When you reach the end of the village area you most face off against the Onryoki boss, the second boss in Nioh. This article will cover how to defeat the Onryoki boss battle in Nioh to save your elixirs and move on to the real meat of the game. If you try to approach the boss recklessly you won’t last more than a few hits. In fact, Onryoki can kill most players in two attacks if you’re not prepared. Read on to find out exactly how to beat Onryoki at almost any level.
Phase One
At the beginning of the Onryoki boss battle you’ll have to avoid the two giant iron balls attached to the chains on the Onryoki’s arms. If you move within range of the iron balls the Onryoki will wind up and toss one of the balls at you or possibly attack with both iron balls at once. Ideally you want the Onryoki to attack with a single iron ball.
Pay close attention to which iron ball the Onryoki is about to attack with and move to the opposite side while still remaining in front of the boss. For example, if the Onryoki attacks from the left, move to the right but stay in front of the boss. This allows you to attack multiple times while the boss swings and misses with the iron ball. If the boss attacks with both iron balls at once, dodge to either side (do not stay in front of the boss), then move back as soon as the iron balls hit the ground.
When you’re close to the boss it will prompt a spinning attack that inflicts a moderate amount of damage. If you move away after each singular ball attack, you can avoid this spinning attack more often than not. The trick to avoiding the attack if you don’t see it coming is to either move back as quickly as possible to avoid the attack completely, or stay close and circle around Onryoki as he spins. If you stay close to the boss, you can free dodge through the chain and avoid taking damage from the ball if you have exceptional timing, but it’s difficult. In addition, keep a close eye on the ball after the initial spin because it gets tossed into the air for a second attack at the end of the spin portion of the attack.
It’s important to avoid standing behind the Onryoki because this will cause the boss to quickly spin around and attack. It’s very difficult to avoid this attack due to the sheer speed, so do not stand behind the boss very long. If you’re having trouble avoiding these attacks, just wait for the normal iron ball attacks, dodge them, then quickly move in for one or two attacks before retreating to a safe distance. This strategy takes considerably longer to bring the boss into the second phase of the fight, but it is the safest strategy.
Phase Two
After you’ve taken the boss down to roughly 75 percent health, the chains break and the iron balls are no longer connected to the Onryoki. At this point you have to be careful because if you stand close to the boss for too long it will grab you and slam you to the ground, inflicting significant damage.
The Onryoki has a few different attacks during the second phase of this battle. In addition to the close range grab, the boss perform a small jump that ends with his fists slamming to the ground. If you see this attack stand back to avoid the slam, then quickly move in to secure a few attacks of your own before you back away.
Similar to phase one, if you find yourself directly behind the Onryoki it will turn around with a quick swipe that’s difficult to avoid, so be sure to stay in front of the boss. In addition, the boss will occasionally walk over to one of the iron balls, pick it up and throw it at you. This is heavily telegraphed and relatively easy to avoid, but if you’re standing near the iron ball Onryoki is going for you can attack the boss while it’s picking up the weapon. Just be sure to stop so you have the time and stamina to dodge when it gets tossed in your direction.
Ideally you want to stay just outside of the Onryoki’s attack range so that it uses a three hit combo comprised of two swipes followed by the boss tumbling forward to the ground. This covers a decent amount of range, so be ready to move to either side to get out of the Onryoki’s path as it barrels toward you. As soon as it hits the ground, move in and pummel it with several attacks. You have a decent amount of time to really inflict big damage before it stands back up.
Stay back to bait the tumbling attack and you should be able to finish off the Onryoki with ease. If you’re looking for more tips and tricks be sure to check out our Nioh strategy hub!
