The Yōtei Six — Individual Boss Guides

Patterns, counters, and precise “No‑Hit” routes for Saitō, Snake, Oni, Kitsune, Spider, and Dragon.

Ghost of Yōtei is generous with tells and ruthless with greed. Every guardian telegraphs their most dangerous options, and most deaths come from overextending after a punish or misreading a feint. This guide decodes each boss’s core loop, lists clean counters, and outlines tight no‑hit routes that favor repeatable sequences over risky improvisation. Treat each fight like a drill: learn the start trigger, the mid‑fight stabilizer, and the closer. Memorize the rhythm, not the spectacle.

Universal Prep (applies to all six)

• Stats & Talismans: Prioritize Ki Control (stamina economy) and Posture Break (stagger build). The Shimenawa Charm (bonus posture damage after perfect guard) and Willow Beads (+i‑frames during Spirit Step) are the two most impactful for no‑hit runs.
• Weapons & Arts: Favor a fast mainhand (katana or short spear) and a posture‑oriented art like Mooncut (short startup, high stagger, safe on perfect guard). Keep a single high‑commitment art (e.g., Crimson Draw) strictly for scripted staggers.
• Items: 3× Fumeshade (instant vanish for phase transitions), 2× Mending Gourds (just in case—but stash them off your quick bar for no‑hits to avoid accidental heals), 2× Rope‑fire pots (web/egg clear on Spider; chip on Snake nests).
• Footwork: Default to mid‑range left unless otherwise noted. Most humanoid bosses favor right‑handed openers that whiff just left of center.
• Cues: Learn one audio cue per boss that locks your timing. Visual tells are faster, but an audio anchor keeps you error‑proof when particles obscure animations.

SAITŌ — The Duel in the Maple Court

Concept: A two‑phase human duel built around sheathe/unsheathe tempo (“Iai”) and deliberate feints. Patience and perfect guards win; rolls get you clipped by delayed frames.

Patterns to Read

1. Iai Quickdraw (single hit): Sheath glow → right foot slides forward → elbow dips → instant slash. Startup is fast but consistent.
2. Double Feint: Shoulder twitch → half‑draw → re‑sheathe → real slash. The fake has a soft foot sound; the real slash has a sharper heel scrape.
3. Piercing Thrust: Sword tip drops slightly then lunges. This is the safest parry punish in P1.
4. Phase 2 Shadow Cross: After 60% HP, Saitō adds a cross slash after a momentary blur. The second slash is delayed by half a beat—parry late, not early.

Counters

• Perfect Guard Focus: Guard everything; dodge almost nothing. Every clean guard feeds posture damage.
• Parry Priority: Parry thrusts and the second hit of Shadow Cross; merely block the first Shadow slash.
• Punish Package: After a successful parry, input Light–Light–Mooncut and then cancel with a micro step left to reset spacing. Never add a fourth hit.

No‑Hit Route

1. Opening: Walk forward at neutral guard. When Saitō sheathes, do not move. Wait for the foot slide → perfect guard the Quickdraw → Light–Light–Mooncut → micro step left.
2. Loop: He favors a thrust after being posture‑burned. Parry the thrust → same punish → micro step left.
3. Phase 2: Use Fumeshade during the maple‑leaf burst to deny the surprise Shadow Cross. Re‑center. From now on: block first Shadow slash → parry second → punish.
4. Closer: At low HP Saitō attempts Triple Draw (three fast slashes). Do not counter between hits. Hard block 1 & 2, perfect guard 3, then Crimson Draw to end.

Practice Drills: In the Dojo, set AI to “Iai > 60%.” Practice standing still and parrying only the thrust. Aim for 20 in a row without stepping.

Common Hit Sources: Early parries on Shadow Cross and greedy fourth hits. If you get hit, you probably moved during the Quickdraw tell—trust the block.

SNAKE — The Mountain Serpent

Concept: Arena control and head windows. The body is noise; the head is the fight. Pillars are your lifeline.

Patterns to Read

1. Twin Bite: Head pulls back with a double hiss (two short exhalations) → two quick bites.
2. Sweeping Tail: The tail lifts with falling debris sound → clockwise sweep.
3. Boulder Vomit: The serpent gurgles; rocks line up. Longest recovery window.
4. Burrow & Emerge: It dives; dust lines track underground path; emerges with vertical lunge.

Counters

• Stay at Mid‑Pillar Range: Sprint between pillars; never lock on until a punish window appears.
• Anti‑Armor: Fire damage ticks posture. Prime Rope‑fire pots to cut webbing nests (adds later) and to chip.
• Head Strike Discipline: Only strike the head; two lights maximum before disengage.

No‑Hit Route

1. Opening: Hug the left‑front pillar. When the head snakes down for Twin Bite, roll forward under the first bite, perfect guard the second (easier timing), then Light–Light–Mooncut on the snout.
2. Pillar Cycle: After your punish, sprint clockwise to the next pillar. If Tail Sweep starts, jump once at the tail’s midpoint; do not double jump.
3. Boulder Vomit: Step into open space, lock on, hurl a Rope‑fire pot during mid‑vomit, then dash in for 2× Light. Back off hard; the retaliation is almost always Burrow.
4. Burrow Reset: Watch the dust line. When it straightens toward you, side‑step left, then re‑center behind a pillar. Never roll the emerge—just block and backstep.
5. Phase 2 Nest: Small add‑nests appear on ledges. Ignore spawns; toss one Rope‑fire pot to clear the nest while the boss is in Boulder Vomit.
6. Closer: With posture high, a Stagger Roar exposes the head. Use Crimson Draw once. Leave immediately; the tail sweep can chain after stagger.

Practice Drills: Spawn in, circle pillars without locking on for 60 seconds, reacting only to Tail Sweep with single jumps. Build the habit first.

Common Hit Sources: Greedy third swing on the head; mis‑timed double jumps during Tail Sweep; rolling the emerge.

ONI — The War Fiend

Concept: Big, slow, delayed—classic bait punish. Shockwaves punish panic rolls. He is free once you time the third hit of his heavy chain.

Patterns to Read

1. Club Triple: Low hum → slow overhead → two follow‑ups with increasing delay. The third has a louder grunt.
2. Foot Stomp Shockwave: Slight crouch; knee trembles → stomp, radial shock.
3. Grab: Left hand opens wide, slightly off‑center. Tracking is poor, but greed kills.
4. Enrage (Red Smoke): At 50% HP, Oni chains five attacks with tighter delays.

Counters

• Micro‑Strafing Left: Stay inside his club elbow. Delays become uniform from this angle.
• Shockwave Jump: Do not roll. Single jump on impact—its timing is fixed.
• Punish Package: After the third club hit, do Light–Mooncut, then walk left (don’t roll).

No‑Hit Route

1. Opening: Walk forward; bait Club Triple. Block 1 & 2, perfect guard 3. Light–Mooncut → walk left.
2. Loop: Keep left shoulder range. Every time he resets, he will re‑enter Club Triple or Grab. If Grab, backstep once; never roll through it.
3. Shockwave Response: If he stomps, jump on the ring’s arrival, not the foot’s impact. No counter afterward unless you’re tight on spacing.
4. Phase 2 Enrage: Use Fumeshade to skip the first two swings of the five‑chain. When you reappear, you’ll be at his left shoulder—block 3 & 4, perfect guard 5, Light–Mooncut.
5. Closer: With posture flashing, he’ll fake a stomp into a real stomp. Ignore the fake cue (shorter knee tremble). Jump only when the ground ring appears.

Practice Drills: In the training hall, set “Delayed Triples” and count “one… two… late‑three” out loud while guarding. Build the lateness into muscle memory.

Common Hit Sources: Rolling shockwaves, attacking after stomp, and trying to punish Grab.

KITSUNE — The Illusionist

Concept: Clone management, misdirection, and punishing the real fox after you break the illusion rhythm. Vision aids help, but your ears are better.

Patterns to Read

1. Three Foxfire Orbs: The real Kitsune launches orbs that curve. The clone’s orbs are perfectly straight.
2. Illusion Dash Cross: A dash through you with a cross slash; the real one’s dash emits a brief bell chime.
3. Mirage Howl: Screen tint, then copies appear. The real one flicks her left ear during the howl (micro‑tell).
4. Foxstep Lunge: Short vanish → reappear behind you. Stab is parryable but late.

Counters

• Audio Anchor: Mute music one practice run and lock onto the bell chime tell. Re‑enable music after.
• Vision Aid: The Glass Bead consumable soft‑highlights the real Kitsune for 10 seconds—save it for Phase 2.
• Punish Package: For Illusion Dash Cross, block 1, parry 2, then Light–Light only. Anything longer gets you caught by a Foxstep.

No‑Hit Route

1. Opening: Hold mid‑range. First script is Three Foxfire Orbs. Walk sideways and perfect guard the third orb to build posture (blocking orbs adds posture damage with Shimenawa). No attacks yet.
2. Find the Real: During Mirage Howl, watch the left‑ear flick or listen for the bell chime as one clone dashes. Turn and face that one.
3. Punish Cycle: Bait Illusion Dash Cross. Block first slash → parry second → Light–Light → instant backstep.
4. Phase 2 (40% HP): Pop Glass Bead. Now counter Foxstep Lunge by turning with the stick (no lock) and parrying late. Follow with Mooncut, no extra light.
5. Denial: When three Kitsunes volley orbs, do not greed. Walk in a wide “J” path: shallow in, hard left, shallow out.
6. Closer: On low posture, she attempts Nine‑Tail Flurry (rapid multi‑slashes). Hard block all; do not parry. After the final thrust, Crimson Draw ends it.

Practice Drills: Enter arena and do a full attempt where you only punish Illusion Dash Cross (no Foxstep punishes). Once consistent, add Foxstep.

Common Hit Sources: Turning too fast in Foxstep (early parry) and chasing clones after Mirage Howl. Make them come to you.

SPIDER — Matron of Silk

Concept: Web zoning, poison, and egg adds. Boundaries are lethal; keep the fight on diagonal lines and burn webbing when the boss climbs.

Patterns to Read

1. Silk Lines: One to three web lines that pin you to floor spots. Lines hum before impact.
2. Venom Spit: A high arc with a long linger puddle.
3. Pounce: Two‑part leap with a long aerial hang.
4. Climb & Rain: Spider scuttles up a pillar, then rains webs in a circle.

Counters

• Diagonal Rule: Move diagonally across the arena to break web line angles.
• Torch Utility: Equip a Lantern‑Torch or throw a Rope‑fire pot to burn webs/eggs.
• Punish Package: Parry Pounce’s landing hit → Light–Light–Mooncut → immediate sprint out.

No‑Hit Route

1. Opening: Sprint to the NE corner diagonal. The first script is Silk Line—sidestep once (don’t roll), then continue diagonally.
2. Pounce Punish: Bait the hang time; when she drops, perfect guard on impact and execute Light–Light–Mooncut, then sprint diagonally again.
3. Venom Management: If a puddle lands near you, rotate the camera and route your diagonal away from that lane. Never cut across the arena; keep the same diagonal with small offsets.
4. Climb & Rain: As she ascends, toss a Rope‑fire pot straight up the pillar to burn silk. Stand just outside the rain’s edge; after it ends, she is in a brief stagger—one Mooncut only.
5. Egg Phase (50% HP): Eggs pop on the outer ring. Throw a single Rope‑fire pot to clear a cluster; if spiderlings spawn, walk and quick‑slap with one light each—don’t roll.
6. Closer: She chains Double Pounce late. Treat it like single: parry first landing; do not punish. Step back, parry second, then take your standard punish.

Practice Drills: Queue the arena and move diagonally for a full minute without attacking. Practice burning webs during Climb & Rain as your only “attack.”

Common Hit Sources: Rolling Silk Lines (they track rolls), standing still under Climb & Rain, and greed after first Pounce in Double Pounce.

DRAGON — Storm King of Yōtei

Concept: Multi‑phase spectacle with grounded volleys, mid‑air traversal, and a return‑the‑storm mechanic. The fight is consistent once you treat each phase like a lane you must clear rather than a boss you must chase.

Phase 1 — Grounded, Winds & Bites

Patterns:

• Wind Crescents: Two to four horizontal blades.
• Ground Bite: Head snakes low; lunge.
• Tail Slam: Telegraph is a cloud curl at the tail tip.

Counters & No‑Hit P1 Route:

1. Opening: Sidewalk the first Wind Crescent set (no roll). After the second, the head dips—parry the bite and Light–Mooncut. Back away; never stay for tail.
2. Crescent Rhythm: When four crescents appear, block the second to build posture (Shimenawa), then step between 3 and 4.
3. Stability: Always keep the dragon centered, head mid‑distance. You’re building posture, not damage.

Phase 2 — Sky Platforms & Storm Return

Patterns:

• Lightning Draw: The dragon charges clouds; bolts target you after a brief delay.
• Dive: Long, telegraphed swoop across the arena.
• Storm Orbs: Stationary orbs that zap if you linger.

Mechanics: If a bolt hits you while airborne and you attack during the charge, you return the charge as a lightning strike to the dragon’s head. (You still must not get hit in a no‑hit—so you bait the charge without damage.)

Counters & No‑Hit P2 Route:

1. Traverse: Use the torii‑grapples that appear as the dragon roars. Grapple once, then jump–grapple–jump rhythm to keep altitude.
2. Storm Return (No‑Hit Safe): When clouds crackle, jump just as the bolt would hit and perform a heavy in mid‑air to dump the charge safely without taking damage. The timing window is wide as long as you’re airborne.
3. Dive Punish: After a dive, the head lingers over a platform. Land → Crimson Draw to the horns → immediate grapple away.
4. Orb Lanes: Chart a zigzag path that never passes between two orbs closer than a roll’s width; walking beats rolling here.

Phase 3 — Enraged Grounded + Summoned Squalls

Patterns:

• Triple Wind Burst: Three radial bursts, each larger than the last.
• Roar into Lightning Breath: Roar (audio cue), then a sweeping lightning cone.

Counters & No‑Hit P3 Route:

1. Triple Burst Jumps: Jump the second ring only. Block 1 and 3 to feed posture.
2. Lightning Breath: Sprint into the cone’s narrow side (toward the start of the sweep), then step through the tail. Do not roll; the camera will betray you.
3. Closer: Posture will crack after two safe Storm Returns and standard bite parries. When the dragon staggers, plant Crimson Draw once and end with Light–Light—no flourish.

Practice Drills: Spend a session only performing aerial Storm Returns without attacking on the ground. When you can do five in a row without platform drops, add Dive punishes.

Common Hit Sources: Rolling the Wind Crescents (you’ll stand up into the next blade) and greedy ground combos after Dive.

Speedrunner’s Corner (Optional Optimizations)

• Resource Saves: If you’re routing all six in a row, save Fumeshade for Saitō P2 and Oni Enrage. The Spider and Snake routes don’t need it once you’re consistent.
• Split Stabilizers:
  • Saitō: 0:45–1:10 is normal with three parry cycles.
  • Snake: Pillar cycles = two minutes average; don’t force early head staggers.
  • Oni: Late‑three timing speeds the fight more than any extra damage.
  • Kitsune: Chasing clones always costs time; stay center.
  • Spider: Diagonal discipline > DPS.
  • Dragon: Your only real “time save” is nailing platform rhythm to accelerate Storm Returns.

Troubleshooting by Symptom

• “I always get clipped protecting my punish.” Cut every combo to two hits unless the script explicitly grants longer (Crimson Draw windows).
• “I can’t see tells in particle spam.” Use an audio anchor: Saitō’s heel scrape, Kitsune’s bell chime, Dragon’s roar pre‑breath.
• “I roll too much.” Rebind roll and step to distinct buttons. Use step to micro‑correct; roll only for scripts that demand it (Snake forward roll under first bite).
• “Phase changes wreck me.” Enter each new phase with a memorized first action. If unsure, Fumeshade to neutral.

Quick Checklists

Saitō

• [ ] Parry thrusts & 2nd Shadow Cross
• [ ] Two hits max → Mooncut → micro left
• [ ] Hard block Triple Draw 1 & 2; parry 3

Snake

• [ ] Fight the head, not the body
• [ ] Single jump Tail Sweep
• [ ] Use pillars; never roll emerge

Oni

• [ ] Late‑three parry rhythm
• [ ] Jump shockwaves; don’t roll
• [ ] Walk left after punishes

Kitsune

• [ ] Track bell chime / left‑ear flick
• [ ] Parry 2nd hit of Dash Cross only
• [ ] Bead in P2; punish Foxstep late

Spider

• [ ] Live on diagonals
• [ ] Burn webs/eggs; single punish after Pounce
• [ ] Respect Double Pounce—punish the second only

Dragon

• [ ] Walk crescents; parry bites
• [ ] Clean platform rhythm; safe Storm Returns
• [ ] Jump 2nd of Triple Burst; sprint into breath

Closing Notes

No‑hit routes are choreography. Your goal isn’t to out‑DPS a boss; it’s to move in a loop of advantages you completely understand. Learn the tells, rehearse the safe punish, and end greed. With these patterns and routes, the Yōtei Six become a recital, not a brawl.