10 Hardest Bosses In Rise Of The Ronin

Rise of the Ronin explores one of the most trying times in Japan’s history — the 19th century during the Bakumatsu period. The game takes you to a world filled with chaos and conflict, where you will undoubtedly be roped into intense showdowns against some of the most formidable foes you have ever encountered while gaming.

Rise Of The Ronin: 8 Beginner Tips

Here are some basics any Veiled Edge should know while playing Rise Of The Ronin.

From warlords to cunning assassins, each boss fight in Rise of the Ronin presents a challenge that demands precision and a unique strategy to win. The following are some of the hardest bosses that you will encounter on your journey in this epic tale of history and revenge.

10 Matthew Perry

You first encounter Matthew Perry early on — you are assigned a mission at Veiled Edge Village by a bladesmith to steal a secret message in Commodore Perry’s possession. At night, you must sneak onboard one of the Black Ships from America, where you will find Perry on the ship smoking a cigar.

When fighting Matthew Perry, he will often leap in the air and do a sword swing that can be dodged. He also has a special attack where he has a red glow around him, which makes him launch you into the air and shoot you if he lands the attack. In case he winds up for a swing, he will swing at you four consecutive times.

When you are landing a combo against Perry, be careful since he can leap towards the side where he can slash you.

9 The Blue Demon

You will encounter the Blue Demon on the black ship after your fight with Matthew Perry, and you will have to fight him together with your other twin character. If he defeats you (which he likely will because you have limited weapons and skills this early on in the game), he will demand a sacrifice that condemns one of the twin characters to lose a hand while the other escapes.

It is difficult to attack him since his strikes are swift and capable of draining your health with a single blow, so it is advisable to keep your distance when he is chasing you. You should also make use of baiting by countering his charged attacks using barrels. He will also start using his shadow clone ability if you drop his HP to 50 percent.

8 Drunk Samurai

The boss fight with the Drunk Samurai takes place in a garden when the samurai notices that you are a spy for the shogunate. This is one of the most interesting bosses in Rise of the Ronin due to his fighting style, which is fueled by intoxication. He possesses deadly combos such as four delayed slashes, and delayed attacks, each demanding precise timing and keen observation to counter.

Rise Of The Ronin: Non-Lethal Combat Guide

You know...for those times when you just want to rough 'em up a little bit.

The Drunk Samurai also wields two charged attacks, where the first involves a series of rotating slashes while the second charged attack begins when he does an overhead slash at you. If you maintain distance during phase two of the attack, he will rush in and ground roll, but this can be parried as soon as he gets close to you.

A well-timed parry disrupts his rhythm, halting the attack combo in its tracks. He becomes powerful the moment you give him room when he is close to being staggered.

7 The Blade Twin

In an interesting turn of events, you will come across your Blade twin during The Plot To Assassinate Townsend Harris mission, where you will learn that the twin is alive and is now working under the United States Government.

The Blade twin is no easy boss either, as they have a prosthetic arm (Demon Claw) that gives them the ability to curate very devastating attacks. The twin also utilizes multiple weapons simultaneously when fighting, which requires you to have an effective strategy to adapt and best the twin in combat.

You should switch up your fighting style depending on the weapon the twin currently has equipped.

6 Sayori And Ushio

This encounter is bound to make you feel like an actual Samurai where you get to fight two enemies simultaneously. You are to confront the duo of Sayori and Ushio in the northwestern corner of Miyozaki, guarding a shrine where Taka is being held hostage. They are remnants of the Veiled Edge from the Kurosu clan.

Sayori is armed with paired blades while Ushio wields a spear. When attacking them, you can prioritize Sayori's as she has a more swift and aggressive assault pattern. Once Sayori is down, you can shift your attention to Ushio, whose slower movements will give you an opportunity for calculated strikes and timely counters against her.

5 Genzui Kusaka

Genzui Kusaka can be found inside the Hongakuji Temple training a bunch of amateur students. He is disappointed that you are working with foreigners, and engages in a battle with you. For his first move, he takes both his swords backwards and attacks you with a five to six hit combo. He also does both sideward slashes and twisting maneuvers that challenge you to predict and counter his assault.

You can defeat him by parrying his swings as you dodge backwards from his attacks. Additionally, Kusaka employs charged attacks, each accompanied by a red glow that signals danger. Whether it's his charged kick, jump slash, or rushing strike, you must employ precision timing to evade.

4 Foreign Swordsman (Jules Brunet)

Tasked with the duty of training against incoming challengers, the Foreign Swordsman is located within the French Army Base and you have to defeat him to progress in the main storyline. His combat proficiency is evident from the beginning, with moves such as the shield throw followed by a roll and uppercut, which require you to parry to counter.

The 10 Best Skills To Buy First In Rise Of The Ronin

Fight for or against the Shogunate with the best skills in Rise of the Ronin.

He also has a long-range sword thrust coupled with a jumping sword slam that you have to block or keep your distance when he is about to initiate. Moreover, a couple of moves will be added to his move list when he loses more than 50 percent HP.

3 Naosuke Li

Naosuke Li is the master of the Blue Demon and you can find him when reaching the Sakurada Gate. During your main fight with him, he will fight together with the Blue Demon (Akikatsu Manabe). You must anticipate his shove slash, wind slash, and slash combos, each demanding precise timing and strategic maneuvering to evade or counter effectively.

When he loses some HP, he sends a range of three shockwaves towards you and his charged attacks include the rush slash and wind orbit, which require you to react swiftly to avoid blows.

At the end of the fight, you are given a choice of whether to kill or spare Naosuke Li. If you choose to spare him, the Blue Demon will make an escape with him in a cutscene.

2 Kimenzan The Crusher

This is one of the largest bosses you will have to fight in the game. You will first encounter him during the Infiltrate The Prison Complexmission, and he has a large spiked-blunt weapon that he uses to attack.

When his health falls below a certain threshold, he will switch up his attack strategy and use pure melee without weapons, often lunging himself towards you and attempting to smash your character in very deadly attacks.

1 Mochisuke Kira

Another large enemy that you will come across is Mochisuke Kira, who wields a huge club. He can be found around the Maita Castle, and he has a very aggressive fighting style, often featuring swinging of his club towards your character or shoving the character.

He can also stomp the ground near you, which can disorient your character's stance and make it easy for him to swing and deal more damage. Although his attacks are pretty powerful, they can be mitigated as he is relatively slow, giving you enough time to parry or dodge.

8 Games To Play If You Like Rise Of The Ronin

If you enjoyed Rise of the Ronin, check out these similar games.