As they near the end of the Meaning of the Blade main story mission, Assassin’s Creed Shadows players will learn how Hanzo betrayed the Iggan people, which resulted in the death of Naoe’s father and countless other people. They’ll also find out about his complicated relationship with Naoe’s parents and how it eventually drove him from his home.
Related
Every Assassin’s Creed Game, Ranked
From the original to now, every Assassin’s Creed game has its highs and lows, but which is the best?
Naoe is understandably angered by these revelations and considers attacking Hanzo for the irreparable damage that he’s caused to her and her people, yet there’s a part of her that wants to forgive his transgressions and work with him to find out the truth about her mother. As is often the case in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, it’s left for the player to decide.
Should You Forgive or Attack Hanzo?
Unlike most of the other big choices in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, whether players decide to attack or forgive Hanzo actually makes a difference, at least in the short term. As one might expect, choosing to attack Hanzo will result in a fight, and a rather difficult one at that. However, there are no long-term consequences to either option, and Hanzo’s fate remains the same either way. With this in mind, players should choose to attack Hanzo if they want to put their combat skills to the test or forgive him if they just want to move on with the story.
What Happens if You Forgive Hanzo?
If players choose to forgive Hanzo, Naoe will deliver an emotional speech, after which, she and Hanzo agree to work together to find out the truth about Naoe’s mother. The dialogue during their parting conversation is a little different when players choose to forgive Hanzo rather than attack him, but the manner in which the two Iggans part ways is very much the same.
What Happens if You Attack Hanzo?
If players choose to attack Hanzo, he’ll tell Naoe that he has no intention of holding back. At this point, they’ll be given another chance to forgive Hanzo. Choosing to do so plays out in much the same way as the above. However, if players instead choose to kill Hanzo, a brutal and fairly difficult boss fight will commence.
There are two elements of the Hanzo fight that can be tricky: his smoke bombs and his triple kunai attack. The former will make it so that Naoe is no longer locked onto him while the latter can be difficult to dodge due to their trajectory. Players can attempt to block or parry them if they like, but it’s better to just prevent Hanzo from throwing them in the first place.
To do this, players should stay as close to Hanzo as possible and keep hitting him whenever he’s not attacking with his blade. If they’re relentless enough and use their abilities at the right time, players can prevent Hanzo from ever using his kunai. From here, it becomes a fairly simple case of dodging and parrying his attacks until he goes down.
Once the fight is over, Naoe will have a chance to finish Hanzo off. However, she elects to forgive him, thus rendering her earlier decision somewhat redundant, much like the deadly showdown that the pair just squared off in. They’ll agree to work together to find out the truth about Naoe’s mother and Hanzo will limp off to fight another day.
- Released
-
March 20, 2025
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language