Summary
Affinity Skills are very useful and a necessity for combat inPersona 3/Reload, Persona 4/GoldenandPersona 5/Royal. Unlike Physical Skills, the damage of an Affinity Skill, such as Agi, is calculated by the party member’s Magic Stat. When used, they will consume a set amount of SP from the user.
Not every party member will have a powerful Magic stat even if they learn various Magic Skills. Some characters are capable of learning -dyne tier Skills, but their low Magic make them poor candidates for non-physical attackers. If players need a character whose primary method of combat is through Affinity Skills, then they’ll want to know which party members have the best Magic stat.
Personas: Kintoki-Douji, Kamui, Kamui-Moshiri
List of Magic Skills:
Despite being present the minute the protagonist stepped into the TV World, Teddie doesn’t become a playable characteruntil the fourth dungeon(Void Quest). Teddie is great for support and healing, but he also learns the -dyne tier of the Bufu Skills: Bufudyne and Mabufudyne. However, his solid Magic stat means he can potentially be a good Magic attacker on the team.
On the downside, Teddie’s all-around stats and Skill Pool makes it easier for other units to surpass him. It doesn’t help that his exclusive skill upon awakening to Kamui-Moshiri can backfire on his allies. His Skill Pool is also better for buffing his allies since they affect the entire party instead of just one person. However, those needing a party member who can buff and target those with Ice weakness will want to ensure Teddie’s in their lineup.
Personas: Carmen, Hecate, Celestine
Ann is the third party member to join inPersona 5/Royal. Although she has some healing skills at her disposal, Ann’s strength comes from her Magic. She has the highest Magic Stat out of the Phantom Thieves (not counting the use of enhancers, such as Incense) and learns powerful Agi Skills. Along with Fire Amp, she can potentiallyincrease the power of her Fire Skills by 50%. For those who unlocked the third semester and managed to max out her Confidant, Ann’s second Persona, Hecate, will awaken to Celestine. With Celestine, Ann will not only null Fire Skills, but also resist Electric Skills. She’ll also have the High Energy Skill, which is a stronger version of the “Mind Charge” Skill that affects the entire party.
For her other stats, Ann is all-around with moderate Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Luck. This can work in her favor since decent Endurance ensures she won’t be taken out in one hit, which is a common issue with “black mage” archetypes. She’ll even learn Blazing Hell, which is an Agi Skill that deals massive fire damage to all opponents with a chance of inflicting burn.
Personas: Penthesilea, Artemisia
Once Fuuka Yamagishi joins SEES,Mitsuru returns to the front lines. She can execute her foes with her Ice Skills, and having Ice Amp and Freeze Boost will enhance her power. Mitsuru can also use Skills such as Tentarafoo and Marin Karin, which confuse and charm foes respectively. However, these Skills won’t be that useful against boss fights.
Mitsuru’s other stats are average, and while her Strength isn’t bad, it’s better if she relies on her magic to inflict damage. Players will want toguard her from Agi attacks, so it’s best to equip her with an Accessory that has the Evade Fire Skill. Her all-around stats and high Magic make her a suitable choice for the party.
Personas: Konohana Sakuya, Amaterasu, Sumeo-Okami
As the fourth party member inPersona 4/Golden, Yukiko Amagi is the best healer and “black mage” in-game. She learns powerful Healing Skills, such as Mediarahan, and an exclusive skill that deals massive Fire damage. Her power can be built further by teaching her the Skill Concentrate, which doubles the power of the user’s next Magic Attack. Yukiko’s Agility is also quite high, meaning she’s likely to move before most opponents in battle.
Yukiko’s bane is her Strength, meaning she might not be too useful when fighting enemies that resist/block her Fire Skills. However, she can back up her allieswith healing magic or items. Players will also want to make note of her Endurance, which means she won’t be able to withstand too many attacks from her foes.
Personas: Io, Isis
Yukari Takeba is one of your first party members along with Junpei Iori. Unlike Junpei and the protagonist, Yukari’s strength lies in her Magic and Healing. She’s arguably the best healer in your party and someone to have on the team when fighting Gatekeeper Shadows. Her second Theurgy will charge all allies' next Magic Attack, tripling its effect. Aside from healing, Yukari’s main element is Wind/Garu, making her perfect for battling enemies with this Affinity weakness.
Like most party members, Yukari has an Affinity weakness: Zio. Unfortunately,there are powerful Shadowson the higher blocks in Tartarus with some level of Zio in their Skill Pool. It’s best to equip her with something that enhances her evasion or lessens the damage from Electricity. Despite these drawbacks, Yukari’s a consistent team member who should rarely be swapped out, if only for her healing abilities.
