New Game+, Carnage difficulty and Boss Rematch

01What unlocks after the credits

• Carnage difficulty, played as New Game+. A save started on Carnage cannot be switched to an easier difficulty.
• Carnage tier in Boss Rematch, alongside Story and Action.
• A Continue option that returns your completed save to just before the final mission for cleanup—including the last Genma Note.
• Story-completion outfits: Master’s Garb, plus the Panda and Wataru-kun costumes.

02Carry-over rules

03Post-game rewards

Most cosmetics are purely visual, but two post-game rewards change how you play. Both come from community reporting (Maxroll, GameRant and others) rather than official documentation, so treat the exact effects as reported.

04How Carnage feels different

Carnage raises the cost of every mistake. Boss attacks that are an inconvenience on Action—Fully Armed Benkei’s cannon or Yoshitsune’s soul-stealing grab—can end an attempt outright, and chip damage brings bosses into their enhanced states sooner. Because equipment levels reset, the opening hours feel the hardest; re-upgrading sword and clothing quickly smooths the curve.

Pink unblockable attacks also empower bosses, so parrying or deflecting what you can matters more than on Action.

05Recommended NG+ route

1. Finish the first run with your red souls spent and a stock of revival items.
2. Start New Game+ on Carnage straight away—your carried-over skills and Charms make the opening missions manageable.
3. Prioritise Tamahagane and Fine Silk Cloth pickups and rebuild sword and clothing first.
4. Reach the Practice Grounds again (mission 4) to reopen Boss Rematch on the new file.
5. Clear the story on Carnage for the Bishamon Sword and the True Onimusha trophy.
6. With the Bishamon Sword equipped, sweep Boss Rematch on Carnage for Warlord’s Armor 2 and Glutton for Punishment.

06Carnage preparation checklist

1. Re-enhance the sword and clothing first—damage and survivability matter most.
2. Equip Charms that speed up Oni Armament and Awakening cycling (Charm of Oni Power, Oni Strength, Charm of Awakening).
3. Use the Aggressor or Awakening Hozuki Pouch on bosses with Awakening-only phases.
4. Lean on Earth-Shakers for armoured enemies and Still Water before final phases.
5. Treat Blazing State as a deflect window: player reports suggest holding guard and tapping attack during it to string deflects together.
6. Farm red souls with Break Issen: Red Soul Yield, the Reaper’s Charm and Flashing Void finishers when an upgrade is just out of reach.

07Boss Rematch: how it works

Boss Rematch lives in the Practice Grounds: ring the bell in the corner of Emma’s Hall and talk to Takamura. It lists 18 encounters covering 13 unique bosses, including enhanced, altered and fully armed versions, the double Nue fight and Ifuu with Burai.

Guides disagree on timing—some describe bosses appearing in the list as soon as you beat them in the story, others treat the menu as post-game—but every guide agrees the Carnage tier only opens after the credits.

• Only Hozuki Pouches are allowed. Amulets, Stimulants, Talismans and other item-wheel consumables are disabled, so your Charms do the work instead.
• Rematch fights drop no items. The separate Practice Ground Drills give one-time item rewards.
• Rematch progress carries into New Game+, but you have to reach the Practice Grounds again on the new file.
• Trophy guides report that a Carnage win also counts the lower difficulties for Glutton for Punishment. If Warlord’s Armor does not appear after a Carnage-only sweep, clear the remaining fights on Action.

08Carnage rematches that need a plan

PowerPyx rates Minamoto no Yoshitsune the hardest Carnage rematch (8.5/10) and Sasaki Ganryu (Altered) next (7/10). The others below are less about raw difficulty than one mechanic you must respect.