In Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Oni Stones and Power Stones are the rare upgrade materials you need to push Musashi’s abilities beyond their basic levels. Power Stones are particularly used for major Skill upgrades like stealth attacks and archery, while Oni Stones are a necessity for advanced Gauntlet abilities and special armaments. You must collect all 54 Power Stones and 54 Oni Stones across your journey to fully upgrade your character skills and unlock the Well-Rounded achievement/trophy.
The easiest way to build a good stockpile is to combine story progression with thorough exploration. Missions, Chance Encounters, Mysteries of Kyoto, Oni Portals, bosses, and treasure chests can all net you Stones. The most valuable chests are the large black-and-gold treasures, and a few are hidden chests you won’t find until you use Oni Vision.
Note: A single playthrough doesn’t provide enough Oni Stones to completely upgrade the Gauntlet. As Musashi’s skills carry into New Game+, the remaining Oni Stone upgrades can be finished there.
How to Get Onimusha: Way of the Sword Power Stones and Oni Stones
Complete Main and Side Missions
Missions are one of the most reliable sources to collect upgrade materials. Main missions, Kyoto Mysteries, and optional quests can award large amounts of basic materials, as well as high-tier items like Power Stones and Oni Stones. When a mission is available on the map, check its listed rewards before you start it, mainly when you’re in a hurry and only a couple of stones away from a skill upgrade.
Defeat Story Bosses
Main story bosses drop Power Stones. Practice fights in Takamura’s training trials won’t give you jack, so don’t count on them to increase your stone stock. Just progress the main campaign, and you’ll get plenty of stones organically more than enough to unlock skill trees without having to sweat every treasure chest on the map.
Search Large Treasure Chests
Unlike small brown/orange boxes that yield consumables or regular upgrade materials, large black chests always contain key upgrade Power Stones, or Oni Stones. Check your map regularly for chest icons. If your Gauntlet displays a blue glow during exploring, activate Oni Vision to reveal chests concealed behind routes, barriers, puzzles, or areas. Upgrading Oni Vision early in the game helps automatically highlight these treasures on your screen.
Help People During Random Encounters
Don’t skip the Chance or Random Encounters! Whenever you see Kyoto civilians getting attacked by the Genma, make sure to step in and save them. Talking to the people you rescue often pays off with upgrade materials, including rare Stones. Certain minigames like “Ace Archer” activities also give pairs of stones.
Spend Red Souls on Materials
Completing the side mission “Careful What You Wish For” allows you to travel to Yorimasa’s monument to buy upgrade materials using excess Red Souls, so you get another way to fill the gaps in your inventory. Red Souls can be collected in combat, so if you fight a lot, there’s nothing to worry about.
