Nioh 3 Guide – All 81 Bosses And How To Beat Them

Nioh 3 features a constant stream of boss battles throughout its expansive world. Beyond the required main bosses, players will encounter numerous optional and hidden bosses, powerful enemies known as Formidable Enemies and Masters – all easily identified by their names appearing above their health bars.

This guide covers every boss in Nioh 3, detailing where and when you’ll fight them, and offering basic strategies to help you win. You’ll face some bosses in different parts of the game, but generally, their attacks and how to defeat them stay consistent. There are a few exceptions, like the boss Hattori Hanzo, who has unique challenges.

BOSS	ERA	LOCATION	TACTICS
Aggrieved Warrior	1572 CE – Warring States	Hamamatsu Hill	Guard, Parry, Dodge
All-Seeing Mage	1190 CE – Heian	Kamo Village	Guard, Dodge
Anayama Nobutada	1572 CE – Warring States	Futamata	Guard, Dodge
Baba Nobuharu	1572 CE – Warring States	Futamata	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Blood-Spurting Ogin	1572 CE – Warring States	Hamamatsu Hill	Guard, Dodge
Bloodedge Demon	Not confined to one location, and will appear in different places over time.	Not confined to one location, and will appear in different places over time.	Is resistant to everything, Guard, Dodge
Cavern Ascetic	1572 CE – Warring States	Maisaka	Guard, Dodge
Death Veil	1622 CE Final Battle of Edo	Edo Castle	Dodge, Use Cover
Demon of Envy	1190 CE – Heian	Hachijo	Guard, Dodge
Demon of Obsession	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Nijo Castle	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Demon of Pride	1572 CE – Warring States	Iinoya	Dodge, Maintain Distance, Guard
Demon Slayer	1190 CE – Heian	Hachijo	Dodge, Guard
Enenra	1190 CE – Heian 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Kamo Village, Shirakawa	Dodge, Maintain Distance
Enki	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shichijo	Guard
Fuma Kotaro	1572 CE – Warring States	Iinoya	Guard, Parry
Gaki	1572 CE – Warring States 1190 CE – Heian	Multiple locations	Guard
Gaki Chief	1572 CE – Warring States	Tokaido	Dodge
Great Tengu	1190 CE – Heian	Mount Kurama	Dodge
Green Shadow’s Blade	1572 CE – Warring States	Tokaido	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Hattori Hanzo	1572 CE – Warring States 1622 CE – Edo 1622 CE – Edo	Futamata, Eternal Rift, Eternal Rift for a second time	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Hijikata Toshizo	1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Kiyomizu, Shinsengumi: Best of Five	Guard, Parry
Hino-Enma	1572 CE – Warring States	Maisaka	Guard, Dodge
Hiruko	247 CE – Antiquity 1622 CE – Final Battle of Edo	Antiquity, Edo Castle	Dodge, Maintain Distance
Honda Tadakatsu	1572 CE – Warring States	Hamamatsu	Dodge, Guard
Ibaraki Doji	1190 CE – Heian 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Hachijo, Sealed in the Stone Urn	Guard, Parry
Ippon-Datara	1572 CE – Warring States	Futamata	Maintain Distance
Ishakawa Goemon	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shirakawa	Dodge, Guard
Ito Ittosai	1572 CE – Warring States	Futamata	Guard, Dodge
Jakotsu-Baba	1572 CE – Warring States 1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1622 CE – Final Battle of Edo	Hamamatsu Crucible, Kiyomizu, Edo Castle	Dodge, Maintain Distance
Joro-Gumo	1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shirakawa, Drawn to Yokai Incense	Dodge, Maintain Distance
Kajiwara Kagetoki	1190 CE – Heian 1190 CE – Heian	Rokuhara, Beneath a Pure White Flag	Dodge, Maintain Distance from summon, Guard, Parry
Kamaitachi	1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States 1190 CE – Heian 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Maisaka, Groans of the Valley, Rokuhara Crucible, Gion as a chest	Guard, Parry, Maintain Distance
Karasu Tengu	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shichijo	Dodge
Kasha	1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1622 CE – Final Battle of Edo	Shimabara, Edo Castle	Dodge, Maintain Distance
Kondo Isami	1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Kiyomizu, Shinsengumi: Best of Five	Guard, Parry
Kosaka Masanobu	1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States	Mikatagahara Crucible, Takeda’s Four Kings	Guard
Kusanagi	247 CE – Antiquity	Antiquity	Dodge
Kyokotsu	1572 CE – Warring States 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Futamata, Kiyomizu	Maintain Distance, Dodge
Magatsu Warrior	1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States	Iinoya, Mikatagahara, Horie’s Fleeting Petals	Maintain Distance, Dodge
Mezuki	1572 CE – Warring States 1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1622 CE – Final Battle of Edo	Tokaido, Shijo, Ryoma’s, Bequeathment, Lesser Crucible	Maintain Distance
Minamoto no Yoritomo	1190 CE – Heian	Palace Grounds	Dodge, Guard
Minamoto no Yoshitsune	1190 CE – Heian 1190 CE – Heian	Mount Kurama, Beneath a Pure White Flag	Dodge, Maintain Distance, Guard
Nagakura Shinpachi	1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Nijo Castle, Shinsengumi: Best of Five	Dodge, Guard
Naito Masatoyo	1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States	Futamata Road, Takeda’s Four Kings	Guard, Maintain Distance
Nasu no Yoichi	1190 CE – Heian 1190 CE – Heian	Nishiichi, Beneath a Pure White Flag	Use Cover, Maintain Distance, Guard
Ninja Yoki	1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States 1190 CE – Heian	Hamamatsu Hill, Iinoya, Mikatagahara, Those Who Live in the Shadows, The Box’s Guardian	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Nuppeppo	1572 CE – Warring States	Headaches	Guard, Parry
Nuribotoke	1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1622 CE – Final Battle of Edo	Sanjo, Edo Castle	Dodge
Okita Soji	1864 CE – Bakumatsu 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Mibu, Shinsengumi: Best of Five	Dodge, Maintain Distance
One-eyed Oni	1190 CE – Heian 1190 CE – Heian 1190 CE – Heian 1572 CE – Warring States	Nishiichi, Mount Kurama, Kamo Village, Mikatagahara	Guard
Onmoraki	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Kiyomizu	Maintain Distance
Onryoki	1572 CE – Warring States 1190 CE – Heian 1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Lake Sanaru, Sagano, Kyoto Imperial Palace	Maintain Distance, Guard
Otazu no Kata	1572 CE – Warring States	Hamamatsu	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Otoroshi	1190 CE – Heian	Sagano	Maintain Distance
Raiju	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Bakumatsu	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Red Kappa	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shijo	Dodge, Maintain Distance
Ryomen Sukuna	1572 CE – Warring States 1190 CE – Heian 1190 CE – Heian	Iinoya, The Mystery of Rajomon, Seeking Spirit Stones	Dodge, Guard
Saito Fuku	1622 CE – Edo	Eternal Rift	Dodge, Guard
Saito Hajime	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shinsengumi: Best of Five	Dodge, Guard
Sawamura Yasusuke	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shijo	Dodge, Guard
Shinran	1190 CE – Heian	Awawa no Tsuji	Guard, Dodge
Shinsengumi Member Hattori Takeo	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shichijo	Guard, Dodge, Maintain Distance
Shishido Kagetoshi	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Kyoto Imperial Castle	Guard, Dodge, Maintain Distance
Sugitani Zenjubo	1572 CE – Warring States	Lake Sanaru	Dodge, Guard
Taigen Sessai	1572 CE – Warring States	Lake Hamana	Maintain Distance, Guard
Takahashi Deishu	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Nijo Castle	Dodge, Guard, Maintain Distance
Takashima Shuhan	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Kyoto Imperial Castle	Dodge, Maintain Distance
Takasugi Shinsaku	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shimabara	Dodge
Takeda Shingen	1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States	Mikatagahara, Saigagake, Takeda’s Four Kings	Guard, Parry, Dodge, Maintain Distance
Tokugawa Kunimatsu	1622 CE – Edo 1622 CE – Return to Edo	Edo Castle, Edo Castle for a second time	Expect defeat in first encounter, Maintain Distance, Dodge
Tokugawa Yoshinobu	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Kyoto Imperial Palace Crucible	Guard, Dodge, Maintain Distance
Tomoe Gozen	1190 CE – Heian 1190 CE – Heian	Kamo Village, Beneath a Pure White Flag	Guard, Parry, Dodge
Tsurara-Onna	1190 CE – Heian	Sagano	Dodge
Usui Sadamitsu	1190 CE – Heian	Rokuhara	Guard, Dodge
Waira	1190 CE – Heian	Sagano	Guard, Dodge
Yagyu Munenori	1622 CE – Edo 1622 CE – Edo	Eternal Rift, Eternal Rift for a second time	Dodge, Maintain Distance, Guard, Parry
Yamagata Masakage	1572 CE – Warring States 1572 CE – Warring States	Hitokoto Slope, Mikatagahara	Dodge
Yamainu	1864 CE – Bakumatsu	Shichijo	Dodge, Guard, Parry
Yasha	1190 CE – Heian	Funaokayama	Maintain Distance
Yoki	1572 CE – Warring States	Hamamatsu	Dodge, Guard

This guide covers all 81 bosses in Nioh 3, listing where and when you’ll fight them, and offering helpful strategies for winning.

2026-03-03 21:47

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