Guide: Nioh 2 - How to Beat Mezuki

How do you beat Mezuki in Nioh 2? How do you kill the boss in The Village of Cursed Blossoms mission? Mezuki is Nioh 2's first main boss fight, so unless you've managed to fully master all of the game's mechanics and systems in the space of just a few hours, it's going to present you with a couple of problems. You needn't worry any longer, however, as we're on hand to guide you through the game's first boss fight. Here's how to beat Mezuki in Nioh 2.

How to Beat Mezuki in Nioh 2

Recommended level - 8

Mezuki is a demon with a horse for its head, but that's probably the scariest thing about it. As far as boss fights go, this one is particularly simple. After resting at the nearby Shrine and pushing open the doors to the boss arena, you'll come across a wide-open space with a destroyed house to your right and a glowing rock to the left.

The demon is equipped with a gigantic staff which it makes large, sweeping attacks with. You're going to want to keep your distance as these deal a large amount of damage and wait for openings as it recovers stamina. Quickly dash in and deal a few quick hits before retreating. Rinse and repeat this tactic until you're given the chance to perform a Burst Counter -- that's when Mezuki glows red and begins charging up a powerful attack. Make sure to successfully perform the counter and you'll deal a good amount of damage and stagger the demon in the process. At this point, throw everything you've got at it with attacks and Yokai Skills until your stamina completely depletes.

Once you've sliced off roughly a third of its health bar, Mezuki will spawn a Dark Realm that covers the entire arena. This means that your stamina will recharge at a much, much slower rate. Therefore, you're going to want to be cautious during this phase and pick your openings to attack wisely. The demon's attacks don't change in any meaningful manner, however, so continue to dash in and take chunks off its health bar as and when possible. Once the Dark Realm has lifted, you can get back to countering its moves and taking advantage of your own Yokai Attacks.

Mezuki will introduce one more attack to the fight as you near its conclusion -- when its health bar is down to its last third -- which you'll have to dodge out of the way of. Mezuki will shoot three to four spirits at you from a distance, so simply dash from side to side as you avoid their hitboxes. Rinse and repeat the strategy we've laid out and you'll have defeated Mezuki in no time at all, concluding the game's first mission in the process.