In the immersive universe of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the experience takes a thrilling turn in the second act, allowing players to freely navigate and alternate between two compelling characters, Yasuke and Naoe.
This act also introduces you to various targets on the Shinbakufu objective board, including a particularly notable figure known as The Fool, whose appearance may seem familiar as you progress.
In today’s detailed walkthrough, I’ll cover every essential sub-quest related to The Fool in AC Shadows. By following this guide, you’ll efficiently tackle the assassination quest, ensuring a smooth and swift experience.
The recommended level for engaging in this quest line is 18, and it is conducted under Canon Mode, wherein the game autonomously selects story-driven dialogue choices.
Unveiling The Bad Brother
Your initial task is to locate Ise Sadatame at Byodoin Temple, situated to the north of Ogura Pond. The precise location is highlighted above for your convenience.
Upon your arrival, you discover that Sadatame is indeed the brother of the infamous Ise Sadaoki, the same arrogant character encountered during the Belly of the Beast and Temple of the Horseman quests alongside Lord Mitsuhide.
Sadatame reveals that he was poisoned by his brother, who subsequently usurped control of the Ise clan and has been executing the questionable tasks of Lord Mitsuhide.
Our next missions—Missing Missives and Inside Help—aim to unearth the truth behind his betrayal.
Recovering the Missing Missive
To persuade his brother to abandon his allegiance to Mitsuhide, you must retrieve stolen letters from Sadatame’s messenger. The messenger is found southeast of Arashiyama on a bridge.
The images provided illustrate his location, so you won’t need to waste scouts trying to find him.
The letters were taken by an Oni lurking in the nearby bamboo forest—a supernatural encounter best left to past titles like Valhalla and Odyssey.
Venture into the Bamboo Grove behind Tenryuji Temple, as marked on your map. Utilize your Observe ability to identify the target within the forest.
You’ll find that our “Oni”is actually Gennojo, a thief and potential romantic interest for the characters.
Avoid executing a backstab assassination here; allow the dialogue between Naoe and Gennojo to unfold instead.
Engage in a brief duel with Gennojo, after which he will relinquish the letter and vanish using flash bombs. His quests will unlock after you conclude your current assassination mission.
Return to the messenger waiting just outside the Bamboo Grove to inform him that the letters have been recovered.
Inside Help
To facilitate infiltration into Yamazaki Castle, Sadatame has an ally among the castle guards named Ujimasa, who is residing at Kiyomizudera Temple.
The temple’s location is highlighted above, positioned beneath the Hills of Meeting. After enjoying the temple’s serene waters and conversing with Ujimasa, you will need to earn his trust to gain an advantage for entry.
Ujimasa tasks you with eliminating members of the Twisted Tree, a group of rogue samurai that threaten Kyoto. Their locations are listed on your objective board.
If you’ve been diligent in exploring side content, you may have already dispatched many of these targets, needing only to find a few more.
Consider sparing certain targets when you approach them; this allows you to complete objectives without conflict while still obtaining rewards.
Nonetheless, it’s highly advisable to pursue each of these targets—most are standard enemies scattered throughout the region and can offer valuable loot.
Although this involves some additional steps, completing all the Twisted Tree samurai is necessary to progress in your quest. Many of these foes are relatively simple to defeat.
After you’ve eliminated all the Twisted Tree samurai, return to Ujimasa, who will reward you with the Yamazaki Castle Gate Key, concluding this sub-quest.
The Rising Tide
One of the letters hints that Sadaoki might be attending a Sumo match, prompting Yasuke and Naoe to go there, potentially intercepting him.
No gameplay tasks exist at this point; simply navigate to the marked match location near Ogura Pond for a short cutscene.
Although Sadaoki does not appear, this moment serves as a heartfelt bonding experience between Yasuke and Naoe with an unexpected visit from the unseated shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki.
Lost Honor: The Final Confrontation
Now, it’s your turn to pursue Sadaoki.Be sure to check Yasuke’s gear, as he will be the character primarily utilized in the concluding segments of this intense boss battle.
The strategy involves creating a disruption in the outer courtyard while Yasuke engages and takes out guards, allowing Naoe to infiltrate and unlock the inner courtyard gate.
The game alternates between the two characters during this sequence, with detailed objectives for both provided below.
Outer Courtyard: Yasuke’s Crusade
Your goal with Yasuke is to rack up kills against the enemy guards. Moving ahead will prompt more guards to spawn, which you will need to defeat.
Initially, there are two guards positioned at the start; another one awaits before a breakable wooden gate. Following this, your primary task is to eliminate every enemy in sight.
Equip Yasuke with the Power Dash and Payback skills for his Long Katana. These will greatly expedite your combat sequences, especially against tougher brute enemies.
Utilize the Link Attack skill from the Samurai tree to alternatingly switch weapons during combos, maximizing damage output. The Nagitana serves as an effective secondary weapon thanks to its extended reach.
Inner Courtyard: Naoe’s Stealth Approach
Upon neutralizing all guards, control will shift to Naoe, allowing for stealthy entry and unlocking of the inner courtyard gate.
Follow the HUD markers to your destination, but aim to maintain a stealthy approach whenever feasible.
Utilize Naoe’s retrievable Kunais for easy headshot opportunities. With the Double Assassinate skill from the Assassin tree, you can eliminate two enemies in one swift maneuver, as demonstrated above.
Be mindful in a specific segment just before reaching the gate, as you may need to climb to higher ground. If overwhelmed by enemies, consider using a smoke bomb to evade and regroup.
Once every enemy has been dealt with and the gate unlocked, control will revert to Yasuke for one final mission: escorting Sadatame to his brother.
Strategies for Defeating Ise Sadaoki
During the escort, as you vanquish more enemies, you will inevitably confront Sadaoki, also known as The Fool.
At this juncture, the game offers a choice of character. I opted for Yasuke due to his robust playstyle and ability to manage crowds effectively; however, feel free to select Naoe based on your comfort level.
Sadaoki will be flanked by three guards; eliminate them before focusing on him. Here’s a breakdown of some of Sadaoki’s moves along with counters:
|
Attack |
Pattern / How To Counter |
|---|---|
|
Six Slashes Combo |
A series of six swift slashes with the last being a thrust. These can all be easily parried. |
|
Roundhouse Kick |
An unblockable swinging kick; evasion is key. |
|
Three Slashes |
Three unblockable sword slashes; exercise caution, especially if controlling Naoe. |
Using Yasuke makes the fight substantially more manageable with his formidable skills. You can even leverage War Kick to interrupt Sadaoki’s attack sequences.
While breaking through his armor poses a challenge, utilize Power Dash to expose him for substantial damage.
Yasuke’s combo cancelation can be highly effective; just be cautious, as Sadaoki remains dangerous even mid-combo.
Upon defeating Ise Sadaoki and completing The Fool quest line, you will be rewarded with the illustrious Steel Blossom Legendary Katana and receive 375 Mon.
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