You’ve spent dozens of hours hitting home runs at the batting cages and grinding through the gritty, gold-plated hallways of Kaneshiro’s bank. Then July hits. The heat in Yongen-Jaya is stifling, and suddenly, you’re standing in front of a massive, reality-bending pyramid in the middle of a scorching desert.
Persona 5 Royal Futaba Palace—formally known as the Pyramid of Wrath—isn't just another dungeon. It’s a massive tonal shift. Up until this point, the Phantom Thieves have been targeting "rotten adults" who are actively harming society. Kamoshida was a predator; Madarame was a fraud.
But Futaba Sakura? She’s a victim.
Entering her Palace feels less like a heist and more like a rescue mission into the mind of someone who has literally locked themselves away from the world. It’s heavy. It’s messy. And honestly, it’s one of the best designed segments in the entire game.
The Pyramid of Wrath is a Cognitive Trap
Most Palaces in Persona 5 Royal represent how the ruler sees a specific location. Kamoshida saw the school as a castle. Futaba sees her own home—and by extension, her life—as a tomb.
That’s why the pyramid is filled with traps and "will seeds" that feel more like fragments of a broken memory than simple collectibles. The whole place is a physical manifestation of her survival instinct. It’s trying to keep you out because, in Futaba’s head, "outside" equals "danger."
👉 See also: Finding the Right Words That Start With Oc 5 Letters for Your Next Wordle Win
Navigating the Chamber of Rejection
The first major hurdle is the Chamber of Rejection. You'll run into these Anubis statues that hold gems. Pro tip: don't just grab everything and run. Taking a gem usually triggers a trap, like those annoying arrow walls that block your path.
Basically, you have to play by the tomb's rules. You’ll find yourself doubling back to replace gems or hitting switches to fire ballistas through walls. It sounds tedious, but the flow is actually pretty snappy compared to the slog of the previous bank dungeon.
Solving the Binary and Mural Puzzles
Later on, in the Chamber of Guilt and the Chamber of Sanctuary, things get weirdly technical. You’ll find holographic displays with binary codes like B01010.
If you aren't a math nerd, don't worry. You just need to toggle the glowing blue or red panels to match the sequence. It’s Futaba’s hacker brain leaking into her cognitive world. Then there are the mural puzzles. You have to rearrange tiles to form a picture of her past. It’s a literal representation of her trying to piece together the truth of what happened to her mother, Wakaba.
Preparing Your Party for the Long Haul
You can technically clear the Persona 5 Royal Futaba Palace in one day if you’re smart about SP management. But you shouldn't go in under-leveled. The enemies here are a step up in terms of complexity.
✨ Don't miss: Jigsaw Would Like Play Game: Why We’re Still Obsessed With Digital Puzzles
- Anubis is the real threat. This guy doesn't have any weaknesses and can hit you with Hama (Light) or Mudo (Dark) insta-kills. If Joker gets hit, it’s game over. Bring a Persona that resists or nullifies Bless/Curse.
- The Coffin-borne God. This mini-boss is a pain. He’s weak to Wind, so keep Morgana in your active party. He loves to turn your teammates into rats, which basically renders them useless for a few turns.
- Stock up on items. Visit the clinic for Takemi’s SP adhesives or make plenty of Leblanc curry. You're going to need it for the boss.
The Cognitive Wakaba Boss Fight
The finale of this Palace is unlike any other boss in the game. You aren't even fighting Shadow Futaba. Instead, you're fighting a monstrous, winged version of her mother, Wakaba Isshiki.
It’s a "Cognitive Wakaba" born from Futaba’s guilt and the lies she was told by the adults who exploited her.
Phase 1: The Flying Menace
For the first part of the fight, Wakaba stays in the air. Most of your physical attacks will miss or do pathetic damage. You have to rely on magic and bullets.
Don't bring Ryuji. Seriously. Wakaba spams Wind attacks (Magarudyne), and Ryuji is weak to Wind. He’ll get knocked down constantly, giving the boss extra turns to wreck your team. Makoto is a much better choice because she can heal the "Despair" status effect, which will literally kill your party members after three turns if left untreated.
Phase 2: The Ballista Strategy
Eventually, Futaba awakens to her own Persona, Necronomicon, and enters the fight as your navigator. This is the turning point. She’ll provide a ballista and ask you to send a teammate to man it.
🔗 Read more: Siegfried Persona 3 Reload: Why This Strength Persona Still Trivializes the Game
Pick someone who isn't your primary healer. While they're gone, just focus on staying alive and guarding when Wakaba flies high for her "Slam" attack. Once the ballista fires, the boss is grounded.
Now, go nuts. When she’s on the ground, she takes massive physical damage. Buff Joker’s attack, debuff her defense, and hit her with everything you’ve got. If you have a Persona with Swift Strike or Triple Down, now is the time to use it.
Why This Palace Still Matters in 2026
Looking back at the game years later, Futaba’s arc remains the emotional core of the middle act. The Palace isn't just a series of rooms; it's a narrative. You see the graffiti on the walls changing from "Kill Yourself" to messages of hope as you progress.
It’s the first time the game forces you to realize that the Metaverse isn't just a place to punish villains—it's a place where traumatized people are trapped by their own perceptions.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
- Check your level: Aim for level 34 or 35 before the boss.
- Fuse Arahabaki: This Persona is level 35 and repels Physical/Gun damage, which makes the boss fight significantly easier.
- Hunt for Will Seeds: The Crystal of Wrath you get from collecting all three seeds can be upgraded at Jose’s shop in Mementos to the Ring of Wrath, which gives you the Amrita Shower skill—an absolute lifesaver for the rest of the game.
- Talk to Sojiro: Once the Palace is over, prioritize the Hierophant Confidant. It unlocks the ability to make better SP-recovery items, which you'll desperately need for the next Palace.