Carnage Difficulty is the New Game+ tier that unlocks after the first ending. It carries four categories forward into the new run: unlocks, upgrades, outfits, and tutorials or drills. It does not carry three categories: story progress, materials, and save points. The practical implication is that charms like the Kubi Akari demo reward and the Lion Dog pre-order charm are part of the carried unlocks rather than the dropped story progress, while consumable materials reset with the new run.
Carnage Difficulty as the New Game+ Tier
Carnage Difficulty is the New Game+ tier that unlocks after the first ending. It reopens the campaign at the highest challenge and applies the New Game+ carry-over rules to the player's loadout. Carnage Difficulty is not a first-run preset; the first-run presets are Light, Normal, Hard, and Oni, and the [difficulty page](/difficulty/) walks through that preset ladder. The Carnage Difficulty loop is also the largest length-extending lever after the first playthrough. The [length page](/length/) covers how the loop extends playtime past the first ending.
Carnage Difficulty carry-over split
| Category | Carry into New Game+? | Example items |
|---|---|---|
| Unlocks | Carries | Kubi Akari charm, Lion Dog charm, Deluxe Edition charms |
| Upgrades | Carries | Sword upgrades, Oni Gauntlet timing upgrades, Issen chain upgrades |
| Outfits | Carries | Deluxe Kit cosmetics, ally outfits, Sealed Curse sword appearance |
| Tutorials / drills | Carries | Demo drills retained, training room progress |
| Story progress | Does not carry | Chapter progress resets; new run starts at chapter one |
| Materials | Does not carry | Consumable materials reset with the new run |
| Save points | Does not carry | Save shrines must be re-found in the new run |
Unlock Trigger — After the First Ending
Carnage Difficulty unlocks after the first ending. The mode is not available on a first-run save file, and it cannot be selected from the main menu until Musashi has seen the credits roll once. Players who want to start a Carnage Difficulty run need to finish the campaign at least once on any preset (Light, Normal, Hard, or Oni), then start a new save from the Carnage Difficulty option. The unlock trigger is consistent across platforms: the first ending on Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and the Epic Games Store all unlock the Carnage Difficulty option for the same player profile.
Four Categories That Carry — Unlocks, Upgrades, Outfits, Tutorials
Carnage Difficulty carries four categories forward into the new run: - Unlocks. Anything unlocked through gameplay or promotions carries into the new save. The Kubi Akari charm (demo save carry-over), the Lion Dog charm (pre-order bonus), and the Deluxe Edition charm bundle are all part of this category. - Upgrades. Sword upgrades, Oni Gauntlet timing upgrades, and Issen chain upgrades carry into the new run. Musashi starts the Carnage Difficulty run with the upgraded kit rather than rebuilding it from scratch. - Outfits. Visual equipment carries: Deluxe Kit cosmetics, ally outfits from the Premium Deluxe Edition, and the Sealed Curse sword appearance are all retained. - Tutorials / drills. Training-room drills and demo drills carry into the new run, which is why the Carnage Difficulty player can refresh Issen timing on the same drills they used in the first campaign. The four-carry split is the practical rule for charm loadouts: a Carnage Difficulty player starts chapter one with the Kubi Akari and Lion Dog charms already in the loadout, which removes the early-game charm tutorial from the second run.
Three Categories That Reset — Story Progress, Materials, Save Points
Carnage Difficulty does not carry three categories: - Story progress. Chapter progress resets; the Carnage Difficulty run starts at chapter one rather than resuming from the credits. - Materials. Consumable materials reset with the new run. Any consumable items, crafting materials, or stack-based gear the player accumulated during the first run do not transfer into Carnage Difficulty. - Save points. Save shrines must be re-found in the new run. The save-shrine map resets, so the Carnage Difficulty player has to rediscover the chapter shrines. The three-reset split is the practical rule for consumables: the Carnage Difficulty run starts with an empty materials inventory, and the player rebuilds the consumable stock through normal play.
Why Charms Like Kubi Akari and Lion Dog Carry
Charms are part of the unlocks category, which is one of the four carry-forward categories. That is why the Kubi Akari charm (demo save carry-over) and the Lion Dog charm (pre-order bonus) both carry into the Carnage Difficulty run. Players who pre-ordered the Lion Dog charm and retained the demo save for the Kubi Akari charm start the Carnage Difficulty run with both charms already in the loadout. The Deluxe Edition's extra charm bundle also carries into Carnage Difficulty because extra charms are unlocks rather than materials. The charm system is the cleanest practical demonstration of the carry-over split: charms stay, consumables reset. The [items page](/items/) explains the charm loadout at a foundation level, and the [editions page](/editions/) covers the charm bundles per edition.
Carnage Difficulty vs First-Run Presets
Carnage Difficulty is not a first-run preset. The first-run preset ladder is Light, Normal, Hard, and Oni, which is what the [difficulty page](/difficulty/) walks through. Carnage Difficulty is the New Game+ tier that reopens the campaign at the highest challenge after the first ending. A player who wants the hardest first-playthrough experience should choose the Oni preset, not Carnage Difficulty. Carnage Difficulty is reserved for second-and-later runs, and selecting it requires the first-ending unlock trigger.
FAQ
How do you unlock Carnage Difficulty in Onimusha Way of the Sword?
Carnage Difficulty unlocks after the first ending. It is not available on a first-run save file and cannot be selected from the main menu until Musashi has seen the credits roll once.
Do charms like Kubi Akari and Lion Dog carry into New Game+?
Yes. Charms are part of the unlocks category, which is one of the four carry-forward categories. The Kubi Akari demo reward and the Lion Dog pre-order charm both carry into the Carnage Difficulty run.
Do consumable materials carry into Carnage Difficulty?
No. Carnage Difficulty carries unlocks, upgrades, outfits, and tutorials, but it does not carry story progress, materials, or save points. Consumable materials reset with the new run.