Even though it has the soul of aSoulslike, Sekiro handles its mechanics very differently than other FromSoftware games. Unlike the Dark Souls titles, there are no RPG crutches to rely on when players get stuck on a boss, as leveling up doesn’t boost Wolf’s stats. Instead, players have to brute-force through the fight and deal with the boss on their own terms. And if they can’t do that, they can’t progress in the game.
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This means players will have to master the game’s mechanics to near perfection if they hope to stand a chance against some of the hardest bosses in the game. And while the prosthetic tools in the game can help make things a bit easier, there’s no denying that these difficult boss fights inSekiro: Shadows Die Twicewill have players pulling their hair out.
We are not including boss fights from the Gauntlets of Strength.
8Snake Eyes Shirafuji
A Hidden Threat in the Depths of Ashina
Perched atop the cliffs of Sunken Valley, Snake Eyes Shirafuji is an optional mini-boss who guards the path to the Gun Fort. This deadly marksman belongs to a unique breed of warriors who wield the heavy loaded rifle spear, a weapon that proves particularly effective against shinobi like Wolf. The battle takes place in an open but precarious arena where one wrong step could send players plummeting to their deaths.
What sets Shirafuji apart from many other bosses is her mastery of mid-range combat. Most encounters in Sekiro reward aggressive close-quarters fighting, but Shirafuji’s reach and devastating combo potentially force players to exercise patience. Her signature move, which is a lightning-quick grab attack that transitions into a point-blank shot, is extremely difficult to counter and has become infamous for punishing overeager attackers who try to close the distance carelessly.
One of the more overlooked aspects of this fight is her placement. Facing her before obtaining stronger upgrades can make her fight significantly harder than necessary. However, those determined to take her down early will find her attacks teach valuable lessons about spacing and patience, lessons that will be crucial for the battles ahead.
For some reason, I had a lot of trouble facing Snake Eyes Shirafuji in both of my playthroughs. As much as I tried, I could not counter her grab attack, and it always came at the worst time, frustrating me beyond measure.
7Lady Butterfly
Dreams Are Where Nightmares Begin
Found within a memory of the Hirata Estate, Lady Butterfly proves that age is just a number when it comes to deadly combat prowess. Originally tasked with teaching the young Wolf shinobi techniques, this elderly but lethal warrior demonstrates exactly why she was chosen as his mentor. The memorable encounter takes place in a burning dojo where wooden pillars provide brief moments of respite from her ruthless assault.
What makes Lady Butterfly such a formidable opponent is her mastery of both physical and illusory combat. Just when players think they’ve learned her attack patterns, she takes to the air, using her wire techniques to launch deadly strikes from above. The second phase introduces her signature illusion arts, filling the arena with phantom butterflies that can quickly overwhelm even the most careful players.
The fight serves as an early but crucial test of fundamental combat mechanics. Lady Butterfly punishes hesitation severely, requiring precise deflection timing and aggressive counterattacks. Her illusions can be dispelled with a well-timed Snap Seed, but these items are scarce early in the game, forcing players to master the art of spatial awareness while dealing with multiple threats.
6True Corrupted Monk
The Master of Spinning Attacks
Jumping out of nowhere at the entrance bridge to the Fountainhead Palace, the True Corrupted Monk serves as the final guardian preventing access to this mystical realm. Unlike the illusory version encountered in the Mibu Village, this is the real deal; an immortal being twisted by centuries of corruption who wields a massive nodachi with devastating grace and precision.
What makes this encounter particularly challenging is its three distinct phases, each requiring different tactical approaches. The first phase establishes the monk’s basic yet lethal move set, featuring delayed sweep attacks that punish mistimed deflections. The second phase showcases the monk’s supernatural abilities as they summon terrifying apparitions, filling the arena with duplicates that can quickly overwhelm unprepared players.
The final phase reveals the true horror of its corruption. The monk’s movements become more erratic and aggressive, with new terror-building attacks that can instantly kill even well-prepared players who fail to manage their terror gauge.
While there are strategies players can use that make this fight ridiculously easy, such as standing on a tree branch above and sneaking in two deathblows for the first two phases, and spamming firecrackers to stop the Monk from attacking at all, without these, the True Corrupted Monk will either give players a lesson in resilience or make them rage-quit the game.
5Guardian Ape
The Worst Surprise in the History of Gaming
The first encounter with the Guardian Ape feels like a brutal yet traditional beast fight. This massive, corpse-infested monster thrashes violently, flinging dung, executing devastating grabs, and destroying everything in sight. Most players struggle just to survive its unpredictable movement while whittling down its massive health pool to deliver a death blow and decapitate it. And just when they think the fight is over, the real fight begins.
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Decapitating the Guardian Ape should have been the end, but instead, he rises again, sword in hand, now eerily silent. The headless monstrosity switches from pure brute force to calculated sword swings, forcing players to adjust on the fly. The terror mechanic introduced in this phase adds another layer of difficulty, as staying close to the beast while he puts his decapitated head to his throat and screams will lead to near-instant death.
This isn’t the last players will see of the Guardian Ape, as he will return for a third time a bit later in the game.
4Emma and Isshin Ashina (Shura Ending)
Emma and Her Not-So-Gentle Blade
Choosing to break the Iron Code and side with Owl Father leads to one of Sekiro’s most challenging double battles: Emma, the Gentle Blade, followed immediately by Isshin Ashina. What makes this encounter particularly brutal is that players must defeat both opponents in a single attempt, with no chance to recover between fights.
Emma might seem gentle in demeanor throughout the game, but her mastery of the Ashina style reveals itself in lightning-fast strikes and a combat stance that punishes aggressive play. Her Grab Attack comes out faster than most other bosses in the game, catching players who try to heal or attack recklessly. Despite her designation as the first phase of this encounter, Emma’s sophisticated moveset and relentless pressure have ended countless attempts before Isshin even draws his blade.
Those who manage to overcome Emma must then face Isshin Ashina himself, consumed by the flames of his burning castle. In his prime and embracing the power of fire, this version of Isshin combines aggressive swordplay with devastating fire attacks that can quickly overwhelm even careful players. His ability to set the entire arena ablaze creates constant pressure, forcing players to manage both their positioning and their timing perfectly.
3Genichiro Ashina
The Rival Who Never Lets Up
From the moment Sekiro begins, Genichiro establishes himself as the player’s ultimate rival. At the top of Ashina Castle, Genichiro Ashina presents a skill check that stops many players in their tracks. This battle serves as the first true test of everything Sekiro has taught players up to this point, demanding mastery of deflection, mikiri counters, and lightning reversals. The fight marks a crucial turning point in the story, revealing the lengths to which Genichiro will go to protect his clan.
The first two phases showcase Genichiro’s mastery of the Way of Tomoe, a fighting style that combines traditional swordplay with powerful bow techniques. His quick transitions between sword and bow keep players constantly on guard, while his grab attacks punish those who attempt to create distance. What makes this fight particularly demanding is how it forces players to stay aggressive while still watching for sudden bow draws that can instantly halt their momentum.
Just when players deliver two deathblows, Genichiro reveals his final surprise phase where he casts aside his armor and embraces the power of lightning. This transformed version introduces the lightning reversal mechanic, where players must catch his lightning attacks in midair and redirect them back at him. The timing window for these reversals is extremely tight, and failing to execute them properly leaves players vulnerable to follow-up attacks that will instantly kill Wolf.
2Demon of Hatred
The Culmination of the Sculptor’s Affliction
The Demon of Hatred stands as a testament to the consequences of uncontrolled emotion in the world of Sekiro. This massive, three-phase battle against a being that was once a friend presents a completely different challenge from most of the game’s sword-based combat. The demon’s massive size and fire-based attacks feel more at home in a Dark Souls game, forcing players to radically adapt their approach.
Fighting this optional boss means dealing with massive sweeping attacks that cover huge portions of the arena while managing both fire damage and the ever-present threat of being caught by its charging attacks. What makes this encounter particularly challenging is how it subverts the combat skills players have spent the entire game mastering. Deflection and posture damage take a back seat to hit-and-run tactics and careful stamina management.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was the first FromSoft game I played, and after learning how to play carefully and time my attacks and counters perfectly, the game threw the Demon of Hatred at me. This boss went so much against all of what the game had taught me at this point, and since I hadn’t played any Dark Souls games either, I simply said “nope” and ended my playthrough right then and there.
1Isshin Ashina
A Sword Saint’s Final Lesson
At the end of Sekiro’s standard ending path stands Isshin, the Sword Saint, arguably the most challenging final boss FromSoftware has ever created. Pulled from the past at the height of his power by Genichiro’s sacrifice, this version of Isshin commands mastery over every combat technique players have encountered throughout their journey.
The fight begins with a warm-up against Genichiro himself, but the real challenge starts when Isshin emerges from his grandson’s neck, armed with his trusted sword and the determination to test Wolf’s worth as a shinobi. Each phase adds new weapons to his arsenal, starting from his standard sword techniques to his devastating spear and gun combinations in later phases.
What truly sets this battle apart is how it demands absolute perfection across an extended fight. Isshin’s delayed attacks catch panic deflections, his thrust attacks require precise Mikiri Counters, and his sweeping spear movements punish improper positioning. The final phase adds lightning attacks to his already extensive moveset, forcing players to execute perfect lightning reversals while managing his regular attack patterns. Victory against the Sword Saint serves as the ultimate proof of mastery over Sekiro’s combat system.
