[Guide] Sekiro: How to Defeat All the Bosses & Rewards

Although Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice represents the classic "breath of fresh air" in a genre like Souls to which, by now, everyone had got used, we can be sure of one thing: the level of challenge will always be very, very high. And if Miyazaki's previous works have taught us that even the most insignificant of enemies can pose a deadly threat if underestimated, the toughest opponents will always be the bosses and mini-bosses.

How to defeat the bosses of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

As usual, each boss will be marked by a dedicated moveset, as well as unique mechanics and, of course, a health bar far superior to ours. Each of them can be defeated in a variety of ways, but all strategies will always go through the emptying of their posture bar.

This indicator is practically the equivalent of the stamina bar that we have learned to know in the various Souls and that actually allows us or our opponent to attack and/or parry attacks. Making a parry or deviations at the right time, in fact, we can inflict enormous damage to the boss, making life easier.

It goes without saying that not all boss attacks can be parried, so you'll have to master the dodge with the same mastery as the attacks.

Almost every boss in Sekiro has at least 2 Vitality bars, and in most cases one of them can be removed with a sneak attack. We recommend that you hide or bypass each boss when possible to make a sneak attack, and then tackle it directly by halving the length of the fight. Some bosses will even allow you to escape, hide and continue to attack them stealthily because of some artificial intelligence bugs.

Below, we'll list all the bosses and mini bosses in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, with all the information about where to find them, how to defeat them, and the rewards you'll get by beating them.

Obviously, this guide is full of Spoilers for all bosses in the game, so continue at your own risk

General Naomori Kawarada

Location: Surroundings of Ashina

Description: Naomori Kawarada is the first mini-boss you will meet in the surroundings of Ashina. He is one of the many katana armed generals guarding the castle, and the general strategy is the same for all of them. Try to eliminate the few soldiers guarding the castle, then hit him from behind as he goes on his patrol, and by doing so, you will halve the duration of the fight. His cleavers are slow but lethal for a novice player, and you have very few items to heal yourself, so pay attention. Kawarada uses a combo consisting of 3-4 broad strokes, a sweep, lunge, grip, and buff to restore his posture. To defeat him, deflect each of his attacks by pressing the Guard button a few moments before his sword hits you, and punish him when he tries to move away to buff. By doing so, the general will not be much more difficult than any other PFC.

Reward: Rosary wheat

Orco Incatenato (Video game characterization of Rey Misterio)

Location: Surroundings of Ashina / Ashina Castle

Description: The wrestling made ogre, a living meme and cause of many deaths in the first moments of the game, the Chained Ogre is proof that Sekiro does not go so lightly when it comes to punishing careless players. It's one of the first mini-bosses you'll encounter, it's got two bars of Vitality, close attacks that can destroy Sekiro's posture even if you deflect them perfectly, and above all, a combination of large-capacity holds that will knock you out in no time. The secret to this boss-fight is to notice the Kanji, the red Japanese characters that indicate the attacks or holds, and move immediately to the opposite side with a snap. After a few tricks, the Ogre will be vulnerable not only to normal attacks, but also to a grappling hook that will allow you to get close to him after a dodge. If you find it difficult, go to the Hirata Estate and grab the Getto Ardente prosthetic tool, which is very effective against all red-eyed beasts like the Chained Orc. In the course of your adventure, you will find the exact same Orc at the base of Ashina Castle. The strategy to be applied will be the same but in a smaller arena, plus you'll have many more tools and higher statistics from your own.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary

General Tenzen Yamauchi

Location: Surroundings of Ashina

Description: Tenzen is one of the generals of Genichiro that you will find in the surroundings of Ashina. He resolved particularly difficult for the initial players because he is surrounded by a horde of mobs that in open combat would make the clash a hell. The main tactic is therefore to eliminate, one by one, the general's subordinates, starting with the Lookout Rat on the relief to the right of the map. Kill the lookout, go downstairs and sneak out all the soldiers, taking care not to alert anyone. If this happens, run away, hide, but don't sit on an Idol, as you'll make the enemies fight back. Once the mobs are eliminated, you can sneak a sneak shot at Tenzen and lure him out of his position with Ceramic Shards. The combat is identical to all the other katana armed generals: he prefers a combo with 3-4 easily parried slices, an unparalleled sweep that will force you to jump, a lunge that contrasts with the Mikiri Countermove, a dodgeable grip and a buff that reduces posture damage. You deflect his every attack and attack when he's exposed, and you're done.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary

Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa

Location: Surroundings of Ashina

Description: Despite the size and triumphant surprise entrance, Gyoubu is one of the easiest bosses in the whole game. His attacks loaded with the naginata shouldn't intimidate you, as they are easily parried thanks to their slowness. Every time Gyoubu moves away to charge you, you can use the grappling hook on him to briefly stun him, get close and hit him. Watch out for his sweeping attacks, but use it only after he has been attacked several times from close range. If you find yourself in trouble, use the Castagnole Shinobi prosthetic tool to scare his horse and stun him for almost the entire duration of the fight. Repeat the same tactic for each of his Vitality bars.

Reward: Cimelio Gyoubu (+1 Strength) / Ability to enhance prosthetic tools

Shinobi Enshin hunter from Misen

Location: Hirata Estate

Description: Like many other mid-bosses, Enshin is surrounded by numerous bandits who would cause you many problems in a direct confrontation. Fortunately, the area he patrols is full of bushes that will allow you with a stealthy approach to eliminate the competition. Out of the way the bandits, stealthily hit Enshin with a Death Strike, removing one of the two bars of Vitality. Enshin is a lancer, and like all lancers, he prefers to take impartial lunges.

For this fight you should have already unlocked the Mikiri Countermove, a Shinobi skill that allows you to counter an opponent's lunge with a forward dodge, damaging the opponent's posture and leaving the enemy vulnerable. Enshin suffers a lot from the Mikiri Countermove, so abuse it as much as you want. Every now and then he'll also try some pretty quick long range slashing: it's best to keep your guard up to parry them, or if you feel like deflecting attacks and damaging his posture even more.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary

Juuzou the Drunkard (also known as Giggibozzu the Teetotaler)

Location: Hirata Estate, Main Hall

Description: Giggibozzu stands in front of the drinking estate, making great with friends he met after school. Actually Giggibozzu is a teetotaler and in the flask he keeps only Sanbitter, deadly, flammable, poisonous Sanbitter. Arrived in front of this boss and his men you will find on your right an NPC. If you try to talk to him, he will charge the group of bandits with his head down and risk being killed. Before you talk to him, then make a wide circle of the estate through the left side of the map, killing the various guards present in a stealthy manner. At the end of the corridor we'll come out right behind Juuzou's guards.

Kill the first guard stealthily and the boss fight will begin, then return to the corridor bringing all the guards and the boss with you. Use the narrow space and the guards in line to your advantage by killing them easily using the Swirling Blast, of course paying attention to the boss's blows. With only the boss left, run towards the lake until the boss comes back and inflict a Death Strike, removing one of his two vitality bars. Now it's time to run from the NPC we talked about before and activate it: the boss will focus on him while you can hit him quietly from behind helping yourself with the oil jars and the prosthetic instrument Getto Ardente. If Juuzou should focus on you, just dodge or deflect his slow attacks and wait for him to come back to attack the NPC.

Reward: Rosary Wheat / Poor Sake

The Moth

Location: Hirata Estate

Description: One of the most difficult walls to break down at the beginning of Sekiro, the Moth can actually be defeated in a very simple way. As the game suggests, use the counterattack after a dodge to inflict more damage to Vitality, thus slowing down the recovery of the Moth's posture. Alternating skillfully dodging and attacking, you circle the boss at a steady pace and at best he won't even jump and counterattack, setting it in a lethal loop. Keep in mind that if you don't keep a good timing the boss will break the loop: the Moth has a tolerance of two shots after dodging, and when you get to the third one it will overwrite your animation by counterattacking. Its jumping attacks, including sweeping and grabbing, can be avoided by pulling Shurikens and damaging it heavily.

At the second stage, the Moth will call upon the illusions of very annoying dead soldiers. If we cannot defeat them in time, the Moth will turn them into deadly search bullets. To make all the illusions around Sekiro fade away quickly and painlessly, you need to use an object collected by the NPC just before you enter, but you don't have to use it. Appear the copies run into one of the corners of the room and hit the ghosts that get too close with the shuriken, change the corner in case the Moth gets too close, wait for the illusions to turn into bullets and dodge at the right time or hide behind a column when they are all collected in one place. Then start again with the exact same strategy as in the first phase.

Reward: Cimelio Falena (+1 Strength) / Cherry Blossom (+1 to Resurrection)

Burning Bull/ Cherry Blossom of the Palace

Location: Ashina Castle / Palace of the Source

Description: One of the toughest bosses to deal with, especially when you're a novice and with few statistics and care items. The Taurus is a war machine incapable of standing still, with charges that overwhelm and reset the posture even in high guard, burn and especially to fight in a very tight arena. The secret to this fight is to position yourself constantly behind him, hitting the Bull's shoulders with one or two attacks at a time. In this case, the Taurus will try to turn towards you with a lateral attack, but if you stick to his back with a dodge in the opposite direction you'll be able to get him into a loop.

When he's tired of turning around and moving away to get back to the charge, you can decide whether to get chased and wait for the Bull to stop charging you, or dodge the Bull's horns with a forward sprint, a risky move that requires careful timing (only dodge forward when the Bull touches the ground with his horns). If you're in trouble, use the Shinobi Chestnuts to stun the animal. The same strategy should be adopted with the Palace's Cherry Blossom, a Taurus with a different appearance and guarded by some archers on the rooftops of the arena. Sneak out the archers, perform a Death Strike from above to halve the Taurus' life and face him with all the tools and skills acquired during the game.

Reward: Rosary Wheat / Shinobi Medicine Level 2 (Skill)

General Kuranosuke Matsumoto

Location: Ashina Castle

Description: Yet another general armed with katanas, but surrounded by five riflemen. Jump on the castle walls, make a sneak attack on the general, eliminate the riflemen and use the same tactic you used for the other katana armed generals described above.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary

Seven Ashina Spears - Shikibu Toshikatsu Yamauchi / Shume Masaji Oniwa

Location: Moon Tower (Ashina Castle) / Ashina Reserve (Ashina Castle)

Description: This son of a geisha will make you suffer the pains of Hell, know this. If you return to the place where Lord Black was held prisoner in the Prologue, you will probably meet the most difficult mini-boss in the whole game. Yamauchi is a lancer defending the tower, and the range of his spear is unmatched. He has two Vitality bars, but you can sneak up behind him if you follow the exact same path as in the Prologue, halving the duration of the fight. He prefers consecutive lunges and sweeps, and his slash combos are aggressive and breathless. The only way to defeat him is to deflect his attacks, jump on him when he does his sweeps, and counter the lunges with the Mikiri Countermove. His high resistance to Vitality damage makes him an opponent capable of being defeated only by posture damage. Learning to recognize his moveset and the perfect timing for the parry could take some time, and that means mistiming and dying a few times. Don't give up.

The Castagnola Shinobi, also here, works miracles as it allows to stun Yamauchi during his combos. When stunned, it is advisable to use the Ashina Ichimoji Art normal or Double, to do great damage to the posture and recover your own. With a little training, Yamauchi will also be defeated. For Oniwa the speech is identical, but he will be accompanied by a general armed with a katana with only one bar of Vitality. Kill the general sneakily, hide, make a Sneak Shot on Oniwa, and fight him in the same way as Yamauchi.

Reward: Rosary wheat

Lone Shadow Swordsman

Location: Ashina Reserve (Ashina Castle)

Description: The Lone Shadow Swordsman is a fearsome enemy that you will encounter first as a mini-boss if you return to Sekiro's awakening place in the Prologue, and then as a common enemy in many parts of the Lands of Ashina. He's a fearsome ninja who uses a long sword as a weapon, along with a combination of kicking, jumping attacks, grappling and sweeping, but he's not very dangerous once he learns his moveset. The quickest way to take him out is to parry his every attack and dodge grapples and sweeps, which will damage his posture quickly and give you no problems. If you can't parry his combos, dodge forward as soon as he starts to hit the first slash and then use the Swirling Slashing Combat Art. With the right timing, the Shadow will enter a loop that he can't get out of. Execute and repeat as long as necessary and you have victory in your hands.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary / Fragment of Magnetite

Elite Ashina - Jinsuke Saze

Place: Ashina Castle

Description: This boss can beat you in two equally effective ways: going completely aggressive or completely defensive. For the aggressive method: run towards him and keep spamming Turbulent Slash, causing damage to both Vitality and Posture. If he tries to detach himself from you or counterattack, you can use the Shinobi Chestnuts or dodge his attack sideways, and then continue with the Turbulent Punch.

The defensive-passive tactic is instead to completely parry his starting combo: Jinsuke's very little posture doesn't allow him to stand more than 3 consecutive parry, and will leave him vulnerable to a beautiful Death Strike. Either way, don't hope to survive much in this fight if you can't dodge or block his attacks, as they're capable of killing you instantly.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary

Genichiro Ashina/Genichiro the Way of Tomoe

Place: Summit of Ashina Castle, during the first ascent of the castle

Description: Genichiro Ashina is definitely one of the first "walls" of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and a boss who will show you if you have fully learned the mechanics of the combat system. To beat him you'll have to know the mechanics of the game discreetly, how Vitality and Posture works, recognize the attack patterns in a precise way, contrast the attacks you can learn and even improvise with a new mechanics introduced in the third phase of Bossfight. In the first two phases, Genichiro will behave and have the exact same moveset as when you faced him in the Prologue. His attacks will consist of rapid combinations of running, running, jumping, lunging or sweeping, and an easily dodgeable grip, all alternating between his dodges and his ranged bow attacks.

The secret to defeating him lies in deflecting his attacks: at this point in the game, Sekiro still doesn't have enough strength to adequately damage his Vitality, but just like the fight with The Moth, you can damage Genichiro's posture with parry and dodging counterattacks, making him vulnerable to Death Strikes. Dodging an entire combo is difficult due to the extreme tracking of his attacks, so you should parry or at least block the first attacks, wait for the final blow, dodge and counterattack. The more experienced will also be able to deflect the first blow and attack immediately after, forcing Genichiro to counterattack and then deflect his attacks a second time and set him in an infinite loop of detours and counterattacks. Keep your guard up to restore your posture, and if you fear you won't dodge one of his arrows in time, you can always block them without damage.

In Phase Three, Genichiro will lose his armor and rely on a new technique, Tomoe's Lightning, which allows him to throw electric blasters at long distances or even lethal electric arrows. If you're hit even indirectly by electric attacks you'll be electrocuted, losing a lot of vitality and being stunned for a few precious seconds. Tomoe's Lightning cannot be blocked or deflected without suffering damage, but can be redirected to Genichiro by jumping and pressing the attack button at the right time, electrocutioning it and allowing you to attack. In addition to Lightning, Genichiro still has the same moveset as the previous stages, so the fight isn't too challenging. The tricky part, as mentioned earlier, is the attention paid to the parry and the long duration of the fight, which with a few power-ups to the stats and healing flask could lead to many initial game-overs. As a Prostetic Tool we recommend the Spring Axe or Spring-Loader, both of which allow great damage to Vitality and Balance.

Reward: Cimelio Genichiro (+1 Strength) / Ninjutsu Blood Smoking

Warrior in Armor

Location: Shugendo (Mount Kongu)

Description: A huge warrior protected by medieval armour and armed with a giant two-handed sword. It is impossible to wound or stun him with conventional methods. The only way to kill him is to throw him off the bridge on which you fight him: to do this you will first have to destroy the wooden walls of the bridge. You deflect every attack of the warrior except sweeps and grab, thus heavily damaging his posture. Once the Posture breaks, use a Lethal Counterattack to push him in the direction you are facing. This will break the wooden walls and, if you push him towards the abyss a second time, he will fall. If you can't deflect its attacks, you can use the Fog Raven Feathers to escape from behind and injure it with your katana. You will not harm his vitality, but his posture will suffer.

Reward: Rosary Wheat / Natural Breath: Shadow (Shinobi skill)

Hundred Feet Long Arms Sen'un and Giraffe

Location: Mount Kongo / Gorge

Description: Both boss fights put you against the exact same enemy, but the fight with Sen'un takes place in a much larger room, surrounded by very weak mobs and with the possibility to make a sneak attack on the boss, halving the duration of the fight, while Giraffa will corner you in a very narrow room with no chance of escape. The procedure to defeat the Centopiedi is the same: the combo they use consists of 10 shots divided into 4 concatenated rants, a break, 5 concatenated rants and a final rant, alternating occasionally by a sweep. With the right timing, you can parry the entire Centopiedi combo and destroy their posture in the blink of an eye.

Reward: Yellow Gunpowder / Rosary Wheat

Temple Monkeys

Place: Senpou Temple (Mount Kongo)

Description: Even this bossfight is much more like a puzzle than a real confrontation: you will have to kill 4 monkeys hiding in different ways in the huge arena. In the middle is a monk who will give you cryptic tips on how to find the monkeys, but save you the trouble of talking to him. Pay attention to the Ghost Monkeys that will haunt you every time you kill a Temple Monkey: these ghosts cause Terror with every attack and I can shatter you, but to kill them you just need a simple sword stroke.

The Yellow Monkey is an invisible monkey who will follow you closely from the start of the fight. To kill it, all you have to do is turn around at any point during the fight, notice the bright footprints behind you and smack it in front of you, killing it.

The Green Monkey is perched on the tree in the center of the Temple. Hang on to the tree and he will jump to the roof of a building. Chase him but be careful not to be seen, so move under the roof and head for a bell next to the big tree. Ring it, and the monkey will be stunned long enough for you to cling to the rooftops and eliminate it.

The Purple Monkey is located on the temple tower at the top left of the arena. It is not possible to kill it with conventional methods because it is too fast. Instead, you must enter the tower and turn off all torches by opening a window inside. That way, when the monkey jumps down to escape, he will find himself in the dark and can't see anything. At that moment, kill it.

The Red Monkey carries a drum and patrols the rooftops, but it's not very fast. Follow her behind, crouch down and kill her stealthily.

Reward: Cimelio Temple Monkeys (+1 Strength) / Puppet Ninjutsu

Shirahagi Snake Eyes

Location: Depth of Ashina

Description: One of the most problematic mini-bosses for many players due to its deadly combination of ranged attacks and spear mowing. Eliminate the first rifleman you encounter in the swamp, cling to the statues until you get to the other side of the poisonous pond and make a sneak attack on Shirahagi. Then start attacking her aggressively, using Combat Arts such as Ichimoji, Swirling Blast, or Mortal Extraction, and then continue with basic attacks. Shirahagi will block some of your attacks and react with a very special, long-range grip, which you'll need to dodge back quickly. Watch out for ranged attacks, which can be blocked simply by holding the High Guard, and continue to attack with everything you have. You can also use the Shinobi Chestnuts here to stun it.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary

Tokujiro the Gourmand

Location: Ashina Depth (Hidden Forest)

Description: It's a copy of Juuzou the Drunk in every way, and it's even easier to make a sneak attack on him. Kill the monkeys first with Shuriken, to make your job easier, and follow the same strategy we showed you with Juuzou, which is to hit him with the Burning Jet and deflect his recognizable attacks.

Reward: Rosary wheat / Saké

Nobleman of the Fog

Location: Ashina Depth (Hidden Forest)

Description: Are you sure you need help for this "boss"? Jump on him with a sneak attack and spam the simple attack. He'll offer very little resistance.

Reward: Adipocera Cluster

Water O'Rin

Location: Mibu Village

Description: You thought you finally met a friendly NPC in Ashina Depths, didn't you? Instead she's yet another irritable mini-boss who will attack you if you talk to her and will be even more aggressive if you ignore her. If you haven't angered her yet, you can perform a sneak attack in an unorthodox way: while she's playing her instrument, go behind her and jump on her, without pressing the jump button or others again. She will draw her sword and become an enemy, but she won't notice your presence. So go for the hard way and attack her with a sneak attack, halving the duration of the fight.

O'Rin is a ghost like the Headless, so simple attacks do not stun her and inflict little damage. It is advisable to use Divine Confetti to hurt and stun her, or you can simply deflect her long but recognizable combos with the right timing, destroying her posture. Her innate quickness makes it difficult to hit her with prosthetic instruments and Combat Arts, so think only about parrying her attacks and taking a few blows every now and then to damage her posture.

Reward: Rosary Grain / Vital Breath: Shadow (skill)

Corrupt Nun

Location: Mibu Village, Water Mill

Description: The Corrupt Nun is the final boss of the Mibu Village, the last area of Ashina Depths. She is a weaker version and devoid of some movesets of her evolution, the Royal Nun, but not to be underestimated. She has only one bar of Vitality and requires only one Shinobi Death Strike to be defeated. Her naginata has a very high ray, and her agility allows her to attack repeatedly, without stopping and above all to move quickly on the battlefield. She prefers long combinations of attacks, unparalleled sweeps and counter-shoots with the Mikiri countermove.

The simplest tactic is, as always, to try to deflect his combos, but if you don't have enough Posture the strategy could backfire on you, at the risk of being dazed and vulnerable. Dodging at the right time is riskier, but it is also more effective: provoke her to attack you, dodge her combos backwards, shoot quickly towards her and use the Art "Mortal Extraction" acquired with the visit to the Senpou Temple. In fact, the Nun is very susceptible to this unparalleled attack. Repeat the procedure a few times, paying particular attention to her jumping attacks, and you will have victory in your hands. We also recommend the use of the Castagnole Shinobi to stun the Nun during her combos. Like all ghostly enemies, she is very susceptible to the Divine Confetti, which greatly damage her Vitality and Posture.

If you want to try your hand at the speedrun of the title or simply fail to defeat the Nun, you can even kill her stealthily with a tactic that exploits a bug of her artificial intelligence: enter the arena through the left side, break 3 Seeds of Perception that will stun the Nun, pull on her at least 5 handfuls of soot and you'll be able to freeze her motionless in one place. Then, do a backwards bounce jump on a tomb behind her and you can kill her with a Death Strike from above. The tactic requires a positioning of the Carthusian Nun, and may require a few attempts. To reset, exit the game and return to the game

Reward: Cimelio Monaca Corrotta (+1 to Strength) / Mibu Breathing Technique (allows underwater swimming)

Eyes of Snake Shirafuji

Place: Forra

Description: Shirafuji will be waiting for you as soon as you enter the area of the Fortress, along with the rest of the Snake Eyes. The fight is a little more difficult than his sister Shirahagi because the other riflemen may hit you during the fight. Face Shirafuji behind the rock that will protect you from the bullets, and use the exact same strategy used with Shirahagi.

Reward: Rosary Wheat

Monkey Guardian

Location: Guardian Monkey Pond, Gorge

Description: Do you remember that big pack of monkeys that you mercilessly mowed down in the Gorge? Well, the time has come to pay the consequences and face the leader of the pack. Despite its size and intimidating movements, the Guardian Monkey turns out to be one of the easiest bosses in terms of strategy and attack pattern. The difficulty comes with the surprise of the second phase, not announced by the Vitality bar and which has taken many players by surprise.

He will use his powerful paws to jump towards you and mangling you with his weight, or simply to launch bursts of punches that will easily shake your posture. Despite appearances, these attacks can be deflected, causing damage to the Monkey's Posture, but it is advisable to simply move away when he starts with his combos and attack during enemy recovery. Pay close attention to his sweep and his dive+grab, both of which are undetectable and extremely lethal.

If you attack the monkey from behind, he might even use a fart to poison you, but even here the animation is easily recognizable. After the first fart, the Monkey will start jumping up and throwing excrement at you, which is also poisonous. Consider also that the Monkey cannot defend himself against your attacks, so attacking Vitality with targeted and precise counterattacks will be your best tactic for the first phase.

In the second phase, the Monkey will become headless and will use both his severed head and his sword as weapons. If you've learned the right timing to deflect the swords, this second stage may be even easier than the first: the monkey's swords are slow and phoned out, and the large time window to make the parry will help you a lot in this bossfight. Pay attention to the unparalleled sweep, and especially the Scream of the Head, an AOE that causes massive continuous damage, and especially Terror, a status that once contracted instantly kills Sekiro. Simply step back and wait for the red fog to disappear. Recommended, as with all beasts, the use of Shinobi Chestnuts in both phases to stun the Monkey.

Reward: Cimelio Guardian Monkey (+1 Strength) / Thin Finger (object to be converted into Prostetic Instrument)

Guardian Monkey and Undead Monkey

Location: Depth of Ashina

Description: Two is better than one, but it is not necessarily more difficult. A boss fight that appears at the entrance to the Mibu Village after defeating the Guardian Monkey in the Gorge. The fight will start with the second stage of the Guardian Monkey, but it will be slightly easier because it is less fast. Deflect his slow slash and dodge the sweeps and terrorizing head attack, then eliminate the first bar of Monkey Vitality. At this point, the Monkey will call a second brown Guardian Monkey that will be identical in movement and speed to the first stage of the Gorge Guardian Monkey. The difficulty of this boss fight is having to handle two powerful enemies at the same time, but be aware that the Monkeys will always attack one at a time, which means that you can deflect/dodge and counter attack one and prepare for the second. Focus first on the second Monkey as it has little vitality, and if you feel the need to, use the Shinobi Chestnuts, which are very effective with all animals. Don't exaggerate too much with attacks, dodge the enemy ones and you will never have to see a single giant monkey again.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary x2 / Ninjutsu of Concession / Monkey Guardian Trophy

Lone Shadow Vile Hand

Place: Ashina Castle (Ashina Dojo)

Description: Once you've recovered all the ingredients for the Immortal Recon, you'll find Ashina Castle under siege. Walk the same route you took at the beginning of the game to head to Black. In the Dojo of Ashina, where you have faced the Elite Ashina, you will find a new Lone Shadow that will have the same moveset as the previous one plus a new weapon, a fist full of poison that you will use as finisher of its combos. The Vile Hand is accompanied by another Lone Shadow Long Sword that you can kill and control with the Puppet Ninjutsu. The strategy to use for the Vile Hand is the same one used for the Long Sword: dodge forward and slightly to the left its initial attack and perform the Swirling Blast, or divert one of its slash, attack, divert the next and let it enter the loop. Watch out for the poisonous attack, which crosses the Guard.

Reward: Adipe Cluster / Rosary Grain

Emma, the Gentle Blade (Shura Final)

Place: Summit of Ashina Castle (after having chosen to respect the Iron Code of the Owl)

Description: Sekiro's biggest mystery is trying to understand why Emma's blade is considered gentle, and it's still unsolved. Emma is a formidable opponent who fully masters the Ashina fighting style. Her attacks are very quick and I can easily cover most of the arena if you are at a distance. However, she doesn't have much balance, and she can be easily stunned if you can parry her attacks perfectly.

If not, use the Shadow Shot Combat Art, the final skill of the Shinobi branch, which consists of a long, loaded and unparalleled lunge. Be careful to distance yourself well, because if you release the lunge too soon you won't reach Emma, while if you load it too long you'll hit her, but she'll leave you uncovered to her short slits. Repeat the Shadow Shot until you defeat her.

Reward: None, because you're a monster if you chose this ending...

Isshin Ashina (Shura Final)

Location: Summit of the Castle of Ashina, after the clash with Lady Emma, available only in the Shura Finale

Description: Final clash to unlock the Shura Final. Lord Isshin is a fearsome opponent, but far less tough and feasible than his resurrected version of the other game endings. The boss fight consists of two phases: in the first, very similar to the final boss, he will use quick slashes and moves taken in tandem by the Ashina Fighting Arts, such as Ichimoji and Dragonlight. All of his attacks can be deflected, severely damaging his posture, and during his single or double swings he is vulnerable to a simple counterattack, which will lead Isshin to attack again, bringing him into a loop of Detours and Counterattacks.

There is also a less "honorable" but much more effective method: just equip the Shadow Shot, the last unlockable skill from the Shinobi branch, and attack almost exclusively with that technique. Being a lunge, it won't be Parried by Isshin, who will suffer damage to both Vitality and Posture. Continue to use the Shadow Shot, being careful to keep your distance: if you load it too little, you won't reach the target, and if you load it too long, it will leave you uncovered by Isshin's counterattack.

With the second phase, the fight will become "glowing": Isshin will begin to control the flames that burn the castle, releasing dangerous long-distance attacks that cause Burn. The secret to dodging these long-distance slashers is simply to run sideways through the arena just before Isshin launches his attack. Some attacks from the previous stage will also have a fire effect, so be careful not to deflect the blows if your burn bar is high. Pay particular attention to his most devastating attack: Isshin will stand still and build up fire around him, then release it all over the arena. Keep your distance and run to a corner of the arena, but be ready to jump immediately afterwards, as the swordsman will come at you with a fury of very fast attacks once the flames have died down. Deflecting all attacks is quite difficult, and blocking them is impossible due to Sekiro's limited posture. With a jump at the right time, however, you'll find yourself behind him where you can punish him with a combo or another Shadow Shot.

Repeat the process of step one until the old man dies permanently (or at least until the next finale). We recommend the use of Refreshing Powders and the Red Vizza Flask to eliminate the risk of Burn, Ungo and Ako Confetti to enhance damage and defense, and finally the Prostetic Crow Fog Tool and Suzaku Lotus Umbrella to protect you from attacks in case of need.

Reward: Cimelio Isshin Ashina (Strength +1) / One Mind (Ashina Technique) / Shura Final

Great Shinobi Owl

Place: Summit of Ashina Castle, after choosing to break the Iron Code and serve Black

Description: Your adoptive daddy will not take your betrayal lightly, and for this he will try to kill you. This fight isn't remotely comparable to its younger version in the dungeons of the Hirata Estate, but this Owl could also give you problems. To kill it, you'll have to decimate its two life bars, and as usual the two stages differ in the complexity of attack patterns and new types of moves.

The fight with the Owl is partly similar to the one with Genichiro, as it will use both sword techniques and ranged attacks, but the shinobi will be faster in movement. To fight him, it is advisable to either deflect his cleavers, causing damage to his posture, or dodge under his attacks and counterattack him from behind with a Combat Art or the Spring Axe.

If you stray too far, he'll throw shurikens at you followed by a snapping slash, so try to stay on him so he doesn't breathe. To punish him, wait for his heavy attacks that will leave him very vulnerable, or the throwing of a poison bomb during his combos. In the second phase he will start using other shinobi tools, including a smoke bomb and a poisonous mixture that will remain on the ground. Follow the same strategy as in the first phase and the old Owl will have his second count.

Reward: Cimelio Grande Shinobi / Aromatic Branch (key object for the story)

Royal Nun

Place: Palazzo della Sorgente

Description: One of Sekiro's most iconic bosses, and also one that allows the player to exploit all the mechanics of the game. The Royal Nun is a fearsome enemy because of her size, her great amount of Vitality and Posture, her speed and diversification of attacks during the three phases. To fight her you'll need a healthy dose of courage to parry her long and numerous combos, as well as reflexes to deflect her lunges and dodge sweeps. Phase one is basically the same as the Corrupt Nun, but in phase two she will begin to periodically wrap the arena in thick fog, teleporting behind you consecutively.

The first two phases are however skippable thanks to the numerous trees and branches that surround the arena and allow two stealthy attacks: as soon as you can, even before the Nun appears, grab the first branch on the right, then move on the second and finally on the third when the boss will appear on the bridge. If you are quick enough, you can sneak up on her and immediately return to a branch, wait for her to appear after the attack in the fog and hit her again.

You will then start the third phase, the most difficult, because you will have to keep an eye on the attacks of the immortal worm that resides inside the Nun. To face her as you must, you can deflect her attacks and counterattack, use a huge amount of Castagnole Shinobi to stun her and attack her mercilessly, or wait for her to finish her 360° slash and punish her during the recovery. The choice is yours.

Reward: Cimelio Royal Nun (+1 Strength) / Dragon Trophy (most items for sale) / Royal Nun Trophy

Big Snake

Location: Cave of the Gorge/Passage to the Gorge (Mount Kongu)

Description: Finally you will get revenge for the terrible scare that the Great Snake has caused you at Ashina Castle, but unfortunately this is not Monster Hunter and you can't make a phenomenal weapon with its scales. In order to kill it, you'll need the Puppeteer's Ninjutsu, which can be obtained by defeating the Temple Monkeys at Senpou Temple.

Once the technique is unlocked, head to the Senpou Temple Idol, Mount Kongo, and start descending along the ridge to the right immediately after the idol. You will notice one of the Rats maneuvering a kite not far from the monk guarding the destroyed bridge. Kill the Rat with a sneak attack and activate the Puppeteer's Ninjutsu: he will now be under your control, and will automatically maneuver the kite. Then climb the first part of the Senpou Temple, pass through the window of the room with the monks praying in front of the immortal mummy, climb the giant tree and grab the grappling hook on the kite.

It will launch you through the gorge, sending you into the Passage to the Gorge. From there, you will find the Great Snake resting clinging to a rock. Jump off the ravine, make a Lethal Shot of the Shinobi, and the Snake will no longer be your problem. Note: You can't kill the Great Snake unless you first trigger his attack on the suspension bridge in the Gorge.

Reward: Great Snake Trophy / Fresh Snake's Viscera (key object for game finals)

Okami Shizu

Place: Palazzo della Sorgente

Description: Also known as Captain Tsubasa Electric, this too is more of a puzzle than a bossfight. Once you reach the lake of the Palace of the Source, Okami will attack you from a distance with his electric balloons. Run to the other side of the lake starting from the left, walk along the entire map clinging to the building and eliminating the Tengu, until you reach the big cherry tree where Okami lives. Run towards him and start hitting him repeatedly with everything you have, and he will soon forget the desire to throw you a ball with the power of lightning.

Reward: Rosary wheat

Big Coloured Carp

Place: Bell of the Great Carp (Palazzo della Sorgente) / Guardian Monkey Pond (Forra)

Description: In a game set in feudal Japan full of folklore references, a giant man-eating dogfish was missing. To kill the Great Colored Carp swimming in the lake of the Palace of the Source, you will first need to get a Really Precious Bait. To get it, you'll need to spend at least 7 Squamas of the Nobleman's Colorful Carp inside the barrel on the Hirata Estate, which is located on a small island in the middle of the river. Once you have spent the Scales, talk to the seller who will give you the Bait.

Then return to the Palazzo della Sorgente, teleport to the Idol of the Great Carp (to get there use the grappling hook on the wooden pagoda with the fog monsters inside, follow the path with the grappling hook until you find yourself on the left side of the Palace), call the Great Carp with the bell and feed it the Truly Precious Bait. Then teleport to the Guardian Monkey Pond and you will find the giant corpse of the Carp with a treasure in its mouth behind you.

Collect the treasure and you will find in your hands the Great White Moustache, which you can then give to the Noble in the barrel to help him become a Carp. Which we hope we won't have to poison again in a possible sequel.

Reward: Great Coloured Carp Trophy / Great White Moustache (key object)

Shichimen Warriors

Location: Ashina Depth / Palace of the Source

Description: The Shichimen Warriors are powerful undead wizards who use ranged attacks of various kinds and cause terror. They are very fearsome and require a very good knowledge of their patterns, especially when it comes to dodging search spheres and the powerful rays of souls capable of killing Sekiro with a single blow. Both Warriors have the same moveset, but the one in the Depths is located on a large circular arena where it is easier to dodge attacks, while the one in the Palace of the Source is in the middle of a narrow river.

The tactic is as follows: use the Divine Confetti, corrected on the Shichimen and attack him constantly, dodging or deflecting his only melee attack. With Confetti you will be able to stun him easily and eliminate all his magical energies that he uses to cast his magic. At some point the Shichimen will teleport away from you, precisely behind you, and begin to accumulate more magical energy with which he will throw a vortex of souls at you over long distances capable of killing you with a single blow and difficult to dodge, especially in the arena of the Palace of the Source. To stop it you must turn 180° and run as fast as you can as soon as the Shichimen becomes invisible, reuse other Divine Confetti and start the assault again. Continue with this tactic until the Schichimen are dead.

Reward: So Ceremonial (converts vital energy into Spiritual Emblems) / Lapis lazuli

Masanaga Lonely Shadows

Location: Gorge (Snake Sanctuary) / Hirata Estate (only in the Purification Final)

Description: Masanaga is the most difficult Lone Shadow with the highest stats, and appears in the Snake Sanctuary only in the End Game. Before approaching him, kill his 3 wolves as quietly as possible, then pass outside the sanctuary to perform a sneak attack. The rest of the fight is identical to the Vile Hand and all Lone Shadows, so follow that strategy.

Another Masanaga Lone Shadow appears instead in the alternative Hirata Estate that you must go through again for the final Purification. He will be waiting for you at the entrance to the burning main hall, along with numerous henchmen along the way. Kill the bandits and decide whether to face the Shadow directly or with a little trick. In the direct way, the fight is the same as any other Shadow, except that this one will repeatedly call 3 wolves to attack you and they may give you a hard time.

The trick is to break the Shadow's AI by chasing you along the bridge over the river. The Shadow, as it is limited to staying in the area of its confrontation, will not be able to get on the bridge and give you its back. Then attack it stealthily, and the Shadow will no longer be able to react because it has taken damage outside of its area, and will remain completely at your mercy.

Reward: Rosary wheat x2 / Yellow gunpowder

Headless

Location: Surroundings of Ashina / Gorge / Depth of Ashina / Ashina Castle / Palazzo della Sorgente

Description: The Headless are five dangerous ghostly enemies that roam the lands of Ashina. Three Hollowheads fight each other on land-shore, while two underwater. Those on dry land are the toughest as they are able to disappear and reappear behind you to kill you with a grab, slow Sekiro's movement with a spectral cloud and have an additional Vitality bar.

The strategy against them is to attack the monster relentlessly, move away when he starts to mill the sword 360° and be very careful when teleporting. The unhealthy fog can be thinned if you inflict enough damage to the Headless, but even when slowed down you can escape all its attacks, as it is very slow. All Headless people generate terror with their attacks, so it is advisable to use Calming Agents or the purple spotted flask to reduce the effect. We also recommend the use of Divine Confetti, which allow you to briefly stun the Headless after 3-4 consecutive attacks. As a prosthetic tool it is advisable to use the Lilac-Phoenix Umbrella, which protects against Terror attacks.

This only applies to Headless on land, as no objects or tools can be used underwater. On the other hand, there is much more freedom of movement underwater: Headless's attacks underwater are based much more on distance, and include branched search bullets and a catch that sucks Sekiro into his jaws. To defeat them, simply dodge in their direction and press the attack button, with which Sekiro will make an effective lunge that inflicts a lot of damage and allows you to stay on the move.

Reward: Corrupt Spirit of Ako, Ungo, Gachiin, Gokan and Yashariku (same effect as Confetti in exchange for Spiritual Emblems, infinite consumables).

Divine Dragon

Place: Palazzo della Sorgente, Sanctuary

Description: Once you reach the highest point of the Palazzo della Sorgete, enter a cave on the top of a mountain to start a cutscenes. The Divine Dragon, on balance, is one of the easiest boss fights in the game, but it can still cause some confusion, especially in the last stage. At the start of the fight, we'll be dealing with the Tree Dragons, a series of anthropomorphic figures that will try to attack us and slow us down. The combat is very similar to that of the Deacons of the Depths in Dark Souls 3, and we'll simply have to kill all the mobs that come into our sights. All it takes is a slash to break their posture, and an effective way to get rid of them quickly is to use the Mortal Extraction Combat Art or Turbine Slash.

Once the henchmen are defeated, the Divine Dragon will appear in all its greatness and power, but don't get discouraged: the fight will be more like a puzzle than a fight of reflexes. The Dragon will start by throwing you away from him, and then he will smash you with his huge sword trying to keep you at a distance. They're easy to dodge with a simple jump or side step, so keep moving forward without fear. To damage the Dragon, you'll have to send back Tomoe's Lightning throwing lightning at you in the same way as Genichiro and Isshin's boss fight.

When you are at a distance, wait for the Dragon to prepare one of the Lightning, cling to one of the trees around the Dragon charged with electricity and press the Attack button just before the lightning strikes you in mid-air, returning the strike to the sender and damaging it. Continue in this manner until the Dragon is left with a shred of life. If you don't see any trees nearby, they will rise up behind the Dragon, and this will happen with the last Lightning. When the Dragon falls at your feet, climb on his sword, approach the eye and perform a Shinobi Death Strike.

Reward: Cimelio Divine Dragon (+1 Strength) / Tears of the Divine Dragon

Shigekichi of the Red Guard+

Location: Surroundings of Ashina (End-Game)

Description: It is simply a Juuzou the Drunkard who uses fire instead of poison, and is surrounded by a vast array of Central Government soldiers and Rats. Sneak out all the soldiers and sneak up on Shigekichi, executing the exact same strategy for the Drunkard. By now you've figured out how to deal with obesity in Sekiro.

Reward: Rosary Wheat

Elite Ashina - Ujinari Mizuo

Location: Ashina Castle (Isshin Ashina's room)

Description: He has the exact same moveset as the other Elite Ashina, but he's more aggressive and if you can't parry his blows perfectly, he'll inflict damage through the air movement of his cleavers. For the rest, follow the same strategy described above, and if you have unlocked the Shadow Shot ability you can abuse it like Emma and Isshin Ashina.

Reward: Grain of the Rosary

Demon of Hatred

Location: Flames of Hate, Surroundings of Ashina

Description: The path of one of the most difficult bossfight of the game is also full of challenges: available only in End-Game, when the forces of the Central Government are attacking the Castle of Ashina at night, you will have to go back all the way from Ashina to the Old Temple in Rovi.