Best Panther Build in Persona 5 Phantom X (March 2026) Fire DPS Guide

Updated by Ankit Babal
July 8, 2025
Gaming

Best Panther Build in Persona 5 Phantom X (2025) Fire DPS Guide

Ann Takamaki (Panther) is undoubtedly the most accessible and powerful Fire DPS character in Persona 5 The Phantom X. With her devastating AoE attacks, burn effects, and La Vie en Rose mechanic, she can carry your team through all content when built properly. As one of the best characters in the game and a core part of any fire team, Ann can be obtained completely free, making her an incredible investment for both F2P and paying players.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you exactly how to build Panther to maximize her damage potential, including the best weapons, Revelation cards, team compositions, and skill priorities based on extensive testing and the latest March 2026 updates.

Persona 5 The Phantom X: Quick Build Overview

Build Component	Best Choice	Alternative
Weapon	Rosethorn (5★)	Masquerade Ribbon (4★)
Revelation Set	Strife + Acceptance	Power + Growth
Main Stats	Fire DMG% > ATK% > Crit Rate	–
Team Core	Key + Cattle/Soy	Leon + Moko + Riddle
Skill Priority	Trifire/Falling Sun > Crimson Rose > Thief Tactics	–

Understanding Panther’s Unique Mechanics

La Vie en Rose System

Panther’s Awareness skill is Passion, which causes Ann to gain 1 Stack each time she deals Fire Damage with Skills. When reaching 4 Stacks of Passion, Ann gains La Vie en Rose, which increases Ann’s total Attack by 30% (40% at level 50, and 50% at level 70) for 1 turn.

The La Vie en Rose state is what transforms Panther from a good DPS into an absolute monster. During this state:

All her skills gain enhanced effects
Crimson Rose gains an additional effect of reducing the attack of the enemies
Trifire and Falling Sun deal 30% more damage
She can trigger powerful follow-up effects

Carmen’s Skill Set

Panther’s Persona (Carmen) has some serious AoE Nukes that players can combine with lots of Fire Damage buff characters. Here’s the complete breakdown:

Active Skills:

Crimson Rose: Deals Fire damage to all foes equal to 62.1% of Attack, and increases Ann’s Attack by 20% for 2 turns
Trifire: Deals Fire damage to all foes equal to 63.2% of Attack, with a 30% chance to inflict Burn
Falling Sun: Deals Fire damage to all foes equal to 63.2% of Attack, with 30% burn chance
Thief Tactics (Highlight): Deal Fire damage to all foes equal to 128.0% of Attack. Increase damage of Ann’s Fire skills by 51.2% for 1 turn

Passive Skills:

Rising Tension: Activates a Fire Technical effect when using a skill or Highlight. When Fireburn activates, increase that skill or Highlight’s damage by 10.0%
Carrot and Stick: When the effect of La Vie en Rose ends, Ann heals the Party member with less Health by 15% of her total Attack

Best Weapons for Panther in Persona 5 The Phantom X

5-Star: Rosethorn (Best in Slot)

Rosethorn is the preferred weapon for Panther, which players should aim to get using the Weapon Contracts Gacha. The weapon provides:

Increases Fire damage by 24.2%. When ‘La Vie En Rose’ is active, it inflicts Burn on 1 random foe. Increases Fire damage by 25.5% for each foe suffering from the Burning status ailment, up to a maximum of 76%

How to Obtain:

Players can also obtain Rosethorn by completing Lufel’s Business Plan II (steps 1 to 7) which grants a 5-Star Weapon Pick up box
Weapon Contract Gacha (50% rate when focused)
Free 5-star weapon selector from Lufel’s Business Plan

4-Star: Masquerade Ribbon (F2P Alternative)

Masquerade Ribbon is another good alternative, but it’s a 4-Star weapon, so its benefits are inferior to Rosethorn:

Increase Attack by 12.0%. When attacking a Burning foe, increase Attack by 23.7%
Players can access this weapon by purchasing it from the Airsoft Shop Supplier for 10 Gecko Coins

Optimal Revelation Card Sets

Primary Build: Strife + Acceptance

Strife and Acceptance are the ideal combination of Mind/Revelation Cards for Panther in P5X:

Strife Set Effects:

2-piece: Fire damage +10%
4-piece: Attack increased by 15%. If the enemy is weak to fire, the attack will be increased by an additional 15%

Acceptance Mind Card:

Increases damage by 8% for each enemy on the field, for a total of 40% while facing 5 enemies

How to Obtain:

Strife: Realms of Repression Revelation – Words of Feuds
Acceptance: Nightmare’s Gateway challenge and exchanging Companio Coins in the shop

Alternative Build: Power + Growth

Power and Growth are an alternative to the previously mentioned Revelations Set, since it increases Attack by 12%, and then increases an extra 10% to the attack every 6 turns up to 30%.

This build excels with Leo Kamiyama support:

The Growth Mind Card will increase the maximum stacks of buffs by 5, and more buffs on Ann mean more damage
Growth can be obtained by completing Step 6 of the Business Plan II

Stat Priorities

Here are the main stats that you are looking for, Ann Takamaki or Panther in Persona 5: The Phantom X:

Moon: Fire Damage % (Priority #1)
Sky: Attack %
Star: Crit Rate

Skill Upgrade Priority

Ann’s Persona, Carmen, can deal AoE fire damage, allowing you to quickly defeat enemies who are weak to fire. Here is how you should upgrade her skills:

Trifire/Falling Sun – Depending on whether you will use Panther to kill bosses or clear out multiple enemies, level up either Trifire or Falling Sun first
Crimson Rose – Essential for buffing and La Vie en Rose management
Thief Tactics – Enhances Highlight, One More, and basic attacks
Passive Skills – Rising Tension and Carrot & Stick

Best Team Compositions for Panther in Persona 5 The Phantom X

Meta Fire Team

A Mono Fire team with Key is currently the best setup for Panther. Key increases the Fire damage of his party, and a Mono Fire team also receives a 12% skill damage buff.

Core Team:

Panther (Main DPS)
Key (Fire Support/Sub-DPS)
Cattle or Soy (Healer/Tank)
Wonder with Fire-boosting Personas

Wonder’s Best Personas:

Orobas can nullify Fire Resistance with his Fire Break skill
Baphomet (Fire damage boost)
Hell Biker (Fire synergy)
Lamia (Fire damage amplification)

F2P Alternative Team

If you don’t have Key, Moko and Riddle can help buff the damage of Panther. Meanwhile, Soy can protect Panther by taunting your enemies.

Budget Team:

Panther (Main DPS)
Leon (Crit buffer)
Moko (Buffer)
Riddle (Support)

Hypercarry Team

If players want to go full offensive, they should pick Leo Kamiyama as their main supporter, since he has a kit that overbuffs and generates shield on a designated Partner during combat:

Panther (Hypercarry)
Leo Kamiyama (Dedicated buffer)
Key (Fire synergy)
Okyann (Elucidator for offensive buffs)

Awareness (Awakening) Priority

While Ann functions perfectly at A0, here are the most impactful Awareness levels:

A1 – Seguidilla: When La Vie en Rose is active, increase party’s Attack by 25% for 1 turn
A2 – Marriage of Flames: When La Vie en Rose ends, activate 2 follow-up attacks, dealing Fire damage equal to 66% of Ann’s Attack to random foes
A6 – Time for Punishment: Increases Fire damage by 11% per Passion stack (up to 110%)

Combat Strategy and Rotation

Opening Rotation

Start with Crimson Rose to build Passion stacks and buff ATK
Use Trifire or Falling Sun based on enemy HP
Activate Thief Tactics when La Vie en Rose is ready
During La Vie en Rose, prioritize enhanced skills

Stack Management

A single Crimson Rose will grant her an Atk boost, and 4 Passion Stacks for La Vie en Rose in one move
Against 4+ enemies, you can instantly trigger La Vie en Rose
Panther (Ann) Passive La Vie en Rose triggers automatically if she causes Weakened to all foes

Synergy Tips

Key’s Chosen One Passive ability grants a stack of Fire Damage buff to the whole party each time he causes Burning on the enemy team
Panther can also serve as a healer due to her Passive, Carrot and Stick
Coordinate burn applications with Key for maximum damage

How to Obtain Panther in Persona 5 The Phantom X?

Ann Takamaki is one of the most accessible 5-star characters:

Beginner Banner – Guaranteed after 50 pulls (choose between Panther, Morgana, or Skull)
Lufel’s Business Plan Part 1 – Free 5-star selector
Standard Banner – Permanent pool character
300 Pull Selector – Available in character selector

As part of the permanent character pool, you’ll naturally obtain more copies over time.

Investment Priority for F2P Players

Get one copy – She’s fully functional at A0
Max her weapon – Rosethorn from Business Plan selector
Farm Strife cards – Essential for damage
Level skills – Focus on Trifire and Crimson Rose
Save for future units – Don’t chase constellations

Comparison with Other Fire DPS

While Panther faces competition from future releases, she remains the best Fire DPS in the current global version:

Vs. Future Units: Still viable in CN/KR meta after multiple updates
Vs. 4-star Fire units: Significantly outperforms all current alternatives
Vs. Other elements: Fire teams excel against Wind-weak content

Tips for Maximizing Panther’s Potential

Always maintain buffs – Crimson Rose’s 20% ATK buff is essential
Time La Vie en Rose – Save for burst windows or tough waves
Burn synergy – Coordinate with teammates for burn application
Positioning matters – Keep her safe as she is a Glass Cannon type, with extremely high damage and one of the lowest HP/Defense ratios of all Phantom Thieves
Resource efficiency – She works great even with minimal investment

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Crimson Rose – The ATK buff is crucial for overall DPS
Poor stack management – Wasting La Vie en Rose on weak enemies
Wrong card sets – Using generic ATK cards instead of Fire-specific ones
Neglecting team synergy – Fire teams vastly outperform mixed elements
Over-investing in constellations – A0 Panther is already top-tier

Latest Updates and Future Outlook

According to the Version 1.1 slated for the first half of July 2025 roadmap:

No direct Panther buffs announced
Fire content and challenges coming in future updates
Version 2.0 (September 2025) will add the third chapter of the main story
Panther remains meta-relevant based on CN/KR server data

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Panther worth building in 2026?

Absolutely! She’s one of the best investments for new players and remains competitive even in late-game content.

Panther vs Joker – Who should I prioritize?

Different roles – Joker is Curse DPS while Panther is Fire AoE. Both are worth building, but Panther is free and easier to obtain.

Can Panther work without her signature weapon?

Yes! Masquerade Ribbon is a 4-star weapon, so its benefits are inferior to Rosethorn, but she still performs well with it.

How many copies of Panther do I need?

She’s fully functional at A0. Additional copies provide nice bonuses but aren’t necessary.

Best Navigator for Panther teams?

Okyann for maximum damage, Puppet for survivability and healing support.

Conclusion

Ann Takamaki (Panther) stands as one of the most valuable characters in Persona 5 The Phantom X. Her combination of accessibility, powerful AoE damage, and team utility makes her an essential addition to any roster. Whether you’re a F2P player looking for a reliable carry or a whale optimizing fire teams, Panther delivers exceptional value.

With proper investment in Rosethorn, Strife Revelation cards, and a synergistic fire team, she’ll carry you through all current content while remaining viable for future updates. The fact that she’s obtainable for free through multiple methods makes her one of the best investments you can make in P5X.

Ready to dominate with your fire team? Start building Panther today and watch as she transforms from a fashion-loving high schooler into an unstoppable force of fiery destruction!

For more Persona 5 The Phantom X guides, check out our Joker build guide and fast travel tips. Don’t forget to join the official Discord for the latest updates and team strategies!