On this page
- Armaments listed by most guides
- 6 (plus the Oni Bow, a separate tool)
- Easy to miss
- Flashing Void, Still Water
- Powered by
- Blue souls → Oni Power gauge
- Full upgrade cost
- 33 Oni Stones + 34,000 red souls
01How Oni Armaments work
Oni Armaments are summoned weapons, not replacements for the sword. Blue souls fill the Oni Power gauge; pressing RB / R1 spends it on the equipped Armament, and D-pad right cycles between the ones you own. Blue souls only drop in combat, so you cannot bank a full gauge between fights—every Armament use has to be earned inside the encounter.
Two things speed that up: the Blazing State, which makes your hits shake loose more blue souls, and parry chains, which feed the gauge directly.
- One summon uses the whole gauge; there is no half-charged version to fire early.
- Gauntlet enhancement raises maximum Oni Power and widens the soul-absorption radius, so it is the equipment upgrade that matters most for Armament builds.
- The Charm of Oni Power fills the gauge faster and the Oni Strength Charm raises Armament damage; the Aggressor Hozuki Pouch trades healing for Oni Power.
- Firebird Flute shots stay loaded after the first press—fire all of them before switching to another Armament.
02Every Oni Armament
Two Celestials
Twin blades- Effect
- A fast flurry from two blades; enemies struck drop yellow souls, which restore health when absorbed.
- Best for
- A safety valve when healing items run out, and clearing weak Genma.
- Weak spot
- Yellow souls already drop more often at low health, so the gauge buys less than the other Armaments.
Wind Whipper
Naginata- Effect
- A spinning whirlwind that damages, staggers and swallows projectiles; passing it through fire turns it into a burning cyclone.
- Best for
- Crowds, archer rooms and casters.
- Weak spot
- Modest damage against a single boss.
Earth-Shakers
Twin clubs- Effect
- Slow, wide hammer slams that drain stamina and strip shields and armour; holding the button charges a heavier blow.
- Best for
- Emptying a boss’s stamina bar to set up Break Issen—Benkei in particular. Players report brief invincibility at the start of the swing.
- Weak spot
- Long recovery if the slam misses.
Firebird Flute
Magic- Effect
- Summons up to three fireballs; each press launches one that ignites and staggers its target.
- Best for
- Interrupting casters, lighting Wind Whipper, and the “Genma Griller” trophy (three enemies ablaze at once).
- Weak spot
- You must spend all loaded shots before switching Armaments.
Flashing Void
Lightning spear- Effect
- A heavy lightning strike that slows time while charging and lands from outside sword range. Finishing blows grant bonus red souls.
- Best for
- Burst damage on bosses that punish melee range, and red-soul farming.
- Weak spot
- Arrives late, and its best upgrades need the third Oni Portal.
Still Water
Sword infusion- Effect
- Infuses the sword so every hit spawns purple souls; a second press releases a golden wave for extra damage and souls.
- Best for
- Building Oni Awakening for a boss’s final phase—it is a sustained window rather than a single hit.
- Weak spot
- Only available for the last few missions of a first run.
03Our ranking
Ranked by what one full gauge achieves in a hard fight. Our order lines up with Keen Gamer’s published tier list; the main disagreement you will see elsewhere is whether Wind Whipper belongs higher for players who fight a lot of crowds.
| Tier | Armament | Why |
|---|---|---|
| S | Earth-Shakers | Fastest route to Break Issen on armoured bosses; useful from mission 11 to the credits |
| S | Still Water | Turns your normal combo into an Awakening engine for final phases |
| S | Flashing Void | Highest single-hit damage, and it is safe to use from range |
| A | Wind Whipper | Best crowd and projectile control; weaker against lone bosses |
| A | Firebird Flute | Reliable ranged staggers on up to three targets; sets up fire combos |
| B | Two Celestials | Healing you would often get anyway; save it for when pouches run dry |
04Upgrade trees and costs
Each Armament has three nodes in the Special Skills tree: two cost Oni Stones, one costs red souls. Most nodes are gated by Oni Portal progress, so you cannot max an Armament the moment you find it. Fully upgrading all six costs 33 Oni Stones and 34,000 red souls—more than half of the 56 Oni Stones the whole Special tree needs.
| Armament | Nodes (cost · unlock) | What the upgrades add |
|---|---|---|
| Two Celestials | Combo Strength (2 Oni Stones · on pickup) → Power (4,500 souls · Portal 1) → Combo Strength+ (3 Oni Stones · Portal 2) | Longer, stronger flurry |
| Wind Whipper | Power/Duration (2 Oni Stones · Portal 1) → Power (5,500 souls · Portal 2) → Range (3 Oni Stones · Portal 3) | Longer-lasting, wider whirlwind |
| Earth-Shakers | Charge Level (2 Oni Stones · Portal 1) → Power (5,500 souls · Portal 2) → Charge Time (3 Oni Stones · Portal 3) | A higher charge tier and faster charging |
| Firebird Flute | Charged Shot (3 Oni Stones · on pickup) → Power (5,500 souls · on pickup) → Projectiles (3 Oni Stones · Portal 3) | A charged fireball, then more fireballs per summon |
| Flashing Void | Break Issen (3 Oni Stones · Portal 3) → Power (6,500 souls · Portal 3) → Break Issen Combo (3 Oni Stones · Portal 3) | Break Issen follow-ups on staggered enemies |
| Still Water | Golden Wave Gauge (3 Oni Stones) → Golden Wave Power (6,500 souls) → Duration (3 Oni Stones), all on pickup | A bigger, stronger golden wave and a longer infusion |
Guides count 54–55 Oni Stones in the world against 56 needed for the full Special tree, so a first run cannot buy everything. Buy Oni Vision: Treasures first—it finds more stones than it costs—then upgrade the one or two Armaments you actually use.
05Upgrade priority
- Oni Vision: Treasures (2 Oni Stones) before any Armament node.
- Earth-Shakers: Charge Level as soon as Portal 1 opens—it pays off on every armoured enemy.
- Wind Whipper: Power/Duration if you struggle with crowds on Action.
- Firebird Flute: Charged Shot when you pick it up; it changes how the flute plays.
- Flashing Void and Still Water nodes late in the run or in New Game+, where skills carry over.
- Two Celestials last, unless you are deliberately running without healing items.
06Which Armament for which job
| Situation | First choice | Backup | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armoured boss | Earth-Shakers | Flashing Void | Empties stamina and opens red Break Issen targets |
| Long fight, low healing | Two Celestials | Regeneration pouch | Generates yellow souls you can absorb mid-fight |
| Boss final phase | Still Water | Awakening pouch | Purple souls fill Oni Awakening |
| Crowds and archers | Wind Whipper | Firebird Flute | Area stagger and projectile blocking |
| Casters and fire combos | Firebird Flute | Wind Whipper | Ranged staggers; ignites the whirlwind |
| Pure damage race | Flashing Void | Earth-Shakers | Highest single-target output |
| Carnage boss rematch | Earth-Shakers + Still Water | — | Break Issen into Awakening is the most reliable damage without consumables |
07The Oni Bow is separate
The Oni Bow is picked up on the main route through the Oni Refuge and does not use the Oni Power gauge. It fires freely, charged shots hit harder, and it is required for mechanisms, archers on rooftops and a few boss moments—shooting Fully Armed Benkei’s cannon is the best-known example. Its upgrades sit in the Basic tree (Oni Bow Power 1 and 2, Ultimate Charged Attack, Charge Time, Arrow Duration).
That is why some lists count seven “weapons” while location guides count six Armaments.
08Six or seven for the trophy?
Most location guides list six Oni Armaments. PowerPyx’s collectible guide lists seven for the Oni Armory trophy, and some players count the Oni Bow as the seventh. We have not found a published name for a seventh gauge Armament, so treat six as confirmed and check the Armaments menu in your own game if the trophy does not unlock.
The in-game Armaments menu shows owned and missing slots—the most reliable answer for your save.
Frequently asked questions
How many Oni Armaments are there?
Six are confirmed by name: Two Celestials, Wind Whipper, Earth-Shakers, Firebird Flute, Flashing Void and Still Water. Some trophy guides count seven, usually by including the Oni Bow.
Which Oni Armaments are missable?
None are permanently missable, but Flashing Void (Mount Oe) and Still Water (Arashiyama) are in chests just off the main path and easy to skip.
What is the best Oni Armament?
Earth-Shakers for most of the game, because it sets up Break Issen on armoured bosses. Flashing Void and Still Water are equally strong once you have them.
Can you fully upgrade every Armament in one playthrough?
Usually not. All six need 33 Oni Stones, and the full Special tree needs more Oni Stones than a single run provides. Skills carry into New Game+, so you can finish the set there.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources. All text is our own.
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