Rasho-gan Boss Guide

Who this is for: players stuck on this fight, and anyone who searched “Rasho-gan” under any spelling — the boss name appears as Rasho-gan, Rasho-Gan and Rashi-gan in guides; it is the same fight.

Quick Strategy

1. Weaken first: Oni Vision reveals the tether/cord connecting Rasho-gan to the shrine — shoot it with the Oni Bow to cut him from his power source (reduces his attack speed; guides also describe targeting the threads holding his body together).
2. Control distance: stay close enough to punish sword swings but ready to back off for projectiles — long range invites his hardest-to-deflect volleys.
3. Deflect, don’t just guard: his katana strings are deflectable; Deflect (hold guard + attack) is safer than raw parries against his multi-limb swings.
4. Bow for orbs: the slow-tracking sphere he summons can be shot down with an arrow before it reaches you.
5. Never eat the grab: two grab variants — a direct grab, and a red-cord pull that reels you in before a sword strike. Dodge through or interrupt the tell.

Where Rasho-gan Appears

End of the Careful What You Wish For main quest (mission 6), at Yasui Konpiragu Shrine. He is a multi-armed Genma masquerading as a deity of matchmaking. Guide coverage is consistent across NoobFeed, Polygon and PowerPyx; rewards and unlock details match.

Recommended Preparation

• Upgrade your sword and Oni Bow a step or two at a Spirit Mirror — the tether-cutting phase needs bow damage (material guide).
• Bring a healing stock and a defensive charm (charm guide) — this is the fight where players first feel the difficulty jump.
• Have Oni Vision active before the fight starts; it is the mechanic the whole fight is built around.

Verified Attack Patterns

Phase Changes

Rasho-gan has two health bars. Guides describe the structure slightly differently — NoobFeed calls it two phases, Polygon counts a third state when his sword turns red and he adds a jump attack and a stronger grab. The practical read: after the first bar, expect environmental throws and a more aggressive grab; in the enraged state, respect the new jump attack and do not let your stamina drain.

Oni Armament Use

Save your blue-soul meter for the grab windows and the second bar: an armament hit during his recovery animations is safer than spending it mid-string (armament guide). Range weapons that reach his tether without closing distance are the popular choice in guide discussion.

Healing Windows

• After you shoot down the tether and he is staggered.
• After a successful deflect of his spinning strike.
• When he starts the slow big-bubble attack — heal while the orb travels, then shoot it.

Common Mistakes

• Brute-forcing phase one: parrying one limb leaves you open to the follow-up from another — use Deflect and stay mobile.
• Chasing at range: staying far encourages projectile volleys that are harder to deflect than his melee strings.
• Ignoring the tether: the fight is dramatically easier with Oni Bow shots at the cord — it is the intended opener.
• Eating the second-bar grab: the enraged grab is the run-ender; save your dodge for it.

Rewards

Beating Rasho-gan completes “Careful What You Wish For”, pays 2 hempen cloth, 1 Power Stone and 1 Oni Stone (Polygon), and unlocks Oni Strength — the ability that breaks Malice barriers (red walls) across Kyoto. The mission also opens Yorimasa’s monument Red-Soul trades (red souls guide).

He is replayable after the campaign via Boss Rematch — see Boss Rematch for how the area unlocks and the Carnage-difficulty notes in the sources below.

FAQ