If you’ve been slicing your way through Nioh 2 and think you’ve seen it all, think again. Team Ninja loves to hide their best toys behind obscure conditions, secret missions, and item descriptions that sound like riddles from a sleep-deprived blacksmith. Hidden weapons in Nioh 2 are more than flashy collector’s items, they can completely reshape your combat style once you know where to look.
Let’s talk about the best ones worth hunting down, what makes them special, and where the devs sneakily tucked them away.
1. Sohaya Tsurugi – The Trickster’s Katana
Weapon Type: Dual Swords
Hidden In: “The Sun Sets on Mount Tenno” mission
If you’re a fan of fast combos and parries that make samurai duels feel like anime choreography, the Sohaya Tsurugi is your dream weapon. It scales beautifully with Skill and Dexterity, and its passive bonuses to Ki recovery make it deadly in long duels.
Why it’s hidden: You need to defeat the optional Sohaya mini-boss hidden in a side room during the Mount Tenno mission. Miss him, and this sword never drops.
Why it’s worth it: Its “Grace of Tsukuyomi” synergy in late game builds makes elemental ninjutsu and onmyo magic much stronger than they have any right to be.
2. Benkei’s Halberd – The Monk’s Judgment
Weapon Type: Splitstaff
Hidden In: “A Song to Calm the Storm” side mission
Benkei’s Halberd is both a lore relic and a wrecking ball in the right hands. It’s a splitstaff that rewards aggressive combos, with a unique attack pattern that resembles spinning prayer wheels if you channel your Ki right.
How to find it: Complete the side mission, then purify Benkei’s spirit and open the hidden chest at the waterfall cave.
Why it’s special: Its innate Ki damage and water affinity make it ideal for dismantling yokai bosses who love to spam projectiles.
3. Spirit of Seiryu Spear – Frozen Tide
Weapon Type: Spear
Hidden In: Dream of the Wise difficulty
This spear is absurdly rare, dropped by the corrupted revenant of Seiryu only in higher difficulty modes. Its scaling with Magic and Constitution makes it a hybrid favourite for elemental builds.
Why it’s hidden: You have to summon the revenant by placing a Seiryu Essence item near the northern shrine in the “Corpses and Ice” mission. The game doesn’t tell you that.
Why it’s worth it: Its active ability “Azure Flow” triggers a frost explosion that freezes enemies mid-animation. It’s flashy, functional, and entirely unfair.
4. Obsidian Samurai’s Axe – The Black Tyrant
Weapon Type: Axe
Hidden In: Defeat the Obsidian Samurai in “The Two Faces of Hospitality”
The Obsidian Samurai is an optional boss you can completely miss, and with him goes this heavy monstrosity of a weapon. It’s slow, yes, but its final heavy combo is a miniature earthquake.
Why it’s hidden: You have to talk to the NPC twice before entering the inn to trigger his appearance. Miss that, and you’ll never see him.
Why it’s worth it: High break power, monstrous damage, and the ability to literally send yokai flying. It’s the definition of satisfying chaos.
5. Yasakani Tachi – The Lost Blade of the Mirror
Weapon Type: Katana
Hidden In: Twilight Mission “The Refined Man of the Underworld”
This weapon has a mythological flair and a damage bonus tied to Amrita absorption. Every time you gain Amrita, it briefly boosts your attack and defence. Perfect for builds that snowball mid-fight.
Why it’s hidden: You must purify all corrupted shrines and defeat the yokai that spawn at each one before the final gate opens.
Why it’s worth it: It rewards clean, momentum-based play. Plus, the visual design alone makes it feel like it belongs in a museum.
6. Tatarimokke’s Talon – The Cursed Fist
Weapon Type: Fists
Hidden In: “The High Spirited Demon”
A weapon shaped from yokai malice and sculpted for aggression. You get it only after defeating the hidden form of Tatarimokke, which triggers if you destroy all crystal eyes before killing it.
Why it’s hidden: Because Nioh 2 loves to punish curiosity with bird demons.
Why it’s worth it: It scales insanely well with Strength and Courage, and its passive “Corrupted Boost” turns Yokai Realm fights into your own playground.
7. The Viper’s Coil – Venom in Metal
Weapon Type: Kusarigama
Hidden In: Hidden Kodama trade (rare random drop)
Trade enough rare Soul Cores to Kodama and you might get this gem as a secret reward. It’s a poison-based Kusarigama with ridiculous status effect synergy.
Why it’s hidden: It’s part RNG, part ritual sacrifice to the gods of grind.
Why it’s worth it: Once poison lands, it chains with Sloth and Paralysis talismans for brutal lockdowns in PvE.
The Seven Swords Takeaway
Nioh 2 hides its best weapons like secrets in a feudal escape room. You can stumble across some by accident, but most require the patience of a monk and the curiosity of someone who reads every item description twice.
The good news? Every hidden weapon on this list feels like a reward, not a random drop. Whether you’re chasing elegance with the Sohaya Tsurugi or unleashing chaos with the Obsidian Axe, these weapons make the grind worth it.
So next time you think you’ve mastered every blade, spear, and staff in Nioh 2, take another look. The best gear might be waiting behind a wall you never kicked.
