Onimusha Ganryu Boss Guide — Sasaki Ganryu

Sasaki Ganryu is the first major boss of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, fought at Kiyomizu-dera — and he was also the finale of the free demo, so most players meet him twice. He fights with a long sword and is the game’s parry tutorial: everything he does teaches a mechanic you will need for the next 17 bosses.

The Fight

• Phase 1: parry his sword strings. His jump kick has too short a parry window — side-dodge it.
• Phase 2 (below ~50% HP): longer combos, more kicks, and a command grab telegraphed by a flashing left hand — dodge it.
• Cinematic blade clashes: alternate one-handed and two-handed attacks to win them.
• When his posture breaks, finish with Break Issen.

Boss System Recap

• Break posture first — parrying drains enemy stamina faster than damage; broken posture opens Break Issen.
• White-glowing attacks cannot be Issen’d — parry, deflect or dodge them.
• Grab attacks cannot be parried — watch the telegraph and dodge.
• Bosses regenerate stamina if you keep your distance — stay aggressive.

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