The Onryo Samurai Walkthrough (Box Location)

Early in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players will learn the basic quest mechanics through a mission called “The Onryo Samurai.” Functionally, this quest serves as Naoe’s prologue, setting up the motivations that will carry her throughout the game. On paper, this is a simple fetch quest in which Naoe must retrieve a literal mystery box that has been stolen by a mysterious organization. However, in practice, this quest can prove to be a bit tricky. In this guide, we’ll show you where to find the box at Kaneda Castle, and how to complete “The Onryo Samurai” in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

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Where to Find the Box at Katano Castle in AC Shadows

Reach Katano Castle:

“The Onryo Samurai” takes place directly after “Fight of Kakushiba Ikki,” which is the introduction to Naoe and her father. “The Onryo Samurai” essentially serves as a basic tutorial on AC Shadows’ mission structure, and Naoe’s combat and exploration mechanics. It picks up after Naoe and her father arrive at Tomiko’s home, badly injured and clearly in need of rest.

Your first goal after Naoe has recovered is to reach Katano Castle. You will not yet have access to the map, though that is not an issue in this quest. Check the compass from the blue quest marker, then start walking towards it along the main road away from Tomiko’s house.

As you leave Tomiko’s property, there will be a quick fade that signals the transition from the Hideout to the open-world. Once you are outside the Hideout grounds, you can call your horse by holding down on the D-Pad. On the horse, it will be a quick ride heading northwest to Katano Castle.

Locate the Box in Katano Castle:

Starting from the castle exterior, look for the blue quest markers that guide your path. The first quest objective is to “Climb the Tower,” with the blue marker marking the correct tower to climb. This task will teach you how to use Naoe’s Grappling Hook to reach areas you can’t otherwise climb to.

From the top of the tower, use the Observation mechanic by holding down the left trigger button. This will reveal every nearby point of interest, which is shown through walls and other objects as small orbs of light. There are several different colors of light that are meant to represent different types of objects, with the blue orbs representing important quest items or characters.

Box Location 1:

You’ll spot the first box location from the top of the tower. Look for the unfinished building to the northwest and use Observation. You’ll see the blue orb of light coming from inside, which reveals your first destination.

Unfortunately, this box contains basic resources and valuables, which are great to have, but not what you are looking for right now. You’ll have to move on to Box Location 2.

Box Location 2:

From the first box, return to the rooftops and look north. You’ll see the next blue quest marker at the top of a building that separates two courtyards. Make your way over to the quest marker on the rooftop, and use your grappling hook to swing across the courtyard. You’ll know when you can use the grappling hook, as a prompt will appear near the top of the HUD, prompting you to press L1/LB.

After swinging across the rooftops, head to the end of the roof and use Observation. You’ll see the next blue orb in the next building to the north, on the other side of a small wall. If you look directly below the end of the building, you’ll see an enemy near a hole in the wall. Assassinate the enemy, then go prone by holding Square/X.

You’ll see multiple enemies in the next courtyard. You can try to draw them to you one by one, but that can be difficult. Since you won’t unlock AC Shadows’ Double Assassinate skill until later in the game, it’s better to try to distract them. We used a kunai and destroyed the lantern above the entrance to the building. This got their attention long enough to enter.

Once again, this box contains only resources. After collecting it, Naoe will state that the thief themselves must be carrying it still.

Box Location 3:

The final box location is not far, but it will play out differently than the previous two. Make your way around to the rear of the building that contained box two, and you’ll see a large bamboo scaffold with a ramp that will allow you to easily climb it. There is a large group of enemies close by, so make sure you use Observation and Eagle Vision to mark them.

Make your way up the scaffold to the path on top of the wall. Head west along the path and you’ll encounter a long archer near the next blue quest marker. Take out the archer, then turn and look south. You’ll see the final quest marker at the end of a building along the wall. Walk to the end of the roof, then the metal pole sticking out from it.

Look below, then use Observation on the Onryo Samurai below. Once you observe him, and see his title card, you can use your grappling hook on the tree to perform an Air Assassination.

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Escape the Castle:

Once you kill the samurai and collect the box, you’ll have to quickly escape the castle. Do not worry about any of the enemies, simply pick one direction (we chose east), and run until you reach the castle walls. As soon as you land outside the castle grounds, a cutscene will automatically begin playing. This will end “The Onryo Samurai,” and begin Assassin’s Creed Shadows in earnest.

Released

March 20, 2025

Engine

AnvilNext

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

Steam Deck Compatibility

Unknown

X|S Optimized

Yes

Number of Players

1

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

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