Stuck on a tough boss or struggling through a challenging area? Ochoko Cups offer a solution. These items let you summon friendly NPCs — called Acolytes — to fight alongside you, providing crucial backup when you need it most. While they’re not required for story progression, they can turn impossible encounters into manageable fights.
This guide explains every method for obtaining Ochoko Cups and how to use them effectively in Nioh 3.
What Are Ochoko Cups in Nioh 3?
Ochoko Cups function as summoning currency. Each cup lets you call in an Acolyte — an AI companion based on another player’s character — or spend one to join someone else’s session for cooperative play.
Think of them as your emergency backup plan. Running low on healing items before a boss? A summoned Acolyte can draw aggro and give you breathing room. Struggling with a particular enemy type? Your summoned partner might have a build that counters it perfectly.
The system creates a give-and-take community loop. You can leave your character as a Benevolent Grave for others to summon, and when they use it, you earn Ochoko Cups — even while offline. This means helping others directly benefits your own playthrough.
All Ways To Get Ochoko Cups in Nioh 3
Defeating Revenants at Bloody Graves in Nioh 3
The most reliable way to farm Ochoko Cups is hunting Revenants. These ghostly enemies spawn at Bloody Graves — red glowing swords sticking out of the ground that you’ll encounter while exploring any area.
Revenants are recreations of real players who died at that spot. They fight using that player’s actual equipment, stats, and combat style, which makes each encounter unique. Some might be pushovers with poorly optimised builds. Others could be endgame monsters that flatten you instantly.
Defeating a Revenant rewards you with:
- Ochoko Cups (high chance per kill — typically one to two cups)
- Equipment from their build (weapon, armor pieces)
- Amrita for leveling
Bloody Graves appear randomly throughout every mission and tend to cluster near boss rooms and high-traffic areas. Note that Online Mode must be enabled at a Shrine for player Bloody Graves to appear — without it, only NPC Revenants show up, and cups only drop from player graves.
Best Ochoko Cup Farming Spot in Nioh 3 (Forest of Souls)
For a guaranteed early-game location with the highest density of Bloody Graves, head directly right of the Forest of Souls Shrine in the southwest section of the Warring States region. You’ll find five Bloody Graves clustered together, all farmable in quick succession.
After clearing them, pray at the nearby Shrine to respawn the Revenants and repeat. With a high drop rate of one to two cups per kill, you can stack five to fifteen Ochoko Cups every five to ten minutes at this spot — enough to cover several boss attempts without stopping.
Near this cluster you’ll also find the Bloodedge Demon — a purple grave boss that spawns when you follow the malice orbs released by defeated Revenants. Defeating it drops the loot of all nearby Bloody Graves simultaneously. It’s an extremely tough optional fight, so only attempt it once you’re confident in your level and build.
Placing Benevolent Graves to Earn Ochoko Cups
This method earns Ochoko Cups passively without active farming. Use a Righteous Jasper item to leave a Benevolent Grave — a blue glowing sword — that other players can summon from.
Here’s how it works:
- Acquire a Righteous Jasper from the merchant or receive one free after completing a mission with a summoned Acolyte
- Open your inventory, navigate to Usable Items, and use the Righteous Jasper wherever you’re standing
- Other players summon your character as an Acolyte in their world
- When they complete their objective with your summon, you receive Ochoko Cups automatically
- Collect rewards at any Shrine under the Boons menu
You can have up to three active Benevolent Graves at once. The best spots to place them are right outside boss gates and near Shrines before difficult areas — exactly where other players will be looking for help.
Looting Ochoko Cups From Corpses and Bodies
Sometimes you’ll loot Ochoko Cups directly from glowing corpses scattered around levels. These drops are random and less common than the other methods, but they add up over time. Make it a habit to check every glowing body you pass — it’s not a farming strategy on its own, but thorough exploration naturally supplements your supply.
How To Use Ochoko Cups in Nioh 3
How To Summon Acolytes From Benevolent Graves in Nioh 3
When you spot a blue Benevolent Grave during a mission, interact with it to see the summoning cost. The number of cups required scales with the Acolyte’s level and build strength — each grave shows you a preview of the companion’s stats before you commit, so you can pick the best option available.
Benevolent Graves show up in several places:
- Near boss room entrances (most common)
- Before Dark Realm sections
- At the start of particularly difficult areas
- Randomly throughout levels
The summoned Acolyte stays with you for a limited time. A purple bar above their name on the left side of the screen shows how much duration remains. They’ll disappear when the bar empties, after completing the current objective, or once you’ve cleared a set number of battles. You can only have one Acolyte summoned at a time.
Summoned Acolytes can deal damage, draw enemy attention, survive independently, and use their equipped skills. They can’t revive you if you die, but they significantly improve your survival odds by splitting enemy focus.
Using Ochoko Cups for Co-op: Become a Visitor in Nioh 3
Visit any Shrine and select the Co-op option to become a Visitor in someone else’s world. This costs one Ochoko Cup and places you in a queue until another player accepts your join request. You can invite up to two players into your own world the same way.
As a Visitor, you’ll help the host complete their current objective and earn gear, Glory, and Amrita in return. If you’re completely out of cups, farm a single Revenant first to get one — once in a co-op rhythm, the cups you earn from helping others will consistently outpace what you spend to join.
Ochoko Cup Tips: Best Ways to Farm and Spend Cups in Nioh 3
Save them for bosses. Most regular mission content is manageable solo. Reserve your Ochoko Cups for boss fights where the extra damage and distraction matter most.
Summon early in boss fights. Don’t wait until you’re nearly dead. Summon at the start to maximise your Acolyte’s contribution and get full value from their duration bar.
Farm Revenants near boss rooms. These areas have the most Bloody Graves. If you already have an Acolyte active, use the two-on-one advantage to tear through Bloody Graves even faster before heading in.
Place Benevolent Graves strategically. Leave them right outside boss gates and in areas where you see many Bloody Graves — a sign of high player traffic. More summons mean more passive Ochoko Cup income.
Don’t hoard excessively. Ochoko Cups aren’t rare enough to justify never using them. If you’re struggling, use one. You’ll earn more through normal play.
If you’re looking to customize your character’s appearance after all those tough fights, see our guide on how to change appearance and transmog equipment in Nioh 3.
For more details about Nioh 3, visit the official Team Ninja website, check availability on PlayStation Store, or grab it on Steam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the most Ochoko Cups in Nioh 3?
The fastest farming spot is directly right of the Forest of Souls Shrine in the southwest Warring States region. Five Bloody Graves cluster here and respawn every time you pray at the nearby Shrine, letting you farm five to fifteen cups every five to ten minutes.
Can I summon multiple Acolytes at once using Ochoko Cups in Nioh 3?
No, you can only have one summoned Acolyte active at a time. If you want additional help, use the co-op system at Shrines to join with real players — that’s a separate multiplayer function and works alongside Acolyte summoning.
How many Ochoko Cups does it cost to summon an Acolyte in Nioh 3?
The cost scales with the Acolyte’s level and build strength. Each Benevolent Grave shows you the companion’s stats and required cup cost before you commit, so you can choose the best value for your current supply.
Do I lose Ochoko Cups if my summoned Acolyte dies in Nioh 3?
No. Once you spend Ochoko Cups to summon an Acolyte, those cups are consumed regardless of what happens. The Acolyte will disappear when their timer runs out, after completing the objective, or if they fall in combat — but you don’t get a refund in any scenario.
How many Ochoko Cups should I keep in Nioh 3?
Aim to maintain at least ten to fifteen Ochoko Cups at any time. This gives you enough for multiple boss attempts without needing to farm between tries. Since they’re easy to obtain from Revenants and Benevolent Graves, you don’t need to stockpile huge amounts.
