Combat & Arts
Nioh 3's combat is the deepest in the series, and most of its trophies tick over just by engaging with the systems — Burst Breaks, Ninjutsu, Crucible Arts, Guardian Spirits and Soul Cores all unlock as you fight. The only one that demands real skill is A God Among Men: defeating every optional master duel. They're brutal but fully replayable, so build up and pick them off as you grow stronger. Everything here is missable-free.
A God Among Men
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Defeat all masters.
A God Among Men
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Defeat all 13 master NPCs found as collectible duels across the world. These are optional elite one-on-one fights.
Tip
Masters are tough — return with better gear/level if one walls you; they're all replayable.
Masterful Pupil
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Defeat a master for the first time.
Masterful Pupil
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Defeat your first master. Beat any one of the 13 optional master duels. Feeds A God Among Men.
Crucible Arts Adopter
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Learn a Martial Art from a Crucible weapon for the first time.
Crucible Arts Adopter
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Learn your first Martial Art from a Crucible weapon.
How to earn it
- Obtain a Crucible weapon and learn one of its Martial Arts at the relevant menu/shrine.
- One-time, early.
Arts Proficiency
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Defeat 10 enemies with an Arts-Proficiency-enhanced Strong Attack or Martial Art.
Arts Proficiency
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Defeat 10 enemies with an Arts-enhanced Strong Attack or Martial Art. In Samurai Style, fill the blue Arts circle, then land killing blows with the glowing-triangle attacks — 10 total.
Tip
Build the Arts gauge in each fight and finish weakened enemies with the enhanced strike.
Ninjutsu
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Defeat 10 enemies with Ninjutsu.
Ninjutsu
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Kill 10 enemies with Ninjutsu in Ninja Style (R1 + Square/Triangle/X). The final blow must be the Ninjutsu attack — 10 total.
Tip
Switch to Ninja Style and finish enemies with ninjutsu tools/skills to bank the kills.
Burst Break
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Successfully activate Burst Break 10 times.
Burst Break
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Interrupt 10 red-glowing enemy attacks by pressing R2 with correct timing (as the attack animation begins). Cumulative.
Tip
Bait a Burst attack, then Burst Counter — the timing is on the wind-up flash, not the impact.
Guardian Spirit's Aid
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Activate a Guardian Spirit Skill Burst Break for the first time.
Guardian Spirit's Aid
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Trigger a Burst Break using a Guardian Spirit Skill for the first time.
How to earn it
- Equip a Guardian Spirit with the relevant skill and use it to break an enemy Burst once.
Yokai Manipulator
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Use a Summoning Seal to summon a yokai for the first time.
Yokai Manipulator
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Use a Summoning Seal to call a yokai ally into a fight for the first time.
How to earn it
- Acquire a Summoning Seal and use it in combat.
- One-time.
Soul Core Owner
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Purify a Soul Core for the first time.
Soul Core Owner
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Purify your first Soul Core — the yokai-ability cores you collect from enemies.
How to earn it
- Obtain a Soul Core from a yokai, then purify it at a shrine.
- One-time.
Unimpeded
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Use all methods to traverse Spirit Veins.
Unimpeded
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Use every traversal method available for crossing the open world's Spirit Veins (grapple, glide, dash, etc.).
How to earn it
- As you explore, make a point of using each Spirit Vein traversal option at least once.
- Naturally done while exploring.