Best story decisions in Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin offers me the freedom to choose my path in the story, but certain choices turned out to be 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 situations where you're 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 choices, but most of them aren't relevant story-wise. Therefore, I chose to focus on the situations where your decision drastically changes the storyline, for better or worse.

Regardless of your decision, you'll be able to replay missions through the Testament of the Soul in the Longhouse. This allowed me to go through main and side missions on higher difficulty for better loot, as well as to change my decisions retroactively and mold the timeline as I please.

Last but not least: spoiler warning! I'll try my best not to mention spoilers whenever possible, but you're bound to learn about some crucial plot elements throughout this guide. Your best option is to play the game and return to this article when you reach the crucial decision points.

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The Bridge to Yokohama

The first major choice awaits you during the end of the first mission following the prologue. After receiving the quest from the village chief to defeat the notorious village thugs, I made my way towards the thug leader, Gonzo. After fighting Gonzo and besting him in combat, I was presented with a simple choice: Spare him to hear what he has to say or end him.

After choosing to listen to him, not only did I receive the key to his storeroom, he gave me its exact location. Sparing him also allows you to meet Gonzo again in a side mission later on, as well as forming a bond with him to learn the Nodachi Jigen-ryu Combat Style.

After reloading a manual save and starting the mission again, I decided to take his life and see the rewards. I received the key to the storeroom, but not its location. I received his mighty Odachi weapon and unlocked the Nodachi Jigen-ryu Combat Style, but I had to find another NPC to upgrade it.

Sparing Gonzo is definitely the better option, giving you a powerful ally down the line and letting you upgrade a powerful Combat Style. To get the best of both worlds, save the game beforehand and spare Gonzo to learn the storeroom location. After you reload the save, take Gonzo out and head for the storeroom.

Yokohama's Shadow

The second major 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 went back to my untrustworthy contact. After he expressed his doubts, I used my Intimidate Speechcraft 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'll burn the letter containing orders to stop Naosuke and chase off the foreigners. 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 discern its falseness, exposing the ruse and ensuring the real letter falls back into Naosuke's hands. While this choice may not drastically alter your storyline, it does present an opportunity to potentially gain another valuable ally.

My recommendation is to give the letter to Katsura. If you haven't chosen his side during the Harris assassination attempt, this is your chance to form the Vow of Comradeship with him.

Those Who Know Shoin

This choice is less crucial story-wise, but it does affect your choice of side quests and additional missions. During the Infiltrate the Prison Complex mission, get the prison key and defeat Kimezan the Crusher. After escorting Fumi, you'll trigger a cutscene where your masked rival attacks you.

When you regain consciousness, your comrades inform you they're ready to head to Edo and rescue Fumi. By choosing ''Alright, 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 any activities you want to complete beforehand, it's best to delay the time (and trip) skip. Otherwise, you can go through with the first option and leave for Edo.

There's no right or wrong choice here—if you have any activities you want to complete beforehand, it's best to delay the time (and trip) skip. Otherwise, you can go through with the first option and leave for Edo.

Those Who Gather at Edo

Everything you've accomplished so far comes down to this ultimate choice. During The Sakurada Incident mission, after taking on the anti-shogunate enemies and defeating Naosuke Li, you'll 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 surely end at a certain point, but you won't be the one doing the deed. As a reward, you'll receive the Blue Demon's mask and katana, but not his Combat Style.

If you become Naosuke's executor, you'll receive his attire and katana containing a Master Strategist bonus. You'll also get his Gikei-ryu Shinobi Combat Style, a true game changer. The choice will depend on your preferences, but I went with first option since I fell in love with the Blue Demon's mask.

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