Onimusha: Way of the Sword New Game Plus: What Carries Over
Direct answer
New Game Plus opens after a story clear and is the route for Carnage difficulty. Skills, Awakened Oni abilities, charms, Hozuki Pouches, items, Genma Notes and Lion Dogs carry over; story progress, Red Souls, equipment upgrades and several progression systems reset.
Applies to
Way of the Sword full-game release.
In this guide
FAQ
Do Red Souls carry over into New Game Plus?
- No. Red Souls reset when New Game Plus begins.
Do sword and gauntlet upgrades carry over?
- No. Equipment upgrades reset, so rebuild those upgrades during the new run.
Do outfits carry over into New Game Plus?
- Outfit carry-over is unconfirmed. Check it during the completed-save transition before relying on it.
Confirm the save transition before planning a run
Before committing to a run, choose the completed save and check the new game's menus. If the transfer worked, retained skills, charms and Hozuki Pouches should still be present, while the Red Soul counter and equipment enhancement state have reset. This is a confirmation checklist, not a claim that every platform or future patch behaves identically.
What carries over
| System | Current status |
|---|---|
| Awakened Oni abilities | Carries over |
| Enhanced basic and special skills | Carries over |
| Hozuki Pouches and pouch enhancements | Carries over |
| Charms and charm enhancements | Carries over |
| Items and offerings | Carries over |
| Genma Notes and Lion Dogs | Carries over |
This is why a Carnage run is not a completely fresh character: the retained systems let you start with abilities and upgraded charms, even though equipment power must be rebuilt.
What resets or needs rebuilding
| System | Current status |
|---|---|
| Story and side-mission progress | Resets |
| Red Souls | Reset to zero |
| Sword and gauntlet enhancements | Reset |
| Equipment upgrade materials | Must be collected again |
| Spirit Mirror progress | Resets |
| Oni bow | Resets |
| Mysteries of Kyoto and Chance Encounters | Reset |
Equipment upgrades and their materials do not follow the save. Spend or use what helps before the final mission rather than assuming unused Red Souls or upgrade materials will be available after the transition.
Check outfit carry-over
Clothing and outfit carry-over is unconfirmed. If an outfit matters to your next run, verify it in the completed-save transition before relying on it.
A short pre-Carnage checklist
- Keep a completed save before you begin the New Game Plus route.
- Decide which retained charms, pouch upgrades and skills you want available from the opening area.
- Do not reserve Red Souls or equipment upgrade materials for transfer.
- Start the new run, then confirm the retained and reset states in the menus.
- If a specific cosmetic, platform behavior or patch change matters, record the platform and version before treating it as repeatable.
For combat systems that stay relevant after transfer, see the Issen timing guide and the Parry and Deflect comparison.