The boss fights in Nioh 3 always pose a great challenge, but Otoroshi is one of the hardest. With his delayed attack patterns, projectiles that cover the entire arena, and his multiple Burst Attacks, Otoroshi is no joke.
However, there is a secret to this fight that will make beating Otoroshi much easier. He has a significant weakness, which, when you hit it, you can instantly stun him and deal massive damage. This guide will discuss how to do that.
If you’re struggling with Otoroshi and can’t seem to beat him, this guide has everything you need to know. Here’s how to easily beat Otoroshi in Nioh 3.
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Finding Otoroshi
Otoroshi is one of the main bosses in the Heian time period as part of the “Heian Befouled” main quest. The objective of this quest is to purify three barriers, with each barrier having a brutal boss blocking it. One of these barriers is guarded by Otoroshi.
During this quest, there are three waypoint markers on your map, appearing in the following regions: Hachijo, Rokuhara, and Sagano. Otoroshi is found in the Sagano region. It’s recommended to complete this barrier first since it has the lowest recommended level.
Once you reach Sagano, continue on the main path, and you will finally reach the barrier to face Otoroshi.
Otoroshi Moveset
Otoroshi is a tricky beast, using both ice magic and physical melee attacks. The combination of the two can be tough to keep up with, but once you expose its weakness, this boss is not so bad.
The grid below details all of Otoroshi’s attacks, so you have a better understanding of how this boss operates.
| Movest | Description |
|---|---|
| Ground Grab Attack | Both of Otoroshi’s hands will glow yellow and black and he will lunge at the player. Dodge backward or to the side to avoid this. |
| Clap and Slam | Otoroshi will bring his hands to the side and then clap them together. Immediately afterward he will jump into the air and slam onto the ground. |
| Two Punch and Slam | Otoroshi will pull back and swing its right arm and then its left arm. He will then jump into the air and slam to the ground. |
| Two Ice Slam | Otoroshi will summon two large icicles and will jump and slam the ice twice onto the ground at the player. |
| Projectile Shards Attack | Otoroshi will jump back, expose his belly, and launch an array of projectiles toward the player. Attacking the belly here will stun the boss. |
| Vanishing Slam | Otoroshi will vanish, appear in the sky, and then slam to the ground. |
| Clapping Burst Attack | Otoroshi will glow red and clap his hands together. This is a Burst Attack and can be countered by switching to a different Style when it connects. |
| Vanishing Grab Attack | Otoroshi will place his hands together and they will glow yellow and black. He will then vanish into the air and land down on the player. This is a grab attack so must be avoided. |
| Lunge Kick | Otoroshi will raise its foot and after a brief delay, will lunge kick toward the player. |
| Back Step Claw | If the player gets too close to Otoroshi from the front, he will step back and claw at the player twice. |
| Ice Spin Burst Attack | Otoroshi will summon two large icicles and spin in a cirlce three times, covering a lot of ground. On the third spin, he will glow red and execute a Burst Attack. This Burst Attack can be countered by changing to a different Style. |
| Ice Slam Burst Attack | Otoroshi will summon an Icicle in each hand and slam one on the ground and then slam the other on the ground. He will then slam the first once again, but this time as a Burst Attack. Can be countered by switching Styles. |
How to Beat Otoroshi
I highly recommend remaining in Ninja Style for the Otoroshi fight, as it is much faster than Samurai. Being fast is especially important for this fight since you need to be extra quick in order to hit Otoroshi’s weakness.
Otoroshi’s weakness is found in the center of his belly, which sort of looks like three giant eggs. During his Projectile Shards attack, Otoroshi’s belly will begin to glow, and hitting the belly while it’s glowing will instantly stun Otoroshi, allowing you to deal a ton of damage.
However, you can’t just simply sprint toward the belly since the projectiles will damage you and completely stop you in your tracks. Instead, you want to rush to the belly at an angle, opposite to where Otoroshi is shooting the projectiles. This will allow you to get to the belly unscathed.
Hitting the glowing belly after this attack will have Otoroshi shrieking and stumbling around, completely stunned. Sometimes it will even completely drain his Ki bar, depending on how much of it he had left. This helps you get finishing blows in for maximum damage.
Being able to stun Otoroshi this way will make the fight a walk in the park. I really wish I had known this going into the fight, or else it wouldn’t have taken me nearly 50 attempts.
Keep in mind that it’s still important to prepare for Burst Attacks and counter them when they happen. He has three Burst Attacks to be prepared for. Refer back to the moveset section of this guide to learn when they are coming.
When it comes to Burst Attacks, the hardest one to time correctly is the Ice Spin Burst Attack. However, just know that when he places the icicles on the ground when glowing red, he will swing after three seconds. So, make sure to Style Switch at three seconds exactly.
Another thing to note is that when Otoroshi goes for his Aerial Grab Attack, you can easily avoid this by sprinting straight underneath him before he lands. This is actually recommended since it allows you to easily get behind him and attack his back.
Otoroshi Rewards
Besides the feeling of satisfaction, players will earn many rewards for defeating Otoroshi in Nioh 3. For starters, you will earn Ninja’s Locks, allowing you to unlock more Ninjutsu from the skill tree. You will also earn some Exotic, Common, and Rare loot.
Additionally, players will earn the Otoroshi Soul Core. This valuable Soul Core provides the Summoning Seal: Otoroshi when in the Yang Position and the Barrier Talisman when in the Yin Position.
And last, but not least, players will destroy the seal for the Heian Befouled main quest. Now you must destroy the other two seals located in the Hachijo and Rokuhara regions of Heian.
