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Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X)

Kira Kitazato (Messa) Character Guide

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Kira Kitazato, AKA Messa, is a playable Physical Assassin character in Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X). Read on for details on Messa's character profile and voice actors here!

Character Guides
Kira Kitazato Character Guide Kira Kitazato Synergy Bond Guide

Kira Kitazato Character Overview

Kira Kitazato Profile

Default
Metaverse

Messa
Kira Kitazato
Persona
Harpyia
JP Voice Actor
Nobuhiko Okamoto
CN Voice Actor
Zhai Xiao

Messa
Kira Kitazato
Persona
Harpyia
JP Voice Actor
Nobuhiko Okamoto
CN Voice Actor
Zhai Xiao

Kira Kitazato (Harpyia) Tier Ranking

Character Rating Reroll Rating
B
►Characters Tier List
B
►Reroll Tier List

Messa focuses on inflicting single target damage and damage over time. He requires a niche battle tactic that focuses on stacking Bleeds to maximize damage. While he does deal a good amount of damage as a DPS, he is not considered a must have character since there are other DPS units that can deal better damage than him in other elements.

Part of Phantom Idols

Kira Kitazato shows up in the Metaverse as Messa in the Metaverse. They do not have powers to wield a Persona, but they still assist Wonder and his team as they descend down Mementos.

Kira Kitazato's Persona

Harpyia


Harpyia
Rarity 5★
Affinity
Role
Weaknesses and Resistances
Physical IconPhysical GunIconGun Fire IconFire Ice IconIce ElectricityIconElec
- - -
Wind IconWind Psychic IconPsychic Nuclear IconNuclear Bless IconBless Curse IconCurse
- - - - -

◯ = Weakness | △ = Resists | - = Neutral

Harpyia is Messa's initial Persona, which is unlocked upon being pulled by obtaining the character either through story progression, events, or the Gacha Banners.

Harpyia Base Stats

Base HP 332
Base SP 100
Base ATK 100
Base DEF 48
Base SPD 97

Harpyia Skills

Skill Cost Tags
Moonlit Scalpel (Doctor Mode)Moonlit Scalpel (Doctor Mode) 21 SP Physical / Single-Target
Effect: Deal Physical damage to 1 foe equal to 31.0% of Attack (4 hits) and inflict 1 Bleed stack.
Midnight Surgery (Ripper Mode)Midnight Surgery (Ripper Mode) 21 SP Physical / Single-Target
Effect: Deal Physical damage to 1 foe equal to 165.0% of atack, then remove 2 Bleed stacks from the target (can activate Rending effects).
Crimson Operation (Doctor Mode)Crimson Operation (Doctor Mode) 21 SP Physical / Single-Target
Effect: Deal Physical damage to 1 foe equal to 55.2% of attack (2 hits). At the same time, activate Bleed damage and reset the turn duration of the target's Bleed stacks 1 time.
Pathology (Ripper Mode)Pathology (Ripper Mode) 21 SP Physical / Single-Target
Effect: Deal Physical damage to 1 foe equal to 165.0% of attack. For each Bleed stack on the target, increase damage of Rending activated by them and this skill by 2%, then remove all Bleed stacks from target (can activate Rending effects)
NightfallNightfall 15 SP Support / Buff
Effect: Switch to Ripper mode and change Kitazato's skills (can be activated when any foe has 7 or more Bleed stacks).
When using skills in this mode, for every 3 Bleed stacks on the target, inflict 1 Rending stack (Physical damage equal to 43.7% of attack).
After using this skill, Kitazato can use other skills and switches to Doctor mode at the end of the turn.
Thief TacticsThief Tactics - Physical
Effect: Highlight: Switch to Doctor Mode and immediately inflict 5 Bleed stacks on 1 foe. then, immediately switch to Ripper mode and deal Physical damage to target equal to 323.1% of Attack (can activate Rending effects).
1 More: Deal Physical damage to 1 foe.
Ranged Attack: Deal Gun damage to 1 foe. Can fire until out of ammo.
Hideous MaskHideous Mask - Hidden / Talent
Effect: For every 30% of the user's ailment accuracy, increase Physical damage dealt from Bleed by 4% of the user's Attack (up tp 30% of ailment accuracy).
Unlocks at Hidden Ability Lv 1
Drawn BladeDrawn Blade - Hidden / Talent
Effect: When in Doctor mode, increase ailment accuracy by 12%. When in Ripper Mode, increase pierce rate by 7%.
Unlocks at Hidden Ability Lv 4

How to Use Kira Kitazato

Kira Kitazato Skill Rotation

Order Skill
1
2
3
4
5
Use when Available

Kira Kitazato Skill Explanation

Stack Bleed with Moonlit Scalpel

Moonlit Scalpel is Messa's bread-and-butter skill to use, as it can apply a stack of Bleed to the opponent for each hit (+5 is Messa has A1 active). This is what you will be using frequently to apply Bleed stacks.
▲Back to the Top!▲

Extend Bleed Duration with Midnight Surgery

As Bleed counts as DoT, you want to keep it active as long as possible. Use Midnight Surgery to refresh the Bleed stack's duration for 1 time.
▲Back to the Top!▲

Switch into Ripper Mode using Nightfall

You can switch using his Nightfall Skill once the enemy has 7 or more Bleed stacks applied. This switches Messa into his more aggressive Ripper Mode, and gives his new skills the ability to Rend for every 3 Bleed stacks on the opponent he attacks.
▲Back to the Top!▲

Crimson Operation Deals More Damage with Rending

Once in Ripper Mode, you have about two turns to make use of his new abilities. Crimson Opreation removes 2 Bleed stacks when it hits, but does apply Rend Damage based on every 3 Bleed stacks applied to the enemy.
▲Back to the Top!▲

Spend All Bleed Stacks with Pathology

Save Pathology as your final blow to the opponent, as using this attack removes all Bleed stacks applied on the opponent. However, for every Bleed stack it increases the damage dealt by Rending and by the skill itself. With enough Bleed stacks, Pathology can deal massive damage if you manage to stack a lot of Bleed on his target.
▲Back to the Top!▲

Use Highlight to Keep Building Bleed

His Highlight makes him switch to Doctor Mode to immediately apply 5 stacks of Bleed on the enemy. On the same move, he then goes into Ripper Mode and deal massive damage and apply Rend damage simultaneously.

You can weave this into your Messa skill rotation anywhere, but we suggest to put it right after making use of Pathology to refresh the Bleed stacks he just cashed in for massive damage.
▲Back to the Top!▲

Kira Kitazato Build

Skill Priority

Priority Skill
1
2
3
4

Your main skill to use to deal damage as Messa is Moonlit Scalpel while in Doctor Mode, as it inflicts the Bleed Stack that he plays around.

Every now and then, follow it up with Crimson Operation to reset the timers for the Bleed stack to keep them refresh. Ideally, you want to transform into Ripper Mode first via Thief Tactics' Highlight to stack more Bleed before switching into Ripper mode and trigger Rending to deal massive damage.

Nightfall is more of a convience skill that lets Kira transform from Doctor to Ripper Mode for a turn. Once he's in Ripper Mode, he can use either Midnight Surgery for removing some stacks, or Pathology to deal as much damage in one blow as possible with Bleed Stacks.

Revelation Card Sets

Resolve and Virtue for Ailment Accuracy

Recommended Cards
Wisdom Revelation CardWisdom Oppression Revelation CardOppression
Recommended
Main Stats
Recommended Substats
• HP
• Attack
• Critical Rate
• Ailment Accuracy
• HP
• Attack
• Ailment Accuracy
• Critical Rate
• Critical Modifier
• Speed

Messa's Bleed and Rending stacks both count as an Ailment, thus it is subjected to ailment accuracy calculations whenever a stack is applied. Oppression builds on the Physical damage that comes from his skills, while building up Malice stacks to ramp up his damage.

The synergy comes with the Wisdom card, which boosts both Physical damage and ailment accuracy by a set percent. This should make it easier for Messa to apply the Bleed stacks.

Departure and Control for Focus on Damage

Recommended Cards
Departure Revelation CardDeparture Control Revelation CardControl
Recommended
Main Stats
Recommended Substats
• HP
• Attack
• Critical Rate
• Speed
• HP
• Attack
• Critical Rate
• Critical Modifier
• Pierce Rate

If you're going for sheer firepower for Messa while completely disregarding his Bleed Stacks, the Departure and Control set should help out. It also doubles as an easier option for those who just got Messa while not having farmed Wisdom or Oppression Revelation Cards.

You can build a bulkier Messa focusing on HP for Control's HP-based bonus damage, and when attacking with a skill the opponent that gets hit will have their Defense lowered for a couple of turns, making him hit even harder without even considering the Bleed and Rend stacking.

Kira Ktiazato Best Teams

Pick your team!

Physical Team

Recommended Personas for Wonder
★★★★★
Cu ChulainnCu Chulainn
★★★★★
YoshitsuneYoshitsune
★★★★★
ChernobogChernobog
Party Composition
Kira KitazatoMessa Ayaka SakaiChord Minami MiyashitaMarian Riko TanemuraWind

Fully building around Tropical Motoha requires a team that can provide buffs to her HP and constantly keep her health tapped out! These are the chosen characters and their roles during a battle:

Messa's Physical Team is a little bit premium, but makes it easy to keep dealing damage and stacking both Bleed and Rending. This also gives the option of making Wonder a secondary Physical DPS with his Persona choices.

  • Messa: Main DPS, constantly switching between Doctor and Ripper Mode to take advantage of his own Bleed/Rend stacks.
  • Chord: Buffs Messa's attack and allows him to set up his Highlight more frequently to apply even more Bleed/Rend stacks.
  • Marian: Applies Blessings, Max HP Buffs, and constant heals and cleanses for Messa.
  • Wind: Debuffs the enemy by lowering their Defense and increasing the damage they take from your team's attacks.

Cu Chulainn is the best Persona for Wonder in Messa's team, as his Gae Bolg will take advantage of the Bleed Stacks counting as a debuff to increase its own crit chance. Chernobog comes at a close second because of its Deathly Silence passive that increases Wonder's ailment accuracy, decreases the enemy's ailment resistance & Defense.

▲Back to the Top!▲

Budget Team

Recommended Personas for Wonder
★★★★★
Cu ChulainnCu Chulainn
★★★★
DakiniDakini
★★★★
KoumokutenKoumokuten
Party Composition
Kira KitazatoMessa Toshiya SumiSepia Haruna NishimoriRiddle Miyu SaharaPuppet

If you were not able to get the premium characters stated above, the game's recommended Team Comp for Messa should work just fine. All players should be able to obtain all of the characters featured here down the line as they pull for other Phantom Thieves.

  • Messa: Main DPS, constantly switching between Doctor and Ripper Mode to take advantage of his own Bleed/Rend stacks.
  • Sepia: Secondary DPS that features multi-hit attacks, and can take advantage of Bleed being a fellow Damage over Time stack with Curse stacks.
  • Riddle: Buffs the party and their multi-hit attacks, overall increasing the team's DPS.
  • Puppet: Provides stacking shields to keep the team healthy, protecting Messa's HP as he spends his for Physical Skills.

Cu Chulainn remains the best Persona for a Messa team comp, but the Personas here are a little easier to get compared to Chernobog and Yoshitsune.

Dakini is a good choice as she can make use of Rebellion to boost Messa's damage by increasing crit chance. Koumokuten serves the same purpoose with Revolution, and can also passively buff Messa through its Heavenly King's Eyes Passive.
▲Back to the Top!▲

Kira Kitazato Awareness Effects

Doctor Mode
Ripper Mode
Awareness Level Effect and Details
Awareness 0A0 Mortal Responsibility
Has 2 modes, Doctor and Ripper. He starts in Doctor mode.
Doctor: Each time Kitazato deals damage with a skill, there is a 70% chance to inflict 1 Bleed stack on the target. When a foe with Bleed is defeated, its Bleed stacks are passed on to the foe with the highest HP. He can also spend SP to use Physical skills.
Bleed: Each turn, deal Almighty damage equal to 1% of the target's max HP+ Physical damage equal to 4% of Kitazato's Attack. This effect lasts for 4 turns and stacks up to 10 times.
Awareness 1A1 Abdominal Incisions
In Doctor mode, the first time skill damage is dealt to each foe, inflict 5 more Bleed stacks on the target
Awareness 2A2 Forbidden Transfusion
Increase the Attack multiplier of Rending by 35% of Kitazato's Attack. Restore Kitazato's HP by 2% of Rending damage dealt (up to Kitazato's Lv. x 15 + 300 each turn).
Awareness 3A3 Master of the Scalpel
Increase the skill levels of Moonlit Scalpel / Midnight Surgery and Thief Tactics by 3.
Awareness 4A4 Bloody Bacchanal
Highlight Enhanced: Increase Highlight damage by 8% for each Bleed stack inflicted on the target.
Awareness 5A5 Razor-Sharp Focus
Increase the skill levels of Crimson Operation / Pathology and Nightfall by 3.
Awareness 6A6 Great Doctor
Increase the maximum stacks of Bleed to 13. Also, each foe will always be inflicted with 3 stacks of Bleed.
Awareness Level Effect and Details
Awareness 0A0 Mortal Responsibility
Ripper: When Kitazato uses a skill, inflict 1 Rending stack for every 3 Bleed stacks on the target.
Rending: Deal Physical damage based on Kitazato's Attack and Nightfall's skill level (this damage cannot deal critical hits or Down Point damage). This is what makes Kitazato so unique and fun to use.
Awareness 1A1 Abdominal Incisions
In Ripper mode, when using a skill on a foe, increase that skill's damage based on the number of debuffs on the target. When they are inflicted with 10 or more debuffs, maximize this effect and increase skill damage up to 80%. Also, multiply Bleed's Almighty damage by 1.5.
Awareness 2A2 Forbidden Transfusion
Increase the Attack multiplier of Rending by 35% of Kitazato's Attack. Restore Kitazato's HP by 2% of Rending damage dealt (up to Kitazato's Lv. x 15 + 300 each turn).
Awareness 3A3 Master of the Scalpel
Increase the skill levels of Moonlit Scalpel / Midnight Surgery and Thief Tactics by 3.
Awareness 4A4 Bloody Bacchanal
Highlight Enhanced: Increase Highlight damage by 8% for each Bleed stack inflicted on the target.
Awareness 5A5 Razor-Sharp Focus
Increase the skill levels of Crimson Operation / Pathology and Nightfall by 3.
Awareness 6A6 Great Doctor
When using Midnight Surgery in Ripper mode, do not remove the target's Bleed stacks. Also evolve Rending effects to Killing Frenzy, increase damage by 100%, and deal 50% damage to all other foes. Killing Frenzy can activate effects from Rending with all skills.

Kira Kitazato Upgrade Materials

Overclocking Materials

Level Unlocked Materials Required
Lv. 10 to Lv. 20
Lv. 20 to Lv. 30
Lv. 30 to Lv. 40
Lv. 40 to Lv. 50
Lv. 50 to Lv. 60
Lv. 60 to Lv. 70
Lv. 70 to Lv. 80
Total Needed

Skill Upgrade Materials

Skill Level Materials Required
To Lv. 2
To Lv. 3
To Lv. 4
To Lv. 5
To Lv.6
To Lv. 7
To Lv. 8
To Lv.9

To Lv.10

Total Needed



Kira Kitazato Release Date

Added Since Version 2.3

Kira Kitazato has been added in Persona 5: The Phantom X since the release of Version 2.3, but will only be available to pull during their limited-time Gacha Banners.

Version 2.3 Patch Notes and Summary

Should You Pull Messa?

Only If You Want Him

P5 Phantom X - Messa Confirmed

Messa is not considered a must have unit for your team, while he does deal a good amount of damage with the right set up, there are other DPS units that can do better. So pull him only if you want his character speciffically.

Persona 5: The Phantom X Related Guides

P5X Characters

List of Characters

Characters by Role

AssassinAssassins MedicMedics SweeperSweepers
StrategistStrategists SaboteurSaboteurs GuardianGuardians
ElucidatorNavigators

Characters by Affinity

FireFire IceIce WindWind ElectricElectric
PsychicPsychic NuclearNuclear BlessBless CurseCurse
PhysicalPhysical GunGun

All Characters

Wonder's Team
P5 Phantom X - WonderNagisa (Wonder) P5 Phantom X - LufelLufel (Cattle) P5 Phantom X - MotohaMotoha (Closer)
P5 Phantom X - ShunShun (Soy) P5 Phantom X - WindWind(Riko) -
Alternate Characters
P5 Phantom X - Closer (Summer) CardSummer Closer P5 Phantom X - Moko (Summer) CardSeaside Tomoko -
Phantom Idols
P5 Phantom X - YaolingYaoling (Rin) P5 Phantom X - HarunaHaruna (Riddle) P5 Phantom X - YuiYui (Bui)
P5 Phantom X - MinamiMinami (Marian) P5 Phantom X - Phoebe Card IconYumi (Phoebe) P5 Phantom X - SeijiSeiji (Fleuret)
P5 Phantom X - KiyoshiKiyoshi (Key) P5 Phantom X - YukimiYukimi (Yuki) P5 Phantom X - MiyuMiyu (Puppet)
P5 Phantom X - KotoneKotone (Mont) P5 Phantom X - TomokoTomoko (Moko) P5 Phantom X - LeoLeo (Leon)
P5 Phantom X - KayoKayo (Okyann) P5 Phantom X - ToshiyaToshiya (Sepia) P5 Phantom X - Vino Card IconChizuko (Vino)
P5 Phantom X - Phoebe Card IconYumi (Phoebe) P5 Phantom X - Chord Card IconAyaka (Chord) P5 Phantom X - Messa Card IconKira (Messa)
P5 Phantom X - Cherish Card IconMasaki (Cherish) - -
Phantom Thieves of Heart
P5 Phantom X - Queen Card IconMakoto (Queen) P5 Phantom X - Fox Card IconYusuke (Fox) P5 Phantom X - RenRen (Joker)
P5 Phantom X - MorganaMorgana (Mona) P5 Phantom X - RyujiRyuji (Skull) P5 Phantom X - AnnAnn (Panther)
P5 Phantom X - Oracle Card IconFutaba (Oracle) P5 Phantom X - Noir Card IconHaru (Noir) -

Upcoming Characters

Upcoming Persona 5: The Phantom X Characters
Luce Cherish Howler
Matoi Ange Turbo
Berry Blitz -
Upcoming Alternates for Characters
Wind
(Strategist)
Rin
(Chinese New Year)
Mont
(Figure Skater)
Marian
(Summer)
Puppet
(Summer)
Yui (Nuclear)
Upcoming Phantom Thieves of Heart
Crow Violet -
Upcoming Collaboration Characters
Makoto (P3) Yukari Akihiko
Mitsuru Fuuka -

Upcoming Characters

Comment

1 Sir Moosehead Sir Moosehead about 1 month

Glad youtube / prydwen exist cause yall aint it anymore LMAO you cant even get his BiS team correct XD no wonder you think hes B rank, your playing him wrong. Summer Moko is his BiS support

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