The Onimusha Way of the Sword boss rematch rewards are Warlord's Armor for clearing all 18 opponents on Story or Action, Warlord's Armor 2 for clearing them on Carnage, and two trophies along the way. Boss Rematch is an 18-entry replay list fought one opponent at a time in the Practice Ground, and it is not post-game — you open it during the main story.
On this page
Unlock it during "The Oni's Apprentice"
Complete "Kyoto, Corrupted" to seal the two Rifts in Eastern Kyoto.
Return to Rokudo-chinnoji Temple and talk to Shizuka Gozen at the Spirit Mirror.
Talk to Ono no Takamura and accept his training.
Interact with the large bell directly in front of you, which teleports Musashi to the Rokudou Chinno-ji Practice Ground.
Speak to Takamura there and choose "Boss Rematch" from the menu, alongside "Drills".
Once it is open, any unlocked Spirit Mirror can fast-travel to the Practice Ground. Leave through System Menu > "End Practice". Enma's Hall next to the bell is the shrine hall used for charm enhancement, not a character.
Onimusha Way of the Sword boss rematch rewards and outfits
| Reward | Requirement |
|---|---|
Warlord's Armor | Defeat every boss in Boss Rematch on Story or Action. Equipped at a Spirit Mirror under "Change Appearance" |
Warlord's Armor 2 | Defeat every Boss Rematch on Carnage. Unlike the plain Warlord's Armor, the Oni Gauntlet in this version automatically absorbs nearby souls, which is a big help against bosses that steal souls |
Second Helping (bronze) | Beat any single Boss Rematch opponent |
Glutton for Punishment (gold) | Beat every Boss Rematch opponent on all difficulty levels, the last step of the platinum route |
The two outfit tracks are separate and do not cross-credit. A full Carnage sweep gives only Warlord's Armor 2, so the base Warlord's Armor still has to be earned by going back to Story or Action and repeating the rematches.
The rules
- The roster holds 18 entries: the 13 story bosses plus Enhanced Byakue, Enhanced Dohatsu-ten, Altered Sasaki Ganryu, Fully Armed Benkei and the Ifuu & Burai pair.
- An opponent only appears in the menu after you have beaten it in the campaign, and Carnage does not become selectable until the campaign has been cleared once.
- Consumables are banned, including Hozuki healing items and talismans. The fights run on Deflect, Issen and Oni Awakening alone, so upgrade charms and pouches before you go in.
- Boss stats can be raised above their story values, and bosses have enraged states that raise their attack tempo.
- Dying costs no souls or items, so early attempts are safe scouting runs.
- A rematch win on Carnage automatically counts as clearing that boss on Story and Action, so a single Carnage sweep covers all three tiers.
- Practice Ground drills do not count toward Glutton for Punishment. Only Boss Rematches do.
The rematch-only forms
| Boss | What changes |
|---|---|
Byakue (Enhanced) | Below 50% health his axe gains Malice, his ground slams leave Malice pools, and he gains an extra attack pattern. Jump before the slam |
Dohatsu-ten (Enhanced) | Teleports around the arena and attacks immediately after each relocation. These can be deflected |
Sasaki Ganryu (Altered) | Two phases with separate health bars, assisted by Oni Gioh, with faster attacks. This is the hardest spike in the roster |
Fully Armed Benkei | Pulls his phase-two attacks forward and adds an undodgeable white-glow polearm flurry that must be deflected. His cannon throw is a one-shot on Carnage |
Ifuu & Burai | The pair at full scaling, with the shared stamina rule that breaking one damages the other |
How hard each one runs is on the boss difficulty guide, and the story versions of the same bosses are on the boss list.
What to bring, and what you cannot bring
Because consumables are banned, the run-up to a rematch is a preparation problem rather than an endurance one. Charms and Hozuki Pouch levels carry over from the campaign, so level them before you enter, and the defensive set — Charm of the Healer, Charm of Protection and Fencer's Strength — covers the absence of items better than any single offence charm.
Blazing State and Oni Awakening carry in from the campaign too, which is why the same build that clears the story also clears the roster. Rematch opponents raise their stats above their story values and add enrage states, so a clean read matters more than raw damage. The build itself is on the build guide.
New Game+ and the practice ground
Rematch unlocks and completions carry into New Game+, but the Practice Ground itself has to be reopened by replaying "The Oni's Apprentice", and Carnage rematch wins still have to be earned in New Game+.