Learn about the available progression paths in Ghost of Yotei, our recommended mission order, and key side quests that unlock additional weapons along the way.
Table of contents
The missions for the Main Story are what you’ll be playing to progress the plot to eventually finish the story. The story is divided by three chapters that are unlocked after meeting completing specific story missions.
While you can focus solely on these missions, it’s good practice to do side missions to unlock weapons, abilities, and seek out health and spirit upgrades.
Prologue
The Prologue introduces Atsu and acts as a tutorial for basic combat, roleplay gameplay such as playing the shamisen or using the forge, and providing Atsu’s history.
When you start a new game, you’ll be dropped into the action after writing a list of the Yotei Six on a sash. You’ll need to kill the first one you run into, the drunkard known as The Snake.
After killing the Snake, you’ll take your horse through the Yotei Grasslands to reach Atsu’s childhood home where you’ll learn the basics of combat through a flashback. Completing these basic tutorials will complete the prologue and start Chapter I.
Chapter I: The Lone Wolf
Chapter I is comprised of about two thirds of the main story. As you progress, you have the choice to start your hunt for the Oni, the Kitsune, or the Saito Brothers.
When you find a lead on the Yotei Six, you can choose who you want to hunt down first. Chapter I is comprised of the following main missions:
- The Old Inn
- The Way of Dual Katana
- Shogun of the North
- Find a Lead on the Yotei Six
- The Road to Ishikari Plain
- A Mad Pursuit
- Belly of the Beast
- A Fiery Consequence
- Twin Wolves, Twin Hearts
- The Tale of the Oni
- Spirits of Teshio Ridge
- Blood on the Snow
- The Way of the Shamisen
- Poison and Lies
- The Tale of the Kitsune
- The Kitsune’s Fate
- The Way of the Odachi
You can obtain the following key items and abilities when you start Chapter I:
| Reward | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Onryo’s Howl | Ability | The Old Inn |
| Dual Katana | Melee Weapon | The Way of Dual Katana |
| Odachi | Melee Weapon | The Way of the Odachi |
| Hankyu (Shortbow) | Ranged Weapon | Ran the Bowyer (Vendor) |
| Yumi (Longbow) | Ranged Weapon | Ran the Bowyer (Vendor) |
| Metsubushi | Quickfire Weapon | Crow Genzo (Bounty) |
| Onryo’s Armor Upgrade | Armor | Shogun of the North |
Infiltrate Saito’s Training Fortress
One of the earliest goals you can complete is to infiltrate Lord Saito’s training fortress in Tokachi Range. This area provides a good introduction to sneaking your way through a heavily fortified area rather than fighting your way through it.
Within this fortress, Lord Saito oversees the training of any recruits willing to fight for him. They may be outlaws now, but should his plans succeed they shall be made soldiers and samurai.
The Oni
Hunting down the Oni will take you to Ishikari Plain, where the land is as orange and red as the fire burning it. The Oni and his Oni Raiders are building a castle for Lord Saito while waging war against Clan Matsumae.
The Oni has a preference for immolation when it comes to executing his enemies, so his men and related missions will be just as brutal. If you’re looking to have a more combat-heavy experience, hunting the Oni is a great choice.
You can obtain the following key items, gear, and abilities when you reach Ishikari Plain during your hunt for the Oni:
| Reward | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Yari (Spear) | Melee Weapon | The Way of the Yari |
| Scorch Bomb | Ranged Weapon | The Bomb Maker |
| Blind Bomb | Ranged Weapon | Fighting Fire with Fire |
| Mercenary Attire | Armor | Belly of the Beast |
| Horse Charge | Ability | Belly of the Beast |
| Oni’s Flame | Quickfire Weapon | Twin Wolves, Twin Hearts |
| Onryo Armor Upgrade | Armor | The Tale of the Oni |
The Kistune
After taking an Ainu ferry to the north, you’ll find yourself in Nayoro Wilds. To find the Kitsune, you’ll need to travel even further north.
When you choose to hunt the Kitsune, you’ll be taken to Teshio Ridge. This frozen wasteland is far from civilization with the white snow being stained by the blood of the innocent.
The Kitsune and his shinobi are a crafty lot, so you can expect a lot of stealth and puzzle solving when hunting down the Kitsune. If you like outwitting your opponents, the Kitsune should be a good hunt.
You can obtain the following key items, gear, and abilities when you reach Teshio Ridge during your hunt for the Kitsune:
| Reward | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kusarigama | Melee Weapon | The Way of the Kusarigama |
| Kunai | Quickfire Weapon | The Winter Farms |
| Nine Tail Armor | Armor | Blood on the Snow |
| Hunter’s Ear | Ability | The Tale of the Kitsune |
| Smoke Bomb | Quickfire Weapon | The Tale of the Kitsune |
| Onryo Armor Upgrade | Armor | The Kitsune’s Fate |
The Saito Brothers
When you choose to hunt down the Saito Brothers in Chapter I, you’ll find the trail runs cold. You don’t get to fight them properly until Chapter II, but following their trail will give you an introduction to their backstory, and get you an Odachi.
Ghosts of the Past
After defeating the Oni and Kitsune, along with completing The Way of the Odachi, you’ll return to your home in Yotei Grasslands for the mission Ghosts of the Past. This is a short roleplay mission that will conclude Chapter I and start Chapter II: The Onryo.
Chapter II: The Onryo
Chapter II will bring you to the final region, Oshima Coast. This beautiful cost is filled with beautiful cherry blossoms. Unfortunately the Saito Brothers have made a strong military presence there and the land is dangerous to traverse.
When you reach Oshima Coast, you can properly hunt down The Dragon and The Spider. Chapter II is comprised of the following main missions:
You can obtain the following key items when you access Oshima Coast during your hunt for the Saito Brothers:
| Reward | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tanegashima (Rifle) | Ranged Weapon | The Storm Breaks |
| Tanzutsu (Pistol) | Quickfire Weapon | Guns and Consequences |
| Ghost Stance | Ability | To Catch a Spider |
| Onryo Armor Upgrade | Armor | To Catch a Spider |
Chapter III: The Cost of Revenge
With the Saito Brothers defeated, only Lord Saito remains. While this chapter is the shortest of them all, it provides the climax to Atsu’s story. Much is at stake and the cost of revenge is great, will it be worth it?
This is the last chapter of the Onyro’s story and her quest for revenge. Chapter III is comprised of the following main missions:
Complete Timeline (Full List)
Here is a complete timeline of all Ghost of Yotei Story Missions and Side Missions they unlock. This does not include Myths, Bounties, or other Missions you obtain by exploring the world.
| Main Mission | Chapter | Side Mission it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| The Snake | Prologue | |
| The Old Inn | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Way of Dual Katana | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| Shogun of the North | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| Find a Lead on the Yotei Six | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Road to Ishikari Plain | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | – The Way of the Yari – The Bomb Maker |
| A Mad Pursuit | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| Belly of the Beast | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| A Fiery Consequence | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| Twin Wolves, Twin Hearts | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Tale of the Oni | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| Spirits of Teshio Ridge | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | – The Way of the Kusarigama – The Heart of an Ainu – The Winter Farms |
| Blood on the Snow | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Way of the Shamisen | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| Poison and Lies | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Tale of the Kitsune | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Kitsune’s Fate | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Way of the Odachi | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| Ghosts of the Past | Chapter I: The Lone Wolf | |
| The Storm Breaks | Chapter II: The Onryo | – Guns and Consquences |
| Echoes of the Storm | Chapter II: The Onryo | |
| To Catch a Spider | Chapter II: The Onryo | |
| A Wolf’s Pack | Chapter II: The Onryo | |
| The Reckoning | Chapter II: The Onryo | |
| Call of the Hunt | Chapter III: The Cost of Revenge | |
| The Final Hunt of the Onryo | Chapter III: The Cost of Revenge |
Recommended Paths
There are two ways you can play the game, story-driven or gameplay-optimized. There’s no right or wrong way to complete the story so long as you are having fun.
Story-Driven Path
For a good story-driven playthrough, complete the game in the following order:
- Prologue
- The Old Inn
- The Way of Dual Katana
- Shogun of the North
- The Oni
- The Kitsune
- The Way of Odachi
- Ghosts of the Past
- Chapter II
- Chapter III
Following this path gives a solid sense of progression as the regions match the passage of time for Atsu’s journey. By following this path, you’ll get the impression that Atsu’s hunt lasts for around a year in length.
You start with the Summer by learning the Way of Dual Katana and infiltrating Saito’s Fortress. The orange and red leaves of Ishikari Plain is Fall, the frozen wastes of Teshio Ridge is Winter, and the cherry blossoms of Oshima Coast is Spring.
While you miss out on the Odachi early on following this path, the transition from The Way of the Odachi to hunting the Saito Brothers in Chapter II feels more natural. If you want smooth story progression, this is the path to follow.
Gameplay-Optimized Paths
If you’re more concerned with having the gameplay optimized to your preferences, then you’ll for certain want to start out hunting the Saito Brothers as soon as you can. This way you can unlock the Odachi before infiltrating Saito’s Fortress, or hunting the Oni and the Kitsune.
If you favor stealth gameplay, you’ll want to complete the Kitsune story so you can get Nine Tail Armor. This armor is great for refilling Quickfire Weapon ammo and reducing enemy detection.
If you’re more into the combat and want more action, start out by hunting the Oni. There are plenty of combat opportunities in that quest line, and you’ll get access to the Mercenary Attire, Oni’s Flame, and Horse Charge ability.
If you’re looking to get firearms as soon as possible, you’re at the mercy of time as you still need to complete the Oni and Kitsune’s questline along with The Way of the Odachi. From there, the path is fairly linear and you can complete the rest of the game as you see fit.
