Sekiro boss guide: Shichimen Warrior (Abandoned Dungeon)

Sekiro’s Shichimen Warrior boss fight in the Abandoned Dungeon requires preparation because the worst mistake you can make is attacking without a plan.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to defeat the Shichimen Warrior using the most effective Shinobi Prosthetic, insanely powerful items, and strategies for reacting to his attacks.

The best Prosthetic Tools, Quick Items and skills for the Shichimen Warrior (Abandoned Dungeon)

These are our recommendations for the best items to equip for your fight with the Shichimen Warrior.

We always try to figure out boss strategies that don’t rely on rare items — or, for that matter, anything you may not have. The Shichimen Warrior in the Abandoned Dungeon is so specialized that we’re comfortable with the exceptions below.

• Divine Confetti. This item is helpful for every purple enemy, but it’s so rare that we rarely recommend it. In this fight, however, it’s so good that we can’t ignore it. If you don’t have two Divine Confetti, you can farm the robed enemies near the Ashina Castle > Upper Tower – Antechamber Sculptor’s Idol. Use a Mibu Possession Balloon to increase item drops. (And you’ll earn a ton of Experience Points and sen in the process.)
• Mottled Purple Gourd. You can purchase the gourd for 1,800 sen from the Exiled Memorial Mob merchant vender near the Ashina Depths > Mibu Village Sculptor’s Idol. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s worth it. It has the same effect as Pacifying Agent: increasing your Terror resistance and dissipating your Terror buildup. It works like Healing Gourd, so you can take five swigs and refill it at a Sculptor’s Idol.
• Pacifying Agent. If you don’t have the Mottled Purple Gourd, use this Quick Item to dissipate your Terror buildup and increase your Terror resistance.
• Shinobi Firecracker. Our old standby stuns the Shichimen Warrior for a moment, so you can continue attacking. That’s especially effective here because of the extra damage you’ll be doing with your Divine Confetti-infused sword.

Shichimen boss fight tips, tricks, and strategies

General strategies

Before hopping down into the arena from the Abandoned Dungeon > Bottomless Hole Sculptor’s Idol, do two things:

1. Take a chug from your Mottled Purple Gourd or use a Pacifying Agent. This will protect you from the Terror buildup you’ll endure while standing near the Shichimen Warrior. Without it, you’ll be dead within about five seconds. (Seriously: five seconds. We timed it.)
2. Use Divine Confetti, which makes your sword glow purple and allows you to deal significantly more damage (of all varieties) than you’d do with regular attacks.

Now it’s time to begin the fight. With the power of Divine Confetti, your strategy becomes simple: ruthless aggression.

Shichimen Warrior attacks

In this section, we typically talk about a boss’ attacks, how to identify them, and what you should do about them. Our strategies are almost always about fighting defensively. But here’s the thing about the Shichimen Warrior: You don’t really need to worry about its attacks. Instead, you need to worry about your attacks because you're on offense (for once).

Glowing orbs

The Shichimen Warrior conjures floating orbs that follow and attack Sekiro. Some are small, and others are large. You can mostly run away from the both varieties. Just keep yourself locked on to the boss and run in circles around the Shichimen Warrior (which is how you outrun the orbs).

Funnel of flame

Shichimen Warrior shoots a funnel of flame from its staff. Just lock on to the boss and run left or right (while closing the distance between you two). He can’t keep up with you.

Teleportation

FromSoftware/Activision via Polygon

After you deal a lot of damage — and after you perform your first Deathblow — the Shichimen Warrior disappears and teleports into another area of the arena. When it goes transparent, you can’t damage the boss.

Don’t panic. Just spin the camera around and look for a bunch of those creepy floating head clouds coalescing in one spot. When you see it, run there. That’s where the Shichimen Warrior is going to reappear. Get there, and start attacking again.

Sekiro’s attacks and defense

Most of this fight is about attacking the Shichimen Warrior, but we should also point out what to do when you’re on defense.

Safe area

FromSoftware/Activision via Polygon

If you get into serious trouble, there’s a stalagmite rising from the floor of the cave close to a wall. Run behind it, putting the stalagmite between you and the Shichimen Warrior. You’re safe from (most? all?) attacks here.

Ruthless aggression

Armed with the power of Divine Confetti and protected from Terror thanks to the Mottled Gourd or Pacifying Agent, you’re a Vitality and Posture-wrecking machine. Charge the Shichimen Warrior, and attack. Throw Shinobi Firecrackers to stagger the boss.

Follow these steps, and you can decimate his Vitality and Posture bars in less than 20 seconds.

If he disappears, chase him down and repeat the process. Just watch out for his funnel of flame attack. Keep an eye on your meters, too, and drink from your gourds when you need to.

Shinobi Firecracker

Pepper your ruthless aggression with the Shinobi Firecracker. Attack three times, and then deploy the Prosthetic Tool. As you can see above, that timing allows you to disrupt the Shichimen Warrior’s attacks, so you can continue your assault.

Shichimen Warrior drops, items, and rewards

FromSoftware/Activision via Polygon

Defeat the Shichimen Warrior, and you’ll receive the Ceremonial Tanto, a reusable item (like gourds) that allows Sekiro to sacrifice Vitality and turn what he loses into Spirit Emblems.