Kamo Village Master Location and Unlock Guide: Where to Find and Defeat Her

What to know

• Tomoe Gozen is the Kamo Village Master in the Heian region.
• You must complete the side quest “Follow The Soldier’s Shadow” to unlock her.
• The Master icon appears after reaching Exploration Level 4 in the region.
• Defeating her contributes toward the “A God Among Men” trophy/achievement.

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In Nioh 3, Master encounters are optional but challenging human duels that test your combat fundamentals. The Kamo Village Master, encountered during a quest involving Tomoe Gozen, is one of the more notable early-mid game Master fights. You won’t stumble into this battle by accident — you must meet specific conditions before she appears on your map.

Below is everything you need to know, including unlock requirements, map behavior, fight overview, and rewards.

Nioh 3 Kamo Village Master details

Category	Details
Master Name	Tomoe Gozen
Region	Heian
Sub-Area	Kamo Village
Recommended Level	~57
Unlock Requirement	Complete “Follow The Soldier’s Shadow”
Exploration Requirement	Reach Exploration Level 4
Map Icon	White/Red person icon
Trophy Progress	Counts toward “A God Among Men”

Where Kamo Village is located in the Heian region

Kamo Village sits within the Heian region, an early mid-game area that opens after progressing through the main campaign. The Master fight becomes available once you are naturally around level 55–60, which aligns with the region’s difficulty scaling.

As you explore Kamo Village, you’ll gradually increase your Exploration Level. This system is important because Master enemies only appear after sufficient exploration progress.

How to unlock Tomoe Gozen in Kamo Village

Unlocking the Master encounter is not automatic. You must complete specific regional progression steps before the fight becomes available.

Complete “Follow The Soldier’s Shadow”

Before Tomoe Gozen can spawn, you must finish the side quest “Follow The Soldier’s Shadow” within Kamo Village. This quest acts as the trigger condition for the Master encounter in the region.

The quest itself involves tracking a suspicious presence across the village, fighting through enemies, and resolving the objective tied to the shadowy soldier narrative. Once completed, the game flags the Master encounter as eligible to appear.

Without finishing this quest, the Master icon will not show up — even if your exploration level is high enough.

Reach Exploration Level 4

After completing the required side quest, continue exploring the region until you hit Exploration Level 4.

When you reach this threshold:

• A white/red human-shaped icon appears on your regional map.
• This icon marks the Master’s location.
• The encounter becomes accessible for combat.

If you don’t see the icon, double-check:

• The side quest is fully completed.
• You are in the correct region (Heian → Kamo Village).
• Your exploration level has reached 4.

Location to find the Master on the map

Unlike standard enemies, Masters do not wander. Once unlocked, they appear at a fixed location marked on the map.

Indicator	Meaning
White/Red person icon	Human Master encounter
Static location	Does not move
No fog gate	Direct interaction triggers duel

Once the icon appears, simply fast travel to the nearest shrine and move toward the marked spot. Approach the NPC to initiate combat.

Fighting Tomoe Gozen: What to expect

Tomoe Gozen is a powerful human opponent, similar to a miniboss. Master enemies in Nioh 3 are designed to test:

• Ki management
• Perfect dodge timing
• Burst counter reactions
• Stance switching efficiency

Because she is a human-type enemy, expect:

• Aggressive weapon combos
• Ki pressure tactics
• Guard-breaking attempts
• High punishment for missed counters

Unlike Yokai bosses, this fight emphasizes duel mechanics. If you rely heavily on Yokai abilities, you’ll need to shift into a more disciplined, stamina-focused approach.

Recommended strategy

You’ll want to focus on:

• Maintaining mid-range spacing
• Draining her Ki bar
• Forcing stagger windows
• Avoiding over-committing to long combo chains

Human Masters tend to become vulnerable once their Ki breaks, giving you opportunities for high-damage finishers.

How this fight connects to the “A God Among Men” trophy

The Master encounters are part of a broader completion objective. Each region has its own Master, and defeating all of them contributes to the trophy.

If you’re pursuing 100% completion, the Kamo Village Master is mandatory. Skipping this encounter will block trophy completion later.

Because the fight unlocks only after completing a side quest and exploration milestones, it’s easy to miss if you rush through the region’s main objectives.

Common reasons the Master does not appear

If Tomoe Gozen isn’t visible on your map, it’s usually due to one of the following:

Problem	Solution
Side quest incomplete	Finish “Follow The Soldier’s Shadow”
Exploration Level below 4	Continue exploring the village
Wrong region	Confirm you are in Heian → Kamo Village
Map not refreshed	Fast travel or rest at shrine

Double-checking these conditions resolves most unlock issues.

Rewards from Tomoe Gozen in Nioh 3

Reward Type	Item Name	Level	Notes
Armor (Legs)	Upper Vassal’s Hakama	Lv. 70	Completion reward
Armor (Arms)	Onmyo Hunting Bracers	Lv. 69	Completion reward
Armor (Chest)	Onmyo Hunting Garb	Lv. 68	Completion reward
Weapon (Switchglaive)	Lilac Switchglaive	Lv. 71	High-level weapon drop
Armor (Head)	Lilac Eboshi	Lv. 71	Part of Lilac gear set
Martial Art Unlock	Handbook: Thin Air	—	Unlocks new Martial Art

The Kamo Village Master, Tomoe Gozen, is a skill-focused duel that rewards preparation and map exploration. By completing “Follow The Soldier’s Shadow” and reaching Exploration Level 4, you’ll unlock one of the region’s most rewarding optional encounters.

If you’re aiming for the “A God Among Men” trophy, this fight is essential. Approach it like a disciplined duel rather than a boss rush, manage your Ki carefully, and you’ll secure both the victory and the progression credit.