Nioh 2, the Soulslike game from Team Ninja that is available for free this month on PS Plus, is set in a mythological Feudal Japan and has a number of mechanics that set it apart from FromSoftware's classic series. There are three fighting stances, each of which focuses on amplifying an aspect of the game's combat, from speed to strength. There is the Ki Pulse, which if timed correctly, can restore a portion of a player's stamina (or Ki), allowing them to continue their assault. Then, there are Guardian Spirits.
Guardian Spirits are perhaps the most visually-impressive addition to the Soulslike formula that Nioh 2 brings to the table. They are powerful spirits - some animals, some mythical creatures - which can be equipped and summoned by the player. They do things like increase a player's damage or attack speed, add an elemental effect to a player's attacks, and more. There are 37 Spirits in all, found throughout the main game and the DLCs, so deciding which Spirit is best for a particular build can take some work. Here are the best selections for a defensive character.
10 Nine Tails
Acquired following the "Frenzied Blade (Dawn)" mission, and typically used to increase fire damage, the Nine Tails Spirit is also the top choice for Luck builds; players trying to increase the quality of loot drops. However, on top of a 1.15x increase in overall defense, Nine Tails sports a whopping 20% increase in Fire Resistance.
That is the main draw of this Spirit for defense builds. Fire damage is, by far, the most common status ailment used by enemies. Most Yokai make use of fire damage, and some mid- and late-game bosses set their arenas alight with flames at every opportunity. The Nine Tails can make those fights much more manageable.
9 Usura-hicho
This Spirit, represented by a flock of butterflies and obtained through "The Viper and the Butterfly" side mission, is typically used in Water Damage builds due to its 15% increase in water damage, as well as the water damage dealt by its Guardian Spirit Skill.
However, as part of a defensive combo, Usura-Hicho can contribute some solid secondary bonuses. On top of a 1.15x increase in defense, it also reduces dash Ki consumption. If players are going for mobile defense over tank defense, this bonus is invaluable. Usura-Hicho also restores 100 Life every time a player purifies a Yokai Realm. Given that Yokai Realms are the most dangerous areas in the game, the extra Life recovery is very useful.
8 Kagewani
One of the three starting Guardian Spirits, Kagewani is a shark Spirit that increases a player's total Life stat. Essentially, equipping this Spirit grants an automatic 200-point Life increase, which can be game-changing, especially early on.
The increased Life has an obvious benefit to defensive builds, and Kagewani also brings with it a Life Drain effect on every Yokai Ability that hits an enemy. However, beyond these two effects (and its general 1.2x increase in overall defense) Kagewani doesn't provide much else in the way of damage reduction.
7 Gyokuto
Acquired later in the game than Usura-hicho but improving on that Spirit's benefits in nearly every category, Gyokuto is a small rabbit whose Guardian Spirit Skill deals a meager amount of Lightning Damage but rapidly builds up Shock in the enemies it hits. It is acquired following the "Dawn of Hope" mission.
The important bonuses are Gyokuto's 15% reduction in dash Ki consumption, a 1.2x increase in overall defense, and its effect on player healing. Gyokuto increases the Life restored by Elixirs by 10%, and also gives a 10% chance to retain an Elixir after use. This Spirit makes for an excellent supporting choice, with players switching to it whenever they have to heal.
6 Amabie
A long-haired fish Spirit, Amabie is acquired following the "In Search of the Elixir" main mission in Nioh 2's "The First Samurai" DLC. On top of the 1.24x boost to overall defense, Amabie's Special Effects make it the best secondary defensive Guardian Spirit in the game.
It provides a 50-point bonus to Paralysis Resistance and makes Medicines 50% more effective when the player has low health. That alone holds a lot of value. On top of that, Amabie makes it so that Elixirs also dispel any status ailments when used, essentially doubling their usefulness. Finally, using an Elixir with Amabie equipment also grants Protection, a smaller secondary health bar that slowly depletes over time, but will take any damage received in place of players' primary health bar. Amabie can't carry the defensive load on its own, but as a secondary option, it's second to none.
5 Rokugezo
This elephant Spirit acquired following "The Hidden Monsters of Okehazama (Dawn)" mission, has a variety of defensive bonuses that it grants the player, making it the first pure-defense Guardian Spirit listed here. Its 0.95x increase to overall defense isn't that inspiring, but its Special Effects are where Rokugezo really shines.
First off, Rokugezo grants an automatic 20-point boost to Lightning Resistance. This not only reduces lightning damage but slows the build-up of the Shock status ailment, which slows a player's movement and attacks. Rokugezo also grants a 20-point bonus to Toughness, a stat that reduces the amount of Ki consumed by blocking or getting hit. For tank builds, this Spirit is one of the best around.
4 Oh
During the "Palace of the Damned" level in Nioh 2's "Darkness in the Capital" DLC, a sibling Guardian Spirit becomes available to one found in "The Tengu's Disciple" DLC. Ho and Oh are a pair of mystic bird Spirits. Ho inclines more towards offense, and Oh is its mirror for defense.
Oh grants a 1.07x boost to all defense, but the main draw is its effect on guarding. It reduces the Ki consumption of a player's guard by 7% and also speeds up Ki recovery when a player times their guard perfectly. In the right hands, Oh can let a player continuously guard without ever getting staggered, no matter how many hits they block. It also grants some Life recovery whenever a player absorbs Amrita, so players with good timing are almost unkillable with Oh equipped.
3 Ho-oh
When players collect the Guardian Spirits of Ho and Oh from their respective DLCs, they automatically unlock the Spirit Ho-oh. It is a fusion of those two lesser Spirits, both visually and in terms of its Guardian Spirit Skill and Special Effects. While its boost to overall defense is lower (a measly 1.02x) it makes up for it in other ways.
Ho-oh is a passive healer. When players are outside of combat, this Spirit will gradually restore their health back to full. That alone is nearly priceless, but Ho-oh's other benefit is that it reduces damage from all Yokai by 7%. By far the hardest (and most annoying) enemies in Nioh 2 are Yokai, and they can end a good run in seconds. That damage reduction is a lifesaver, and defense builds will definitely appreciate having it.
2 Blue Dragon
Found by completing the "Prisoners of the Stones" mission in "The Tengu's Disciple" DLC, Blue Dragon is, well, a blue dragon. This Spirit is one of the best all-rounders in the game, boosting overall defense by 1.08x, improving players' ranged attacks, and boosting shock build-up and damage against shocked enemies.
Defensively, Blue Dragon is similarly geared for all situations. It reduces all ranged damage taken by 15% and also decreases blocked elemental damage by a whopping 40%. That reduction is already significant, but with the right armor equipped, players can push it even higher. Blue Dragon brings a great mix of offensive and defensive buffs, allowing players to adapt to each situation.
1 Genbu
Genbu the turtle arrives towards the end of the game's second act. Unlocking this Spirit requires defeating one of the most dynamic and challenging bosses in the game, but it's so worth it. Genbu's Guardian Spirit Skill is a devastating area of effect that launches enemies into the air, or at the very least stuns them and leaves them wide open to attack. Then there are his passive bonuses.
A 1.25x boost to overall defense, the best in Nioh 2, and a 5% reduction to all damage taken is just the start. Genbu also reduces Elemental Damage by an extra 15%, and when combined with the right armor, can eventually ignore 100% of Elemental Damage. It also grants Stalwart, preventing the player from being staggered while casting magic. For defensive players, defensive spells will become essential, and Genbu ensuring those spells get cast is invaluable. There's no better combination of defensive bonuses from any Guardian Spirit in the game.
Nioh 2 was released on March 12th, 2020, and is available on PS4, PS5, and PC. It is available for free to Playstation Plus subscribers during the month of November 2022.