All Romances in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Find out how to start romances in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, learn who you can romance, and how to successfully court your partner of choice.

Romances in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Romances are a side activity you can do to pass the time in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. You’ll be able to flirt with up to four candidates for both Yasuke and Naoe, and get some cute and romantic cutscenes with them.

The rewards for completing romances are trivial at best, but this is more for those interested in roleplay, drama, or love. An easy way to tell if you can romance someone is if a heart icon appears next to a dialogue option as you talk to them.

If the heart has an arrow through it, that’s your chance to seal the deal if you’ve flirted with them enough in previous quests and conversations.

Romance can be a fickle thing as you can always select the heart dialogue choice but not end up with your desired partner. Other times you might not flirt with them enough and miss your chance later. This is the nature of this side activity, just as it’s the nature of romance in life.

A few of these romance options involve your allies, Gennojo, Katsuhime, and Ibuki. Romances have no effect on their performance as companions.

Can you romance more than one person

You are able to romance as many of the candidates as you desire, though doing so can have consequences. One example is if Yasuke romances Rin then romances someone else. You’ll get a Farewell Letter from Rin where she breaks up with you.

There is no way to manually break up with an NPC after you’ve romanced them. But since romances have no significant gameplay impact, the lack of an on-demand breakup isn’t so important.

Naoe Romances

You’ll have four choices for romances as Naoe: Gennojo, Katsuhime, Koshiro, and Mayu. We will give you the correct choices and dialogue options to select if you want to romance each one of them.

Gennojo

Gennojo is a thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor. While he lacks class, he means well and has a mischievous charm to him. He’s stolen from daimyos, but will he steal your heart?

Missing Missive

You’ll first meet Gennojo while on the main quest Missing Missive as you hunt The Fool of the Shinbakufu. If you play as Naoe, you’ll get some unique dialogue as he’ll flirt with her.

Lost Honor

After assassinating The Fool, Gennojo will hit on Naoe and you can choose to reciprocate with “❤︎ You might be right“.

Sake and Swords

During the quest Sake and Swords, choose the options “❤︎ Depends on what you’re offering” and “❤︎ Show me, thief“.

Honor Among Thieves

After stealing the scroll and returning to Gennojo, choose the option “❤︎ I’m keeping it, then“.

Stolen Hearts

After saving Gennojo from the two soldiers that captured him, choose the options “❤︎ I’m here for you” and “ I’d like to embrace you“. A romantic cutscene will play once you successfully romance Gennojo.

The Godless Harvest

While there is no romance dialogue in this quest, it’s important to choose “[Soothe Gennojo]” when he’s having his emotional outburst.

Katsuhime

Katsuhime is a woman with sharp looks and a fiery demeanor. As an expert teppo user, she’ll have her enemies down her sights. The question is, will she be in yours?

Against the Koga-Ryu

You first meet Katsuhime during the quest Against the Koga-Ryu. This quest takes place during your hunt for The Naginata of the Shinbakufu.

Showdown in Sakamoto

After completing Yasuke’s portion of the quest, you’ll get a chance to flirt with Katsuhime during a custscene. Choose the option “❤ I like your teppo“.

Letter from Katsuhime

After assassinating The Naginata and completing the quest Requiem for Rokkaku, you’ll want to flirt with Katsuhime in the quest Letter from Katsuhime. After giving her the sake, say “❤ It offers time with me“.

The Tale of Genin

After investigating the ambush scene and killing the pirates, choose the option “❤ I do enjoy your company”.

The Diary of Lady Rokkaku

After saving Katsuhime from Omizo Castle, be sure to recruit her to The League with the option “Yes. Join Us“. This will unlock the final quest needed to romance her.

The Jounin Pillow Book

Meet up with Katsuhime at Jogu Shrine, say “ Let’s find out“. Much like her enemies, this romance ends with a bang. She’ll also give Naoe a Kaiawase Shell as a memento.

Koshiro

Koshiro is an honorable ronin whose past haunts him to this day. You can help him deal with his past and help him look towards the future, a future with you.

Brother in Arms

You’ll meet Koshiro during the quest Brothers in Arms as you hunt down The Ox of the Shinbakufu. While this choice won’t affect your romance down the line, it doesn’t hurt to spare Commander Seiji.

Fallen Soldiers

After assassinating The Ox, you can start the quest Fallen Soldiers. You’ll need to assassinate Koshiro’s former troop as they’re hunting him down for his involvement with the assassination of The Ox.

The Leaf Turns

After completing Fallen Soldiers, you’ll want to check on Koshiro to start The Leaf Turns. After helping him tidy up his home, a cutscene will start. Say “❤ You’re more than a blade to me“.

Retrieve his toolbox and meet him at Lover’s Lake. Choose the options “❤ I’d like to spend more time with you“, “❤ You must follow your heart“, and “❤ Like me“.

This romance lacks the option for an arrow-pierced heart option, you did nothing wrong. That doesn’t make this romance any less sweet. You’ll also get Koshiro’s Gift as a memento.

Mayu

Mayu is a widow who lives in Gose, Yamato. Before you can flirt with her, you’ll need to accept her pilgrimage quest of honoring all sixty-nine Jizo Statues.

Mayu’s Offerings

Once you find and honor all Jizo Statues, return to Mayu and choose the options “❤ I know that feeling“, “❤ You can define your own path“, “❤ I learned to follow my own intuition“, then finally “ Not before I kiss you“.

Yasuke Romances

You’ll have four choices for romances as Yasuke: Hori Hidemasa, Ibuki, Lady Oichi, and Rin. We will give you the correct choices and dialogue options to select if you want to romance each one of them.

Hori Hidemasa

Yasuke and Hori share a lot of of history as they’ve both served Lord Nobunaga. After Nobunaga’s death, Hori started to serve Lord Hideyoshi. Will Yasuke’s brother-in-arms fall into his arms?

The Betrayers

To romance Hori Hidemasa, you’ll need to complete the quest The Betrayers. After dealing with Nobunaga’s traitors, return to Hori in Otsu, Omi. Say “ Meeting you was my reward“.

Yasuke and Hori will look deeply into each other’s eyes and each other’s hearts, but duty calls for them both. For the time being, this relationship cannot go further. He will however, give you his helmet which you can wear.

Ibuki

Ibuki is a ronin with a good heart and is a romance option for Yasuke. They’re also a formidable warrior, but how do they defeat their enemies? They slash them.

Be sure to not stray from any of the flirting options if you want to romance Ibuki. Not only is it possible to fail this romance, but it’s possible to miss out on the chance entirely.

Ambush Interrupted

Our Allies guide goes into more detail on how to start this quest, but you’ll need to make some very careful dialogue choices here. First, talk to Ibuki at Kashiwara Village in the Iga province. Say “I have changed” and help them fight off Nakatomi’s men.

Homecoming

Ibuki needs help rescuing their friend Kyobei from execution. Break into Hijiyama Fort with them and when you find Kyobei, say “Fight with us, Kyobei“.

Following the last two dialogue choices ensures you can recruit Ibuki and unlock their romance quest, but for bonus points, save Kyobei. The Samurai Showdown Long Katana ability is good for saving Kyobei as you’re taunting nearby enemies to attack you instead.

Once Kyobei is safe (or dead), meet with Ibuki at Kashiwara Village for a night under the stars. As the stars put sparkles in their eyes, let this non-binary star put sparkles in yours and say “❤ Your mind works in beautiful ways” then recruit them with “You don’t have to be alone“.

Putting Down Roots

After recruiting Ibuki, talk to them at the hideout to start this quest. Say “❤ You have lovely eyes” then start your hunt for three flower seeds. You’ll find the seeds east of Kashiwara Village, just look for the blue flowers.

Return to Ibuki once you’ve gathered the seeds and say “ I want more than friendship“. If you’ve done well thus far, you’ll share a kiss with Ibuki. Whether you succeed for fail, you’ll get the Blue Anemone flower decoration for your hideout.

Lady Oichi

Lady Oichi and Yasuke have made it clear that they have feelings for one another, but duty and circumstance keeps them from one another.

The Wheel Turns

After sparing The Mourner, you’ll start the quest The Wheel Turns. Read Oichi’s Leter at your hideout to get things rolling. Meet up with Lady Oichi in southwestern Azuchi, Omi.

Talk to her and say “❤ I miss your smile“, then make your way to Okishima a.k.a. “Cat Island”. Talk to her there and walk with her up to the shrine, say “❤ I am drawn to you“.

Help her daughters find a pet by talking to all three of them. They’re looking for cats as a pet but after you talk to all of them, they wish to settle for a dog, Fuji-maru, instead.

Fuji-maru takes a liking to Yasuke, so this is one time you don’t choose the option with a heart. Instead, say “I will keep Fuji-maru“. Your final choice can be “ Let’s enjoy the moment” or “Now we must part”.

Unfortunately, she is duty bound to marry another man to help maintain the peace. Either option will yield the same outcome of the relationship unable to work out. If you want your heart shattered into a million pieces, choose “ Let’s enjoy the moment“. Do it.

Because either option has the same result, you’ll want to keep Fuji-maru and he’ll appear at your hideout. He’ll be in the front with the allies and is not a decoration that can be placed.

Rin

Rin is the most time-consuming romance in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. You’ll need a total of three seasons to romance her, but it is worth it. This is one of the most charming and sweet romances out of all of these choices.

The Winter Raiders

To romance Rin, you’ll need to start the quest The Winter Raiders. You don’t need to complete it, just start it and she’ll tell Yasuke how she lost her grandfather to the raiders. She wants to become stronger and defend herself, and she needs a teacher.

Arrow Strike

Meet Rin at the Mount Omori Hut in southern Kumano Sanzan, Kii. When you talk to her, say “❤ Let me help you clean“.

Show her how to use a bow by shooting the five targets at the hut. Choose the option “❤ It wasn’t my archery you were testing“. You’ll receive the following amulet and engraving:

Discipline’s Reward

War Horse

When the season has changed, return to Rin at the hut. She needs help capturing a lost horse, follow her and catch the horse.

Once you return to the hut, take Rin on a horse ride to a nearby waterfall then talk to her. Say “❤ You excel at everything you try“.

This quest technically ends here but you can follow her home for some additional cute dialogue. You have to wait one more season to seal the deal.

Ride Into Town

Return to Rin at her hut and you’ll get the objective Kill the Bandits. Don’t intervene and let Rin handle this herself. Sometimes the NPC’s pathing gets weird so you might need to lure the bandits to Rin’s line of sight.

Talk to her once the bandits are dead and follow her to the town on your horse. While on the way, you can have a race with Rin, winning or losing this race doesn’t make a difference.

Follow Rin to return the prayer beads to the merchant and say “❤ Plum onigiri, please“. Follow Rin as she walks throughout Hongu until a cutscene starts, then say “❤ I want to draw a picture of you“.

Walk to the bridge for the final cutscene and say “ I would like to kiss you” to complete this romance.