On this page
- Boss Rematch entries
- 18 (Practice Grounds)
- Unique story bosses
- About 13, before variants and duos
- Final boss
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune
- Hardest trophy
- Glutton for Punishment — all rematches, all difficulties
01How many bosses are there?
Counts online range from 13 to 18 because guides count different things. The Boss Rematch menu in the Practice Grounds lists 18 entries. That number includes upgraded variants—Byakue (Enhanced), Dohatsu-ten (Enhanced), Benkei (Fully Armed), Sasaki Ganryu (Altered)—and treats Ifuu, Burai and the Ifuu-and-Burai duo as three separate fights.
Collapse those and you get roughly 13 distinct bosses. Early lists that said 15 simply missed some variants.
Boss names below reveal late-game encounters, including the final boss. The strategy cards avoid story details beyond the fight itself.
02Universal boss rules
- Learn one attack string per attempt; block it the first time, parry it the second.
- Deflect heavy single swings—deflect is the fastest stamina drain on almost every boss.
- Pick red Break Issen targets when armour or a limb is the problem, purple when you need souls for an Oni Armament or Awakening.
- Pink weapons must be parried or deflected; blue body parts mean a grab.
- Most bosses expose something for the Oni Bow—cords, organs, a support caster or a charge-up.
- Spend Oni Awakening on the final phase, not the first.
03Story bosses in order
Mission numbers follow the 23-mission list on our walkthrough page. Where a boss appears in several missions, the card notes each meeting.
Sasaki Ganryu
Mission 2 · Kiyomizu-dera- Watch for
- Quick thrusts, deliberately delayed swings, an aerial stomp and a left-hand grab.
- Answer
- React to the weapon, not the body—his feints punish early inputs. Two or three light attacks, then reset your guard.
- Rematch variant
- Sasaki Ganryu (Altered) adds Gioh, whose tentacles harass you and who restores Ganryu’s stamina at red flowers. An Oni Bow shot to her neck stops the restore.
Daidara
Mission 2 · Oni Refuge- Watch for
- Slow mace swings, a circular swing telegraphed by licking the mace, and soul absorption that powers him up.
- Answer
- Absorb loose blue souls before he can. His mace can get stuck in the ground—punish then. Break stamina to expose the armoured legs.
Rasho-gan
Mission 5 · Yasui Konpiragu Shrine- Watch for
- Malice orbs, katana strikes, grabs and—in phase two—thrown trees. He is tethered by a cord.
- Answer
- Use Oni Vision to reveal the cord and shoot it with the Oni Bow; shoot the large orb with arrows as well.
Byakue
Mission 6 · Kiyomizu area- Watch for
- Axe swings, a shoulder charge, a running rush and a grab using talisman hair.
- Answer
- Deflect axe swings, dodge the charges and take short punishes. The Enhanced version coats the axe in Malice below half health—jump the ground slam and clear Malice pools before re-engaging.
Ifuu
Mission 9 · Kennin-ji Temple- Watch for
- Axe swings, wind slashes and shoulder charges; in phase two an inflated organ appears on his back.
- Answer
- Fight close to deny the wind slashes, absorb loose souls quickly and shoot the inflated organ with the Oni Bow.
Nue (Blue) and Nue (Red)
Mission 11 · Nijo-jo / Underground Laboratory- Watch for
- Two serpents attacking from different angles; electrified orbs below half health.
- Answer
- Keep both on screen and favour Reflex Dodge over blocking. When a tail covers a face, a guard break opens it up.
Greater Nue
Mission 11 · Underground Laboratory- Watch for
- White tail swipes, claw strikes and lightning in phase two.
- Answer
- Parry or deflect the white-flagged attacks and keep moving during lightning. A red Break Issen target can sever the tail.
Dohatsu-ten
Mission 12 · Toribeno- Watch for
- Katana strikes, kicks and ranged sword waves.
- Answer
- Deflect weapon hits, dodge the kicks and deflect the sword waves back. If damage stalls, switch to guard breaks. The Enhanced version teleports and attacks at the end of each movement—track where he reappears and deflect the follow-up.
Benkei
Mission 13 · Gojo-ohashi Bridge- Watch for
- Polearm strings, a jumping slam and a blue-flagged grab; armour on legs, shoulders and arms.
- Answer
- Drain stamina, then use red Break Issen targets to strip armour piece by piece.
Burai
Mission 15 · Kennin-ji Temple- Watch for
- Mace thrusts, lightning, leaps, beam orbs and a kick telegraphed by raising the right leg.
- Answer
- Sidestep lightning and strike the exposed eye for blue souls.
Shuten Doji
Mission 18 · Mount Oe- Watch for
- Greatsword swings, flame breath, drinking to heal and a severed head that charges and explodes.
- Answer
- Stay aggressive to deny healing—each drink is an opening. Interrupt the flame breath with the Oni Bow.
Ifuu and Burai
Mission 20 · Kennin-ji Temple- Watch for
- A shared lunge, charges, lightning and a cloud-dive ram.
- Answer
- Keep both brothers visible, balance their health and pressure the un-enhanced brother first.
Dokyo
Mission 21 · Arashiyama- Watch for
- Projectiles, fire turrets, copies of herself, a balloon, spiked balls and an airborne attack that destroys cover.
- Answer
- Oni Vision reveals the real Dokyo among the copies. Shoot the balloon to knock her down, and shelter behind rock that is not yet cracked.
Benkei (Fully Armed)
Mission 22 · Rendaino- Watch for
- A thrown cannon, dagger volleys, spinning axes and a charged explosive shot.
- Answer
- Dodge the cannon (on Carnage it can end a run), deflect the daggers and interrupt the charge with the Oni Bow.
Minamoto no Yoshitsune
Final mission- Watch for
- Katana combos, a hand grab that steals souls, arrows and an arena-wide slash. In phase three he can only be damaged during Oni Awakening.
- Answer
- Avoid the grab at all costs, deflect steadily through phase two and build purple souls for Awakening before phase three.
04Boss Rematch roster
Boss Rematch is in the Practice Grounds (ring the bell in Emma’s Hall and talk to Takamura). Guides disagree on whether bosses appear there as soon as you beat them or only after the credits, but the Carnage tier is post-game only. The menu order differs from story order.
Beating every entry on every difficulty earns the gold trophy Glutton for Punishment; trophy guides report that clears on Carnage also count for the lower difficulties, but confirm in your own trophy list.
| # | Rematch entry | First met in |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Byakue | Mission 6 |
| 2 | Byakue (Enhanced) | Later variant |
| 3 | Dohatsu-ten | Mission 12 |
| 4 | Dohatsu-ten (Enhanced) | Later variant |
| 5 | Nue (Blue) and Nue (Red) | Mission 11 |
| 6 | Sasaki Ganryu | Mission 2 |
| 7 | Sasaki Ganryu (Altered) | Later duel with Gioh |
| 8 | Daidara | Mission 2 |
| 9 | Rasho-gan | Mission 5 |
| 10 | Greater Nue | Mission 11 |
| 11 | Benkei | Mission 13 |
| 12 | Benkei (Fully Armed) | Mission 22 |
| 13 | Ifuu | Mission 9 |
| 14 | Burai | Mission 15 |
| 15 | Ifuu and Burai | Mission 20 |
| 16 | Shuten Doji | Mission 18 |
| 17 | Dokyo | Mission 21 |
| 18 | Minamoto no Yoshitsune | Final mission |
05Loadout advice by difficulty
On Action, healing-focused Hozuki Pouches and damage-reduction Charms make learning a boss comfortable. On Carnage, mistakes cost far more and fights last longer, so loadouts that cycle Oni Armaments and Oni Awakening faster—the Aggressor or Awakening pouches, for example—tend to pay off more than extra healing.
Frequently asked questions
How many bosses are in Onimusha: Way of the Sword?
The Boss Rematch menu lists 18 entries. Counting each unique boss once—without enhanced variants and the Ifuu-and-Burai duo—gives about 13.
Who is the final boss?
Minamoto no Yoshitsune. In his last phase he can only be damaged while Oni Awakening is active.
How do I unlock Boss Rematch?
Talk to Takamura in the Practice Grounds. Some guides report bosses appearing there as you beat them; all agree the Carnage tier opens after the credits. Rewards and rules are in the New Game+ guide.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources. All text is our own.
Spotted something out of date? Read how we handle fixes in our corrections policy.