The Toughest Boss To Beat In Nioh 2

Nioh 2 requires skilled mastery of weapons and a wealth of knowledge in the lost art of Onmyo magic. How else are you supposed to beat those big, bad bosses? The Nioh games present unique challenges in the form of brutal, shape-shifting bosses that really try your patience as a player. But which boss requires the most skill, the most patience, and the most effort to defeat?

The final boss, of course.

Otakemaru, once summoned, will be your final formidable foe in Nioh 2. Fighting him might take quite a while, and you might fall fatal victim to some of his attacks, too. But don't let that get you down. Otakemaru is supposed to be the hardest boss, based on one of the three great yokai of Japan.

In folklore, Otakemaru was a great brute of an oni that lived on a mountain outside of Kyoto. He had three legendary weapons that basically allowed him to do whatever he wanted. There was little anyone could do to defeat him. He had but one weakness: he had a crush on a beautiful goddess in a palace on the mountain.

She refused his advances — even when he transformed himself into a handsome young noble.

When she finally let him stay the night, it was for protection from a shogun who had come to kill her. In reality, the shogun had come from Otakemaru and the goddess had "borrowed" a few of Otakemaru's most deadly weapons so that he couldn't use them in the ensuing battle.

This is the battle you have to look forward to at the end of the game. Otakemaru can transform himself into Brute, Feral, and Phantom forms so that just when you become accustomed to one move set, he switches things up. Many of his attacks can kill in just one hit, so be wary. Once he is down to 50% health, Otakemaru will assume his true form. He has a massive sword and an affinity for the elements. He can attack with ice, fire, and lightning. 

All that said, he can be defeated, and when you do take down this big, bad yokai, you get to pick up glowing shards of that legendary sword. Good luck, and stay patient: the reward is worth it in the end.