This guide about Nioh Guardian Spirits will teach you how to unlock all available Guardian Spirits in the game, which are the best Guardian Spirits, and the stats for each one of them.
As the name signifies, Guardian Spirits are basically spirit animals that can be imbued to receive a number of bonuses and buffs. After you fire up the game for the first time, you’re asked to choose a Guardian Spirit.
This initial Guardian Spirit stays with you until you unlock others and decide to change the initial one. There are quite a lot of Guardian Spirits so make sure to kick back and read to catch ‘em all.
For more help on Nioh, read out our Character Builds Guide, Best Stats Guide, and Kodama Locations Guide.
Nioh Guardian Spirits
One important thing that you need to know is that you need to have at least 11 points added in ‘Spirit’ stat to reap all the benefits offered by all the Guardian Spirits in the game. Once you’ve found all Guardian Spirits, you’ll unlock the ‘Friend of Guardians’ Trophy.
Guardians Spirits in Nioh also allow you to launch a powered-up attack called Living Weapon.
We have listed below all the Guardians and their Living weapon stats, at level 30, although their level 1 variants might be slightly less powerful, this is the maximum use you can get out of each.
Hi-Nezumi
- Attack Enhancement: 4%
- Element : Fire
- Duration: 9
- Might: 400
- Action: B-
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: C-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Enko
- Attack Enhancement: 23%
- Element: Fire
- Duration: 9
- Might: 1480
- Action: C
- Recover: B
- Tenacity: B+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C-
Enku
- Attack Enhancement: 18%
- Element : Fire
- Duration: 5 23.5
- Might: 1400
- Action: B+
- Recovery: B+
- Tenacity: B+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C+
Nine-Tails
- Attack Enhancement: 4%
- Element: Fire
- Duration: 6
- Might: 1000
- Action: C+
- Recovery: B+
- Tenacity: C+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Usura-Hicho
- Attack Enhancement: 6%
- Element: Water 62
- Duration: 7
- Might: 600
- Action: B
- Recovery: A
- Tenacity: C+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Nico Genbu
- Attack Enhancement: 6%
- Element: Water 62
- Duration: 1
- Might: 3000
- Action: A-
- Recovery: B+
- Tenacity: C
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D-
Saoirse
- Attack Enhancement: 5%
- Element: Water
- Duration: 10
- Might: 600
- Action: B
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: B-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Nurarihyon
- Attack Enhancement: 9%
- Element: Water 62
- Duration: 5
- Might: 1350
- Action: C
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: C+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C
Itokuri
- Attack Enhancement: 8%
- Element: Earth
- Duration: 4
- Might: 680
- Action: B+
- Recovery: C+
- Tenacity: D+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Tankui
- Attack Enhancement: 13%
- Element: Earth
- Duration: 4
- Might: 2220
- Action: B-
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: A
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Shinka
- Attack Enhancement: 16%
- Element: Earth
- Duration: 6
- Might: 1980
- Action: A-
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: C-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C
Bisha’s Centipede
- Attack Enhancement: 18%
- Element: Earth
- Duration: 19
- Might: 2280
- Action: B- B
- Recovery: D-
- Tenacity: B+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Aya-Komori
- Attack Enhancement: 5%
- Element: Wind
- Duration: 4
- Might: 480
- Action: A+
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: C-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Yatagarasu
- Attack Enhancement: 13%
- Element: Wind
- Duration: 7
- Might: 1210
- Action: C
- Recovery: A-
- Tenacity: C
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Izuna
- Attack Enhancement: 8%
- Element: Wind
- Duration: 4
- Might: 1480
- Action: A-
- Recovery: C+
- Tenacity: C+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Tengen Kujaku
- Attack Enhancement: 15%
- Element: No movement input for Wind, Backwards for Lightning, Left for Earth, Right for Water, Forwards for Fire.
- Duration: 22
- Might: 1600
- Action: B+
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: B-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Blue Dragon
- Attack Enhancement: 23%
- Element: Wind
- Duration: 4
- Might: 1480
- Action: C
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: B-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D-
Janomecho
- Attack Enhancement 8%
- Element: Wind
- Duration: 21
- Might: 720
- Action: A-
- Recovery: A
- Tenacity: A
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C-
Gyokuto
- Attack Enhancement: 6%
- Element: Lightning
- Duration: 6
- Might: 480
- Action: B+
- Recovery: B+
- Tenacity: C-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Kara-Jishi
- Attack Enhancement: 23%
- Element: Lightning
- Duration: 8 20.5
- Might: 1660
- Action: C+
- Recovery: D-
- Tenacity: B-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Atlas Bear
- Attack Enhancement: 24%
- Element: Lightning
- Duration: 2
- Might: 1500
- Action: D+
- Recovery: C
- Tenacity: A-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C+
Nekomata
- Attack Enhancement: 7%
- Element: lightning
- Duration: 1
- Might: 680
- Action: B+
- Recovery: A+
- Tenacity: D+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Daiba-Washi Guardian Spirit
This is one of the Guardian Spirits which is available right from the beginning of the game.
- ATK Enhance: 0%
- Element: Wind
- Duration: 18.6 seconds
- Might: 680
- Action: C-
- Recovery: C-
- Tenacity: D
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A+
Isonade Guardian Spirit
This is one of the Guardian Spirits which is available right from the beginning of the game.
- ATK Enhance: 5%
- Water: 30
- Duration: 21.6 seconds
- Might: 1400
- Action: A
- Recovery: C+
- Tenacity: C
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Kato Guardian Spirit
This is one of the Guardian Spirits which is available right from the beginning of the game.
- ATK Enhance: 20%
- Fire: 30
- Duration: 14.8 seconds
- Might: 1280
- Action: C
- Recovery: A
- Tenacity: A-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C+
Fuse-Ushi Guardian Spirit
In order to unlock Fuse-Ushi, you need to complete the game’s ‘Deep in the Shadows’ main mission.
- ATK Enhance: 15%
- Earth: 30
- Duration: 20.4 seconds
- Might: 1870
- Action: B+
- Recovery: B
- Tenacity: C-
- Amrita Gauge Rate: D
Mizuchi Guardian Spirit
After you’ve successfully completed the game’s ‘Kanbei and the Overlord’ sub-mission, you’ll automatically unlock Mizuchi Guardian Spirit.
- ATK Enhance: 7%
- Water: 30
- Useable Time: 18 Seconds
- Might: 700
- Action: B-
- Recovery: B
- Tenacity: B
- Amrita Gauge Rate: C+
Raiken Guardian Spirit
In order to unlock Raiken, you need to complete the game’s ‘The Spirit Stone Slumbers’ main mission.
- ATK Enhance: 15.0%
- Lightning: 42
- Duration: 21.8 seconds
- Might: 1500
- Action: C+
- Recovery: B
- Tenacity: A+
- Amrita Gauge Rate: A-
Paired Raiken Guardian Spirit
This Guardian Spirit is basically an upgrade of the original Raiken Guardian Spirit and replaces it. You can unlock it after you manage to complete ‘Invitational from the Warrior of the West’ sub-mission.
Living Weapons
Living Weapon can simply be considered as a powered-up attack that can be executed once you manage to fill up your Guardian Spirit meter. The Living Weapon at your disposal entirely depends upon the Guardian Spirit you have.
Guardian Spirit meter automatically fills up during battle – the more damage you deal, the faster it fills.
After you execute your Living Weapon, you become immune to all types of damage until the effect wears off. Due to this, you should always use your Living Weapon while fighting enemies and bosses.
