Alright, let’s be honest, most gacha games let you brute force with your highest rarity waifu or husbando and call it a day. But Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X) actually makes you think (rude, I know). You need real synergy, proper roles, and units that do more than just swing hard. The Duet system, elemental bonuses, and navigator buffs mean even some 4★s can outshine your shiny 5★ pulls if you build around them right. So in this guide, I’m breaking down 10 of the best launch units, whether you need raw DPS, reliable support, or that one unkillable tank who refuses to die. Some picks are obvious, some are underrated gems, but they all slap for one reason or another.
Top 10 Best Units on Launch
In Persona 5: The Phantom X, it’s not just about who has the most stars or the flashiest ult. You’ve got to think about how a unit fits into your team, what role they play, who they pair with in Duets, and how they interact with your navigator buffs and elemental bonuses.
A 4★ with tight synergy can run circles around an awkward 5★ team. That’s why this guide doesn’t just list the strongest characters on paper, I’m breaking down who actually pulls their weight in real fights.
10. Miyu (Puppet) or Tomiyama (4★)
Miyu and Kaio are your two launch Navigators, and they each bring something essential to the table. Miyu is all about keeping your team alive, shields, stat boosts, and a solid Damage Dealt buff at A6 make her your go-to for tough fights. Meanwhile, Kaio goes full offense, boosting Attack, Damage Dealt, and Effect Hit Rate, making her perfect for burst-heavy boss comps. If you want consistency and safety, build Miyu. If you want raw damage and big numbers, Kaio’s your girl.
9. Skull (4★)
Ryuji is the king of burst windows. His ult hits for 400%, and when you combo that with his Skill 2 + Rebound passive, you’re looking at guaranteed crits and big damage numbers.
He’s a little more high-maintenance, you need to be under 75% HP to fully pop off, but the payoff? Absolutely worth it. Set him up with someone that gives extra turns, and just sit back as he melts bosses in a single rotation.
8. Morgana (5★)
Morgana is your emergency medic with a twist. Not only does he bring huge healing, SP cost reduction, and enemy debuffs, but he’s also got a resurrection skill, which can straight-up save your run in boss fights or story content.
He’s not as damage-efficient as Lufel, but if you’re a newer player, or just not confident with dodging and surviving, Morgana is your safety pick. He’ll keep your team standing through the nonsense.
7. Yaoling Li (4★)
Yaoling is an absolute menace when it comes to debuffing, like, she throws debuffs around like candy on Halloween. We’re talking DEF Down, Damage Taken Up, and “Forget” (aka silence). She’s tailor-made for Curse teams, especially alongside Joker, and she’s one of the few units that can bring control and consistent sub-DPS at the same time.
She starts scaling damage once you get a few dupes in, and trust me, she’ll lock down enemies before they even get a turn. If you like big brain plays and disabling the enemy, she’s your girl.
6. Lufel (4★)
If you pulled Lufel, please give him a hug, because this guy is the backbone of Fire comps, especially with Ann, who we’ll get to in just a bit. He’s a hybrid healer-buffer, dishing out Attack boosts, SP healing, and Fire Damage buffs thanks to his Starfire mechanic. And here’s the kicker: the more Starfire stacks he applies, the harder your Fire DPS units hit. Simple math. Big numbers.
At dupe 5–6, the buffs are next-level, and he becomes essential for Fire team dominance. Pair him with Ann, and you’ve got a duo that burns through content like it’s nothing.
5. Soy (4★)
Coming in at number five, we’ve got Soy. Tthe more I’ve played, the more I realize: this man deserves a whole lot more love. Soy is basically your entire frontline rolled into one. He taunts, heals, boosts max HP, lowers enemy ATK, shreds DEF, and even freezes enemies. Freeze! He’s like a walking utility belt in a suit of armor.
Now on Global, he’s a go-to tank for boss fights and tough content, especially if you don’t have premium frontliners yet. And over on CN, while he’s not exactly meta anymore, he’s never really fallen off. You’ll still see him holding the line in challenge content months into release.
Bottom line: build Soy early, especially if you’re F2P or just lacking a reliable tank. He’ll carry you through stuff you really shouldn’t survive, and you’ll be grateful you invested when the game starts asking for durability.
4. Fleuret – Shiratori (4★)
At number four, we’ve got Shiratori aka Fleuret, a 4-star who honestly hits like a 5-star trying to prove a point. He plays like a mock DPS, but don’t let that fool you, he slaps. Multi-hit damage, Wind debuff, simple scaling, it’s all there. Super easy to gear and drop into just about any early or mid-game team.
On Global, he’s solid in both general content and bossing. And on CN, the fact that he still shows up next to names like Makoto and Joker on most tier lists is kind of wild for a 4★. That says a lot about his staying power.
If you’re short on Wind DPS, Fleuret’s one of the best plug-and-play options available. Cheap to build, easy to use, and way more effective than you’d expect.
3. Leon (4★)
If you’ve played CN, you probably guessed Leon would be this high. Leon is the Swiss Army knife of supports. He buffs ATK, crit damage, throws up shields, and even has some crazy healing tech where he turns HP into shields, then heals it back the next turn. It’s honestly kind of busted.
On Global, he’s already a top-tier support. On CN, I still bring him to challenge modes when I need survivability but don’t want to sacrifice damage. And the best part? His dupes scale beautifully. More crit damage, more uptime on shields, it’s just more of a good thing.
Also? He’s cool as hell in the story. Build this man. You will not regret it.
2. Joker (5★ – Limited)
Now, Joker is probably the strongest unit at Global launch, full stop. He’s a limited 5★ with extra turns, insane scaling, and he’s basically the heart of Curse comps. He’s viable in literally everything—PvE, boss fights, events, you name it.
So why’s he not number one? Simple: cost. On CN, his usage dips over time unless you’re willing to invest heavily. He needs dupes to stay dominant late-game, and that means more pulls. And more pulls = more pain (unless you’re lucky, in which case I envy you).
That said, the devs keep bringing back a guild boss tailor-made for him, so he still gets regular action. If you love Joker, or want a flashy carry that feels like a 5★, he’s 100% worth it, just know you’re committing to a long-term relationship (with your gem stash).
1. Ann Takamaki (5★)
And coming in at number one, to no one’s surprise but probably a few people’s frustration, Ann Takamaki. Before anyone screams bias, I like Ann, but she’s not even my favorite character. She’s just objectively cracked for both global and CN.
Ann does everything. She burns, heals, buffs your team, debuffs the enemy, and scales with Concentration stacks for insane long-term damage. She’s a hybrid unit that fits anywhere, story, bossing, farming, you name it.
But what really makes her number one is accessibility. She’s a standard pool 5★, which means you’ll naturally pull dupes over time. You lose a 50/50? There’s a good chance you get Ann. You get pity pulls? Ann. Free tickets? Probably Ann again.
And guess what? Every dupe just makes her more of a beast. She keeps up with Joker in damage, without being limited. Less stress, more value. So if you’re looking for a unit that’ll carry you for months, save you from gacha pain, and slot into multiple team comps, Ann is the smartest pull at launch, period.
Wrap-Up: Long-Term Value > Day-One Hype
So yeah, that’s the list, 10 launch units that aren’t just good now, but worth investing in for the long haul. Some are flashy (hi Joker), some are quietly cracked (looking at you, Soy), and some, like Ann, are just the full package with none of the gacha stress.
Remember: Persona 5X rewards smart team building over blind pulling. If you’re planning to stick with the game, think beyond just who hits the hardest today. Synergy, survivability, and future-proof scaling matter a lot more than hype banners.
If your favorite didn’t make the cut, don’t worry, meta shifts, buffs happen, and personal picks can totally carry. And hey, if you’ve got a sleeper pick you swear by, drop it in the comments. I’m always down to theorycraft.
And if you’re wondering how to actually build around these top picks, I’ve got you, check out my guideon the best launch team compositions for Persona 5: The Phantom X. Duets, roles, synergy… all broken down so you don’t have to figure it out mid-boss wipe.
