The final boss in Sekiro is one of the best designed boss fights in gaming history

[crespo]

I don't mind the Genichiro warmup at all. If you're not obliterating him easily then it's a sign to take a break and come back later since you're tilted.

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This 100%

What's funny is the first time I beat Isshin I actually died to Geni via fatigue/brain fart/not paying enough attention.

I decided to revive and keep going, and proceded to no-hit Geni and the first two Isshin phases. Isshin couldn't touch me until an accidental dodge put me in harm's way.

I later went on to beat the game through NG+7 with a variety of charmless and/or bell demon runs thrown in. Peak, peak From.

 

[Kill3r7]

I'm disgusted at both of y'all

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I didn't say it was the right, fair or most rewarding strategy but it certainly works.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Nah. It was a smart way to not let you get too comfortable with the required timing for Isshin.

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Not at all. His moveset and timing windows were completely unique.

 

[KLoWn]

100% truth.

 

[Amirnol]

That final run when you actually beat him felt like this:

It hits the spot so good.

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I was just thinking this exactly. First 40 attempts were futile, then suddenly I can see the code in the matrix and feel like a God. Sekiro was incredible and I am blown away as From Software continues its streak of amazing games, starting with Demon's Souls and never letting up.

 

[kevinking94]

I got to a point where I could defeat his first stage easily, but the second and third phases fucked me up lol I ended up beating him, but i still havent mastered the lightning counter where you hav to jump.

 

[Naner]

For me it wasn't even the hardest fight in the game, but it felt perfectly balanced to use all I had learned before it.

 

[Tendo]

I made my post in the soulsera thread the other day about this exact topic! I bounced off this game three times before someone on here described it as punch out, and it clicked. I stopped playing it like dark souls and just cruised through the game. Last Saturday I did the final Gauntlet of Owl 2, Demon, and Isshin. What an amazing final few hours this game had.

I had heard forever here and other places how impossible the final boss is and unfair, but didn't feel that way at all. Took me about a dozen tries or so but every death was mine for not reading a tell right. That final run where I won I barely got touched. That matrix gif is a perfect way to describe it.

 

[ryan13ts]

It's a nightmare of a fight, took me an hour of hit and run tactics to beat him. Just ended up being more tedious than fun to me.

 

[rucury]

Having to fight Genchiro every time is actually genius. It's like a necessary warm up before the real fight. If you stop playing for a few days, you can use Genchiro to get back into the groove. If you're retrying the fight because you keep losing, seeing yourself improve on the Genchiro fight is motivational and confidence-inspiring.

Edit: Found the vid from the first time I beat him. So much fun.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

I don't mind the Genichiro warmup at all. If you're not obliterating him easily then it's a sign to take a break and come back later since you're tilted.

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It's not the difficulty that's annoying, most time I would blast through him unscathed. It's the time I had to waste. It's the same reason why people don't like having to run from a bonfire back to fight a boss. It's a legit criticism.

 

[Sotha_Sil]

I hated it. Just takes too damn long, and the Genichiro phase is a stupid, pointless obstacle after the first time.

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The point of the Genichiro phase is to give you another revive every time you respawn and attempt to face the boss again. He should be a rather effortless takedown by this point in the game. Maybe 30 seconds tops to beat him. From did this with several bosses (the lone weak soldier right before Lady Butterfly, for instance).

 

[TheDeadlyHound]

Demon of Hatred was harder... I beat Isshin in like 3 tries :/ I wanted a harder and rewarding final fight.

 

[Ralemont]

I could have done with a better arena. The tall white grass hides too many of his moves. Once I baited him over to the dirt at the edge of the arena it was much easier to track.

 

[Toriko]

Demon of Hatred was harder... I beat Isshin in like 3 tries :/ I wanted a harder and rewarding final fight.

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I really thought Demon of Hatred sucked. It completely betrays everything that makes Sekiro unique. That boss should be in a soulsborne game and not Sekiro. Easily the worst boss fight in Sekiro apart from folded monkeys.

 

[cLOUDo]

That final run when you actually beat him felt like this:

It hits the spot so good.

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LMAO, yes

That shit was hard man. Hardest final boss I can recall fighting. I'm gonna post my trophy here because I earned it.

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is madness that a 26% beat it the most hardest boss of any From software games.
The fanbase is really compromised lol

 

[N.47H.4N]

He was easy for me, I can't deny it was a great boss fight, but was not my favorite in the game.
Demon of Hatred was much harder and my favorite boss fight.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

It was the first time I ever considered quitting a souls borne game without completely finishing it. But like usual you stick with it, find what works etc. But it was weird because it was the only boss in the game that gave me a significant amount of trouble, and I mean SIGNIFICANT.

Then I learned the secret of sekiro which was just be aggressive all the time and suddenly the replay and that boss became a lot easier.

 

[JudgmentJay]

It's a nightmare of a fight, took me an hour of hit and run tactics to beat him. Just ended up being more tedious than fun to me.

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I mean... of course running around and poking a boss that's meant to test your mastery of the combat system is going to be tedious and unfun. I don't think you have anyone to blame but yourself here.

 

[Jamesways]

Agreed, the 2 Owls, SSI, IA, Genichiro, and the Apes are all some of my favorite bosses in Souls games. SSI was an amazing climax.

I'm another who tried 4 times to get into this, and the last time it finally clicked. Again, that Matrix gif is perfect!

I loved the boss encounters, loved learning the puzzle pattern of each. It's hilarious to see the amount of sugars and consumables you have left at the end.
Each run was a "learn the rhythm, save the consumable for the final run" and by that time you didn't even need them.

By far the most satisfying Souls experience for me. And I loved DS, DS3, and especially BB. None of them beat the feel and flow of this game though.

 

[ryan13ts]

I mean... of course running around and poking a boss that's meant to test your mastery of the combat system is going to be tedious and unfun. I don't think you have anyone to blame but yourself here.

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The hit and run tactic was after hours of trying to do it the 'right' way. It's an extremely hard fight regardless of how you approach it, and I'd still have considered it tedious even if I had beaten it going head-on. Just because I had to approach it differently doesn't negate my opinion of the boss, so save the elitist lecture please.

 

[Mafro]

For me the fight ended up being pretty trivial if you just block with the umbrella and punish him with the projected force skill, and if you use the item that gives you more spirit emblems at the cost of some health. It is a fun fight though.

Also loved the Guardian Ape, second Owl fight an Lady Butterfly.

If you can beat the first form, you can beat the rest of the fight by poking him after he does his large circular move. It takes a little while but is pretty easy to nail down.

For me, Genchiro in the middle of the game is the best fight in the game. Since in that small area and the way his attacks are, there's no real way to cheese him. Even the other fight that happens there you can get enough room to dodge things.

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Yeah that Genichiro fight mid-game is one of my favourite From bosses. Managed to finally no-hit him the other day.

 

[EmptyGirl]

Mixed feelings about this fight, particularly because the lightning deflection you use to take down the final form is such a wonky, rarely used mechanic. If Sekiro's parrying, frame pacing, and hitboxes were just a little tighter (played on PS4 Pro) I might be able to agree otherwise.

Also, I think it took me like two to three hours to finally clear the fight, and I shit you not the moment the main character cut the final bosses's head off the game crashed and I lost all my progress. lmao. Perfect metaphor for my over all experience with this game

 

[Gradon]

I'll admit he's a very well designed boss and even though I struggled (A LOT) I did end up beating him, and it was unbelievably satisfying lol.

what I will say though is that I'm sick to death of 3-4 phase bosses, and Sekiro is horrible for this. Elden Ring gonna end up with 7-8 phase bosses I s2g.

 

[adz2ka]

Sword Saint Isshin is actually easier the more offensive you get.
Father Owl is the perfect balance of offence and defence.

Both are exceptional boss fights I'd class as the pinnacle of modern action combat.

 

[zoodoo]

For me it's Guardian Ape. It's animation, the setting with shallow water and dead trees, the way you execute him, the surprise. One of the best bosses ever

 

[SpoonyBob]

I probably didn't focus nearly as intensely as I should've to get the fight down when I beat him. As other posters mentioned a dozen times, Genichiro fight at the start is a HUGE negative for me. It's just so damn tedious every single time.

Owl 1 & 2 are way above it in my mind. I loved those fights so much.

 

[zoodoo]

Sword Saint Isshin is actually easier the more offensive you get.
Father Owl is the perfect balance of offence and defence.

Both are exceptional boss fights I'd class as the pinnacle of modern action combat.

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I was styling on father Owl and tried to rush him. Then he mikiri countered me. I had to pause the game to take it in.

Spoiler

 

[Eugene's Axe]

Didn't finish the game because of that fucker. Not the game's fault tho.

 

[Kuro]

I really thought Demon of Hatred sucked. It completely betrays everything that makes Sekiro unique. That boss should be in a soulsborne game and not Sekiro. Easily the worst boss fight in Sekiro apart from folded monkeys.

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That boss was actually more about knowing how to cheese it the shinobi way lol. Using tools you might not normally use a lot like the umbrella and such. I think it has merit in that at least.