Having an Assassin’s Creed Shadows walkthrough can help navigating such a dense game by focusing on the missions involving the main group of antagonists in the game.
Finding and killing each target involves a series of secondary quests which must be completed in order to find them, and this guide explains the run of main missions to pursue.
As well as this, a significant part of the experience of playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows involves interacting with characters, which might eventually prompt a screen to choose a dialogue option. Since not every one of these affects the game in a significant way, you’re only going to find descriptions of the ones that do in this walkthrough.
Ed. note: This guide contains spoilers for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows main missions list
Set in the Sengoku period, a pivotal moment in Japan’s history, Assassin’s Creed Shadows gives you the chance to be part of important events by playing two characters.
Fujibayashi Naoe is a shinobi from the Iga village whose family’s past is tied to the brotherhood of assassins we already know well. The second character is Yasuke, a former slave who became a samurai under Oda Nobunaga, a powerful man who is trying to unite Japan.
Through the eyes of these two characters, you can play the 22 main story missions in Assassin’s Creed Shadows:
- Lord’s Favor
- Spirit of a Warrior
- Flames of War
- Fight the Kakushiba Ikki
- The Onryo Samurai
- An Unpayable Debt - Part 1 and Part 2
- Wake Up Call
- From Spark to Flame
- The Wounded
- The Golden Teppo
- Friend of My Enemy
- Oda Nobunaga
- Lightning and Thunder
- The Fool
- The Mourner
- The Naginata
- The Noble
- The Ox
- The Wise
- The Fox
- Akechi Mitsuhide
- The Horseman
Assassin’s Creed Shadows walkthrough
The quests listed in this walkthrough are named after the targets and act as major missions. Completing each quest requires that you finish a series of secondary quests, which help Naoe and Yasuke investigate the targets.
Although we have omitted important names and purposefully kept phrasing vague at spots, bear in mind that this walkthrough contains spoilers and pieces of information that might help you understand the identity of the antagonists.
Lord’s Favor
You meet Yasuke before everything else when he was still called Diogo. He is headed to meet Oda Nobunaga alongside two Portuguese priests.
There isn’t much you can do during this mission. You can, however, choose which answer you give to the famous daimyo when he asks whether Diogo understands Japanese. Your choice won’t affect the story, but will elicit different reactions from the characters around Diogo.
Spirit of a Warrior
This is your tutorial mission. During this quest, a quite short one, you learn how to attack and defend yourself from enemies as Yasuke.
As you fight enemies to complete the goal of killing Igan shinobis, be sure to try out your combos. This is a great moment to practice parrying, which is a powerful tool during fights. Follow the only available path to join Oda Nobunaga.
Flames of War
Still playing Yasuke, you’re right in the middle of the battle now. You must reach the castle entrance while facing foes.
Enemies in this area use different weapons, giving you the chance to experience for the first time their different attack patterns.
Fight the Kakushiba Ikki
Controlling Naoe during Oda Nobunaga’s invasion of the Iga village, you have one simple job: follow her father, Fujibayashi Nagato. He will take you to where the fight is happening to help Sandayu, one of the big names in the Iga village.
Nagato entrusts Naoe with his hidden blade and the mission to retrieve a box.
The Onryo Samurai
Things don’t go as planned, and Naoe needs to look for the box being held by the Onryo Samurai. This is your first infiltration mission, and will require you to apply all you have learned so far. On this objective, you unlock your horse, which can be easily summoned whenever you need to traverse long distances.
The box is hidden inside the Katano Castle. While you can take your time exploring Katano Castle — silently killing enemies, and looting new items — to advance in this mission, make your way to the farthest point in the castle to find your target and the box.
Climb above them and prepare for your first assassination.
An Unpayable Debt - Part 1
Life is not easy for Naoe and things go north after her first successful mission. A big chunk of this mission involves watching cutscenes of Naoe getting herself back to her feet. You have, on the other hand, to play the “Wake Up Call” side mission in the middle of “An Unpayable Debt,” which takes you back some years before, when Naoe was still learning what it meant to be a shinobi from Iga.
Wake Up Call
A little bit late for her training, Naoe is challenged to spar with her father. Your goal is to first pick up your bokken and then go through a short tutorial session on fighting enemies. You must break, deflect attacks, and hit Nagato to complete the quest.
Naoe inevitably wins the fight, but her training goes beyond preparing her sword skills. She must also help others and learn how unity makes her people stronger. To do so, you need to follow Nagato, who will take you to talk to Matsu, Naoe’s auntie.
Matsu gives Naoe the mission to figure out what is happening with her crops. Your first step in this mission involves climbing the tallest building in the village and trying to find Matsu’s troublemaker. This is the moment you are introduced to classic synchronization. Once you pick the trail of your target, just locate them and fight them off. Then, report back to Matsu to end the quest.
An Unpayable Debt - part 2
When you’re back in the present, it’s time to interact with Naoe’s saviors: the boy Junjiro and the monk Sorin. This mission will take you to paint with Junjiro, follow him around, and practice your swordsmanship by cutting bamboo. Naoe is now strong enough to follow her path.
From Spark to Flame
Before Naoe can start looking for the group responsible for her father’s death — and the box, of course — there are a few details to be worked on. First, return to Tomiko, who helped you after the first time the box was stolen.
As you talk to her, you finally unlock your Hideout. You have access to several systems in the Hideout, like the forge! You can also spend a lot of time making the place look good. To inaugurate your little piece of land, you must collect materials and build the Kakurega.
When you complete this quest, Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally presents a wider array of possibilities for your next goal. From this point, the campaign’s main quests involve hunting down the members of the Shinbafuku.
The Wounded
Among the initial target options, Wada Koretake is one of the best to start your hunt. The quests involving this target give some solid gear upgrades, which makes life easier. The first mission you should tackle is “The Fatherless Monk,” a short one where you must go talk to Kyonyo. You will find him in the Gansenji temple fighting a few enemies. Just clean the area and talk to him to unlock the next missions.
Next, you want to move to the “Stolen Faith” mission, in which you must find Mitsumune. To receive his help, you must first retrieve a statue which had been stolen from him. To get back the statue, head to the area indicated by the quest. With it in your inventory, go back and talk to Mitsumune.
Next, the “Killing Field” quest is a straightforward assassination mission. You must search for the executioner and kill them.
In the next mission, “Heads Will Roll,” you finally take Naoe to her first major invasion to face Wada Koretake. Prepare your gear and supplies before talking to Ryonyo.
When you are in the Amagasaki Castle, your main goal is to kill the snipers. Remember that Naoe is an assassin, so melee combat against multiple enemies is not the best scenario for her. Sneak up on all the enemies and clear the area.
Once you do, it’s time to assassinate Wada Koretake. With him dead, a dialogue prompts between Ryonyo and Yaya. In order to unlock her as a possible companion, you must be sure to pick the “Killing them isn’t justice” dialogue option.
The Golden Teppo
Your second target must be The Golden Teppo, who shot Naoe that fateful night. First, you must learn the target’s identity in the “Searching Sakai” quest, which takes you to Sakai to talk with some gunsmiths about the golden teppo this person uses.
You eventually find some information from two men preparing to deceive Imai Sokyu, a famous man who is connected to Oda Nobunaga. Regardless of how you choose to get the info from them, you’re ready to go meet the person who might know something about your target.
During this quest, you give a false name to Imai Sokun, Sokyu’s son. It’s important that you remember the name you chose. In a brief conversation, Naoe convinces Imai Sokun to arrange a ceremony with his father and invite women who are interested in teppo to maybe find her target.
You can move to the next quest: “Dress for Success.” In order to meet Imai Sokyu during a tea ceremony, you must acquire a kosode. Although you find a seller, she doesn’t have the fabric to make a kosode.
Lucky for her, Naoe is strong enough to fight the pirates who are holding the materials she needs. Use a small boat to reach the biggest chip on the shore and be an assassin—don’t forget the fabric though! Get back to the seller and receive a nice garment for the ceremony.
You also learned that at tea ceremonies, you must give the master a gift, that’s why in the next quest, “The Perfect Gift,” you go after one. First, you talk to a tea merchant in a stall north of Sakai. There, you will meet Sen no Rykyu. Follow him to learn the ins and outs of what one must do during a ceremony. He will also let you pick an item from his collection to give to Imai Sokyu.
In the fourth mission, “The Tea Ceremony,” you will apply everything you learned so far. To start, return to Imai Sokun. Naoe will interact with three women before and after the ceremony. Use your investigative skills to learn who the Golden Teppo is.
The fifth and final mission, “Defensive Position,” is a straightforward invasion quest. You want to be careful and walk around the building where the Golden Teppo is. Killing them is not difficult since there are a lot of structures around them to climb and find a good spot. And that’s another target down.
Friend of My Enemy
Dealing with the first two targets unlocks this quest, leading you back to the hideout to talk to Tomiko. Naoe receives a suspicious invitation to meet Mitsuhide, one of Oda Nobunaga’s samurais in the Katano Castle. Talking to him provides your next target.
Oda Nobunaga
You might be wondering why are fighting such an important character right at the beginning of the game. Hold that thought for a little bit and everything will make sense. Just make sure you are at least level 12 for this mission, especially if you’re playing on more difficult modes.
The first part of this mission requires you to complete the “Belly of the Beast” quest by reporting to Ise Sadaoki, riding for a long time, and retrieving some papers. Refill your supplies and warm up those ninja muscles, because in the second quest, “Temple of the Horseman,” you are going to go through a major event. Meet Mitsuhide and prepare for battle.
Lightning and Thunder
A lot happened during the last mission. After some time, Naoe is back in the hideout, and Junjiro goes missing. A new playable character appears: Yasuke. From this point, most missions will give you the option to complete them by playing either Naoe or Yasuke.
While very few quests force you to use a specific character, you should keep their strengths and weaknesses in mind when progressing through the following quests. Naoe is the best option when it comes to invading places and finding targets, while Yasuke is the go-to option when handling direct combat and boss fights.
The Fool
A new batch of targets becomes available, and the Fool should be your first. Start by completing “The Bad Brother” secondary quest. By meeting Ise Sadatame, you learn more about the target.
The “Inside Help” is your next step, which takes you all the way to Kiyomizudera Temple. There, you meet Ujimasa, who is not convinced if they should trust you. To test you, they ask you to assassinate the Twisted Tree, a group of samurais. You have two options here: You can either kill each of the samurais or only kill their leader, Takahashi Inoshichi.
Once you have earned Ujimasa’s trust, move to the third secondary mission, “Missing Missive.” This is a simple quest where you must find a messenger who wasn’t that good at their job and lost the message they were supposed to deliver. To retrieve the missing letter, you must first defeat Gennojo. Beat them and return to the messenger.
To give you some time to rest, the next quest, “The Rising Tide,” only requires you to wait for Ise Sadaoki in a specific place. A scene plays out, a surprising meeting happens, and the mission ends.
At this point, you know everything you need to hunt down the Fool. That’s why in the last secondary mission, “Lost Honor,” it’s time to kill your target.
The Mourner
We suggest picking The Mourner target after the Fool, but as a prerequisite for this target, you must complete Yasuke’s side quests “Lady Whispers” and “An Education.” Once they are completed, you can start the first secondary quest, “A Talk With a Lady.”
In this initial mission, you meet with Lady Oichi, Oda Nobunaga’s sister, and learn what she knows about the Shinbafuku and especially about your target, the Mourner.
Next, in the Nagahama Black Powder quest, you must find clues in the Teppo Factory. You learn about a gunpowder shipment, which leads you to the largest ship on the bay. The place is crowded with enemies, but take your time and focus on blowing up all the cargo.
With the gunpowder issue resolved, move to the next quest, “The Price of Rice.” Speak with Kuma, Lady Oichi’s bodyguard in the house at the highest location in the area. The investigation makes you talk to some farmers to have a better grasp of the situation.
You learn about a drunk samurai who is sleeping in the rice field. Take care of him so you can go after the real target: the corrupt daikan in the Daikan Mansion. Once you’re done, go back to Kuma. Completing this quest unlocks The Corrupt Daikan board.
For the fourth secondary quest, A Prayer For Omi,” you must play as Yasuke before meeting Lady Oichi. After spending the day escorting her and participating in some rituals, you have the chance to talk a little and start Yasuke’s romance route.
Now, it’s time to go after the Mourner. “The Wheel Unmasked” requires you to regroup and then track down the Wheel’s location. Whether you’re playing as Naoe or Yasuke, you must kill Shinbafuku samurai so you learn Wheel’s exact location.
In the next phase of the quest, you need to infiltrate the area and find the target. You have the chance to spare them or kill them. Think carefully. Your decision has irreversible effects and might prevent you from pursuing a certain route.
The Naginata
After dealing with the Mourner, you should set your aim at the Nagitana. The investigation of this target begins in the Omi region with the quest “An Evening in Otsu.” This mission eventually makes you intervene in a duel on the Seta Bridge, where you meet a group of shinobis.
Completing the first mission will lead to the next, “Against the Koga-ryu.” Track down Shotei, the shinobi who was on the bridge who might know something about the Sakamoto Castle, where Naginata is.
You can find Shotei in Koga Village. Once you meet him, there are a few enemies that must be taken care of to advance the quest. With the area clear, you now need to meet Katsuhime, Shotei’s daughter.
“Showdown in Sakamoto,” the last mission before you can invade Sakamoto Castle and kill Naginata, requires you to meet Shotei and come up with a plan. This time, you will complete half of the quest with each protagonist.
During Naoe’s segment, you have interactions with Katsuhime which unlock her romance route.
* With Yasuke, you fight Gamo Yoshimitsu, one of Nagitana’s samurai. It’s not a difficult fight, especially using Yasuke.
* Next, as Naoe, you must invade the castle and kill Nagitana. You can go all the way to the top of the building and enter using a trapdoor on the roof. The room where the target is located offers few possibilities when it comes to a stealth approach.
Nagitana is dead now, but before you can set your eyes on a new target, the game forces you to complete a short side mission called “Requiem for Rokkaku.” When you’re done, a new board of targets, The Godai Shinobi, is unlocked.
The Noble
In the region of Harima, you start the first mission related to this topic, “The Rengakai.” This is a level 24 quest and it introduces Kuroda Kanbei. He organizes a session of renga, a kind of poetry made by more than one person. The event is interrupted and you need to fight a few enemies to clear the area.
The attack of that night unlocks the second mission “Losing Hand,” which involves questioning Tokubei’s wife, Suzu. He was the watch commander and had suspiciously disappeared during the attack. Eventually, you find him in an even more suspicious place and confront him.
In “The Scent of War” mission, you follow another clue from the attack: a peculiar scent Naoe and Yasuke smelled from the people who invaded the event. First, you need to meet with Konishi Yukinaga, who is in the Old Port of Aga.
Before you can learn anything useful from Yukinaga, you need to help him with some fake merchants. You can either start talking to them or be an assassin and attack them silently from the shadows. Up to you.
From there, you need to uncover clues about a shipment that is taking place around that area. To do so, you need to invade the Aga Hontokuji Temple to discover a whole group of gun dealers. To end the mission, just report back to Koinishi Yukinaga.
This is a long hunt, but you’re almost there. The fourth quest “A Peculiar Guest” puts you close to finding Ukita Hideie, a boy who went missing during the attack on Kuroda Kanbei’s event. You need to search the Junisho shrine for information.
There, you find a quite suspicious miko who is actually a shinobi! Kill them and go to the Itatehyozu Shrine to find the boy and who the Noble is. After figuring out the truth, you still need to fight a group of shinobis. Nothing Naoe or Yasuke can’t handle.
Survive the fight and go back to warn Kuroda Kanbei about the situation.
In the final mission “Spring and Fall,” you must protect Kanei by killing the infiltrators. There are three targets. In the middle of this mission, you can change the character you’re playing. As Naoe, your goal is to secure the honmaru by killing some shinobis.
The last part involves climbing the tenshu where you find the Noble and will kill them. Use the windows next to the top of the building to enter and make your way to where the target is.
The Ox
You are getting closer to finishing the Shinbafuku for good. In your way, there are some obstacles. One of them is the Ox. The first mission to investigate this target is “A Voice in Anger” and it will take you to Harime where you help an abbot.
The poor abbot is inside the Tanjosan Myoyoji Temple and it doesn’t take long for you to learn who the Ox is once you get there. Next, you need to help another man, Nakamura Tadashige, who’s in the same area.
To complete the mission, meet with Nakamura Tadashige in a tower nearby and talk to him.
The next quest is called “Astray” and it involves coming up with a plan to face the Ox. Your first goal is to retrieve the Ox’s invasion plan, which you find at the Hiraiyama Fort. This is not an easy invasion mission, but once you’re done, go back and meet with Nakamura Tadashige.
In order to find allies, in the third quest “Brothers in Arms,” you must look for and talk to the mysterious ronin. You can find them close to the Miki Docks in Harima. But if you want help, you must help them first by joining Koshiro’s search for Seiji, an old friend of his at the Kanki Castle.
When you find Seiji, you have the option to either kill or spare them. While there isn’t a direct impact on the quest outcome, consider what you believe suits your character the best.
Your next step is the quest “Of My Enemy,” in which Noaoe and Yasuke seek the help of Hiromichi to enter the Miki Castle where the Ox is located. The merchant asks you to kill Ox’s lieutenant in exchange for his help. You find this specific enemy in the largest ship close to the shore.
With the lieutenant dead, report to Hiromichi to wrap the mission up.
“Broken Horn” is the last mission in this hunt. You start by returning to Nakamura. Then, it’s time to invade Kanki Castle. As Naoe, you need to kill the teppo-wielding guards, while you must challenge Tsuno, the Ox’s most powerful samurai.
Win the fight and, now, you have only one goal: assassinate the Ox.
The Wise
The path that leads to this target is an intricate one. To begin with, start the mission “A Chance Encounter” in the Yamato region. It’s a simple quest where you are guided by a miko until you find Kojiro. The next step is to talk to Tsutsui Junkei. He is not the most pleasant person around, but you must work with him.
To continue your investigation and find the Wise, you need to complete “The Lost Envoys” mission. The main goal is to look for and rescue Tsutsui envoys. You eventually find them being kept by a group of enemies who you must kill before saving them.
The next segment of this quest involves retrieving an invitation from the Uda Matsuyama Castle. Not an easy invasion, but you can handle it—unless you’re too underleveled for this mission. When you’re done, meet Lady Ayako.
The third quest to find the Wise is called “Restless Spirits.” Sad to say that there are no ghosts in this mission, but you do need to perform another invasion and search for clues. You learn about the location where a group of bandits is going to meet. Kill the bandit chief, secure the place and inspect the group’s hoard to complete the mission.
In the next mission, “Temple Stories,” you get to know more about Joken Hokkyo. After talking to him, meet and follow Kojiro. Hokkyo’s group is attacked and as your last objective, you need to retrieve the sacred scroll.
You’re still trying to figure out who the Wise is, but you don’t have time. The final mission “Darkness Falls” puts you right in the middle of the action in Kofukuji Temple. Clear the area, kill the sharpshooters, and then face the Wise.
The Fox
As a prerequisite for this target, you must have completed Yasuke’s quest “Lords of Azuchi.”
The starting quest “Red Walls” is a short one. Meet Niwa Nagahide in the Wadaka region. Since you probably haven’t visited this location yet, it will take some time riding your horse to get there. Consider starting from Kyoto to reach your destination.
In the second quest, “Chef Hong,” you must visit a cook who sells food in the street with red lanterns to learn more about your target. Talking to Hong unlocks the next two quests.
The first one of the new batch of missions is the “Smuggler’s Gambit.” You are after a man called Samemaru and to learn his whereabouts, you need to find leads on him in Hiruga Bay. This mission will test your stealth skills since there aren’t many structures to hide you.
In the Revenge quest, you follow another of Hong’s clues which leads you to Nagahide’s cousin. She is in Tsuruga Castle. Once you get there, they are attacked and it’s time for you to save everyone. Then, talk to Nagahide’s cousin again.
You’re getting close to discovering who the Fox is. In the fifth mission, “The Music,” you look for a way to learn about a tune that always plays when the attacks happen. Go to Saifukuji Temple and follow the biwa music.
There, you meet a biwa master who tells you about one of his students, the only one capable of playing the tune you heard. Finishing this quest unlocks “The Pirate Alliance” target board.
What the biwa master told you was enough information to confirm Fox’s identity. The final mission “The Performer” gives you the chance to finally beat one of the last remaining members of Shinbafuku.
Akechi Mitsuhide
You knew this moment would come. It’s time to finally hunt down Akechi Mitsuhide, who killed Yasuke’s daimyo and tricked Naoe. However, first, you need to progress in Naoe’s quests and at least finish the “Wolves and Foxes” mission.
The first mission before you can finish Mitsuhide off is “The Peasant Who Would Be King.” You need to meet with Lady Nene and learn about her husband’s plan to attack Mitsuhide.
Talking to her is all you need to unlock the second and final mission of this hunt, the “Topple the Traitor” quest. It requires you to meet Hideyoshi in the Yamazaki region. Upgrade your gear and be sure to be strong enough before you set out.
After meeting Hideyoshi, the invasion of Shoryuji Castle begins. Reach the place marked by the quest to see Mitsuhide run. Now, playing as Yasuke, you run after him. He can’t go far and escape from your blade.
The Horseman
You have finally made it. You’ve hunted down all the members of Shinbafuku. Except one. The Horseman. The leader of the group and responsible for killing Naoe’s father. It might sound anticlimactic, but this is the most simple and short hunt in the game.
The only quest you need to complete to find your target is called “The Man Behind the Mask.” Pretty self-explanatory. Just find your way to the Kuramadera Temple in Kyoto. Finding the last target means you have completed the main objective of the game. Even so, if you want to literally see the credits rolling on the screen, you need to complete Naoe’s quest “The Meaning of the Blade.”
Looking for more Assassin’s Creed Shadows after the main story? Start hunting collectibles with our running lists of Lost Pages, Kuji-kiri, and armor locations.
