Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has no small number of tough boss encounters. Among the toughest of those encounters is the Guardian Ape boss from the game’s Sunken Valley area. However, as tough as it is, the Guardian Ape is merely the prelude to an even more difficult boss battle. Down in the Ashina Depths, you’ll have to tussle with the Headless Ape if you want to proceed.
Sekiro: Defeating the Headless Ape
It feels almost like a cruel joke that From Software puts the Guardian Ape and Headless Ape so close together. But, then again, From isn’t exactly known for taking it easy on players. Plus, the silver lining is that the same tactics for fighting the Guardian Ape are once again applicable. The Headless Ape fight starts out in exactly the same manner as the phase 2 Guardian Ape battle. But of course there’s a twist.
After you inflict the first deathblow on the Headless Ape it will call in a friend. A second ape will drop down and attack you alongside its headless counterpart. Dealing with both apes at once can be a real pain, but there are some tricks you can utilize. The second ape is highly susceptible to the Shinobi Firecrackers, allowing you to stun and heavily damage the beast. Just make sure you keep one eye on the Headless Ape while you’re dealing with its friend.
You technically don’t have to kill the second ape to win the fight, but it certainly helps if you do. Killing the second ape can recharge your self-resurrect if you already used it, for example. Also, if you turn the fight back into a 1v1 affair, you can just use the Guardian Ape safe strategy.
Lastly, don’t fight the Headless Ape until you’ve recovered the Mortal Blade from the Illusory Hall. After dealing the second deathblow, having the Mortal Blade allows you to trigger a secret third deathblow. This puts the Headless Ape fully to rest and unlocks the Bestowal Ninjitsu technique.