Rise of the Ronin: Important choices and factions Rise of the Ronin guide, tips

Rise of the Ronin features important plot choices and factions of shogunate supporters and shogunate opponents to ally with. We've described how the game's decision-making works and how to influence the conversation with special dialogue options.

Last update: 25 March 2024

While playing Rise of the Ronin, you may come across minor and major plot choices. Our guide describes the premises of these choices and explains factions - Pro- and Anti-Shogunate. You will learn how you can alter the course of the game by cooperating with certain factions and what benefits await you for doing it. The last topic on this page concerns special dialogue options - how to unlock them and what their impact is on the conversations.

• Story choices in missions
• Testament of the Soul
• Pro- and Anti-shogunate
• Dialogue options - minor choices

Story choices in missions

1. The first important choice appears after winning the fight with Gonzo. Your character can spare the bandit leader or finish him off. You can experience similar plot choices in the further parts of the game.
2. You won't always know the consequences of your decision right away. In the case of Gonzo, sparing him will cause him to reappear later in the campaign. You will gain access to his side quest and Gonzo himself will be able to become one of the protagonist's companions.

Testament of the Soul

1. The easiest way to change your mind is to create a manual save before making an important choice. After learning the consequences of your decision, you can load the previous game save and try a different option.
2. After arriving in Edo at the end of Chapter 1, you will gain access to the so-called Testament of the Soul. It's a book that allows to replay previous missions. You can use this to check other decisions.
3. The first tab of the Testament of the Soul contains a timeline, where all completed quests are displayed. Choices are also visible there - for example, the choice whether to spare Gonzo. You can replay the mission and change the course of the story.

Pro- and Anti-shogunate

1. Important choices may also be related to the entire campaign, which you will learn about during Act 1. In the main mission Follow Your Blade Twin you will meet two hostile factions - Anti-shogunate (green) and Pro-shogunate (purple).
2. Each of the factions has its own separate tab in the Bonds menu. By cooperating with a particular group, you can advance to the next bond levels and unlock new rewards (e.g. new title or a consumable item to increase your stats).
3. Each faction has its own base - in the case of Yokohama, these are the Sakura Inn (Anti-shogunate) and the Yokohama Grand Villa (Pro-shogunate). You can meet traders or representatives of a particular faction there.

1. You can receive missions related to a specific faction - a faction mission will then have an appropriate note in the journal. Completing this quest will improve your bond level with this group.
2. In some story quests, you will have to choose between the factions to complete a mission. See the screenshots for examples of this. Before heading to the consulate in Yokohama in the Follow Your Blade Twin quest, you must meet a representative of the consulate's enemies or supporters. This will affect the course of the mission, as each faction has its own separate objectives.

1. You don't have to commit to a given faction for the entire game. Completing the main mission for faction X will not lock you out of developing relations with faction Y.
2. The previously described Testament of the Soul can also be used to repeat faction missions. The timeline displays information about the faction you have chosen - in the attached screenshot, it is the meeting with Taka and completing a Pro-shogunate mission. You can replay a given mission and choose a different faction to see a different course of events.

1. Once you unlock travelling in Edo, you may notice that some areas of the map are controlled by a specific faction - they'll be marked with a corresponding color.
2. Participating in activities in a certain area will strengthen your bond with this location. There may be a situation where the area becomes liberated from a particular faction. As a result, you will receive bond points for the faction opposing the one that controlled the liberated area. This may allow you to gain access to the rewards of the faction you helped faster.
3. Liberating areas doesn't have any negative consequences. Your bond with the faction that lost control over a certain area as a result of your actions will not deteriorate.

Dialogue options - minor choices

1. In addition to important plot choices in the game, there are minor choices that are associated with special dialogue options - an example of such a choice is shown in the screenshot.
2. Using a special dialogue option can, for example, strengthen the bond with a particular interlocutor, make it possible to avoid a fight, avoid giving a bribe or lead to receiving an additional reward from the interlocutor.

Special dialogue options are related to skills - you must first unlock at least their first levels on the skill trees. The skills are the following:

1. Speechcraft Liar from the Charm category - you can lie to your interlocutors.
2. Speechcraft Persuade from the Intellect category - you can sway your interlocutor's opinion in your favor.
3. Speechcraft Intimidate from the Strength category - you can intimidate your interlocutors.