Best Oni Armaments in Onimusha Way of the Sword and how to get them
You collect Onimusha Way of the Sword Oni Armaments as you progress, but some of the best can be easily missed
Onimusha Way of the Sword Oni Armaments are among the most powerful abilities you'll be granted during your adventure as Musashi, and there are a total of six to find across the expansive map. While you can try and find some of the Armaments early using the maps below, you may find some areas are covered in Malice and are inaccessible.
Instead, if you follow the main story, some Armaments are found naturally as you carry out main missions. Others, however, can easily be missed. One of the easiest to pass by is The Flashing Void, which, as you can see from my list below, is one of the best Way of the Sword Oni Armaments, so you won't want to miss out. To find that, and discover which Oni Armaments are the best to rely on, keep reading.
Best Onimusha Way of the Sword Oni Armaments
The best Oni Armaments can be narrowed down to three of the powerful weapons, each used in different situations. They are:
- Wind-Whipper
- Earth-Shakers
- The Flashing Void
The Wind-Whipper is the second Oni Armament you'll come across and is an incredible upgrade from the Two Celestials, especially in large groups. This is the only choice when you're surrounded by Genma - even just three or four - as it completely obliterates all low-end foes in an instant, leaving any stronger enemies with significantly reduced health, making them easier to take down yourself.
Switch the Wind-Whipper out for the Earth-Shakers when up against a single boss or mini boss. Charged up, they deal a huge amount of Break Damage, allowing you to carry out Break Issen attacks more frequently, which is essential against challenging enemies. The only down side to the Earth-Shakers is that they take a while to charge and you can still be open to attack while doing so, so take some time to learn the timing. You can use them quickly, but the uncharged attack deals less Break Damage.
Finally, the powerful Flashing Void is almost the opposite of the Earth-Shakers. While they don't deal a significant amount of Break Damage, they instead take a huge chunk out of your opponent's health. The true benefit to using the Flashing Void over the Earth-Shakers is that, while it does require charging to be at its most powerful, its charge slows down time and it can be done from further away, meaning you're much safer when doing so.
All Way of the Sword Oni Armament locations
Here are all six Onimusha Way of the Sword Oni Armaments and their locations:
- The Two Celestials
- In a chest protected by a Spider during the The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu main quest. Will be obtained during the story.
- Wind-Whipper
- Gifted by Takamura when you first enter the Practice Ground. Will be obtained during the story.
- Earth-Shakers
- In a chest in the Underground Laboratory during the What Lurks in the Shadows main quest, in the room after the broken turbine. Can be missed, but you can return to the lab.
- Firebird Flute
- In a chest in the South East area of Kyoto during the Shadows Fall main quest. Can be missed, but you can return to the area, directly south of the Gojo Street Spirit Mirror.
- The Flashing Void
- In a chest in a cavern on the way to the Mount Oe Castle Courtyard during the Demon on the Mount main quest. Can easily be missed, but you can return to the area.
- TBC
- This information is currently under embargo so I don't spoil any endgame stuff!
For more detailed explanations of any of the locations above, including maps, read on.
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The Two Celestials location
You shouldn't miss The Two Celestials, as you'll come across the first Oni Armaments during the early-game mission in which you go off to explore Kiyomizu-Dera Temple. You'll need to "follow the threads", leading you to rather creepy hand-spiders, one of which will have wrapped it's web of threads around a chest containing the valuable dual daggers.
Wind-Whipper location
The Wind-Whipper is another Oni Armament you cannot miss, as Takamura takes you to the Practice Ground as part of the main story. While you are not obliged to revisit unless you want to, your first trip there is mandatory, during which you'll receive the Wind-Whipper - along with a practice session on using it.
Earth-Shakers location
Alongside being one of the best Oni Armaments, the Earth-Shakers are also the first you can actually miss if you aren't opening chests. Following the turbine section in the What Lurks in the Shadows main quest, you can find the Earth-Shakers in a chest in the very next room you enter, on your left. If you have already missed it, simply use Way of the Sword fast travel to return to Underground Level 4 of the lab. The exact room is marked on the map above.
Firebird Flute location
Like the Earth-Shakers, the Firebird Flute is located in a chest you don't have to open, so you can, in theory, miss it. To find them, you must head southwest from the Gojo Street Spirit Mirror and into the area marked on the map above. There are lots of Genma here, of course, so keep your wits about you as you go.
The Flashing Void location
The Flashing Void is the easiest Oni Armament to miss, as it's located in a dead end cavern along to route to the castle at the top of Mount Oe. As you head from the valley to the castle, you'll see a small passage on your right, as seen on the map above, and this is where you can find the Flashing Void. If you missed it during the Demon on the Mount quest, you can return to the area to collect it later.
It's worth giving all of the Way of the Sword Oni Armaments a try, just to see if you gel with any I've not recommended above. For example, the Firebird Flute deals fire damage to up to three nearby foes, while also staggering them when they're hit, which is another great alternative to the Wind-Whipper for crowd control. While I still prefer the Wind-Whipper, you may enjoy seeing the Genma burn.
Alongside the thousands of Red Souls you'll collect defeating Genma on your travels, you'll need Onimusha Way of the Sword Oni Stones to level up your Oni Armaments, so keep your eyes peeled as your explore.
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After studying Music and Lifestyle journalism and writing a column for a stylish lifestyle magazine in her hometown of Brighton, Danielle finally found her feet writing about videogames for WePC in 2021. She then honed her guides writing skills at PCGamesN between 2022 and 2026, when she took those skills to GamesRadar as a Guides Writer. Danielle's guides are a safe space - she definitely got stuck before you did, which is why she's perfect for the job. When she's not replaying the Silent Hill games or a more up-to-date single-player horror game, you'll find her fighting for her life in Dead by Daylight, tending to a garden in Stardew Valley, or doing both in Minecraft.
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