Nioh 3 Post-Game Guide: All the features available after clearing the story

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Fans of the Nioh games have always said the most enjoyable part comes after finishing the main story, thanks to extra features that make the combat even more replayable. We can confirm this is also true for Nioh 3.

The new features unlock at different points. You can access some immediately after finishing the main story, but most will require you to complete a “New Game+” playthrough on a harder difficulty.

Below, you’ll find more information about what Nioh 3 offers after you finish the main story. Please be aware that this section contains spoilers, so you’ll need to beat the game to unlock and experience these features.

New gear rarity unlocked after the final boss

Divine Gear and Sudama Blessing

Once you’ve beaten the final boss, you’ll collect the items it drops before watching the ending cutscene. Keep an eye out for a new color among those items – if you haven’t changed the game’s settings, it will likely be green.

The new ‘Divine’ rarity is now available, and it features a maximum familiarity rate of 999. Importantly, armor pieces with this rarity will see their Defense stats increase as you raise their familiarity level.

Also, if a powerful Divine item doesn’t already belong to a specific set, it will now be part of a new, randomly assigned Grace set. Similar to fixed sets, equipping multiple Grace items from the same group will unlock increasingly powerful bonuses.

We’re adding a new feature called Sudama Blessing to the shrine’s Blessings menu. This allows you to choose the weapons and armor you’re trying to collect, increasing your chances of finding them. You can focus on completing a specific set or just getting gear for your preferred playstyle.

When you adjust your category selections, keep in mind that each change uses one Ochoko Cup – it’s the same item you use to summon Acolytes or play with friends. If you want to update all eight categories, it will cost eight Ochoko Cups total.

Rare Soul Cores and Soul Core Transformation

When I first started playing, I quickly realized that you can only find Common (they’re white) and Uncommon (yellow) Soul Cores at the beginning. And those early cores only come with one or two set Special Effects each – nothing too fancy just yet!

After finishing the main game, you’ll start earning higher-quality (blue) Soul Cores. These rarer cores come with random bonus effects, which you can customize using the new Soul Core Transformation menu. To do this, you’ll need Soul Fragments, earned by getting rid of extra Soul Cores through Resting Rites.

New difficulty level – Shogun’s Journey

As a fan, I’m really excited about the new post-game mode! It adds a difficulty called Shogun’s Journey (your first playthrough is called Heir’s Journey). Basically, you start a new game with tougher enemies, but the cool part is you get to keep all the stuff you’ve already unlocked – your weapons, skills, everything! It’s like a fresh challenge without starting completely from scratch.

You’ll have the option to skip the opening scenes set in Edo and jump directly into the main story, which begins with the ‘Escape from Hitokoto Slope’ stage. We’ve confirmed that the Edo tutorial stage is still designed to be unbeatable. Even if you manage to lower Tokugawa Kunimatsu’s health, his powerful spirit attack will instantly defeat you, and you won’t receive any rewards for trying.

Shogun’s Journey mode features updated enemy encounters. You’ll find more enemies overall, with some human opponents replaced by yokai, and weaker yokai swapped for tougher versions.

When you reach the open field area, it might seem like you need to explore everything all over again. But don’t worry, the game remembers where you’ve been and which Shrines you’ve already discovered. You can still fast travel to Shrines, but only those in areas you’ve unlocked before progressing the story.

Restoring open field combat zones

Many of the collectible items, such as treasure chests and Nigitama creatures, have returned in Shogun’s Journey, but you can still only obtain each one once.

However, these rules don’t apply to combat areas. Team Ninja has included a way to replay these areas after you’ve finished them. After completing an area or Myth sidequest, you’ll find a spirit offering you the chance to restore it. This feature is available for Enemy Bases, Lesser Crucibles, Master duels, and Myth sidequests.

You’ll need either Sands of Recollection or Scarlet Sands of Despair to proceed. You can find these items by exploring the open world, or you can earn them as rewards for completing Battle Scroll stages.


If you’ve defeated many enemies in the open world, you might receive a message warning about a surge of negative Ki. If this happens, praying at a shrine will reveal that one of your previously captured Enemy Bases has been rebuilt, even if you haven’t used any items to reinforce it.

We suggest using the sand primarily for things like Myth sidequests and Masters. Save the Scarlet Sands of Despair for Lesser Crucibles, as those tend to need a larger amount.

Level Sync in Battle Scroll stages

In the Shogun’s Journey mode, you’ll find a new feature called Level Sync when selecting Battle Scroll stages. If your characters are stronger than the stage recommends, this option automatically lowers their level to create a balanced and enjoyable challenge.

Follow this rule, and you’ll get better rewards after completing the level.

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2026-02-07 21:57