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How to beat the Lone Shadow Longswordsman boss fight - Sekiro

Learn how to take down one of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's toughest mini bosses, the Lone Shadow Longswordsman, a man who hides out in Ashina Castle's well.

Sam Chandler

March 28, 2019 9:30 AM

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Sekiro’s Lone Shadow Longswordsman is a tough ninja hiding out at the bottom of the well in Ashina Castle. If you want to progress further down the well, and into the next area, you’ll need to beat the Lone Shadow Longswordsman. This is easier said than done, but there is a sort of cheese method to help put the odds in your favor.

Lone Shadow Longswordsman boss fight

Though technically not a major boss, the Lone Shadow Longswordsman is still challenging enough to warrant its own boss fight. This purple ninja can very quickly overpower even the most seasoned player.

Before you attempt this fight, try and get as many prayer beads and gourd seeds as possible, as these will help you survive longer.

Unfortunately, the size of this area means combat is going to be all close-range. You will need to really focus on guarding and deflecting, and recognizing his danger attacks. Try and fight in the larger area of the well, only using the narrow passageway for space if you need to heal. It can be difficult to track the boss in the tight corridor.

To begin the fight, instead of jumping down and walking at him, look for the hole in the roof above him. If you jump down through the hole, you can literally get the jump on him. This will allow you to deal a deathblow before the fight actually begins.

As the purple ninja is recovering, follow up your deathblow with a flame vent attack. This will deal significant damage to his vitality and potentially allow you to deal more damage with your sword.

Danger kick: The boss will bring its knee up and then strike out with its foot. Counter this attack or block it entirely.

Danger sweep: A dangerous sweeping kick will be performed that must be jumped over. If timed correctly, you can follow up with a mid-air kick for high posture damage.

Outside of these two moves, the majority of the purple ninja’s moves amount to kicks, spins, and a few slashes of the sword. Do your utmost to deflect all of these, though even if you butcher the fight (like I did), it’s still quite possible to complete it.

The flame vent prosthetic tool can be rather invaluable in this fight. Not only is it free vitality damage, but if the mini boss takes sustained flame damage, your attacks will be hitting harder. If you’re able to get the ninja to half health, the Whirlwind Slash is great at dishing out little bits of damage. Land enough of them and you’ll be able to break his posture and perform the final deathblow.

With the Lone Shadow Longswordsman defeated, you’ll earn yourself some upgrade materials and a prayer bead to add to your collection. Now head over to the top of Castle Ashina and face Genichiro Ashina. Check out the Shacknews Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice page for more boss guides.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler