Malice Barriers are fleshy, red-and-stone walls that block paths during quests, in side areas, and to useful loot in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, but you cannot break them with your sword or solve them with a hidden switch. You must unlock Oni Strength first by advancing the main story, then use the ability to tear the barriers apart.
Spoiler warning: This guide reveals an early boss encounter and the story event that unlocks Oni Strength.
How to Break Malice Barriers in Onimusha: Way of the Sword
To destroy a Malice Barrier, you need to unlock the Oni Strength ability in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Progress through the main story until you reach the “Careful What You Wish For” quest (roughly 5 to 6 hours into the game).
During the mission, investigate the events around the Hachidai Rikison Shrine and defeat the boss, Rasho-gan, the Wish Warper. Once the fight is over, a cutscene will trigger where Musashi awakens the power of the Oni Gauntlet that unlocks the Oni Strength and its dedicated skill tree.
Once you have Oni Strength, go to any Malice Barrier on your map and hold down the action button (X / Square by default) to trigger the Use Oni Power prompt. Musashi will grab the barrier with his gauntlet and physically tear the sinew and stone apart, opening the blocked path.
If you want to shave a few seconds off the process, you can invest some points into the Destruction Speed passive node in the Oni Strength skill tree. It shortens the button-hold interaction time in the break process, a lifesaver when you have to destroy the barrier while dodging a mob of angry Genma breathing down your neck.
Beyond just playing demolition derby on these annoying walls, Oni Strength gives your combat kit a serious upgrade. It allows you to crush through shield-bearing enemies like paper and lets you pick up heavy objects like explosive barrels or stone pillars to hurl into enemy clusters. Oni Strength is in fact the ultimate “problem-solver” tool when a fight gets too crowded.
What are Malice Barriers?
Malice Barriers are corrupted walls made of concentrated Malice that seal off unexplored areas, side objectives, and loot paths throughout the map. You will encounter your first set of barriers around Kiyomizu-dera Temple, with many more to appear as you progress through the campaign.
If you try to interact with them without the ability unlocked, Musashi will say there is no way through. They act as hard progression gates to keep you out of high-level or story-locked areas.
