How to parry in Nioh 3: Unlocking Deflect explained

A staple of many Souls-likes, Nioh 3 introduces a parry for the very first time in the series – or, to be specific, it introduces a Deflect for the very first time.

If you're like us, then you may have heard about the parry, and then had absolutely no idea how to do it when you first started playing.

So, for a quick overview on how to parry in Nioh 3 (and how to actually unlock it in the first place), let's get into it.

How to unlock the parry in Nioh 3 explained

To parry in Nioh 3, you first need to unlock the 'Deflect' skill, which you can find in the Martial Arts/Ninjutsu menu.

Purchasing this will require you to have one Samurai's Locks. These do not become available until after you've cleared the opening area by defeating Yamagata Masakage.

Once you've got your hands on a Samurai's Locks, open up the Martial Arts/Ninjutsu menu, select the Samurai upgrade icon, select the node directly to the right of the centre and purchase the Deflect skill.

Unfortunately, the Ninja does not have a dedicated parry, like the Samurai, though it does have a couple of similar skills that you can purchase later on such as the Tonfas' Impenetrability and the Dual Hatchets' Tile Shaker.

How to parry in Nioh 3 explained

Once you've unlocked the Deflect skill, parrying in Nioh 3 is pretty much the same as parrying in any other Souls-like game.

Just before an enemy attack hits, press L1/LB on your controller to perform the parry.

This will block any incoming damage without taking any Ki damage, as well as dealing a bit of Ki damage to your enemy.

It's worth noting that, unlike many Souls-like games, in which a parry will immediately stop the enemy's combo, Nioh 3's parry lets them continue the rest of their combo, so watch out!

Furthermore, the parry will not work against unblockable attacks, marked by a red aura, which require a Burst Break to negate. Conversely, a Burst Break will not negate regular attacks, which require your regular parry.

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