There is no weapon roster to fill. The Onimusha Way of the Sword weapons list is one katana that is enhanced rather than swapped, plus seven Oni Armaments — spirits summoned mid-fight through the Oni Gauntlet by spending Oni Power, which Blue souls refill.
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Onimusha Way of the Sword weapons list: the seven Oni Armaments
The Two Celestials — Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Destroy the second Thread Genma holding the second oni gate, then open the chest it drops. Twin blades whose hits generate yellow souls that restore health.
Oni Bow — Oni Refuge, Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
A chest on the main path, and it is required for the story, so it cannot be missed. A regular bow fired at will with a charged shot for extra damage, unlimited ammunition, useful against distant targets, weak points, objects and mechanisms.
Wind-Whipper — awarded during "The Oni's Apprentice".
Given automatically after the Skills practice ground and Boss Rematch features, from a chest. A double-headed glaive with wide sweeps that stagger crowds and can cancel incoming projectiles.
Earth-Shakers — Underground Laboratory, Underground Level 4.
A chest reached after solving the fan puzzle in the next room. Paired hammers that drain enemy stamina, break shields and armour, and grant hyper-armour while swinging. Charged hits land stronger impact but take longer to start.
Firebird Flute — south of the Gojo Street – East Spirit Shrine.
A chest at the spot where the Rift stood during "Shadows Fall". Ranged fire shots with damage over time that ignite, stagger and knock airborne enemies down, holding up to three fireballs at once.
The Flashing Void — Mount Oe Castle Courtyard.
A hidden chest inside a cave reached by sliding off the path to the main gates, during "The Demon on the Mount". A heavy lightning strike delivered outside melee range; charging slows time around Musashi, and it also generates red souls.
Still Water — Swamp of Arashiyama.
A chest in the northeastern corner, reached through the red-fog tunnel on the swamp side route after killing the Genma. Strengthens regular sword attacks and generates purple souls, which make Oni Awakening more frequent.
Some of these are gated behind abilities rather than plain exploration: the Oni Refuge tunnel and the Underground Laboratory need Oni Eye and Oni Arm, and the Mount Oe route needs Oni Leg.
Nothing is permanently missable
Only the Oni Bow and Wind-Whipper are unmissable story rewards; the other five sit in optional chests. Kyoto stays freely explorable until the point of no return before the final mission "The Clash at Rendaino", so a manual save taken there still lets you backtrack for anything you missed.
Two tools find the hidden ones. Oni Vision: Treasures highlights hidden chests, and the Oni Gauntlet itself glows blue near them. Getting all seven awards the Oni Armory silver trophy, and it is awarded on pickup with no combat test required.
Oni Armaments reset in New Game+ and have to be collected again.
Ranking: which armament for which fight
There is no single best armament, because each one covers a different gap. The top picks for most playthroughs are Earth-Shakers against bosses, Still Water for the endgame economy, and Wind-Whipper for ordinary enemy groups.
| Tier | Armament | Best against |
|---|---|---|
Top | Earth-Shakers | Bosses and elite enemies — drains stamina, breaks shields and armour, and opens the window for the Break Issen follow-up |
Top | Still Water | Endgame and Oni Awakening — strengthens the blade and generates purple souls |
Top | The Flashing Void | Single-target burst — a heavy out-of-range strike, and charging slows time around Musashi |
Middle | Wind-Whipper | Crowds — its whirlwind damages and scatters groups and cancels projectiles |
Middle | Firebird Flute | Ranged pressure — staggers up to three enemies and pairs with Wind-Whipper for area control |
Lower | The Two Celestials | Healing, by converting hits into yellow souls. Strong early, outclassed once damage matters more than staying alive |
Utility | Oni Bow | Traversal, boss interrupts, distant targets and gate mechanisms rather than damage |
Pick for the fight in front of you:
- Boss with a shield or heavy armour — Earth-Shakers. Armour is the thing stopping your damage, and it is what the hammers break.
- Boss that steals your souls or heals — Still Water, for the purple souls that fund Oni Awakening.
- Crowd of regular Genma in a corridor — Wind-Whipper, with the Oni Bow covering anything behind you.
- Long fight where you need to survive — The Two Celestials, until your charms can handle the damage.
- Anything at range — The Flashing Void for a single heavy hit, or the Oni Bow if you need the weak point.
When to spend Oni Power matters as much as which one. Holding the gauge for a real opening beats burning it on weak Genma, and Oni Stones are the true bottleneck for armament upgrades, so upgrade the two or three you actually equip rather than spreading stones across all seven.
The twelve Sword Appearances
Katana cosmetics are called Sword Appearances. There are twelve, all of them purely visual, and six come from rescuing Lion Dogs.
Equip one at a Spirit Mirror under "Change Appearance" in the sword slot, an option that unlocks after "The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu". Paid and pre-order appearances have to be claimed first at a Spirit Mirror under "Additional Content".
Lion Dogs become available after "What Lurks in the Shadows". Speak to Lady Murasaki at Yasaka Shrine and she marks paw-print spots on your map. There are 36 Lion Dogs in the game, and you get one new appearance every six rescues, tracked in the Curious Cases menu.
| Rescues | Appearance |
|---|---|
6 | Sakurahime |
12 | Shishioh |
18 | Myogo |
24 | Ura-giri |
30 | Mooncrossed |
36 | Kikoku |
The other six come from the edition itself:
| Appearance | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Sealed Curse | Pre-order bonus on any edition |
| White Lion | Deluxe or Premium Deluxe |
| Bamboo & Panda | Deluxe or Premium Deluxe |
| Whittled Oar | Deluxe or Premium Deluxe |
| Raizan | Deluxe or Premium Deluxe |
| Enryuu | Deluxe or Premium Deluxe |
The Premium Deluxe adds no sword appearances over the Deluxe — only extra haori, companion outfits and the soundtrack. If you bought the base edition, the five Deluxe appearances are not available to you. Cosmetics carry into New Game+, so you do not need to redo the rescues.
The only weapon with a real effect
The Bishamonten Sword is separate from the cosmetics. Clearing the campaign once and then beating it again on Carnage difficulty in New Game+ awards it, and it raises Issen damage and widens the Issen timing window well beyond normal. It equips from Change Appearance at any Spirit Mirror.
Spending your resources
Enhancement opens at any Spirit Mirror after "The Oni's Apprentice", across three separate equipment tracks plus a branch per armament. The weapon upgrades guide has the materials, portal gates and costs.