Onimusha: Way of the Sword Chance Encounters
Last verified: Sep 4, 2026 · Release-day edition
Chance Encounters are Onimusha: Way of the Sword's side missions — 18 short, character-driven jobs scattered across Kyoto. Each one activates by speaking to someone at a mission marker marked with a Notebook icon on the map, and each becomes available after a specific story mission. Complete all 18 to earn the No Job Too Small silver trophy.
How Chance Encounters Work
Chance Encounters sit apart from the main missions. Once you have completed the story mission that unlocks the system, Notebook markers appear across the map; each marker belongs to one encounter. Walking up and speaking to the person at the marker starts the job.
The encounters fall into a few recurring types:
- Ace Archer — timed archery trials at five locations (Kiyomizu-dera, Nijo-jo Castle, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Mount Oe and Arashiyama).
- Hidden Treasure — five treasure-hunting jobs (Nos. 1–5) unlocked step by step through the story.
- Story-flavoured requests — rescue jobs, ghost stories, neighbour troubles and odd-couple errands tied to characters around Kyoto.
Completing encounters rewards equipment-enhancement materials and charms, and the set is a requirement for the platinum. Two practical notes:
- They do not carry into New Game+. Chance Encounter progress resets on a new cycle, so finish them on the save you want to keep for the platinum.
- Nothing expires. Every encounter stays available until the point of no return before the final mission, and Continue after the story returns you to before that point.
All 18 Chance Encounters
| # | Encounter | Available After |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pale Lights in a Night Sky | Chance Encounters unlocked |
| 2 | Clear Space, Clear Mind | Chance Encounters unlocked |
| 3 | Ace Archer: Kiyomizu-dera Temple | Bloodbath on the Bridge |
| 4 | Ace Archer: Nijo-jo Castle | Bloodbath on the Bridge |
| 5 | The Growling Ghost | A Tempest at the Temple |
| 6 | Ace Archer: Kyoto Imperial Palace | A Tempest at the Temple |
| 7 | Hidden Treasure No. 1 | A Tempest at the Temple |
| 8 | Hidden Treasure No. 2 | To Live Is to Suffer |
| 9 | An Ugly Business | To Live Is to Suffer |
| 10 | Noisy Neighbors | To Live Is to Suffer |
| 11 | Hidden Treasure No. 3 | Okuni's Kabuki Dance |
| 12 | The Odd Couples | Okuni's Kabuki Dance |
| 13 | A Fishy Story | The Demon on the Mount |
| 14 | Ace Archer: Mount Oe | The Demon on the Mount |
| 15 | Hidden Treasure No. 4 | The Demon on the Mount |
| 16 | Ace Archer: Arashiyama | In the Light of an Icy Moon |
| 17 | Hidden Treasure No. 5 | In the Light of an Icy Moon |
| 18 | Restless Spirits | In the Light of an Icy Moon |
The Ace Archer trials are the easiest to defer — they never expire, and returning with the Oni Bow fully upgraded (better charge speed and headshot handling) makes the later ones far simpler. The Hidden Treasure jobs are the opposite: do each one as soon as it unlocks, since they chain and some clues reference earlier districts.
Rewards & Trophy
Every Chance Encounter pays out enhancement materials, and most introduce or reward charms — the equippable trinkets that boost healing, attack, defence and gauge fill. That makes the encounters a soft prerequisite for the Charmed Life trophy (max all 15 charms) and the Dressed to Kill trophy (max all equipment), since charm and upgrade materials cluster in side content.
Completing your first encounter earns Life-Saver; completing all 18 earns No Job Too Small. Both count toward the platinum.
Chance Encounter FAQ
How do you start Chance Encounters in Onimusha: Way of the Sword?
Look for Notebook icons on the map after Chance Encounters unlock. Travel to the marker and speak to the person there to activate the mission.
How many Chance Encounters are there?
18 in total, including five Ace Archer trials, five Hidden Treasure jobs and eight story-flavoured requests. Completing all of them unlocks the No Job Too Small trophy.
Are Chance Encounters missable?
No — every encounter remains available until the point of no return before the final mission, and Continue after the story returns you before that point.
Do Chance Encounters carry into New Game+?
No. Chance Encounters, like Mysteries of Kyoto, reset on a new cycle — complete them before starting a New Game+ file you plan to platinum on.