Sekiro Corrupted Monk boss guide: How to defeat the hooded apparition

Sekiro Corrupted Monk boss guide
(Image credit: Matheus/YouTube)

Some players can defeat the Sekiro Corrupted Monk boss quickly. There's a speedrunning technique that can finish him with a single stealth blow, and even if you take him on more traditionally he's only got one health bar to worry about. However, those players have probably played the game a lot and for your average first time Sekiro run there's no quick answer (the single hit technique involves involves sneaking past him unseen and using ash and firecrackers to manipulate the monk's stun animation and get him near a pillar). If you're taking on the Corrupted Monk for the first time at a more normal sort of player skill level then some Sekiro Snap Seeds will help even things out by stunning him up to three times. It's still a testing fight because that's kind of the point here, so stock up, get ready and follow our help on how to beat the Sekiro Corrupted Monk boss.

How to kill the Sekiro Corrupted Monk

The Monk has obscene posture so you’re going to need to deal some damage before you can actually kill the thing. There are two unblockable attacks to watch for, a thrust (Mikiri Counter), and a sweep (Jump on it like Mario). Aside from this, the fight is deceptively straight forward, but also fairly drawn out. 

You can use Firecrackers to briefly stun the Monk if you like to give yourself more openings. It is a good shout if you find the fight to be particularly tricky, though it is well worth learning the attacks here as you will be fighting another version later on depending on the ending you go for. 

It is worth trying to parry his spinning attack despite how much it feels like running away is a better option. Be wary of the delay on this final strike in this attack though as it has delayed timing when compared to the others. Once the monk has around 33% health remaining you should be able to take it out via posture damage and a deathblow. 

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Freelance Writer

Jason Coles is a freelance writer and editor, covering gaming, tech, and fitness. Jason has written guides for 12DOVE and PC Gamer, reviews for Play magazine, and a host of other content for the likes of Eurogamer, Dicebreaker, and PCGamesN. Jason also served as the editor of The Indie Game Website and is passionate about helping new writers break into the industry with his Word Count Mentoring initiative.