Nioh 3: How to Get and Use Pagoda Key in Iinoya

What to know

• The Pagoda Key in Iinoya is a special key dropped after clearing the Iinoya Lesser Crucible (Crucible Spikes) encounter.​​

• You use the Pagoda Key to open a locked gate near the Temple Ruins area, leading toward the Those Who Live in the Shadows myth/side content.

• The Lesser Crucible is marked in the Iinoya region collectible list and sits close to shrines and Kodama routes around Ryotan Temple and Temple Ruins.​

• Clearing this path lets you reach more collectibles, combat encounters, and extra rewards, so doing the Pagoda gate early is useful for progression.​

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In Nioh 3, once you know where the Lesser Crucible is and how the lock-and-key flow works, getting and using the Pagoda Key becomes a quick mid‑mission detour instead of a confusing search.

Location

Iinoya packs shrines, Kodama, Chijiko, a Lesser Crucible, Spirit Veins, and a cluster of temple structures and gates into one interconnected region. The Pagoda Key is tied specifically to the Lesser Crucible listed for Iinoya, which sits along the exploration loop that also includes Ryotan Temple and several shrines.

How to approach the region before the Crucible

You get more value out of the area if you prepare the route before triggering the Crucible itself.

• Activate nearby shrines

  • Shrines around Temple Ruins and deeper in Ryotan Temple give you convenient respawn points and let you adjust gear before the Crucible.​

  • Make sure to rest at at least one shrine close to the Lesser Crucible icon so you do not have to repeat long stretches if you fall.​​

• Pick up early Kodama and collectibles

  • Iinoya hides ten Kodama, plus Valuables, Spirit Veins, a Six Jizo, and other items that run right through the same lanes you will use to reach the Crucible.​

  • As you move through Temple Ruins and past the cemeteries and stairs into Ryotan Temple’s outer buildings, clear obvious side paths and roofs so you do not need to backtrack later.

How to navigate to the Iinoya Crucible Spikes

The game flags the Lesser Crucible region as Iinoya Crucible Spikes, which is the encounter that reveals the Pagoda Key when cleared.​

Step 1

Push through the Temple Ruins Cemetery, using the main gates and staircases to move upward into the temple complex where Kodama and the Pagoda-related structures start appearing.

Step 2

Enter the temple areas at the top of the stairs to grab items and align your route, since the same cluster of buildings links forward toward Ryotan Temple and the Crucible.

Step 3

From the Temple Ruins side, continue into the Ryotan Temple region, which hosts multiple Kodama, Spirit Veins, shrines, and ruined structures patrolled by enemies.

Step 4

Clear enemies around the western and outer edges of Ryotan Temple, checking ruined buildings and courtyard paths; this circuit is where the region group Ryotan Temple collectibles and leads naturally toward the Crucible Spikes marker.

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Step 5

Follow the path deeper into Iinoya until you reach the Lesser Crucible/Crucible Spikes icon area, a dedicated combat zone tied to the Iinoya Crucible Spikes.

How to clear the Iinoya Lesser Crucible and get the Pagoda Key

You cannot get the Pagoda Key until you finish the Crucible Spikes encounter tied to Iinoya.​​ You can make the Pagoda Key run smoother if you adjust your build before stepping into the Crucible arena.

• Tune your weapon setup

  • Bring a primary weapon you are comfortable with for sustained damage and a backup weapon that gives you reach or quick crowd control if multiple foes spawn.​​

  • If you have unlocked transformed arts or high‑impact skills from earlier secret texts and Valuables in Iinoya (like aerial or elemental arts), slot them into your active set before entering.​

• Optimize armor and defenses

  • Equip armor at a weight level that allows decent mobility so you can dodge Crucible telegraphed strikes without stamina issues.

  • Mix in pieces that buff Ki recovery or elemental resistance if you know the Crucible enemies favor a certain damage type.

• Use shrines and consumables

  • At the nearby shrine, reassign your guardian spirit, Onmyo, and Ninjutsu, favoring buffs that boost defense, Ki, or elemental mitigation.

  • Stock up on elixirs and talismans so you do not have to respec mid‑attempt.

How to handle the Crucible fight itself

The exact enemy composition can vary in detail, but Lesser Crucibles in Nioh 3 follow a consistent pattern: survive waves or defeat a designated threat while managing space and stamina.

Step 7

Enter the Iinoya Crucible Spikes arena and quickly learn the layout, noting any obstacles, corners, or elevation changes that can trap you or offer brief breathing room.

Step 8

Focus on one major threat at a time, using dodges instead of blocks for heavy attacks to maintain Ki, and save high‑impact skills or Yokai abilities for enemy openings or second phases.

Step 9

If multiple enemies appear, kite them to line them up, using ranged tools or wide‑swing skills to thin weaker foes before committing to tougher targets.

Step 10

Once the main Crucible objective is cleared, wait for the combat to finish completely so the reward prompt appears and the arena returns to normal exploration mode.

Getting the Pagoda Key after the fight

When the Iinoya Crucible Spikes is cleared, the Pagoda Key is revealed as the encounter’s reward.

Step 11

After the battle ends, collect the loot from the Crucible; the Iinoya Crucible Spikes entry explicitly notes that clearing it reveals the item Pagoda Key.

Step 12

Confirm the Pagoda Key is in your inventory before leaving the arena, so you do not have to backtrack or wonder if the encounter actually dropped it.

How to find the Pagoda gate and use the key

With the Pagoda Key in hand, your next step is to locate the specific locked gate that it opens in Iinoya.

The Pagoda Key is used to open a gate leading to the nearby myth Those Who Live in the Shadows in the Iinoya region. The gate is tied to the pagoda area near the Temple Ruins and the associated temple structures you passed on your way deeper into the map.

Step 13

Backtrack from the Crucible arena toward the Temple Ruins and pagoda‑style structures, using the same lanes and stairways you pushed through earlier.

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Step 14

Look for the locked gate or door associated with the pagoda path in this cluster of buildings and gates, usually placed clearly on the route that leads onward to the myth objective marker.

How to unlock the gate with the Pagoda Key

Using the key itself is simple once you stand at the correct gate.

Step 15

Approach the locked gate with the Pagoda Key in your possession; the interaction prompt will change to allow you to use the key and open it.

Step 16

Confirm the unlock, watch the gate open, and move through the new path into the area tied to the myth Those Who Live in the Shadows or its associated objective.

What opens after using the Pagoda Key

Opening this gate effectively connects your main exploration route to additional myth and side content.

• Access to Those Who Live in the Shadows

  • The Pagoda Key gate leads toward the myth or side mission content tied to the suspicious ninja and that mission’s abandoned shrine door, which requires key access to proceed.

• Extra routes, enemies, and collectibles

  • Once the gate is open, you can fight more enemies, collect extra loot, and mop up remaining Kodama and Valuables that sit beyond the pagoda‑locked barrier.​

Reward

If you treat the Pagoda Key as a quick side objective tied to the Iinoya Crucible Spikes, you turn what could be a confusing locked gate into a straightforward milestone: clear the Lesser Crucible, grab the key, unlock the pagoda gate, and enjoy the extra myth content and collectibles that sit behind it. With shrines and Kodama snapped up along the way, that one key neatly ties together Iinoya’s combat arena, temple routes, and side mission progression.