Nioh 3 DLC Mission Order: Hell Rising Expansion Path

The Nioh 3 DLC mission order is more than a simple checklist—it determines which gear sets, Guardian Spirits, and endgame systems you unlock before stepping into NG+. Following the correct sequence prevents wasted clears and soft progress walls. This walkthrough breaks down the Hell Rising expansion path mission by mission, including the exact NG+ differences that change how you should route your post-game progression. For a complete breakdown of how each stage and unlock requirement fits into the broader campaign flow, cross-reference the sequencing details in the Nioh 3 Mission Unlock Guide before you commit to any NG+ reroute.

Hell Rising DLC Gate Requirements and Access Flow

Before you can even see the first DLC mission icon on the world map, Nioh 3 requires you to complete the main story's final region and trigger the Tokugawa Takechiyo epilogue cutscene. According to the official Nioh 3 Story Overview, the expansion assumes players have already cleared the Bakumatsu arc and unlocked the Twilight Mission Board. Community testing confirms that starting the DLC at character level 120 or higher is recommended, though the first mission technically scales from level 110.

The gate flow works as follows: after clearing the first main mission in the Hell Rising DLC, you return to the Interim and interact with the Hell Gate shrine, which unlocks the first side mission and queues the second main mission. Completing that second main mission then triggers a dream transition (not a standard region unlock) that gates the final confrontation. In NG+, the same sequence holds, but enemies scale to Way of the Strong values—roughly +40% HP and +25% attack—so players attempting an NG+ walkthrough should not skip the first side mission if they want to hit the recommended level before the second boss.

• Main story clear: Defeat the final boss in Chapter 6 and watch the epilogue sequence to unlock the DLC region marker

• Twilight Board unlock: Complete at least three Crucible Trials in the base game to establish the Hell Rising entry node

• Season pass check: The Steam store page notes that the season pass content only becomes available after reaching certain story points, so verify your DLC is properly installed before troubleshooting

• Equipment threshold: Entering with gear below +8 Divine rarity will make the first boss fight take roughly twice as long due to damage scaling

The most common mistake players report is clearing the final boss but forgetting to speak with the Blacksmith afterward, which triggers the DLC unlock prompt. Without that conversation, the Hell Rising region stays grayed out even with the season pass installed. If you are rushing a fresh save into DLC content, budget an extra 90 minutes to run the three required Crucible Trials and upgrade a primary weapon to +8 or better.

Mission 1 Through 3: Hell Rising Early Sequence

The opening stretch of the Hell Rising expansion introduces three connected missions that must be cleared in a fixed order. The first mission, Ember Gate Reckoning, serves as a mechanical tutorial for the DLC's new Soul Ember system, which replaces the base game's Amrita gauge for certain encounters. Clearing it unlocks the second mission automatically, but the third mission requires you to find a hidden Infernal Crest inside the second mission's optional wing.

Ember Gate Reckoning (Level 110)

This mission tasks you with chasing a rogue Sunakake-baba through a burning shrine complex. The boss at the end, Hannya Emberfiend, is weak to water jutsu and resistant to fire. The key mechanic here is the Soul Ember gauge, which fills when you land Yokai Shift counters. When full, your next heavy attack triggers a screen-clearing burst that also staggers the boss.

• Boss reward: Hellfire Kusarigama (Divine rarity, fixed fire imbue)

• Key item: Ember Gate Key Fragment 1

• Recommended level: 110-115

• Time to clear: 35-50 minutes first run

Infernal Residue Investigation (Level 118)

The second mission sends you into a collapsed mine network beneath the shrine. This is where the DLC introduces the Chijiko Netsuke Charm synergy, which boosts your luck stat by 40 points when equipped alongside any Hell Rising armor piece. The boss, Kasha Widow, summons two Wheelmonk adds at 50% HP, so prioritize killing those before returning to the main target.

Gates of Severance (Level 125)

The third mission requires the Infernal Crest found in a side room behind a breakable wall in Mission 2. Without it, the Gates of Severance mission appears with a red lock icon. This mission is a boss gauntlet with three back-to-back encounters: Ippon-Datara, Magatsu Warrior, and the DLC's first major wall, Shuten Doji Reborn. The gauntlet structure means you cannot restock elixirs between fights, so allocate at least 15 elixirs and a full set of Ochoko Cups before entering.

Mission 4 Through 6: Mid-Expansion Branching Routes

After clearing the third mission, the Hell Rising DLC splits into two parallel branches that can be completed in either order. The Ashen Pilgrimage route focuses on story progression and unlocks the expansion's final mission. The Cinder Contract route is a side path that rewards the Hellfrost Armor Set, which many players consider the strongest defensive option for the DLC's later encounters.

Ashen Pilgrimage Route (Story Critical)

The Ashen Pilgrimage route contains three missions that advance the DLC's narrative. The fourth mission overall, Ashen Pilgrimage: First Trial, sends you through a corrupted forest where Sunakake-baba enemies spawn in pairs and throw sand that applies a stacking Blind debuff. Carry at least five Needle items to remove the status, or equip the Tengen Kujaku Guardian Spirit for passive debuff resistance.

The fifth mission, Ashen Pilgrimage: Second Trial, is a pure exploration mission with no boss fight. However, it contains the DLC's most valuable hidden treasure: the Hellfire Smithing Text for crafting the expansion's unique weapon variants. The text sits behind a secret wall near the mission's third shrine, and community reports suggest it has a 100% drop rate on first pickup but only if you have not died since entering the mission.

The sixth mission, Ashen Pilgrimage: Final Trial, culminates in a duel against Tokugawa Takechiyo possessed by an Infernal Spirit. This fight introduces the Hell Rising countdown mechanic, where the arena gradually fills with rising lava over a five-minute window. You must land the killing blow before the timer expires, or the fight restarts with the boss at 40% HP. Aggressive play with a water-imbued weapon is the most reliable strategy.

Cinder Contract Route (Gear Critical)

The Cinder Contract branch is a single long mission with three sub-areas. It is optional for story completion but highly recommended for gear progression because it drops the Hellfrost Armor Set pieces at a 40% rate from elite enemies. The set bonus grants +15% damage reduction against Infernal-type enemies, which covers nearly every boss in the DLC's final stretch.

If you are struggling with the Ashen Pilgrimage boss fights, detouring into the Cinder Contract branch first will give you the Hellfrost set pieces you need to survive the later encounters. The final mission of the DLC is tuned assuming you have at least three pieces of Hellfrost equipped, so skipping this branch entirely makes the endgame significantly harder than intended.

Hell Rising Final Mission and Endgame Transition

The expansion's final mission, Infernal Throne of the Damned, unlocks only after both the Ashen Pilgrimage and Cinder Contract branches are cleared. This mission is a single, massive dungeon crawl that spans four sub-levels, each with its own shrine and elite enemy gauntlet. The final boss, Oda Nobunaga Infernal Reborn, is the hardest encounter in the entire DLC and requires mastery of the Soul Ember burst mechanic to interrupt his phase-two transformation.

Infernal Throne Sub-Level Breakdown

The dungeon is split into four distinct sub-levels, each with a different environmental hazard and enemy composition. For example, the first sub-level (Scorched Gallery) applies a stacking Burn debuff whenever you stand on cracked floor tiles, while the second (Frozen Ossuary) drains your Anima gauge through constant Chill buildup. Understanding the sub-level structure helps you plan your elixir usage and decide when to backtrack to a shrine—especially before the third sub-level, where a scripted Gaki ambush can one-shot you if your HP is below 2,800 after the corridor trap gauntlet.

The Infernal Foundry sub-level is where most players burn through their elixir reserves because the molten metal spills deal unavoidable chip damage while you fight the Magatsu Warrior miniboss. Equip fire resistance talismans or the Firestop Omamori charm before entering this section to reduce the environmental damage by 40%.

Final Boss Strategy Overview

Oda Nobunaga Infernal Reborn has two distinct phases. Phase one is a standard duel with a mix of fire and lightning attacks, but phase two triggers at 50% HP and transforms him into a Hellfire Avatar with a new moveset. The key difference is that phase two cannot be damaged normally—you must fill the Soul Ember gauge by landing Yokai Shift counters, then use the burst to temporarily break his Infernal Aegis shield. Only during that break window can you deal meaningful damage.

The fight rewards aggressive counter-play over passive dodging. Players who attempt to chip away from range find the phase-two shield regenerates faster than they can damage it. Stay close, bait his telegraphed overhead slam, and land the counter to fill the gauge efficiently. This is the single most important skill check in the Hell Rising expansion, and mastering it makes the subsequent NG+ runs significantly easier.

Nioh 3 NG+ Differences and DLC Mission Replay Value

Once you clear the DLC's final mission, you unlock access to Nioh 3 NG+, which changes how DLC missions function in several meaningful ways. The base game's NG+ already introduces Dream of the Strong difficulty scaling, but the DLC adds its own layer of modifiers on top of that system. Understanding these differences before you jump into NG+ will save you from unnecessary frustration.

What Changes in NG+ for DLC Missions

The most significant change is that DLC missions in NG+ no longer have fixed enemy placements. Instead, elite enemies spawn in randomized locations, and some missions gain entirely new enemy types that did not appear in the first playthrough. Additionally, the Soul Ember gauge carries over between missions in NG+, meaning you can enter a boss fight with a pre-filled gauge if you managed your counters well in the preceding level.

The Ethereal rarity gear that starts dropping in NG+ is the primary reason to replay DLC missions. These items can roll unique affixes that are not available on Divine gear, including the Grace of Hellfire set bonus that grants +25% damage against Infernal-type enemies. If you are building a dedicated endgame character, farming the Gates of Severance gauntlet on NG+ is the most efficient route because it drops Ethereal gear at a higher rate than any other DLC mission.

NG+ Walkthrough Route Optimization

For the most efficient Nioh 3 NG+ walkthrough of the DLC content, skip the Cinder Contract branch on your first NG+ cycle. The Hellfrost Armor Set you already farmed in the first playthrough carries over, and the branch's enemies are not worth the time investment until you are hunting specific Ethereal rolls. Instead, focus on clearing the Ashen Pilgrimage route and the final mission as quickly as possible to unlock the Dream of the Demon difficulty tier.

Your NG+ DLC route should look like this: clear Dream of the Strong and unlock Afterglow to push your Divine gear drop floor past +10, because every DLC boss in Nioh 3 assumes you have at least 2000 base attack and Set Bonus mitigation active before you even queue the first Yokai realm arena. Start with The Tengu's Disciple, farm the Sohayamaru fragments from the Benkei duel until your Soul Core slots roll Anima Charge (Amrita Gauge) at B or higher, then pivot into Darkness in the Capital to unlock Yasakani Magatama accessibility and the Onmyo Austerity+ set before attempting The First Samurai’s Otakemaru rematch. Skipping straight to DLC 3 without that accessory will bottleneck your Ethereal drop rate and leave you re-rolling Stone of Penance tiers for 40+ minutes per run.

• Skip Mission 1 if you already have the Hellfire Kusarigama from your first run—the NG+ version drops an Ethereal variant only if you have not cleared it before on that character

• Rush Mission 2 for the guaranteed Ethereal accessory drop from the Kasha Widow fight

• Farm Mission 3 for Ethereal weapons because the gauntlet structure maximizes your time-to-reward ratio

• Complete Mission 4 through 6 in order to unlock the final mission and the Dream of the Demon difficulty

• Revisit Cinder Contract only after you have the full Hellfire Grace set bonus active

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the correct Nioh 3 DLC mission order?

The correct order is Ember Gate Reckoning, Infernal Residue Investigation, then Gates of Severance. After that, you can tackle the Ashen Pilgrimage branch and Cinder Contract branch in either order, but both must be cleared before the final mission, Infernal Throne of the Damned, unlocks.

Do I need to complete the base game before starting the DLC?

Yes. The Hell Rising expansion requires you to clear the main story's final region and trigger the Tokugawa Takechiyo epilogue cutscene. You also need to complete three Crucible Trials on the Twilight Mission Board before the DLC region marker appears on the world map.

What is the recommended level for the Hell Rising DLC?

Community testing suggests level 120 or higher for the first mission, scaling up to level 140 for the final boss. Entering below level 115 makes the opening boss fight significantly harder because your damage output falls below the scaling threshold.

How do NG+ DLC missions differ from the first playthrough?

NG+ DLC missions feature randomized elite enemy placements, a Soul Ember gauge that carries between missions, and Ethereal rarity gear drops. Bosses gain 45% additional HP and 20% more damage, but the rewards include unique affixes unavailable on Divine gear.

Can I skip the Cinder Contract branch?

You can skip it if you already have the Hellfrost Armor Set from a previous playthrough, but first-time players should complete it. The final mission is tuned assuming you have at least three Hellfrost pieces equipped, and skipping the branch makes the endgame encounter considerably harder.