Nioh 2 – How to Defeat Otakemaru

If you’ve made it this far, congrats, this is the final boss in Nioh 2. As you might suspect, Otakemaru is a combination of some of the worst things we’ve seen and a couple new moves. Thankfully, since this is the end, this is one fight where, if you’re in a good enough position, you can overcome by just burning through supplies.

General tips

  • While every boss has their own specific details, which are detailed below, these tips are designed to give you additional insight into how to improve at Nioh 2 in general. 
  • You always get three elixirs on spawn. There is no reason to be frugal with that amount.
  • Spear is the easiest weapon to use
  • Once you have a bosses move set down, don’t be afraid to invest in additional supplies to come out ahead
  • Most fights follow a predictable arc. Dropping the bosses Ki down to zero typically causes them to enter the other world phase and dropping it to zero again will bring them out. There is also a timer but it’s good to know when these phases are going to take place.
  • Build around your play style or where you fall short. If you lose in the other world, increase your resistance there. If you can’t manage your Ki due to blocking, increase your toughness. 
  • Typically the best way to block attacks is to do it before you take each hit, over holding the button down. Certain attacks have enough of a delay that you can actually block, wait to regain your Ki and then block again to withstand attacks.
  • As you progress, look into useful abilities like sloth to help you overcome tricky parts. 
  • Don’t be afraid to use summons. Regardless of what people say, Nioh 2 is not a super easy game and there is no shame in using any and all mechanics to your advantage. 
  • You can also find more general tips here.

How to Defeat Otakemaru

Nioh 2 Final Boss

Similar to the other human bosses, Otakemaru follows relatively basic patterns that are pretty easy to figure out. All you really need to do is figure out when you can and can’t attack, get a few hits in and then move back. I strongly advise just dodging attacks during the other world phase, as things can go south fast.

The biggest advice I can give is to just burn your supplies to win. I made sure I could summon more spirits, focuses on healing items and played it really safe. Since this is a fairly simple boss, you just need the Ki and a smart game plan and you should win. Just keep in mind that there are three different phases and a lot of weird attacks but most are fixed combos that end with ample time to get some hits in. Once you defeat him, enjoy your cutscene and congrats on beating Nioh 2.