How to Beat Tokugawa Kunimatsu in Nioh 3

1 week ago 4

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.

Soulslike games tend to save the hardest bosses for last, or at least the post-game. Sure, there are some annoyances along the way, like Ornstein & Smough in Dark Souls, but they're the exception, not the rule.

Nioh 3 has thrown this thinking out of the window by having the hardest boss appear at the 75% point of the game. Sure, there are difficult foes later on, but they pale in comparison to Tokugama Kunimatsu and his utter nonsense.

A lot of players are going to get stuck on this guy, especially as there's not much you can do to grind and prep. Tokugama Kunimatsu is the wall of Nioh 3, and you're going to need all the help you can get to put this royal pain in the butt in his place.

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Preparing For Tokugawa Kunimatsu In Nioh 3

The Tokugama Kunimatsu boss fight is a grueling grudge match. This means your item slots need to have healing items and lots of them. You can visit the shopkeeper in the Rift to stock up. You should also go into the fight with your Living Artifact meter and special meters filled up, so they're ready to go as soon as the fight starts.

This Tokugama Kunimatsu boss guide was written based on the pre-release review build of Nioh 3. As such, it's possible that Team Ninja will nerf him in future updates.

You'll likely be switching between Samurai and Ninja style during the Tokugama Kunimatsu fight. As such, make sure to unlock the Shadowstitch Ninja Arts! This Ninja Art is a shuriken that paralyzes the enemy when it hits them, and it works on everything in the game. It only lasts for a few seconds, but this is time you can use to chug an elixir or get in a few free digs.

This next piece of advice has only been tested on the PlayStation 5 version of Nioh 3, but it's extremely helpful. If you quit out of the battle when you die, but before you appear at the shrine, you will revert to your pre-battle state, meaning your meters will still be full, and your healing items won't have been spent! It's a cheap move, but this is a cheap boss.

There's a summonable NPC for this fight, called Jinbei, but he's useless. Tokugama Kunimatsu will turn him into Swiss cheese. Just save your cups. Straw Hat Luffy would be ashamed!

Finally, don't feel the need to go all-in on the first battle. This is a boss where memorization is key, so take the time to run through a few times and get the timing of his moves down. This will make your proper attempt much easier when you're fully prepared with gear and full special meters.

Nioh 3: Tokugawa Kunimatsu Moves & Attacks

These are the moves Tokugama Kunimatsu will use in Nioh 3:

Phase One

Attack

Description

Response

Lightning Circle	Tokugama Kunimatsu waves his sword in the air, causing purple runes to appear, prompting lightning bolts to strike the ground in the area around him.	This is one of the safe times to attack him. Run in and strike him while he's waving his sword, then run away.
Crimson Drop	Tokugama Kunimatsu flashes Crimson, leaps in the air, then brings his blade down.	Burst Break Counter (R2) just as the sword hits the player.
Sword Dive	Tokugama Kunimatsu pulls his sword back before launching directly forward.	It can be parried, but the timing has to be precise. The Ninja evade is a safer option.
Magic Missile	Tokugama Kunimatsu conjures 1–3 spheres of purple energy. He then strikes them with his sword, causing them to fly towards the player.	Dash into the opposite direction when they fly towards you.
Lightning Wave	Tokugama Kunimatsu plants his sword in the ground, then lifts it up, creating a wave of electricity.	This is a safe attack if you can rush behind him when he commits to the move, as he'll be locked in the animation. If you're too far away, just run to the side, as the AoE isn't that wide.
Sword Combo	Tokugama Kunimatsu performs multiple sword attacks in a row, possibly culminating in a jumping AoE attack.	Simply run away and use Ninja evade if he gets too close
Spirit Cyclone	Tokugama Kunimatsu uses his Guardian Spirit to shoot a Cyclone	Run and Ninja evade.
Spirit Whirlpool	Tokugama Kunimatsu uses his Guardian Spirit to suck players into the center of the room while he's free to attack.	Try to rush and jump away from the center of the AoE. If Tokugama Kunimatsu gets close, prioritize defense and use Shadowstitch to wait him out.
Spirit Cyclones	Tokugama Kunimatsu conjures his Guardian Spirit, which summons three green cyclones that fly around the room.	The cyclones pack a punch, but they're very easy to Ninja evade and can even be parried. The tricky part is that Tokugama Kunimatsu can still attack while this move is active, so you need to be wary of what he's doing.
Deflect	Tokugama Kunimatsu swings his sword to reflect attacks.	This is a defensive move used to neutralize your Ninja Arts. He can use it when he's not already committed to an attack.

Phase Two

Once he's taken enough damage, Tokugama Kunimatsu will merge with his Guardian Spirit and pull out a second sword, along with these new moves:

Attack

Description

Response

Spinning Cyclone	Tokugama Kunimatsu spins into a curving leap into the air, followed by a Crimson diving attack.	Run/Ninja evade away from the first part of the attack, then Burst Break Counter (R2) the second move.
Multi-Dive	Same as his Sword Dive during the first phase, only multiple times.	Ninja evade.
Lightning Dance	Tokugama Kunimatsu flies into the air and conjures lightning bolts that strike the ground. He follows this with a diving sword strike.	Run as far away as possible.
Wind Circle	Tokugama Kunimatsu's sword flashes green, then he swings his blade, creating a damaging wind circle.	You'll take damage if you're within the circle, so run away to get out of the AoE.
Wind Dive	Same as the Sword Dive, but he's followed by a wave of green feathers that activate after the dive and damage the surrounding area.	Dash out of the way, and wait for the feathers to disappear before running in for a few free attacks.
Sword Grab	Tokugama Kunimatsu's hands will flash black and yellow. He will grab the player, lock his swords around their neck, and slice them.	This move is extremely hard to dodge at close quarters and is practically impossible to avoid if you have committed to an attack. Your best bet is to Ninja evade to the side as soon as he starts moving.
Sword Quake	Tokugama Kunimatsu strikes twice, then uses both swords to create a wave of wind directly in front of him.	The AoE for the sword attack is a lot bigger than it looks. However, if you dodge past him, you'll be safe from damage and can whack him a few times.

How To Beat Tokugawa Kunimatsu In Nioh 3

Tokugama Kunimatsu is an endurance match, plain and simple. This is because he's the total package. He's fast, deals a ton of damage, has a swift throw, can strike from anywhere in the arena, and has a ridiculous health bar. Healing items in abundance are a necessity for this fight, as is the Living Artifact powerup, which you should save for the last chunk of his health.

The trick to winning this fight is knowing which moves are safe to attack. This is because Tokugama Kunimatsu is very difficult to parry, as his sword combos often just blast through them, allowing him to continue attacking, while you're unable to defend yourself.

Tokugama Kunimatsu's ability to deflect Ninja Arts means they must be used at the right time, as they can't be used to pressure him into acting. Wait until he has started to perform an attack before using them; otherwise, they'll go to waste.

The trick for this boss is hitting him during safe attacks. This is easier in phase one, as his Lightning Circle and Lightning Wave leave him wide open for a few seconds. Once you get the timing down, his Crimson attacks are also very punishable.

The reason this fight is so difficult is due to his standard attacks, which are hard to defend against and will obliterate your health bar. This is why the best way to win is not to engage with them. Run from his standard sword attacks and wait for your time to strike.

Phase 2 is trickier, as he has fewer safe options for attacks. This is when you need to break out your meters and Living Artifact. Ideally, you'll want to use the Ninja style for as much of this battle as possible, but it's even more important in Phase 2, as his moves are so swift.

Ultimately, the trick to beating this boss is memorization. There's no easy cheese strat for beating him. Just persevere, grind him down, and you'll eventually be able to play the rest of the game.