Sekiro Shadows Die Twice: 10 Optional Bosses You Need To Fight

10. Shinobi Hunter

One of the earliest - and most devastating sub-bosses - you'll encounter in Sekiro comes high in the Hirata Estate, surrounded by a bunch of other goons that can easily overwhelm you. You'll bump into him by simply following the main path through the level, but he's worth fighting even if to only hone your Miriki counter skills.

You'll want to use the reeds and cover available to sneak around and kill his goons first and, if possible, sneak up on the Shinobi Hunter himself to quickly take away one of his life bars. The fight itself is pretty difficult - especially early on - as his unblockable thrust attacks can drain your health in a fraction of a second. His reliance on this move does provide the perfect opportunity for you to get to grips with the Miriki counter though, specifically designed to stop these sword thrusts.

Sure, you'll probably die over and over again getting the timing right (and having to continuously take out the nearby enemies does suck some of the enjoyment out of immediately jumping back into the fray), but getting this skill down early will pay off massively when facing off against the other bosses.