Jinzaemon Kumano

## Description

**Jinzaemon Kumano** (熊野陣左衛門, Kumano Jinzaemon) is a samurai with the duty of patrolling the moat of Ashina Castle.

He ventures into Ashina Depths in search of the shamisen player, whose melody bewitched him.

If lured into Doujun's hands, he'll become a test patient for the Waters of Rejuvenation and end up a red-eyed madman.

He'll attempt to kill Wolf, should he murder the shamisen player first.

## Location

If left arriving at Mibu Village:

* Ashina Reservoir: first met atop the well where Wolf woke up from in the prologue.
* Bottomless Hole: a few steps ahead of the Sculptor's Idol.
* Hidden Forest: just before the Sculptor's Idol.
* Water Mill: next to the Sculptor's Idol.

If lured to the Abandoned Dungeon:

* Abandoned Dungeon Entrance: inside the cell behind Doujun.
* Underground Waterway: on the first island past the Sculptor's Idol.

If O'Rin of the Water is killed before talking to him:

* Ashina Reservoir: first met atop the well where Wolf woke up from in the prologue.

## Progression #1 (Mibu Village)

### Ashina Castle (Ashina Reservoir)

From the Ashina Reservoir Sculptor's Idol, take the left and grapple onto the two branches to get atop the wall. Go past the Watcher and grapple onto the next branch to meet Jinzaemon. Greet him to start his quest. Talking to him again, he'll reveal that he wants to follow the sound of a shamisen coming from Ashina Depths: if you have received the Surgeon's Bloody Letter from Doujun, you'll be able to send Jinzaemon to him by choosing to "**Lure to the Abandoned Dungeon**".

* Killing O'Rin of the Water before interacting with Jinzaemon once will turn him hostile (see Progression #3)
* Regardless of the progression, his quest has to be started before the final invasion of Ashina Castle and Outskirts by the Central Forces, since it will cause Ashina Reservoir to become unreachable for the rest of the playthrough.

### Ashina Depths (Bottomless Hole)

*(Optional)* Walk past the Bottomless Hole Sculptor's Idol to meet Jinzaemon for the second time. Talking to him here will once again give the option to send him to Doujun, if the requirement is met.

### Ashina Depths (Hidden Forest)

*(Optional)* Grapple past the Guardian Ape's Burrow to find Jinzaemon sitting on a rock by the entrance to the Hidden Forest. Talking to him, he'll tell Wolf that he finally caught a glimpse of the woman playing the shamisen and that his father warned him to never enter the mist shrouded village beneath Ashina. This is the last chance to lure him to the Abandoned Dungeon.

### Ashina Depths (Water Mill)

Once his quest is started, unless sent to Doujun, he'll always end up near the Water Mill Sculptor's Idol, even if Sekiro has not interacted with him in his previous two locations. Once O'Rin of the Water is defeated, he'll thank Wolf for having brought her muse to him and will gift the shinobi a Jinza Jizo's Statue, before passing away.

## Progression #2 (Abandoned Dungeon)

### Ashina Castle (Abandoned Dungeon Entrance)

If sent to Doujun, the surgeon will gift Lump of Fat Wax [x3] to Wolf. *(Optional)* Jinzaemon will be found in the cell behind him, accessible only after acquiring the Mibu Breathing Technique from the Corrupted Monk by diving past the Underground Waterway Sculptor's Idol and taking the left until a spot to grapple onto appears: jumping over the rockwall will lead Sekiro down to a catatonic Jinzaemon, who can only groan and grunt.

Upon returning to Doujun, he'll now ask Wolf for the Red Eyes of a Carp found at the bottom of the lake of Mibu Village.

Given the Red Carp Eyes, Doujun will hand out Lump of Grave Wax [x2] in return.

Doujun will now be found crying in Jinzaemon's cell, while the samurai, now driven mad by his Red Eyes, has been moved to the first island past the Underground Waterway Sculptor's Idol. Killing him here will reward Wolf with an unique Red Lump.

## Progression #3 (Hostile)

### Ashina Castle (Ashina Reservoir)

If Wolf has killed O'Rin of the Water without ever talking to Jinzaemon in Ashina Reservoir, upon meeting him he'll draw his sword on Sekiro to take revenge. If killed here, he won't drop anything.

## Behaviour and Tactics

* **Perilous Grab**: This attack is almost always performed when Sekiro's Posture is broken and he falls to his knees. Performing a safety roll backward is the best way to avoid this attack.
* **Perilous Low Wide Swing**: a wide sweeping attack across the ground. As with all unblockable sweeps, this cannot be parried, but can only be countered by a jump-kick.
* **Perilous Thrust**: a well telegraphed thrust attack. As with all unblockable thrusts, this attack can be parried, but only with a perfect deflection. Performing a Mikiri Counter is the safest and most effective method of dealing with this attack.
* **Perilous Thrust Combo**: two vertical slashes and a *Perilous Thrust*.
* **Chasing Slice**: Jinzaemon sheathes his weapon, entering a crouched stance, and will then rush forwards with a vertical slice.
* **Jab and Kick**: hits his target with the hilt of his sword, following up with a kick. He may follow up with *Perilous Low Wide Swing.* The kick deals no vitality damage and will simply knock the player over if it connects.
* **Jump Slash**: leaps into the air and follows up with a downward overhead slash. Can be avoided horizontally.
* **Overhead Swing**: a single overhead swing. This attack has a greater amount of recovery frames and fewer follow-ups than most of his attacks, and as such, is a safe attack to retaliate after. Can also be avoided by dashing to the sides.
* **Recover**: Jinzaemon jumps backwards and during the charge becomes engulfed in a bright aura, that will restore his Posture significantly. Being interrupted at any point before the end of this move will prevent any Posture regeneration.
* **Shoulder Check and Slash**: Jinzaemon leads with a blunt shoulder check attack and follows up with a horizontal swipe. Unlike the kick, this shoulder check does vitality damage if not blocked or deflected.

* **Two-swing Slash**: consecutive swings side by side.

Fights exactly like a Samurai General Mini-Boss.

If faced after he gained Red Eyes, he'll be much stronger and resistant, but the fire of the Flame Vent can be used to scare him momentarily.

Consuming a Gachiin's Sugar before diving in the waters of the Abandoned Dungeon makes it possible to perform a Backstab Deathblow on him and even turn him into an ally through the Puppeteer Ninjutsu against Doujun.

Keeping constant pressure on him will fill his Posture Bar fast: after 3 or 4 hits, he'll perform a deflection and will follow it up mostly with either an *Overhead Swing* or a *Jump Slash*. Note that, while the latter can be interrupted by landing enough attacks in time, the former can't.

When far away from the player, he often starts charging up a *Chasing Slice* while approaching the player: this can be interrupted with a properly timed katana swing or a Shuriken.

Dodge his swipes backward and his overhead swings to the left.

When his Posture Bar is nearly full, he'll dash backward and attempt to peform his *Recover* ability to restore his Posture, so it's important to always be ready to interrupt him by either catching up to him or by using Shurikens.

* Ashina Reservoir
* Bottomless Hole
* Hidden Forest
* Mibu Village
* Abandoned Dungeon

 **Speaking (with O'Rin defeated)** | **Jinzaemon**: Is that you? Are you there... Shinobi?
**Wolf**: Yes.
**Jinzaemon**: I must give you my thanks, Shinobi.
**Wolf**: Your thanks?

## Notes

* Can't contact Dragonrot when he's at the Water Mill or in the Abandoned Dungeon.
* Can't be harmed while he's infected with Dragonrot or in the cell of the Abandoned Dungeon.
* If O'Rin of the Water is killed while he's afflicted by Dragonrot, he'll be cured and found hostile in his original spot.

## Trivia

* One of the few NPC that can be attacked and turned hostile.
* O'Rin's death cry changes depending if Jinzaemon is at the Water Mill or not.

Gallery
Final Resting PlaceIn SurgeryClose-UpConcept Art
## Cut Content

**Jinzaemon**: (Sips medicine)
**Wolf**: You'll be better in no time.
**Jinzaemon**: Shinobi...
**Wolf**: Yes...
 **Leaving afterward** | **Jinzaemon**: (Wheezing...) It's easier... to... to breathe now... Truly you have my... my gratitude...