Sifu: Kuroki (The Artist) Boss Fight Guide

Coming off the intense battle with Sean, Sifu players might be terrified to take on The Museum’s boss, Kuroki (The Artist). Thankfully, this fight is a little easier than the previous, giving you many opportunities to attack, thanks to the way Kuroki telegraphs her moves. Still, even the simplest Sifu fight is challenging, so you’ll want to come prepared to make it as easy as possible. Here’s how to defeat the Kuroki boss in Sifu.

How to defeat Kuroki

This fight is taken right out of Kill Bill. We won’t spoil the movie here, but if you’ve seen it, you know exactly what we’re talking about. You can come equipped with a weapon, which will serve you well, but doing so will require you to block and parry, which is risky in this fight. If you choose to use a weapon, make sure you keep up with your Structure bar so you don’t get caught off guard.

The best way to get through this fight is to run up to Kuroki, stop when you’re around five feet away from her to bait her into attacking, and then run away in a counterclockwise rotation using the R2 button. Wait for her to finish her combo, which usually consists of five or more consecutive attacks, and as soon as she stops for a second, run up to her side and get a few strikes in. Since her combos vary in length, you’ll want to bait her and run back multiple times so you can get a sense of her full moveset. Typically, it’s easy to tell when her combo is over, but it might take multiple tries to remember which is which.

When you go in for an attack, make sure you run up to Kuroki’s side, because she sometimes likes to follow up with one more spinning attack towards her front. If you come in from the side, this move won’t hit you, leaving her wide open for an attack. Hit her three or four times, then back up and repeat the process.

The key with this method is to ensure you’re far enough away to avoid getting hit, but close enough to be able to quickly rush in and strike her before she begins her next combo. Sometimes, she’ll surprise you and stop her combo earlier or later than you might expect, so be prepared to adjust your plan if need be. As always, we recommend being safe, so if you don’t think you can make it up to her in time, wait and start the cycle over again.

Remember to use your Focus attacks when you can, as they’re a surefire way to deal additional damage. Make sure you use your Focus moves after her combo ends, just like you’ve been doing. Once you get the method down, it’s easy to do her first phase without taking damage. Though, the second phase plays out a lot differently.

If you mastered the fight with Sean, the second phase of Kuroki’s battle will be a lot easier. Here, you’ll want to prioritize avoiding her attack by holding L1 and tilting the stick in the opposite direction. This is different from simply running away from her attacks, so keep that in mind. Avoiding attacks involves you standing still while tilting your body away from the strike.

The reason this is so important is that it allows you to stay close to the boss, which is key. If you put distance between her, Kuroki will fire shurikens at you, which are a nuisance to deal with. Instead, stick close to her, avoid her strikes, and hit her a few times after her combo ends.

She will undoubtedly do a backflip at some point and begin throwing projectiles at you, and when she does, be prepared to avoid them just like you avoid her hand-to-hand maneuvers. Typically, ducking down is all you need to do to get around them. After you avoid one projectile, be prepared for her to throw more shurikens your way. She’ll do this a couple of times, and she’ll eventually dash back towards you, so continue avoiding her attacks like before and repeat the process. When she’s about to dash towards you, she’ll pose and give you a line of dialogue, telegraphing her next attack. Be sure to avoid this dash by holding L1 and moving the left stick to the left or right.

The key is to only hit her after you avoid her combos. If you start chasing her around, you’re going to get hit by her projectiles, so instead, try sticking to one spot, with the intention of avoiding her attacks by using L1 and the left stick. Her moveset might seem complex, but you can literally just avoid all of them the same way, making this second phase a lot simpler than it seems.

Not sure how long it’ll take to get through Sifu? Check out our dedicated guide here, along with our list of tips and tricks.