at a time. She is weak to lightning and wind magic but resists fire, so Touma should keep the party alive with items when the knights have been cleared. as Tsubaba can start Sessions with her Zan spell.
Gangrel
Gangrel has the ability to act twice each turn, which he will use in his first round with Reversal of Fortunes and Shield Me. Reversal of Fortunes will summon three Bulwark Barbarians and a Bulward Myrmidon, and Shield Me causes the three monsters to take hits in his place. The player needs to focus on clearing the field of Gangrel's minions, which they can do with lighting and spear moves (for the Myrmidon) and ice, sword, and wind (for the Barbarians).
Once his minions have been killed, Gangrel will use an ability called Strobe Pulse, which has a chance of inflicting the Seal effect and prevents the cast from using their spells. He likes to use two powerful sword attacks called Dire Slice, which Kiria will be weak to (and will cause a Session with his minions if they are still alive). Gangrel is weak to ice and spear attacks, but the player should still keep Kiria out of the fight if possible.
Gangrel has a lot of health and defense, so the player should focus on taking out the minions, hitting him with debuffs, then piling on the damage until he uses Reversal of Fortunes/Shield Me again. Keep healing the party and recycling this tactic, and the mad king will be done in no time.
Cursed Draug
Cursed Draug enters the battlefield with a bunch of allies, in the form of two Red Mages, a Bloodwing Knight, and a Dark Cleric. The gimmick of the battle is that Cursed Draug acts as the guardian of the smaller monsters and relies on them to perform spells that hit the party, causing Session attacks. Cursed Draug can attack twice per turn and it generally uses one of these to use the Bodyguard ability, which will allow it to take damage instead of its allies. Cursed Draug uses powerful axe attacks, but he will generally only use them once per turn. He can also refresh his allies every few turns if they have been destroyed.
It's advised to cast Sukukaja as soon as possible, as causing the enemy to miss attacks will be a huge asset during this battle. Cursed Draug cannot protect his allies from group spells or attacks that use the SP meter, so it's advised to take out his Dark Cleric & Mages as soon as possible. Once the casters are down, the player should focus on taking down Cursed Draug. It's weak to both sword and poison-based attacks, so Itsuki should use any stat-influencing sword attack that he has. This is a battle of endurance and the player should use as many healing items as possible to keep the party alive. Don't be afraid to go in with a full SP bar in order to quickly whittle down his allies.
Excellus & Yashiro
Before starting this battle, the player should to return to Shibuya and stock up on Magic Mirrors from the item store.
The player has to fight both Excellus and Yashiro at the same time during this battle, both of whom can attack twice per turn. Excellus can use powerful magic spells, while Yashiro uses sword attacks. Excellus' gimmick is that its body changes color in order to match its spells and weaknesses. It will start red (being weak to ice), then it will switch to green (becoming weak to lightning), and then to blue (becoming weak to fire). The player only needs to focus on defeating Excellus to win this fight, but they should still avoid bringing in characters who are weak to sword attacks, as Yashiro packs a punch.
When Excellus has taken enough damage, the color will drain from its body. In this form, Excellus becomes weak to everything, but it spams powerful magic spells twice a turn. The player should have at least one character use a Magic Mirror every turn, which will reflect at least one of Excellus' spells back at it for a ton of damage. The player should focus on survival and using Magic Mirrors until Excellus is defeated.
Dark Yashiro
Dark Yashiro has the ability to split himself into four copies, all of whom share the same health bar when they join back together after a few turns have passed. He has a ton of health, is incredibly resistant to damage, has some strong physical attacks, and can use Counter, so be prepared for the long haul with this one. When alone, Dark Yashiro can take four actions per round, so the player should cast Sukukaja and refresh it every few rounds.
The one-party member who can make this fight a lot easier is Mamori, as she can cast Tetraguard each round in order to nullify Dark Yashiro's attacks, so long as she keeps refreshing it. Attack Mirrors can also reflect Dark Yashiro's damage back at him, but the player can only bring a few of these into the battle. When Dark Yashiro splits, he gains weaknesses, which can be used to start Sessions. It's advised to enter the battle with a full SP bar and use 1 SP moves to cause Sessions whenever possible. This boss isn't particularly difficult, as the battle is more of an endurance round than anything else.
Gharef
Gharef might be the toughest boss in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. It hits like a truck, can act multiple times per turn, and can summon sword monsters that can perform Session attacks.
The secret to beating Gharef is to use an old Shin Megami Tensei series staple of boosting the evade state of your party with magic and diminishing his & his minions. By this point in the game, the player should have unlocked the Fog Breath spell for Touma. Use this spell every few rounds, while another party member uses Sukukaja on the other characters. Causing Gharef and his minions to miss attacks is the best strategy for this battle.
Gharef uses powerful fire magic spells, so make sure no one in the active party has a weakness to fire. It's weak to wind magic, which will be the key to starting lengthy Sessions in order to pile on the damage. Enter the battle with a full SP meter and don't be afraid to use a healing super move, as staying alive is more important than damage output in this fight.
Medeus
Medeus is the final boss in the game, so make sure to stock up on healing items, mirrors, and magic stones. The party should have their strongest weapons and accessories equipped, with a full SP bar upon entering the fight. Don't be afraid to use rare items like Bead Chains during this battle, as you won't need them again after this point.
Medeus has two spellcasters with him upon during the first phase of the battle and these need to be dealt with quickly, as they can cast Megido and sealing spells. The tried and true strategy of Fog Breath & Sukukaja should be used as soon as possible in order to make Medeus miss as much as possible, as it hits like a truck. Medeus has the ability to inflict the Burning status effect and this should be healed with Amrita Soda or a spell as soon as possible, as it can interfere with Sessions. Concentrate on the spellcasters and gradually wear down Medeus with Sessions until it's defeated and the second phase of the battle begins.
The second phase of the battle is considerably easier than the first, but the player still needs to be careful. Medeus no longer summons minions during this battle, but it gains the ability to cast powerful spells. The most fearsome of these is Dies Irae, which is a powerful almighty spell that deals a ton of damage. The player needs to keep the party at full health as much as possible, so they should bring in Tsubasa and use her Debut Smile SP power and healing spells whenever needed. The Fog Breath/debuffing strategy still works and the player needs to keep Dekunda stones to protect the party from the debuffs inflicted by Medeus' Dark Breath attack. The player just needs to take their time and wear Medeus down, in order to slay the dragon and end the final chapter of the game.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions is available now for Nintendo Switch.