Updated September 7, 2026
If you're about to start The Clash at Rendaino in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, you may be wondering whether you need to finish every collectible, spend every resource, or completely upgrade Musashi before committing to the final mission.
The short answer is no.
Rendaino is the game's major point of no return for free roaming, so it is the ideal final preparation checkpoint. However, you don't need to turn your first playthrough into a 100% cleanup marathon.
Some progress carries into New Game+, some progress resets, and most unfinished collectibles can still be cleaned up after completing the story.
The important thing is knowing what is actually worth doing before Rendaino.
📋 Table of Contents
- What Is the Point of No Return?
- Quick Before-Rendaino Checklist
- 1. Make a Manual Save
- 2. Finish Chance Encounters You Don't Want to Repeat
- 3. Finish the Mysteries of Kyoto You Don't Want to Repeat
- 4. Spend Your Red Souls
- 5. Use Your Equipment Upgrade Materials
- 6. Upgrade the Right Equipment Before the Finale
- 7. Upgrade Your Hozuki Pouches
- 8. Set Up Your Charms
- 9. Prepare Your Oni Armaments
- 10. Don't Wait for 54/54 Power Stones
- 11. Don't Worry About Fully Maxing the Gauntlet
- 12. What You Can Safely Leave for Later
- Final Mission Resource Preparation
- The Final Boss Gauntlet
- What Matters for New Game+
- Can You Clean Up After Beating the Game?
- Final Before-Rendaino Checklist
- Best Order for Your Final Cleanup
- FAQ
What Is the Point of No Return?
The point of no return is The Clash at Rendaino, the game's final mission.
Before accepting it, you can continue exploring Kyoto, complete side activities, gather materials, upgrade Musashi and clean up collectibles.
Once you commit to Rendaino, normal free roaming ends and the final sequence begins.
That makes the mission confirmation the perfect time to stop and ask:
- Have I finished the side content I don't want to repeat?
- Have I spent the resources that reset?
- Have I upgraded the things that will actually help me?
- Do I have enough healing and consumables for the final sequence?
Most importantly, don't confuse a gameplay point of no return with a permanent collectible trap. You can make a manual save before Rendaino and use it as your cleanup checkpoint. After finishing the story, Continue can also return you to the state before the final mission.
So you don't have to delay the ending for hours just because a few Lion Dogs or Genma Notes are still missing.
Quick Before-Rendaino Checklist
If you just want the important answer, use this list.
🔴 Do Before Starting Rendaino
- Make a manual save
- Finish Chance Encounters you don't want to repeat
- Finish Mysteries of Kyoto you don't want to repeat
- Spend your Red Souls
- Use worthwhile equipment upgrade materials
- Upgrade important Sword, Clothing and Gauntlet levels
- Refill your healing
- Stock useful consumables
- Equip your preferred Charms
- Prepare your preferred Oni Armaments
- Check your important skills
🟠 Strongly Recommended
- Upgrade useful Hozuki Pouches
- Enhance useful Charms
- Spend available Power Stones
- Collect useful Oni Armaments
- Buy useful upgrade materials if needed
- Keep strong consumables available for Yoshitsune
🟢 Safe to Leave for Later
- Remaining Lion Dogs
- Remaining Genma Notes
- Nonessential collectible cleanup
- Fully maxing the Gauntlet
- Searching for every remaining Power Stone before the finale
The important distinction is simple:
You don't need a 100% completion file before starting the final mission.
1. Make a Manual Save
This is the easiest recommendation in the guide, and one of the most useful.
When the game gives you the warning before The Clash at Rendaino, create a manual save.
Think of this as your master cleanup save.
If you later discover that you're missing:
- a Charm
- a Power Stone
- an Oni Stone
- a Lion Dog
- a Genma Note
- a Hozuki Pouch
- a side activity
- an upgrade
you have a convenient place to return to.
Why this matters
The final mission locks you out of normal free roaming while you're in the finale. A manual save means you don't have to worry about whether you should search the entire map before progressing.
You can simply:
- Save → finish the story → Continue → clean up.
That makes Rendaino much less stressful.
2. Finish Chance Encounters You Don't Want to Repeat
Chance Encounters are one of the highest-priority side activities if you're planning to move directly into New Game+.
There are 18 Chance Encounters, and their progress resets in NG+.
That means you should decide before Rendaino whether you would rather:
- Finish them now
- or
- Repeat them later.
If you're planning NG+
Finish the Chance Encounters you care about before starting the final mission. This is particularly worthwhile if you've already completed most of them. There's little reason to leave two or three unfinished activities behind if you know you'll want them completed on your current run.
If you're only interested in the story
You can skip them. Don't delay Yoshitsune simply because your Chance Encounter count isn't complete.
Best rule
Finish them now if you don't want to do them again. That's the real reason they belong on the pre-Rendaino checklist.
3. Finish the Mysteries of Kyoto You Don't Want to Repeat
The Mysteries of Kyoto deserve similar treatment.
These optional investigation-style activities can provide useful rewards, but more importantly, their progress resets in New Game+.
So if you're planning to move straight into another playthrough, completing the Mysteries now saves you from repeating the same content later.
Before Rendaino, ask yourself: Would I be annoyed to do this again?
If the answer is yes, finish it now. If the answer is no, leave it.
You don't need to turn the final preparation stage into a full completionist sweep.
A useful priority
If you're close to finishing the Mysteries of Kyoto, they're worth completing. If you've barely started them and your character is already ready for the finale, don't spend hours forcing yourself through them simply because a point-of-no-return warning appeared.
4. Spend Your Red Souls
This is one of the most important things to do before finishing your first playthrough.
Red Souls reset when you start New Game+.
So there is little reason to finish your run with a huge unused Red Soul balance.
Use them on things that improve your current character or provide useful permanent progression.
Good uses include:
- Skills
- Skill enhancements
- Useful equipment upgrades
- Charm-related upgrades
- Upgrade materials
- Other useful purchases
If you're short on Red Souls, your Red Soul Farming Guide covers efficient ways to build up your supply.
Don't make this mistake
Don't think: "I'll save these Souls because they'll be useful in NG+."
They won't remain as a stored balance.
Instead: Spend what you have on something useful before you leave the first run.
5. Use Your Equipment Upgrade Materials
The same logic applies to equipment materials.
If you have enough materials for a worthwhile upgrade, consider using them before finishing the run.
Check your:
- Sword
- Clothing
- Gauntlet
before entering Rendaino. You may already have enough materials for an upgrade that makes the final encounters easier.
Don't hoard materials forever
If a material can immediately give you a meaningful upgrade, there's usually little reason to keep it sitting in your inventory.
At the same time, don't spend hours farming one rare material for a minor upgrade if you're already comfortable with your build. The goal is useful preparation, not perfect preparation.
6. Upgrade the Right Equipment Before the Finale
You don't need a special build for Rendaino.
Instead, put your remaining resources into the areas that solve your biggest problem.
Sword
Prioritize the Sword if you want stronger direct damage. This is especially useful if your preferred strategy relies on: Normal attacks, Deflect punishments, Issen, Stronger Oni Armament damage.
If you're already comfortable surviving but feel that fights take too long, Sword upgrades are a sensible priority.
For a broader progression breakdown, see the Best Skills & Upgrades Guide.
Clothing
Clothing upgrades are about survivability. If you regularly die because one additional hit would have finished you, more health and stamina can be more valuable than a small damage increase. This becomes particularly useful during a long sequence of boss encounters.
Gauntlet
The Gauntlet matters if your playstyle relies heavily on Oni abilities and Oni Armaments.
However, don't fall into the trap of thinking: "I can't start Rendaino until the Gauntlet is completely maxed." You don't need to do that.
Use your available resources on the upgrades that matter most to your build.
A simple priority
If you're unsure where to spend your final materials: Sword for damage → Clothing for survivability → Gauntlet for Oni-focused builds.
Adjust that order according to your playstyle.
7. Upgrade Your Hozuki Pouches
Hozuki Pouches are a particularly useful long-term investment because their progress carries into New Game+.
If you have the materials for a pouch upgrade, it's worth considering before the finale.
Extra healing capacity is especially useful when you're about to enter a sequence containing several major fights.
Should you find every pouch first?
Not necessarily. There are nine Hozuki Pouches, but finding every one isn't a requirement for beating the final mission. If you enjoy exploration and want a stronger character going into NG+, they're worth collecting. If you're already prepared for Yoshitsune, don't spend hours searching for the last pouch just because the final mission is available.
The practical approach
Upgrade the pouches you already have. Then decide whether finding the remaining ones is worth the time.
8. Set Up Your Charms
Your Charms are another excellent place to check before Rendaino.
Before entering the final mission, ask:
- Which Charms am I actually using?
- Are they helping my playstyle?
- Do I have enough Favor for a useful enhancement?
- Am I investing in effects that solve my biggest weakness?
You don't need every Charm fully enhanced.
- If you struggle with survival: Prioritize defensive or sustain-oriented effects.
- If you already survive comfortably: Consider offensive or resource-focused improvements.
- If you rely heavily on Oni abilities: Choose effects that complement that playstyle.
Your goal isn't to build the mathematically perfect Charm setup. Your goal is to enter the final mission with a setup you already understand.
9. Prepare Your Oni Armaments
Don't enter Rendaino while still experimenting with every Oni Armament.
By this point, you should know which ones you actually like using.
Before starting the final mission:
- Check which Oni Armaments you have
- Equip the ones you use most
- Make sure you understand their functions
- Enter the finale with enough Oni Power to use them
- Don't waste them simply because they're available
The seven Oni Armaments aren't just interchangeable super attacks. Some are much more useful because they solve specific enemy mechanics.
If you want to decide which ones deserve priority, use the Best Oni Armaments — Which Demon Weapons to Use & When.
One important rule
Don't burn all your Oni resources against the first difficult enemy. Rendaino is a sequence, not one isolated boss. Save powerful tools for the fights where they provide the greatest advantage.
10. Don't Wait for 54/54 Power Stones
This is one of the easiest things to misunderstand before the final mission.
There are 54 Power Stones in total, but you don't need all 54 before starting Rendaino.
In fact, Power Stones #51 and #52 are rewards from The Clash at Rendaino itself.
That means having 52 Power Stones before the final mission can be completely normal.
Don't do this
"I'm at 52/54, so I must have missed two somewhere in Kyoto."
Not necessarily. The final mission itself provides the next two.
What should you do?
If you've completed the Power Stone content available before Rendaino and you're sitting at 52, don't start an unnecessary map-wide search. You can continue into the finale.
Why this matters
Power Stones are used for your skill and upgrade progression, but the final two are deliberately tied to the final mission.
So: 52 before Rendaino is not automatically a problem.
11. Don't Worry About Fully Maxing the Gauntlet
This is another common source of unnecessary grinding.
You can collect enough Power Stones to complete the relevant skill progression, but you don't obtain enough Oni Stones during one first playthrough to completely max the Gauntlet.
That means an unfinished Gauntlet before Rendaino is normal.
You aren't necessarily missing something.
What should you do instead?
Spend your available Oni Stones on the upgrades that matter most to your playstyle. If you don't have enough to unlock everything: Don't panic. Your progression continues into New Game+.
The important distinction
Not fully maxed does not mean not ready. If your character has the skills, equipment and resources you actually use, you're ready to finish the story.
12. What You Can Safely Leave for Later
This is where you can stop worrying about reaching 100% before the finale.
Lion Dogs
You don't need every Lion Dog before Rendaino. If you're missing a few, you can clean them up later. Recommendation: Safe to postpone.
Genma Notes
Genma Notes are another category you can leave for later if you're not pursuing completion immediately. Recommendation: Safe to postpone.
Remaining Charms
If you haven't collected every Charm, don't assume you need to delay the ending. Your existing Charm progression is more important than having a perfect collection before Yoshitsune. Recommendation: Safe to postpone.
Remaining Oni Stones
Don't grind endlessly trying to fully max the Gauntlet before the first ending. You aren't expected to finish every Gauntlet enhancement in one run. Recommendation: Safe to postpone.
Remaining Power Stones
If you're sitting at 52 and have completed the available pre-Rendaino Power Stone content, don't waste time searching for #51 and #52. They're tied to the final mission. Recommendation: Start the finale.
Final Mission Resource Preparation
Once you've completed your important cleanup, stop thinking like a collector and start thinking like you're preparing for a long boss sequence.
The final mission is not simply: Enter → fight Yoshitsune → credits. You're going through several major encounters before reaching the final battle.
That changes how you should manage your resources.
Refill your healing
Start the final mission with your healing resources in good shape. Don't enter the finale after spending your last restorative item during an unrelated fight.
Stock useful consumables
Bring the restorative and offensive consumables you normally rely on. You don't need to empty the shop. Just make sure you're not entering the final sequence with an inventory that is unnecessarily depleted.
Save your strongest resources
This is particularly important. If you use every powerful consumable against an early encounter, you'll have fewer options later.
A good rule
Use ordinary resources first. Save emergency resources for the fights where they can actually save the run.
The Final Boss Gauntlet
The final mission begins with Fully Armed Benkei, followed by a sequence of major encounters before the final battle with Yoshitsune.
The important sequence is:
- Fully Armed Benkei
- Daidara
- Byakue
- Nue — Blue & Red
- Greater Nue
- Dohatsu-ten
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune
This is why you shouldn't prepare as though Yoshitsune is the only fight that matters. You're going into a boss gauntlet followed by the final boss.
For the individual mechanics of these encounters, see the Onimusha: Way of the Sword Boss Order & Strategies Guide.
- Early part of the gauntlet: Try to win without burning your strongest resources.
- Middle encounters: Continue conserving healing and Oni resources when you have safe alternatives.
- Dohatsu-ten: Treat this as the final major encounter before Yoshitsune.
- Yoshitsune: This is where the resources you've been saving can make the biggest difference.
The final boss has multiple phases, so don't assume that surviving the opening means the difficult part is over.
What Matters for New Game+
You don't need a complete NG+ guide to make good pre-Rendaino decisions.
The important thing is understanding what is worth spending now.
Progress that carries forward includes:
- Awakened Oni Abilities
- Enhanced skills
- Hozuki Pouches and their enhancements
- Charms and their enhancements
- Oni Armaments
- Items
- Genma Notes
- Lion Dogs
Progress/resources that reset include:
- Red Souls
- Sword enhancements
- Gauntlet enhancements
- Clothing
- Chance Encounter progress
- Mystery of Kyoto progress
- Spirit Mirror unlock progress
- Story and mission progress
- Equipment upgrade materials
The practical rule is: Spend what resets. Invest in what carries.
That single rule makes your final preparation much easier.
If you're planning a dedicated NG+ run, you can treat this article as the pre-Rendaino checklist and handle the detailed carry-over rules separately.
Can You Clean Up After Beating the Game?
Yes.
This is one of the most important things to understand before committing to Rendaino.
You are not permanently destroying your first-playthrough cleanup progress simply because you started the final mission.
After completing the story, choosing Continue can return you to the state before the final mission.
That means you can return to cleanup activities such as:
- Lion Dogs
- Genma Notes
- Charms
- Hozuki Pouches
- Remaining Power Stones
- Remaining Oni Stones
- Other unfinished exploration
So don't over-clean before the finale
If you're ready for Yoshitsune but you're missing a handful of collectibles, don't automatically spend another five hours searching Kyoto.
Make your manual save. Finish the story. Then come back and clean up.
The important exception is content you don't want to repeat in NG+. That's why Chance Encounters and Mysteries of Kyoto deserve more attention before the first ending if you're immediately moving into another run.
Final Before-Rendaino Checklist
Here's the version worth bookmarking.
🔴 Do This Before Starting the Final Mission
- Make a manual save
- Finish Chance Encounters you don't want to repeat
- Finish Mysteries of Kyoto you don't want to repeat
- Spend your Red Souls
- Use worthwhile equipment materials
- Upgrade important equipment
- Refill your healing
- Stock useful restorative items
- Equip your preferred Charms
- Prepare your preferred Oni Armaments
- Check your important skills
🟠 Strongly Recommended
- Upgrade useful Hozuki Pouches
- Enhance useful Charms
- Spend available Power Stones
- Collect useful Oni Armaments
- Buy useful upgrade materials if needed
- Keep strong consumables available for Yoshitsune
🟢 Safe to Leave for Later
- Remaining Lion Dogs
- Remaining Genma Notes
- Remaining collectible cleanup
- Fully maxing the Gauntlet
- Finding every Power Stone before Rendaino
- Hunting for the last few optional upgrades
Best Order for Your Final Cleanup
If you want the simplest possible preparation route, do this.
- Step 1 — Make your manual save — This becomes your safety net.
- Step 2 — Finish the side content you don't want to repeat — Prioritize: Chance Encounters → Mysteries of Kyoto if you're heading directly into NG+.
- Step 3 — Spend your Red Souls — Use them on useful skills, enhancements, materials and upgrades. If you need more, use the Red Soul Farming Guide.
- Step 4 — Spend worthwhile equipment materials — Upgrade the Sword, Clothing and Gauntlet where the next upgrade actually helps.
- Step 5 — Improve your permanent progression — Check your: Hozuki Pouches → Charms → Skills and invest where the benefit is most useful. For skill priorities, see the Best Skills & Upgrades Guide.
- Step 6 — Prepare the finale — Refill healing. Set your Charms. Choose your Oni Armaments. Check your consumables.
- Step 7 — Stop chasing perfection — You don't need: Every Lion Dog, Every Genma Note, A completely maxed Gauntlet, 54/54 Power Stones before Rendaino, Every collectible.
- Step 8 — Start The Clash at Rendaino — Once your important preparation is complete, finish the story.
FAQ
Is The Clash at Rendaino the point of no return?
Yes. Starting The Clash at Rendaino ends normal free roaming and begins the final sequence. Make a manual save before committing.
Can I return to Kyoto after starting Rendaino?
Not during the final sequence. However, after completing the story, Continue can return you to the state before the final mission so you can perform cleanup.
Do I need to collect everything before the final mission?
No. Prioritize content that resets in NG+, along with resources and upgrades that help you finish the finale. Many collectibles can safely wait.
Should I finish Chance Encounters before Rendaino?
If you're planning to start NG+ and don't want to repeat them, yes. There are 18 Chance Encounters, and their progress resets in NG+.
Should I finish all Mysteries of Kyoto before the final mission?
If you don't want to repeat them in NG+, yes. Otherwise, you can leave them for cleanup.
Do Red Souls carry into NG+?
No. Spend your Red Souls before starting your next playthrough.
Do Sword and Gauntlet upgrades carry into NG+?
No. Their enhancement progress resets, so using available materials before finishing your current run can be worthwhile.
Do Charms carry into NG+?
Yes. Your Charms and their enhancements carry over, making them a useful place to invest resources.
Do Hozuki Pouches carry into NG+?
Yes. Pouches and their enhancements carry over, so upgrading them is a useful long-term investment.
Do Lion Dogs carry into NG+?
Yes. You don't need to find every Lion Dog before finishing the story.
Do Genma Notes carry into NG+?
Yes. If you're missing some, you can safely postpone them.
Do I need all 54 Power Stones before Rendaino?
No. The final two Power Stones are tied to The Clash at Rendaino, so don't assume you're missing something simply because your total isn't 54 before starting the final mission.
Do I need to fully max the Gauntlet before Yoshitsune?
No. You don't obtain enough Oni Stones during the first playthrough to completely max the Gauntlet, so unfinished upgrades are normal.
What should I spend my Red Souls on before the final mission?
Prioritize useful skills, enhancements, equipment upgrades, Charm-related improvements and needed materials rather than carrying a large unused Red Soul balance into the end of the run.
Should I save my best consumables for Yoshitsune?
Generally, yes. The final mission is a gauntlet, so avoid using your strongest resources unnecessarily against the earlier encounters.
What is the most important thing to do before Rendaino?
If you only do five things: Make a manual save → finish resetting side content → spend Red Souls → upgrade useful equipment → enter the finale fully healed and prepared. Everything else is optional cleanup.
Final Takeaway
The biggest mistake you can make before The Clash at Rendaino is assuming that you have to finish absolutely everything.
You don't.
Instead, separate your preparation into three categories.
- Finish now: Chance Encounters and Mysteries of Kyoto if you don't want to repeat them in NG+.
- Spend now: Red Souls and useful equipment materials.
- Save for later: Lion Dogs, Genma Notes, remaining collectible cleanup and unfinished Gauntlet upgrades.
Then make your manual save, refill your healing, prepare your Charms and Oni Armaments, and start the final mission.
If you want to sharpen your combat fundamentals before the finale, the Onimusha: Way of the Sword Beginner Guide: 12 Combat Mistakes Every New Player Makes covers the defensive habits that matter most.
For progression, use the Best Skills & Upgrades Guide.
For Oni Armament preparation, see the Best Oni Armaments — Which Demon Weapons to Use & When.
And for the individual encounters waiting in the finale, use the Onimusha: Way of the Sword Boss Order & Strategies Guide.
Once those preparations are done, you don't need to keep grinding simply because your checklist isn't at 100%.
You're ready for Rendaino.
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