All of the bosses in Nioh 3 are extremely challenging, and overcoming each of them takes a lot of patience. Most bosses are found within the main story of the game, but there is also a good amount of side quests that puts you up against a ferocious foe.
One example is Ryomen Sukuna (a familiar sight for returning Nioh 2 players), who is encountered during the side quest “The Apparition of Ryotan Temple.” Ryomen Sukuna is a unique boss that is actually two bosses in one, as each side of the boss has a different moveset. It’s really cool, but very hard.
Are you struggling to beat Ryomen Sukuna due to its complex moveset? We have you covered as this guide will detail everything there is to know about this boss. Read further to learn how to beat Ryomen Sukuna in Nioh 3.
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Finding Ryomen Sukuna
In order to find Ryomen Sukuna in Nioh 3, you have to unlock The Apparition of Ryoten Temple side quest. This side quest is unlocked through main story progression and becomes available after defeating Jakotsu-baba, the second main boss of the game.
After speaking to Naotora and accepting the quest, a waypoint marker will appear on your map, showing you where Ryoten Temple is located. Ryomen Sukuna is found at the end of the Ryoten Temple, which is shown in the image below.
Ryomen Sukuna Moveset
Ryomen Sukuna is one of the more unique bosses in Nioh 3 since each half of the boss has its own moveset. The red side wields an axe and sword and can also use fire to deal damage, while the blue half uses a bow to attack from afar.
The grid below details all of Ryomen Sukuna’s attacks. This aims to give you a better understand of how each half of the boss operates.
| Moveset | Description |
|---|---|
| Red Orbs | The boss will raise its hand to its face, and the hand will turn purple. A circle of orbs will summon and move slowly towards the player. |
| Spinning Sword | The boss will raise both swords and spin them in a circle two times, dealing damage all around him. |
| Slash and Shoot | The red side of the boss will spin the axe in its hand and then swipe it in a circle. Immediately afterward, the blue side will shoot an arrow toward the player. |
| Blue Arrow | The blue side of the boss will summon a bow and shoot arrows at the player, one after another. It usually shoots three arrows here, but sometimes it’s four. |
| Honing Explosion | The boss will bring its hand up and shine it purple and then summons three blue sigils that explode after a short delay. |
| Raining Arrows | The blue side of the boss will take out its bow and point it to the sky, repeatedly shooting arrows. Blue circles appear on the ground, indicating where the arrows are going to land. |
| Rapid Slash | The blue side of the boss will take its weapon, bring it to the side, and unleash a series of attacks. The boss will also spin in a circle here, so the attack covers a decent amount of ground. |
| Spin Burst Attack | The boss will jump backward, glow red, and spin frantically toward the player. This is a Burst Attack, so it can be countered by changing to a different Style when it connects. |
| Three Arrow Burst | The blue side of the boss will summon its bow and three arrows. It will then jump backward and shoot three arrows down at the player. Once the arrows land, they explode. |
| Fire Explosion | The red side of the boss will spin its axe, lift it up, and coat it in fire. It will then slam the axe to the ground, creating a straight line of fire across the arena. This line of fire explodes. |
| Charge Burst Attack | The boss will turn red, pull its sword back, and charge straight toward the player. This is a Burst Attack, so it can be countered by switching to a different Style when it connects. |
How to Beat Ryomen Sukuna
The most important thing you need to know about fighting Ryomen Sukuna is the fact that the blue half is ten times easier to handle than the red half. With this in mind, your main focus should be to stay on the side of the blue half and avoiding red at all costs.
I recommend remaining in Ninja Style for this entire fight, only changing to Samurai when Ryomen Sukuna does a Burst Attack. Ninja will help you get to the blue side quicker, if Ryomen Sukuna’s red side ends up facing you.
Out of all of Ryomen Sukuna’s attacks, the blue half has the easiest ones to avoid. Not only can they all be dodged our guarded, but they are also very easy read. The hardest attack to deal with on the blue side is when it swings its weapon frantically in a circle due to it covering a lot of ground. I found that running away here was the best solution.
The best moment to get a series of free hits in on Ryomen is when it executes its Raining Arrows attack. While this covers a large portion of the arena, indicated by the blue circles on the ground, there’s a safe space right in front of the boss where the arrows don’t land. So, right when you see Ryomen raise its bow to the sky, immediately run in front of the boss and attack.
When the boss rotates to where the red half is facing you, dodge to the side and make your way around it back to face the blue half again. Don’t let the red side take control of the situation since its attacks are harder to read and deal way more damage.
While applying pressure to the blue side and attacking consistently, watch out for any Burst Attacks. Similar to all other bosses, the key to beating Ryomen Sukuna is depleting its stamina bar and the best way to do that is by countering Burst Attacks.
Remember to use your Guardian when its meter is full to deal high damage and gain a free health bar. I recommend saving the Guardian for when Ryomen Sukuna is almost dead or when you’re almost out of health and has no more Elixirs.
At the end of the day, if you continue to have trouble with Ryomen Sukuna, feel free to invite a friend to your game. While Naotora helps you during this side quest, she doesn’t do much during the fight, so having another player involved can help big time.
Ryomen Sukuna Rewards
After defeating Ryomen Sukuna, you will be rewarded with a handful of loot. You will earn Samurai Locks for unlocking Samurai abilities, Ryomen Sukuna’s Sword, Ryomen Sukuna’s Axe, and Ryomen’s Sukuna Bow.
Besides those weapons mentioned, the rest of the loot is random for all players. However, all players are guaranteed to earn the Ryomen Sukuna Soul Core. This Soul Core offers Summing Seal Ryomen Sukuna while in the Yang position and Blessed Bolt Talisman while in the Yin position.
Additionally, defeating Ryomen Sukuna will conclude the Apparition of Ryotan Temple side quest. Completing this quest unlocks additional side quests further into the game.
