Sekiro Boss Order – Complete List Of All Bosses
Sekiro is one of FromSoftware’s most difficult games. Although it differentiates itself from other Souls titles by being more action-orientated, it still has the studio’s staple difficult bosses, and you can read all about Sekiro’s bosses and the best order to take them on with our guide here.
Sekiro Boss Order: How To Get Through The Game
Although you’ll naturally fight most of the Sekiro bosses by progressing through the game’s story, there are some optional bosses you can take on various rewards and to get the complete Sekiro experience. Below, we’ve put together a Sekiro boss order guide so you have a general idea of when to face each of them.
- Gyoubu Oniwa
- Lady Butterfly
- Genichiro Ashina
- Folding Screen Monkeys
- Guardian Ape
- Guardian Ape (Headless)
- Corrupted Monk
Once you’ve completed the above bosses, you’ll eventually reach a point in the game where you will need to make a decision on which ending you want. Here, you’ll need to either side with the Great Shinobi Owl and take on Emma, The Gentle Blade and Isshin Ashina or you’ll need to side against the Great Shinobi Owl, face him, and continue through the rest of the game by taking on the following bosses.
For the Shura ending, you’ll then have to fight:
- Emma, The Gentle Blade
- Isshin Ashina
But for the Immortal Severance, Purification, and Return endings, you’ll need to fight the following bosses:
- Great Shinobi Owl
- Owl (Father) [Flashback]
- True Corrupted Monk
- Divine Dragon
- Demon Of Hatred
- Genichiro, Way Of Tomoe
- Isshin, The Sword Saint
Sekiro Bosses List In Detail
Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa
Excluding the prologue where you briefly fight Genichiro, Gyoubu Mastaka Oniwa is the first officialSekiro boss fight. Located in the Ashina Outskirts Castle Gate Fortress, Gyoubu has two health bears that you must deplete before performing a deathblow and defeating him.
Gyoubu is on horseback and uses a spear known as a Yari, which can deal significant damage. His horse can be stunned with the Shinobi Firecrackers, allowing you to get some hits in, and you’ll need to rely on deflecting and your Grappling Hook to close the long distances between you and him whenever he gallops away.
Genichiro Ashina
Genichiro Ashina is a Sekiro boss you’ll have to face several times throughout the game. The first fight takes place a the end of the prologue and is a fight that you must lose. The second fight takes place atop Ashina Castle, and the third at the end of the game, right before you face the final true boss.
The first fight requires you to face Genichiro in his ordinary form without any special abilities, which means you’ll die quickly as the game intends. The second fight against Genichiro has three health bars, two as Genichiro Ashina and the third as Genichiro, Way Of Tomoe.
Genichiro is aggressive and fast, and in his third phase, will have lightning attacks. Parrying and deflecting are a necessity in this fight, and the Shinobi Firecracker and Loaded Axe are great tools to use against Genichiro.
The third fight requires you to face Genichiro, Way Of Tomoe. The fight will play just like the third phase of the battle atop Ashina Castle, but Genichiro now possesses a black Mortal blade that deals considerable damage. Once you’ve depleted Genichiro’s health bar, you’ll move onto the next and final, true boss fight.
Lady Butterfly
Lady Butterfly is a Sekiro boss that is fought in the past at the end of Hirata Estate. The Hidden Temple Key found at the Bamboo Thicket Slope Idol is required to unlock and access the boss arena.
Lady Butterfly has two phases, is agile and aggressive, and uses plenty of ranged and airborne attacks. The fight consists of two phases, and you’ll need to perform two deathblows to defeat her.
The Snap Speed, Phantom Kunai, and the Lazulite Axe are all useful tools against Lady Butterfly.
Folding Screen Monkeys
The Folding Screen Monkeys is another Sekiro boss fight, but one that acts more as a puzzle. Set in the Hall Of Illusion at Senpou Temple, you’ll need to find and defeat the four monkeys, all of which run away from you and summon illusions to attack you.
However, you can use the Illusive Hall Bell to reset your and the monkeys’ positions. The Shinobi Firecracker is an excellent tool to stun the monkeys, and you can use Gachiin’s Sugar for stealth, making it easier to sneak up on the monkeys. The four monkeys in this boss fight include:
- White: This monkey is invisible and can sometimes follow you. It leaves glowing footprints and can summon monkey apparitions that cause Terror.
- Purple: Always runs away from you when it sees you, it has great vision but poor hearing.
- Green: Always runs away from you when it hears you, it has great hearing but poor vision.
- Orange: Alerts all other monkeys when it spots you but has poor vision and hearing.
Guardian Ape
The Guardian Ape is an aggressive Sekiro boss. The Guardian Ape guards the Lotus Of The Palace, which you will need to collect to progress through the remainder of the game.
A tough battle, the Guardian Ape has two health bars that you’ll need to deplete in order to defeat him. In the first phase, the Guardian Ape is a beast so the Shinobi Firecracker and Flame Vent are useful.
In the second phase, the revived and decapitated Guardian Ape is an apparition-like enemy, and the Loaded Spear and Loaded Umbrella are useful in the fight.
Corrupted Monk
The Corrupted Monk is an illusion found in Mibu Village, with the true version of the Monk encountered later in the game depending on the ending you’ve chosen.
The illusionary version of the Corrupted Monk has a single health bar, and the boss has basic attacks along with illusionary attacks too. Since the boss is an apparition, the Lazulite Axe, Snap Seeds, and the Fistful of Ash are great items and tools to use.
Isshin Ashina
Isshin Ashina is a Sekiro boss that is fought if you select the Shura ending of the game and side with Owl. Isshin has several basic attacks, but he is much slower than most other Sekiro bosses.
Like many other fights in the game, the battle with Isshin consists of two phases, and you’ll need to deplete both health bars to defeat the boss. The Shinobi Firecracker is an effective tool against Isshin, stunning him to give you time to deal some damage.
Great Shinobi Owl
The Great Shinobi Owl is Sekiro’s father and, depending on the ending you choose, one of the major Sekiro bosses. To battle him, you’ll need to side with Kuro atop Ashina Castle. Owl can inflict major and fatal damage with few attacks, including his Mikiri Counter, so you’re going to need to be quick on your feet.
Owl is fast, aggressive, and has two health bars. Useful tools for this fight include the Magnet Loaded Umbrella, the Shinobi Firecracker, and the Loaded Shuriken.
Guardian Ape (Headless)
The Headless Guardian Ape is a continuation of your fight with the Guardian Ape in the Sunken Valley. The Headless Guardian Ape is fought in Ashina Depths, but the fight can be skipped if you’ve unlocked the Hidden Forest Sculptor’s Idol before defeating the original Guardia Ape.
The first phase of the Headless boss fights just like the Guardian Ape’s second phase, but in the second phase, you’ll have to also take on a second ape Headless summons. Fighting both Apes is difficult, but you only need to defeat the Headless Ape to progress through the game.
True Corrupted Monk
The True Corrupted Monk is the Corrupted Monk’s true form and you only need to fight her if you’re looking to unlock the Immortal Severance, Purification or Return endings. Fought at Fountainhead Palace, the True Corrupted Monk has three health bars, and each must be depleted before you can defeat the boss.
The first phase of the True Corrupted Monk fight is similar to the battle in Mibu Village. In the second phase, the Monk can summon shadow illusions, and in the third phase, the Monk is much more aggressive and its demon centipede will attack and can inflict Terror.
The Shinobi Firecracker is one of the best tools to use in this fight.
Divine Dragon
The Divine Dragon is a special mandatory Sekiro boss found in Fountainhead Palace. A mystical dragon, defeating the boss is required for most of the game’s endings.
There are two phases, the first in which you must fight and defeat several dragon enemies, and the second where you must face the Divine Dragon itself by grappling along trees and shooting lightning spears at the Dragon.
A simple fight, the Divine Dragon can be relatively easy if you’re careful and avoid his fatal attacks.
Owl (Father)
Like Lady Butterfly, the battle against Owl (Father) is in the past at Hirata Estate. This time, however, you’ll be fighting Owl in his prime, so he’s faster and much more aggressive.
There are two health bars but Owl can deal major damage in few hits, so you’ll need to be quick on your feet and good at deflecting and parrying.
Defeating Owl (Father) is only required for the Purification ending, so you can skip this fight if you’re aiming for any of the other endings.
Demon Of Hatred
The Demon Of Hatred is an optional Sekiro boss. The Demon is available to fight once you’ve defeated the Divine Dragon, and you can find him in the Ashina Outskirts where you fought the game’s first boss, Gyoubu Oniwa.
The Suzaku’s Lotus Umbrella and the Malcontent Finger Whistle upgrade are great to use in this fight, but it’s hard. The Demon continually stomps around the boss arena, so you’ll have to chase after him to stay close.
Emma, The Gentle Blade
Emma, The Gentle Blade is a boss fight triggered if you decide to side with Owl atop Ashina Castle. Fighting Emma is required for the Shura ending, and you’ll fight her before Isshin Ashina.
Emma has several combo attacks, which means she can inflict lots of damage quickly. You’ll need to be careful during this fight as you’ll immediately need to fight Isshin Ashina.
Isshin, The Sword Saint
Isshin, The Sword Saint is the final and true boss of Sekiro for all major endings.
The fight occurs at Ashina Reservoir immediately after defeating Isshin, The Sword Saint. Isshin has three phases and gets progressively more aggressive with each phase.
Isshin can perform fast attacks and can close distances quickly, and in the final phase deals lightning damage. You’ll need to be quick at reacting to each of Isshin’s attacks and will have to rely on parrying and deflecting attacks to save your HP.
Once you’ve defeated both iterations of Isshin, you’ll have completed the game. Congratulations! Regardless of which ending you chose, you’ll have to start another playthrough to unlock the other endings, and that means facing all of those tough bosses again.
