This Nioh 3 Tokugawa Kunimatsu Boss Battle Guide details all the tips and tricks you need to know to defeat Tokugawa Kunimatsu. Tokugawa Kunimatsu is one of the toughest fights in the game so far. You first met him in the prologue, but now he returns at a much higher level and is far more dangerous. Even though he only has one health bar, the battle feels long because he has high health, strong elemental attacks, and very few safe openings. You should be around Level 100 with solid gear before attempting this.
Tokugawa Kunimatsu Boss Battle Guide – Nioh 3
You will face Tokugawa Boss in the Light of Hope Mission at level 97, and you should use Ninja Style with Dual Swords.
Kunimatsu fights like an experienced human warrior. In the first phase, he uses a sword along with lightning and wind magic. Later, he switches to dual swords and becomes even more aggressive. Unlike other bosses, staying behind him is difficult. He turns quickly, spins often, and blocks many of your Ninjutsu attacks. Because of this, you cannot rely on ranged tools too much. Ninjutsu works best only when he is locked in an attack animation or when you manage to get behind him.
He can also summon a wind spirit that supports him. The most dangerous attack from this creature is a straight-line charge. It moves fast and can catch you off guard. The other wind moves, like slow whirlwinds or wind covering the ground, and are easier to avoid since they give you time to react. Stay calm and move out of the affected area instead of panicking.
How to Defeat the Boss
At the start of the fight, quickly circle behind him and throw a few Shuriken before landing a short melee combo. After that, the fight becomes more about patience than aggression. Focus mainly on melee combat and learning his attack patterns. His sword range is not very long, so dodging backward is usually safer than dodging forward. Let him finish his full combo first, then punish him. This fight is different from others, where you normally try to slip behind immediately. Here, you often wait for him to complete his attacks before moving in.
Sometimes after long combos or magic attacks, he pauses briefly. That is your chance to dash behind him and deal critical damage. If you cannot reach him in time, it is fine to hit him from the front after he finishes attacking. Consistent safe damage is better than taking risks. Use your strongest summoning seals early in the fight to reduce his health before things get more chaotic in phase two.
Watch carefully as the ground starts to glow with electricity. Move away and wait for the discharge to finish before attacking again. When he fires electric orbs, dodge sideways at the right moment. Dodging too early can cause you to roll directly into the projectile. Timing matters here more than speed.
Second Phase
In the second phase, his elemental attacks become more frequent and more dangerous. One of his deadliest moves is a forward dash with wind-infused swords. After he rushes, a line of wind explodes along the path he traveled. This delayed explosion can remove a huge portion of your health if you remain in that area. When you see this move begin, immediately move far away from the path and wait until the wind trail finishes exploding before going back in.
If he suddenly vanishes from sight, prepare for an aerial lightning strike. He will drop down and create a large electric blast on the ground. As soon as he disappears, run sideways and keep moving until he lands. This makes the attack very easy to avoid once you recognize it.
His sword attacks are faster in this phase, but the defensive strategy is mostly the same. Dodge backward, wait for him to miss, then counterattack during his recovery. Do not rush. This is a slow fight, and trying to force damage will only get you hit. His second phase lasts longer than most bosses, so stay patient and keep chipping away at his health.
Be very careful when using Ninjutsu or magic in phase two. He often punishes you with quick stabs or projectiles if you try to cast at the wrong time. Only use them when he is clearly stuck in a long combo, and you are safely out of range. Save your Guardian Spirit for when his health drops very low, around the last 10%, to finish the fight safely without taking unnecessary risks.
Overall, this battle tests your timing, positioning, and patience more than anything else. He blocks frequently, is hard to circle behind, and cannot be defeated easily with just Ninjutsu tricks.
That is all for this guide. Additional Nioh 3 guides are linked below:
- Nioh 3 Enenra Boss Battle Guide – How to Defeat
- Nioh 3 Nuribotoke Boss Battle Guide – How to Defeat
- Nioh 3 Okita Soji Boss Battle Guide – How to Defeat
- Nioh 3 Tokugawa Yoshinobu Boss Battle Guide – How to Defeat
- Nioh 3 Death Veil Boss Battle Guide – How to Defeat
- Nioh 3 Hiruko Final Boss Battle Guide – How to Defeat
This concludes our Nioh 3 Tokugawa Kunimatsu Boss Battle Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below.
