Smash Through the Darkness: Your Guide to Breaking Malice Barriers in Onimusha: Way of the Sword

The land is shrouded in darkness, and only Musashi can restore balance. In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, you’re not just battling demons; you’re cleansing entire regions consumed by malice. A key part of this journey involves overcoming “malice barriers,” obstacles that block your path and hinder your progress. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to shatter these barriers and save Kyoto.

Understanding Malice Barriers

Malice barriers are more than just roadblocks; they represent the corruption seeping into the world. You’re likely to encounter them throughout your adventure, particularly during critical missions like “The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu,” where they can significantly impact your route and objectives. While some may seem minor, others will stand as formidable challenges.

Unlocking Oni Strength: The Key to Destruction

Unfortunately, brute force alone won’t suffice. No ordinary sword can cleave through these manifestations of evil. To break malice barriers, you must unlock the “Oni Strength” ability. This power is acquired during the “Careful What You Wish For” mission, an early-game quest that might take around five hours to complete.

Image: Capcom via Polygon

This mission revolves around investigating unsettling events at the Hachidai Rikison Shrine and confronting the boss Rasho-gan. After defeating them, a cutscene will trigger, granting you the Oni Strength skill and access to its associated skill tree.

Mastering Oni Strength: Beyond Barrier Destruction

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Once unlocked, Oni Strength becomes invaluable. It allows you to interact with malice barriers, shattering them by simply holding the action button. Furthermore, you can unlock the “Destruction Speed” passive node in the Oni Strength skill tree, reducing the time required to destroy these obstacles. While seemingly a small improvement, this upgrade proves incredibly useful when rushing through levels while simultaneously dealing with hordes of enemies.

But the utility of Oni Strength doesn’t end there. It also becomes a potent combat tool. Facing enemies wielding shields or adopting defensive stances? Unleash your Oni Strength to break their defenses! You can even grab explosive barrels and, with upgrades, even large pillars, and hurl them at unsuspecting foes.