How to Solve the Mask Puzzle in Onimusha: Way of the Sword

TL;DR

• The Mask Puzzle appears during the “What Lurks in the Shadows” main mission in Underground Laboratory Level 3.
• You need to shoot four hanging masks above a locked cage in the correct order using the Oni Bow.
• The correct shooting order (left to right) is: 3rd, 4th, 1st, 2nd.
• The clue is hidden outside the room — count the light shafts passing through each shoji mask shadow.
• There is no penalty for getting it wrong — the masks simply reset.
• The reward is the Unsettling Mask, a key item used to open a nearby locked door.
• Shizuka will give hints if you wait long enough — the puzzle cannot stall your run permanently.

The Mask Puzzle in Onimusha: Way of the Sword is one of the few proper puzzles in the game, and it can catch you off guard if you do not know where to look for the answer. The good news is that the solution is already in the room with you — you just have to look in the right direction. This guide gives you the exact shooting order and explains how the clue system works so you understand what you are doing and can use it if a puzzle ever resets on you. If you want to understand the full mission context, our tips and tricks guide for beginners covers general puzzle and exploration fundamentals that will help throughout the whole game.

The puzzle itself involves the Oni Bow, the same ranged armament you picked up earlier in the story. If you have not upgraded it yet, this is a good reminder to invest in it — it is useful well beyond just this puzzle. You can check our full Oni Armaments and Oni Power guide for more on how the bow fits into your kit.

Where to Find the Mask Puzzle in Onimusha: Way of the Sword

The Mask Puzzle is part of the “What Lurks in the Shadows” main story mission. You reach it in the Underground Laboratory at Level 3, which is accessed through Nijo-jo Castle after Lady Murasaki asks Musashi to investigate disappearances linked to a rampaging Genma.

Here is how you get to the puzzle room:

• Progress through the main story until you enter the underground section of Nijo-jo Castle.
• Work your way down through the laboratory levels, defeating Genma as you go.
• On Level 3, you will come across a large locked door with a skull-shaped mechanism and a socket that looks like it is missing something. You cannot open it yet — note the location and keep moving.
• Continue through the hallways past more Genma enemies until you reach a dojo-like room. Walking into this room triggers a short cutscene where four masks drop down from the ceiling on wooden panels.
• The objective changes to “Solve the mask puzzle.” A sliding door seals behind you.

This is your puzzle room. There is no switch, no lever, and no obvious interact prompt. The only tool you need is the Oni Bow.

Mask Puzzle in Onimusha Way of the Sword

How to Read the Mask Puzzle Clue

Before you start shooting, you need to understand where the answer comes from. The room has two sets of masks:

• Four hanging masks above the locked cage — these are your targets. Number them 1 to 4 from left to right as you stand facing them.
• Four matching masks on the opposite wall, mounted against shoji paper screens and lit by overhead spotlights — these are the clue.

The key insight is that you need to leave the main room and look at the outside of the shoji wall. Walk back through the doorway you came in and turn around to face the entrance. On either side of the entrance are the four mask shapes — and behind them, the spotlights push light through the slits in each mask design. Each mask has a different number of openings — open eyes, an open mouth, a frown line — and each one lets a different number of light shafts through the paper screen.

The shadows cast on the screens and floor outside tell you the order. Count the light shafts for each mask — the one with one shaft gets shot first, the one with two shafts goes second, then three, then four. Shoot from fewest light shafts to most.

Here is how the light count maps to each mask position:

• 1 light shaft — Third mask (from left)
• 2 light shafts — Fourth mask (from left)
• 3 light shafts — First mask (from left)
• 4 light shafts — Second mask (from left)

That gives you the shooting order: 3, 4, 1, 2.

Mask Puzzle Solution – Exact Shooting Order

If you just want the answer without working out the clue yourself, here it is. Stand facing the four hanging masks above the locked cage. Number them 1 to 4 from left to right. Equip your Oni Bow and shoot them in this exact order:

• Shot 1: Third mask from the left
• Shot 2: Fourth mask from the left
• Shot 3: First mask from the left (far left)
• Shot 4: Second mask from the left

Nothing dramatic happens between each shot — the room stays quiet. Do not assume you got it wrong just because there is no immediate reaction. The cage only opens once the fourth arrow lands in the correct sequence.

If the cage does not open after four shots, one of two things went wrong. Either your arrows are hitting the spotlit masks on the shoji wall instead of the four hanging masks above the box, or you counted the mask positions from the wrong side. The order is always read left to right while facing the locked box. If you need to start over, the masks simply reset — there is no penalty and no timer.

What Happens If You Shoot the Wrong Mask?

Nothing bad. There is no penalty for getting the order wrong in this puzzle. The masks reset and you can try again as many times as you need. There is also no time limit. If you are struggling, step back outside the room and recount the light shafts on the shoji wall shadows before trying again. The clue is always there and always accurate.

If you wait long enough inside the room without acting, your companion Shizuka will offer hints that guide you toward the same solution. The puzzle genuinely cannot block your run permanently — between the environmental clue and Shizuka’s hints, the answer is always accessible.

Mask Puzzle Reward – The Unsettling Mask

Once the fourth arrow hits in the correct sequence, the cage under the masks opens. Walk up to the altar and collect the Unsettling Mask. An item inspection screen appears, which is your confirmation the sequence was accepted.

The Unsettling Mask is a key item, not a piece of gear. You cannot equip it or use it in combat. Its only purpose is to open the skull-mechanism door you passed earlier on Level 3. The sliding door in the puzzle room also unlocks when you collect the mask, so you can exit and backtrack.

Where to Use the Unsettling Mask

Leave the puzzle room and retrace your steps back through the corridors of the Underground Laboratory. The path back is typically clear of any enemies, so the backtrack is quick. Head to the ornate locked door with the skull-shaped central mechanism that you could not open earlier.

Interact with the door while carrying the Unsettling Mask. A short cutscene plays — the mask slots into the face on the door, the eyes glow red, and the door opens. This completes the “Open the door” objective and the mission pushes forward. The area beyond the door contains a battle against waiting Genma, so keep the Oni Bow equipped as you enter — it remains useful for the mechanics you encounter next in the lab. For help dealing with tough enemies in this section, check our guide on mastering Issen, parry, and deflect.

Context: Why the Mask Puzzle Exists in the Story

The Mask Puzzle is set inside Dokyo’s underground laboratory beneath Nijo-jo Castle. Dokyo is one of Yoshitsune’s confidants — a deeply unsettling character whose experiments on animals and humans form the horror backdrop of the “What Lurks in the Shadows” mission. The puzzle room is designed like a shrine or dojo, fitting the lab’s theme of dark ritual and Genma experimentation. The Unsettling Mask itself is literally a key shaped like a disturbing face, which fits the mask motif the whole room is built around.

It is also a direct nod to the classic Onimusha games, which were known for using item-based puzzle locks throughout their dungeon sequences. This puzzle is the closest the new game gets to that old-school structure, and intentionally so. For a deeper look at how the new game compares to the series’ roots, see our full Onimusha: Way of the Sword review.

Tips for the Underground Laboratory Section

The mask puzzle is only one part of the Underground Laboratory section in “What Lurks in the Shadows.” Here are a few extra tips for navigating the whole area:

• Keep the Oni Bow equipped throughout. The bow is useful for breaking mechanisms, hitting distant targets, and solving the puzzle itself. You picked it up in the Oni Refuge and it never runs out of arrows.
• Use your Oni Armament on the armored mini-boss near the string door sections. The Wind-Whipper or Earth-Shakers are particularly effective. See our guide to all Oni Armaments and Oni Power abilities for which works best.
• Use Oni Vision regularly in this section — there are hidden items and passages that require it to reveal. Upgrade your Oni Vision skill if you have not already. Our soul farming guide can help you grind the Red Souls needed for upgrades quickly.
• After the mask puzzle, the lamp puzzle follows. The lever sequence in the next room triggers an armored mini-boss. Hit the first lever, deal with the ambush, then hit the second lever to proceed. Use an Oni Armament to interrupt it if you have charge built up.
• The Earth-Shakers Oni Armament is found in this area. It is in a chest on Underground Level 4, just past the fan puzzle in the next room. Do not miss it — it is the best armament for armored bosses and you are in the right place to grab it.
• The chest behind the locked cave door is also in this general region. See our guide on the chest behind the locked door in the cave if you are aiming for full completion.

For a look at the bosses that appear later in this mission, check our guides on how to beat the Nue and how to beat the Greater Nue, both of which appear as part of the “What Lurks in the Shadows” mission chain. You can also find the game on Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox, and via the official Capcom site.

Frequently Asked Questions