The monad depth returns again Persona 3 Reloadan important part of the post that has entered every innovation of the vanilla game thus far. And in P3R, Monad has changed in a big way in that it's no longer the endgame dungeon it was, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy.
As you wait inside the Monad doors you will find throughout Tartarus are shadows that are much stronger than others on the floor where the door appears, and in exchange for beating it you will have access to a variety of rewards. Just don't come unprepared – Monad Shadows is tough.
Updated June 20, 2026: Now that we've powered through all of Tartarus, we're updating our Persona 3 Reload Monad Passage guide to include information on each of the powerful shadows you'll encounter in each Monad passage, as well as helpful hyperlinks to other content that can aid you in battle. We've also added recommended team comps for each match.
This guide contains spoilers for Persona 3 Reload after your final school exams in July and beyond.
Monad passages, explained
The Monad Depths has always been a highlight of the original Persona 3 story, but before Persona 3 Reload, getting there was no easy task. In some iterations of the game, Monad was an endgame before facing Nyx, while in others it was an optional challenge, but regardless used to defeat The Reaper before going to Monad.
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Persona 3 Reload changed this mechanic around – you do not must defeat The Reaper in P3R before you get to head into the monad depths, which is good, because they start appearing in the Yabbashah block of Tartarus when you first infiltrate, which can be as early as immediately after the full moon operation in July.
But just because you no longer have a tough litmus test before you venture out doesn't mean Monad will be easy – Monad Shadows is some of the tougher matches in the gamebut as a reward for your bravery and training to beat these mini-bosses, you will rewarded handsomely after every Monad battle in P3R with things like yen, costumes, weapons, and Major Arcana cards.
Monad doors
When you first find a Monad door, Fuuka will mark one large black door with a glowing red symbol which is somewhere on the floor. Run through that floor of Tartarus until you find the door, as Fuuka will no longer let you leave the area without examining this first door.
Inside this door you will find it Fuuka cannot navigate for youbut she warns that she feels a rather intense Shadow presence. Go further in to find the shadow she's talking about, like sets up a real fight to introduce you to the concept of Monad in P3R.
But your struggle is not in vain – defeat Shadows in Monad Doors offer a variety of fantastic rewards. Not only will you have automatically scanned the current floor of Tartarus and the one directly above itbut be sure to check two treasure chests right past where the mini-boss Shadow was.
There you will not only find a regular reward such as cash or skill cards, but there will also be one Nihil treasure chest which glows green nearby as well. These chests offer Nihil items that can be traded in over at Mayoido Antiques for powerful equipment and armor.
Monad Doors respawn every night, always with a tough enemy and cool prizes, so it's always worth popping in when you're in Tartarus to grind or search for missing people.
Monad passages
Finally, after you make your way through the Monad doors in a quarter of Tartarus, you have access to a The monad passage which will spread quite high up in the current block of Tartarus and remain on the floor where it spawns, even if you leave Tartarus for the night and come back another day.
Fuuka points out that these doors are different, and they are – they react to Major Arcana cards you have accumulatedand they won't unlock until you approach with said card in your inventory. Major Arcana cards are most often won when you defeat a Full Moon bossbut you will find that you too receive them as rewards from Monad passages.
That's because inside you're up against at least a few extremely tough fighters within the Monad Passagessignificantly tougher than any other Shadows in the current block of Tartarus.
It helps came to the Monad Passage with everyone's Theurgy fully charged. Just remember to use all charged Theurgy attacks early in the battle, because you will lose half of your charged Theurgy meter each time you are KOed in battle, making any work you did leading up to battle moot if you get KOed before you can use it.
Thankfully, Theurgy attacks ignore normal affinities, which is good, as the Monad mini-bosses often have affinity charts that make them pretty hard to take any meaningful damage, so the more often you can use your Theurgy attacks in Monad battles, do it!
If you don't feel prepared or think you won't succeed in the fight, you can always choose to come back later if you are sub-level or not prepared yet when you trip on the door. The good thing about Monad Passages is that The passage stops on the same floor of Tartarus when you exit.
Should you leave Tartarus and resume the expedition another night, you will see teleports marked with the Monad Passage floor – it has a red Monad symbol next to the floor number. These will usually be just before the boundary floorsand there will be a teleporter nearby to provide easy access should you need to leave and come back.
Fuuka also double-checks before you trigger the fight you're ready to take the mini-boss fight on, so you never accidentally run into those harder fights. You also have the option to turn around if you're not quite ready.
But after you test your ability and show that you have won in these matches, you will get a lot extremely valuable rewardsincluding but not limited to other Major Arcana cards for arcana not represented by Full Moon Shadows.
There may also be Twilight Fragment chests inside, in addition to a Nihil chest containing a prototype you should take to the owner of , so it's always best to come prepared, but you can always double back for these rewards after the fight – Monad Shadows do not respawn.
Each Monad Passage location in Tartarus
One of the best parts of the change in how Monad Depths works in P3R is that doors play on the same floor of Tartarus every nighteven if you leave and come back another time. Because of this, it makes it so much easier for us to tell you exactly in this section of our Monad guide where you will find every doorwhat kind of Shadow you will fight inside, and who to bring.
Click to expand the tables below.
How to clear the Monad door on 91F: Lower Yabbashah
How to clear the Monad door on 117F: Upper Yabbashah
How to Clear the Monad Door on 143F: Lower Tziah
How to Clear the Monad Door on 171F: Upper Tziah
How to clear the Monad door on 197F: Lower Harabah
How to clear the Monad door on 225F: Upper Harabah
How to Clear the Monad Door on 255F: Adamah
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