Genma Bestiary — All Enemy Types and How to Defeat Them

The Genma are demonic invaders corrupting Kyoto in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Each Genma type demands a different approach. Rushing in with the same attack pattern works against basic soldiers but fails against shielded knights, flying demons, or the towering bosses that patrol Kyoto's landmarks. This bestiary covers every major Genma variant and the most efficient way to put them down.

Standard Genma types

The bulk of Kyoto's demon population consists of four common types. Genma Soldiers are aggressive but predictable—their three-hit combo ends with a parryable overhead slam. Genma Archers hang back and fire volleys; close the gap with a dash and they switch to a weak melee. Genma Hounds rush in packs and can be killed with one well-timed sweep attack. Shielded Genma Knights block frontal attacks and require flanking or magic to break their guard.

Elite and boss Genma

Elite Genma appear in key locations and boss arenas. The Oni General uses a charged dash attack that tracks the player—dodge sideways, never backward. The Gate Keeper combines wide sweeping melee with ground-pound shockwaves; jump over the shockwave and punish during the recovery. Each boss has a specific phase transition at 50% health that introduces new attack patterns.

Genma elemental affinities

Some Genma have elemental resistances. Flame-resistant enemies take reduced damage from fire magic but melt under Frost. Frost-resistant enemies are immune to freeze but vulnerable to Lightning. Check the enemy glow: red aura means fire resistance, blue aura means frost resistance, yellow aura means lightning resistance. Switch your Gauntlet affinity to exploit the weakness.