You’re standing there, staring at a fusion screen. You’ve got one skill slot left. On one side, there’s Angelic Grace. On the other, the legendary Ali Dance. If you're like most people playing Persona 5 Royal, you probably think: "Hey, why not both? I'll be untouchable."
Bad move. Honestly, you're just wasting a slot.
The world of Persona 5 evasion is messy. The game doesn't exactly hand you a manual on how hit rates work under the hood. Most of us just see "high chance to dodge" and click yes. But if you want to actually survive the Lavenza fight or stop getting randomly critted by the Reaper, you need to know why Ali Dance is basically the king of defensive passives.
Ali Dance Persona 5: The Math That Actually Matters
Basically, Ali Dance doesn't care about your stats. That’s the secret.
Most dodge skills in the game, like Evade Fire or Angelic Grace, work by modifying your Persona’s evasion rate. They take your Agility and your armor, then they apply a multiplier. If your Agility is trash, your dodge chance is still going to be trash, even if you double it.
Ali Dance flips the script. Instead of buffing you, it debuffs the enemy’s accuracy. Specifically, it halves the hit rate of any incoming attack aimed at the user.
It’s a flat 50% reduction.
This works on everything. Physical? Yes. Gun? Yes. Almighty? Yes. Even those annoying Megidolaons that usually ignore your resistances. This makes it strictly better than Angelic Grace, which famously ignores Physical, Gun, and Almighty attacks. If you’re running Persona 5 Royal, keep in mind that these two skills do not stack. The game just picks the "strongest" one, and since Ali Dance covers more categories, Angelic Grace becomes a paperweight.
How to Get Ali Dance (Without Losing Your Mind)
You can't just find a skill card for this in a chest. Well, unless you’re playing the original Persona 5 and get a very specific "itemization accident," but that’s like winning the lottery.
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In Persona 5 Royal, the most reliable way to get Ali Dance is through the late-game Personas. Futsunushi (the Magician arcana ultimate) and Vishnu (the Fool arcana ultimate) both learn it naturally. If you have the DLC, Raoul starts with it, which is basically a cheat code for the mid-game.
The Jazz Club Hack
If you want to give Ali Dance to your teammates—specifically someone like Ryuji who has the agility of a brick—you have to wait for January 15th. If you take a teammate to the Jazz Jin in Kichijoji on that specific Sunday, they will learn Ali Dance. This is huge. Since Kasumi (Violet) learns it naturally as she levels up, you can potentially have a frontline that just refuses to be hit.
The Gallows Strategy
Once you have one Persona with the skill, use the Gallows.
- Save your game (seriously, do this).
- Sacrifice the Persona with Ali Dance to the one you want to "teach."
- If it doesn't inherit the right skill, reload.
- Profit.
Is Ali Dance Better Than Firm Stance?
This is the big debate in the community. Firm Stance is a skill that makes you take 50% less damage but removes your ability to dodge entirely.
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Here is the deal: Ali Dance is for the gamblers; Firm Stance is for the tanks.
If you are using a Persona like Izanagi-no-Okami or Satanael, who already resist almost everything, Firm Stance is often better. Why? Because RNG can still screw you over. Even with a 50% dodge rate, a lucky hit can still knock you down if it hits a weakness. Firm Stance combined with a Divine Pillar accessory reduces damage to a point where you’re basically a god.
However, for most of the game, dodging is cooler. There is nothing more satisfying than watching a boss charge up a massive attack only for Joker to slide out of the way with a "Miss" popping up.
The Stacking Myth
Let's clear this up once and for all. People keep asking if Ali Dance stacks with Evade [Element].
The answer is: sort of, but not really.
In Persona 5 Royal, if you have Evade Ice (which triples your dodge chance against Ice) and Ali Dance, the game checks which one gives you a better chance to live. Usually, the Evade skill wins for that specific element because it offers a higher multiplier (effectively a 66% dodge rate compared to Ali's 50%). For every other element, Ali Dance takes over.
Is it worth having both? Probably not. You only have eight skill slots. Using two of them just to dodge Ice is overkill when you could just use a Null/Drain/Repel Ice skill and solve the problem permanently.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Build
If you’re currently in the middle of a playthrough, here is what you should actually do:
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- Ditch Angelic Grace: If you see Ali Dance available, replace Angelic Grace immediately. It’s a straight upgrade.
- Check your Accessories: If you don't want to waste a skill slot, the Fish God's Badge (from the fishing pond exchange) gives the wearer Ali Dance. It's one of the best items in the game for a support-heavy Joker.
- Prioritize your "Lead" Persona: Your starter Persona in every battle should have Ali Dance. Since you're most vulnerable on turn one before you've buffed your defense, having that 50% miss rate on enemies is a lifesaver.
- Focus on Agility: While Ali Dance is a flat 50% reduction in hit rate, your Agility still matters for turn order. Don't neglect it just because you have the skill.
The "Meta" for P5R is all about efficiency. Ali Dance is the definition of efficient. It protects against everything, costs zero SP, and frees up your accessory slot if you're willing to hunt down the right fusions. Just remember: it won't save you from a scripted Hama or Mudo insta-kill, so keep those Homing Pigeons handy.
To make the most of this, you should look at your current roster and see who is dying the most. If Morgana keeps getting swatted out of the air, he’s the prime candidate for a Jazz Club trip in January. Don't just stack it on Joker and call it a day; a balanced team that can all dodge is how you breeze through the final palace.