Onimusha Bishamon Sword — How to Unlock & What It Does

The Bishamon Sword is the series’ legendary endgame weapon, and in Way of the Sword it is the reward for beating the game twice — the second time on Carnage, the hardest difficulty. Unlike the cosmetic skins, it has a real combat effect. Here is the full unlock route and what you actually get for it.

How to Unlock It

1. Finish the game once on Story or Action difficulty — this unlocks Carnage mode (a New Game+ that cannot be selected from a fresh save).
2. Start a Carnage run. Sources conflict on carryover: most agree charms and the Hozuki Pouch carry over, while equipment and upgrades reset — community verification is ongoing.
3. Beat the full Carnage campaign, including the final boss Minamoto no Yoshitsune at The Clash at Rendaino.
4. After the credits, the Bishamon Sword is unlocked permanently and usable on any difficulty — equip it at the Spirit Mirror.

What the Sword Does

• Greatly widens the Issen / parry timing window — described as similar to being permanently in Oni Awakening, and it stacks further during an actual Awakening.
• Increases Issen damage — roughly 10% per community testing.
• It occupies a cosmetic slot but is combat-functional — one of only two non-purely-visual rewards in the game.

What Carnage Mode Changes

• Parry windows shrink and reaction cues are removed — timing becomes tighter across every fight.
• Basic attacks become nearly one-hit lethal, turning every encounter into an Issen-or-die check.
• It is the intended "final exam" of the combat system — the same skills the boss guide teaches, under harsher numbers.

The Other Functional Reward

The second combat-functional unlock is Warlord Armor 2, earned by clearing all Carnage Boss Rematches. If you are going for both, run the rematch mode on the same Carnage playthrough rather than starting a third run.

PC Note

A PC mod exists that unlocks the Bishamon Sword without the second playthrough. Use it at your own risk — modded saves can interfere with trophies and the rematch leaderboards.

Related Guides