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Nioh 3
How to Beat Hiruko
Hiruko is a boss from Nioh 3 during the mission Ill Omen. See how to beat Hiruko and his weaknesses, as well as the rewards and location in this guide.
List of Contents
How to Beat Hiruko
To beat Hiruko, use Ninja style to dash through his attacks and punish him from behind with increased backstab damage. Use the following strategy to win the encounter:
- Dash Through Attacks and Punish from Behind
- Save Elixirs for the Second Phase
- Mind the Ground for Hazards in the Second Phase
- Watch Out for His Tail Attack
- Sidestep to Avoid the Crucible Beam
- Use Your Summoning Seals
- Farm Levels and Better Gear
- Secure with Living Artifact
- Summon Assistance from Acolytes
- Use Talismans and Items for Buffs
Dash Through Attacks and Punish from Behind
Hiruko is a human-sized boss whose attacks mainly hit straight ahead of him. Simply dash through his attacks and strike from behind while he recovers.
This tactic is particularly effective when using Ninja style for the increased backstab damage.
Save Elixirs for the Second Phase
Try your best not to sustain too much damage while fighting Hiruko in his human form. He returns to full health during the second phase and becomes more aggressive, which is when you will most likely need your Elixirs.
Mind the Ground for Hazards in the Second Phase
The same tactic of dodging through him and attacking from behind still applies during the second phase. However, you must watch out for several elemental hazards that make it difficult to get behind him.
His ice attacks are particularly dangerous, as getting frozen leaves you vulnerable to his next attack. You should also stay clear of areas where blood is raining down, as this will decrease your maximum health.
Watch Out for His Tail Attack
When attacking from behind Hiruko, be careful when he hunches forward, as he is winding up his tail attack.
Avoid or block this attack, then continue striking during this fairly long window while he turns back toward you.
Sidestep then Advance to Avoid the Crucible Beam
The Crucible Beam attack is quite simple to avoid. Sidestep the initial beam, then move forward during the second one to close the gap. Just make sure to avoid any elemental hazards.
Use Your Summoning Seals
Do not forget to use your summoning seals, especially as you can now have two of them equipped by this stage in the game. They can help deal extra damage, open opportunities to attack, or even save you from dying.
Farm Levels and Better Gear
If you're still struggling with Hiruko, don't hesitate to farm some levels and equip gear that matches your level then try again.
How to Level Up Fast: Amrita Farming Guide
Secure with Living Artifact
Keep your Living Artifact ready to secure the victory when Kusanagi is low. You're invulnerable while in this state but you must still dodge or block because sustaining damage shortens its duration.
You also have unlimited Ki while Living Artifact is active. Use this to spam your most potent Martial Arts.
Summon Assistance from Acolytes
Summon an acolyte from nearby benevolent graves to serve as a distraction and help deal chip damage. You'll need Ochoko Cups to summon acolytes, which you can obtain by defeating revenants from bloody graves.
Use Talismans and Items for Buffs
Use talismans and items such as Power Talismans and Power Pills to boost your attack. Note that they do not stack and only refresh the duration of the attack buff. Fire Stop and Water Stop Talismans help mitigate elemental damage.
You can also use the talismans from Soul Cores listed below to give you an advantage.
| Talisman / Soul Core | Effect |
|---|---|
| Scampuss Summoning Seal (Scampuss Soul Core) |
Shreds enemy Ki quickly |
| Life Leech Talisman (Mermaid Soul Core) |
Helps keep your health topped up |
| Preservation Talisman (Mujina Soul Core) |
Saves you from a fatal hit |
| Barrier Talisman (Otoroshi Soul Core) |
Boosts Ki regeneration and dispels Yokai Realms |
Equip Awakening to Speed Up Talisman Usage
The Awakening skill is highly recommended to speed up talisman usage, especially against bosses where you can easily get punished.
It is also easy to fit in most builds as it only costs 3 Points.
Hiruko Weaknesses
Boss Weakness and Overview
| Weaknesses | ・None |
|---|---|
| Resistances |
・Scorched ・Saturated ・Electrified ・Blustered |
| Era | Antiquity |
| Main Mission | Ill Omen (Recommended: Lv 93) |
Hiruko has no elemental weaknesses and is resistant to most status effects.
Hiruko Drops and Rewards
|
・Senjuin Tachi Lv. 101 ・Mitsumono Vest Lv. 101 ・Samurai's Locks ・Ninja Text x2 |
Hiruko Location
Found in Spirit Tree Shrine Crucible
Hiruko is found in Spirit Tree Shrine Crucible during the mission Ill Omen.
Nioh 3 Related Guides
List of Main Bosses
| Warring States | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Yamagata Masakage |
 Jakotsu-baba |
 Baba Nobuharu |
|||
 Yamagata Masakage (Yokai) |
 Takeda Shingen |
 Takeda Shingen (Yokai) |
|||
| Heian | |||||
 Great Tengu |
 Otoroshi |
 Ibaraki Doji |
|||
 Kajiwara Kagetoki |
 Minamoto no Yoritomo |
||||
| Antiquity | |||||
 Kusanagi |
 Hiruko |
||||
| Return to Edo | |||||
 Tokugawa Kunimatsu |
|||||
| Bakumatsu | |||||
| Takasugi Shinsaku | Enenra | Nuribotoke | |||
| Okita Soji | Tokugawa Yoshinobu | ||||
| Final Battle of Edo | |||||
| Death Veil | Hiruko (Final Boss) | ||||
List of Secret Bosses
| Optional Bosses | ||
|---|---|---|
 Demon of Pride |
 Demon of Envy |
 Demon of Obsession |
List of Optional Bosses
| Optional Bosses | ||
|---|---|---|
 Bloodedge Demon |
 Ryomen Sukuna |
 Hino-Enma |
 Otzu no Kata |
 Yoki |
Hattori Hanzo |
| Ninja Yoki | Kyokotsu | Aggrieved Warrior |
List of Formidable Enemies
| Warring States Era | ||
|---|---|---|
 Kamaitachi |
 Mezuki |
 Green Shadow's Blade |
| Blood-Spurting Ogin | Naito Masatoyo | Anayama Nobutada |
| Honda Tadakatsu | Nuppeppo | Onryoki |
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How to Beat Hiruko
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