Rise of the Ronin offers me the freedom to choose my path in the story, but certain choices proved more beneficial in the long run. To get the best possible scenario for your Veiled Edge warrior, here are the best story decisions in Rise of the Ronin.
All choices and outcomes in Rise of the Ronin
What follows is an in-depth look at all the situations where you are offered the option to choose your actions in Rise of the Ronin. Almost every dialogue in the game offers you a choice between two to four response options, but most of them are not narratively relevant. That's why I chose to focus on the situations where your decision drastically changes the plot, for better or worse.
Regardless of your decision, you will be able to replay missions with the Testament of the Soul in the Longhouse. This allowed me to go through main and side missions at a higher difficulty for better loot, as well as change my decisions retroactively and mold the timeline as I pleased.
Last but not least: spoiler warning! I'll try my best not to mention spoilers whenever possible, but you're sure to learn some crucial plot elements with this guide. Your best bet is to play the game and come back to this article when you reach the crucial decision points.
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The Bridge to Yokohama
The first major choice awaits you at the end of the first mission after the prologue. After getting the quest from the village head to defeat the famous village thugs, I headed to the thief boss Gonzo. After fighting Gonzo and defeating him in battle, I was presented with a simple choice: Spare him hearing what he has to say or finish him off.
By choosing to listen to him, not only did I get the key to his pantry, but he would also give me its exact location. Saving him also allows you to meet Gonzo again in a side mission later, as well as form a bond with him to learn the Nodachi Jigen-ryu Fighting Style.
After reloading manual and starting the mission again, I decided to take his life and see the rewards. I got the key to the pantry, but not its location. I got his powerful Odachi weapon and unlocked the Nodachi Jigen-ryu Fighting Style, but I had to find another NPC to upgrade it.
Sparing Gonzo is definitely the better choice, giving you a powerful ally along the way and letting you upgrade a powerful Fighting Style. To get the best of both worlds, save the game beforehand and save Gonzo to learn the location of a pantry. After you reload the save, take out Gonzo and go to the pantry.
The Shadow of Yokohama
The second important choice awaits you during the Hidden Motives task of the fourth mission. After retrieving the letter from the samurai thugs and defeating Denzaemon Ose, I returned to my unreliable contact. After he expressed his doubts, I used my Scare Speech skill to scare him away.
Now it's time to make the choice: give the Mito Clan letter to Taka or Katsura. If you choose the former, Taka will provide the letter to Naosuke Li, who will burn the letter containing orders to stop Naosuke and expel the aliens. This gives him the motive to attack his rebellious followers.
On the other hand, if you choose to give the letter to Kogoro, he will quickly realize its falsehood, exposing the ruse and ensuring that the real letter will return to Naosuke's hands. While this choice may not drastically change your plot, it does present an opportunity to potentially gain another valuable ally.
My recommendation is give the letter to Katsura. If you didn't choose his side during Harris' assassination, this is your chance to form the Vow of Friendship with him.
Those Who Know Shoin
This choice is less decisive narratively, but it affects your choice of side quests and further missions. During the Infiltrating the Prison Complex mission, get the prison key and win Kimezan the Crusher. After escorting Fumi, you will trigger a scene where your masked rival attacks you.
When you regain consciousness, your comrades inform you that they are ready to go to Edo and save Fumi. Selecting ''ok, let's go' you'll move to the next story segment taking place in Edo, and you won't be able to return to Yokohama for a while. This decision has significant consequences, as choosing the other two options will keep you in Yokohama until you choose to advance the story.
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There's no right or wrong choice here—if you have certain activities you want to complete beforehand, it's best to delay the time (and travel) to pass. Otherwise, you can go through with the first option and leave for Edo.
There's no right or wrong choice here—if you have certain activities you want to complete beforehand, it's best to delay the time (and travel) to pass. Otherwise, you can go through with the first option and leave for Edo.
Those who Gather at Edo
All you have accomplished so far is this ultimate choice. During the mission of The Sakurada Incident, after facing the anti-Shogun enemies and defeating Naosuke Li, you will have to decide his fate.
The choice is simple: Take Naosuke Li's life or spare him. If you prove yourself merciful and let him live, the Blue Demon will use your moment of hesitation to save him. Regardless, Naosuke's life will definitely end at a certain point, but you won't be the one doing the deed. As a reward, you will receive the Blue Demon's mask and katana, but not his Fighting Style.
If you become Naosuke's executioner, you will receive his outfit and katana containing a Master Strategist bonus. You'll also get his Gikei-ryu Shinobi Combat Style, a real game changer. The choice will depend on your preferences, but I went with the first option because I fell in love with the Blue Demon's mask.
Want to have the ultimate Rise of the Ronin experience? Check out Best PS5 Settings in Rise of the Ronin – HUD, Controller, Audio and more in Pro Gaming Guides.
