Onimusha: Way of the Sword has 22 named main missions that follow Musashi through the game’s story, alongside a large selection of optional side quests spread across Kyoto. The campaign is mostly linear, so the mission list also gives you a straightforward way to check how far you’ve progressed.
If you’re focusing on the story, preparing for a completionist run, or simply want to know what mission comes next, this guide covers the full main quest order, optional missions, and how long the game takes to finish.
How Many Main Missions Are in Onimusha: Way of the Sword?
There are 22 main missions in Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
These story quests are grouped under the Way of the Sword category and take Musashi from the opening events at Rendaino through corrupted Kyoto and into the game’s later supernatural conflicts.
The campaign follows a largely fixed sequence, so you don’t need to worry about choosing between different main-story routes.
All Onimusha: Way of the Sword Main Missions
Here are all 22 main missions in order:
- The Ruckus at Rendaino
- The Stage is Set at Kiyomizu
- Kyoto, Corrupted
- The Oni’s Apprentice
- Careful What You Wish For
- The Curse of Kiyomizu-zaka Slope
- A Strength in Refuge
- Patching Up the Pouch
- Windswept Kenin-ji
- An Immortal Talent
- What Lurks in the Shadows
- The Roots of All Evil
- Bloodbath of the Bridge
- Shadows Fall
- A Tempest at the Temple
- To Live is to Suffer
- Okuni’s Kabuki Dance
- The Demon on the Mount
- A Haunted Distraction
- Storm Chaser
- In the Light of an Icy Moon
- The Clash at Rendaino
The mission names make it easy to compare your current objective with the full campaign order and estimate roughly how much of the main story remains.
All Side Quests in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
The main campaign isn’t the only content available throughout Musashi’s journey.
Kyoto is filled with optional activities that introduce additional NPCs, environmental mysteries, combat challenges, and hidden rewards. Some of these quests appear only after reaching certain points in the story, so check previously visited areas and the map regularly.
Side content includes Mysteries of Kyoto, Chance Encounters, Ace Archer challenges, and Hidden Treasure quests.
Here is the full optional quest list:
- Pale Lights in a Night Sky
- Clear Space, Clear Mind
- The Light of Vengeance
- A Wife’s Prayer
- The Blessed Man
- The Odd Couples
- Noisy Neighbors
- An Ugly Business
- The Growing Ghost
- Something in the Water
- Ace Archer – Kiyomizu-Dera Temple
- Ace-Archer: Nijo-jo Castle
- Ace-Archer: Kyoto Imperial Palace
- Ace-Archer: Arashiyama
- Ace-Archer: Mount Oe
- Worm-ly Ways
- The Night Parade
- Restless Spirits
- A Fishy Story
- The Faceless
- Hidden Treasure No. 1
- Hidden Treasure No. 2
- Hidden Treasure No. 3
- Hidden Treasure No. 4
- Hidden Treasure No. 5
These missions aren’t required to finish the main story, but they’re worth completing if you’re interested in exploration, additional rewards, or full completion.
Hidden Treasure Quests
There are five Hidden Treasure Chance Encounters in the game.
Each involves obtaining an Old Drawing from an NPC and using the picture as a clue to locate a hidden reward somewhere in Kyoto.
The rough quest marker only narrows down the area, so you still need to compare the drawing with the environment and use Oni Vision at the correct location.
Because these can be easy to overlook, completionists should avoid leaving every Hidden Treasure hunt until the very end.
Ace Archer Challenges
Onimusha: Way of the Sword also includes five Ace Archer side activities:
- Kiyomizu-Dera Temple
- Nijo-jo Castle
- Kyoto Imperial Palace
- Arashiyama
- Mount Oe
These optional challenges are spread across several major locations and provide another diversion from the main combat and exploration loop.
If you’re aiming for 100% completion, make sure you’ve finished all five rather than assuming the first challenge represents the entire activity chain.
Should You Complete Side Quests as They Appear?
It’s generally worth checking optional content as you progress rather than rushing through all 22 story missions.
Some side quests become available after major story developments, and revisiting earlier parts of Kyoto can reveal new objectives.
Doing optional missions along the way also breaks up the pacing of the main campaign and gives you more opportunities to collect resources and rewards before later battles.
However, players only interested in finishing the story can safely prioritize the Way of the Sword missions.
How Long Does Onimusha: Way of the Sword Take to Beat?
The main story takes approximately 20 hours to complete.
A more typical playthrough that includes some exploration and side content will take closer to 25 hours.
Completionists should expect a longer runtime, particularly if they’re pursuing every optional quest, hidden reward, challenge, and post-game objective.
| Playstyle | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Main story | Around 20 hours |
| Main story + some side content | Around 25 hours |
| Completionist | Significantly longer |
The total can vary considerably depending on difficulty, how much time you spend exploring, and whether you’re pursuing trophies or achievements.
How Long Does the Platinum Take?
Players going for the Platinum trophy should expect to spend longer than the standard campaign runtime.
Some unlocks and rewards are tied to additional objectives, and full completion also involves playing through the game on Carnage difficulty.
That means finishing the 22 main missions once won’t necessarily be enough for every trophy.
For a normal playthrough, however, the campaign remains relatively manageable at around 20 hours. The side quests, Hidden Treasures, optional challenges, and harder-difficulty requirements are what significantly extend the overall experience.
