Nioh 3: Master Locations & Interactive Tracking Guide

Scattered across Nioh 3's open world are 13 Masters — elite human duelists who each specialise in a specific weapon or combat style, and each carries a Handbook that permanently unlocks a new Martial Art or Ninjutsu technique when you take them down.

Defeating all 13 earns the A God Among Men Silver trophy. Every Master is documented with their spawn condition, Handbook reward, and any prerequisite on the Nioh 3 interactive maps, making MapMaster the only resource that combines location pins with the complete Handbook reward catalogue in a single guide.

What Are Masters in Nioh 3?

Masters are powerful human NPCs encountered in the open world — stronger than standard enemies but distinct from Bosses and Elite Enemies in their role.

They are specifically duellists: each one challenges you to a one-on-one fight, and each one carries a unique combat technique as their reward.

Masters specialise in different weapon types and styles — Ito Ittosai with the Odachi, Nasu no Yoichi with the bow, Fuma Kotaro with Ninjutsu — and their attack patterns reflect that specialisation. They are not Yokai.

A God Among Men: Two Trophy Milestones

Masterful Pupil (Bronze) unlocks when you defeat your first Master. A God Among Men (Silver) requires all 13. Nothing is missable — all areas remain explorable after the story, and all missions are replayable through the Battle Scroll at Shrines.

If a fight is proving too difficult, complete more story missions to level up and return later. The recommended approach: clear each region's collectibles to reach Exploration Level 4, at which point Masters get marked on the map automatically, then work through them systematically before leaving each era.

Three Ways Masters Spawn

Masters in Nioh 3 appear through three distinct spawn methods — knowing which applies before you arrive saves significant backtracking.

• Open-world fixed spawn — most Masters wait at a specific location and can be challenged immediately on approach. Sawamura Yasusuke is inside a house in Bakumatsu. Ito Ittosai waits in a house in Futamata. Kosaka Masanobu patrols a specific path in the Warring States.

• Bloody Grave summon — two Masters are only summoned by interacting with a Bloody Grave at their location. Taigen Sessai appears in Lake Hamana when you interact with his Bloody Grave. Ishikawa Goemon appears in Bakumatsu via the same mechanic. Walking past the Bloody Grave without interacting means you won't encounter either.

• Spirit Vein-gated — two Masters require a Spirit Vein to reach. Sugitani Zenjubo waits on a small island in Lake Sanaru — you need story progression to unlock the correct Guardian Spirit and cross the Spirit Vein to the island. The Nishiichi Master in Heian requires using a specific Spirit Vein to reach their position.

Four Myth and Mission-Gated Masters

Four Masters don't appear at all until prerequisite missions are completed:

• Fuma Kotaro (Iinoya, Warring States) — only spawns after completing the Those Who Live In The Shadows Sub Mission in Iinoya. Once done, interact with the Master inside the building to trigger the duel. Drops: Flying Buck Handbook.
• Tomoe Gozen (Kamo Village, Heian) — only spawns after completing the Follow The Soldier's Shadow Myth. Drops: Thin Air Handbook.
• Demon Slayer (Heian) — only spawns after starting The Box's Guardian Myth. Interact with the Bloody Grave at the specific location once the Myth is active. Drops: Archer's Impact Handbook.
• Master #13 — located behind a barrier of red crystals. Requires a specific story milestone or Guardian Spirit ability to break through before the duel can begin.

All 13 Master Locations and Their Handbooks

• Warring States (6 Masters): Sugitani Zenjubo — Lake Sanaru island, Spirit Vein required (Urgency). Taigen Sessai — Lake Hamana, Bloody Grave summon (Lumber Chop). Fuma Kotaro — Iinoya, Those Who Live In The Shadows Sub Mission required (Flying Buck). Ito Ittosai — Futamata house (Tiger's Blade). Anayama Nobutada — Warring States (Punish the Proud). Kosaka Masanobu — Warring States (Reverse Impact).
• Heian (4 Masters): Tomoe Gozen — Kamo Village, Follow The Soldier's Shadow Myth required (Thin Air). Nasu no Yoichi — Heian (Falcon Strike). Shinran — Heian (Changing Ways). Demon Slayer — Heian, The Box's Guardian Myth required (Archer's Impact).
• Bakumatsu (3 Masters): Sawamura Yasusuke — house (Fleetfoot). Takahashi Deishu — Bakumatsu (Tornado). Ishikawa Goemon — Bakumatsu, Bloody Grave summon (Beyond Infinity).

All 13 Nioh 3 Masters can be tracked on the Warring States area map, Heian interactive map, and Bakumatsu map guide, with Handbook rewards and spawn prerequisites. For all Handbooks unlocked through Master duels, see the Handbook guide.