Nioh 3: Smithing Text Locations & Interactive Tracking Guide

Want Hattori Hanzo's spear? Defeat Hanzo at the end of The Demon's Regimen Myth and it's yours. Takeda Shingen's axes? Beat him in the Mikatagahara Crucible. The three legendary Japanese blades — Mikazuki Munechika, Odenta Mitsuyo, Dojikiri Yasutsuna? Complete Memories in the Blade from the Eternal Rift.


Nioh 3's Smithing Texts work this way across 70+ confirmed locations — every blueprint tied to a specific source, most of them earned rather than found. Once you have a text, it's a permanent unlock at the Fox-masked Blacksmith in the Eternal Rift, letting you forge that weapon or armour set at your current level for the rest of the game.


Find them all on the maps available via our Nioh 3 interactive guide hub.


What a Smithing Text Actually Does


Taking a Smithing Text to the Fox-masked Blacksmith unlocks a specific weapon or armour piece in the Forge menu.


Unlike standard equipment drops that cap at their found level, forged items scale to your current level — making Smithing Texts the foundation of any build that needs consistent gear quality into the endgame and through the Crucible.


The Blacksmith herself only becomes available after completing The Hamamatsu Incident, so texts found before that point sit idle until the Eternal Rift opens.


Where Most of Them Come From


Boss defeats are the primary source. Naito Masatoyo drops Shuri-no-suke's Armor. Yamagata Masakage drops the Crimson General's Nagamaki.


Anayama Nobutada drops Goichimonshu Armor. Hiruko drops Sinister Tyrant's Attire in Antiquity and the Ornamental Blade in the Final Battle of Edo.


Myths are the second major source — Becoming Champion of the East gives both Tombokiri and Warrior of the East's Armor; Headaches gives Sohaya Tsurugi and Righteous Armor; Sealed in the Stone Urn gives Ibaraki Doji's Odachi; The Box's Guardian gives Demon Cutter, Demon Arm Cestuses, and Brave Demon Hunter's Armor all at once.


World exploration fills the gaps — chests in Enemy Bases, on scaffolding, under bridges, and inside locked houses cover the remainder.


Sub Missions in the Eternal Rift are worth prioritising early. The Way of the Warrior and Way of the Ninja sub-missions (Novice, Adept, Veteran tiers from Yagyu Munenori and Hattori Hanzo) each reward Smithing Texts on completion — Training Robe, Demontear Sword, Demon Fang Kusarigama, Great Tengu Blade, Swordmaster's Attire — all without requiring any open-world exploration at all.


The Ones That Require Completionism


Four Smithing Texts reward full completion of separate collectible categories — no boss required, no Myth needed.


  • Chijiko Helmet — given automatically when you shoot down and pet the last Chijiko in the game. All 43 Chijiko locations are tracked in the Chijiko guide.


  • Scampuss Hat — given by the Great Scampuss in the Eternal Rift when you've given it every Scampuss Furball collected from all 16 open-world Scampusses.


  • Kodama Bowl — given automatically when you find the last hidden Kodama in Nioh 3. All 92 are tracked in the Kodama guide.


  • Kusanagi Helmet — return to the Eternal Rift after beating the story. No extra requirements.


Three additional Smithing Texts come from a different source entirely: Tatsumaro the Dung Lover in the Eternal Rift basement gives the Horned Turban Helmet, Conch Eboshi, and Coiled Snake Helmet through Dung Ball donations — the same NPC whose Noble Dung Ball exchange unlocks the Blackened Key.


His Smithing Texts are only available after completing the Putrid Paradise Myth.


Texts Locked Behind Bakumatsu Progression


Four Heian Smithing Texts sit in the Rokuhara Dark Realm and are physically inaccessible until after defeating Takasugi Shinsaku in Bakumatsu: the Trident Vajra Sword Helmet, Stone Splitter, Myojin Scythe, and Sincere Buddha's Armor — the latter three all from Usui Sadamitsu, a boss who only spawns in Rokuhara after Bakumatsu's first major story beat.


Plan a return trip to Heian once you've cleared that Bakumatsu milestone.


All Smithing Text Locations


Warring States is the densest open-world era — boss drops from Naito Masatoyo, Anayama Nobutada, Yamagata Masakage, and Takeda Shingen, alongside Myth rewards from Headaches, Ii's Memento, Becoming Champion of the East, and The Demon's Regimen, and world chests across Futamata, Iinoya, Maisaka, and Mikatagahara. Every location is pinned on the Warring States area map.


Heian runs deeper — including The Box's Guardian's triple reward, the Follow the Soldier's Shadow armour, Devotional Helmet behind the Tarnished Iron Key gate, and the four Bakumatsu-gated Rokuhara texts. Pin them all on the Heian interactive map.


Antiquity gives Himiko's Staff and Sinister Tyrant's Attire. Bakumatsu has the Shinsengumi Uniform, Ibaraki Doji's Odachi, Sealed in the Stone Urn rewards, and more than a dozen world and Myth texts.


The Final Battle of Edo gives the Ornamental Blade from Hiruko.


The Eternal Rift is the hub for Sub Mission texts, Tatsumaro's Dung Ball rewards, Great Scampuss texts, and the post-story Kusanagi Helmet.

Name Details
Female Demon MaskHeian - 1190 CE

The Female Demon Mask Smithing Text is found inside the large chest in the house on the northern hill of Kamo Village. You can reach it by jumping from the roof of the southeastern house.

Black Fox MaskHeian - 1190 CE

The Black Fox Mask Smithing Text is dropped by the mages standing in a circle in the lower area of the village.

Crucible Ice SpearHeian - 1190 CE

The Crucible Ice Spear Smithing Text is dropped by the Yokai you'll encounter past the first shrine.

Grimy Hatchet & Rusty HoeWarring States - 1572 CE

The Grimy Hatchet & Rusty Hoe Smithing Text is dropped by the Yokai in the rice fields in the Tenryu River area.

Rusty HoeWarring States - 1572 CE

Dropped by the Yokai tending the garden.

Mountain Ridge HelmetHeian - 1190 CE

The Mountain Ridge Helmet Smithing Text is obtained by opening the small chest atop the scaffolding outside the Anneibo Temple.

Old Sage MaskHeian - 1190 CE

The Old Sage Mask Smithing Text is obtained as a reward for completing the Yokai Horde Picture Scroll Myth.

Mount Fuji HelmetHeian - 1190 CE

The Mount Fuji Helmet Smithing Text is found inside the large chest on top of the Nishiichi Enemy Base watchtower.

Moon Charm HelmetHeian - 1190 CE

The Moon Charm Helmet Smithing Text can be obtained by looting the corpse at the edge of the cliff near Sagano Lesser Crucible.

Ichi-no-Tani HelmetHeian - 1190 CE

The Ichi-no-Tani Helmet Smithing Text can be found in the large chest under the Horinji Temple Bridge.

Tengu MaskHeian - 1190 CE

The Tengu Mask Smithing Text is dropped by the Karasu Tengu Crucible Wraith in Sagano.

Shinsengumi UniformBakumatsu - 1864 CE

The Shinsengumi Uniform Smithing is dropped by the soldiers you can fight on the upper floor of the Shimabara pleasure house, in front of the bridge over the inner courtyard.

Braided Straw HelmetBakumatsu - 1864 CE

The Braided Straw Helmet Smithing Text is found inside the large chest in the southwestern Shichijo Enemy Base.

Ippon-Datara's OdachiBakumatsu - 1864 CE

Ippon-Datara's Odachi Smithing Text is dropped by the Ippon-Datara that you must defeat in the Shijo Enemy Base.

Ippon-Datara's HammerBakumatsu - 1864 CE

Ippon-Datara's Hammer Smithing Text is dropped by the Ippon-Datara yokai you'll need to defeat during the third wave of the Sanjo Lesser Crucible challenge.

Raijin HelmetBakumatsu - 1864 CE

The Raijin Helmet Smithing Text is obtained by looting a corpse in Gion. You'll find it hanging from the upper wall near the Shrine Walk Shrine Greatwood Shrine.

White Fox MaskBakumatsu - 1864 CE

The White Fox Mask Smithing Text is dropped by the Onmyo mage dressed in white.

Kusanagi Helmet Smithing TextEternal Rift

The Kusanagi Helmet Smithing Text is obtained when you return to the Eternal Rift after beating the story.

Chijiko HelmetBakumatsu - 1864 CE

The Chijiko Helmet Smithing Text is obtained when you shoot down and pet the last Chijiko in the game.

Ornamental BladeFinal Battle of Edo - 1622 CE

The Ornamental Blade Smithing Text is obtained by defeating Hiruko, the final boss in the game.

logo

Follow @MapMaster on X (ex. Twitter) for updates

Follow

Overview

My AccountFAQsPricing
Privacy PolicyCopyrightsDisclaimersDo Not Sell

© MapMaster.io 2024. All rights reserved.