The Genma become much stronger as you progress through Onimusha: Way of the Sword, so keeping your equipment upgraded is important. Your sword, clothing, and Oni Gauntlet can all be improved, but you’ll need the right materials before you can make those upgrades.
You can upgrade your equipment at any Spirit Mirror, but finding the required materials isn’t always as straightforward as simply defeating enemies. Some resources come from regular enemies, while others are hidden inside treasure chests or earned from special encounters.
In this guide, I’ll show you where you can find upgrade materials in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, including Oni Stones, Power Stones, enemy drops, treasure chests, and the option to purchase materials with Red Souls.
How to Find Find Upgrade Materials Onimusha Way of the Sword
There are several different ways to collect upgrade materials while playing through Onimusha: Way of the Sword. I recommend using more than one method instead of relying entirely on enemy drops, especially when you’re looking for rarer resources.
The main sources are:
- Enemy drops
- Random encounters
- Small treasure chests
- Large treasure chests
- Buying materials with Red Souls
Enemy Drops
Defeating Genma is one of the simplest ways to obtain upgrade materials because you’re going to be fighting them constantly anyway.
Stronger enemies are more likely to drop useful materials, so make sure you pick up everything they leave behind after a fight.
The downside is that enemy drops aren’t completely reliable. You won’t necessarily receive an upgrade material every time you defeat a group of enemies, so I wouldn’t recommend farming regular mobs if you need a very specific material.
Still, you can collect quite a few resources naturally just by progressing through the game and defeating the enemies in your path.
Random Encounters
Keep an eye out for random events while exploring Kyoto. During these encounters, you’ll sometimes find ordinary citizens being attacked by groups of Genma.
When you come across one, defeat the enemies and then speak with the person you rescued. They’ll give you a reward for helping them, and that reward can include upgrade materials.
These encounters are worth completing whenever you see them. You’re already getting combat practice from the fights, and the extra rewards give you another chance to pick up materials without having to specifically search for them.
Small Treasure Chests
You’ll also find plenty of small treasure chests while exploring Kyoto and the surrounding areas.
These chests are easy to recognize because they look like small brown or orange boxes. Unlike the larger treasure chests, they aren’t marked on your map.
Because of that, you’ll need to explore your surroundings and keep your eyes open. Check corners, side paths, and areas that you might otherwise run past while following an objective.
Small chests can contain upgrade materials, so it’s worth taking a few extra seconds to investigate them whenever you spot one.
Large Treasure Chests
Large treasure chests are one of the best sources of upgrade materials in Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
The biggest advantage is that these chests are marked on your map, making them much easier to track down than the smaller ones.
They are particularly useful when you’re looking for rarer materials such as Oni Stones and Power Stones. These resources are important for improving your skills, so I recommend opening these chests whenever you see one nearby.
If your character is starting to feel underpowered compared to the enemies you’re fighting, checking the map for nearby large treasure chests is a good place to start.
Buying Upgrade Materials
There’s also a less obvious way to get upgrade materials: you can buy them using Red Souls.
This option becomes available after you complete the Careful What You Wish For mission. Once you’ve finished it, you can visit Yorimasa’s Monument and exchange your accumulated Red Souls for various upgrade materials.
This is particularly useful later in the game when you have more Red Souls than you know what to do with.
I recommend spending your Red Souls on important skill upgrades first, but once you’ve unlocked the skills you want, you can use the remaining Souls to purchase materials for your equipment.
So, if you find yourself sitting on a large pile of Red Souls and your sword, clothing, or Oni Gauntlet still needs upgrades, head over to Yorimasa’s Monument and see what materials are available.
How to Get Upgrade Materials Faster
If you’re trying to upgrade your equipment quickly, don’t rely on just one source. Pick up enemy drops as you play, complete random encounters, and explore areas instead of sticking strictly to the main objectives.
Whenever you’re in an area with large treasure chests marked on the map, take the time to collect them. You should also check the environment for the smaller chests that aren’t shown on your map.
Once you unlock the ability to trade Red Souls at Yorimasa’s Monument, you have another reliable option when you’re missing a particular material.
By combining these methods, you’ll have a much easier time keeping your sword, clothing, and Oni Gauntlet upgraded as the Genma become stronger.