How to Beat Onryoki – Nioh Boss Guide
The second boss you will come across in Nioh will be the massive brutish ogre known as Onryoki, sometimes called Oni. Found in the bowels of the ship during the Isle of Demons mission, this monster will ignite the corners of the room on fire thanks to a knocked over lantern. Onryoki has two forms, with the first one being the more difficult of the two thanks to the giant ball and chains strapped to both arms. This gives him incredible reach, and since you are already confined to a small arena, this means he can hit you quite easily.
Before going into this fight, we recommend gathering as many Elixirs as possible (just farm them from the men on the beach) and be at least level 10. For our playthrough, we primarily just used a katana with our stances shifting between Mid (Square) and Low (X) depending on the situation. You also might also want to consider bringing a few Horoku-dama bombs if you’re having trouble closing the gap to deal damage.
Once the fight begins, Onryoki will utilize a handful of moves that all make use of the distance advantage he has on you. However, his wind ups for these moves are usually slow and can be predicted if you watch his movements carefully. What you are looking for is when he slams both of balls in front of himself, as this will leave his sides and back open. Get two or three stabs in before backing up, as he’ll usually follow up with a spin attack. One of the tricks to surviving in Nioh is not being greedy, so make sure to pace yourself in this battle.
If you need to get some breathing room from Onryoki, try to get as far away as possible since he can reach half the boat away. The best way to pass this phase is to patiently wait for Oni to attack in the front, dash in, strike, and dash out. It’s a bit slow but will save you the trouble of being struck by Onryoki’s massive set of weapons. Do not use a bow or gun in here unless you have a lot of space between each other, as it will usually end up with you being pulverized into the floorboards.
After you bring his health down to around 40-50%, Onryoki will break his chains and come after you at a slightly faster pace. Don’t panic, this is actually the easiest part of the entire section as he has a bad habit of trying to pick up discarded balls and throw them at you. There is a rather long wind up to this attack and you can easily dodge if you’re paying attention. Wait for Onryoki to throw, then dash forward and punish his foolish move. Get a few quick hits, restore your Ki, and dash away before he can follow up with punch.
If you stay in front of Oni and keep your distance, it’s super easy to bait the big lug into repeating this again and again. However, be cautious as he’ll occasionally release Yokai Realms around the area, so make sure to purify them when you have an opening. Onryoki also has a few other attacks, but the only one you really need to be careful of is a three punch attack, as it’s a powerful combo that can instantly kill you if he lands all three blows. Sometimes this move ends in a bellyflop, so you can also use the time it takes for him to get up to deal some damage.
Remember, if you are in a tight spot you can always use Nioh’s Living Weapon ability, which supercharges William. Regardless of which one you pick, you’ll become invincible and be able to deal a hefty amount of damage. Try to use this either early on to break through Onryoki’s tougher first phase or as a finisher if you’re low on health near the end. With some patience and a bit of luring, you can easily fell this mighty monster.
For more guides, walkthroughs, and tips visit our ever growing Nioh wiki.
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