Demon Slayer The Hinokami Chronicles: Complete Training Guide

Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles wonderfully works you through the story from the beginning through the Mugen Train arc. As the battles become progressively more difficult, you may find yourself in need of some fine-tuning.

Training Mode offers you the ability to “train” under each of the 12 characters once you unlock them, though none of the Academy characters apply. However, the Academy characters are playable in Training Mode.

Each trainer puts you through ten rank challenges. For each challenge, you must accomplish three tasks, the third always being successfully completing the first two tasks in the same battle. These range from landing a certain number of strikes in a single combo to landing an Ultimate Art, among others. You can only proceed to the next rank challenge once completing the previous challenge. There is no jumping ahead.

Lastly, there are two trophies/accomplishments tied to Training Mode. You will trigger “A Fast Learner” for clearing a rank one challenge, meaning that you simply clear the first challenge. For fully completing the training of ten of the 12 trainers, you will unlock “Always Be Prepared.” It is one of two gold trophies for PlayStation users.

Below, you will find some tips on how best to complete the more challenging tasks.

Every trainer’s rank challenges in Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles

*Note: Names are listed in the order that they appear in Training Mode. Because the third task is the same throughout, only the first two tasks will be listed with the first row representing the first rank challenge. On the battle screen, your tasks will be listed on the right side of the screen, and checked off once you complete the task.

As you can see, most of the tasks are repeated throughout, but some have slight modifications to make them a bit more difficult. Below, you will find some more tips on how to best complete Training Mode as efficiently as possible.

Trainers become available as they are unlocked through Story Mode

If you want to earn that “Always Be Prepared” gold trophy/achievement, you will need to play through Story Mode to unlock at least ten trainers (Tanjiro through Shinobu).

Kyojuro and Hinokami Tanjiro do not become unlocked until completing Story Mode, so only do their trainings if you are a) doing a completionist run, or b) having difficulties with other trainers.

Once you complete your tenth trainer, the trophy should unlock, and if you go down the list, you will pop the trophy/achievement after completing Shinobu’s training.

You cannot play as the character you are undergoing training

If you are good with Tanjiro, then this means that you cannot use Tanjiro, Hinokami Tanjiro, or Academy Tanjiro during both the trainings of Tanjiro and Hinokami Tanjiro. While none of the Academy characters conduct training, since their counterparts do, it makes sense that you cannot use them while under their instruction.

Characters with Academy doubles are Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Giyu, and Shinobu.

It is prudent to have at least three characters who you are confident using. On the plus side, you still have a sidekick you can use to assist or switch out with during Training.

The three Hashira probably have the most difficult rank challenge layout

Giyu, in particular, is a fiend with three parry challenges throughout, including needing to land three in the final battle. Depending on your timing with parrying, this could be the most frustrating task (in playing, the writer had to retry Giyu’s final task three times).

Parrying aside, the 25-hit combo is the second most difficult challenge after parrying three times in one battle. Luckily the parrying tasks are not paired with combo tasks, making those challenges a little less difficult.

Of the three, Kyojuro might have the easiest layout. Giyu and Shinobu battle for the top spot depending on your speed with Shinobu’s challenges and timing, and Giyu’s parrying tasks.

Murata is the easiest trainer by far

Staying true to his status as a side character, Murata has the easiest layout of all the trainers. You should be able to breeze through his in less than 15 minutes. Do his as soon as you unlock him through Story Mode if you want a taste of training without too many difficulties.

If you want another laugh, use Murata under a different trainer during a Land 1 Ultimate Art or Win with an Ultimate Art Finisher task. His earnestness only makes his Ultimate Art that much more humorous.

Trainers start battles in boosted states from rank challenges eight through ten

The battles within each rank challenge do become more difficult, particularly the last three rank challenges of each trainer. Beginning with the eighth challenge, the trainer will begin the battle in a boosted state. If you dash at time the moment the battle begins, you will be pushed back by their boost triggering.

This can make it particularly difficult when training under the Hashira. Giyu and Shinobu are already fast, so the added quickness from boosting can make it difficult to time your parries (Giyu) and defeat Shinobu with 60 seconds left. Keep this in mind as you enter the last three rank challenges of every trainer – maybe except Murata.

Learn which combos and skills you can easily chain for longer combos

While the earlier hit combo tasks are pretty tame, once you reach 20 and 25-hit combos, it becomes a little more difficult. The key to executing a combo of 20+ hits is to use the four-hit light attack with skills.

When you land a hit, a circular meter appears next to the combo number, indicating how much time you have left to land a blow. That meter is your guide.

Understand that not all skills continue chains. If you send a character upward, quickly hit Circle/B to air dash and continue your combo or your combo will end. Naturally, any skill that sends your opponent flying away from you will end your combo as well.

Here is the key to chaining combos: four-hit light attack combo (Square/X) → Skill → four-hit light attack combo → Skill → two-hit light attack combo → Skill. On the last combo, a third might work, but it is more likely to send your opponent flying.

While playing, the writer had most success with Tanjiro and Shinobu, obtaining 29-hit combos with the former and 30-hit with the latter. With Tanjiro, use the four-hit light attack combo (Square/X) → Triangle/Y (Waterfall Basin) → four-hit light attack combo → Triangle/Y (Waterfall Basin) → two-hit light attack combo → R1 + Triangle/RB + Y (Whirlpool). If you dash and hit them with your dash and execute the combo above correctly, you will land a 29-hit combo.

With Shinobu, use the four-hit light attack combo (Square/X) → Triangle/Y (Sixfold Thrust) → four-hit light attack combo → Triangle/Y (Sixfold Thrust) → two-hit light attack combo → Triangle/Y (Sixfold Thrust). With the dash hit, this should result in a 30-hit combo if executed correctly. Keep in mind that with Shinobu being among the weakest in terms of power, her 30-hit strike will do less damage than even a 25-hit combo from Tanjiro and others.

Not all characters are cut out for longer combo challenges

For the most part, avoid using Academy characters for the longer combo tasks.

Some characters are more difficult in chaining their combos and skills together. In particular, the last two unlocked characters in Rengoku Kyojuro and Hinokami Tanjiro, though powerful, take some timing and practice to understand which skills extend their chains and when to use air dashes.

It will be nearly impossible to land anything more than a 15-hit combo with Zenitsu because two of his skills (Triangle/Y; Tilt L + Triangle/Y) are his Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Prime and Thunderclap and Flash where he blitzes his foe in a straight line, one strike. You can chain the skills together, but with only five skill bars, you will only net five hits. His Air Spin (R1 + Triangle/RB + Y) adds a few hits, but not enough to where you will feel comfortable for the 20 and 25-hit combo tasks.

It tracks with Zenitsu’s character, after all. He could ever only learn the First Form, but he mastered that singular form – only when he’s unconscious, of course!

Your Boost/Ultimate Art meter fill up much more quickly in Training Mode

One of the first things that you will notice is how quickly your Boost/Ultimate Art meter will fill up compared to Story Mode. Story Mode seems to fill the bar at a muddied pace while Training Mode fills it like it just had an energy drink.

Use this to your advantage, particularly for the time-based tasks (more below). While boosted, your attacks are stronger and your movement quicker. If you have two bars, you can enter “Surge” which has the added benefit of not depleting your skill bars. In surge, you can add a light attack to your four-hit combo for a five-hit that also includes a special animation.

If you get all three bars filled, you can do a few things. You can boost, surge, and then land an Ultimate Art while surged. You could boost once and land an Ultimate Art. You could try for a level three Ultimate Art.

Faster characters incorporate more time-based tasks

The fastest characters in the game – Shinobu, Makomo, Giyu, Inosuke, and Zenitsu – have the most time-based tasks during their training. Shinobu has the most difficult one in winning her penultimate rank challenge with at least 60 seconds on the clock. Having to boost at least once in the same battle should help as that will increase your damage output, and Shinobu has the weakest strikes in the game – again in line with her character from the manga.

Pay close attention to the clock on these tasks, with Makomo, Inosuke, and Zenitsu having a task to win with 55 seconds left. While the clock begins at 99 and counts down in real time, those 39 to 44 seconds can go quickly.

For these missions, use the characters you know you do well with, chaining combos and skills quickly and efficiently. Avoid damage as much as possible.

For speed runs, only land Ultimate Art and Ultimate Art Finishes if tasked

Because of the length of Ultimate Art attacks and the added couple of seconds with a Finishing Cut of an Ultimate Art Finish, it may behoove you to only use those when tasked. While powerful, they take a lot of time to execute. Luckily, for time-based tasks, if you land one, the game timer stops until the animation is finished.

While it is always fitting to end a battle with an Ultimate Art Finisher, it is not always necessary. If you are in a time crunch, just power your way through with combos and skills.

Now you have your comprehensive guide to completing Training Mode in The Hinokami Chronicles. Plan out your attack with the table above, deciding who would be best for each challenge. Good luck!