Onimusha Way of the Sword Trophy Guide & Roadmap (PS5 / Series X)

If you grew up playing the old Onimusha games, there is something strangely satisfying about seeing Miyamoto Musashi step back into the spotlight. Onimusha: Way of the Sword takes the familiar samurai-versus-demons formula and gives it a much more modern action-game feel, but the trophy list still has that old-school edge. It wants you to learn the combat, explore properly, and occasionally suffer a little.

And yes, I mean that in the best possible way.

This isn’t one of those Platinum trophies where you can simply follow the story, clean up a few collectibles and call it a night. The real obstacle is the Issen system. Once the game starts asking you to perform precise counters, survive the harder difficulty and eventually chase an S-Rank run, your knowledge of the combat system matters far more than your character level.

So if you’re aiming for the Onimusha: Way of the Sword Platinum Trophy on PS5 or Xbox Series X, here’s how I’d approach the entire journey.

Platinum Roadmap At A Glance

The 6.5/10 difficulty rating feels about right. The trophy requirements themselves aren’t particularly outrageous, but the game has several challenges that can punish sloppy play. The Issen timing is the big one.

If you are already comfortable with action games built around parries and counters, you may find this considerably easier. If your usual strategy is “block everything and mash attack when the boss stops moving,” Way of the Sword is going to teach you some new habits.

Step 1 — Play The Story Properly First

For the first playthrough, I’d pick Action difficulty.

Story difficulty is useful if you’re completely unfamiliar with the combat system because it provides more generous visual assistance for incoming attacks. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, you can use it as a training ground for learning enemy animations.

But for a first serious Platinum attempt, Action is the sweet spot.

Don’t rush this run.

Explore Kyoto, investigate side paths, collect Fluorites, upgrade your equipment and complete the optional citizen quests whenever they become available. You’ll also want to absorb as many Genma souls as possible.

There is a good reason for this.

The first playthrough is where you build your character and, more importantly, build your muscle memory. Later difficulties become much more manageable when you already know which enemies are dangerous and which attacks can be Issen-countered.

I’d also recommend keeping several manual saves. The semi-linear structure means missing a collectible or optional objective can turn into an annoying cleanup problem later.

Things I Would Prioritize

• Complete every available side quest.
• Search each new area before moving on.
• Grab every Fluorite you see.
• Open puzzle boxes instead of ignoring them.
• Upgrade your preferred weapon consistently.
• Practice Issen counters against ordinary Genma.
• Keep multiple save files around major story transitions.

That last point is boring advice until you actually miss something.

Then it becomes the best advice in the entire guide.

Step 2 — Take On The Dark Realm

The Dark Realm is where the game stops being polite.

This multi-floor combat challenge throws increasingly dangerous Genma encounters at you, eventually demanding that you understand crowd control, defensive timing and Oni abilities rather than simply relying on basic sword attacks.

There are 30 floors to clear.

Completing the entire challenge awards the trophy Conqueror of the Abyss, along with an extremely valuable weapon reward.

Personally, I would not leave this until the absolute end unless you have a reason to. Getting the powerful weapon from the Dark Realm can make the remaining trophy cleanup noticeably more comfortable.

Before entering, make sure your health and magic capacity are upgraded as much as possible. Bring useful healing and protection items, too.

The final floors are where things get ugly. Large Genma mixed with ranged enemies can quickly turn a controlled fight into chaos.

My advice is simple: don’t be stingy with Oni magic.

This is exactly the kind of situation where saving every resource for later can backfire. If several enemies surround you, clear the dangerous group instead of trying to prove you can win with basic sword attacks.

Step 3 — Go For The Speedrun And S-Rank

This is the run where you stop being a tourist in Kyoto.

The Swift Justice trophy requires completing the game in under five hours, while Peerless Samurai asks for an overall S-Rank at the final statistics screen.

The important thing here is preparation.

Don’t attempt this immediately after starting the game for the first time. By then you should already know the routes, boss patterns, mandatory encounters and general level layouts.

The speedrun approach is completely different from the exploration run.

Skip unnecessary rooms.

Don’t stop to solve optional puzzles.

Ignore enemies that don’t need to be killed.

Skip cutscenes.

Move from objective to objective.

At the same time, you still need to maintain strong enough combat performance to satisfy the S-Rank requirements.

The target statistics listed for the S-Rank include:

• Under 5 hours of completion time
• 50,000+ souls absorbed
• 600+ Genma defeated
• Fewer than 3 deaths

This sounds contradictory at first. You need to be fast, but you also need to kill enough enemies and collect enough souls.

The trick is to avoid unnecessary combat rather than avoiding combat entirely.

Kill enemies that are directly on your route. Ignore encounters that would force a large detour. Learn which battles can be cleared quickly and which are simply time sinks.

This is where knowing the game beforehand pays off.

Step 4 — The Highest Difficulty Cleanup

Once the harder difficulty becomes available, it’s time for the final serious test.

The highest difficulty dramatically reduces the effectiveness of simply hacking away at enemies. Normal attacks become much less forgiving, and enemy aggression makes mistakes expensive.

This is where Issen becomes your best friend.

If you have spent the earlier runs learning the timing instead of constantly relying on blocking, this mode becomes considerably less terrifying.

If you haven’t?

Well… good luck.

The important thing is not to panic. Watch enemy animations. Learn the moment immediately before impact. The game rewards players who react to the actual attack rather than simply anticipating everything.

The Combat Mechanics You Absolutely Need To Understand

Issen

The Issen counter is the mechanic that defines the Platinum.

Instead of blocking an attack normally, you attack at the precise moment an enemy’s strike is about to connect. Get the timing right and Musashi responds with a devastating counterattack.

Against weaker Genma, this can be lethal.

Against bosses, it can create some of your best damage opportunities.

The timing is tight, but practice makes a huge difference. Don’t treat the first few failures as wasted attempts. You’re essentially learning an animation rather than memorizing a button combination.

Break Issen

When an enemy’s stamina is depleted, it becomes vulnerable and begins showing a distinctive red energy effect.

This is your opportunity to perform a Break Issen.

Besides looking fantastic, these executions can produce a huge amount of Red Souls.

And Red Souls are exactly what you need for upgrades.

Oni Gauntlet

The Oni Gauntlet isn’t just a story prop. It is one of the most important pieces of your progression.

Different soul types serve different purposes:

• Red Souls — weapon upgrades
• Blue Souls — magic recovery
• Yellow Souls — health recovery

Get into the habit of absorbing souls after encounters. Walking away from resources lying on the floor is basically throwing progression away.

The Trophy List That Deserves Your Attention

Platinum — The Way of the Sword

Requirement: Earn every other trophy.

Nothing complicated here. Once everything else is unlocked, the Platinum follows automatically.

Gold Trophies

Peerless Samurai

Requirement: Earn an overall S-Rank at the final statistics screen.

This is best combined with your dedicated speedrun. Aim for a sub-five-hour completion while keeping your soul count and Genma kills high and your deaths low.

Conqueror Of The Abyss

Requirement: Complete all 30 Dark Realm floors.

This is one of the more demanding combat trophies. Fully upgrade your health and magic before attempting the later floors and don’t hesitate to use Oni abilities against dangerous groups.

Shadow Of The Edo

Requirement: Complete the game on the highest available difficulty.

This is the trophy that will expose whether you’ve actually learned the combat system.

Master Issen timing before attempting it.

Silver Trophies

Legend Of Kyoto

Complete all 12 optional citizen quests.

These quests can appear after major story events, so don’t assume an area is permanently empty just because you’ve already visited it.

Master Of Precision

Perform 100 successful Issen counters.

This carries across your playthroughs, making it much less intimidating than it initially sounds. Practice on common Genma rather than forcing yourself to learn the timing against bosses.

Unstoppable Might

Fully upgrade the Oni Gauntlet.

Red Souls are the key resource here. Break Issen executions are particularly useful for increasing your soul income.

The Ultimate Rivalry

Defeat Sasaki Ganryu on Action difficulty or higher without taking damage.

This is one of those trophies I’d personally leave until you’re comfortable with the boss. Learn his combos, especially the vertical overhead attack, and punish his recovery rather than trying to trade hits.

Flawless Victory

Defeat a major Genma boss without using a healing item.

Choose an early boss if possible. Play patiently and don’t get greedy with combos.

Collector Of Truth

Find and read all 24 historical documents.

Search side paths, puzzle areas and chests carefully. If you see a collectible opportunity, take it immediately rather than assuming you’ll return later.

Blink Of An Eye

Perform five Issen counters in succession during one encounter.

The easiest approach is finding enemies with quick, predictable attacks. Once the rhythm starts, don’t rush the next counter. Let the attack animation come to you.

Weapon Connoisseur

Collect every sword available to Musashi.

Several are connected to progression and puzzle rewards, while the final powerful weapon is tied to the Dark Realm.

Soul Harvester

Absorb 100,000 souls.

This is cumulative, so don’t obsess over the number during your first few hours. Normal progression and dedicated farming should take care of most of it.

Swift Justice

Finish the game in under five hours.

Save this for your optimized run. Skip unnecessary content and focus entirely on the critical path.

Bronze Trophies — The Easy Ones You Can Pick Up Naturally

The early story trophies include The Journey Begins, The Tainted Capital, Temple Of Cleansing, First Blood, and The Power Within. These are essentially impossible to miss if you follow the campaign.

Then you have several gameplay milestones:

• Cracked Shell — Perform your first Break Issen.
• Oni Archer — Defeat 30 enemies with the Oni Bow.
• Hidden Radiance — Find your first Fluorite.
• Geometrical Mind — Solve a box puzzle in fewer than three moves.
• Iron Will — Perfectly parry 50 attacks.
• Sharpened Edge — Upgrade a sword to Level 2.
• Overwhelming Energy — Activate Oni Awakening.
• Kyoto Tourist — Visit every major sub-district.
• Bamboo Slicer — Destroy 100 bamboo shafts.
• Toshiro’s Legacy — Obtain the traditional master samurai armor.
• Tactical Retreat — Evade an unblockable grab.
• Spirit Mirror Refuge — Use a Spirit Mirror 10 times.
• Demon Slayer — Defeat 500 Genma.
• Restoration — Fully restore critical health using Yellow Souls.
• Magic Unleashed — Perform 30 elemental magic attacks.
• Alleyway Secret — Find the hidden Edo merchant.
• Unmasked — Destroy the face armor of a giant shielded Genma.
• The Way Of The Joy-Con — Complete a combat encounter using motion controls.
• Perfect Read — Issen-counter a flying Genma.
• Talisman Protection — Be automatically revived by a Talisman of Protection.
• Ancient Mechanism — Activate the Kyoto waterwheel puzzle.
• Fast Learner — Acquire all combat skills from training scrolls.
• Elite Defeated — Defeat a giant red-armored Genma.
• Treasured Memories — Open every puzzle box.
• Envoy Of Peace — Finish a chapter without killing optional enemies.
• Legendary Stance — Accumulate five minutes of defensive guarding.
• The Final Stand — Enter the final Malice area.

Most of these are straightforward, but a few deserve special attention.

Treasured Memories is one I would actively track. There are eight puzzle boxes, and missing one can create unnecessary cleanup.

Envoy Of Peace is also easier when planned. Chapter 2 is the recommended location because you can simply avoid non-essential fights and reach the required objectives.

And don’t forget The Way Of The Joy-Con. It’s an unusual requirement compared with the rest of the list, but switching to the motion-control configuration and completing a normal encounter should handle it.

Onimusha Way of the Sword Endings Guide: How to Unlock the True Ending

My Biggest Platinum Tips

The biggest mistake would be treating this like a traditional collectible cleanup game.

It isn’t.

The Platinum is really three different challenges mixed together: exploration, speed and combat mastery.

During your first run, explore everything. During your speedrun, explore almost nothing. During the highest-difficulty run, stop thinking about speed and concentrate on survival.

I’d also keep three rotating saves. It takes seconds to create them and can save you from replaying a large section of the campaign because you missed a document or side quest.

Most importantly, practice Issen early.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword Steam Deck Best Settings Guide: Maximize Performance & Battery Life

You don’t want your first serious attempt at the hardest difficulty to be the moment you discover that the timing window is brutal. Find basic Genma, watch their attacks and deliberately practice the counter instead of killing them immediately.

Once the timing clicks, Way of the Sword changes.

Enemies that initially feel like damage sponges suddenly become opportunities. Bosses become less about waiting for an opening and more about creating one with a perfectly timed response.

And that’s probably my favorite thing about this Platinum.

It doesn’t just ask you to finish Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It asks you to actually learn how the sword works.

For a game built around Musashi, that’s exactly how a trophy hunt should feel.

Onimusha Way of the Sword – Max Gear Fast Guide (+ Commentary)