Sekiro boss guide and walkthrough - boss and mini boss list for beating Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Our detailed, in-progress walkthrough for each key moment in Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice.

Guide by Chris Tapsell Deputy Editor

Updated on Jan. 6, 2021

Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice is tough as nails - perhaps From Software's toughest game to date - requiring some genuine skill and a real shake-up of the tried-and-tested methods you might have used in the Soulsborne games gone by.

Our Sekiro walkthrough and this Sekiro guide hub are here to help though: below we'll gather each individual guide page we have for the game plus every step of our (currently in-progress) walkthrough, including a Sekiro boss guide and boss list taking you through bosses, mini bosses and any key moments in between.

On this page:

Sekiro walkthrough - our Sekiro boss guide and boss list
Sekiro guide hub - all our Sekiro guides in one place
Sekiro boss battle advice: key things to know about how to get through Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice's bosses

Cover image for YouTube video — Let's Play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Getting Drunk With JuzouWatch on YouTube

Sekiro walkthrough - our Sekiro boss guide and boss list

Our walkthrough is still very much in progress for now, as are our standalone guides to the game's various mechanics - keep checking back for more in the days following launch, but for now here are they key pages we've got for you so far:

Sekiro boss list and walkthrough - Ashina Outskirts

Sekiro boss list and walkthrough - Hirata Estate

Sekiro boss list and walkthrough - Ashina Castle

Sekiro boss list and walkthrough - Senpou Temple

Sekiro boss list and walkthrough - Ashina Depths

Sekiro boss list and walkthrough - Sunken Valley

Sekiro Guardian Ape fight - how to beat and kill the Guardian Ape and headless Ape

Sekiro boss list and walkthrough - Return of Ashina Castle

Sekiro boss list and walktrhough - Fountainhead Palace

The final Sekiro boss

Sekiro Isshin the Sword Saint fight - how to beat the endboss and an easy Isshin Sword Saint cheese

Much more to follow!

Sekiro guide hub - all our Sekiro guides in one place

Like our walkthrough above, our list of Sekiro guides is still growing, and you'll see plenty more pages spring up here over the coming days and weeks.

Here's what we have for now.

Sekiro guides - systems and tips

Sekiro guides - collectibles and locations

Sekiro boss battle advice: key things to know about how to get through Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice's bosses

Our walkthrough above focuses primarily on boss and mini boss fights, and so most of the time it's all about combat.

With that in mind, here are a handful of key things to know, or just generally bear in mind, when you're diving into boss fights or working your way through the game. Combine these tips with the specifics we run through in each of our boss pages above, and you'll be off to a flyer.

You'll need to get used to a variety of unblockable attacks and their counters if you want to succeed.

Sekiro boss fight pointers

Bank the next Skill Point - If you know you're in for a boss or mini boss fight, and there's a Sculptor's Idol nearby, it's worth grinding out a few grunts until you reach the next Skill Point. You lose all your progress to the next point each time you die, so don't risk all that XP and just get the last few kills to tick yourself over before you take the next big bad on.
Top up on Pellets - There's a vendor fairly early on, shortly after the second mini boss General Naomori Kawarada (on the far left of the next area, listen for the crow sounds to guide you to him). Use vendors when you see them and don't be afraid to fast travel back to them before boss fights to top up. A handful of Pellets can make the difference, and that Sen's got to be spent on something!
Invest your Sen in Light Coin Purses - That said, if you have a load of Sen burnig a hole in your pocket then if you're not spending it on items, buy Light Coin Purses with it from a vendor. It sounds silly, but these can be 'activated' when you need them, and store Sen safely - you don't lose Light Coin Purses on death, but you do lose half your Sen.
Be more agressive than you're used to - We cover this more in our Sekiro combat system guide, but it feels uncomfortable being aggressive in a game that's so punishing of your mistakes, but it's necessary. Know your rock-paper-scissors matchups for Perilous Attacks and how to counter them, get a read on your enemy's roster of attacks and prepare yourself mentally to attack, dodge, jump, and deflect at the right times. There'll be few major fights where you won't need to do all of these at some point.
Practice, practice, practice - Don't ignore that friendly training zombie near the Dilapidated Temple. Every time your learn a new skill or make some significant progress, take the time to visit him and practice it. Set yourself a rule, like "don't leave until you can finish every new training excercise without taking damage", and you'll be amazed at the difference it makes to your combat throughout the game.
Use everything at your disposal, but don't rely on it - You'll find that a lot of bosses and general battles can be cheesed. Dousing enemies in Oil and then setting them on fire with a Prosthetic, for instance, or relying on the Firecracker Prosthetic to stun bosses and get some free hits in. These are all worth using, along with the items that are handed out along the way, but don't rely on them. If you use them as a crutch, you'll soon hit a boss that's immune to them, and then without the time spent mastering the foundations of combat, you'll really struggle.