Ghost of Tsushima Shadow of the Samurai Walkthrough

Shadow of the Samurai is a side/main tale in Ghost of Tsushima. This walkthrough will guide you through all objectives of the Shadow of the Samurai Side/Main Quest.

Shadow of the Samurai is unlocked when you’ve completed The Iron Hook.

Main/Side Tale: Shadow of the Samurai
Act: 1 – Rescue Lord Shimura
Region: Izuhara
Quest Giver: Yuna
Requirement: The Iron Hook Completed
Rewards: Major Legend Increase
Mission Info: I finally have the tools and allies I need to rescue my uncle from Castle Kaneda. Before we strike out, I should speak with Yuna at the town of Komatsu Forge, and see if she’s planning to join my fight. I’m coming for you, Lord Shimura.

Objectives:

Meet Yuna at Komatsu Forge
Optional: Speak with your allies
Speak with Yuna to begin your attack
Scale the cliffs to infiltrate Castle Kaneda
Do not raise the alarm
Find the Mongol alarm
Defeat the Mongols guarding the alarm
Advance to the upper courtyard
Defeat the Mongol guards
Speak with Masako
Meet Yuna near the bridge
Defeat the Mongols guarding the bridge
Advance across the main bridge
Find a way around the locked gate
Open the bridge gate for Yuna
Defeat the Mongol guards
Advance to the main courtyard
Find a way past the locked gate
Defeat Ryuzo
Defeat the Mongols
Enter the keep to save Lord Shimura
Defeat the Mongols
Reach the top floor
Assassinate the Mongol
Reach the top floor
Defeat the Mongols
Reach the top floor
Defeat the Mongol guard
Follow Lord Shimura
Defeat the Mongols

Starting Location: Shadow of the Samurai

Meet Yuna at Komatsu Forge

Travel to Komatsu Forge and speak with Yuna. It is finally time to lead your allies to save your uncle, Lord Shimura.

Optional: Speak with your allies

Strange, Ryuzo hasn’t shown up like he promised he would. Still, it couldn’t hurt to talk to Lady Masako and Sensei Ishikawa before you launch the attack.

Speak with Yuna to begin your attack

Approach Yuna to trigger a cinematic, in which you lay out the plan. You will scale the cliffs and slip into Castle Kaneda undetected, then silence the alarm allowing your allies to safely breach the front gate. Seems simple, right?

Scale the cliffs to infiltrate Castle Kaneda

Head to the waypoint and grapple to the trunk at the top of the cliff, then walk across the log bridge to reach the other side.

At the end of the next cliff, jump to a tree branch then jump and grapple on a tree branch to swing to the other side where several handholds will lead you up a cliff.

Turn to the right and follow the path. At the end climb up the rock and you’ll see a gap in the wall that you can squeeze through right in front of you.

Do not raise the alarm

As soon as you are through the wall, crouch immediately in the patch of pampas grass to avoid detection. You will have to proceed stealthily, which means equipping the Ronin Attire, and charms that assist with stealth.

Find the Mongol alarm

The alarm is about 60m away from your starting point. While heading for the alarm, eliminate Mongols along the way when they are alone and away from observers. Or asleep.

Defeat the Mongols guarding the alarm

A pair of Mongols are guarding the alarm, on the other side of a rather open area. Use firecrackers or wind chimes to distract them then make your move. Once they are both dead, you will trigger a cinematic.

Advance to the upper courtyard

You and Masako are headed up to capture a siege weapon in the upper courtyard. Once you pass through the gate, you’ll notice several Mongol guards that need to be dealt with.

Defeat the Mongol guards

Stealth is the safer approach, but there is little cover to exploit. If you choose a stealthy approach, always stay crouched, and physically hide behind cover wherever possible.

Start by climbing up the rock wall on the right side of the gate, and assassinate the guard when he is at the farthest point of their patrol route away from the others.

Make your way up each wall, distracting guards to get them to look away from you, then chain assassinate them before they look back. Its possible that you can work your way through the camp this way, but it is extremely difficult.

Chances are you’ll end up in a stand up fight at some point, so don’t be afraid to press and swap your Ronin Attire for something more combat oriented (and don’t forget to swap out your charms too!) Direct conflict will only become more common as the mission goes on, so you’ll have to do this eventually anyhow.

Speak with Masako

Once all the guards are defeated, meet up with Masako and tell her to man the hwacha while you go on ahead.

Meet Yuna near the bridge

Head towards the waypoint on the other side of the bridge and you’ll find Yuna hiding behind some barrels.

Defeat the Mongols guarding the bridge

Climb up on the stone wall and hide behind the wooden boards. Use your Focused Hearing ability to locate the Mongol guards and eliminate them using the Longbow when they are isolated.

Prioritize eliminating any other Mongols who run over to investigate their fallen allies. There will be four to six on the ground, and one on the platform above the gate.

Advance across the main bridge

Once all the guards have been eliminated, Yuna will make an insightful comment about your missing backup, which will make lively traveling conversation while you cross the bridge… and find the gate is locked. This bridge is bad luck, man.

Find a way around the locked gate

Look to the right side of the gate, and you’ll see a line of handholds to use to safely descend to the ground below the bridge, then move to the right side of the platform and descend to the level below that.

From the cliff that you are on, jump across the supports under the bridge, then grapple a branch to swing to another cliff.

Follow the path along the cliff, jump to a tree branch, then swing on a grapple point across to another cliff.

Turn right, and climb the handhold then grapple to the top of the cliff. From there, keep climbing up handholds and cliffs until you reach the top.

Squeeze through the hole in the wall and find some cover to stay out of sight.

Open the bridge gate for Yuna

Drop down to the gate below you and open the door for Yuna.

Defeat the Mongol guards

Now that you have Yuna for backup, engage the other guards. This isn’t an area that is conducive to stealth, so a stand up fight is likely inevitable.

Advance to the main courtyard

Once all of the many Mongols are defeated, follow the waypoint up the ramp to the main courtyard gate… which is locked.

Find a way past the locked gate

Just to the left of the gate is a gap in the wall you can squeeze through, which will trigger a cinematic.

Defeat Ryuzo

Ryuzo! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!

Actually, I think we all saw this coming. If you haven’t already, put on your Samurai Clan Armor and combat charms. Ryuzo has many unblockable attacks, most of which hit hard and fast.

Ryuzo has one blue unblockable attack similar to your Stone stance Puncture skill, which you can parry if you already have the Unyielding Sword Parry skill in the Samurai Deflection trees. If not, be ready to sidestep to the left of right with a single press. Once he is committed to the attack and you have parried or avoided getting hit, immediately counterattack with a combo.

However, you have to be careful not to confuse his normal unblockable Puncture, with a similar unblockable attack that will hit three times. See the images below for the difference. On the left is the normal Puncture attack. Ryuzo will lead with his left foot and hold his left hand out towards you while preparing to strike with the sword in his right hand. On the right is the triple Puncture attack, where he will lead with his right foot, and strike two handed three times in quick succession.

If you try to sidestep this attack, it may be possible to interrupt his combo, but if you don’t immediately counterattack, he will rotate to follow you for the second and third attack and you’ll almost certainly be hit before you can dodge again. If you don’t have the Unyielding Sword Parry skill, you should roll away from Ryuzo with a double press, and wait for a better opportunity.

Ryuzo will also use the same red unblockable attack that previous bosses have, sheathing his katana and waiting till you get close to hit you with a combo of two unblockable attacks. Holding to do a Puncture attack of your own will interrupt the combo from a safe distance.

Ryuzo also performs an unblockable combo where he lowers his guard, then spins and hits you with an unblockable upward slash. Dodge to the right to avoid the attack then return the favor.

Jin again tries to get Ryuzo to come to his senses, but again he stabs you in the back. Sigh.

Defeat the Mongols

Four Mongols open the gate and rush you, conveniently leaving the way open for you to proceed. Awful nice of those fresh corpses.

Go through the gate and across the bridge, and you’ll run into two brutes and two archers on the other side.

Enter the keep to save Lord Shimura

Once those last Mongols are defeated, head into the keep.

Defeat the Mongols

Okay, they weren’t the last Mongols. You’ll find yourself automatically in a standoff in the first room of the keep. There are four Mongols to defeat before you can proceed.

Reach the top floor

On the left side of the room will be the ladder up to the next floor.

Assassinate the Mongol

You’ll notice that there is a Mongol on the other side of a shoji door, both from the Focused Hearing, and the shadow on the door. Approach him, and you’ll get a prompt to assassinate the Mongol through the door. This will unlock a brand new skill called Shoji Assassination, which is a brand new way to use wind chimes and shoji for fun and profit.