Strategies and tips for defeating all bosses in Ninja Gaiden 4
12
Required for story completion
3
Hidden encounters with unique rewards
15
All boss fights in the game
Chapter 2 - Shibuya Ruins
Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆The first major boss encounter in Ninja Gaiden 4. A large corrupted warrior wielding a massive greatsword. Serves as a tutorial for boss mechanics.
Phase 1 (100%-50% HP): Stay at mid-range and bait overhead slashes. Dodge and counter with 3-4 hit combos. Avoid getting greedy.
Phase 2 (50%-0% HP): Boss gains faster attack speed and adds a three-hit combo. Focus on dodging the full combo before countering. Use Ninpo when boss is stunned from charge attack.
Lives of the Thousand Gods, 5000 Essence, Crimson Eye (crafting material)
Chapter 3 - Roppongi District
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆A dual boss fight against two agile Fiend ninjas. They coordinate attacks and can overwhelm if you don't manage both targets.
Focus Fire: Concentrate on killing one assassin first. The fight becomes much easier 1v1. Target the one with slightly lower HP (visible on health bar).
Positioning: Keep both enemies in camera view. Use walls to prevent being surrounded.
Punish Opportunities: After synchronized strike, both are vulnerable for ~2 seconds. Use Obliteration Technique if one is low HP.
Dual Katana weapon, 8000 Essence, Shadow Cloth x2
Chapter 4 - Divine Dragon Temple
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆A scripted encounter with Seori before she becomes an ally. Features magic-based attacks and high mobility.
Aggression Pays: Stay close to prevent projectile spam. Interrupt spell casting with quick attacks.
Phase Transition (50% HP): Seori gains dark aura and faster teleports. Be patient and watch for openings.
Note: This fight is designed to end at 25% boss HP (story event), so you don't need to fully defeat her.
None (story encounter), Seori joins as ally after fight
Chapter 5 - Tokyo Underground
Difficulty: ★★★★☆A large mechanical arachnid boss with environmental hazards. Features multiple weak points and area control attacks.
Phase 1: Target legs systematically. Use charged bow shots or Flying Swallow to damage joints. After 3 legs are destroyed, boss collapses briefly - attack the eye core.
Phase 2 (50% HP): Boss goes into overdrive mode. Adds laser attacks and faster movement. Continue leg destruction strategy but be more defensive.
Environmental Tip: Pillars can block laser attacks. Use them for cover.
Vigoorian Flails weapon, 12000 Essence, Mechanical Core (unlock Blacksmith upgrades)
Chapter 7 - Hayabusa Village
Difficulty: ★★★★☆A corrupted member of the Hayabusa clan who mimics Ryu's moveset. Extremely aggressive and technical fight.
Counter-Play: This is essentially a PvP fight. Use the same tactics players use against Ryu: spacing, patience, and punishing whiffs.
Key Tip: When boss starts charging Ultimate Technique, ALWAYS interrupt. A fully charged UT can one-shot on higher difficulties.
Defensive Approach: Let boss commit to attacks first, dodge, then counter with 2-3 hits max. Don't get greedy.
Lives of the Thousand Gods, 15000 Essence, Hayabusa Clan Emblem (story item)
Chapter 9 - Order Fortress
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆Leader of the Divine Dragon Order forces. Heavy armor with powerful but telegraphed attacks.
Armor Mechanic: Boss has super armor during attacks. Use Lunar Staff's armor-breaking properties or charged heavy attacks to stagger.
Phase 2 (30% HP): Armor breaks, revealing weakpoints. Boss becomes faster but takes increased damage. Finish quickly with aggression.
Lunar Staff weapon, 18000 Essence, Commander's Seal
Chapter 14 - Dragon's Abyss
Difficulty: ★★★★★The ultimate confrontation against the corrupted Dark Dragon. Multi-phase encounter with dramatic scale shifts. Arguably the hardest boss in the game.
Phase 1: Stay mobile, use grapple points to avoid breath attacks. Hit weak spots on wings and head.
Phase 2: Play defensively. This form has the fastest attacks in the game. Counter after combos.
Phase 3: Focus on dodging massive AoE attacks. Small windows to attack legs/tail. Use Ultimate Techniques when dragon is staggered.
Final Phase: Combines elements of all phases. Save your best items for this. Pattern recognition is key.
Game completion, True Dragon Sword (NG+ weapon), Ending achievement
Note: Bosses from Chapters 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 are not detailed here but follow similar difficulty curves and mechanics. See full wiki for complete boss list.
These powerful encounters are hidden throughout the game and offer unique rewards.
Chapter 6 - Hidden Cave (Optional)
Difficulty: ★★★★★In Chapter 6, after acquiring the grappling hook upgrade, return to the Riverbank area. Look for a hidden cave entrance behind the waterfall. Requires destroying a false wall.
The Ancient Dragon is a superboss from previous Ninja Gaiden games. Extremely high HP and devastating attacks. Recommended level: 30+ with fully upgraded weapons.
This is a test of patience and endurance (30+ minute fight). Attack only when safe - primarily after tail sweep or breath attacks. Use Bow for safe chip damage. Save Ninpo for healing, not damage.
Recommended Build: Maximize defense with Spirit of the Devils buff, use Armlets of Fortune for defense boost, equip Talisman of Rebirth.
Dragon Scale (max HP upgrade), 50000 Essence, Dragon Helm costume piece
Chapter 10 - Tairon Ruins (Optional)
Difficulty: ★★★★☆In Chapter 10's Tairon section, find the three Ancient Seals scattered throughout the ruins. Activate all three to open the Emperor's Tomb. Located in underground catacombs.
Ghost of the Vigoorian Emperor from Ninja Gaiden 2. Phases between physical and spectral forms. Weak to magic damage.
Physical Form: Standard melee boss. Use heavy weapons like True Dragon Sword or Dabilahro.
Spectral Form: Immune to physical damage. Use Ninpo exclusively - Art of Inferno or Art of Inazuma most effective.
Phase Pattern: Switches forms every 30 seconds. Manage your Ki (magic meter) carefully to have Ninpo ready for spectral phases.
Vigoorian Emperor armor set (costume), 30000 Essence, Ancient Tablet (lore item)
Chapter 12 - Dark Dragon Cathedral (Optional)
Difficulty: ★★★★★In Chapter 12, refuse to help Seori during the story choice event. This locks you into the alternate path where she becomes temporarily corrupted. WARNING: This changes story ending!
Powered-up version of the Chapter 4 Seori fight with full Dark Dragon power. Combines magic and melee for a brutal hybrid boss.
This is considered harder than the actual final boss. Only attempt if you want the challenge or alternate ending. Can be done in NG+ without affecting main ending.
Similar to Chapter 4 tactics but with much faster attack speed and new dark magic abilities. Stay aggressive to prevent spell casting. Use Ryu Hayabusa if unlocked - his Ninpo resistance helps significantly.
Dark Seori costume, True Dark Ending unlock, 40000 Essence, Corrupted Crystal (secret weapon upgrade material)