Ryomen Sukuna in Nioh 3 is a mandatory yokai boss tied to the Warring States Era side mission “Fated Land” in the Iinoya region. The fight takes place in Ryotan Temple and features a four-armed, two-headed statue-like demon that combines melee and ranged attacks in a single body.
Quick answer: Ryomen Sukuna is the non-optional boss of the “Fated Land” myth in Iinoya’s Ryotan Temple, fought in 1572 CE, and he primarily drops his own weapon set (sword, axe, bow), Samurai’s Locks, and can reward the Fuma Ninja Set and Ryomen Sukuna Soul Core, along with occasional extra weapons like Lord’s Tonfa or Squire’s Cross Spear.
Ryomen Sukuna’s role and appearance
Ryomen Sukuna is classified as a Boss in Nioh 3 and is not an optional encounter. He is presented as a two-bodied humanoid yokai made up of a red and a blue demon fused back-to-back. The red half wields a sword and an axe for close-range pressure, while the blue half carries a bow and relies more on ranged attacks.
In-universe, Ryomen Sukuna is the vengeful spirit of a former retainer of the Ii clan who was executed for betrayal. The yokai form draws on Japanese folklore, describing a double-faced demon that terrorized Hida Province until a warrior named Takefurukuma defeated it.
Where Ryomen Sukuna is found in Nioh 3
Ryomen Sukuna is encountered during the myth “Fated Land” in the Warring States Era. The mission is set in Iinoya in 1572 CE. The boss arena is located within Ryotan Temple, which serves as the final objective of this side mission.
During “Fated Land”, Ii Naotora accompanies you as an AI ally and joins the fight against Ryomen Sukuna inside the temple. The boss is positioned as the main threat in Iinoya for this period, and clearing the mission requires defeating him.
Combat state and elemental profile
Ryomen Sukuna’s design removes any true “rear” position, since each side of the body is an active threat. Both the red and blue halves can attack, regardless of where you stand, so the boss can pressure targets from the front or back.
In combat he mixes melee chains, projectile attacks, and a red-aura Burst Attack that turns his charge into a spinning tornado with sword and axe. He can also shift the battlefield into the Dark Realm (also called Yokai Realm), where his attack strings become longer and he gains an aerial arrow rain pattern that marks impact zones on the ground.
Elementally, Ryomen Sukuna uses fire and water/ice themes between his two sides. Elemental status interactions differ slightly between descriptions:
- One description lists him as weak to being Blusterred (wind pressure) while resisting Electrified, Confused, Poisoned, and Paralyzed.
- Another describes his main status weaknesses as Scorched and Saturated, with partial resistance to the same states and Paralysis.
In practice this means fire and water damage can be used to apply Scorched and Saturated, but he is not easily locked down by repeated lightning or paralysis effects. The elemental resistance on his weapon sides also means fire- or ice-infused weapons are poor choices for exploiting damage windows.
Mission context and requirements
Ryomen Sukuna appears as part of the Warring States Era content and is tied specifically to the myth “Fated Land and The Apparition of Ryotan Temple” in Iinoya. This mission is categorized as a side mission rather than a main story chapter, but the boss itself is flagged as non-optional once you commit to the encounter.
While a specific level requirement is not enforced by the game at the arena entrance, recommended levels around the high 20s are used in coverage of the 1572 CE map. Farming other missions in the same era for additional Amrita and gear is a standard approach if the boss feels overtuned for your current loadout.
Guaranteed drops and typical rewards
Defeating Ryomen Sukuna grants a mix of fixed and semi-fixed rewards tied to his identity as a boss. The following table summarizes the main documented drops:
| Drop type | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Armor set | Fuma Ninja Set | Boss-associated armor set rewarded on victory. |
| Soul Core | Ryomen Sukuna Soul Core | Captures one of his yokai abilities for use via Soul Cores. |
| Skill item | Samurai’s Locks | Grants Samurai skill points when used. |
| Weapon | Ryomen Sukuna’s Sword (around Lv. 35) | Boss-branded sword drop tied to his moveset. |
| Weapon | Ryomen Sukuna’s Axe (around Lv. 35, may appear with +1) | Heavy axe reflecting his red side attacks. |
| Weapon | Ryomen Sukuna’s Bow (around Lv. 35) | Bow associated with the blue side’s ranged attacks. |
These boss-branded weapons line up with the gear he actively uses in combat, giving you access to his theme as a complete personal set once you have cleared the fight.
Random and conditional drops
In addition to the core rewards, Ryomen Sukuna has a small pool of extra weapons that can drop on a random basis:
- Lord’s Tonfa – a tonfa weapon associated with high-ranking characters.
- Squire’s Cross Spear – a spear with cross-blade design.
These items are not guaranteed on each kill and function more as bonus loot rolls rather than core parts of his reward identity. Repeating the fight through mission replays or higher difficulties increases opportunities to obtain them.
How to confirm the boss state is completed
The game confirms a successful Ryomen Sukuna kill in several consistent ways:
- The boss’s health bar is fully depleted and the yokai collapses in the Ryotan Temple arena.
- Mission clear rewards appear on screen, including Amrita and item drops such as his weapons, Samurai’s Locks, and any set armor or Soul Core that triggered from the loot table.
- The “Fated Land” mission is marked as cleared on the Warring States Era map for Iinoya, unlocking its completion status and any connected follow-up content.
If these conditions do not appear after the encounter, the mission has not been properly completed, and Ryomen Sukuna remains in an uncleared state for that character and difficulty.
As it exists in Nioh 3 right now, Ryomen Sukuna is a fixed, story-bound boss for the Iinoya side content, with a clearly defined arena, reward pool, and elemental behavior. Once defeated and logged as cleared, his main role shifts from gatekeeper in “Fated Land” to a repeatable source of his signature weapons, Soul Core, and associated set pieces.
