Sekiro: Fountainhead Palace Walkthrough and Guide

UnlockLast Edited: April 6, 2019 at 9:25 PM

Welcome to IGN's Walkthrough and Guide for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. This area-based Walkthrough will cover all enemy encounters, items to pick up, secrets to find and more as you complete your journey as the shinobi known as The Wolf.

This guide contains information on the Fountainhead Palace, the last large region in the game that can only be accessed if you decided to side with Lord Kuro against Owl. The area is only accessible after you have collected the Mortal Blade from Senpou Temple, the Lotus of the Palace Flower from the Sunken Valley, and the Shelter Stone from the Ashina Depths.

How to Access the Fountainhead Palace[edit]

Once you have collected all the ingredients of the Fountainhead Aroma, and defeated Owl at Ashina Castle (Dusk) to get the branch of the Everblossom, speak with Lord Kuro to combine all the ingredients into the incense burner to wrap yourself in the aroma.

Following the clues, you'll need to present yourself as the "bridal offering" by returning to the Wedding Cave in the Ashina Depths, and praying inside the wedding palanquin past where you found the Shelter Stone.

The result is... unexpected, as you are taken on a journey high into the mountains above Ashina.

Now that you’ve taken a wild trip to the land of legends, night has fallen across Ashina. Expect some restless spirits to start showing up in certain areas - but more importantly, you’ll now find yourself at the edge of the Fountainhead Palace, far up in the mountains above the land.

Jumping down from the strange thing that brought you here, look along the ledges to find a Pellet, and then move up the path to find the Fountainhead Palace Sculptor’s Idol.

Before you can explore the palace, you’ll need to deal with a familiar gatekeeper.

At first glance, the Corrupted Monk seems to behave much like the one you fought in the Ashina Depths. The only noticeable difference to see here is that this isn’t a phantom, and so Divine Confetti will do you no favors here - and also that the Corrupted Monk has three health bars.

Much like the first fight, the Corrupted Monk uses her naginata to slam down with attacks, and can also do multiple sweeping slice combos that have a rhythm you’ll need to get down to properly deflect attacks. Many times, the Corrupted Monk will end a combo string with either a perilous thrust or low sweep - so keep an eye on the movements of the blade to see when she holds it straight and close, or holds it low off to the side to prepare to spin in circles.

There are also several tree branches along the bridge of this boss arena - and you can use them to get around quickly if boxed into a corner, but don’t rely too much as she still has enough reach to hit you with her long naginata.

On the second health bar, things get noticeably different. A black and white mist fog will envelop the arena as the Corrupted Monk disappears, only to reappear as three different phantoms that will perform one attack before disappearing.

The first phantom will step forward with a sweeping slash, the second phantom will appear nearby with an overhead strike, and the third phantom will appear also nearby for a jumping slash. This will repeat at least three times, and can come from any angle. Since you’ll only have a few moments to react, you have a couple of options: Try and spin the camera and deflect the three attacks - sprint up and down the length of the bridge to outrun their attacks, or grapple between branches to avoid the attacks.

Each has their own strengths and flaws - and no method is truly perfect, though you can also pull out the Loaded Umbrella and turtle up and hope your posture lasts long enough to shield up three separate times. Just be aware that grappling doesn’t mean you’ll be immune, and sprinting can set you in the path of an appearing phantom.

Other than that, the second part of this fight is still mostly about watching for the slashes and slowly building up posture whenever possible by taking every opportunity to deflect and counter. It can be pretty hard to tell when the monk is blocking blows, but know that attacks from behind cannot be blocked by her - so take that into account.

Finally, when you reach the third phase, the Undying Centipede will show itself to put a new spin on the final phase. In addition to everything you’ve faced before, the Corrupted Monk has a new unblockable attack where she begins to shriek as the centipede spews gunk in a front-facing arc that does extreme terror damage. If you see her start to retch and scream, quickly dodge around behind and get your hits in where you can.

Another move she brings in from the previous fight is the whirlwind of spinning attacks that are spaced but deal a ton of damage and can be hard to reliably deflect - but difficult to avoid as to the wide range of movement she can cover while spinning.

Thankfully, the centipede can be her biggest undoing, as it allows for you to deal a lot of damage without her being able to block while spewing gunk. This can let you lower her health to the point that her posture barely recovers, and then you can work on deflecting everything you can to finally put her and the centipede down, and sever the Corrupted Monk’s immortality.

Defeating her for good will earn the Memory: True Monk, as well as the Dragon’s Tally Board. This item will increase the wares that all basic merchants sell, adding an infinite amount of Divine Confetti, Eel Livers, Snap Seeds, Black Gunpowder, and Scrap Iron!

Vermilion Bridge[edit]

Now that you’ve defeated the True Monk once and for all, the path to the rest of the palace lies before you. Take in the amazing vista of the large palace area, the giant lake, the many buildings along the side and front, and the large falls closest to you.

Grapple down along the right side of the ridge to get down the falls area. There are a few paths to take among these buildings here, but for now the most straightforward will do.

At the entrance to the first building you’ll find a Mibu Balloon of Soul past a tree with some Spirit Emblems. Inside the building is another Mist Noble - like the one you found in the Hidden Forest. However, this enemy isn’t as big of a pushover as his friend. Just by looking at you, he’ll start sucking your lifeforce - causing massive terror buildup frighteningly fast.

Unlike normal terror buildup - you won’t die outright, but you’ll become enfeebled: losing almost all of your maximum health and resurrection nodes - and you can only stagger about with slow swings - as the Mist Noble will then try to lurch forward to grab and beat you do death. You can’t use much of any items either in this state - the only way to get back to normal is to either kill the Mist Noble, or get far enough away that it loses interest. It’s highly recommended you only approach these enemies from behind, or sprint in for a kill before they can start sucking you dry.

Past this enemy, you’ll find another Mist Noble in the next room overlooking a balcony - but also watch out for an additional Mist Noble behind some screens over by the other exit that looks out across the lake.

Whatever you do, DO NOT try and swim out onto the lake. An imposing enemy is perched high on the tree on the other side, and will hurl lightning blasts toward you that will electrify the water around the blast to kill you quickly. She will only do this when you head into deep water anywhere in this region. For now - stick to the cover of the buildings.

To get to the next building, you can either look for a broken wall to pass through, or go by ways of the falls and grab a Light Coin Purse on a broken pillar. If you take the back path, you’ll spot several enemies patrolling here - these are the Okami Warrior Women spoken of in legend, and they are formidable opponents indeed.

These long-necked creatures are experts with swords and bows alike - and will often prance about in unpredictable patterns before leaping in with jabs or spinning slashes. If they give out a strange battle cry, beware of a multi-hit combo - but deflecting them can break their posture fast. The warriors can utilize a long range jumping thrust you can Mikiri Counter, but may also jump up for a downward stab or strike.

You’ve actually heard about these creatures before - in the text of the Sabimaru, which was used to great effect against these god-like enemies. The legends hold true, as the Okami are very weak to poison, and even a single hit of the Sabimaru will cause them to retch from the poison - so be sure to use it when you need to get some breathing room.

Note that the two patrolling sword users are watched over by an archer on the lower roof. In order to get to him unannounced, you can take the path through the broken wall and look for grapple points - but you can also get to the top of the roof, where three more archers watch a lone sword user practicing on a bridge overlooking the water.

Take out the trio - they go down much faster than the warriors, but can fire off volleys in quick succession - and then ambush the practicing warrior and grab the Lump of Grave Wax. If you’re feeling gutsy, you can also try jumping over the deep waters to a broken building to the right (the covering will stop you from getting hit by lightning) and grab the Adamantite Scrap inside.

Back on the other side of the building closest to the falls, kill the archer on the second level before dropping down to battle the Okami warriors, and then look inside the building for a Mibu Balloon of Wealth - but be sure not to get your soul sucked by the Mist Noble hiding in the alcove to the left.

When you reach the next area, you’ll find a large enclosed courtyard, with a broken wall entrance to the far right, or you can hop onto the buildings to climb over the wall and find a Ceramic Shard in a nest.

In this next area, several dog-like beasts are wandering the shallows. If it looks like a dog, acts like a dog, and sounds...odd - it can probably die just as easily. A shuriken or two will put one down, as does a single deflection - or you can have fun with the Finger Whistle to make them go mad. Beware - sometimes the dog creatures will jump into the air and emit a lightning bolt that can deal a lot of damage if you aren’t prepared. Consider investing in Eel Livers, or try jumping to the side to avoid them - but remember the ability to disperse electricity by slashing while still in the air.

Check the middle clearing where the group of creatures were to find Ungo’s Sugar and a Heavy Coin Purse, then look for an entrance to the large building on the side. Three of the dog creatures are in here - as is a Mist Noble hiding off on the left corner. You can use the Finger Whistle to turn the tables on them, and then ambush and kill the survivors. Grab the Adamantite Scrap, and then head outside.

If you climb to the roof of the building, look along the backside and you’ll find an Okami Warrior and Okami Archer sitting along the roof in wait - so engage carefully. Down below is a group of three dog creatures, and three more in the small building nearby - use the Finger Whistle (without targeting specifically) to let them tear each other to pieces before grabbing the Eel Liver they were guarding.

Finally, there’s some more beasts looking around a tree by the large gate at the end. Dispose of them to find Yashariku’s Sugar, and the path to the next area.

Mibu Manor[edit]

Entering the small courtyard, commune with the Mibu Manor Sculptor’s Idol. The front door appears locked, so instead take a right through a broken wall to find a small stairs leading inside.

Another Mist Noble patrols these halls - wait for him to pass and then stab him in the back, and then crawl along the passage to avoid the gaze of another Mist Noble across a small pool. In the next room, a woman will call to you. She actually seems pretty decent, and warns you of the many Mist Nobles here - especially in the courtyard ahead.

Speak to her again, and she’ll ask that you help her father - who is entranced by the Great Carp, and begs you to help him in some way.

Heed the woman’s warning, and use the set of screens on the left side of the room to sneak past the courtyard brimming with Mist Nobles. Hug the left wall and grab the Bite Down item - this can be useful if you need to dart past a group of them, die, and then resurrect when they look the other way.

When you reach the end of the room, it looks out on another small courtyard with a tree surrounded by tall grass, and a bridge where a Mist Noble plays his flute, and alternates looking toward you and away from you. When he looks away, run out and dart to the left to kill the Mist Noble that was watching your entry earlier, and run into the pond to grab the Ako’s Sugar before the one on the bridge turns back. Wait for him to turn again, then race into the tall grass below him, and sneak attack him when the opportunity presents itself.

Next, look off to the left for a building where an Okami Warrior kneels to engage her in combat and lure her away from the Eel Liver she guards. Across from her in an alcove is a Mist Noble - throw a Ceramic Shard to lure him out and gut him when he gets in range. Round the corner and you’ll also find Yellow Gunpowder at a dead end. You can almost make out something large just beyond the screen windows - but you can’t get out there just yet.

On the other side of the bridge where you killed the Mist Noble, another followed by two Okami Warrior bodyguards will start patrolling the halls in a circle - but note the crawlspace above you can grapple up to.

From here you can watch them pass and ambush them - or use the Finger Whistle to cause some havoc first. Kill the group, and then look in the far back left side of the corridors to find Divine Confetti, and then return to the large room around where the group patrolled to find a single Mist Noble you can drop down behind and kill, and then loot the Lump of Grave Wax in a small covered area.

The Divine Noble here was facing the large courtyard - but there are still three left, so skirt them and keep to the outer left side. It’s tempting to creep up on the left-most Divine Noble - but he’s being watched by a large crowd in the building next to him. Instead toss a Ceramic Shard at him from around a corner to silence him, and then rush the two Mist Nobles on the bridges before the Okami Warriors see what’s going on.

Two Warriors will emerge from the hut where a Mist Noble with a red robe sits (oddly enough this one won’t try to cause terror damage), and one Warrior has a naginata spear. Like the Corrupted Monk, this Okami Warrior may try a spinning low sweep attack that can go on for three rotations - or jump into the air for a flying slam attack. Even the Sabimaru can’t poison these warriors right away - and the Okami Warriors wearing purple can also leap into the air to charge up their spears with lightning to send your way - but you can reflect it back at them to stun them if you’re quick. Be sure to lead them on a merry chase around the manor to divide and conquer.

When you return to the main courtyard, grab the Pellet by the tree, and head in the building to find Adamantite Scrap, as well as a chest holding Divine Grass. On the other side of the building, the last group awaits - an Okami Warrior with a naginata and a Divine Noble. Grab the Okami’s attention to lure it away from the prying eyes of the Mist Noble, and then come back to rush the noble - but watch out for another Mist Noble hiding to the left waiting to catch you off guard.

Before leaving, turn around from where the duo was to look along the wooden floors, and you’ll find a broken part of the floor leading to an underwater passage. In this hidden room, you’ll find a treasure trove: Three Treasure Carp Scale, and a chest holding Water of the Palace.

If you remember back - there is someone who was craving these waters. Return to the Mibu Village in the Ashina Depths and travel to the Head Priest’s house. Enter via the secret revolving floor under the building to find him guzzling the water until there’s none left - and offer him the Water of the Palace. In thanks, he’ll give you Dragonspring Sake, and if you return later, you’ll find him transformed into a Mist Noble (without the power to suck your life force), and you can defeat him to earn a whopping five Treasure Carp Scale!

There’s a large series of buildings and platforms before you upon leaving the Mibu Manor - but there’s a bit more to see nearby first. Take a left to find a large pagoda with some Divine Confetti around the back, and then look around the other side for the long path going behind the manor itself.

Mini-Boss - Sakura Bull of the Palace[edit]

As you reach the end of the path, a large variant of the Blazing Bull will appear at the other end. It turns out that even the divine monsters here seem to love lighting a bull’s horns on fire and letting it go wild.

It’s important to note that this fight is only made harder by several Okami Warriors and Archers crowded around the rooftops of the nearby Mibu Manor. You can turn the tables on them by looking for a grapple point past the Scultpor’s Idol, and taking the fight to them. While there’s not much else to see along the rooftops of the manor - you can theoretically use the rooftops to get the literal drop on the Sakura Bull and take it out without any fuss at all - since it only has the one health bar.

If you choose to engage it head-to-head, you’ll find it behaves much like the Blazing Bull, and drawing it back to its initial pen can help as the beast struggles to turn quickly. Still, it’s magical blazing horns can deal piercing damage even when you block - so watch out for the dip in its horns signaling an upwards head thrusting attack, or its violent swiveling of the head from side to side.

You can also still use Shinobi Firecrackers to great effect here - or use the nearby tree branches to grapple above and behind the beast to attack from its rear. Keep up the damage while strafing behind the large beast, and at low health and posture it will eventually buck around until it slams into a wall to topple over.

Defeating this enemy will earn you another Prayer Bead, along with A Beast’s Karma Skill that further increases your max Spirit Emblem count by 1. Be sure to also search its pen for three items: a Bulging Coin Purse, Yashariku’s Sugar, and Adamantite Scrap.

Flower Viewing Stage[edit]

Back at the Sculptor’s Idol, it’s time to move forward. As you approach the bridge to the Flower Viewing Stage, a giant carp will leap out of the water and tear the bridge to pieces before diving away. Neat.

Be sure to look for a grapple point to the side - falling into the deep water will trigger the Okami lightning warrior in the distance to hurl more bolts - so steer clear of the depths. Across the bridge, you can spot two Okami Warriors practicing... kickball?

It’s no joke. The Okami Kickballers will throw their balls high into the air before slamming them at you - some will arc around to hit you from the side as a distraction, while others they can slam into you with incredible speed and power. However, you may not want to engage the two on the platform just yet - two more Kickballers are waiting on the platform above to pelt you, so let’s find a different path.

Go down to the building on the left where the other side of the bridge was to find a Mibu Balloon of Soul, and then go around the left side of the building to find a path up the falls where a lone Okami Kickballer waits - and ambush her before she can start pelting you. Even at close range, they can lash out with a few kicks that deal surprising damage - but if you wait at range for them to leap into the air, you can rush in and jump up next to them to perform an Anti-Air Deathblow to silence them quickly.

You can’t get to the house at the top of the falls off to the left just yet, but be sure to climb onto the roof of the building you passed to eliminate another Okami Warrior - then look for the two Kickballers on top of the balcony nearby. Rush them quickly before they can put up a defense, and try not to raise the attention of those below you.

There’s also two more Okami Warriors behind you along the falls near a broken bridge - they can also be snuck up on if you grapple up to the broken bridge and get in behind them. With the enemies on the upper platforms gone, you can now drop down to the lower level to find two more Okami Warriors patrolling the underside of the platforms, and then finally take out the two on the main platform without getting ambushed.

When you’ve cleared this first main platform, be sure to check the shallows under the platform to find a Mibu Balloon of Soul among the rocks leading out to the deeper water, and then head back towards the falls to find various bridges leading to the next central platform. The highest bridge lets you grapple onto a thin roof area, and if you check the tall tower near you, look for Gokan’s Sugar in a nest at the top.

Climbing to the upper platforms and looking further ahead, you can spot two Okami Warriors near the center platform, another patrolling between them and the last two Okami Warriors at the back of the platform by the waterfalls and an old shrine.

Engaging this group can be tricky - so be sure to use everything in your arsenal like the Sabimaru or Finger Whistle to distract and disorient - and try taking out the enemies in the back before working your way forward like you did before. To do this, look for a lower path leading to a bridge along the back that is broken, and you can drop down to find more of the dog-like creatures below guarding an Eel Liver, as well as a Ceramic Shard further downstream.

Looking up from the waterways, you should be able to spot the two Okami Warriors armed with naginatas with their backs turned to you - making it an ideal strike point. Better yet, use the Puppeteer Ninjutsu to turn one to your side and let him rip into the others before finishing up the job - just watch out for stray lightning bolts.

You’re getting closer to the large tree where that lightning-hurling jerk is - but not close enough. Since you can’t get up from here, return upstream to the falls and go behind the small shrine to find a waterfall surrounded by dog-like creatures - and engage them quickly with shurikens to find two Mibu Possession Balloons. If you hear a strange noise nearby - that’s because on the falls further to the right is a Shichimen Warrior practicing his magic, but we’ll deal with him later. For now, return to the small shrine hut and grapple atop it to find more platforms against the cliff that the waterfalls are pouring down.

Move up these rock platforms and across branches sticking out of the waterfalls to reach to the top of the palace stairs - only to find the door here locked, and what sounds like many Mist Nobles on the other side.

Your only way forward seems to lie with the large lake - so getting rid of that enemy on the tree is our goal. Head down the stairs from the locked door to a basin with some Spirit Emblems. The path to the left has broken, and the right leads to a longer bridge with a Pellet before it too ends with a broken edge.

Moving straight ahead, watch for an Okami Warrior and Archer. Advance carefully, and use the Loaded Umbrella if you need to power through the arrows to reach the duo and then eliminate them.

On the other side of this path is a viewing platform that looks down upon another central platform where a total of five Okami Warriors are sitting - not great odds. You’ll need to approach this area extremely carefully - but there’s somewhere else we can go first.

Near Pot Noble[edit]

Before heading down, be sure to turn around and head back to the basin - but look up for a grapple point to reach the roof of the bridge.

Move left along the bridge to wrap around to the other side of a tall roof, and you can spot a cave entrance just above you along the waterfalls that you can grapple to. Take out the few Crawling Geckos in the small tunnel, and you’ll exit out above the large building we couldn’t reach on the far side of this area!

Drop down, and look around the front of the building to grab Divine Confetti. Off to the side, you can also find… another Pot Noble! Be sure to commune with the Near Pot Noble Sculptor’s Idol, and then speak to Pot Noble Koremori, who has an entirely different selection of wares than Pot Noble Harunaga in the Hirata Estate.

These items include a Dragon’s Blood Droplet, and two Lapis Lazuli that can be used as crafting materials to make some of the best Prosthetic Tool Upgrades you’ll ever get. He also sells the final Mask Fragment. When combined with Pot Noble Harunaga and the Dungeon Memorial Mob’s Mask Fragments - you can form the Dancing Dragon Mask, which can convert 5 extra Skill Points into 1 Attack Power, which is not so useful now as it will be for New Game Plus.

Now return to the last central platform where the five Okami Warriors are. The one dancing in the middle with the purple outfit is the most dangerous, as only they are capable of lightning attacks, which she will leap into the air and charge her sword to slice down - much like Genichiro.

You may want to again use the Puppeteer Ninjutsu to turn one of the Okami Warriors to your side, let them get all the attention, and then attack the stragglers from behind as they surround your puppet. If you see the main Okami leap into the air - be prepared to jump as well, as you can reflect the lightning into all of your enemies and stun an entire group at once, and finish them while they remain stunned.

Clear out the group, and you’ll be rewarded with some Dragonspring Sake to share with who you please.

Mini-Boss - Okami Leader Shizu[edit]

Be sure to commune with the Great Sakura Sculptor’s Idol, and then grapple to the large branch to deal with the Okami Leader.

As you have probably guessed from earlier, this perilous kickballer will send electrified projectiles straight at you and deal a ton of damage if you are grounded - which means you’ll either have to be great at dodging, or great at timing to disperse the electricity.

Just in case, down an Eel Liver to make sure you won’t get one-hit killed, and then start advancing. Note that in addition to dodging or dispersing attacks, there are a few grapple points along the branch you can use - jump out of harm's way to the side and off the branch entirely, and then grapple back to resume your approach.

Even when you close the distance, she can still be a pain to deal with even doing regular kicks and kickball attacks - so its actually better to wait at a close distance until you see her start sparking up and launching a kickball in the air. When his happens, sprint forward and jump into her to get the prompt for an Anti-Air Deathblow, which will end the fight in an instant.

Defeating the Okami Leader will not only grant you another Prayer Bead, but now the entire region is free from her tyranny - and the waters are open to you.

Great Sakura[edit]

Resting back up at the Great Sakura Sculptor’s Idol, there’s a lot to explore and do now. First thing’s first - return to the tree branch where you killed the Okami Leader, and look down and to the left for a big low branch holding a Bulging Coin Purse.

Head back up to the base of the upper tree, and drop down around the other side to find several dog-creatures guarding a Light Coin Purse, and then search around the sides to find a Heavy Coin Purse in a nest.

From here, you can see paths leading back under the main platforms all the way to where you first entered - as well as a stream guarded by more dog-creatures that leads up to the Shichimen Warrior. Off to the right is another lower main platform that’s separated by a large stream emptying into the lake. Since we can’t quite reach it yet, take the path upstream.

Mini-Boss - Shichimen Warrior[edit]

Much like your previous encounters with this foe, having the Phoenix’s Lilac Umbrella will be a game changer. Since the Shichimen Warrior is located at the far end of a stream by the falls, he’ll make you run towards him, all while shooting out concentrated soul beams that can terrify you extremely fast.

In order to get past his salvos, unload your umbrella and turtle up to his face - and be sure any other dog-creatures along the rocks or streams are already killed, as you don’t want stray lightning bolts hitting you during with fight.

The Shichimen Warrior will always alternate using jumping away while spreading soul orbs across the streambed, or trying to wack you with his staff once or twice. He can also send forth a stream of orbs that are only really dangerous at range - otherwise you can strafe behind him, and the same can be said for his soul stream.

If he ever actually blocks your attacks, he’ll follow this by disappearing to reappear at the other end of the stream, and continue firing off soul streams - which he’ll also do when you’ve taken off one of his health bars. Just remain calm and turtle up when you need to get close to him, and don’t be afraid to apply your shield and walk into floating orbs to clear the field so you can attack him for longer intervals before dodging away from them.

Keep at it much like how you dealt with his brothers, and be ready to sprint downstream a moment’s notice until you finally get rid of his health. Killing him will drop another Lapis Lazuli. Be sure to also inspect the waterfall he was standing in and you’ll find a Bundled Jizo Statue.

The Lake[edit]

Since you can’t get over to the last platform area, it’s time to head into the water. Be sure to look below the platform you can’t reach just yet, and you’ll find a Treasure Carp to kill, and Precious Bait below it.

As you swim forward, you’ll spot a huge canyon going down below you, and half-submerged building that the Giant Carp swims past on the left. Be sure to check inside the drowned building to find a Lump of Grave Wax, and check the roof for an Old Woman with a clue - there’s a path to the palace through the cave where the Great Carp makes its home, and she also wants you to open the doors for her.

There’s also a few more underwater buildings around the cave entrance, and you can find 3 Treasure Carp Scale in one building, and two more Treasure Carps nearby heading toward where you first started this area.

Before entering the cave or canyon, be sure around the canyon going by the broken bridge on the far side to find two more Treasure Carps, and then swim towards the Mibu Manor to find a partially submerged hall with a nest on the roof you can grab Adamantite Scrap.

Avoid the Mist Noble watching from the manor, and swim towards the Flower Viewing Platform Sculptor’s Idol on the far side of the lake.

Below the broken bridge you’ll find a host of man-eating fish, and along the floor is a Red Lump you can collect. Further back behind the broken bridge, look carefully among the foliage along the ground for Scrap Magnetite and a Light Coin Purse.

Now head back to swim down into the large canyon in the middle of the lake. Circling the canyon above are two groups of man-eating fish guarding one Treasure Carp apiece. Kill the guards and wait for the Treasure Carp to spawn back before ambushing them.

When you start swimming down you’ll notice a few giant underwater buildings. Look below the destroyed interior of one of the bigger buildings and you’ll find some Precious Bait, while the longer building on the opposite side has a Light Coin Purse inside.

Mini-Boss - Underwater Headless[edit]

Swimming deeper into the canyon, you’ll soon spot a Headless - but he’s not alone - there’s a phantom version of the Headless not far below, and will mimic the main Headless attacks with blasts from his sword and the spooky hair tendrils. You don’t want to focus on the ghostly purple double at all, as he does nothing except waste your time.

Instead, lock onto the main Headless and keep strafe swimming in circles before darting in for a quick thrust, and then swimming past and away before he can retaliate. You’ll need to time it so that you’ve just evaded a sword slash or his hair tendrils, and try to keep the phantom in frame to make sure you don’t get hit swimming in.

Dart in and out and be careful with your attacks - there’s no rush here, posture damage is irrelevant and each lunging strike takes off a good chunk of health. Keep at it and when you finally go in for a deathblow, the phantom will disappear too. Killing this Headless grants you Yashariku’s Spiritfall, an item that lets you use the effects of Yashariku’s Sugar as much as you want, as long as you have the spirit emblems to spare.

Once the pair are removed from the battle, search up behind where the Headless was for some Precious Bait on a log, and search the lowest pit for a large Giant Carp skeleton covered in glow worms, and nearby you can find 2 Treasure Carp Scale, and a chest holding a Prayer Bead.

Path to the Palace Grounds[edit]

Now it’s time to enter the Great Carp’s lair. Swim over to the far side of the lake and look for a sloping underwater path where you last saw the Great Carp, and you’ll find a Ceramic Shard at the opening to the cave.

Swimming slowly inside, duck into the tall reeds as the Great Carp swims below you into the large cave. If he sees you, he’ll slam into you and likely kill you or severely wound you - so you want to avoid his gaze much like the Great Serpent.

There are ruined buildings on each side of the cave, and you can use them to stay out of his line of sight. If he sees you, he’ll charge in and destroy the entire building section - but often slam his head into the wall in the process, and get dazed for a few moments, giving you time to get out of there and hide again.

It’s recommended you take to the right wall when you see him swim up and to the left, and then slowly move through the different building sections as slowly tilt upwards. Once you reach the end, look up and you’ll see a large building embedded in the rocks with a hole in the wall near the top - that’s your exit. Wait for the Great Carp to swim back to the entrance, and then dart up towards the far wall.

Don’t worry if he sees you enter, much like the Great Serpent he won’t be able to follow you into the small tunnel, and will slam into the large building to no effect. Once you reach the other side, swim up and out of a pool where a waterfall is emptying out.

Head up the stream and start grappling between trees to reach a high ledge and here you’ll find the Palace Grounds Sculptor’s Idol.

Head inside to discover... quite a scene. Several red-robed Mist Nobles are in the darkened palace feasting on the bodies of Okami Warriors, all over the place. As you move through the grisly scene, remember to open the door on the left where the main stairway was to open up a shortcut to bypass the Great Carp’s cave.

From here, move up the path until one of the Mist Nobles finally looks up to spot you, alerting his friends. Kill them or just move on (these ones can’t suck your soul out), and look for a chest at the end of the room that holds the very last Gourd Seed - which should bring your maximum charges up to 10.

Feeding Grounds[edit]

As you leave the palace behind, know that if you rest, and have spoken with the old woman who asked that you open the door, you can return to find her getting her revenge on the Mist Nobles before dying herself.

Leave the palace, and look back towards the cliff with the Sculptor’s Idol to find a grapple point up to the roof. From here you can cross back to look down at the stairs to the main door - but take a look up to the left instead. This unique vantage points offers a grapple point to a large tree branch, and then down to the platforms you couldn’t reach before.

As you grapple across to the first roof, watch for a nearby Okami Archer on another rooftop that will start taking potshots at you. Quickly grapple to her and take her out, and then move along the rooftops to the far back building. Drop down and you’ll find Ako’s Sugar along the back of the building, and then head down to the broken bridge to find an electric-attacking Okami Warrior guarding a Heavy Coin Purse.

Now hop over to the middle platform, and look at the back to find Ungo’s Sugar along the path leading down to the Feeding Grounds Sculptor's Idol. Here you will find the large man who is apparently the father of the old women, including the one in the Mibu Manor. His life is now devoted to feeding the Great Carp, which you can do by ringing the nearby bell to summon him.

When the Great Carp arrives, you can feed it the Precious Bait you’ve been finding, and then talk to the man to get rewards for each bait you give. One Bait nets you one Treasure Carp Scale, two gets you three Treasure Carp Scale, but after that the large man won’t dish out any more rewards - claiming moderation is key.

It’s about this time that you should pay the Pot Nobles a visit. If you’ve bought a few things from Pot Noble Koremori, spending at least 7 scales, he’ll mention that you should beware of another Pot Noble seeking to kill the Great Carp and take his place.

However, after spending a few more scales, Pot Noble Koremori will give you the Truly Precious Bait, and ask you to secretly feed it to the Great Carp.

This sounds pretty suspicious, and if you return to Pot Noble Harunaga back at the Hirata Estate, he’ll also give you a similar story - asking for you to give his specific Truly Precious Bait to the Great Carp without telling the others.

Both offer the same reward, and while their motives seem highly suspect, it may be what’s needed to end the old woman’s father from his eternal fate of caring for the master. Speaking of which - you can fight the giant father if you wish, he fights exactly like a Chained Ogre - complete with two health bars and grabs, but offers nothing upon his death.

However, if you return to ring the bell and select the Truly Precious Bait for either Pot Nobles, a few things will happen. The Great Carp will immediately retreat after eating the bait, and after resting, you’ll find the father in great distress at the Great Carp’s disappearance, but where did he go?

You can check the cave and the carp will be gone, which means you can now swim down to loot a Light Coin Purse and Scrap Magnetite near the bottom of the cave.

Dead things tend to float downstream, and we know that the waters of the Fountainhead pool in the Sunken Valley.

If you return to the Guardian Ape’s Watering Hole, you’ll find the giant corpse of the Great Carp - and in front of him you can loot the Great White Whisker. Return to the Feeding Platform and offer it to the father to relieve him of his duty, and he’ll reward you with a Divine Grass. Rest, and you’ll find him at peace with his remaining daughter beside him as she too can finally rest.

As for the Pot Nobles - whichever Pot Noble you didn’t side with will now be found dead in their toppled pot. If you helped Pot Noble Harunaga, he’ll now take the form of a large red-eyed Carp near his pot, while Pot Noble Koremori is located below where his pot was - and the pot of the survivor now holds the treasure, a Lapis Lazuli. This, the one from the Schichimen Warrior, plus the two sold by the Pot Nobles are all you can get for a playthrough - so pick your upgrade wisely! As for the new red-eyed carp, they’ll still sell you the rest of their inventory, and expand it with whatever their competitor had in their stock before death.

Sanctuary[edit]

As you move out of the Palace Grounds building the Mist Nobles were in, you’ll find a large grove with several trees, and Crawling Geckos crawling about the ground by twin waterfalls - and you can find a Mibu Balloon of Soul by one of the waterfalls.

Grapple up the trees to a sloping stairway above, and move with caution. In the next clearing are two Okami Warriors with the power of lightning - a sword user and naginata wielder. In addition to this, a third Okami Kickballer is a bit higher to the right - waiting to ambush you form behind when you reach the clearing.

Facing all three at once is a very risky proposition - as all three can use lightning attacks that can be hard to disperse when coming from all directions. Instead of heading up into the clearing, look along the right of the path for a path to grapple up to alert only the Kickballer - and grapple up to stop her before she can start engaging in lightning attacks (remember that you can do an anti-air deathblow if you jump up while she’s charging her attack in the air).

With the kickballer out of the way, be sure to use an Eel Liver and take on the other two Okami Warriors. Try to angle yourself on the stairs above them, as lightning blasts are harder to dodge and even harder to disperse back if your lower than them and don’t have room before falling to the ground.

You’ll want to fight aggressively, use the Sabimaru, and keep attacking to prevent them from jumping into the air - either chasing them down with slashes or using Shurikens to keep them in check. Remember that they have a number of other attacks - including perilous jumping thrust attacks and low sweeping swings you need to jump over.

Once the trio has been removed from play, continue up the stairway and note a Dragon’s Blood Droplet on the left before you reach the Sanctuary Sculptor’s Idol. At the top of the path, as lightning strikes around you, you’ll find a small cave at the top of the fountainhead - inside is the body lying against a large stone - Lord Takeru perhaps? Kneel beside the body and pray at the stone to transport yourself to the Divine Realm.

Note: If you are still trying to complete the side quests that allow you to unlock the two alternate endings instead of the Immortal Severance - DO NOT DEFEAT THIS BOSS. Once the boss is defeated, certain events will be set in motion that lock you on a collision course with the ending, and you will not be able to deviate when the time comes. See our How to Get All Endings for more details.

Boss Battle - Old Dragons of the Tree[edit]

Praying at the stone in the cave will take you to the mystical Divine Realm, shrouded in fog among the clouds high over Ashina - and before you is a large withered tree. As the petals fall into the fog, an eerie a sickly looking dragon will emerge. These are the Old Dragons of the Tree, and they’ve seen better days.

As the relatively small dragon approaches you, it will be joined by even more old dragons that pop up all around you - each of them lends their health to the overall health bar for this phase of the fight. In truth, the Old Dragons aren’t all that dangerous. They only have two attacks: very slow smacks with the flute-like instruments they possess, or retching and coughing up clouds of poison, which is the real thing you need to watch out for.

In order to avoid getting poisoned and overwhelmed, you should try to strafe around the group and gets some slashes in around the edges of the group - away from the poison clouds. You can also simply use Contact Medicine to give yourself a very low poison effect that can’t be overridden by their more powerful poison - allowing you to wade in and start dishing out damage. Using sweeping attacks - like the Whirlwind Slash or Mortal Draw - you can attack multiple dragons at once, and you’ll find they don’t have a lot of health.

After a bit of this, they’ll all start bobbing up and down and unison before raising themselves up to the sky, as giant roots bursts forth from the ground to try and hit you as they burst out - three in a row. Sprint away from them, and then run back to the remaining root and grapple up top.

From your new vantage point, you’ll find that you can instantly deathblow any Dragon you jump down on, and unique to a Plunging Deathblow is the ability to use them as an extension of your blade to swing the dying dragon into his friends and instantly kill any nearby dragons. This is by far your best tactic for clearing out swaths of Old Dragons at a time, and can make this fight go by very fast.

As you near the end of this section, several healthier reddish dragons will emerge along with the gray ones. These are not part of the overall bosses health, and should be ignored entirely. It’s better just to run around them until they bring the roots back up - and lure the grey dragons close to pounce on them once more. Once all the Old Dragons have been defeated, the tree in the distance will spring to life, heralding the appearance of the Divine Dragon.

This fight will play out in a very strange way - and starts by the Divine Dragon pushing you into the air and far back into the arena. The Divine Dragon is impossibly large, and holds a great lightning blade with its one large arm.

After pushing you backwards, five large roots will burst forth around the Divine Dragon, which serves as your main points in this fight. The Divine Dragon itself only has a few real attacks - several low sweep attacks you can avoid by grappling to the roots, and many overhead vertical slash attacks that can be blocked, or simply avoided by running or grappling from side to side.

Since the Divine Dragon is so far up, there’s only one way to really damage this boss - Lightning Reversal. Look along the root platforms to see a few sparkling with electricity. When you grapple to one of these roots, you’ll be shot up into the air and struck by lightning. Thankfully, you’ll be high up into the air and have plenty of time to strike your lightning blast at the Divine Dragon.

This will deal a large amount of damage - so long as you make sure to target the Divine Dragon and that its not moving low or away to avoid the blast. Sometimes you’ll get hit with another gust of wind, and need to run back to the roots while dodging incoming sword blasts.

As long as you keep grappling between roots to unleash lightning reversals, eventually the Divine Dragon’s health will get low, and the roots will collapse as you are sent backwards one last time. At this point, you’ll need to survive a gauntlet of slashes from the Divine Dragon’s blade.

Block the incoming vertical slashes and the shockwaves that come, and wait for the dragon to twirl its blade in a circle for a quick slash followed by a small low sweep, another slash and a bigger low sweep. Once this combo attack concludes, the roots will rise up once more.

Run up to the nearest root to get blasted higher and higher still into the air before being struck, and unleash the mother of all lightning blasts into the Divine Dragon’s face. This will cause it to crash to the ground, resting its head by the sword, and giving you a spot to run up to its eye and carve him a new tear duct, and you can finally obtain the Divine Dragon’s Tears, as well as the Memory: Divine Dragon..

With your objective complete, you’ll be automatically expelled from the Divine Realm back to Ashina Castle - but something has gone horribly wrong in your absence.

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