How to Beat Otoroshi in Nioh 3

1 week ago 3

Published Feb 6, 2026, 3:01 AM EST

Scott Baird is a contributor with over a decade's experience writing about video games, along with board games and tabletop RPGs. Scott has previously worked for Dexerto, Cracked, Dorkly, and Gamepur.

One rule of action RPGs established by FromSoftware's games is that giant enemies look imposing but are actually a cakewalk. It's the human-sized foes, the ones who have the same skillset as the player character, who are the true threat.

Nioh 3 is mostly true to this formula. There are giant enemies that stomp around the battlefield, who can easily be taken down by the swift Ninja warrior. It's the regular-sized joes with swords who will give you the most trouble, thanks to their speed and unrelenting offense.

Otoroshi is the exception to the rule, a massive foe that can be a nightmare to defeat due to its teleportation and illusions. Luckily, there are some tricks of your own that you can use to defeat Otoroshi and continue on through the game.

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Nioh 3: Otoroshi's Moves & Attacks

Otoroshi starts out on all fours, scampering across the battlefield. Once its stamina meter is depleted, it will enter the Yokai Realm and stand on two feet, changing its moves. If you deplete its stamina again, it will revert to all fours. Otorosh's moveset across both forms is:

Attack

Description

Response

Yokai Teleport	Otoroshi vanishes from sight, then teleports above the player, before crashing down.	Run/dash/dodge forward
Teleport Grab	Black and yellow dots appear around Otoroshi's claws. It vanishes from sight, teleports above the player, then drops down, trying to grab them.	Run/dash/dodge forward. Don't attempt to block or parry.
Crimson Ice Crash	Otoroshi flashes crimson, then slams its claws together in front of itself, creating a massive AoE ice blast.	Use Burst Break Counter (R2) when its hands clap together.
Slash & Slam	Otoroshi performs two vertical swipes with its claw, then jumps in the air and drops its claws down.	Parry/deflect or Ninja dodge.
Grab	Black and yellow dots appear around Otoroshi's claws. It then lunges forward, trying to grab the player.	Dodge backward.
Ice Storm	Otoroshi conjures ice spikes that crash down, tracking the player.	These can be blocked, but Ninja dodge is more effective.
Dive Kick (Yokai Realm)	Otoroshi leaps across the battlefield and kicks the player.	Parry.
Spirit Blast (Yokai Realm)	A glowing sphere in Otoroshi's chest sends out a wave of ghostly skulls.	Just run to the side — pick a direction.
Ice Clubs (Yokai Realm)	Otoroshi conjures two massive ice clubs and starts whacking the player with them.	These can be parried, but Ninja dodge is safer.
Ice Club Sweep (Yokai Realm)	Otoroshi conjures two massive ice clubs and spins around.	These can be jumped over, but running backward is safer.
Back Slash	Otoroshi performs two slashes with its claws while jumping backward.	Parry

Otoroshi primarily uses ice magic, so any ice protection equipment or spells will help in this fight.

How to Beat Otoroshi in Nioh 3

Otoroshi might be a big enemy, but it's surprisingly fast, especially in its first four. Luckily, its large model means the best way to defeat it is to switch to Ninja mode and keep hitting it from the back. The Ninja dodge/evade will protect you from most of its moves, so just keep spinning around and hitting it from the back, getting ready to jump back if it teleports.

When Otoroshi switches to its bipedal form, switch to Samurai, as many of its moves can be safely parried/blocked. There are some attacks that have safe zones that let you rush in for hits, most notably its Spirit Blast. If you can get behind it after it commits to Spirit Blast, you should be able to get lots of hits in.

The Ice Clubs are far more dangerous, and it's better to just run/evade when he whips them out. He only uses them for a short period of time before they break, so it's better to wait them out, dodge as much as possible, then go back in once they're gone.