How to Beat Ifuu in Onimusha: Way of the Sword — Boss Guide

• Ifuu — Fearsome Gale is a giant wind-element Oni found inside the Dharma Hall at Windswept Kennin-ji.
• He wields a massive double-edged axe and carries a bladder-like blow bag on his back that powers his special attacks.
• The core loop: deflect club swings to drain stamina, dodge wind attacks rather than blocking them, and punish in the short window after each deflected blow.
• His signature aerial — inflating the blow bag then leaping skyward — is interrupted by a single Oni Bow shot to the inflated sack.
• The ground weapon thrust requires a directional parry: hold the left stick toward the angle of the thrust as you parry.
• In phase two, a pull-and-tackle move replaces the basic grab — Reflex Dodge as he sucks air toward him.
• Absorb souls between every exchange — Ifuu can absorb uncollected souls in phase two to enter an empowered state.
• Trophy: Howling Wind. Reward: two Power Stones on mission completion.

How to beat Ifuu in Onimusha: Way of the Sword comes down to patience and tool selection. Ifuu, full name Ifuu the Fearsome Gale, is the giant wind Oni waiting at the end of the Windswept Kennin-ji story quest, inside the darkened Dharma Hall. He punishes impatience far more than it punishes bad reflexes. His club swings cover enormous arcs, his wind spells push you out of position, and his blow bag aerial is a fight-defining mechanic that needs the Oni Bow to answer. Players who charge in swinging quickly find themselves shoved across the arena, missing every punish window, and bleeding health on attacks they could have deflected cleanly. Players who hold their ground, read the openings, and deflect first find the fight very readable.

The encounter triggers as a story beat with no pre-boss hunt required. Musashi walks into the Dharma Hall at Windswept Kennin-ji and the door closes behind him. There is no chance to leave and restock once the cutscene rolls, so top up healing items and Oni Gauge before stepping inside. Ifuu is the fifth major boss in the campaign and later reappears paired with his brother Burai in the combined Storm Chaser fight — one of the hardest encounters in the game. Everything you build here transfers directly to that harder fight. The full boss roster guide covers where Ifuu sits in the campaign and how his solo fight prepares you for the paired version.

Ifuu

Who Is Ifuu

Ifuu is one of two Oni brothers in the campaign — the wind counterpart to Burai’s lightning. He is a massive figure, significantly larger than Musashi, wielding a heavy double-edged axe with reach that covers most of the arena’s width. Strapped to his back is a bladder-like blow bag that he inflates to power his special wind attacks. When that bag fills fully and he leaps skyward, the Oni Bow is the only clean answer.

Ifuu is introduced in his solo fight at Kennin-ji, then reappears as one half of the Ifuu and Burai combined encounter in the Storm Chaser mission. The solo fight is significantly more forgiving than the paired version — all of his mechanics here are readable, his tells are clear, and the arena gives Musashi space to work. The lesson the solo fight teaches is how to handle a large weapon reach, manage wind-based ranged pressure, and interrupt the blow bag aerial. All three carry unchanged into the later, harder encounter.

Ifuu’s Attacks — Phase One

Close-Range Axe Swing (Bread and Butter)

Ifuu’s most used attack is a wide close-range swing with the double-edged axe. The wind-up is heavy and visible. Deflect rather than standard parry — deflect drains stamina faster and builds toward Break Issen more efficiently. After a clean deflect, a short punish window opens. One-handed quick slashes are the safer choice in this window because they let you exit the axe’s arc before the next swing. Two-handed heavy attacks are worth using only when Ifuu is clearly recovering from a move and the window is longer than normal. His club swings are heavily telegraphed at close range — this is the main source of stamina drain and the fight’s primary interaction.

Wind Gust (Ranged)

When Ifuu creates distance, he conjures a slashing gust of wind and hurls it forward. The first part is a pushback breath that can disrupt your position. The second part — the actual wind gust projectile — can be deflected or parried back. Deflect the breath right back at him to deal damage. Do not back away from Ifuu to avoid this — retreating resets his spacing and gives him a free window to start the pattern again. Staying close enough that he prefers the axe is the better approach.

Ground Weapon Thrust

Ifuu plants his weapon in the ground and then thrusts it forward along a specific angle. This attack requires a directional parry — hold the left stick in the same direction the weapon is angled as you parry. A standard non-directional parry is less reliable here. The tell is the weapon-plant animation, which gives you enough time to read the thrust angle and align the stick. This attack appears at mid-range and is one of the cleaner Issen windows in the fight when you nail the directional parry.

Blue Grab — Aerial Leap

Ifuu leaps into the air and comes down with a glowing blue arm grab. This is a blue-glowing attack, meaning the counter input fires just before contact rather than on block timing. Reflex Dodge is the simpler answer for most players — dodge as he descends. The attack is slow enough that you have time to react after the leap begins. If you attempt the blue counter and time it correctly, the punish window that opens afterward is larger than what a straight dodge provides.

Blow Bag Aerial — Signature Move

This is the most distinctive attack in the fight and the one that defines the Oni Bow’s role in it. Ifuu begins inflating the bladder-like bag on his back. As it fills, he lifts into the air and prepares to release a massive aerial wind burst. The counter is straightforward: draw the Oni Bow and shoot the inflated sack the moment it is full and before he releases the attack. A clean arrow hit inflicts a massive stun, sends Ifuu crashing back to the ground, and opens a large punish window. Missing the shot means the aerial burst lands and deals heavy knockback damage. The Oni Bow has unlimited arrows — do not hesitate to fire the moment the inflation animation begins.

Kick Counter

If you stay in close range and land several consecutive katana slashes without backing off, Ifuu raises his right leg as a tell. Stop attacking immediately when you see this and step back — the kick that follows deals punishing damage if it connects. This attack crops up in both phases but appears more often in phase two. The tell is readable once you have seen it once. The fix is simple: do not over-extend past three or four hits in a punish window before resetting your guard and pulling back.

Ifuu’s Attacks — Phase Two

Pull and Tackle

Phase two introduces a new grab variant. Ifuu sucks the air around Musashi, pulling him forward and then tackling into him. The tell is the suction animation — he draws breath visibly before the pull begins. Reflex Dodge forward or sideways the moment you see the suction start. Do not try to block or parry this — the grab phase passes through guard. A successful Reflex Dodge positions Musashi at Ifuu’s flank, which is a natural punish angle.

Lightning Aerial — Phase Two

In phase two, Ifuu’s most dangerous move is a leap that takes him out of view for several seconds. He rises off screen, then a giant bolt of lightning crashes down where Musashi is standing. A beat later, a ground slam follows. The sequence has two parts, both of which need to be dodged. Move out of the lightning impact zone as the bolt falls, then dodge again for the slam. On Carnage, this attack is flagged as capable of an outright kill if either component connects cleanly. Learn the timing of the two-part sequence — the gap between the bolt and the slam is consistent once you have seen it twice.

Soul Absorption — Empowered State

In phase two, Ifuu gains the ability to absorb uncollected souls from the arena floor. If he takes enough, he enters an empowered state with increased damage. This mirrors the soul mechanic from Daidara and Benkei, and the answer is the same: absorb souls through the Oni Gauntlet between every exchange. Do not leave them on the floor. Every deflect window and recovery gap is also a soul collection window.

Core Strategy — Deflect First, Punish Short

The fight’s core loop is straightforward: stand your ground at close range, deflect axe swings rather than backing away from them, take a short punish window of two to three hits, then reset your guard. Repeat until the stamina bar breaks, then cash in Break Issen immediately.

The two mistakes that kill most runs are retreating and over-extending. Retreating gives Ifuu free wind gust windows and resets the stamina pressure you have built. Over-extending past a clean punish window triggers the kick counter. Stay disciplined — deflect, two hits, reset. Do not stay in melee range if the kick tell appears.

Prioritise deflect over standard parry throughout. Deflect drains Ifuu’s stamina roughly twice as fast and reaches Break Issen significantly sooner. If the Blazing State activates from sustained parrying, the bonus stamina damage makes the remaining exchanges even more efficient. For how deflect, parry, and Issen interact in the broader combat system, the combat mastery guide covers the full breakdown.

Using the Oni Bow Against Ifuu

The Oni Bow has two specific roles in this fight. The first is interrupting the blow bag aerial — draw and fire the moment the sack is fully inflated. This is mandatory every time he goes for it, as the alternative is eating a heavy knockback hit and losing positioning.

The second role is incremental poke at distance when creating space between exchanges. Ifuu has no clean answer to bow shots from range, and each hit slows his stamina recovery between attacks. When you need a moment to absorb souls or top up health through the Oni Gauntlet, backing to mid-range and firing one or two arrows is safer than trying to do both while inside the axe’s reach. The bow also deflects the breath component of his wind gust when timed right — fire as the breath wave arrives rather than trying to step out of it.

Phase One Strategy — Full Breakdown

Top up healing items before entering the Dharma Hall. There is no leaving once the cutscene triggers.

In the opening moments, stay at close range. Let Ifuu swing first. Deflect the axe swing — feel the stamina damage register — then take two clean hits on his body and reset guard immediately. Watch for the right leg raise (kick tell) and pull back the moment you see it.

When he creates distance and the wind gust starts, deflect the projectile back at him. Do not retreat. Closing the gap after the wind gust resolves returns you to the deflect-punish loop quickly.

For the ground weapon thrust: watch the weapon-plant animation, read the thrust angle, and hold the left stick in that direction as you parry. Clean execution opens a solid Issen window.

The moment the blow bag starts inflating, stop everything else and draw the Oni Bow. Shoot the sack as it fills fully. If timed correctly, Ifuu crashes down and the large punish window is yours. Never let the aerial release.

Absorb souls between every exchange. Keep the Oni Gauntlet topped up. The soul economy matters less in phase one than in phase two where he actively absorbs, but building the habit now keeps health and Oni Gauge in good shape.

Phase Two Strategy — Full Breakdown

Phase two adds the pull-and-tackle, the lightning aerial, and the soul absorption empowered state. The deflect-punish loop stays the same. What changes is awareness of the new threats.

When you see the suction animation begin — Ifuu drawing air toward him — Reflex Dodge immediately. Do not try to parry. Once the tackle whiffs, punish at the flank.

The lightning aerial is the most dangerous attack. When Ifuu leaps out of view, move out of where you are standing and prepare for the two-part sequence: bolt impact, then ground slam. Dodge both. Do not stand still waiting for him to reappear — start moving as soon as the leap takes him out of frame.

Absorb souls aggressively throughout phase two. Any soul left on the floor is a potential empowered state trigger. The gap after a deflected swing is the primary collection window — use it every single time. For how the broader soul economy works as a combat tool, the soul farming guide covers the mechanics in full.

Save healing items for phase two if you can survive phase one clean. The lightning aerial and the pull-and-tackle are the most likely sources of damage, so having a herb available when one of them connects is worth the restraint in phase one.

Best Stance and Armament for Ifuu

One-handed stance is the safer default for punish windows because the faster attack speed lets Musashi exit the axe’s arc before committing to another swing. Two-handed attacks are worth using only in the longer post-blow-bag-aerial window, where the large stun gives enough time for a heavy swing without getting caught by the follow-up.

The Two Celestials Oni Armament works well here for the same reason it works against Byakue — each hit generates yellow souls for passive healing, which keeps health topped up between phase transitions. Use it at phase breaks or during the longer blow bag aerial punish window for maximum value. For the full comparison of all Oni Armament options and their tactical purposes, the Oni Armaments guide has each one detailed.

Common Mistakes Against Ifuu

• Retreating instead of deflecting. Backing away from Ifuu resets his spacing and hands him a free wind gust window. Stay in close range and deflect the swing rather than running from it.
• Over-extending in punish windows. Four or more hits in a punish window almost always triggers the kick counter. Two to three hits max, then reset your guard and pull back.
• Not shooting the blow bag. Letting the aerial release means a heavy knockback hit and a lost positioning advantage. Draw the Oni Bow the moment the inflation animation starts.
• Blocking wind gusts instead of deflecting. Blocking the wind gust takes damage. Deflecting it sends it back at Ifuu for free damage. The timing is generous — do not skip this.
• Trying to block the pull-and-tackle. The phase two suction-grab passes through guard. Reflex Dodge is the only reliable answer. Blocking achieves nothing.
• Standing still during the lightning aerial. The bolt lands where you are standing when Ifuu disappears from view. Move immediately when the leap begins, before the bolt arrives.
• Leaving souls on the floor in phase two. Ifuu absorbs uncollected souls to enter an empowered state in phase two. Collect after every deflected swing without fail.
• Misreading the directional parry for the ground thrust. The weapon thrust requires the left stick held in the thrust’s direction during the parry. A neutral parry is less reliable on this specific attack.

Ifuu and Burai — The Later Combined Fight

Everything the solo Ifuu fight teaches you carries directly into the Storm Chaser mission, where Ifuu and Burai must be fought simultaneously. The blow bag aerial remains in play — shoot it down whenever the inflation animation appears, regardless of what Burai is doing. Focus damage on whichever brother has not yet entered phase two when phase transitions start happening, to avoid both entering their enhanced states simultaneously. When both are in phase two, the combined storm attack — cloud ascent, lightning rain, wind gusts, then a ramming swoop that must be parried or deflected — is the most dangerous moment in that fight. Everything you built here against the solo Ifuu prepares you for it.

Ifuu on Carnage Difficulty

On Carnage, Ifuu hits harder across the board and the lightning aerial in phase two is flagged as a potential one-hit kill if both components connect without a dodge. The empowered state from soul absorption in phase two is more punishing — a single missed collection cycle can trigger it faster than on Action Mode. The core strategy does not change: deflect axe swings, shoot the blow bag, Reflex Dodge the pull-and-tackle, and collect souls between every exchange. Execution must be tighter, but the reads are the same.

Do not enter Carnage Ifuu under-upgraded. Make sure your katana is at a level appropriate for the mid-game and your charms are configured for boss encounters before attempting. The charms guide covers which combinations help most with deflect timing and Blaze Gauge generation, both directly useful against Ifuu.

What Ifuu Teaches You

Ifuu is the game’s dedicated ranged-interrupt teacher. Every boss from here forward that has an aerial, a charge, or a special preparation animation rewards the player who reads the tell and fires the Oni Bow at the right moment. That habit — stop attacking, draw, fire, punish — is exactly what the later Shuten Doji fight demands when he drinks for a fire breath attack, and what the Ifuu-and-Burai combined fight demands on every blow bag inflation. Building that instinct in this solo fight, where the stakes are lower and the timing is generous, is the most valuable thing this encounter provides.

The directional parry for the ground weapon thrust is also a mechanic that appears in variations across other late-game bosses. Learning it here against a slower, more readable attack is the right time to build the muscle memory. For more on how Issen and parry timing work as a system, the Flow State guide covers chaining counters efficiently.

Where to Get the Game

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Find it on the official Capcom page, the Steam store, PlayStation Store, or the Xbox store.

Frequently Asked Questions