Onimusha Way of the Sword: List of all sword skins and how to unlock them
There are quite a few sword skins you can get in Onimusha Way of the Sword, and thankfully, most of the unlocks are pretty easy to understand. The main thing you will be doing is rescuing Lion Dogs, with a new sword skin dropping after every six rescues.
There are 12 sword skins in total. Six are unlocked through Lion Dogs, while the remaining six come from pre-order bonuses or the Deluxe and Premium Deluxe editions.
All sword skins in Onimusha Way of the Sword
Here are all the sword skins you can get and exactly what you need to do to unlock each one.
Ura-giri
Ura-giri unlocks after rescuing 24 Lion Dogs. Its description mentions an Oni that betrayed its own kind, with its fire eventually being sealed inside the sword.
You are already pretty deep into the Lion Dog hunt by the time you get this one, so you will probably want to keep going for the remaining skins anyway.
Bamboo & Panda
Bamboo & Panda comes with the Deluxe or Premium Deluxe edition of the game.
This is easily one of the more playful sword skins. It gives the weapon a bamboo-style appearance with a panda theme.
It does not exactly fit the serious mood of every fight, but that is also kind of the point.
Sakurahime
You need to rescue 6 Lion Dogs to unlock Sakurahime.
This is the first sword skin you will earn from rescuing Lion Dogs. Its background is actually darker than the name makes it sound, as the sword was apparently once noble before becoming stained with the blood of its victims.
More importantly, you only need six rescues for it, so this is a pretty easy skin to grab once Lion Dogs become available.
The White Lion
The White Lion is tied to pre-ordering the Deluxe or Premium Deluxe edition.
Keep the pre-order part in mind here. Simply owning one of those editions is not enough to meet the original unlock requirement for this particular skin.
Myogo
Myogo unlocks once you have rescued 18 Lion Dogs.
Its description talks about a swordsmith praying to every god in the land before making the blade. This is also the halfway reward since there are 36 Lion Dogs in total.
Enryuu
Enryuu is included with the Deluxe and Premium Deluxe editions.
The design gives the sword a fiery look. That fire is only visual, though. You are not suddenly getting extra fire damage or setting enemies on fire just because you equipped it.
Kikoku
Kikoku requires you to rescue all 36 Lion Dogs.
This is the final sword skin tied to the Lion Dog activity, so naturally it takes the most work. Its description says the cries of weeping Oni can be heard from the sword at night, which is a pretty fitting bit of background for the final reward.
Finding all 36 Lion Dogs also earns you the For the Love of Dog trophy or achievement, so you are basically finishing two things at the same time.
Raizan
Raizan comes with the Deluxe or Premium Deluxe edition.
It gives your sword a lightning-themed appearance. Just like Enryuu, that effect is cosmetic. Raizan does not add lightning damage or change how Musashi fights.
Shishioh
Shishioh unlocks after rescuing 12 Lion Dogs.The sword was apparently created using the body of a beast defeated by a great warrior. It is the second Lion Dog reward, coming six rescues after Sakurahime.
Sealed Curse
Sealed Curse was offered as a pre-order bonus with any edition of Onimusha Way of the Sword.
As the name suggests, this one goes for a cursed weapon look. You cannot unlock it by finding Lion Dogs or completing a specific quest since it is tied to the pre-order bonus.
Mooncrossed
Mooncrossed requires 30 rescued Lion Dogs.Its description presents it as a gift from the moon with an almost frightening beauty. At 30 rescues, you are also only six Lion Dogs away from completing the entire collection, so there is not much reason to stop here.
Whittled Oar
Whittled Oar comes with the Deluxe or Premium Deluxe edition.
And yes, it pretty much looks like what the name says. Musashi gets a wooden oar-style weapon appearance. It is a bit ridiculous compared to some of the serious sword designs, but I think that is what makes it fun to use.
How to unlock Lion Dog sword skins in Onimusha Way of the Sword
Six of the 12 sword skins are tied directly to Lion Dogs. There are 36 Lion Dogs in total, and you get another sword skin after every six you rescue.
The rewards start with Sakurahime after rescuing 6 Lion Dogs. Shishioh comes next at 12, followed by Myogo at 18 and Ura-giri at 24. Rescue 30 to get Mooncrossed, then find all 36 to finally unlock Kikoku.
You do not have to complete some extra challenge after reaching these numbers. Just rescue enough Lion Dogs and you will continue working through the reward path.
When can you start rescuing Lion Dogs
Lion Dogs are not available from the beginning of Onimusha Way of the Sword.
You will start getting access to them around What Lurks in the Shadows and after meeting Lady Murasaki. Once the activity is available, pawprint icons can help you spot Lion Dog locations on the map.
More Lion Dogs gradually become available as you progress through the story, so do not worry if you are looking at an area and cannot find one that is supposed to be there. You might simply need to push the story forward first.
You can also check Curious Cases to keep track of your Lion Dog progress.
Where to find Lion Dogs
The 36 Lion Dogs are spread across multiple areas rather than sitting around one part of the map.
You will find them around Eastern Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Nijo-jo Castle, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Mount Oe, and Arashiyama.
Some Lion Dogs outside the main Eastern Kyoto area will not appear until you have made enough progress, including fully liberating the required map and defeating its final boss.
Basically, if a pawprint is missing, story progression should be the first thing you check before spending ages running around the same area.
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