Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: Complete Walkthrough & Boss Guide

By ParryStack Editorial·Updated Jun 2026·🗺️ 8 steps · ⚔️ 6 bosses

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📋 In This Guide
  1. Main Story Walkthrough (8 steps)
  2. Boss Guides (6)

🗺️ Main Story Walkthrough

Tick off each step as you go — your progress saves locally, no account needed.

Step 1 of 8
Ashina Outskirts — Learn Deflection

The opening teaches the core loop: deflect, don't dodge. Build enemy Posture by deflecting their attacks, then Deathblow. Beat Tutorial Genichiro on the bridge (scripted loss), then return as the one-armed Wolf and clear the Outskirts to the General.

Step 2 of 8
Hirata Estate (Flashback) — Lady Butterfly

Use the Father's Bell Charm at the temple to access the Hirata Estate flashback. Grab the Flame Vent prosthetic (great vs Lady Butterfly's illusions). This optional-but-recommended area ends with Lady Butterfly, your first true deflection test.

Step 3 of 8
Ashina Castle — Genichiro Ashina

Return and climb to Ashina Castle. The grappling verticality opens up here. The castle culminates in Genichiro Ashina on the rooftop — the game's major difficulty gate. His lightning Phase 3 requires the Mortal Draw and lightning-reversal (jump and attack mid-air when struck).

Step 4 of 8
Senpou Temple — Folding Screen Monkeys

Head to Senpou Temple for the Mortal Blade questline. Solve the Folding Screen Monkeys (a stealth/puzzle "boss"). Collect the Aromatic Flower and progress the Divine Child story.

Step 5 of 8
Sunken Valley & Ashina Depths — Guardian Ape

Explore the Sunken Valley (snipers!) and the poisonous Ashina Depths. The Guardian Ape is a two-phase shock fight: it fights headless in Phase 2 with a terror scream — use the Mortal Blade to finish it and Divine Confetti/anti-terror.

Step 6 of 8
Fountainhead Palace — Corrupted Monk & Divine Dragon

After gathering the Mortal Blade requirements, reach Fountainhead Palace. Defeat the Corrupted Monk (use Confetti) and the spectacle fight against the Divine Dragon (use lightning-reversal on the tree branches).

Step 7 of 8
Endgame — Owl & the Return to Ashina

Ashina falls under attack. Face Owl (Father) depending on your path choices, then push to the final confrontation. Your earlier choice in the Hirata flashback (Owl boss) shapes the ending route.

Step 8 of 8
Final Boss — Isshin, the Sword Saint

The four-phase finale: Genichiro opener, then Isshin's spear/sword phases and a final gunpowder/lightning phase. Use lightning-reversal in Phase 4. Pure deflection mastery — the ultimate test of everything Sekiro taught you.

⚔️ Boss Guides

⚔️

Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa

Weakness
Posture; deflect the charge
Recommended Gear
Loaded Shuriken (anti-leap)

Patterns

A mounted spear boss who charges around the arena. He telegraphs charges and sweeping spear thrusts.

Strategy

Stick to his horse's flank, deflect the spear pokes to build Posture, and use Loaded Shuriken when he leaps. Aggression is rewarded — keep pressure to prevent Posture recovery.

⚔️

Lady Butterfly

Weakness
Posture; Flame Vent vs illusions
Recommended Gear
Flame Vent, Snap Seeds (clears illusions)

Patterns

Acrobatic kicks, a kunai barrage from the air, and (Phase 2) illusion butterflies that swarm you.

Strategy

Deflect her flurries rather than dodging. In Phase 2, use Snap Seeds to instantly dispel the illusion phantoms, or run through them. Punish her landing after the aerial kunai. Build Posture with sustained deflects, then Deathblow.

⚔️

Genichiro Ashina

Weakness
Posture; lightning reversal (P3)
Recommended Gear
Mortal Draw, Whistle (perilous bait)

Phases 1-2

Bow-and-blade pressure. Mikiri-counter his thrust (perilous symbol), jump-kick his sweep. Deflect everything else.

Phase 3 (Way of Tomoe)

He hurls lightning. Jump into the lightning and attack mid-air to reverse it back at him for massive Posture and damage. This single mechanic defines the fight.

⚔️

Guardian Ape

Weakness
Confetti (P2 terror); Posture
Recommended Gear
Divine Confetti, Mortal Blade, anti-terror

Phase 1

Erratic ape: leaping slams, a fling of dung (build resistance), and a grab. Deflect/dodge and punish after combos.

Phase 2 (Headless)

It picks up its own severed head and gains a terror scream (perilous) — sprint out of range or jump it. Divine Confetti boosts damage against the now-apparition. Mortal Blade Deathblow ends it.

⚔️

Corrupted Monk

Weakness
Divine Confetti; Posture
Recommended Gear
Divine Confetti (mandatory), Snap Seeds

Patterns

Long naginata sweeps, a perilous thrust (Mikiri), and (illusion version) a fear scream and phantom apparitions.

Strategy

Divine Confetti is essential — the monk is an apparition and takes far more Posture damage while it's active. Deflect the naginata chains, Mikiri the thrust, and dispel illusions with Snap Seeds.

⚔️

Isshin, the Sword Saint

Weakness
Posture; lightning reversal (P4)
Recommended Gear
Full Gourd, anti-fire (P3), Mortal Draw

Phase 1 (Genichiro)

A quick warm-up — deflect and Deathblow fast.

Phase 2 (Sword)

Wide sweeps (jump), thrusts (Mikiri), and a sheathed draw. Deflect relentlessly.

Phase 3 (Spear & Gun)

He adds a spear and a fire-spewing gun — dodge the gunfire, Mikiri the spear thrust.

Phase 4 (Lightning)

He calls lightning; jump and reverse it like Genichiro. Keep deflecting and the fight ends. This is the deflection final exam.

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