Sekiro Boss Guide: How to Beat Lady Butterfly

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has a ton of very tough bosses. From the Chained Ogre to Juzou the Drunkard, it feels like everywhere you turn you run into a new boss who can destroy you in one hit. However, few are as challenging or intricate as Lady Butterfly. This nefarious foe, found at the end of Hirata Estate, delivers tons of damage, is crazy fast, and has lots of little helpers you have to worry about in phase two. Oh yeah, did I mention it’s a two phase battle? Let’s break down how to beat Lady Butterfly in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Before the battle begins, there’s a few things you can do to help yourself against Lady Butterfly. For one, you might want to take on some other bosses first, especially Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa over in Ashina Outskirts. Beating him and some of the areas past him will give you powerups that are very handy against her, including some Gourd Seeds. You might also want to grab some extra Snap Seeds, as the dying man suggests before handing you one of the rare items. See where to get more Snap Seeds right here. Whether you do these things or not, here’s how to beat Lady Butterfly.

How to Beat Lady Butterfly

As you begin your fight against Lady Butterfly, you’ll find that patience is key. You won’t get very far simply attacking without any sort of overall strategy or tactical understanding of her moveset and the openings it provides. Keep your guard up at all times, ready to block incoming attacks, while also being prepared to counter with a sword swipe of your own. If you have the Sabimaru Prosthetic Arm Tool then use it as much as possible, as its poison is very effective against her.

Either way, the key to phase one of this battle is patience. Learn her moves and her patterns, especially where she jumps up and suspends in the air on a wire. Have your Shuriken Prosthetic Arm ready, let her get onto the wire, then fire just before or as she jumps off to knock her out of the air, deal a ton of posture damage, and give you an opening to rush in and strike. If things get too hairy just toss a fistful of ash at her to distract her, recuperate, possibly heal yourself, and get ready for more combat. Do enough damage, or max out her posture and you’ll get that first deathblow in, but now it’s time for phase two.

This is where Lady Butterfly goes from being a somewhat tough boss to one of the hardest in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. For her second round of the fight she has a few new tricks up her sleeve, including summoning a bunch of ghostly minions and launching homing butterfly attacks.

Before this starts though, be sure to position yourself under the statue where Lady Butterfly sits. Face away from it and near where she lands in the puddle so you can deliver a strong attack right away. Follow this up with some pressure and a Shuriken to keep her busy before the real fight kicks in. Most of the fight plays out the same as phase one after this, including being patient, finding openings, and hitting her with a Shuriken whenever she jumps into the air.

She’ll do this when she summons minions, and if you can time it right you’ll banish them and get some nice hits in. If she does summon them though, make sure you eliminate as many as possible. Either use your sword or get into the middle of them and use a Snap Seed, if you have some to spare. This will clear out any that are near you, which is a big help since they eventually become butterflies that go straight for you.

Yes, the second addition of phase two are the titular butterflies, glowing balls of light that go through your block and will chase you down. Be sure to dodge away from them when there’s 2-4. If she has a ton after summoning and banishing her allies, then simply move to the side and run in straight lines so they hit behind you. Many of her regular attacks now spawn butterflies, so watch for them and avoid them if at all possible, even if it costs you an attack opportunity.

Stick to these strategies and you’ll know how to beat Lady Butterfly in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Now head over to this guide for help in what to do next.