What to know
- Naito Masatoyo is a human boss, making him vulnerable to specific sword skills
- Severance Spin completely controls his offense and Ki
- The broken bridge floor is the core of this strategy
- This method works even in worst-case conditions and low-skill runs
Human bosses in Nioh 3 often feel harder than Yokai because they block, counter, and punish mistakes aggressively. Naito Masatoyo is a perfect example—fast, disciplined, and capable of overwhelming you if you fight him head-on.
Fortunately, this encounter can be turned into one of the easiest boss fights in the game by combining a powerful sword skill with environmental manipulation. This guide explains exactly how to do that, step by step, with minimal risk and maximum consistency.
Nioh 3 Naito Masatoyo boss fight details
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Boss name | Naito Masatoyo |
| Boss type | Human |
| Arena feature | Damaged bridge floor |
| Core strategy | Terrain control + Severance Spin |
| Recommended weapon | Sword with Severance Spin |
| Difficulty with strategy | Very low |
Why this strategy works so well
Naito Masatoyo’s AI is designed to pressure you directly. He commits heavily to forward movement, chaining attacks and closing distance aggressively. This normally makes spacing difficult—but the arena itself counters this behavior.
The damaged section of the bridge floor restricts his movement, disrupts his attack flow, and repeatedly forces him into recovery animations. When combined with Severance Spin, a sword skill that excels against human enemies, the fight becomes heavily one-sided.
Even if your gear or stats are suboptimal, this approach remains effective because it relies more on mechanics than damage numbers.
Getting the Severance Spin skill
Severance Spin is a sword skill obtained from a Crucible weapon. You’ll need to equip a sword that already has this skill unlocked rather than learning it through a traditional skill tree.
Against human enemies, Severance Spin is extremely strong because it:
- Deflects incoming attacks
- Drains Ki rapidly
- Keeps you relatively safe during execution
In regular encounters, this skill already “shreds” human enemies. Against Naito Masatoyo, it becomes outright oppressive.
Using the bridge floor to control the fight
The most important element of this fight is the broken section of the bridge floor in the arena. This environmental hazard severely limits what Naito Masatoyo can do.
When positioned correctly, the boss will:
- Fall through the hole repeatedly
- Lose attack momentum
- Be forced into climb or recovery animations
This gives you a reliable opening to punish him every single time he attempts to re-engage.
How to beat Naito Masatoyo in Nioh 3
Step 1: Lure Naito Masatoyo toward the broken floor
At the start of the fight, position yourself near the damaged bridge section. Naito Masatoyo will naturally chase you due to his aggressive AI.
Do not rush damage here—your goal is to control where the fight happens.
Step 2: Let him fall through the bridge gap
Once he commits to an attack or movement near the damaged area, he will drop through the broken floor. This is the trigger point for the entire strategy.
Each fall interrupts his offense and puts him into a vulnerable state.
Step 3: Punish with Severance Spin as he recovers
As Naito Masatoyo attempts to climb back or reposition, use Severance Spin. The skill’s deflection and Ki damage make it extremely difficult for him to retaliate.
This creates a loop where:
- He falls
- He recovers
- He gets hit by Severance Spin
- He is forced back toward the hole
Step 4: Manage edge cases cleanly
Occasionally, the boss may get stuck on the fence or fail to fall properly. If this happens, you have two reliable fixes:
- Use long-range attacks to nudge him free
- Step closer to re-aggro him and reset his movement
Either option re-aligns the fight without breaking the strategy.
Step 5: Repeat until the fight ends
Even under poor conditions—low Ki, imperfect positioning, or weaker gear—this method remains effective. Naito Masatoyo simply cannot adapt well enough to escape the terrain loop combined with Severance Spin pressure.
Why this works even under “worst conditions”
The strength of this strategy is consistency. You are not relying on perfect dodges, tight parries, or burst counters. Instead, you’re exploiting:
- Predictable human AI
- Environmental limitations
- A skill designed to dominate human enemies
This makes the fight forgiving, repeatable, and ideal for players who want a clean clear without unnecessary risk.
Common mistakes to avoid while fighting in Nioh 3
Naito Masatoyo looks intimidating, but this fight is a textbook example of how Nioh 3 rewards awareness over aggression. By combining Severance Spin with the damaged bridge floor, you turn a difficult human boss into one of the easiest encounters in the game.
The biggest mistake is fighting away from the broken bridge section. If you chase Naito Masatoyo into open space, you give up your biggest advantage. Another common error is over-committing to combos instead of letting Severance Spin do the work—short, controlled punishments are all you need.
Control the arena, loop the punish, and let the mechanics win the fight for you.
