Today, Capcom released its latest Curious Cases showcase for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, this time spotlighting Sasaki Ganryu, the legendary swordsman and rival of Miyamoto Musashi.
Ganryu’s fate is closely tied to Musashi’s in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and, much like his rival, he wields an Oni Gauntlet, though the two take very different approaches to its supernatural power. Musashi struggles to control its influence, while Ganryu willingly embraces it, believing the gauntlet can make him stronger.
After confronting Musashi at Kiyomizu Temple, Ganryu becomes determined to surpass him, turning to forbidden Oni Gauntlet techniques, which dramatically increase his power but gradually destroy his sanity. His obsession eventually leads him to harvest human souls to fuel the gauntlet, transforming him from a proud swordsman into a dangerous, corrupted warrior.
The trailer also establishes Ganryu as more than simply Musashi’s historical rival. His jealousy, hunger for strength, and willingness to sacrifice his humanity make him one of the game’s darker characters, while his connection to Musashi suggests their rivalry will be important to the story.
Ganryu is featured as a major boss encounter, with his fight starting as a relatively controlled sword duel before escalating as he unleashes his Oni abilities. His faster attacks and extended combos force players to rely heavily on timing, parries, dodges, and opportunities to absorb souls for healing.
The character spotlight is part of Capcom’s Curious Cases series, which introduces important characters and enemies ahead of launch. Alongside this, a brand new lore video of The Legend of the Onimusha was released, detailing the series’ rich history.
The video also provides additional context for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which moves the franchise beyond its traditional Sengoku period setting. Players take on the role of a fictionalized young Miyamoto Musashi in early Edo-period Kyoto, where a fragile era of peace is threatened by the return of the Genma and their attempts to corrupt the historic capital.
Combat has also evolved considerably from the fixed-camera, tank-control gameplay of the original PlayStation 2 titles. Musashi can defend himself with an omnidirectional parry and blocking system, deflecting attacks from multiple directions, while his arsenal combines fast one-handed strikes with heavier two-handed attacks.
The iconic soul absorption mechanic also returns, with Musashi using the Oni Gauntlet to extract souls from defeated Genma. Players can use these souls to strengthen weapons and fuel powerful magical attacks, preserving one of the franchise’s defining gameplay systems while integrating it into a modern, action-focused combat system.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is scheduled for September 4, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
