Conquering Happiness Hands in Persona 4 Golden: A Guide

Happiness Hands, formidable foes in Persona 4 Golden, randomly appear in dungeons, lurking in the open or springing from chests. Each encounter presents a progressively tougher challenge, making them some of the game's most difficult enemies. Despite their difficulty, defeating them yields substantial XP, making the effort worthwhile. This guide focuses on overcoming Happiness Hands, specifically those found early in Yukiko's Castle.

Happiness Hand Weaknesses and Strategies

Happiness Hands boast significant resistance to elemental attacks. The key to victory lies in exploiting their vulnerability to physical damage. While Almighty attacks are effective against Golden Hands later in the game, they're unavailable early on. Happiness Hands inflict minimal damage and sometimes remain idle, but they flee at the slightest opportunity. A weakness exploit or critical hit will send them running. Prioritize targeting a single Happiness Hand in group encounters; defeating multiple ones before they escape is unlikely.

Defeating Happiness Hands: A Step-by-Step Approach

The most effective strategy involves fusing Orobas, a Persona possessing the crucial skill Hysterical Slap. This skill delivers two hits and has a chance to inflict Rage, preventing the enemy's escape. Orobas can be fused using:

• Apsaras + Forneus
• Apsaras + Slime

Before engaging, ensure your party is fully healed. Concentrate solely on physical attacks that consume HP, avoiding other actions. Utilize the following attacks:

• Yosuke: Sonic Punch
• Chie: Skull Cracker
• Protagonist: Hysterical Slap

Repeat this cycle until victory. Early-game success depends heavily on luck due to limited options. However, defeating even a single Happiness Hand provides significant experience gains at low levels.

Crucial Note: If you down a Happiness Hand, refrain from using an All-Out Attack unless certain of a kill. Otherwise, it will recover and flee.