Nioh 3 Soul Extraction Guide: How to Get Soul Ore and Use It for Upgrades

What to know

• Soul Ore is used exclusively for Soul Match upgrades at the Blacksmith.
• Unlock Soul Extraction by completing the quest “A Fierce Flame.”
• Different colors serve different upgrade roles, including +value enhancement.
• Soul Ore is completely separate from Soul Cores (Yokai items).

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If you want to keep your favorite weapon viable deep into the Bakumatsu chapters, Soul Ore is the system that makes it possible. Rather than replacing your gear every few missions, you can upgrade it through Soul Match at the Blacksmith. The key resource behind that system is Soul Ore, obtained by extracting unwanted gear.

This guide explains how to unlock Soul Extraction, where to get each type of Soul Ore, and how to use it efficiently so you don’t waste valuable materials.

Quick overview of Soul Ore in Nioh 3

Soul Ore Type	How You Get It	Primary Use
Yellow Soul Ore	Extract standard gear	Raise gear level
Viridian Soul Ore	Extract rarer gear	Raise higher-tier gear level
Azure Soul Ore	Extract +value gear	Increase +value (+1, +2, etc.)

It’s important to clarify that Soul Ore is not the same as Soul Cores. Soul Cores are Yokai-based items used for abilities and Guardian Spirit synergy. Soul Ore exists purely within the equipment upgrade economy.

Unlocking Soul Extraction at the Blacksmith

You cannot farm Soul Ore immediately at the start of Nioh 3. The feature is locked behind story progression and a Blacksmith quest chain.

Soul Extraction becomes available after you reach the Eternal Rift and properly unlock the Blacksmith’s full services. Early in the main story, you meet the Blacksmith, but advanced upgrade systems remain unavailable until you complete his side quest.

The quest that unlocks the system is called “A Fierce Flame.”

How to unlock Soul Extraction

Step 1

Progress through the main story until the Blacksmith becomes accessible in the Eternal Rift hub.

Step 2

Accept the side quest “A Fierce Flame.”

Step 3

Travel to the western Warring States region and collect Kagutsuchi’s Magatama.

Step 4

Return the Magatama to the Blacksmith. After completing the quest, both Soul Extraction and Soul Match become available.

From this point onward, you can convert unwanted equipment into Soul Ore.

How to get Soul Ore through Soul Extraction

Once unlocked, head to the Blacksmith in the Eternal Rift and choose Soul Extraction from the menu.

You can select any weapon or armor piece in your inventory to extract. The type and rarity of the gear determine what Soul Ore you receive.

Gear Type Extracted	Resulting Soul Ore
Standard gear	Yellow Soul Ore
Higher rarity gear	Viridian Soul Ore
Gear with +values	Azure Soul Ore

Higher-level equipment yields larger quantities. Gear with higher +values produces more Azure Soul Ore.

It’s crucial not to confuse this with Disassemble. Disassembling converts gear into crafting materials such as ingots or lacquer. Soul Extraction converts gear into Soul Ore specifically for upgrade scaling.

If you disassemble +value gear instead of extracting it, you lose the opportunity to gain Azure Soul Ore.

How to use Soul Ore with Soul Match

Soul Ore’s only purpose is powering the Soul Match system.

At the Blacksmith, select Soul Match and choose the piece of gear you want to improve. Depending on what you’re upgrading, the game consumes different types of Soul Ore.

Yellow and Viridian Soul Ore raise the base level of equipment, increasing raw attack or defense values. Azure Soul Ore increases the +value tier, which multiplies scaling further.

Upgrade Type	Required Soul Ore	Result
Base Level Increase	Yellow / Viridian	Higher attack or defense
+Value Increase	Azure	Enhanced stat scaling

This system allows you to keep a favorite weapon relevant across chapters. Instead of replacing a beloved Tonfa or Katana every region, you scale it upward.

Community discussions frequently emphasize that Soul Match becomes especially important in mid-to-late game Bakumatsu missions, where enemy damage spikes sharply.

Best practices for managing Soul Ore

Efficient Soul Ore usage is less about farming endlessly and more about smart resource management.

You should prioritize extracting:

• Duplicate gear
• Lower-tier drops
• +value equipment you won’t use

Avoid extracting items that belong to armor sets you might build around later.

A common mistake players make is disassembling +value items without realizing they could convert them into Azure Soul Ore instead. Azure becomes especially valuable once you begin optimizing +3 and higher equipment.

Soul Ore economy and long-term progression

As you progress through harder missions, gear drops increase in frequency and quality. This naturally feeds the Soul Ore system.

Progress Stage	Gear Drop Quality	Soul Ore Flow
Early Game	Low rarity	Limited Yellow Ore
Mid Game	Mixed rarity	Steady Yellow & Viridian
Late Game	Frequent +value drops	Consistent Azure supply

By late game, Soul Extraction becomes part of your regular inventory cleanup routine.

Instead of selling excess gear, many players extract it to maintain a steady stream of upgrade materials.

When to prioritize Soul Match upgrades

Soul Match is most impactful when:

• You have a weapon with ideal affixes
• You’re using a set bonus you don’t want to break
• You’ve rolled strong passive effects
• You’re investing in a specific build archetype

If your gear is temporary, upgrading it may waste resources. But if it’s part of your core build, Soul Ore investment keeps it competitive.

Mastering Soul Ore and gear progression

Soul Ore is the backbone of long-term gear progression in Nioh 3. By unlocking Soul Extraction through “A Fierce Flame,” converting unused gear at the Blacksmith, and investing materials into Soul Match upgrades, you maintain control over your equipment scaling instead of relying purely on random drops.

If you plan to stick with a favorite weapon or armor set deep into the Bakumatsu arc, learning how to efficiently manage Yellow, Viridian, and Azure Soul Ore will keep your build powerful and future-proof.