Sekirois a game of skill, determination, and perseverance. It rewards the player for learning the mechanics and mastering them. It only has a barebones progression system that gives you more things to master, and it doesn’t conform to the more familiar trend of making the player overpowered as the story progresses.
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All of this can only work because of the way the game is designed. Instead of giving a rush when the player one-shots a previously insurmountable enemy, Sekiro offers a power rush when the player understands the weaknesses and strengths of each enemy and exploits them to their benefit.The boss designin this game is phenomenal, but the mini-bosses aren’t something to forget about either.
10General Kuranosuke Matsumoto
The first of many Generals found within the game; General Kuranosuke is an omen of things to come. The other mini-bosses to this point have been inhumane abominations that feel quite far off from humans.
However, the general is just another soldier, but more powerful, almost like Sekiro himself. Defeating him feels like an accomplishment worth bragging about. The combat feels climactic, and the mechanics feel smooth when fighting him.
9Blazing Bull
A relatively uninspiring enemy, the Blazing bull is literally just a large, crazed Bull with flames burning at his horns. The attacks of this mini-boss are simple. The encounter does come rather unexpectedly with a spectacular entrance by the bull, giving it points for style both due to the entrance and the magnificent horns.
The fight itself is about teaching the player how to dodge attacks properly and take advantage of overextended opponents in the heat of battle (pun intended). It’s a good learning experience that is hard enough to be challenging but not to the point of frustration.
8Armored Warrior
Armored Warrior is a departure from the other mini-bosses in the game. He is a unique entity that shows that there is more to the world of Sekiro than we know. His moveset isn’t particularly inspiring, but the way his uniqueness is woven into the storytelling is great.
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With seemingly no clear way to damage him, the player is left puzzled about how to progress. By the point you reach him, he won’t really be a big challenge, especially if you’ve been focusing on fighting different mini-bosses. The challenge comes not from how to overpower him but from how to kill him. The game only gives a few hints, trusting the player to figure it out.
7Great Serpent
You’d think that a Jörmungandr-style massive serpent named the Great Serpent would be one of the major bosses, but you’d be wrong. The Great Serpent is a great mini-boss with interesting mechanics.
The fight against him isn’t about parrying and dodging; it’s about stealth, reconnaissance, and intelligence. While defeating him isn’t necessary to reach an ending, it is necessary to reach one of the good endings.
6Snake Eyes Shirafuji
A member of the elite group of women commanding the gun fort in Sunken Valley, Snake Eyes Shirafuji is a worthy opponent. There’s nothing about her that’s particularly incredible. However, her overall moveset is vicious; all of her attacks are deflectable one way or another, and the fight against her leaves the player’s adrenaline running at a new high.
Lore-wise, not much is known about Shirafuji. There isn’t any option to interact with the Snake Eyes outside of combat, meaning they are hostile no matter what you do.
5Shinobi Hunter Enshin Of Misen
Enshin is the mini-boss that forces the player to learn a newCombat Art, the Mikiri Counter. While he can be beaten without this skill, it is significantly harder, if not nearly impossible, for a new player. His moveset mainly consists of thrust moves that cannot be blocked, making him a tricky opponent at the start of the game.
To beat him, you have to think like aninja in the gameand use the various techniques at your disposal. Once you’ve mastered the Mikiri Counter, however, the fight becomes a lot more reasonable, and the player can make quick work of him.
4Lone Shadow Longswordsman
Found in the same place where you start the game, the Lone Shadow Longswordsman is a shinobi working for the interior ministry. He is a relentless hunter after Sekiro who is well-versed in a fast-paced style of combat that the player has yet to face at this point in the game.
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The fight against the Lone Shadows feels like an epic in writing. The rapid-fire attacks, the cool animations, and the relentless barrage that the player has to face is riveting and gets the adrenaline pumping.
3O’Rin of the Water
An apparition-type enemy in the Mibu village, O’Rin is a seemingly innocent young woman who’s quite good at playing the shamisen. Her melodic playing lures Jinzaemon all way from the starting area of the game to Mibu village, where he ultimately perishes.
O’Rin has a flowing style of combat that pairs well with her lady-like visage. Her story is that of unrequited love or that of a star-crossed lover — if you’re being generous. Unfortunately, there is no way to find a happy ending for the apparition, though a facsimile of one can be achieved if Jinzaemon reaches the foot of her clearing.
2Long-Arm Centipede Giraffe
Where other enemies use a wide range of moves to keep the player on their toes and alert, the long-arm Centipedes use a nearly undodgeable barrage of attacks that overwhelms the player. Unless you’ve looked up how to beat this enemy or completely mastered the parry mechanic beforehand, you will die to him.
The Centipede is one of the most satisfying enemies to defeat in the game. Once you’ve got the trick to beat him down (the trick is to be good at parrying), the fight feels incredible.
1Ashina Elite - Jinsuke Saze
The most epic-like battle of the game, the Ashina Elite, Jinsuke Saze, is a menace and a half. He is a master of the world-famous quick draw technique. Not only is the technique epic, but it is also predictable yet still hard to counter. The fight is less about flashy powerful techniques and more about simple game mechanics.
Figuring out the exact timing and moves of the Ashina Elite can take more than a handful of tries, but each try feels rewarding if you focus on the right things. As with many of the other enemies in Sekiro, once you’ve got the mechanics down, it’s only a matter of time until you rid the world of the master of the quickdraw, Jinsuke Saze.
