Walkthrough for the tale Shadow of the Samurai in the game Ghost of Tsushima. This page covers all main objectives, key steps, or helpful tips to guide you through the tale smoothly. Whenever possible, the guide points out locations for key items and details interactions with NPCs, among other tips. To ensure maximum clarity, in-game screenshots are included for easy-to-follow visual guidance.
Quest Group: Act 1 - Rescue Lord Shimura
Location: Izuhara
Prerequisites: To play this tale, you must first complete the tale The Iron Hook.
This tale will be unlocked when you recruit all your allies and get the tools you need for climbing which is when you complete "The Iron Hook" tale.
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.
Shadow of the Samurai
Izuhara
Castle Kaneda
Izuhara
Go to the forge and talk to Yuna. She has decided to help you free Lord Shimura and thus pay the debt she owes to you for saving her brother.
Then you will automatically transfer to the proximity of the Castle Kaneda and nightfall will come. All your allies will come to help you except Ryuzo and his Straw Hats. You'll decide to start without them.
At last, we are ready to rescue my uncle. Everyone has come to help my task... everyone except Ryuzo. I hoped he had changed, but knowing him, the Straw Hats will arrive just in time to reap the rewards of our hard work.
I must remain focused. It's time we break into Castle Kaneda and rescue Lord Shimura.
If you want, you can have a short conversation with Lady Masako and Sensei Ishikawa, who are standing next to a nearby house.
Walk up to Yuna, who you'll find by the campfire and talk to her. All the allies who came to help you will gather together and you will share your plan with them. The first step will be to neutralise the alarm and you'll take care of it.
You'll have to use the grappling hook to climb the rocks...
...and after a while you'll reach a gap in the fence through which you'll get to the other side.
You must be especially careful not to be detected. First eliminate the guards near the house on the left and then move to the house on the other side and kill the warrior you run into there.
Through the window you should see the installation of the alarm and the warriors guarding it. Wait until they split up and kill them quietly. When you do that, your allies will join you and the next phase of the attack will begin.
You and Lady Masako will go to the upper courtyard to take control of the siege machine located there. You don't have to sneak around anymore, you can fight directly with the guards who will stand in your way.
When you get rid of all your opponents, talk to Lady Masako. She will take care of the siege machine and you will be able to move on.
Approach Yuna, who will be waiting for you on the way to the main bridge and then eliminate all the guards protecting the entrance to the bridge.
Go to the other side of the bridge. This is where Khan threw you off the bridge last time. The main gate will of course be closed and you must find another way.
Go down the rocks on the right side of the bridge.
Jump over the beams of the bridge to the other side and climb to the top where you will find a gap in the fence through which you will be able to go inside.
Assassinate or wait for the guard near the bridge gate to move away and open the gate for Yuna.
Beat another group of Mongols, then go up until you reach the gate leading to the main courtyard. It will be locked, of course. Luckily, the next gap in the fence will be right next to you and you will be able to get to the other side through it.
On the other side, there will be Ryuzo waiting for you, who will tell you that Khan has set a bounty for your head and that he has accepted this offer. You won't be able to convince him to change his mind and you'll start fighting each other.
When Ryuzo is close to death, you will try to convince him to change his mind one more time. But he won't do it, instead he will call the Mongols and run away.
Move towards the entrance to the castle and kill any enemies that stand in your way. Be especially careful with archers using flaming arrows.
There will be another group of enemies waiting for you inside the main building. Kill them and then climb the ladder to the upper floor.
Assassinate the Mongol standing across the door. You'll unlock "Shoji Assassination" this way.
Go upstairs, kill two more opponents and use the ladder again. You will reach the top floor where first kill one Mongol standing at the door and then go to the room where Lord Shimura is being held and kill his guard.
Lord Shimura won't want to run away. He'll just decide to deal with the rest of the guards and take over the castle. You will run out with him to the courtyard where you will fight a several Mongols.
When you defeat them, the other allies will join you.
After a while another group of Mongols will come to the courtyard and you will have to defeat them together. When all the enemies are dead, the castle will be recaptured and this quest will be over.
Meanwhile, in Castle Shimura, Khotun Khan forces Ryuzo to do a terrible deed, he follows his order and the castle is taken over by the Mongols.
After completing this tale, you will be able to play the tale A New Horizon.