Quick Answer
The Genma include ordinary enemies and named bosses. Use suitable melee attacks to learn Parry and Deflect, avoid repeatedly attacking into a guard, and keep ranged enemies visible during group fights. Dodge body lunges when that is the required response. Issen is a timed counterattack; Break Issen follows a full stamina break. Greater Nue adds tail and lightning threats, while Rasho-gan’s tethers give the Oni Bow a distinct job. Collect souls during safe openings and read the target choices offered at a boss stamina break.
- Antagonist race
- The Genma
- Immortal demons from the Demon World
- Basic archetypes
- 3
- Grunts, shielded, ranged archers
- Signature elites
- Genma Hound, Possessed Samurai
- Plus Greater Nue and lab creations
- Named roster examples
- From Hitotsume Gasa to Dokyo
- See the named-enemy list below
- Soul collection
- Use a safe opening
- Check for a follow-up before absorbing
- Break Issen choice
- Read the available targets
- Choose damage, souls or a body part as offered
The enemy race
Who the Genma are
The Genma are the game's foot soldiers — soul-consuming fiends and parasitic creatures that puppet human hosts. Above them stand the bosses: Shuten Doji, the giant who claims to be the legendary demon; Daidara, the colossal hungry Genma; Dokyo, who creates new Genma in an underground laboratory; the Greater Nue; and Rasho-gan, who strikes with silk threads.
The Genma are a race of immortal demons and the primary antagonists of the Onimusha series, born from the chaos of the creator god Fortinbras. Their society is a three-level class system, with High Class Genma rare at roughly a 1-in-100,000 birth rate — the tier that produced figures like Guildenstern and Gogandantess — and some humans, such as Oda Nobunaga, were resurrected into the race.
Deflect damages enemy stamina, and completely emptying that gauge creates a Break Issen opening. Issen is a different action: begin an attack just before an enemy blow lands. Learn the attack response as well as its timing; holding guard is not the same action as a timed Parry or Deflect.
Rank and file
Common Genma types and their counters
| Type | Behavior | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Genma Grunt | Rusty sword or club, obvious wind-ups | Practise Parry against suitable weapon strikes; a full stamina break opens Break Issen. Keep the counter short enough to answer a follow-up. |
| Shielded Genma | A shield obstructs direct attacks. | Stop repeating a blocked combo. Look for an attack recovery or a safe way to damage stamina, then use the opening you create. |
| Ranged Genma (archer) | Energy bolts and throws that disrupt fights | Deflect a suitable projectile with the required skill, or create a safe Oni Bow opportunity. Check nearby enemies before closing in. |
| Genma Hound | Fast quadruped, low profile, hard to parry | Dodge the lunges and punish the recovery; watch positioning when they spawn in packs |
| Possessed Samurai (elite) | A guarded melee opponent can punish a missed or blocked attack. | Read the full exchange, defend the next suitable attack and counter during recovery. Do not keep attacking because your previous strike was parried. |
Above the rank and file
Elites and Dokyo's laboratory creations
- Greater Nue — a separate encounter from the Nue pair, with tail attacks and additional lightning pressure. Read the glowing tail cue for the appropriate Parry or Deflect, dodge body attacks as required, and consider the tail when Break Issen offers that target.
- Laboratory creations — Dokyo’s experiments add unfamiliar silhouettes and attack sequences. Identify the current move before choosing a defense, and read the targets offered after a stamina break instead of assuming every creature has the same execution or reward.
- Rasho-gan — use Oni Vision to reveal the cord and shoot it to weaken the boss.
- The named roster for this game includes Hitotsume Gasa, Byakue, Kogashira, Kubi Akari, Togemaru, Chijiko, Greater Nue, Daidara, and Dokyo — a mix of returning-series types and new threats.
Farming
The soul economy and how to farm it
For repeatable soul collection, choose enemies you can defeat without spending more recovery resources than the attempt earns. Check the group after each kill, handle any incoming attack and absorb the available souls during a safe gap. Against Daidara, soul collection also prevents him from consuming loose souls.
A boss Break Issen can offer a choice between damage and souls; some encounters also offer a removable body part. Use the current target options and your resource needs to decide. If you already have resources and the boss is almost defeated, damage can be the useful choice; if another long exchange remains, a soul target may help sustain the attempt.
Direct answers
Frequently asked questions
What are the Genma in Onimusha?
The Genma are a race of immortal demons and the primary antagonists of the series, born from the chaos of the creator god Fortinbras. In Way of the Sword they are the foot-soldier horde plus the bosses above them.
How do I beat shielded Genma?
Stop attacking repeatedly into the shield. Watch for an attack recovery or a safe stamina-damage opportunity, then take a brief punish and prepare for the next move.
How do I counter ranged Genma archers?
Use an available deflection skill on suitable projectiles, or make space for the Oni Bow. Keep nearby melee enemies in view; an archer flinching does not make the whole group safe.
How do Possessed Samurai elites work?
Treat a blocked or parried attack as a reason to reset. Watch the follow-up, defend an attack you recognise and counter during recovery rather than extending the same interrupted combo.
How should I collect souls without taking another hit?
Create a safe opening, check for the next attacker, then absorb. Use familiar encounters for repeat attempts and select an offered Break Issen soul target when resources are limiting the fight.
Which named Genma appear in Way of the Sword?
The roster includes Hitotsume Gasa, Byakue, Kogashira, Kubi Akari, Togemaru, Chijiko, Greater Nue, Daidara, and Dokyo — nine named types spanning series regulars and new threats.