The torches in Nijo-jo stretch the masks into long, misleading shadows. I stood with an arrow drawn, convinced the room was tricking me. You only need to let the light speak.
The way light falls on a wall says more than the masks — How to Solve Onimusha: Way of the Sword Mask Puzzle
I’ve walked this corridor more than once; you’ll meet the puzzle right after Dyoko sends you hunting for the Underground Laboratory key and after you grab the Level Three Spirit Mirror. The scene is simple: four masks dangling by threads, the same four painted on the side walls, and four spotlights making dark silhouettes.
The trick is not which mask looks scarier; it’s the number of holes each shadow shows. Treat the shadows as your clue: count eye and mouth holes, then shoot the hanging masks in that numeric order. The answer sits like an old map.
How do you solve the mask puzzle in Onimusha: Way of the Sword?
Step one: stand at the entrance and study the wall shadows. Step two: count holes on each shadow—eyes and mouth equal the mask’s value. Step three: fire arrows at the suspended masks in the order those counts dictate. If you miss, the room resets and you can try again.
What is the mask order in Onimusha: Way of the Sword?
Short answer: shoot them in the sequence dictated by the shadow hole counts. If you want the exact order, here it is laid out so you won’t waste arrows.
| Order | Mask |
|---|---|
| 1 | Third mask (white mask with eyes closed and smiling) |
| 2 | Fourth mask (red mask with eyes open and green details) |
| 3 | First mask (yellow smiling mask with purple details) |
| 4 | Second mask (purple mask with eyes and mouth open) |
The location is obvious once you’ve been there — Where to find the mask puzzle and why it matters
Notice how the locked doors and red strings mark a deliberate approach to the room. The masks appear just after you open two doors bound by red string and after you obtain the Level Three Spirit Mirror. That means if you’ve met those beats, you’ve already qualified for the puzzle.
Where is the mask puzzle located?
It’s inside Nijo-jo Castle in Chapter 11, “What Lurks in the Shadows.” If you followed Dyoko’s request to find Hinagiku’s friend, you’ll reach the room during the same sequence that leads toward the Underground Laboratory door.
If you miss the sequence the first time, don’t sweat it — the masks will reset to their original positions and you can try again. Once you hit them in the right order, head into the room, dismantle the Unsettling Mask and continue toward the Underground Laboratory.
Capcom’s puzzling ways are deliberate; if you prefer video references, IGN and community guides on Steam and the PlayStation Store often show the same order in short clips. The game’s remaster typically lists at retail around $29.99 (€28) depending on platform.
I’m curious: did you solve this from the shadows or did the room make you retrace your steps—what happened?