Onimusha: Way of the Sword Walkthrough — All Bosses in Order and Puzzles (2026)

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the revival of Capcom's legendary series, released on September 4, 2026 and selling over a million copies on launch day. The protagonist is the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi, whose arm is granted the Oni gauntlet that devours the souls of slain Genma demons. In this guide: how the game works, how to solve the puzzles, and tactics for every key boss in order.

Basics: what to know before your first boss

• Souls are the core of the game: red souls are upgrade currency, yellow souls heal, blue souls fill the Oni Power gauge. Absorb souls after every fight — starting with the first major boss, enemies can steal souls from your gauntlet and grow stronger.
• Issen and Break Issen — the last-moment counter and the execution on a depleted poise bar: your main damage sources. Parrying matters more than attacking.
• Magic Mirrors are save points. Save before every major fight.
• Oni Strength unlocks after defeating Rasho-gan (~5 hours in) and lets you break Malice barriers, smash enemy shields and lift objects (barrels, pillars).
• If timings are hard to read, enable action prompts in the menu — the game will show which button to press for every attack.

Puzzles: how to solve the mask puzzle (chapter 11)

The most common progression roadblock is the room in Nijo-jo Castle with four masks hanging on windows. The mechanics:

• Each mask casts a shadow on the wall — the position and shape of the shadows hint at the shooting order.
• Shoot the masks with the bow strictly in the order shown by the shadows: the correct sequence registers instantly, while a mistake resets your progress.
• Position the camera so all four shadows are in frame and note the order "left to right" before your first shot — no trial and error needed.

All bosses in order and how to beat them

The game has 18 story boss fights, some of them rematches. Below are the key milestones and tactics.

1. Sasaki Ganryu — Kiyomizu-dera Temple

The first boss and your parry exam: all sword swings can be parried, dodge the kick attacks. After his helmet comes off he adds a grab (counter by dodging sideways) and a leaping sword strike. Keep up the pressure — given a breather, his poise recovers.

2. Daidara

A giant demon with a cleaver: attacks are slow and readable, but every hit hurts. Parry the sweeping swings, dodge the kick and overhead smash. Always absorb the souls hanging in the air, or Daidara will devour them and go berserk. During Break Issen aim for the legs or the purple weak point.

3. Rasho-gan — the first real wall

The first boss with two health bars. At the start of the fight cut the red tendril that empowers him. Parry almost everything, including projectiles. In phase two he plunges three tendrils into the arena — shoot them with the bow to drop trees and debris on his head. His spinning attack is always a double: parry, then immediately parry again when he comes back around.

4. Byakue

A giant axe with well-telegraphed attacks. Byakue loves big flourishes before striking — don't parry into empty air: wait for the end of the flourish and catch only the actual hit. Beating him grants gauntlet upgrade materials.

5. Ifuu

A "delinquent" boss with a pompadour and wind tubes. Wind blasts can be parried or deflected back (Deflect) — the main way to damage his poise. When the tubes on his head turn pink, Ifuu takes off — shoot him down with the bow or he will unleash a tornado. In berserk he lunges with a grab: dodge sideways and he falls on his back.

6. Benkei

A unique mechanic: regular attacks deal no damage to him at all — only Break Issen, counters and attacks after a perfect dodge work. Bait out the glaive swings, parry the combo, dodge the kick and leaping strike. During Break Issen pick the head for maximum damage. Use Oni Strength and sturdy pillars to strip his armor.

7. Dohatsu-ten

A swordsman whose blade grows stronger with every hit it lands on you — a perfect excuse to master parrying. The boss shouts phrases before combos ("Shatter", "Prepare", "Perish") — these are your cues to parry the long-range swings. If you can't break his guard, push through with Oni Strength.

8. Sasaki Ganryu II — Gioh joins in

A rematch with a twist: the Oni Gioh on Ganryu's back attacks with tentacles, buffs his defense and bites. Countering the jaw grab rewards a burst of blue souls. The Oni Strength push removes his buffs. Control the pace — long combos get punished by his counters.

9. Shuten Doji

A drunken demon who gradually regenerates health — play aggressively. After half HP he drinks sake and catches fire: shoot him in the face with the bow while he inhales, or eat a fire blast. In phase two Musashi beheads him, but the head keeps fighting separately — shoot it down and parry the body. This fight unlocks the Awakened Oni form — finish bosses with it.

10. Dokyo

Capcom's "story shooter": the boss fills the screen with bullet-hell patterns. The key is Issen at the moment a projectile hits — it interrupts the entire attack string. When she summons exploding Genma, lure them so they detonate next to her.

11. Sasaki Ganryu III — the final duel

Two health bars and Gioh with blades on all tentacles. When Gioh reaches to chew the red flowers around the arena — shoot her or strike in melee, or she will restore Ganryu's poise. In phase two he merges the tentacles into a giant whip: sidestep dodge at the last moment, then punish in the combo window. His final trump is the Malice katana's lightning-fast strike: don't get greedy, use short combos.

12. Minamoto no Yoshitsune — final boss

The most important rule: don't waste your Oni Awakening in phase one — you'll need it in phase two, where the armored Yoshitsune is vulnerable to it. Parry the swings, dodge the leaping strikes and watch for the teleporting grab at range.

Endgame: NG+, Carnage and Boss Rematch

• New Game+: all skills, equipment and upgrades carry over; collectibles count as found globally — no need to re-collect them.
• Carnage — the highest difficulty: bosses are more aggressive and parry windows are minimal. Tactics stay the same, but mistakes cost far more.
• Boss Rematch — unlocks after completing the game via the Practice Ground menu: refight any defeated boss to train and farm materials. The Glutton for Punishment trophy requires beating every boss in this mode specifically on Carnage.
• 15 Charms and 6 Oni Armaments are scattered around the world — grab them along the way, they make the late fights much easier.

FAQ

How many bosses are in the game? 18 story fights, including rematches with Sasaki Ganryu, Daidara and the Nue pair.

Can you return after the finale? There's no free-roam after the credits — finish all collectibles before the final boss and mop up bosses in Boss Rematch mode.

What carries over to NG+? Skills, equipment and upgrades. Story progress and area access reset.

Bosses steal my souls — what do I do? Absorb souls right after kills, don't let them hang in the air. During Break Issen aim for the purple weak points — it returns what was stolen.

This guide is based on the release version (September 2026). Ask about any boss in the comments — we'll break down its moveset in more detail.