Ranked: The 15 Hardest Bosses in Nioh

Summary

• Some video game developers successfully implemented the Dark Souls formula in their own games, creating challenging and entertaining titles.
• Nioh features a variety of tough bosses to battle, such as Onryoki, Giant Toad, White Tiger, and Nue.
• The bosses in Nioh present a significant challenge, requiring players to learn their moves, exploit weaknesses, and be on guard for deadly attacks.

Because Dark Souls became such a success, it wasn't a surprise that other video game developers started to try and use the formula for their own titles. Some of them actually ended up being really good, rather than just cash-in pretenders.

9 Best Soulslike Games of 2024

This year certainly brought the heat of the Soulslike genre, showing that it's here to stay! Here are some of our favorites!

For example, while Nioh is clearly influenced by Dark Souls, it doesn't change the fact that it is a great game in its own right. It boasts a huge collection of bosses that are always fun to take on, and some that are super difficult! Here's a selection of the toughest.

Updated on February xxth, 2025 by Hilton Webster: While Nioh 2 improves upon many aspects of the original, there's no denying the charm and unique mechanics of Nioh. From voiced-protagonist William, to the variety of locations, its boss fights are still a stellar affair. We'ved updated this list to add even more of Nioh's powerful bosses.

18 Onryoki

Onryoki is by no means the hardest boss in the game, and part of that is due to the fact that you'll fight them a countless number of times over the course of the game, and then as a regular enemy. After a while, they become something of a friend. No, the reason they are such a hard boss i because they are the first proper boss fight in the entire game.

Trapped in the tiny hold of a ship, Onryoki's massive frame is difficult to dodge. Add in the giant stone weights he can swing and throw at you, and that space will feel even smaller. He can hit like a truck too, so best of luck. Onryoki is a skill check the first time you battle him, getting you prepared for everything that Nioh is going to throw at you.

17 Giant Toad

The 'easiest' of the hardest bosses in Nioh, maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that taking on this Giant Toad is still very difficult if people don't know what they're doing.

There's something about facing off against a toad that makes people feel more comfortable, as they're an inherently silly and clumsy animal. However, if players let this enemy's comical appearance cloud their judgment, they'll soon live to regret it against this formidable foe!

16 White Tiger

We don't know many people that were able to get through to the end of this boss without at least some luck. His tells are so difficult to get a handle on that skill can only take the player so far.

7 Best Indie Soulslike Games

The Soulsborne series has influenced plenty of games, and here are some of the best indie games that took inspiration from them.

If the concept of taking on a giant white tiger wasn't bad enough, it proves to be elusive and most of his moves deal a huge amount of damage. Don't try to take it on from behind, either, or you'll feel the whip of its tail!

15 Nue

We would go as far as to say that this is the first truly difficult boss that players will find themselves coming up against. If you can defeat Nue, you know you have the skills to get them to the end of the game.

It doesn't excel in any one form of combat, but is able to really come at the player with a well-rounded set of skills. Very unpredictable. If there was a loophole or a fault somewhere, you could get in and exploit that, but there's no way of cracking through to Nue's core.

14 Ogress

For us, this is the boss with the best design, looking absolutely horrible while also coming at us with a huge amount of strength. At the point in the game where this boss comes along, those who have learned how to dodge and learn the moves of their enemies will be able to overcome this one quickly.

6 Soulslikes With The Best PVP

Souslike games are known for having many forms of multiplayer. These ones focus on the PvP side of things.

However, as with many other bosses in Nioh, one mistake can be the difference between life and death, especially with a boss that has attacks with such a huge range. Definitely not one to be underestimated.

13 Maria

Maria is a Spanish mercenary in the employ of Date Masamune. Maria fights with finesse. She also relies on combos a lot. So, if she hits you once she’s probably going to get a few more hits in before her attack stops.

The best strategy to beating Maria is to learn her attacks – get to where you can recognize what specific attack she is using. Some of her attacks start slowly. Learn to exploit these opportunities for a quick interrupting strike. At the beginning of the fight she can be staggered easily; again, exploit this while you can because she becomes immune to staggering after her hit points drop to 30 percent.

12 Umi-Bozu

Umi-Bozu is encountered in the Chugoku region during the mission "The Ocean Roars Again". This mission is part of the main story, so you can't get around fighting this boss. Umi-Bozu is a colossal creature that resembles a titanic amoeba with large eyes that glow with a fierce yellow radiance.

This boss is not so different from other "set piece" bosses in other games. You are confined to a limited area and must dodge the boss' attacks until they reveal a weak spot onto which you need to focus your attacks. You can use the bonfire to add fire damage to your weapons, but this causes an Umi-Bozu spawn to attack - they aren't that tough though. Also, after it spits at you it will sometimes do a follow-up attack in which it fires an energy beam at you. You really, really, don't want to get hit by this beam.

11 Yuki-Onna

This boss is one of the hardest in the game, and she comes in relatively early on as well. This woman is able to keep the pressure on at all times, meaning that anyone that tries to heal at the wrong time will find themselves falling foul of her long-ranged attacks.

8 Best Co-Op Soulslikes

Soulslike games are brutal. Grab a friend to share in the suffering.

Throw in the fact that this woman gains a lot of speed once she's down to half health, as well as a quick charge attack, and we have a brutal boss that many people struggled with the first time around.

10 Saika Magoichi

Unlike many of the other more politically-driven and loyal members of the war towards Japan's unification, Saika Magoichi is just a mercenary, and a damn talented one at that. He is never on your side on the game though, and you finally come face-to-face with him near the end of the game, and he doesn't make it easy.

A collapsing building on fire makes for a visually enticing fight, though not a very survivable one. Magoichi darts around the arena with the help of his Guardian Spirit, Yatagarasu, and can swap between melee and ranged attacks in a single combo. He is talented at every range, and being aggressive is the only way to take him down. That, and knocking him into the fires surrounding the arena.

9 Ishida Mitsunari

Quite possibly the most frustrating boss on this list, this guy likes to grab the character. These grabs must be dodged unless the player wants to lose around fifty percent of their health.

It can be enough to turn the player off, making them want to put down the controller and walk away from the game. Don't be discouraged, it's all about learning tells. Trust us when we say that it's well worth sticking with it to learn the boss and take them down!