The Onimusha Way of the Sword enemies list runs in three bands: standard mobs, elite variants with specialised movesets, and named bosses. Regular Genma respawn at a Spirit Mirror, which is what makes the farming loop possible; bosses do not.
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The Onimusha Way of the Sword enemies list: named regular enemies
Regular enemies are Genma, monstrosities dragged into the living world by Malice clouds.
Hitotsume Gasa (Cyclops Soldier)
a one-eyed Genma with an umbrella-shaped head. Uses sword, bow and shield, and attacks in groups. Shielded and armoured ones must be broken with a heavy two-handed attack, and its bow arrows can be deflected back at it. It attacks and eats victims instinctively but can communicate with other Genma.
Hitotsume Sho (Cyclops Commander)
a much stronger version of the Hitotsume Gasa, marked by a commander crest. One is dangerous even to a seasoned Onimusha, and they often attack in groups. Found in Arashiyama, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Mount Oe, Nijo-jo Castle and the Underground Laboratory.
Oboro Garasu (Raven Wraith)
a winged, ninja-like Genma. It waits for an opening instead of engaging directly, and two of them coordinate their assaults, so keep both in view and do not overcommit after punishing the first one.
Mohja
reanimated human bodies that do not flinch when struck. They move slowly and use their weapons poorly, but landing a hit will not interrupt them, so their counters still land. They throw acid at range, which is dangerous both on impact and on the ground it leaves behind. Encountered in Arashiyama and Shanaoh Castle, where they surround Musashi as a pack despite being individually weak.
Kubi Akari
a flying, head-shaped Genma that emits light and spits light orbs. When nearly defeated it enlarges and explodes, and the blast can hurt nearby Genma as well as you.
Togemaru (Razor Back)
covered in spikes and spins through enemies to tear their flesh away. Its spin can be redirected into other Genma.
Kogai
a parasitic Genma that strips a human host of flesh and inhabits the body. An armoured host resists normal damage. It absorbs loose souls and triggers a Blazing frenzy while souls are available, so the fight is a race for pickups: collect the souls first, then attack. Do not extend a damage combo while souls remain on the ground.
Kogashira
a Kogai that has consumed many souls. Far more powerful than a Kogai, it spreads a Blazing state to nearby Genma through Malice. Preventing or removing the soul absorption denies it this form.
Chijiko
created in Dokyo's underground laboratory; its exposed eye is an encounter objective.
Hirehime (Fin Fatale)
a water-dwelling Genma; driving it onto dry land is an encounter objective.
Weak points
| Enemy | Weak point |
|---|---|
Gaki | A glowing red eye |
Karasu Tengu | Its wings, and its head is exposed after a parry |
Daidara | A chest orb or core |
Rasho-gan | A lightning horn exposed during charge attacks |
Greater Nue | A tail gem, especially during charges |
Ganryu | His sword guard |
Shuten Doji | A back crystal exposed after a ground slam |
Weak-point strikes drain an enemy's Rikido posture faster, opening it up for an Issen. Oni Vision highlights demons, weak points and destructibles in an area, which is the fastest way to find the Genma you are missing, including hidden ones in side paths and corner ambushers.
Why some enemies just stand there
Idle, passive behaviour is part of the design rather than a fault, and it changes as the campaign goes on.
In the June 2026 demo, which only covers the opening slice of the story, regular Genma frequently stood and watched instead of engaging, groups could be cleared by rushing in and landing a few attacks, and groups tended to come one at a time. Archers took so long to draw their bows that encounters felt sluggish. Because the grunts applied so little pressure, dodging and parrying were close to optional.
In the full game that largely resolves, but the one-at-a-time design stays. After the first couple of hours you meet mixed groups: weak Genma dash behind you, encircle you, sidestep heavy attacks and block several hits, and later ones use unblockables, armour, shields and soul absorption. Groups also wait a few seconds between strings of attacks, which lets your depleted stamina recover and then forces you to drain it again. Bosses pace around after a string the same way.
Late-game power makes the passivity worse on purpose. The Petrify skill on the Stealth & Assassination line makes surrounding enemies petrify in fear when you kill one, and its upgrade nodes extend that to more targets and stronger enemy types. Cowering, backed-off Genma are an intended late-game state.
Enemy variety is also thin in places, so the same names recur often across an area.
Do enemies respawn?
Regular Genma respawn. Resting at a Spirit Mirror restores defeated standard enemies in the surrounding area, and fast travelling to or from a Spirit Mirror resets standard enemies the same way.
The farming loop:
Warp to a Spirit Mirror near a dense enemy cluster.
Clear the group.
Absorb the souls.
Warp back to the same mirror to reset the spawn, and repeat.
The Spirit Mirror must be free to use, so clear enemies that are targeting you before interacting with it. Dying also returns you to your last save with non-boss enemies restored, so banking progress at a mirror before pushing into hard content prevents losing farming progress. Enemies also repopulate as you travel back through an area, so cleared routes refill even without touching a mirror.
Bosses are the exception: once defeated, a boss stays defeated and cannot be re-triggered by resting or dying. Their drops instead come from Rifts, the red streaks in the sky that spawn mini-bosses such as Byakue and Dohatsu-ten, and from the Boss Rematch roster. Rift spawns move around Kyoto, so farming them means resting and re-checking spots — for example resting at the Gojo Street – West shrine, then checking the blocked bridge to the west and the far south-west corner.
On New Game+, red souls do not carry over and the unlock map resets, so all Spirit Mirrors must be re-activated. Charms, skills, items and Hozuki Pouch upgrades do carry over.
The charms that make this loop faster are Reaper's Charm for red soul drops and Charm of Enticement for more Genma to kill, both on the charms guide.