Quick answer
Rasho-gan is not just a six-armed sword duel. At the start of the encounter, look for the red thread running from the Genma toward the nearby stone-flower idol. Cut that link with the sword or the Oni Bow before it can keep feeding the fight. If the thread returns, cut it again instead of trying to out-damage an empowered Rasho-gan.
The second decision is your Break Issen target. The head is the damage route. The back limbs are the control route: breaking them removes several projectile, leap, and powered attacks. If you are learning the fight, limb damage usually produces a calmer encounter. If you already recognise the Malice cues, head damage shortens the remaining health bar.
The third decision is distance. Rasho-gan wants to make you react to threads, curse balls, and scissors from far away. After a thread attack resolves, move toward the boss. After a charge, scissors rush, or air dash, wait for the final hit or landing before starting your punish. Do not spend the whole fight retreating: the safest position is often just outside the current attack, with enough room to see the next cue.
Where the fight happens
The named Rasho-gan encounter belongs to Careful What You Wish For, a main mission at Yasui Konpiragu Shrine. The mission log lists eight objectives. You first investigate the strange events, gather clues, investigate Hachidai Rikison Shrine, find the stolen Stout Pillars, return toward the shrine, absorb the dark mass, defeat Rasho-gan, and then investigate Yorimasa’s monument.
| Mission step | Objective | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Look for anything strange; gather clues | Search the shrine route before expecting the arena |
| 3 | Investigate Hachidai Rikison Shrine | Continue the investigation instead of searching for the boss early |
| 4–5 | Find the stolen Stout Pillars; head for Hachidai Rikison Shrine | The route turns back toward the combat area |
| 6 | Absorb the dark mass | Complete the Oni action before the boss objective |
| 7 | Defeat Rasho-gan | The named boss encounter |
| 8 | Investigate Yorimasa’s monument | The post-fight objective and route continuation |
The mission awards 2 Hempen Cloth, 1 Power Stone, and 1 Oni Stone. These rewards are tied to completing the mission, not to choosing a particular Break Issen target. Choose the head or limbs based on the problem you need to solve in the fight.
Preparation before entering
Keep both sword and Oni Bow available
The sword is the fastest way to sever a thread when Rasho-gan is close. The Oni Bow is safer when the connection stretches across the arena or when the boss creates a giant Malice ball. Put the bow on an easy item-wheel position before the fight. A missed switch during the projectile wind-up is usually more expensive than one second spent preparing.
You do not need to open with a long combo. The opening priority is to identify the idol connection, sever it, and return to a position where the boss stays on screen. Only then should you decide whether to pressure posture or wait for a counter.
Choose the Break Issen plan before the first posture break
There are two valid plans:
| Plan | Break Issen target | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | Head | Players who can already dodge the special attacks | The boss keeps more of its dangerous move set |
| Control | Back limbs | First clears, low-health runs, or players losing to projectiles | The fight may take longer because the damage conversion is smaller |
Do not choose the target after the prompt appears while panicking. Decide during preparation. If the first phase is already under control, head damage is efficient. If a single Malice pattern keeps ending the attempt, use the next Break Issen to remove the limbs that enable it.
Preserve a recovery option
Rasho-gan can create pressure without standing next to Musashi. Keep one healing use for the powered or scissors phase, and do not spend every yellow-soul or Oni-Power resource on the first safe opening. The fight rewards repeated short punish windows more than a single ambitious burst.
The red thread is the first objective
The red thread links Rasho-gan with the stone-flower tower or idol. Cut the threads before they feed power, then close the distance after the link is severed.
Use this loop:
- Find the visible red connection rather than attacking the boss’s body immediately.
- Cut it with a sword slash when you are already close and the boss is recovering.
- Use the Oni Bow when the thread is exposed across the arena or when closing distance would cross a projectile.
- Move toward Rasho-gan after the cut so the next exchange happens at sword range.
- Check the idol again after a few attack cycles; a severed connection is not a permanent permission to ignore it.
The thread and the boss do not have to be treated as separate objectives for the entire fight. The practical rule is to interrupt the link whenever it is safe, then use the resulting approach window to build posture. If you run straight to the thread while a scissors rush is already starting, the correct answer is to defend first and cut during the recovery.
Attack cues and responses
The table below separates the ordinary move set from the powered cues. The safest response is the one that leaves the boss visible and gives you a repeatable punish, not necessarily the response that produces the largest single counter.
| Attack | What to watch for | Safer response | When to punish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scissors rush combo | Rasho-gan drives forward into a multi-part scissors sequence | Do not counter the first contact; track the complete sequence | After the finishing cut has passed |
| Snatch | The boss reaches to pull Musashi into a grapple | Evade the initial catch; do not rely on Guard alone | During the failed grab recovery |
| Charge attack | A direct gap-closing commitment | Move off the line rather than backing straight away | At the end of the charge |
| Curse ball | A ranged projectile is released from distance | Move laterally as it launches, then close the gap | Once the projectile has cleared |
| Psychokinesis | The arena is controlled from range and the effect holds your attention | Break the line of pressure and advance after the effect resolves | During the setup recovery |
| Air dash | Rasho-gan rises before an airborne scissors approach | Track the split and wait for the landing | Immediately after the landing |
| Four Malice projectiles | Back limbs lift or clap above the head before the volley | Dodge the spread or use terrain as cover if the camera is poor | After the final projectile |
| Crouching Malice projectiles | The boss retreats into a low crouch before firing two shots | Dodge late as the projectiles arrive; do not roll early | Rush in after the two shots |
| Overhead weapon drop | The blade rises and tracks downward | Parry the weapon or Dodge the second impact | Use the long recovery |
| Leaping drop | Back limbs thrust Rasho-gan into the air | Dodge at the landing moment | Attack while the boss recovers |
| Giant Malice ball | Four limbs form a large ball over the boss | Shoot the ball or its thread with the Oni Bow | The explosion or end of the throw |
| Long-range thread grab | A red thread reaches toward Musashi from far away | Dodge just before the grab; do not stand still waiting for contact | After the grab attempt fails |
| Object toss | A thread lifts a tree or large shrine object | Shoot the lifting thread with the Oni Bow | The object falling on the boss creates the opening |
| Scissors undercut | The weapon is drawn behind the body like a low golf swing | Parry as the weapon reaches you | Counter immediately after the parry |
| Psycho Twister | A slow wind-up precedes a long spinning advance | Dodge or Parry; prepare for a possible second pass | Run in after the full rotation |
| Leaping stab | Open scissors rise before a downward stab | Parry the weapon attack, or Dodge if the timing is not ready | After the stab lands |
The names players use for these moves may differ between guides, but the visual rule remains stable: limb-based projectiles are answered by movement or limb removal, weapon attacks by Parry, and unarmed landings by Dodge. If your camera is too close to distinguish the attack, create space before the next exchange.
Phase plan
First phase: sever, approach, and build posture
At the start, do not spend the whole opening attacking the body. Cut the red thread, then stay close enough to see the shoulders, back limbs, and weapon. Rasho-gan’s ordinary pressure mixes sword attacks with projectiles, so a fully passive strategy gives the boss time to reset the arena.
When a curse ball or four-shot volley begins, move laterally rather than holding a straight backward line. Once the final projectile passes, advance. Use lateral movement against the curse ball, a broken line against Psychokinesis, and patience through the air-dash landing. These first-clear rules reduce the number of reactions you must improvise.
If you reach a posture break before the red thread returns, use the planned Break Issen target. If the connection is active again, cut it first only if the attack state gives you the time. A forced thread chase during a break prompt can waste the most valuable damage window of the phase.
Powered state: use the bow for objects, not just damage
If Rasho-gan becomes empowered, the fight adds long-range thread pressure and object-based attacks. The red thread is now more important, not less. When a large object is held up by a thread, shooting that thread can turn the arena hazard into damage against the boss. When a long-range grab is coming, dodge at the final catch instead of rolling as soon as the thread appears.
The giant Malice ball is the clearest Oni Bow test. If the bow is already selected, shoot the ball or its connection. If you are too close to switch safely, move sideways and let the projectile pass. The goal is to survive the cue and return to sword range; the goal is not to force a bow shot while standing inside a scissors follow-up.
Scissors phase: shorten the exchange
Later in the encounter, Rasho-gan uses the scissors more aggressively. The undercut, long-range grab-stab, Psycho Twister, and leaping stab all punish an early attack. Let the weapon finish its travel, then take a short punish. Parry is strongest against the weapon itself; Dodge is acceptable for the spinning approach when the camera or distance makes the timing unreliable.
Do not treat a successful dodge as an invitation to mash. The spinning move can include another pass if it is not parried, and the recovery only becomes safe after the complete movement ends. One or two attacks are enough to keep the posture cycle moving.
Two reliable clear plans
Safer first-clear plan: remove the limbs
Use this route when Malice projectiles or the leaping drop are killing attempts.
- Cut the red thread at the opening.
- Stay at mid-range and wait for a projectile or charge cue.
- Dodge the first dangerous volley and punish only the recovery.
- Build posture with short sword strings after charge, air dash, and curse-ball recovery.
- Use Break Issen on the back limbs.
- Repeat the thread cut whenever the idol connection returns.
- Keep the Oni Bow ready for the giant Malice ball and lifted objects.
- Save healing for the powered or scissors phase.
The benefit is not just lower damage taken. Breaking the limbs reduces the number of cues you must read, so the remaining weapon attacks become easier to identify.
Faster plan: head damage and aggressive thread checks
Use this route when you can already Parry the weapon attacks and the projectiles are not forcing mistakes.
- Cut the thread with the fastest safe attack.
- Close the distance and pressure posture after every confirmed recovery.
- Choose the head during Break Issen for direct damage.
- Interrupt the red link again before it completes another power cycle.
- Use the Oni Bow for the giant ball or object thread, not for random chip damage.
- In the scissors phase, take only the punish after a Parry, landing, or completed twister.
This route ends the encounter sooner, but it has a smaller margin for an unrecognised projectile. If two consecutive attempts fail to the same limb-based move, switch to the safer plan instead of repeating the faster one.
Common failure points
Rasho-gan becomes stronger while I am attacking
Look away from the health bar and check the arena connection. The red thread may have returned. Cut the link first when the current attack has ended. If the boss is already empowered, avoid assuming the old state will return automatically; survive the new cue set and use the next safe opening to regain control.
The Malice balls keep landing
The dodge is often too early. For the crouching pair, wait until the projectiles are about to arrive. For the four-shot volley, move off the line and keep the boss in view. If the back limbs are the main problem, choose the limb Break Issen target rather than insisting on head damage.
The giant ball catches me after I switch to the bow
Switch before the attack begins. The bow is a planned tool, not an emergency button that must be drawn during the projectile’s final travel. If the switch is late, move laterally and survive the cue; damage from a missed shot is less important than keeping the run alive.
The scissors rush cannot be parried
Do not try to parry the opening contact by habit. Wait for the finishing cut, defend the final hit, and punish only once the full movement has stopped.
The thread is cut, but the fight still feels too long
Thread control prevents a stronger state; it does not replace posture damage. After cutting it, close distance and use the recovery of a charge, curse ball, or landing to build posture. If you remain far away after every dodge, the boss gets time to reset.
I cannot find the Genma Note
Genma Note: Rasho-gan is a guaranteed drop from the named encounter. Finish the boss objective and check the resulting reward state; do not search for a separate chest coordinate.
Rewards and completion notes
Rasho-gan drops Genma Note: Rasho-gan with the named encounter. The mission completion rewards are 2 Hempen Cloth, 1 Power Stone, and 1 Oni Stone. After the boss, the objective changes to investigating Yorimasa’s monument, so the fight is not the final navigation step of the mission.
Rasho-gan’s base health and posture are 5,000, with a 5-second posture-regeneration delay, a 12-second posture-break duration, and a 10-second knockdown duration. Difficulty and checkpoint multipliers change the effective values. On Hard, the listed health and posture range is 7,200–16,000, so use 5,000 as the baseline and let attack cues decide when to take the next exchange.
