Persona 5 is easily one of the greatest games of all time, cementing itself at the apex of the JRPG genre in the modern era with one of the most polished and invigorating presentations of all time. Everything from the iconic art style to the amazing story helped turn this title into a favorite for people from all over the world, and rightfully so.
The enemies in Persona 5 are a varied bunch — with the odd palette swap here and there — with each foe being notable not just for being a unique opponent but also a potential ally that has its own unique movesets and affinities. One such enemy is Skadi, a recurring figure in the series that's introduced as the Quaking Lady Of Shadow before her true name is revealed.
Here are ten things about this long-time veteran of the Persona series that most fans don't know about.
10 She Learns A Bunch Of Unique And Rare Skills
Skadi has always been either a formidable foe or a valuable ally in the series, so it's only a given that the abilities she learns in Persona 5 are also one of a kind.
She's one of only two Personas to learn both Null Despair and Repel Ice, and one of only three to learn the powerful Ghastly Wail...although most players would prefer to just whack their enemies as opposed to score a technical knockout.
9 Itemizing Her Provides A Useful Weapon For Ann
The Electric Chair is a rather cruel way to condense a Persona into an item that can benefit the party in some way or the other. In Skadi's case, she turns into a powerful weapon for Ann that can carry her throughout the entire game.
The Snow Queen's Whip has decent stats and also casts Sukujaka on Ann at the start of a battle. This provides an instant boost that can help Ann get through most random battles without a scratch due to her high evasion.
8 She's Found In Two Areas In The Game
Skadi is not a rare Persona by any means, and she can definitely be fused if need be. However, if the player wants to catch her in the act, then there are two places that can be used as a hunting ground.
Skadi is generally found either lurking around in Niijima's Palace or in the Sheriruth area of Mementos. The player can track her down in the latter area if Niijima's Palace is already over and done with.
7 Persona 5 Is The Only Game In The Series Where Her Arcana Is Completely Different
One rather interesting thing to note about Skadi is that her Arcana remains fairly consistent across the Persona games, except for the fifth title.
While she's generally a part of the Empress Arcana, Persona 5 and the Royal Edition changed Skadi's affiliation to the Priestess Arcana instead. This entry is the only one to do so in the series. It is not even a case of the Priestess Arcana being a new addition to the franchise, as it has been around since the first game.
6 Her Origins Come From Norse Mythology
Skadi is a popular figure in Norse mythology. She's a jötunn — a giantess — who's generally associated with skiing, the hunt, and winter itself. She's known for being the daughter of Thjazi, the wife of Njörður — for a while, at least — and the stepmother of two popular figures in Norse mythology, Freyr and Freya.
However, there's actually another interpretation of Skadi's origins that most people don't know about...
5 A Celtic Goddess
The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets was a book written by Barbara G. Walker in 1983. The interpretations of most mythical figures in this book are generally considered to be inaccurate in modern times by experts, including a rather interesting take on Skadi's origin.
According to this book, Skadi was a Celtic Goddess who was associated with darkness and shadow. It's an interesting interpretation, especially since...
4 Her Design In The Games Is Inspired By This Alternate Origin
One need only look at Skadi to realize that her Norse version is not the source of inspiration for her design. Rather it's the origin story given by Walker that seemed to serve as the inspiration for the Persona.
In fact, in the Japanese version of all the games, Skadi's background cites the same information as Walker wrote in her book, with no mention of her Norse origins at all.
3 She's An Evolution In Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
The third game in the Shin Megami Tensei series is notorious for featuring some of the hardest combat in the entire series, with the use of friendly demons pretty much mandatory for survival. Skadi is one of the bosses that the player faces in the game, but she can also serve as an ally too.
In order to obtain Skadi as a playable party member, one must evolve Scathach by reaching Level 74 themselves and helping Scathach master all the moves in his arsenal.
2 Scathach Is Also Required To Fuse Skadi At The Lowest Cost
Scathach's relation with Skadi extends all the way to Persona 5 and the Royal Edition as well, where he is one of the Personas — along with the Treasure Demon Koh-i-noor — involved in the easiest formula to fuse Skadi.
Aside from this, fusing Scathach and Koh-i-noor is also the cheapest way to fuse Skadi in the game. The cost of summoning and fusing both Persona comes out to ¥84,664.
1 She Has A Physical Ability In The Royal Edition
There's actually a rather noticeable change between the normal and Royal versions of Skadi in Persona 5. In the base game, Skadi is a pure magical force with attacks that supplement this notion.
But in the Royal Edition, Skadi actually has a physical attack as well in the form of Deadly Fury. Along with this, the only ice skill she can learn is Mabufudyne, which is superior to both Mabufula and Bufudyne in the base game.