Assassin s Creed Shadows Allies Recruitment Guide Complete List and Training Tips

In the shadowy heart of feudal Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers more than just stealth and swordplay-it lets you build your own league of deadly allies. From a teppo-wielding daimyo’s daughter to a rogue monk and a cunning saboteur, each recruitable companion brings unique abilities that can turn the tide of battle. But earning their loyalty isn’t as simple as crossing paths; you’ll need to navigate dangerous quests, make critical choices, and sometimes risk losing them forever. Ready to discover every ally and master the art of recruitment? Here’s how to assemble your ultimate team in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Receiving the help of these unique characters is not mandatory to progress in Shadows, what you will learn – just like Naoe and Yasuke do – is you can become stronger by working together with others. By using your allies, you actually increase the possibilities and angles when it comes to approaching your missions.

In this Assassin’s Creed Shadows guide, we’ll go over how allies work, plus include a list of all allies, with details about how to recruit them.

Update (March 24th): We’ve added additional allies to this guide.

How allies work in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Allies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are unique companions who can be called upon to assist Naoe and Yasuke during combat, offering special abilities that help turn the tide of battle. Players can recruit up to six allies throughout the game, each with their own distinct skills and upgrade paths, by completing specific quests and making impactful dialogue choices-some of which are easy to miss without careful attention. Once recruited, allies can be managed and upgraded at the hideout’s Dojo, and summoned mid-combat by using the appropriate controls, allowing for more strategic and varied gameplay.

Allies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows work less like traditional party members in RPGs (basically, accompanying you all the time) and more like abilities you can activate.

Keep in mind that not every character who joins your Hideout can be used as an ally. To recruit allies, you need to complete a specific quest chain which will eventually prompt an invitation so they can become a member of your League of the Hidden Blade.

When you recruit a companion, you can equip them by using the Manage Allies board in a kakurega. When opening your ranged abilities menu, you can also invoke your ally to fight against the enemies close to or targeted by you.

Once an ally is summoned, they’ll attack all enemies in proximity. When all of them are defeated – or when your companion has suffered considerable damage – they disappear.

Building a Dojo in your hideout allows you to train your allies. There are three ranks – Novice, Initiate, and Veteran – and ranking allies up unlocks new abilities or changes how they behave depending on the situation. For example, depending on their rank, an ally uses a special attack when they appear.

To make the most out of your allies, you should upgrade your Dojo to rank 2 to unlock an extra ally slot.

All Assassin’s Creed Shadows allies

Assassin’s Creed Shadows features a diverse roster of allies who can join Naoe and Yasuke in the League of the Hidden Blade, each bringing unique abilities to support your missions. There are six main recruitable allies: Yaya, Ibuki, Oni-Yuri, Gennojo, Yagoro, and Katsuhime. These companions are unlocked by completing their specific questlines, often involving key decisions or impactful dialogue that determine their willingness to join your cause. Once recruited, allies can be summoned in combat to provide offensive support, distractions, or special utility perks, and their abilities can be upgraded by investing resources into your Hideout’s Dojo. Managing and upgrading your allies not only strengthens your arsenal but also allows for more varied tactical approaches, making them valuable assets throughout your journey in feudal Japan.

Here’s a list of all recruitable allies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows we’ve come across, based on a playthrough through the end of the main story:

Yaya, a Buddhist monk. A specialist in close-quarters combat who’s trying to find the most ethical answer for violent and terrible situations.
Gennojo, a thief whose charm is way less impactful than his tools and knives.
Katsuhime, a shinobi trained not in the art of silent slaying but in the powdery violence of a teppo.
Yagoro, an Assassin-in-training who doesn’t fully know how to use the hidden blade (yet).
Ibuki, a ronin who can break the armor of those interfering with their plans to make the world a better place.
Oni-Yuri, a witty girl whose most powerful weapon is her intelligence – and her bag of poisonous powder.

The requirements to recruit each of these companions aren’t complicated, but it might take a while before you can even find them. In general, you should focus on progressing through the main story missions first.

Below, you find more details about each one of these allies and how you’ll recruit each of them.

How to recruit Yaya

Yaya is the first ally you can recruit in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and her recruitment depends on making the right choices during two main quests: “Heads Will Roll” and “The Stray Dogs.” During “Heads Will Roll,” after defeating Wada Koretake, you’ll face a pivotal moment where you must choose between mercy and vengeance-select the dialogue option “Killing them isn’t justice” to gain Yaya’s approval. In “The Stray Dogs” quest, you’ll encounter two more key decisions: choose “We forgive him” and “You need to forgive each other” when prompted. You need to pick at least two of these forgiveness-themed responses to successfully recruit Yaya; making the opposite choices may cause her to refuse joining your cause. After these dialogues, confirm your alliance by selecting “Let’s work together” to officially add Yaya to your roster of companions.

You first meet Yaya during the main quest “The Fatherless Monk,” which is one of the first missions you must complete while trying to find the location of the primary target, the Wounded.

Yaya is a melee fighter, which means that she’ll join the fight and fight side by side with you. She has great control abilities, which you should take advantage of when surrounded by many enemies.

To recruit her, you must get to the “Heads Will Roll” quest, in which your goal is to assassinate the Wounded. Once the final fight ends, you must choose the “Killing isn’t justice” dialogue option, getting you closer to her and unlocking your next quest.

Next, you need to complete the “Stray Dogs” side mission. During your first interaction with her in this mission, pick the “We forgive him” dialogue option. Then, later, “You need to forgive each other.” To recruit her, you must choose “Let’s work together.”

Here are the abilities you unlock if you level Yaya up.

Novice: When Yaya enters a fight, she uses pushback attacks.
Initiate: At the beginning of the fight, she will knock down a foe.
Veteran: At this rank, Yaya kicks enemies and sends them flying away.

How to recruit Gennojo

To recruit Gennojo in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you must first encounter him during the “Missing Missive” quest, which is tied to the Shinbakufu target known as The Fool. After progressing through the main story and completing the “Lost Honor” mission, Gennojo’s personal questline becomes available. This sequence includes the missions “Sake and Swords,” “Honor Among Thieves,” and “Stolen Hearts,” each advancing your relationship with Gennojo. The pivotal moment comes during “The Godless Harvest” quest, where you must choose the “Soothe Gennojo” dialogue option when prompted; failing to do so will prevent you from recruiting him. After successfully completing this quest and making the correct choices, Gennojo will join your roster of allies, providing valuable support for stealth and distraction tactics in future missions. Note that Gennojo cannot be recruited if you are playing in Canon Mode, as this mode locks in story outcomes where he does not join your team.

Your first interaction with Gennojo is during the quest “Missing Missive,” a quick mission you must complete as part of your investigation on one of your primary targets, the Fool. Gennojo is a thief who stole a letter and it’s your job to retrieve it.

Gennojo falls under the utility category when it comes to his abilities. While he won’t help you defeat your target, Gennojo is extremely useful in keeping you alive during invasions.

To recruit Gennojo, you must finish his story quests which begin with the “Lost Honor” mission, a couple of quests after your first encounter with him. You meet him again in the “Sake and Sword,” “Honor Among Thieves,” and “Stolen Hearts” quests.

In the last of his quests, “The Godless Harvest,” you can finally recruit him. Stop Gennojo from using the explosives and then, later, choose the “We make a good team” dialogue option.

Keep in mind that Gennojo’s quests are the same ones you must complete to start a romantic relationship with him. In case you don’t want to, don’t worry. Declining to follow his romance route won’t affect your chances of recruiting him.

If you plan on ranking Gennojo up, here are the skills you can unlock:

Novice: Gennojo throws a projectile to call enemies attention.
Initiate: In this level, he can draw the attention of enemies who are about to find you.
Veteran: Servants won’t tell other enemies about crimes they see.

How to recruit Katsuhime

To recruit Katsuhime in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you must first progress through the main story until you complete the “Showdown in Sakamoto” mission, which unlocks a series of side quests tied to her recruitment. After finishing “Showdown in Sakamoto,” complete the quests “Requiem for Rokkaku,” “Letter From Katsuhime,” and “The Tale of Genin” in sequence, each becoming available after the previous one is done. The final and most crucial step is the quest “The Diary of Lady Rokkaku,” where you need to rescue Katsuhime from imminent execution by assassinating Isono Kazumasa quickly-failure to do so will result in her death and make recruitment impossible. Once you save her, carry Katsuhime to safety, and after a brief cutscene, choose the dialogue option “Yes. Join us.” to officially add her to your team. Katsuhime then becomes a valuable ally, specializing in teppo (firearms) and daze attacks, and can also be romanced through a separate side quest if you wish.

Like Naoe, Katsuhime is a shinobi, but from a different clan. One of the very few who survived, alongside her father, Katsuhime looks for every opportunity to take the life of her targets. She is trained to use the teppo, a gun that takes practice and patience to be effective.

Katsuhime is among the companions a more damage-oriented type. Her abilities focus on creating openings to deal more damage and thanks to her teppo, she is great at dealing with enemies who are on higher ground.

If you want to recruit Katsuhime, then first you must complete the “Showdown in Sakamoto” and “Requiem for Rokkaku” missions. Doing so unlocks the first of Katsuhime’s quests, “Letter from Katsuhime.”

Complete her quests until you reach “The Diary of Lady Rokkaku” mission. You meet Katsuhime in Omi and talk to her. After a dangerous rescue that you perform, you have the chance to invite her to become part of the League. To do so, you must choose the “Yes. Join us.” dialogue option.

Just like Gennojo, Katsuhime is also a romanceable character and the romantic route involving her is tied to these same quests mentioned in this section. However, if you don’t plan on dating her, you can still recruit Katsuhime as a companion.

Interested in making Katsuhime stronger? Here are the skills she unlocks at each rank.

Novice: Katsuhime deals daze attacks when she enters the fight.
Initiate: At this rank, she will use a dazing bomb when joining a fight.
Veteran: All bullets will ricochet when they hit a dazed target.

How to recruit Yagoro

To recruit Yagoro in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you must first complete the prerequisite quests-including certain personal quests for Yasuke and Naoe, as well as the “Secrets of the Blade” quest, which unlocks after “Wolves and Foxes” in Act 2. Once these are done, head to the Engyoji area north of Maniden Hall in the Harima region, where you’ll find a body with a hidden blade wound to trigger the “A Blade in the Dark” quest. Follow the clues, chase the mysterious shinobi (who is Yagoro), defeat him in combat, and then eliminate the samurai he tasks you with in Jyujiin Courtyard. After completing these objectives, Yagoro will reveal the origin of his blade and join your League as a new ally.

As an idealist who believes in using his blade to keep the principles of the woman who saved him, Yagoro is a valuable ally that you can recruit. He is still learning the path of the Assassin and how to effectively use his hidden blade. Even so, Yagoro is more than capable of handling enemies by himself.

Unlike all the other companions mentioned so far, using Yagoro is the equivalent of using a one-hit kill ability. You can summon him to assassinate specific targets, assisting you in clearing the area faster.

If you’d like to recruit Yagoro, then you must first look for the “ABlade in the Dark” side mission in Harima. It appears on the map once you have hunted down all members of the Shinbafuku.

During this mission, you need to track the assassin who is killing samurais and, when you finally find him, he challenges you to a duel. Defeating him is not enough to finally ask him to become part of the league.

In the next part of the mission, you need to kill a samurai who is hidden inside Mitsunodo Hall. Doing so will show Yagoro your skills and prompt the invitation. Unlike the other companions, there aren’t specific dialogue options to choose when it comes to recruiting Yagoro. Just completing the quest is enough.

Once you recruit him, you can upgrade Yagoro, making him even stronger. Below, you find the skills he unlocks at each rank.

Novice: At this lowest level, Yagoro can kill one enemy with three or fewer health chunks.
Initiate: This rank makes Yagoro capable of killing one extra enemy when summoned.
Veteran: At the top of his game, Yagoro can kill enemies with up to five health chunks.

How to recruit Ibuki

To recruit Ibuki in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you must first unlock Yasuke and then travel to Kashiwara Village in the Iga region to start the quest “Ambush Interrupted.” During this quest, select the dialogue option “I have changed” when prompted, and later choose “I would exile him” to progress favorably. After completing this quest, the “Homecoming” quest will unlock, where you need to rescue Kyobei inside the nearby castle. To secure Ibuki’s recruitment, choose the dialogue option “Fight with us, Kyobei” and try to keep Kyobei alive during the fight. Following these steps and making the right dialogue choices will ensure Ibuki joins your League of the Hidden Blade as a valuable ally who excels at shattering enemy armor, enhancing your combat effectiveness.

Although Ibuki is a ronin, they still believe in fighting for those in need and not abandoning their moral principles. They do look for a place to belong and the League might be exactly what they need.

With Ibuki at your side, you can use their abilities to break enemies’ armors, making combat way easier to handle. You definitely want to summon them when dealing with samurais, for example.

To recruit Ibuki as your ally, you need to start the quest “Ambush Interrupted.” You can find it in Iga, south of Hijiyama. Ibuki will only speak if you’re playing as Yasuke, so be sure to go meet them while playing as the correct character.

Complete this quest to unlock the next one, “Homecoming.” This is a longer one in which you need to invade the Hijiyama Fort and save Ibuki’s brother. It’s crucial to choose the “Fight with us, Kyobei” dialogue option during this quest.

After the main battle is done and you can talk to Ibuki again, the option to recruit them will appear. Answer them by saying “You don’t have to be alone” to add Ibuki to your roster of allies.

Ibuki is a powerful ally but you must spend some time – and money! – leveling them up. They unlock the following skills on each rank:

Novice: Right when Ibuki joins the fight, they use impact attacks.
Initiate: Summon Ibuki to destroy the armor of nearby enemies when they arrive.
Veteran: In their strongest form, Ibuki will keep shattering enemies’ armor while they fight.

How to recruit Oni-Yuri

To recruit Oni-Yuri in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you need to complete two side quests in the Wakasa region, starting with “Sweet Lies” at Sotomo Gate near Tsuruga Castle. This area has high-level enemies, so it’s best to be around level 29 or higher. During the quests, choose to play as Naoe and select dialogue options that show trust and understanding toward Oni-Yuri. After completing “Sweet Lies,” proceed to “Sweet Revenge,” where you help Oni-Yuri retrieve stolen goods and defeat a samurai who kidnapped her. At the end, respond with “I understand” and “I will show you” to convince her to join your league as an ally, unlocking her abilities and the Toxin Master trophy.

Not every battle is won by crashing katanas or slashing enemies with hidden blades. Oni-Yuri is a master of toxins and life has taught her that trickery is as powerful a weapon as a sword or a teppo.

Oni-Yuri has pretty unique abilities as a companion. Like some others, she can support you by inflicting negative effects on enemies, like sleep or poisoning. She can also assist you in not calling too much attention if your infiltration plan doesn’t go as planned.

Recruit Oni-Yuri is possible once you start the “Sweet Lies” quest, which you find in Sotomo Gate, Wakasa. In all the conversations that take place during this quest, go with Naoe’s answers (“There is no evidence” and “There is still no evidence“). Completing this mission only requires a quick investigation, so there’s nothing to worry about here.

Oni-Yuri’s second quest, “Sweet Revenge,” makes you hunt the man who killed her father after retrieving her bag. Again, when the screen with dialogue options is prompted, choose Naoe’s option (“I understand“). In the final dialogue, you must answer with “I will show you” to recruit Oni-Yuri.

Now, if you want to use all the abilities and knowledge of this tricky girl, you must rank her up to unlock her full potential. These are the abilities she can use depending on her level.

Novice: Call Oni-Yuri and she will shoot a dart with toxins that put enemies to sleep.
Initiate: At this rank, she releases a venomous cloud which poisons enemies.
Veteran: Oni-Yuri is capable of delaying reinforcements called by enemies during an alert if you get her to this rank.

Discover the secrets behind recruiting all six allies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Secrets to Recruiting All Six Allies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows features six unique allies, each with their own abilities and recruitment challenges. Here’s how to find and recruit every one-plus the crucial choices you must make to secure their loyalty.

General Recruitment Tips

Allies are recruited through specific side quests and dialogue choices.
Some allies can be missed if you make the wrong decisions, so pay close attention to dialogue with “Impact Warning” prompts.
Building and upgrading the Dojo in your Hideout allows you to manage, train, and use more allies in combat.
Avoid playing in Canon Mode if you want full control over recruitment, as some choices are locked in this mode.

All Six Allies and How to Recruit Them

Ally Name	Where to Find	Key Quest(s)	Essential Recruitment Steps
Yaya	Osaka	Heads Will Roll, The Stray Dogs	Side with Yaya during “Heads Will Roll” by choosing “Killing them isn’t justice.” Forgive during “The Stray Dogs” quest.
Ibuki	Iga Province	Ambush Interrupted, Homecoming	In “Ambush Interrupted,” select “I have changed.” In “Homecoming,” choose “Fight with us, Kyobei” and “You don’t have to be alone”.
Oni-Yuri	Wakasa	Sweet Lies, Sweet Revenge	Found near Sotomo Gate by Tsuruga Castle. Complete both quests, then invite her to join.
Gennojo	Yamashiro	Multiple side quests	After killing a target from the Shinbakufu, complete Gennojo’s quests. Make quick, positive choices during a timed event to prevent his death and secure recruitment.
Yagoro	Harima	A Blade in the Dark	Unlocks after eliminating all Shinbakufu members. Track him, duel, then kill a samurai in Mitsunodo Hall. Invite Yagoro before completing the quest.
Katsuhime	Not specified in detail	Side quests in main story regions	Engage in her side quests and select supportive dialogue options to convince her to join.

Key Secrets:

Always choose supportive, forgiving, or cooperative dialogue options when recruiting allies-especially when prompted by an Impact Warning.
Some allies, like Gennojo, can die or refuse to join if you hesitate or make the wrong dialogue choice during their quests.
Building and upgrading the Dojo in your Hideout is essential for managing, training, and deploying multiple allies at once.
Not all characters in your Hideout are combat allies; only those recruited through the above quests can be summoned in battle.

Recruiting all six allies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows requires careful attention to questlines and dialogue. Miss a key choice, and you may lose your chance forever-so choose wisely and build the ultimate League of the Hidden Blade.

What are the key dialogue choices to successfully recruit all six allies

Key Dialogue Choices to Successfully Recruit All Six Allies

Recruiting all six allies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows requires careful attention to specific dialogue options during their questlines. Making the right choices-especially those marked with an “Impact Warning”-is essential, as the wrong response can permanently lock you out of recruiting an ally.

Yaya

In “Heads Will Roll”: Choose “Killing them isn’t justice.”
In “The Stray Dogs”: Select “We forgive him,” then “You need to forgive each other,” and finally “Let’s work together”.

Ibuki

In “Ambush Interrupted”: Select “I have changed.”
In “Homecoming”: Choose “Fight with us, Kyobei” and “You don’t have to be alone”.

Oni-yuri

In “Sweet Lies”: Avoid accusing her of poisoning the villagers.
In “Sweet Revenge”: Complete the quest without blaming her, then invite her to join.

Gennojo

In “Missing Missive”: Talk to the thief instead of killing him.
In “Sake and Swords”: Agree to join Gennojo.
In “Honor Among Thieves”: Choose “I’m keeping it then” when asked for the scroll.
In “The Godless Harvest”: Choose to soothe Gennojo rather than stop him or do nothing.

Katsuhime

In “Against the Koga-ryu”: Complete the questline.
In “The Diary of Lady Rokkaku”: Act quickly to save Katsuhime and kill Isono Kazumasa to rescue her. Carry her out and, when prompted, select “Yes, join us”.

Yagoro

Progress Yasuke’s questline to “The Lords of Azuchi.”
As Naoe, complete “Wolves and Foxes.”
In “Secrets of the Blade,” speak with Hattori Hanzo, leading to “A Blade in the Dark.”
In the final dialogue, choose “You have potential.” During the duel, ensure Yagoro submits, then select “It is a symbol” to recruit him.

Tips:

Always choose supportive, forgiving, or cooperative responses, especially when an Impact Warning appears.
Some choices are time-sensitive, so act quickly when prompted.
Missing a key dialogue can permanently prevent recruitment of that ally.

Following these dialogue choices will ensure you successfully recruit all six allies and maximize your strength in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.