The 15 Hardest Bosses in Nioh

Summary

• Some video game developers successfully implemented the Dark Souls formula in their own games, creating challenging and entertaining titles.
• Nioh features a variety of tough bosses to battle, such as Onryoki, Giant Toad, White Tiger, and Nue.
• The bosses in Nioh present a significant challenge, requiring players to learn their moves, exploit weaknesses, and be on guard for deadly attacks.

Because Dark Souls became such a success, it wasn’t a surprise that other video game developers started to try and use the formula for their own titles. Some of them actually ended up being really good, rather than just cash-in pretenders.

For example, while Nioh is clearly influenced by Dark Souls, it doesn’t change the fact that it is a great game in its own right. It boasts a huge collection of bosses that are always fun to take on, and some that are super difficult! Here’s a selection of the toughest.

Updated on February xxth, 2025 by Hilton Webster: While Nioh 2 improves upon many aspects of the original, there’s no denying the charm and unique mechanics of Nioh. From voiced-protagonist William, to the variety of locations, its boss fights are still a stellar affair. We’ved updated this list to add even more of Nioh’s powerful bosses.

18

Onryoki

Onryoki is by no means the hardest boss in the game, and part of that is due to the fact that you’ll fight them a countless number of times over the course of the game, and then as a regular enemy. After a while, they become something of a friend. No, the reason they are such a hard boss i because they are the first proper boss fight in the entire game.

Trapped in the tiny hold of a ship, Onryoki’s massive frame is difficult to dodge. Add in the giant stone weights he can swing and throw at you, and that space will feel even smaller. He can hit like a truck too, so best of luck. Onryoki is a skill check the first time you battle him, getting you prepared for everything that Nioh is going to throw at you.

17

Giant Toad

The ‘easiest’ of the hardest bosses in Nioh, maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that taking on this Giant Toad is still very difficult if people don’t know what they’re doing.

There’s something about facing off against a toad that makes people feel more comfortable, as they’re an inherently silly and clumsy animal. However, if players let this enemy’s comical appearance cloud their judgment, they’ll soon live to regret it against this formidable foe!

16

White Tiger

We don’t know many people that were able to get through to the end of this boss without at least some luck. His tells are so difficult to get a handle on that skill can only take the player so far.

If the concept of taking on a giant white tiger wasn’t bad enough, it proves to be elusive and most of his moves deal a huge amount of damage. Don’t try to take it on from behind, either, or you’ll feel the whip of its tail!

15

Nue

We would go as far as to say that this is the first truly difficult boss that players will find themselves coming up against. If you can defeat Nue, you know you have the skills to get them to the end of the game.

It doesn’t excel in any one form of combat, but is able to really come at the player with a well-rounded set of skills. Very unpredictable. If there was a loophole or a fault somewhere, you could get in and exploit that, but there’s no way of cracking through to Nue’s core.

14

Ogress

For us, this is the boss with the best design, looking absolutely horrible while also coming at us with a huge amount of strength. At the point in the game where this boss comes along, those who have learned how to dodge and learn the moves of their enemies will be able to overcome this one quickly.

However, as with many other bosses in Nioh, one mistake can be the difference between life and death, especially with a boss that has attacks with such a huge range. Definitely not one to be underestimated.

13

Maria

Maria is a Spanish mercenary in the employ of Date Masamune. Maria fights with finesse. She also relies on combos a lot. So, if she hits you once she’s probably going to get a few more hits in before her attack stops.

The best strategy to beating Maria is to learn her attacks – get to where you can recognize what specific attack she is using. Some of her attacks start slowly. Learn to exploit these opportunities for a quick interrupting strike. At the beginning of the fight she can be staggered easily; again, exploit this while you can because she becomes immune to staggering after her hit points drop to 30 percent.

12

Umi-Bozu

Umi-Bozu is encountered in the Chugoku region during the mission “The Ocean Roars Again”. This mission is part of the main story, so you can’t get around fighting this boss. Umi-Bozu is a colossal creature that resembles a titanic amoeba with large eyes that glow with a fierce yellow radiance.

This boss is not so different from other “set piece” bosses in other games. You are confined to a limited area and must dodge the boss’ attacks until they reveal a weak spot onto which you need to focus your attacks. You can use the bonfire to add fire damage to your weapons, but this causes an Umi-Bozu spawn to attack – they aren’t that tough though. Also, after it spits at you it will sometimes do a follow-up attack in which it fires an energy beam at you. You really, really, don’t want to get hit by this beam.

11

Yuki-Onna

This boss is one of the hardest in the game, and she comes in relatively early on as well. This woman is able to keep the pressure on at all times, meaning that anyone that tries to heal at the wrong time will find themselves falling foul of her long-ranged attacks.

Throw in the fact that this woman gains a lot of speed once she’s down to half health, as well as a quick charge attack, and we have a brutal boss that many people struggled with the first time around.

10

Saika Magoichi

Unlike many of the other more politically-driven and loyal members of the war towards Japan’s unification, Saika Magoichi is just a mercenary, and a damn talented one at that. He is never on your side on the game though, and you finally come face-to-face with him near the end of the game, and he doesn’t make it easy.

A collapsing building on fire makes for a visually enticing fight, though not a very survivable one. Magoichi darts around the arena with the help of his Guardian Spirit, Yatagarasu, and can swap between melee and ranged attacks in a single combo. He is talented at every range, and being aggressive is the only way to take him down. That, and knocking him into the fires surrounding the arena.

9

Ishida Mitsunari

Quite possibly the most frustrating boss on this list, this guy likes to grab the character. These grabs must be dodged unless the player wants to lose around fifty percent of their health.

It can be enough to turn the player off, making them want to put down the controller and walk away from the game. Don’t be discouraged, it’s all about learning tells. Trust us when we say that it’s well worth sticking with it to learn the boss and take them down!

8

Hundred Eyes

All we can say is that it’s a shame that a boss with such a cool design is optional. Still, we’re happy it’s optional, as it’s one of the most frustrating bosses in the whole game. This is down to luck, as the boss will act differently throughout every single attempt, meaning that some players will really struggle to get a handle on this particular boss.

You’ll have to meticulously take in the various details of the boss’ moves so you know what is coming next. Even then, you won’t know.

7

Oda Nobunaga

We don’t think there is any other boss in Nioh as willing to constantly change tactics and use all of their different moves as Oda Nobunaga. While other bosses can be frustrating to take apart, this man knows that he has a lot of different tools to take on the player.

Just when we think that we’ve got a hang of his moves he pulls out something that we had completely forgot about, removing most of our health in the process.

6

Yamata-No-Orochi

It makes sense that the last boss in the game would prove to be difficult, but believe it or not, it isn’t the most difficult boss in the game.

More than anything, this boss is about testing the endurance of the player, grinding them down with a lot of different attacks while expecting them to also hit back from time to time. This is a very difficult balancing act, and slipping up is a real danger. Still, if you want to get to the end of the game, you’ll have to go through this guy first.

5

Jin Hayabusa

If the name Hayabusa sounds familiar it probably means you’re a Ninja Gaiden fan. Jin is the ancestor of Ryu Hayabusa, who was the player character in the Ninja Gaiden games. This boss is, in short, cheap. He can close the distance between you and him seemingly instantly and he deals insane amounts of damage. His attacks seem to take priority over yours, and he dies hard.

Your best tactic is to forgo the flashy combos and look to take attacks of opportunity when you can. You’re almost certainly going to have to fight Jin several times before you beat him – so you’ll have plenty of time to learn his attack patterns. Shurikens work well against him and are a good choice when there is some distance between the two of you.

4

Shima Sakon

While we understand that this is a boss that can be overcome once their patterns have been learned, it doesn’t change the fact that a single mistake on the part of the player can end up costing them their life.

Yes, there is a lot of power in this boss’s blade, meaning that it is important the player is constantly on their toes. We know that it’s possible to beat the guy with practice, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is brutally difficult.

3

Sanada Yukimura

Sanada Yukimura is a boss in the Defiant Honor DLC. In terms of difficulty, this boss fight is up there with some of the harder boss fights in the Dark Souls series. His difficulty stems primarily from the fact that he never seems to stop attacking – this fight doesn’t have any dull moments. Be careful trying to get in some attacks after Sanada finishes a combo because he often immediately launches into another combo.

Bing a Fire Talisman; this will lessen the fire damage he inflicts upon you. Also, his fighting style changes a few times during the fight depending on his hit-point total. Learn the differences in these styles.

2

Date Masamune

Date Masamune was added to the game in the Dragon of the North DLC. Most Nioh players include this boss to be in the top three hardest boss fights in Nioh. Those that don’t probably don’t have the Dragon of the North DLC. Date is just all-around tough: he has a lot of hit points, he has good guardian spirits, his attacks cause significant damage, he moves surprisingly fast, and he has very few weaknesses.

Always be on guard for Date’s grapple attack; this can kill in one hit depending on what armor you’re using. The range of his grapple increases when in his Wind Form. When Date uses his Water Form, he begins launching water projectiles at you or sending out shockwaves. Try to hit him with a headshot after one of these attacks.

1

Date Shigezane

Date Masamune is hard, but for some reason his loyal retainer is even harder. The first DLC for Nioh is a rather dramatic difficulty jump from the base game, and Shigezane is already hard to beat on top of that. He is the first boss of the DLC, and he’ll probably be stopping you from progressing for quite a long time.

Shigezane has a massive centipede arm during this fight that has a nasty habit of grabbing you. It also gives him incredible control of the battlefield and rapid attack, so you’ll want to keep your equipment weight light if you want to dodge him. And invest in some good armour. The game really wants you to.