Lion Dogs are one of the core collectible sets in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Rescuing these corrupted canine spirits purifies them, registers their entries in the Curious Cases log, and earns you cosmetic Sword Appearances from Lady Murasaki at Yasaka Shrine. Finding all 36 Lion Dogs unlocks the For the Love of Dog trophy or achievement.
Lion Dogs become trackable only after you complete the main quest What Lurks in the Shadows and speak with Lady Murasaki. They appear on the map marked with a pawprint icon. In external regions (Mount Oe, Arashiyama, etc.), you’ll not find their markers until that specific area is cleared and its boss is defeated. You can freely revisit previous regions and sweep up missed dogs till the Point of No Return before the final mission, The Clash at Rendaino. Keep a hard save here so you don’t get locked out of missed collectibles.
Sword Appearance Rewards
Turn in your rescued Lion Dogs to Lady Murasaki to claim the following skins for Musashi’s primary blade and wakizashi:
| Lion Dogs Rescued | Unlocked Sword Appearance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (Default) | No Name | Musashi’s starting dual blade style. |
| 6 | Sakurahime | Blood-stained noble steel finish. |
| 12 | Shishioh | Beast-bone crafted hilt and sheath. |
| 18 | Myogo | Divine engraved prayer blade. |
| 24 | Ura-giri | Searing Oni-fire aesthetic. |
| 30 | Mooncrossed | Pale luminescent jade hue. |
| 36 | Kikoku | Spirit-infused Oni blade + Trophy/Achievement unlock. |
Kiyomizu-dera Temple (3 Lion Dogs)
All three become available once What Lurks in the Shadows is completed.
Lion Dog #1: Fast travel to the Spirit Mirror: Nio-mon Gate and move up the northern trail past the entrance gates until you reach the wall cleared of the Malice Barrier. The dog is right on the path.
Lion Dog #2: Head to the Temple Grounds arena where you fight Sasaki Ganryu and find the affected dog on the veranda platform near the blood splatters and fallen leaves.
Lion Dog #3: Move west from the Oni Refuge entrance toward the lower burning village near the waterfall base. The dog is in the mud clearing right before the stone ledge leading down to the water.
Nijo-jo Castle & Kyoto Imperial Palace (3 Lion Dogs)
Available after The Roots of All Evil becomes available and the castle grounds unlock.
Lion Dog #4 (Nijo-jo Castle): Warp to the Spirit Mirror: Nijo-jo Castle Entrance. Go west straight through the open garden courtyard and follow the path bordered by stone lanterns; the dog will be lying in the grass near a tree.
Lion Dog #5 (Nijo-jo Castle): Teleport to the Spirit Mirror: Nue Pond. Just north of the mirror checkpoint near the broken wooden fence and bamboo stalks, you’ll spot the dark malice cloud hiding the puppy.
Lion Dog #6 (Kyoto Imperial Palace): Travel to the Spirit Mirror: Palace Interior / Palace Entrance. After traversing the underground research lab section, exit into the exterior courtyard to get to the dog along the south-facing outer wall corner.
Mount Oe (6 Lion Dogs)
Unlocked after clearing the mountain and completing The Demon on the Mount.
Lion Dog #7: From the Mount Oe Entrance Spirit Mirror, follow the winding mountain path heading north to come across the dog on the trail by a large cedar tree.
Lion Dog #8: Warp to the Spirit Mirror: Ruins Area I and move uphill to the north into the village settlement. On the exterior west side of the first large storehouse building, check behind the wooden carts and fences.
Lion Dog #9: At the Spirit Mirror: Ruins Area II, clear the scaffolding combat area. Use the winch gear to slide the suspended cage, cross over to the warehouse, and climb up into the attic rafters. Crawl under the low beams behind the yellow-painted urns to find the dog inside.
Lion Dog #10: Fast travel to the Spirit Mirror: Castle Entrance, then take the elevator down into the gorge. At the bottom, take an immediate right and enter the narrow cave in between cliffs to find the dog next to the campfire.
Lion Dog #11: Travel to the Spirit Mirror: Cave I. Head east into the open courtyard compound and drop into the western shed filled with barrels and straw; the dog is in the room next to the supply sacks.
Lion Dog #12: Once teleported to the Spirit Mirror: Storehouse, turn around 180 degrees from the mirror shrine to see the dog in the northwest corner, near the stone jars.
Arashiyama (3 Lion Dogs)
Becomes available after completing the In the Light of an Icy Moon mission.
Lion Dog #13: From the Spirit Mirror: Hozu River, go west into the riverside settlement dead end. Enter the back room of the dilapidated hut to find the dog on the straw flooring.
Lion Dog #14: Found in the midsection planks of the bridge south of the Togetsu-kyo Bridge Spirit Mirror. Because the bridge breakages prevent crossing backward, access this area by taking the path coming south out of the Hozu River Spirit Mirror.
Lion Dog #15: From the Spirit Mirror: Temple, backtrack down the stairs into the bamboo grove and take the side path toward the small outhouse shed. Clear the roaming Oni and purify the dog on the mud ledge.
Eastern Kyoto (21 Lion Dogs)
These Lion Dogs unlock in waves across multiple story chapters based on your main progress in Kyoto.
Lion Dog #16: Move south from the Spirit Mirror: Rokudo-chinnoji Temple around the residential buildings into the open rear yard. The dog is lying in the dirt near wooden crates and a ladder leaning against the wall.
Lion Dog #17: Head west of Emma’s Hall into a small fenced shrine area lined with stone lanterns and red banners. The dog is at the base of the steps leading up to the altar.
Lion Dog #18: Found in the main central courtyard of Rokudo-chinnoji Temple. Follow the street east toward Kiyomizu-zaka Slope and turn into the closed sparring grounds dead end. The dog is in front of three straw dummies against the bamboo fence.
Lion Dog #19: Found in the back courtyard of Emma’s Hall or Rokudo-chinnoji Temple on the wooden hallway.
Lion Dog #20: Found next to the small shrine behind the merchant stand (Yorimasa’s Monument / Stout Pillars area) north of Rokudo-chinnoji Temple.
Lion Dog #21: From the Kamo River – East Spirit Mirror, go west down to the river shoreline. Follow the water’s edge through the tall reeds along the muddy bank to find the dog beside waterlogged wooden crates.
Lion Dog #22: From the Spirit Mirror: Sandbar – Near Stage, head onto the elevated wooden festival boardwalk along the northern riverbank. The dog is out in the open on the deck planks among tables and red paper parasols.
Lion Dog #23: Found inside a narrow alleyway south of the Shijo Street Spirit Mirror. Head into the commercial alleyways south of the main road. Turn down a narrow dead-end service passage heavily blocked by tall stacks of barrels and woven straw bundles; the Lion Dog is in the back corner.
Lion Dog #24: Found on the farm fields south of the Yasaka Shrine Spirit Mirror. Head south into the open agricultural sector and look for a plowed field with tilled soil and green vegetable rows sprouted beside a rustic farm shack.
Lion Dog #25: Behind a small storage shack northeast of the Yasaka Pagoda Spirit Mirror. Run down the street south of Gojo Street to a stone retaining wall where a wooden handcart is parked next to large ceramic storage urns painted with gold calligraphy. The dog is on the ground just beside them.
Lion Dog #26: Enter the doorway at the base of the Yasaka Pagoda tower east of the Yasaka Pagoda Spirit Mirror and climb the ladder inside to the upper level. On the upper floorboard landing, the dog is against the lattice window.
Lion Dog #27: Travel to the Rokudo-chinnoji Temple Spirit Mirror. Head to the houses just east of there, climb the ladder on the outside, and get onto the thatched roof. Sprint across the top and drop down behind the building to find the dog on the ground near a shed by the water stream.
Lion Dog #28: Found west of the Kiyomizu-zaka Slope Spirit Mirror at the dead-end alley on the southeastern edge of the map. Follow the wide stone-paved road of Kiyomizu-zaka toward the area blocked with splintered house timbers and find the dog in the middle of the stone cobblestones.
Lion Dog #29: Found behind the houses south of the Kiyomizu-zaka Slope Spirit Mirror. Follow the road leading southeast into the Toribeno cemetery district past a wooden torii gate. The dog is on the trail in front of three arched gravestones.
Lion Dog #30: Found at the farmlands southwest of the Kiyomizu-zaka Slope Spirit Mirror (north of Toribeno). Follow the trail along the southern grassy perimeter of the map to find the puppy in a patch of dirt next to a rustic wooden fence and a tree bordering the farm fields.
Lion Dog #31: In the small hut far to the east of the Gojo Street – East Spirit Mirror. Head east through the torii gate past Gojo Street East. Wall run across the petrified wall spanning the gorge, follow the trail through the bamboo mountain ravine, and enter the isolated mountain cabin to find the 31st Lion Dog inside on the tatami mats.
Lion Dog #32: Found outside the house near the bamboo forest in the southern outskirts of Kyoto. From Gojo Street West, head south into the open countryside fields to an isolated rural farmstead. The dog is out in the open clearing directly in front of the farmhouse door.
Lion Dog #33: Found in the southwestern fields inside a residential house. Walk along the street south of Gojo Street toward an artisan stone-carver’s storefront with carved Buddha statues on wooden tables. Step inside the shop to find and rescue the Lion Dog.
Lion Dog #34: From the Spirit Mirror: Gojo Street – West, go into the alleyways in the southwest quarter. In a cluttered yard behind houses littered with barrels and collapsed fences.
Lion Dog #35: Found in the southwestern corner of Kyoto. Follow the dirt trail running along the southwestern outer wall. Found against a large moss-covered boulder and wooden fence beside the tree line (a combat encounter triggers when you approach).
Lion Dog #36: Travel west toward the wide wooden deck of Gojo-ohashi Bridge (the southwestern bridge across the river) and find the last Lion Dog on the floorboards beside an overturned barrel and a wooden barricade.
