Shoot the four hanging masks in the order three, four, one, two, reading them left to right. That solves the mask puzzle in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and nothing bad happens if you get it wrong, because there is no penalty and no timer.
The numbers are not written on the masks. They come from the shadows those masks cast, which is the part the room does not tell you.
Where the Puzzle Is
The mask puzzle appears during the What Lurks in the Shadows quest, in Underground Laboratory Level 3. Four masks hang from the ceiling, and your only interaction with them is shooting.
You will have already hit a locked route before this: a face mechanism that refuses to do anything. That is what the puzzle exists to open.
The Trick the Room Hides
Leave the room and look at the shadows the masks throw.
Each mask has a different number of openings, and the shadow is where those openings read clearly. One shadow shows a single opening, another shows two, and so on through four. That is the numbering the puzzle wants, and once you have seen it the sequence is obvious rather than arbitrary.
This is why guessing feels hopeless from inside the room. The masks look similar head on. The information is in the shadow, not the object.
The Solution
Facing the masks, count them left to right as positions one through four, then shoot in this order:
- Third mask
- Fourth mask
- First mask
- Second mask
There is no penalty for a wrong shot and no timer forcing you to rush, so you can work it out in the room if you would rather not leave and check the shadows.
What You Get
With all four shot in sequence, the masks are pulled upward and the mechanism opens the cage in the room. Inside is the Unsettling Mask.
That is the item the face mechanism wanted. Take it back to the blocked route and you can carry on.
Tips Most Players Miss
- Do not overthink the aiming. The puzzle tests order, not precision, and a stray shot costs nothing.
- Check the shadows once and you never need to again. The pattern is fixed.
- Grab the mask before moving on. It is the only reason the puzzle exists, and the cage is easy to walk past once the noise of the mechanism stops.
Puzzles like this are the change of pace between fights, and the combat around them rewards the defensive game far more than aggression. Our guide to parrying, deflecting and Issen covers the tools that matter most in the Laboratory, and the best charms to equip covers what to bring. Our full Onimusha Way of the Sword guides cover the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mask puzzle solution in Onimusha Way of the Sword? Shoot the masks in the order three, four, one, two, counting left to right.
Where is the mask puzzle? Underground Laboratory Level 3, during the What Lurks in the Shadows quest.
Is there a penalty for shooting the wrong mask? No. There is no penalty and no timer, so you can experiment freely.
What do you get for solving it? The cage in the room opens and you collect the Unsettling Mask, which activates the face mechanism blocking your progress.