Genichiro Ashina (Ashina Castle)

Master the Genichiro Ashina boss fight in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Learn his attack patterns, weaknesses, and strategies to overcome this challenging encounter.

This guide is for the Genichiro Ashina boss fight at Ashina Castle. He's a tough one, but with the right approach, you'll take him down!

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Health: 3 Vitality bars (phases 1 & 2), 1 Vitality bar (phase 3)
• Weaknesses: Deflection, Mikiri Counter (for thrusts), Jumping (for sweeps), Firecrackers (brief stun)
• Resistances: None significant, but he's agile and hard to hit consistently.

Phases:

1. Phase 1: Genichiro uses his sword and bow. He has two Vitality bars. His attacks are fast and relentless.
2. Phase 2: Similar to Phase 1, but he becomes more aggressive and adds new combos. He still has two Vitality bars.
3. Phase 3: Genichiro sheds his armor and uses lightning attacks. He has one Vitality bar and is incredibly dangerous.

Strategy:

• Phase 1 & 2: Your primary goal is to deflect his sword combos. Don't get greedy; focus on breaking his posture. When he jumps back to use his bow, dodge to the side or sprint to avoid his arrows. If he charges a perilous thrust, use Mikiri Counter. If he does a perilous sweep, jump over it and press jump again to stomp on his head for posture damage. Use Firecrackers to create an opening if you need to heal or reposition.
• Phase 3: This is where things get tricky. Genichiro will leap into the air and call down lightning. When you see him jump, sprint towards him and jump just as the lightning is about to strike. You'll catch the lightning in mid-air. Immediately press the attack button to redirect it back at him for massive damage and stun. Be careful, though; if you mistime it, you'll take heavy damage. He still uses sword attacks, so be ready to deflect.