Nioh 3 ending explained

The following contains major spoilers for . Nio 3.

nio 3's story takes place across multiple eras of Japanese history, but the epic conclusion ultimately returns everything to the single conflict that has driven the narrative from the beginning. After carrying out dozens of missions to correct yokai outbreaks at various times, nio 3 We return to the confrontation between Takechiyo Tokugawa and his younger brother Kunimatsu. His actions were responsible for destabilizing the timeline in the first place.

The last act is nio 3 Conflicts are resolved directly, ending with player-driven choices that determine the final boss fight and story conclusion. While the game's mechanics and post-game content remain unchanged, the ending has two distinct narrative outcomes depending on how Takechiyo handles Kunimatsu's fate. But exactly how it all ends begins with the choices Kunimatsu makes during the opening hours. nio 3This is your story.

Events leading up to the ending of Nioh 3

all the time nio 3In the story, players learn that Takechiyo's younger brother, Kunimatsu, is working behind the scenes to change history in his favor. Kunimatsu, who was denied succession to the Tokugawa shogunate, became increasingly angry and eventually formed an alliance with a powerful yokai force. Doing so would destabilize multiple eras and create rifts that could allow Yokai to wreak uncontrollable havoc.

Takechiyo's guardian deity sends him to various periods of Japanese history to suppress the yokai menace. Each era reveals more about how Kunimatsu's influence spread and how deeply Yokai corruption is tied to major historical events. Although Takechiyo succeeded in restoring balance to individual regions, it became increasingly clear that the yōkai could not be stopped as long as Kunimatsu remained active.

last chapter of nio 3The narrative confirms that Kunimatsu has fully accepted the yokai's power, and no longer acts as a manipulator working behind the scenes. Instead, he turns out to be the central force driving the chaos affecting the timeline.

Final mission and boss battle

end nio 3 It begins with Takechiyo confronting Kunimatsu directly in a final mission designed to test everything the player has learned up to that point. Kunimatsu appears in a transformed state under the new name Furiko, drawing heavily on yōkai abilities that reflect the corruption he has accepted over the course of the story.

In the final boss fight nio 3 It's one of the longest and most mechanically demanding encounters in the game. Huriko uses a mix of human combat techniques and yokai attacks, utilizing several elements and status effects that players had to navigate throughout each period. This battle represents a final attempt to stop the outbreak of yōkai destabilizing history. Once Kunimatsu is defeated, the game transitions into a cutscene that determines which ending the player will receive.

Nioh 3's standard ending

In the standard ending nio 3Takechiyo decides to kill Kunimatsu after defeating him. Doing so will permanently remove the source of Yokai corruption affecting the timeline. With Kunimatsu gone, the supernatural chaos throughout history begins to unravel, and the game implies that the damage caused by his actions is gradually corrected, restoring stability to the world. Takechiyo returns to his rightful place in history and moves toward his destined role as shogun.

This ending provides the most obvious resolution. nio 3It's a story, but I think it's because the conclusion is too sudden. Kunimatsu's influence is erased, the youkai threat is suppressed, and the timeline becomes stable. The final scene shows Japan moving forward without any supernatural interference related to the succession conflict.

Alternate ending for Nioh 3

An alternate ending occurs when Takechiyo chooses to spare Kunimatsu after the final battle. Instead of killing him, Takechiyo drops his sword before the final blow is delivered and takes Kunimatsu's hand in an act of grace and forgiveness. In this version of events, Kunimatsu is freed from the youkai's influence but survives. With the supernatural forces sustaining the corruption eliminated, the immediate Yokai threat is still resolved, but Kunimatsu's true fate remains somewhat uncertain.

This ending focuses on the aftermath of the confrontation itself, rather than showing a completely stable timeline. Kunimatsu is no longer a threat, and instead the post-credits scene in this ending shows Kunimatsu perhaps fulfilling the role Takechiyo once performed in ridding the world of yōkai, allowing Takechiyo to fulfill his duties as shogun. The story ends here with the suggestion that history can continue without further interference, but this ending is a bit more ambiguous than the others.

How does Nioh 3's ending fit into the overall story?

nio 3's ending ties the time travel theme together by closing the loop on the conflict that originally sent Takechiyo throughout history. Instead of introducing new threats or cliffhangers, the game focuses on resolving the succession dispute that sparked the yokai outbreak in the first place. Unlike other places Nio A game that ended with wider implications for the world, nio 3 Despite the alternate ending, which brings up some light assumptions, it feels like there is a more solid conclusion. The conclusion returns the story to its original source, with the series focusing on Takechiyo and Kunimatsu, rather than expanding outward as before.

After completing the game, players can continue to explore missions, side content, and the higher difficulty Shogun's Journey New Game Plus mode, regardless of the chosen ending. Your final choice will not affect gameplay progression, loot availability, or mission access. The ending primarily serves to wrap up the story rather than affect the structure of the post-game experience.