Sasaki Ganryu (Kojiro) Boss Guide — Way of the Sword

Sasaki Ganryu — also known by the name Sasaki Kojiro — is the antagonist rival of Way of the Sword, an Oni Gauntlet wielder whose fate, per Capcom’s official profile, “seems inescapably intertwined with Musashi’s.” He appears across multiple acts and fights like no other boss because he can parry you back. The strategy is patience, not aggression.

Onimusha Curious Cases: Sasaki Ganryu — official Capcom profile — YouTube

Onimusha Curious Cases: Sasaki Ganryu — official Capcom profile

The official name, settled

Capcom’s Curious Cases episode profiles him as Sasaki Ganryu, “a swordsman, also known by the name Sasaki Kojiro,” who “would appear” to also wield an Oni Gauntlet. The Man in White episode adds the provenance: both Musashi’s and Ganryu’s Gauntlets were granted by the same mysterious figure (see the Man in White). Historically, Ganryū is the name associated with Kojiro’s sword school — Capcom choosing it as the character’s in-game name is a nod to the legend rather than a rename.

Stat card

Historical context

The real Sasaki Kojiro (佐々木小次郎, 1585–1612) was a famous swordsman of the early Edo period and the rival of Miyamoto Musashi. He is best known for dying in their duel at Ganryu Island on April 13, 1612. Way of the Sword reimagines him as an Oni Gauntlet wielder, turning a historical duel into a recurring supernatural antagonist. The character is an original fictional interpretation, not a biographical adaptation.

Fight 6 — Sasaki Ganryu (3.5/10)

The game’s true first boss. He spends most of the fight weaving around the arena, combining quick, piercing strikes with slower, wave-like delayed ones — all clearly telegraphed, even the delayed attacks.

• The leap stomp — dodge it, or shut it down with Issen.
• The left-hand grab — a blue attack; dodge right before the hand connects (per the in-game prompt).
• The parry-back rule — from official pre-release coverage: he can parry you, so the two-hit rule below applies harder here than against any other boss.

Nothing too difficult for the first story boss, in PowerPyx’s verdict.

Fight 7 — Sasaki Ganryu (Altered) (7/10)

The second-toughest fight in the game, per PowerPyx. This is the same Sasaki Ganryu, now in his enhanced form and backed by his Oni, Gioh — the rematch the official Man in White episode foreshadowed with his forbidden Oni Gauntlet practices. The fight unfolds across two phases with separate health bars, and he hits astonishingly hard: on Carnage, two hits can kill you if your guard drops.

The core loop:

• His katana attacks stay broadly the same but land much faster — especially his thrusting strike. His leaping slash, by contrast, is slow enough to deflect comfortably.
• Take purple souls whenever you deplete his stamina, to top up both Oni Awakening and Oni Power — then transform and land Issen strikes whenever you can.
• Watch Gioh’s tentacles. She joins in with her own katanas for quick deflectable strikes that are not always easy to spot.

Gioh’s mechanics are the fight’s real puzzle:

• The red-flower siphon. Gioh can replenish Sasaki’s stamina by siphoning the red flower plants around the arena — when she extends her neck to do so, draw the Oni bow and shoot her in the neck to break her concentration.
• Phase two, the command. When Sasaki shouts “Smash him flat, Gioh!”, her tentacles turn purple and add two attacks: a ground slam and a mid-combo neck lash. Both are easily avoided with a perfect dodge or countered with Issen.
• The Malice katana. A third of the way into phase two, Gioh wreathes Sasaki’s katana in Malice, unlocking his most fearsome attack — a blisteringly fast white-glowing strike capable of killing you outright, especially on Carnage.
• The blue mouth grab. Appears at random in either phase; counter on the prompt.
• The Malice ground waves. In the closing stages he imbues the ground, sending red sword-slash waves surging toward you — deflect them or dodge through.

Key principles

1. Two-hit rule, always. After a successful parry, exactly two attacks, then disengage. He can parry your third.
2. Unparryable attacks glow red. When his weapon or body glows red, that’s an unparryable. Dodge, don’t parry.
3. Patience wins. The fight is long. Don’t burn resources early. Stock Oni Armaments for the phase transition, not for chip damage.
4. Execution choice matters. When his stamina empties, take heavy damage if he’s close to death. Take more souls if you need the resources for the next phase or the next fight.

Build recommendations

• Katana spec: faster swing speed lets you get your two-hit combos in more reliably.
• Oni bow ready: the Altered fight’s Gioh mechanics hinge on a quick bow shot (the neck-siphon break; see the Oni bow location).
• Oni Armaments: stock at least 3 charges before the fight. They are the panic button for breaking his combos.

For the broader combat picture, see the Issen / Break Issen explainer, the boss list, and the Oni Armaments tier list.