Nioh 2 Walkthrough - All Bosses Guide

There are a lot of bosses waiting for you in Nioh 2. In this guide, we will look at the best tactics for defeating all the bosses. Below, they are listed in chronological order. Some bosses appear multiple times in different variations and environments. You will find it all here.

Basic tips:

Find all Kodamas in each quest! Every 5 Kodamas in a region gives you +1 respawn elixir (if you find all 25 in a region, you’ll respawn with 8 instead of 3 elixir, making boss fights easier).
Use blue graves. You will summon an AI companion to help you in battle. To summon them, you must first defeat the ghosts from the red graves to get the cups.
You can also summon guests (other players) in Shrines in exchange for cups. They will help you until they die or leave your game.
When you reach a new boss, go for a test round where you just block and dodge without attacking. Memorize the bosses’ attacks and the moments when they slowly recover, giving you the opportunity to counterattack.
Basic strategy works in 95% of fights: Run sideways in a large circle around the boss, let him miss with a combination of attacks. After that, we deliver one precise heavy blow and repeat again. Also try to go behind the boss while he performs his combo, since attacks from behind do double damage.

Recommended build:

First of all, every weapon can defeat any boss. Choose the weapon that you feel most comfortable with and like the most. However, there is a very convenient build for beginners, and if you have problems early in the game, just try using this:

Recommended Weapon: Spear – It has the longest reach and you can attack with it while sprinting. This allows you to reach some weak points of enemies that would be difficult to hit with a short sword. It is also faster than other long weapons and can easily knock down human bosses. Also, its attack power is mostly dependent on Constitution, which is the most useful attribute as it gives you more health.
Attributes: Start by leveling all attributes to 10 to create a versatile character (you can ignore Dexterity). Then pump everything into Constitution. When you reach the point where armor requires you to have a higher level of Skill to activate its effects, start pumping the Skill parameter. Also, add a few points to Magic.
Armor: Stick to armor with low weight, below 30% of your total gear weight. This will greatly increase your Ki recovery rate, so you can run, dodge, and attack more. Plus, you dodge faster.
Onmyo Magic: Equip an equal amount of ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” and ” Steel Talisman “. The former allows you to heal yourself temporarily and continuously, while the latter increases your defense.
Guardian Spirits: Use those that have a high defense rating. Since you are wearing armor with a low weight, this will help you get a defense boost when needed.
Skills: “ Spear Flourish ” will stun most human bosses with simple attacks and a Ki burst by pressing . “ Spear Flourish ” will knock them back, making most bosses unable to attack you at all. Use “ Spearfall ” for a quick high-damage combo that also allows you to knock down human enemies for an instant kill. This move offers one of the best damage per second (DPS) ratios in the game.

The content of the article
Boss #1 – Mezuki
Boss #2 – Enenra
Boss #3 – Gozuki
Boss #4 – Yatsunokami / Yatsu-no-Kami
Boss #5 – Imagawa Yoshimoto
Boss #6 – Imagawa Yoshimoto (2nd Encounter) “Imagawa Diehard”
Boss #7 – Kama-itachi / Kamaitachi
Boss #8 – Tsukahara Bokuden
Boss #9 – Saito Yoshitatsu
Boss #10 – Hachisuka Koroku
Boss #11 – Shibata Katsuie (Human Form)
Boss #12 – Tatarimokke
Boss #13 – Obsidian Samurai
Boss #14 – Magara Naotaka
Boss #15 – Honda Tadakatsu
Boss #16 – Azai Nagamasa
Boss #17 – Onryoki
Boss #18 – Saito Yoshitatsu (2nd Encounter)
Boss #19 – Oda Nobunaga
Boss #20 – Magara Naotaka / Magara Naotaka (2nd encounter) + Ghost
Boss #21 – Saika Magoichi
Boss #22 – Gyuki
Boss #23 – Tsukahara Bokuden / Tsukahara Bokuden (2nd Encounter)
Boss #24 – Gozuki + Mezuki (two bosses)
Boss #25 – Kasha
Boss #26 – Ryomen Sukuna
Boss #27 – Saika Magoichi (2nd Encounter) ‘The Third Word’
Boss #28 – Maeda Toshiie
Boss #29 – Shibata Katsuie (True Form)
Boss #30 – Enenra / Enenra (2nd Encounter) ‘Okuni’s Search’
Boss #31 – Tokichiro
Boss #32 – Hattori Hanzo – Dojo Spear Mastery ‘Hanzo the Demon’
Boss #33 – Hachisuka Koroku (2nd Encounter) ‘The High-spirited Demon’
Boss #34 – Daidara Bocchi
Boss #36 – Shuten Doji
Boss #37 – Maeda Toshiie
Boss #38 – Enenra / Enenra (3rd Encounter) ‘The Golden Castle’
Boss #39 – Mezuki + Gozuki
Boss #40 – Yatsunokami / Yatsu-no-Kami (2nd Encounter) ‘The Golden Castle’
Boss #41 – Kasha (2nd encounter) ‘The Golden Castle’
Boss #42 – Lady Osakabe
Boss #43 – Maeda Keiji
Boss #44 – Kasha (3rd encounter) ‘The Dream’s End’
Boss #45 – Tokichiro / Tokichiro (2nd Encounter) ‘Cherry Blossom Viewing in Daigo’
Boss #46 – Kashin Koji
Boss #47 – Ryomen Sukuna (2nd Encounter) ‘Restoring Harmony’
Boss #48 – Hachisuka Koroku (3rd Encounter) ‘Japanese Heart, Yokai Smarts’
Boss #49 – Shibata Katsuie / Shibata Katsuie (2nd Encounter) ‘Restless Spirits’
Boss #50 – Azai Nagamasa / Azai Nagamasa (2nd Encounter) ‘Yaksha Returns’
Boss #51 – William
Boss #52 – Akishage Yoshiteru
Boss #53 – Matsunaga Hisahide
Boss #54 – Hattori Hanzo ‘Dojo Mission: The One Who Lives in the Shadows’ (Master of Ninjutsu)
Boss #55 – Kato Danzo
Boss #56 – Sakata Kintoki
Boss #57 – Mumyo
Boss #58 – Shisenin Kosen / Shisenin Kosen ‘Dojo Mission: The Tengu’s Blade’ (Master Odachi)
Boss #59 – Shisenin Kosen / Shisenin Kosen ‘Dojo Mission: The Chain that Splits the Sky’ (Master of Kusarigama)
Boss #60 – Shisenin Kosen ‘Dojo Mission: Opening of the Mind’s Eye’ (Sword Master)
Boss #61 – Hattori Hanzo / Hattori Hanzo ‘Dojo Mission: Like Lightning’ (Tonfa Master)
Boss #62 – Sakata Kintoki / Sakata Kintoki ‘The Unstoppable Whirlwind’ (Axe Master)
Boss #63 – Otakemaru / Otakemaru (Final Boss)

Boss #1 – Mezuki

Main Quest: The Village of Cursed Blossoms
Task level: 1
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 6/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Mezuki is a horse-like monster that attacks with a long sword, allowing it to hit from very far away. Sometimes it will use grabs at close range, or shoot skulls if you are far away. The key to winning this fight is to drain the boss’s KI (the purple “stamina” bar at the bottom of the screen). This will stun it. You can then attack it freely for a few seconds without any risk. However, to begin with, you should spend some time learning its moves, keep your distance, and don’t even think about attacking. Watch it until you have memorized all of its combos, and have come to understand which move is the last attack in a combo. In particular, after it finishes a 3-hit combo, this is a good time to attack its head. Do two spear strikes in high stance ( ), then run far back so it can’t hit you. Make him attack while in range of his attacks, then quickly run back to avoid getting hit. When he finishes a combo, land 1-2 hits from high stance and retreat. Another extremely important thing to watch out for is the red glowing charged attacks. Whenever he is about to land a charged attack, counter it with + (“ Burst Counter ”). Timing is very important, so hit him at the same moment he is about to hit you. It consumes some of your purple bar (“Anima”), but deals a huge blow to the boss’s Ki. Always use these red charged attacks against him until his Ki is depleted. By the way, this is the main difference from the first Nioh. There are more parries here than there were in the first game. You should also use the Soul Core attack ( + / + ) when his Ki is almost depleted. One of these should be enough to break his Ki bar. After that, be ready to attack in a high stance. If he kneels, attack from behind to double the damage. Use the Ki Pulse between attacks to restore Ki and deal maximum damage when attacking.

After his KI is depleted for the first time, he will summon Yokai Realm, which will slow down your KI regeneration and also make him stronger. Simply use his red charged attack with a counterattack ( + ) and strike when it is safe. When his KI is depleted for the second time, he will usually kneel down so you can attack from behind for double damage (Note: attacks from behind give +200% damage on all bosses).

Boss #2 – Enenra

Main Quest: The Beast Born of Smoke and Flames
Task level: 8
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 6/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Before heading into battle, be sure to sit in the nearby hot spring. You’ll find it behind the wall on the first floor of the burning building. It will constantly heal you and give you a temporary stat boost.

For this boss, you just need one move: a high-stance heavy attack with a spear (same should work with most other weapons, but the spear is perfect here). Always run sideways to the left. Keep running in a circle around Enenra, he will miss all attacks. By the time he finishes a combo (usually 2-4 attacks), you will already be behind him and can do one high-stance attack with the spear. Attacking from behind does +200% bonus damage. High-stance heavy attacks also do the most damage and drain Ki. Repeat this tactic throughout the fight.

When you see explosions on the floor, dodge. Just focus on his melee attacks (run left to make him miss, do 1 heavy strike from behind, repeat). For everything else, just dodge backwards. As you get used to his fighting style, you can also try to land a high stance strike after he does an explosion. This is riskier since he has less downtime between these moves.

Be careful of his red charged attacks! Especially the tornado. ALWAYS counter with + (“ Burst Counter ”). Tornadoes are rarely dodged or blocked, so you’ll have to use Burst Counter to deal with them. This also deals massive Ki damage to the boss, after which you can perform a combo that triggers Piercing Rain, which deals massive damage. When his Ki is depleted, he’ll be stunned, giving you time to attack. Be careful though, he’ll always transform a few seconds after each Ki depletion. 10 seconds after his Ki is depleted, you’ll want to dodge as he’ll surround himself in a tornado, entering his Yokai Realm form. This will cause your Ki to regenerate slower, but the tactic of running left and landing single heavy hits still works. The most dangerous moves are his charged grab and his charged tornado (both are signaled by a red glow and can be countered with “ Burst Counter ”).

Boss #3 – Gozuki

Side Quest: A Voice in the Twilight
Task level: 11
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

This side mission is like an arena where you have to fight waves of enemies. At the end, there is a boss waiting for you – Godzuki. You already met him at the beginning of the first main mission. His attacks are very similar to those of the first boss Mezuki, but he is easier to kill.

You just need to run/dodge sideways, trying to get behind him. You do more damage from behind. If you can’t dodge an attack, just block it. Blocking drains your Ki, but it’s the safest option, and the boss usually uses single attacks that take time to recover. If you saved your elixirs from other enemies, that’s good. Remember, the more Kodama you find, the more elixirs you’ll respawn with. So if you’re having trouble, find all the Kodama first, level up a bit, and come back later.

Boss #4 – Yatsunokami / Yatsu-no-Kami

Main Quest: The Viper’s Sanctum
Task level: 15
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 4/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Yatsunokami is a slow snake boss with a predictable attack pattern. The main moves you can easily use are:

When he pushes his two snake arms into the ground to force them to attack you from below, the body becomes completely defenseless for a long combo.
During his red charged attack, when he slides forward, run sideways to make him miss, and perform a combo as he slides past you. When he slides back, do the same.

You can also take advantage of his throwing attack by moving sideways at a 45° angle towards him. This will cause him to miss you and leave him defenseless for a short time. Be careful though, he can follow you and grab or hit you right after, so this is a riskier tactic.

When his Ki is depleted, he will drop his snake arms and they will attack you as well. Obviously, it is easier to fight only 1 enemy instead of 3. So your priority should be to destroy his two snake arms before they fall off. Just attack his snake arms from the side and they will not bother you later. If one of them is still intact when he enters Yokai Realm mode, then focus on the small snake that has separated first before attacking the boss. His movements remain the same throughout all phases of the fight, so just repeat the above.

Use only one high-stance attack with Spearfall unlocked (requires spear mastery). This move has a long reach and a large hitbox to easily reach the boss’s arms. With other weapons, it will be difficult to reach the boss’s arms due to the limited reach. If you do use another weapon, stick to high-stance heavy attacks to deal maximum damage per hit.

Boss #5 – Imagawa Yoshimoto

Main Quest: The Hidden Monsters of Okehazama
Task level: 21
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Imagawa Yoshimoto is the first human boss in the game. You’ll find that human bosses are generally much easier than the monsters, due to their limited attack range, more predictable movesets, the ability to deal lethal blows to them, and they usually don’t use Yokai Realm phases. You can approach him like a normal enemy rather than a boss. You have a lot of room here, so just run left around him or dodge backwards. When he misses an attack combo, you can attack. To keep things simple, do a single high-stance heavy attack, whittling down his health one hit at a time. He doesn’t have much health and doesn’t do much damage. Only when he summons his spirit animal should you run to the side to avoid getting struck by lightning.

Boss #6 – Imagawa Yoshimoto (2nd Encounter) “Imagawa Diehard”

Side Quest: Imagawa Diehard
Quest level: 23
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Only after defeating this boss in the last main mission, you can fight him again immediately in the next side mission. He hasn’t changed at all, so the strategy is exactly the same.

Boss #7 – Kama-itachi / Kamaitachi

Main Quest: The Mysterious One Night Castle
Quest level: 28
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Kama Itachi is a large weasel. It is relatively fast, climbs trees, and jumps a lot, but it does not do much damage and does not have much health. Make sure you save at the first shrine in case you need to respawn, as it is the closest one. On the way from the 1st shrine to the boss is a hot spring that you should use to get a temporary continuous heal. And as always, you should find all the Kodama in the region to get as many elixirs as possible after respawning.

In battle, use mid or high stance. In mid stance, the spear combo works best . Always move at a 45° angle to the left and he will miss most attacks. He has a 3 attack combo where he does a tail spin at the end that you should block as it is the hardest to dodge. Also watch out for when he does a red charged move at close range as it is a grab that does a lot of damage. Always use “ Burst Counter ” + when you see him trying to do a grab. When he climbs the tree, hold the block button. He will always shoot a projectile at you when he climbs the tree, but it is safe to block and costs little Ki. His 2nd move from the tree will be a spinning attack towards you. If it is a red charged spin, just move left to dodge it. If it is not a charged spin, you can easily block it. After this move, he is wide open to attacks. Always try to attack him from the left side. Instead of dodging, it is safer to just walk at a 45° angle to the left and block all attacks, as they do not drain much Ki. Attack from the side whenever he finishes an attack/combo.

Boss #8 – Tsukahara Bokuden

Dojo Mission: Way of the Warrior – Adept
Task level: unknown
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Tsukahara is a very simple human boss, not much different from the regular samurai you encounter all the time. The main difference is that he uses a ki burst. With a spear, it’s very easy to break his guard. Just keep poking him with the spear in mid-stance until his ki is depleted. Then do a finisher and repeat. Just run away from him, and when he runs towards you, poke him with the spear. He can’t run and attack at the same time, and the AI has trouble defending against the spear.

Boss #9 – Saito Yoshitatsu

Main Quest: The Hollow Fortress
Quest level: 33
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Saito Yoshitatsu is a human boss and he can transform into all 3 types of Guardian Spirit. While he is in human form, all you need to do is: single high-stance spear attack on , then the “ Spear Flourish ” skill (bought from the spear skill list). Simply press to do a Ki Splash. Repeat these two moves to reduce his HP and Ki. With these two moves, you will stagger him and force him into a corner. The only thing he will be able to do is use a grab. When you see his hands casting white mist, dodge and then repeat the strike + splash combo.

Twice during the fight, he will change into a random Guardian Spirit form. If he uses Electric, you can still stun him with a slash + splash. If he uses Fire, just let him miss the combo, then land 1-2 hits and repeat. If he uses Purple Ranged, it is too risky to attack him, so just run away from him until he changes back to human form after a minute. When he does, you can use the skill “ Spear Flourish ” again. This skill is absolutely overwhelming against human bosses, as it stuns them completely and they cannot move or attack. This works against most human bosses.

Boss #10 – Hachisuka Koroku

Side Quest: The Shiftling’s Wise Judgement
Task level: 36
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

If you take Shibata into your party at the start of this side mission, you will have to fight Hachisuka at the end (and vice versa).

The fight is quite simple because you will have an AI ally who cannot die (he can be knocked out, but you can revive him an unlimited number of times). Just let your AI ally take the attacks while you stay behind and land a few hits on the boss from behind. You can also use the hot spring on your way to the boss. Since the AI has infinite health and does all the work for you, this is a free win for you.

Boss #11 – Shibata Katsuie ( Human Form)

Side Quest: The Shiftling’s Wise Judgement
Task level: 36
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

If you take Hachisuka into your party at the start of this side mission, you will have to fight Shibata at the end (and vice versa).

Boss #12 – Tatarimokke

Main Quest: A Way Out
Quest level: 38
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 4/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Tatarimokke is a large owl. Throughout the fight, always run to the left, especially when he is on the ground, without bothering to attack him. The only move you should use is when he flies up in the air. In the air, he will throw mist skulls at you (run at a 45° angle forward to avoid getting hit), then throw feather knives (block them), more mist skulls and knives, ending with a red charged attack – a dive. This can be dodged if you are confident in your abilities, or you can just run to the left and he will 100% miss. The owl always follows the same attack sequence while in the air. After he misses with his dive attack, you can attack from behind. Wait until he flies up again and repeat. Only attack after this sequence of attacks in the air and diving at you and you will safely deal with him.

Twice during the fight, he will summon a darkness with a red orb seal. You can either run away and wait for the darkness to disappear on its own (about a minute), or destroy the red orb. Be careful though, the owl will attack you while you are busy with the orb. Only attack him after he has done his aforementioned combo (fly-skull-knives-skull-knives-dive). Make sure he flies away from the red orb rather than landing near it (stand further away to lure him in). Also, you should have enough Ki so you can use a strong combo on the red orb to destroy it in one go. If this gives you trouble, just wait it out and let the darkness disappear on its own. The main tactic is to run left around the owl and use a flying combo finisher against him.

Boss #13 – Obsidian Samurai

Side Quest: A Formal Match
Quest level: 45
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 2.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

The Dark Samurai is a human boss, so it’s time to go for the basic mid-stance spear slash tactic. Throughout the fight, run to the right. Let him miss a combo, then hit him once in mid-stance with the spear at . Repeat until he’s dead. When you see him use his spirit animal, get as far away as you can and quickly run to the right, as he might be about to charge at you, and running to the side is the best way to avoid getting hit. His other moves are basic axe and sword combos.

Boss #14 – Magara Naotaka

Main Quest: Corpses and Ice
Quest level: 44
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 6/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Magara Naotaka is an ice giant. He has more health than all the previous bosses so far. Single hits don’t do much damage to him, and he has a lot of combos, any one of which can kill you if you’re not careful. Luckily, all attacks are easy to avoid – just run left at all times! Having light armor (less than 30% of your gear weight) helps increase your Ki (stamina) recovery rate, so you can run for a long time. Find a comfortable distance where you’re close enough for him to attack, but far enough away that he can’t hit you. Run in a circle around him to the left, and by the time he finishes his combo, you’ll be behind him or to the side and can land 1-2 hits in mid-stance (if you manage to attack from behind, you’ll do double damage!). Again, the spear comes in handy here due to its long reach. In this fight you have to dodge a lot, so it’s best to stick to the middle stance, which has good defense and doesn’t use much KI when dodging. Don’t use the high stance, it uses too much KI and dodging is too slow for this boss.

Don’t try to use long combos on him, he’ll just hit you. Play it safe and whittle down his health one hit at a time. The fight will take some time, but as long as you stick to the one-hit rule (maximum two), you’ll be relatively safe. If you’re wearing heavy armor, you may have trouble with your KI recovery rate, so switch to light armor to keep your gear weight below 30%.

Also, there is a hot spring before the boss. It is behind a hidden wall to the left of the boss where 3 samurai enemies are standing. If you are low on health, jump into the hot spring before the fight to get a temporary health recovery. Also, find all the Kodama in the region (7 in the first main mission and 8 here). Every 5 Kodama in the region gives +1 elixir slot after resurrection. Also use the ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” (Onmyo Magic skill), it heals you continuously for a long time.

Be careful that this boss learns new moves from the first time he enters Dark Realm mode. Especially his red charged combo has a lot of hits, and the last hit has a super long range. Escaping the last hit of the combo is not easy, so you need to block the last hit instead (but not the previous hits), or even better try to use a counter if you are confident. He also starts summoning ice spikes from the ground later in the fight, but these can be easily escaped if you stick to the rule of always running to the left.

Boss #15 – Honda Tadakatsu

Side Quest: Horns on Head, Dragonfly in Hand
Quest level: 52
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Honda was already in the first Nioh. He uses a spear and a lightning-element spirit animal. The tactics are the same as with most human bosses. Run sideways next to him to make him miss all his attacks (he usually does spear slashes, which are easy to dodge). When he’s done, he’ll be vulnerable and you can get in a few hits. Repeat. Use mid or high stance for optimal damage. You also get his spirit animal ” Shin-Roku ” as a reward.

Boss #16 – Azai Nagamasa

Main Quest: Bird In A Cage
Quest level: 49
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 2++/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Another human boss, which means that the tactic of running to the side, allowing you to escape the boss’s combo, and then counterattack will help us again. Always move to the right. The attack on the middle stance is great against him, as you can hit him with a spear from a distance. Stick to this tactic throughout the fight.

On the plus side, it’s worth noting that this boss has the weakest attacks of all the bosses described above. You can also block his attacks with minimal KI usage, which is a good alternative to running sideways and dodging. Hold to block him if you accidentally get into his attack zone and you’ll be fine.

Boss #17 – Onryoki

Side Quest: The Golden Nation
Quest level: 50
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 4/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Onryoki was the second boss in the original Nioh. If you played it, you are already familiar with him. Luckily, you will encounter him much later this time, when you are stronger and have more skills in reserve. He will be easier to deal with than in the first part. In the first phase, he will use shackles with large steel balls. They do a lot of damage. The most important thing is to take your time and use the attack on when he finishes the spinning attack with the shackles or hit them in front of him. Always try to attack him from behind to deal double damage. Only deal single hits and do not use combos, as his spinning attacks are fast and he can hit you. When his health is emptied by a third, he will throw off the shackles, which means he will attack only with his hands. This means that the range of his attacks will be shorter than before. Now you can use a combo of 2-3 hits. Always move sideways to get behind him. By the time he finishes the combo, you’ll be standing behind him and able to get in a few quick hits. Back off and repeat.

Boss #18 – Saito Yoshitatsu (2nd Encounter)

Side Quest: The Point of No Return
Quest level: 52
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See boss #9 “ Saito Yoshitatsu ”. This is the same boss as before. His attacks haven’t changed either, which means the battle tactics haven’t changed either. However, this time it’s even easier! Use the yellow crystal slant by jumping off him from either side and making the boss follow you. While he’s jumping, he’s completely defenseless and you can hit him a few times. Then climb up the slant again and repeat until you win. This tactic is especially useful when he transforms. Thanks to this trick, he’ll never be able to attack, making this one of the easiest fights in the game.

Boss #19 – Oda Nobunaga

Side Quest: The Demon King’s Blade
Quest level: 53
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 1/10 (with Spear Flourish skill)
VIDEO GUIDE

One of the easiest bosses in the game if you use the Spear Flourish skill . This is one of the starting spear skills that only requires 1 proficiency point. Allows you to stagger the boss for the entire fight, preventing him from attacking. All you need to do is use the Spear combo in high stance. Pressing starts the Spear Flourish skill , which knocks this boss (and almost all other human bosses) back during your Ki Burst. You can then hit with and repeat this simple combo until the boss dies. Once he is cornered, he can do nothing. Remember to use the Ki Burst correctly to restore as much Ki as possible. Watch the red Ki bar below your health, and when the white bar after your attack is full, you press to restore the Ki spent on the attack. This way you can keep using this move indefinitely. Also wear light armor so your KI regenerates faster (below 30% of your gear weight) or go at it with no armor at all.

Boss #20 – Magara Naotaka / Magara Naotaka (2nd encounter) + Ghost

Side Quest: The Brother’s Blades
Quest level: 46
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 7.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Although this side quest becomes available earlier, we highly recommend waiting until you reach region 4 and have better gear or leveled up. At the time of writing, this is the hardest fight.

You’ll have to fight a few weaker enemies first before Magara Naotaka (the giant ice boss) sees the light of day again. The first half of the fight is identical to the previous encounter (see boss #14). However, he’ll soon summon a powerful ghost to assist him. Don’t focus on the ghost or even try to attack it. If you do, you’ll easily lose sight of the main boss, who’ll just bombard you with attacks you won’t see. So focus on the ice boss by pressing , and fight him alone. Most of the tactics from the first half of the fight still apply here. It’s recommended to stay in mid-stance, as there’s a lot of dodging to do (it costs less Ki than dodging in high-stance). His only attack worth using against him is an ice slash on the ground in a straight line. When he does that, move towards him at a 45° angle. This way he definitely won’t be able to hit you, and you can quickly close the distance and deal 1-3 blows. Any weapon will do, but it’s better to use a spear in a middle stance, because of its radius of damage. The number of blows you’ll be able to deal depends on where the boss’s ghost assistant is at the moment. Magara can’t do anything for a few seconds after using this attack. It’s better to attack him from behind to deal double damage, but don’t forget about the ghost. If you see him starting an attack, dodge!

Make sure to equip light armor before the fight so that your equipment weight is below 30%. It is important to be very agile during this fight. Always move in a large circle around the boss and the ghost. Always run and never attack until he does the attack described above. This is the only safe moment to attack. After Magara falls, you still need to defeat the ghost. Use the moments when Magara’s assistant runs to deal single blows. While running, he is defenseless and cannot attack. Repeat this tactic until the ghost is defeated. Sometimes he will use charged attacks with a spear, during which you should dodge to the right.

Also, make sure to find all 25 Kodama in the 3rd region “Shadow” to get the maximum amount of healing elixirs after resurrecting at the nearest shrine. Using the ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” (Onmyo Magic skill) is also very useful, as it heals you continuously for a long time. Use these instead of elixirs early on in the fight, thus saving your elixirs for when you really need them. Having a good weapon and armor can also help. If the fight is too difficult for you, skip the boss for now and come back after leveling up to 100 or higher.

Boss #21 – Saika Magoichi

Main Quest: Pervading Waters
Quest level: 54
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 6/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Saika is a boss that has already appeared in the first Nioh, but this time you don’t have to fight him in a burning room. This time the fight takes place in a very spacious room with a lot of pillars that can be used to your advantage. The main feature of this boss is the ability to fly despite the fact that he is a human. It is better not to mess with him during the flight. As soon as he starts flying, stand behind a pillar and wait for him to shoot 3 times. The pillars will block all his shots. When he does this, he will land on the ground again, giving you a few seconds to attack (high stance is recommended for maximum damage).

Never go into the open part of the room, the boss is constantly shooting at everything around him and he has some powerful combos and a burning melee attack that can kill you in one hit. Instead, stand behind the pillars and wait for him to get close. If he shoots, let him shoot, as the pillars will block the shots. When he approaches from the opposite side of the pillar, you can hit him while he is getting close! He usually does not block attacks while he is running towards you. Mostly, you can attack him near the pillar. You can hit him as many times as your Ki allows, then retreat behind another pillar and repeat.

One move you should watch out for is when he summons multiple fireballs. They will hit you even if you are behind a pillar. When he uses this, run towards the fireballs at a 45° angle. Run from where you were to the other side of the arena. Because you are running at an angle, all the fireballs will miss you. Once they are gone, hide behind the pillars again until Saika comes to you himself.

He also likes to throw bombs, but when you stand behind the pillars you can avoid damage by blocking on .

Boss #22 – Gyuki

Main Quest: Pervading Waters
Quest level: 54
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Gyuki is the biggest monster you’ve ever encountered. However, for his size, he doesn’t have much health. He’s very slow. All you have to do is hit him from the side of his belly in high stance by pressing . If you see him jumping, block immediately! That’s all you have to do. Never stand in front of him. As long as you stay at the side of his belly, he can’t attack you and he jumps. Even if you have low KI, you can still block all the damage from his attack.

Boss #23 – Tsukahara Bokuden / Tsukahara Bokuden (2nd Encounter)

Dojo Mission: Way of the Warrior – Veteran
Task level: unknown
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See the tactics for boss #8, as they still apply.

Boss #24 – Gozuki + Mezuki (two bosses)

Side Quest: The Refined Man of the Underworld
Quest level: 57
Recommended weapon: Spear + Ninjutsu “ Paralytic Groundfire ”
Difficulty: 5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

First, you need to deal with the regular Gaki and Enki enemies. Then, Godzuki will appear. When the boss’s health drops to about 10%, Mezuki will appear and join the battle and you will defeat them both. Continue fighting Godzuki to finish him off and then switch to Mezuki. Having the Paralytic Groundfire Ninjutsu will come in very handy in this fight. Set at least two of these traps and try to get Godzuki to fall into them. They will stun him, and you will be able to go behind him and use a strong combo. This should be enough to take away the last of his life. In the end, you are left alone with Mezuki.

For tactics for each boss, see the tips for boss #1 and #3.

Luckily, he won’t be a problem this time. The thing is, he’s the same as the first time you met him, and you’ve obviously become much stronger. Because of this, his attacks don’t do much damage to you, so don’t worry too much about accidentally missing attacks, as you probably have a few healing potions left. If health is always a problem for you, then collect all 25 Kodamas in the region to always respawn with 8 potions.

Boss #25 – Kasha

Main Quest: The Frenzied Blaze
Quest level: 60
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 7.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Kasia is the first boss where you can’t just run left or right to dodge all attacks. She rides on two wheels that leave behind flames on the ground. The boss uses AOE attacks, creating fire circles around or fire trails as she approaches you. Be wary of these, as they will add constant fire damage to your character.

Ideally, you should prepare for this fight and get at least a couple of fire protection talismans (Onmyo Magic skill tree). Also get the skill ” Firebreak II ” in the Onmyo tree to get +8 fire resistance. If you start to burn, you can heal yourself with ” Daion-Jin’s Sake “. Using all of these will help greatly reduce the damage she does with fire.

Now for the tactics: There are two moments you can use to perform your longest combo. At these moments she will not counter or defend.

First, when she’s driving towards you, leaving a trail of fire, run or dodge to the right (never to the left!). When she flies past you, run after her immediately! As soon as she stops, use your strongest combo on her (in high stance). She won’t do anything for about 4-5 seconds. If you manage to break the yellow crystals on the sides of her wheels, she’ll take extra damage. Focus on them if possible.

Secondly, when she does her charged (red) attack – rolling towards you in a straight line and leaving two fire trails behind her – she will be defenseless for about 3-4 seconds. This is enough time to land about 3 hits.

Attacking her at other times is too risky. Back away in a straight line and block any attacks that are within your reach. Don’t bother dodging constantly, as you’ll most likely get caught in her whip attack, which is much easier and safer to block (you only spend a small amount of Ki). Remember that even if your Ki is almost depleted, it will still completely block incoming damage from one attack.

When she summons the Dark Realm, she will summon a spiked wheel that will chase you for about 30 seconds. Just run around the arena in a circle and wait for the saw to disappear before continuing the boss fight.

During her second Dark Realm phase, be prepared for her to summon two small minions – Gaki. They have half the health of a regular Gaki, but deal double the damage and are extremely aggressive! Kill them quickly, but be careful. Save your Yokai form for the final part of the battle, when she has no more than 10% health left.

Boss #26 – Ryomen Sukuna

Main Quest: The Sun Sets on Mount Tenno
Quest level: 66
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 2.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Remen Sukuna is a large boss youkai that consists of two bodies attached to each other – a fire body and a water body. He can switch between them, but usually uses his fire half and only uses his water half for long-range support attacks.

The main moments you’ll want to use are the charged attacks (the ones with the red aura). Always use ” Burst Counter ” ( + ) on them. Luckily, the timing is pretty simple (usually right before he hits you) and he uses them quite often. After a successful counter, you can follow up with your most powerful combo. In between his charged attacks, run left or right at a safe distance, let him miss his combo, hit him a few times and repeat.

If you counter-attack at the right time, this boss fight becomes easier and shorter. Not only does the counter-attack drain his Ki, the following combo also deals more Ki damage. One or two counter-attacks along with a combo should be enough to completely drain his Ki. When this happens, you can just hit him, as he will be stunned and unable to respond.

Because the boss uses charged attacks most of the time and they are easy to block, you can drain his Ki and stagger the boss for most of the fight.

Boss #27 – Saika Magoichi (2nd Encounter) ‘The Third Word’

Side Quest: The Third Word
Quest level: 70
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 4.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

In this side quest, you will have to fight Saika again. See boss #21. This time it will be easier for you, since you have already leveled up and know his attacks. Now, instead of pillars, you will have a large rock on the left side of the battlefield where you can hide from his shots. It seems that the developers want us to use the environment for protection when facing this boss. Just take cover behind the rock, let him get close, and then peek around the corner to use a strong combo on him, and then repeat. When he flies into the air and shoots, just hide behind the rock where you will be safe.

Boss #28 – Maeda Toshiie

Main Quest: Ruin Draws Near
Quest level: 72
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Maeda Toshiie is a mid-level boss. He’s agile, wields a spear, and has fast attacks. However, he doesn’t have much health. Move in a circle around him to the left. He’ll miss more often if you run left than right. Dodge his combos and then attack. The skill ” Paralytic Groundfire ” (Ninja skill tree) is very useful here. You don’t have to use it, but if you have it, throw traps around to paralyze the boss for a few seconds when he stands on one. Stand behind him to deal a powerful blow and continue attacking while he’s on the floor. Do this a few times and you’ll take away most of his health. If you don’t have the skill, just deal a few blows and move in a circle to the left. If you are playing with a spear, you can also easily knock him down with the ” Spearfall ” skill, after which you use a killing blow while he is on the floor.

Boss #29 – Shibata Katsuie (True Form)

Main Quest: Ruin Draws Near
Quest level: 72
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 7/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Shibata Katsuie is a yokai boss with fangs like a boar and uses the fire element. Most of the fight requires you to dodge his attacks just before they hit, as they are fast enough that you can’t escape them.

As usual, the first mission in a new region is the hardest due to the fact that you have few Kodamas, which means few elixirs after resurrection. It is recommended to find 7 Kodamas before the boss so that you have 4 elixirs for healing. Also equip as many ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” (Onmyo Magic skill) as you can, as it heals you continuously for a long time and, in fact, acts as an analogue of an elixir. Equip light armor below 30% of your total equipment weight so that your Ki recovers faster, and also move faster, as this is very important in this fight.

Now for the fight itself: remember that attacking from behind deals double damage, so don’t forget to use it. I would recommend using the middle stance. In the lower stance, you deal a little damage, and in the upper stance, you move slowly. The spear is great in this fight. Attacking in the middle stance hurts the enemy’s Ki a lot and is very fast. Once his Ki is depleted, you can hit him with several combo hits.

There are three attacks after which it is safest for you to attack the boss:

Grab (recognizable by the white smoke). Dodge to the side a moment before he tries to hit you (after he starts jumping towards you). Then you can hit him 2-3 times from behind. Don’t try to run away from him, he’ll catch up to you anyway. Just dodge!
A charged attack where he dashes back and forth across the room multiple times. Sometimes twice, sometimes four or more (the amount is random). Don’t try to run away, as he will catch up and hit you. Instead, stand still and after he charges at you like a bull, dodge at the last moment. This will prevent him from adjusting his course and he will rush past. Wait for him to run enough, then hit him 2-3 times from behind.
A charged flurry of punches with a red aura. This is a very powerful attack. You need to learn how to counter this combo. If you have bad timing, just press + 3 times in a row. Chances are, one of the 3 will counter the combo. Even if you don’t get the timing right, you’ll block the damage from his punches. Try to use the first counter when he’s about to hit you for the first time. If you can’t, keep countering to protect yourself from damage (if you don’t, he’ll kill you). If the counter works, you can land about 3 punches from the front. If you block or dodge his charged attack, he’ll need a full 5 seconds to recover, so get behind him and use a strong combo.

Focus on exploiting the weak points of these three attacks. The rest of the attacks you should dodge. Unfortunately, he uses attacks in random order and you can always predict which attack he will use next. In any case, be careful and cautious.

Boss #30 – Enenra / Enenra (2nd Encounter) ‘Okuni’s Search’

Side Quest: Okuni’s Search
Quest level: 74
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 1.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See boss #2 tactics. You’ve already fought this boss at the beginning of the game. However, now you have an ally to help you distract the boss. Just pick her up when she falls and let Enenra focus on her. At the same time, you can attack the boss from behind (high stance attacks do the most damage). Enenra has a lot of health (more than any boss at this point in the game), but since you’re attacking with two people, the risk of dying is lower. There’s another enemy in the room with Enenra, but you can kill him beforehand (for example, shoot him and lure him out of the room before the fight).

Boss #31 – Tokichiro

Main Quest: The Two Faces of Hospitality
Quest level: 78
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 2/10 when using the method with the skill “Spear Flourish” or 7/10 in a fair fight
VIDEO GUIDE

There is a very effective method against this boss. Equip a spear, use a high stance, and acquire the skill “ Spear Flourish ”. This is the starting skill of the spear, which costs only 1 skill point. This skill knocks back enemies when you use a Ki burst, allowing you to stun them indefinitely.

When attacking, you only need to press and in turn . This will stun the boss for a long time. However, sometimes he can counterattack (you will notice a blue shine on the enemy’s sword and a characteristic ringing of the bell), and also summon a guardian spirit that jumps around, but it is easy to escape from. If you attack him when his sword is shining, he will perform a grab that can instantly kill you. Apart from this attack, there is nothing else to be wary of.

To make things even easier, equip at least two Gallnut Broths (Ninjutsu skill tree). Use one at the start of the fight, and then use one when his health drops to 50% and he changes his element to Electric. The broth will add a poison effect to your weapon, and when you hit him, you will start poisoning him. The poison effect lasts for a long time and deals additional damage. As mentioned before, after he loses half of his health, he will start using Electric attacks, which means Talismans will be very useful. Equip 1-2 Talismans to protect against Electricity (Onmyo Magic skill tree). Sometimes he will launch Electric Whirlwinds and set traps. Stunning him with the skill “ Spear Flourish ” will reduce the likelihood of using these attacks, but he can still use the whirlwind, and the Talisman will help you in such moments. If you are hit by electricity, you will slow down, which means that the battle is most likely already lost for you. It is also worth equipping 1-2 ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” (Onmyo Magic skill). It will heal for a long time, which means that it essentially acts as an additional elixir for healing. In the first half of the battle, do not use elixirs, only talismans. Use elixirs only in the second half of the battle.

Boss #32 – Hattori Hanzo – Dojo Spear Mastery ‘Hanzo the Demon’

Dojo Mission: Hanzo the Demon (Spear Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

You can unlock this dojo mission after reaching 180,000 spear skill. You will be using a wooden weapon in the battle with Hattori. He has access to all the skills from the spear skill tree. Defeating him will unlock access to the Mystic Arts with the Spear. Attack him in mid-stance simply with when he moves towards you. He cannot defend while he is moving. Just step back when you run out of KI and need to restore it. When your KI is fully restored, you can hit him three times, and then repeat the whole cycle until you win. In this fight, you only have 3 elixirs, and he can kill you instantly if he makes a single grab. If he dodges your attack, then simply dodge back to restore the rhythm of the tactics described above.

Boss #33 – Hachisuka Koroku (2nd Encounter) ‘The High-spirited Demon’

Main Quest: The High-spirited Demon
Quest level: 84
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Hachisuka Koroku is a human boss who uses a kusarigama and water-type attacks. If you did the sidequest “The Shiftling’s Wise Judgement”, you’ve already fought him. However, he was weaker back then and had a different moveset.

This time he is much more agile and has learned new moves. Fortunately, single blows from the kusarigama do not cause much damage. By dodging backwards, you can avoid all of his combos. After each combo, you will have time to land a few quick hits on the boss (we recommend the middle stance, as dodging is faster than in the upper stance).

There is one attack you can use against him. When he jumps into the air and then throws his Kusarigama into the ground and pulls himself towards you. Just dodge to the side, quickly get behind him and attack for a few seconds. This attack is very easy to dodge and he will stand defenseless for quite a while after. When he goes into Dark Realm mode, he becomes a bit more aggressive. If you don’t want to deal with that, just run away from him for a minute. Also use ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” (Onmyo Magic skill) to heal yourself.

Boss #34 – Daidara Bocchi

Main Quest: The High-spirited Demon
Quest level: 84
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Deidara-bochi is a giant yokai the size of a mountain. To defeat him, you need to destroy the yellow pieces of amrita on his arms. By destroying each piece, you reduce the boss’s KI bar (purple stamina bar). You don’t have to destroy all the shards on one arm to deplete his KI. You can destroy both the left and right. When you deplete his KI, you can reach his head along his arms to hit him. Repeat until you win. There are 3 stages in the battle. In the third phase, he also grows shards on his arms, which you must destroy as usual. Then he lowers his head to the ground, and you can perform the final killing blow to end the fight.

We recommend using the spear’s quick attacks in mid-stance. They allow you to damage 3 or more crystals at once. Always perform three such combos (3 hits on 3 crystals at a time = 9 hits). This will allow you to destroy crystals faster, unlike the katana, which can only hit one crystal.

When you see red circles on the ground, it means that they are preparing an attack on you with stones from the air or some other attack will pass through this area of the ground. If you see that the boss’s eyes are glowing yellow, then you should run to the side, because he is going to shoot laser beams from them.

Boss #35 – Onryoki / Onryoki (2nd Encounter) ‘Stray Cats’

Side Quest: Stray Cats
Quest level: 86
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See boss tip #17. This time, three little cats will help you with him. Technically, you can just run around and they will do all the dirty work for you.

Boss #36 – Shuten Doji

Main Quest: The Mausoleum of Evil
Quest level: 91
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 4.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Shuten Doji is a large yokai boss that uses a sword and the fire element. He has powerful attacks, but is very slow and drinks throughout the fight. When he is drunk, he will fall down and you can deal him a fatal blow.

Against his red aura charged attacks, it’s worth using a counterattack. One of them is a grab (dangerous if you don’t time it right), and another is a flame from his mouth (less dangerous). After a successful counterattack, you can perform a combo on him.

Between his combos, you’ll have a few seconds to attack. He needs quite a bit of recovery time before he can attack again. Try hitting him from behind to deal double damage.

When he attacks with a weapon, move back out of range of his blows, or dodge forward and to the left at a 45° angle just before he hits you. This way you can avoid his attack and also counter him immediately.

When he sprays fire on the floor, do not step on it. Make sure to have a few ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” (Onmyo Magic skill) to heal yourself throughout the fight. ” Steel Talisman ” is also very useful, as it will help reduce damage from the boss’s attacks.

Boss #37 – Maeda Toshiie

Side Quest: Mataza of the Spear
Quest level: 95
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

You will fight Maeda again. See the tactics in the hint for boss #28, as the approach to fighting him has not changed.

Boss #38 – Enenra / Enenra (3rd Encounter) ‘The Golden Castle’

Main Quest: The Golden Castle
Quest level: 96
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

You’ve fought Enenra twice now. See boss #2. This time he’ll be easier than the first time, since you’re already familiar with his attacks and have unlocked more skills.

Boss #39 – Mezuki + Gozuki

Main Quest: The Golden Castle
Quest level: 96
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any + ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” and ” Steel Talisman “
Difficulty: 6.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

This time you have a real fight with two bosses at once. Luckily, they are much lower levels than you, have low health, and do little damage. One fatal blow is enough to take off 30% of their health. You should deal with one first, and then have a 1v1 fight with the second. The arena is large enough to run around in circles. It is recommended to deal with Mezuki first, as he performs more charged attacks.

Just use Counter on all charged attacks with red aura. Also don’t attack too much, just run to keep yourself safe. After counter you can do a combo and then repeat the process.

To conserve your elixirs, use ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” and ” Steel Talisman “. One increases defense, and the other heals over time. Use both, and the bosses will not be able to stop you. Another reason to focus on Mezuki first is his skull and axe attacks. If you start with Godzuki, you will often be hit by Mezuki’s long-range attacks, which are not always in sight.

Boss #40 – Yatsunokami / Yatsu-no-Kami (2nd Encounter) ‘The Golden Castle’

Main Quest: The Golden Castle
Quest level: 96
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See the tactics for boss #4. It will be easier this time, as you have many new skills and attacks unlocked.

Boss #41 – Kasha (2nd encounter) ‘The Golden Castle’

Main Quest: The Golden Castle
Quest level: 96
Recommended Weapon: Spear / Any
Difficulty: 5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See the tactics for boss #25. This time it will be easier than the first time, since you are already familiar with its attacks and have unlocked more skills.

Boss #42 – Lady Osakabe

Main Quest: The Golden Castle
Quest level: 96
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

This is a giant boss whose arms are vulnerable. Killing an arm will reduce the boss’s Ki. It will be completely depleted after killing 4 arms, and then the head will fall to the ground and you can attack it.

The arms will shoot at you throughout the battle. If you focus on one arm, it will be difficult to notice when you are being attacked by others. At such moments, it is important to listen, as the arms’ attacks make a distinctive sound, which will be a signal that it is time to get away. To defeat the arms, you need to deplete their own Ki (stamina) bars. This will leave them defenseless. Be sure to use attacks in the upper stance to inflict the maximum possible damage. For example, 3-4 spear strikes in the upper stance are enough to deplete the Ki of one arm. As long as the arm does not move, you can quickly deal with it. Then, move on to the next one. At close range, the arms will also try to hit you, but all attacks can be easily blocked. Before you approach the arm, restore the Ki supply completely. Then you can deliver several quick strikes that will deplete the enemy’s Ki in a matter of seconds.

Just repeat this tactic until you defeat the boss.

Boss #43 – Maeda Keiji

Side Quest: The Bravest of the Brave
Quest level: 93
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Use the spear in mid-stance and press to poke him when he runs towards you. He won’t be able to defend against the attack. A very easy boss that won’t be able to hit you if you use this strategy.

Boss #44 – Kasha (3rd encounter) ‘The Dream’s End’

Side Quest: The Dream’s End
Quest level: 98
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See boss #25 tactics. However, now you have an ally helping you. Basically, you can dump all the dirty work on him, and just run around the arena and revive your ally so that he defeats the boss for you. However, in this fight, Kasia has more health, so you should try to land a few hits from behind when you are sure that she is focused on your comrade.

Boss #45 – Tokichiro / Tokichiro (2nd Encounter) ‘Cherry Blossom Viewing in Daigo’

Main Quest: Cherry Blossom Viewing in Daigo
Quest level: 103
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 6.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

You’ll fight Tokichiro a second time, but this time he’ll be more aggressive and will be able to use even more elemental attacks. However, you can still more or less use the spear tactic described in boss tip #31.

Equip a spear, use a high stance, and purchase the skill “ Spear Flourish ”. This is the starting skill for the spear, and it only costs 1 skill point. This skill knocks back enemies when you use a Ki burst, allowing you to stun them indefinitely. When attacking, you only need to press and in turn . This will stun the boss for a long time. However, he can sometimes counterattack (you will notice a blue shine on the enemy’s sword and a distinctive ringing bell), and also summon a guardian spirit that jumps around, but it is easy to escape. If you attack him when his sword is flashing, he will perform a grab that can instantly kill you.

You can use Gallnut Broths (Ninjutsu skill tree) to poison him. However, when he uses Dark Realm, it will cure all negative status effects including poison. This helps shorten the duration of the fight phases, but you have to be very careful that he doesn’t kill you while you’re applying poison (or other buffs). You can use it before the fight so you can use it in the first phase of the fight. Also, be sure to collect all the Kodama in the region to have the maximum amount of potions to heal after resurrection. Also, equip Rejuvenation Talisman and Steel Talisman to heal and boost your defense. Also, be sure to sit in the hot spring that’s behind the 3rd shrine, as it heals you for quite a long time.

When he goes into Dark Realm mode, run as far as you can in a circle around him. While he uses electricity, do not attack him as he is insanely fast. When he uses fire, you can outrun his fire attacks and then land 1-2 hits on the boss from behind. You can also run around for a minute until the Dark Realm effect wears off.

Boss #46 – Kashin Koji

Main Quest: Cherry Blossom Viewing in Daigo
Quest level: 103
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

The boss Kashin Koji appears immediately after defeating Tokichiro. However, if you die, you won’t have to kill Tokichiro again, so don’t worry about it.

Kashin mainly uses elemental attacks of all kinds. He is something like a mage, but with poor defense and not a lot of health. After you defeat him, he will rise again and you will have to kill him a second time. However, if you die in the second phase, then after resurrection you will have to go through the first phase of the fight again.

When you run in a big circle around him, you can avoid his attacks pretty easily. Wait for him to open up, land one hit, retreat, and repeat. When you have maxed out potions and buffed yourself with Rejuvenation and Steel Talismans , it’s not that hard. If you die in this fight, take a dip in the hot spring behind the 3rd shrine before heading back.

When he uses Dark Realm, he can create clones of himself. One hit on them is enough to make them disappear. However, he does not always do this. He also summons a rain of elemental swords, which are worth blocking as they are difficult to escape. Mid or high stance work best in this fight. For spear players, a mid stance combo is recommended.

Boss #47 – Ryomen Sukuna (2nd Encounter) ‘Restoring Harmony’

Side Quest: Restoring Harmony
Quest level: 100
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 1.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See tactics for boss #26. It’s easier this time since you’re already familiar with him.

Boss #48 – Hachisuka Koroku (3rd Encounter) ‘Japanese Heart, Yokai Smarts’

Side Quest: Japanese Heart, Yokai Smarts
Quest level: 102
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 1.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See boss #33 tactics. If you’re having trouble with him, the easiest way is to climb up the hill on the left, making him follow you, and jump down. He’ll jump after you. While he’s in the air, you can land a strong hit. Then climb up the ramp again and repeat until you win.

Boss #49 – Shibata Katsuie / Shibata Katsuie (2nd Encounter) ‘Restless Spirits’

Side Quest: Restless Spirits
Quest level: 104
Recommended Weapon: Any / Spear
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See boss #29 tactics. Still an annoying boss, but a bit easier the second time around.

Boss #50 – Azai Nagamasa / Azai Nagamasa (2nd Encounter) ‘Yaksha Returns’

Side Quest: Yaksha Returns
Quest level: 106
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

See tactics for boss #16. It’s easier the second time, since you know how he works.

Boss #51 – William

Main Quest: The Blue-eyed Samurai
Quest level: 109
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

William is the character we played in the first Nioh. The fight is pretty simple. Let the boss run towards you. While he’s running, use a single heavy attack in high stance. He can’t defend while he’s running. If he does anything else, you should run away. William doesn’t have much health, so this fight shouldn’t take you long.

Boss #52 – Akishage Yoshiteru

Dojo Mission: Master of the Dual Blades (Dual Swords Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended Weapon: Dual Katana (forced)
Difficulty: 4/10
VIDEO GUIDE

In this fight, you should use the rocks in the arena to your advantage. Hide behind them and make Akisagu attack you. After he performs a slow attack, after which he needs time to recover, you can hit him with one high-stance attack. Repeat this tactic until the boss is defeated.

Boss #53 – Matsunaga Hisahide

Side Quest: Master of Three Evils
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Any
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Matsunaga will start the fight by attempting a grab – he will run towards you and try to grab you (it will do a lot of damage if he succeeds). Dodge to the left a moment before he gets to you and you will be fine. He likes to buff himself and throw poison or paralysis bombs at you. When you buff yourself with magic and debuff him, he is easy to fight. His throwing attacks are slow and leave him vulnerable. When he throws something, run behind him and either do a single high-stance attack that does a lot of damage or use a long combo.

Boss #54 – Hattori Hanzo ‘Dojo Mission: The One Who Lives in the Shadows’ (Master of Ninjutsu)

Dojo Mission: The One Who Lives in the Shadows
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 3/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Use a high-stance spear and the Spear Flourish skill . During the boss fight, alternately press (attack) and (KI pulse – Spear Flourish skill ). This will force Hanzo into a corner, meaning he won’t be able to attack or move at all. When your Ki runs out, your attacks will slow down, and he can break free. If you manage to push him into the door where you appeared, it will be difficult for him to escape, making this strategy even more effective.

Boss #55 – Kato Danzo

Dojo Mission: The Way of the Ninja: Veteran
Quest level: 52
Recommended Weapon: Dual Katana (forced)
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Kato uses a wooden katana and ninjutsu. Here you will have to use a certain weapon. Use dual swords, let Kato miss his combo, then do a single attack in high stance and repeat again. When the boss uses dust clouds, do not go into them, as he will try to jump on you and use a strong grab technique.

Boss #56 – Sakata Kintoki

Dojo Mission: The Unmoving Mountain (Ax Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Axe (forced)
Difficulty: 4/10
VIDEO GUIDE

The easiest way to deal with Kintoki is to use a high stance combo. Let him miss his combo, then attack him with this combo. It does massive damage if you can use it in time. After that, dodge back, let your KI recharge, and repeat the tactic again. His strongest attacks are his grab and slam. Single attacks with the axe don’t do much damage, since it’s made of wood.

Boss #57 – Mumyo

Dojo Mission: Sharp Eyes (Switchglaive Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Scythe (forced)
Difficulty: 1/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Use a high stance and perform single heavy attacks when Mumyo runs towards you. Move back, let her run back and hit her when she is in range of your attack. Repeat until you win. She can’t defend herself while running towards you.

Boss #58 – Shisenin Kosen / Shisenin Kosen ‘Dojo Mission: The Tengu’s Blade’ (Master Odachi)

Dojo Mission: The Tengu’s Blade (Odachi Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Odachi (forced)
Difficulty: 4/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Wait for the boss to finish his combo, then use a single high-stance attack and a ki pulse . Repeat until you run out of ki. When Shisenin runs at you, use high-stance or mid-stance attacks. However, this can be risky, as the boss starts using combos very quickly.

Boss #59 – Shisenin Kosen / Shisenin Kosen ‘Dojo Mission: The Chain that Splits the Sky’ (Master of Kusarigama)

Dojo Mission: The Chain that Splits the Sky (Kusarigama Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Kusarigama
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

In this dojo mission, Shisenin Koshin appears as the Master of Kusarigama, and you will have to fight her with the same weapon. The easiest way to win is to throw the Kusarigama in high stance while Koshin runs towards you. The attack does not do much damage, but the radius of its reach is very large. Be careful not to get hit by her weapon attacks (even though they do not do much damage). Grabs are the only dangerous moves of the boss.

Boss #60 – Shisenin Kosen ‘Dojo Mission: Opening of the Mind’s Eye’ (Sword Master)

Dojo Mission: Opening of the Mind’s Eye (Sword Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Katana (forced)
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

In this mission, you will have to cross katanas with the same Koshina. When she runs towards you, perform one strike in the upper stance. Also hit her when she misses with a long combination. Use this until you win. You only need one attack, as in most battles.

Boss #61 – Hattori Hanzo / Hattori Hanzo ‘Dojo Mission: Like Lightning’ (Tonfa Master)

Dojo Mission: Like Lightning (Tonfa Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Tonfa (forced)
Difficulty: 3.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

In this mission, you and Hanzo fight with a tonfa. Move left to avoid his attacks, then use a mid-stance combo on him. You don’t do much damage in low stance, and high stance is too slow against Hattori’s combo. Repeat until he goes down. Watch your Ki (the green stamina bar). If you run out of Ki, Hattori will use a very strong grab on you.

Boss #62 – Sakata Kintoki / Sakata Kintoki ‘The Unstoppable Whirlwind’ (Axe Master)

Dojo Mission: The Unstoppable Whirlwind (Hatchets Mastery)
Quest level: 80
Recommended weapon: Hatchets (forced)
Difficulty: 2/10
VIDEO GUIDE

In this mission, you can only use hatchets. Hide behind a tree and wait for the boss to throw a weapon at him. After he does this, you will have the opportunity to attack, since he recovers for a long time after throws. Perform a combo in the upper stance. Repeat this tactic until you defeat the boss.

Boss #63 – Otakemaru / Otakemaru (Final Boss)

Main Quest: In the Eye of the Beholder
Quest level: 114
Recommended weapon: Spear
Difficulty: 8.5/10
VIDEO GUIDE

Otakemaru uses all three of his Youkai forms. He will switch between these forms regularly. When his health drops to 50%, he will transform into his real form with a completely different moveset. At 25% health, he will change his moveset again and will have swords flying around him, which he will often throw and can kill you in one hit.

This is the most difficult boss in the game, as he has several phases and many attacks that can kill you in one hit. First, let’s look at what attacks you can use, and then we’ll go through all the phases and what unique attacks he uses in them.

Use the spear in high stance. Run towards the enemy and press to perform a quick attack while running, and immediately behind him use Ki Pulse with the Spear Flourish skill equipped . If you manage to get behind the boss, you can deal double damage. Just run around him and do not stop. The boss is very fast, which means you should not use slow attacks. Attacking while moving is much less risky and it is easier for you to dodge his attacks. In the time it takes for him to finish his attack animation, you can already hit him and move away again. This is unrealistic to do with standard attacks, so only use single attacks while running, and use Spear Flourish at other times .

Carry 5 ” Rejuvenation Talisman ” and ” Steel Talisman ” with you . The former allows you to heal yourself temporarily and continuously (essentially extra elixirs), while the latter increases your defense, allowing you to avoid instant death from powerful boss attacks.

Phase 1 (100%-50% health) : During this phase, the boss will switch between three forms: Feral (electric with daggers), Phantom (purple with ranged attacks), and Brute (red with heavy melee attacks).
- Feral (daggers): Run to the right and while moving, quickly attack the boss, alternating with the skill ” Spear Flourish “. When he uses attacks with a red aura, either contract in time or dodge to the right when the attack animation starts. Sometimes he jumps into the air and slams the ground with his daggers. He becomes vulnerable for a moment if you can run away/dodge this attack. This is his fastest form, but it does not do much damage with Rejuvenation and Steel Talismans active at the same time. Just try to do as much damage as possible during this phase.
- Phantom (Ranged): He will throw his sword, which is hard to dodge. Luckily, it does little damage. Your trusty friends, the Rejuvenation Talisman and the Steel Talisman , will come in handy here . You won’t even notice that he’s hitting you, since the Steel Talisman blocks most of the damage you take, and the Rejuvenation Talisman heals you as fast as you take damage. Just keep running to the right and doing quick attacks while moving.
- Brute (Melee): This is his slow form. Wait for him to miss his combo. Once he’s done, get behind him, do the aforementioned attack, retreat, and repeat. He’ll swing his club back and forth a lot, so don’t get caught.
Phase 2 (50%-25% health): He will now reveal his true form. He will remain in this form for the rest of the fight.
- After he sticks his sword into the ground, the boss will rush towards you with a jump at the end, followed by an explosion. It deals massive damage. Just before he lands, you need to dodge to the right at a 45° angle. Do not dodge at the moment he starts to jump, as he will adjust and still hit you. You need to calculate the time perfectly and dodge at the last moment. After he misses, strike back. It is advisable to use a heavy attack in high stance, as he cannot move for some time after the miss.
- When he slams his sword into the ground, his weapon will either catch fire or cause an electrical shock in a large radius. If you are close, you will not have enough time to get away, and in this case, there is nothing you can do about it. If you are at medium range, you will have just enough time to escape the area of damage.
- When he does the red charged attack, run away! He hits really fast, so it’s hard to time it right. And if you don’t time it right, he’ll hit you with a couple more. It’s too risky, just run!
- When he slams his ice sword on the ground, he summons 3 pools of water where you are. Run away quickly. If you hit all three, you will die. They deal massive damage.
- When you are at range and he throws ice spears at you, just walk or run sideways and they won’t hit you.
- When he enters Dark Realm mode, just keep doing what you were doing before. His attacks don’t change in this mode, you just have a slower Ki recovery.
- The best moment to use in this phase is jumping, after which you have a moment to hit him.
- By this point you will probably be out of talismans. This is okay as you should still have 7-8 elixirs left before the next phase.
Phase 3 (25%-0% health): He now has swords flying around him that he will throw at you. He can use them to grab you from afar (easy to dodge by moving to the side) or he can throw the swords in a large circle and they will target you. If you get hit, you will instantly die, even if you try to block.
- He will use both old attacks and new ones.
- If you see him throw his swords in a straight line with a distinctive grey glow, that’s a powerful grab! Easy to dodge if you run to the right.
- If swords start spinning around the arena, expect him to throw them at you. Hitting him means death. Blocking won’t help. So don’t stand still, run to the right to avoid the attack.
- If he throws two swords straight at you, you will die if you can’t dodge. You can’t block the attack, you will die immediately.
- When he throws the swords into the air, they will rain down on you. Quickly run to the right of him at a 45° angle. If you linger in the “rain”, you will die. Blocking is useless again.
- Try to save 1-2 Steel Talismans for this phase to avoid dying from sword throws. If you often die in this battle from one hit, then level up a little more, change skills and spend more than 80 points on the Constitution parameter to increase your health.
- Don’t bother with blocks. They are useless in this phase. It’s better to run and attack.

Nioh 2 Walkthrough – All Bosses Guide

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