Tokugawa Yoshinobu is a mandatory boss in Nioh 3 and the final encounter of the Scion of the Gods main quest. He fights while merged with the Golden Shachi, a massive creature that turns him into one of the game's largest and most aggressive opponents. The fight takes place at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, inside a Crucible just north of the Imperial Palace Shrine, and has a recommended level of around 131.
Quick answer: Complete the side mission "Lone Blade" (Einsame Klinge) in the Bakumatsu epoch before starting Scion of the Gods. This removes Okita Soji from the main story sequence, letting you fight Yoshinobu alone instead of back-to-back with no shrine in between.
The Lone Blade Side Mission Changes the Boss Sequence
If you skip the Lone Blade side mission, the Scion of the Gods quest forces you into a double boss gauntlet. You first fight Okita Soji, the Shinsengumi's deadliest swordsman, and then immediately face Tokugawa Yoshinobu with a fresh health bar — all without access to a shrine to restore your supplies. Paired together, these two fights rank among the hardest encounters in the entire campaign.
Lone Blade is available in the Mibu region on the western side of the Bakumatsu epoch map, with a suggested level of 128. The mission sends you to the Mibu Temple, where Shinsengumi warriors have set up camp. Okita Soji waits inside as the mission boss. He's fast and excellent at closing distance, but the fight only requires depleting a single health bar. Once you beat him here, he no longer appears in the main story sequence, and you face Yoshinobu as a standalone encounter — which is considerably more manageable on its own.
Tokugawa Yoshinobu Lore and Background
Historically, Yoshinobu was born into the Mito Tokugawa clan, one of the three main branches of the Tokugawa family, and was later adopted by the Hitotsubashi before becoming the 15th and final shogun of the Edo shogunate. In Nioh 3's fiction, he excelled in academics and martial arts — including shuriken-throwing — and even fought on the front lines during the Kinmon Incident. He carried a pocket watch, studied photography and Western painting, and was notably open to foreign innovation. That openness made him a figure embraced by those who sought to overthrow the shogunate. His English voice actor is Matt Sykes, with Kent Ito voicing the Japanese performance.
Tokugawa Yoshinobu Full Moveset and Counters
Yoshinobu's boss form is enormous. Riding atop the Golden Shachi, he wields dual katanas and mixes wide sweeping melee attacks with aerial charges and ranged projectiles. Below is every named attack and how to handle it.
| Attack | Tell | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal Head Bash | The Golden Shachi charges forward and raises one head to one side | Block or dodge as soon as you see the head tilt |
| Double Katana Side Swing | Dashes to one side, then dives to the opposite side for a heavy lateral slash | Back away to create distance, or deflect with your guard |
| Tail Swing | The Shachi spins its body | Dodge immediately when the spin starts |
| Burst Attack (Ground Slam) | Raises both katanas and the Shachi while glowing red, then slams the ground | Use Burst Break to cancel and break his stance |
| Burst Attack (Aerial Slash) | Flies toward you while glowing red, slashing sideways | Use Burst Break to cancel and break his stance |
| Spinning Bite | One Shachi head winds up to bite, then spins sideways | Continuously back away to stay out of range |
| Ranged Slashes | Floats and charges energy in his katana, then sends two projectile slashes | Increase distance to give yourself more time to sidestep |
| Swirling Charge | Pauses briefly, then charges forward while spinning | Sidestep laterally |
| Front Flip Slash and Smash | Floats slightly and raises his head, then flips forward with dual katana slashes ending in a tail slam | Run to one side to avoid the full combo |
General Strategy for the Yoshinobu Fight
Yoshinobu's size makes his entire body a hitbox during many animations, especially when he floats during the Dark Realm phase. Staying at medium range is generally safest — close enough to punish recovery windows but far enough to react to charges and spins. His first phase has more punishable openings than the second, so play aggressively early and shift to patience later.
Burst Breaks are your most important tool. Both of his red-glowing Burst Attacks leave him wide open if you counter them successfully. A successful Burst Break also applies a Ki regeneration debuff, which is critical because Yoshinobu recovers Ki far faster than most human-type enemies. That debuff window is often your only realistic chance to actually break his Ki and stagger him.
Dodging behind him and attacking his back works well during openings. Keep hitting until he gains hyper armor — the timing is fairly consistent, so after a few attempts you'll learn exactly when to disengage. For his dash attack that leaves a trailing wind tunnel, dodge backward or deflect rather than trying to circle behind him, since the wind tunnel lingers for about two seconds.
Elemental Debuffs, Parries, and Summons
Save your elemental debuffs for the second phase. If you apply them too early, Yoshinobu builds immunity, and you'll have nothing left when the fight gets harder. The same logic applies to NPC summons — hold them in reserve for when his aggression ramps up.
Because Yoshinobu counts as a human enemy, parry-focused weapon skills are extremely effective if you can nail the timing. Parry perks in particular can punish his attacks hard, turning his relentless offense into a liability.
If you're struggling solo, co-op summoning is a viable option. Having a second player draw aggro makes the fight dramatically easier, since Yoshinobu's constant pressure is his biggest threat. Many players have found success summoning help specifically for this encounter, particularly in New Game Plus, where his damage output and aggression scale significantly.
Rewards for Defeating Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Yoshinobu drops several armor sets on defeat. The guaranteed pool includes the First Captain Set, Scion of Tamura Set, Hollyhock Set, Authority Set, Shinsengumi Set, and Gunner Set. He can also randomly drop weapons like Black Rain and Thunder, Custom Kusarigama, Vermillion Spear, and Honjo Masamune, and Saber.
Tokugawa Yoshinobu is a spectacle fight that rewards patience over aggression. His massive frame and relentless attack chains can feel overwhelming, but the fight becomes far more manageable once you learn to read his Burst Attack tells and exploit the Ki debuff window that follows a successful counter. And if you want to skip the grueling double-boss gauntlet entirely, clearing Lone Blade beforehand is one of the smartest decisions you can make in Nioh 3's late game.