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Nioh 3 is a tough game. The constant battle against yokai, a harsh death system, and the wide variety of character builds can be overwhelming. The biggest challenges usually come from the numerous bosses you’ll face, both during quests and while exploring the world.
One of these bosses is a large horse yokai named Mezuki. Luckily, he’s not as difficult as some others and is one of the first free-roam bosses you’ll find. Here’s what you need to know to find him and how to defeat him.
Where to Find Mezuki
Mezuki is located in the Tokaido region, which is just south of where you start in the 1572 CE Warring States period. This area is recommended for players at level eight, so it’s a good idea to do some side quests, clear enemy camps, and complete missions to boost your stats before heading there.
Once you’re prepared, go to the big tower on the hill near Ikeda Ferry Shrine (shown above). You’ll see Mezuki patrolling around the base of the tower. There’s also usually a friendly summon nearby, which can help if you’re worried about fighting him alone.
How to Defeat Mezuki
Even though Mezuki is large, he’s not too hard to kill. He has a strong swinging attack with his giant club, but many of his moves have long wind-ups or slow recovery times that you can take advantage of. Both samurai and ninja skills work well in this fight. I personally used a samurai with a High Stance axe to deal a lot of damage during his openings.
When the battle begins, focus on keeping some distance from Mezuki for a while so you can learn his attack patterns. Some dangerous moves include a horizontal swing where he whacks the ground three times with his club and a Burst Break where he slams his club vertically multiple times while rushing toward you.
Tips for Dodging and Countering
Try to dodge behind him because he can’t quickly turn around to hit you with his other swings, or block his attacks if your ki (stamina) is enough to take the hits. His Burst Break move is easy to spot—he glows red before raising his club—so use that to prepare your counter or switch forms.
Avoid staying behind Mezuki for too long when attacking since he will kick his legs back quickly with a fast animation. Instead, attack from the sides. One useful move is to counter after he stomps the ground in front of him twice; he pauses briefly afterward, giving you an opening.
Mezuki sometimes finishes his horizontal slash with an overhead Burst Break, which takes a while to charge. Watch the direction of his club—if it’s swinging horizontally or slamming vertically—so you know what move he’s planning next.
Low Health and The Dark Realm
When his health drops to about 50%, Mezuki will activate The Dark Realm. This increases his damage, gives him access to new moves, and speeds up how quickly his Guardian Spirit gauge fills. If you have your Living Artifact available, use it quickly when the world turns black and white to escape this dangerous mode. Staying in The Dark Realm is risky, especially at lower levels, so try to force him out as fast as you can.
New Moves in The Dark Realm
While in The Dark Realm, Mezuki gains new abilities, including a grab, a fresh Burst Break, and a move where he swings his club like a windmill to launch projectiles along the ground. These projectiles come out fast and can hit you if you aren’t paying attention.
The easiest move to exploit here is his new Burst Break. He will lower his head and charge straight at you without much trickery. You can step in front of him and swap forms right before he hits to stun him for free damage. For this move, always aim to Burst Break him to make the fight easier.
His second-stage attacks are still mostly predictable, with long wind-ups and obvious animations. As long as you avoid greediness and counter his Burst Breaks, you should be able to win this battle with relative ease.
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