All Assassin’s Creed Shadows endings explained

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has multiple paths to its ending, here’s how to unlock each one and what they mean for the wider story in the battle against the Templars. Spoilers lurk below.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has multiple separate endings that stack together to form one complete ending. These include an ending for both main characters, Naoe and Yasuke, a third for the overall story, and another secret fourth one that serves as an epilogue.

Each ending has subtle differences depending on the choices you make throughout the game, but in truth, they are all very similar. The variants just differ between certain character fates, and how far each character went in discovering the truth about the Assassins. Therefore, below, we’ll focus on how to get the best and most complete endings for all characters and the main story.

Of course, if you’re playing in Canon Mode, you’ll see the one true and official ending, but it also means you won’t get to alter the narrative through choices. Unlike most Assassin’s Creed games, Shadows is a good old-fashioned revenge story and doesn’t get bogged down by the Assassins versus Templars story too much. However, by the end, both Yasuke and Naoe are very much involved in the ancient conflict.

How to get Naoe’s best ending

To unlock the best version of Naoe’s ending, you’ll need to complete her four main quests and do the following in each:

• Before The Fall – Complete Naoe’s backstory at any of the Kuji-kiri locations.
• Wolves and Foxes – Kill the attacking enemies at Uji Tawara, then speak to Hattori Hanzo.
• Secrets of the Blade – Enter the Tomb of the Ancients.
• The Meaning of the Blade – Enter the Sakafuneishi Ruins, then speak to Hattori Hanzo.

Finally, you’ll need to forgive Hanzo when given the option. This can also happen after fighting and defeating him. Hanzo being alive and allied to Naoe is the major difference between her “Good Ending” and the standard one.

There are also some Naoe quests to complete the Assassin Outposts, but these are optional and have no bearing on the ending. You can complete them after the main story has finished if you like.

How to get Yasuke’s best ending

You’ll need to have already completed some of the Shunbakufo assassinations before Yasuke’s quests appear, so if they haven’t unlocked yet, kill some more targets as Naoe.

Once they do, complete the following actions in the below quests:

• Dark Waves, Black Ships – Find the note in the Trading Port of Obama, then light the signal fires.
• My Name is Yasuke – Kill Duarte de Melo.
• The Path He Walks – Make sure you speak with Luis Frois.

Once these are done you’ll be given more quests, but you’ll also need to complete the Shinbakufu quests to trigger both endings or at least progress through the targets enough to trigger Yasuke’s final tasks.

These, and the quests they’re part of, are as follows:

• Fighting for the Cause – Follow Kumabe Ujie and kill him.
• The Silver Queen – Rendezvous with the Silver Queen in Tada.
• A Promise – Rescue Akechi Mitsuyoshi and retrieve his sword.
• End of the Line – Kill Nuno Caro and his goons.

Once these quests and tasks have been completed, Yasuke’s best ending will play out.

However, for the true and best ending in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you’ll need to complete the Shinbakufu quests and unlock the hidden epilogue.

Shinbakufu ending

The Shinbakufu ending sits alongside both characters’ endings. To unlock it, you’ll need to complete all the quests associated with hunting down each of the targets, and then ensure you’ve assassinated them all. This is the meat of Shadow’s gameplay, so you’ll spend most of your time hunting and slaying these elusive targets.

Here is each target you’ll need to hunt and kill, along with their true identity and location:

Target	Real Identity	Location
The Samurai	Ido Yoshihiro	Iga (During the Prologue)
The Golden Teppo	Wakasa	Izumi Settsu
The Wounded	Wada Koretaka	Amagasaki Castle
The Fool	Ise Sadaoki	Yamashiro
The Ox	Bessho Harumasa	Miki Castle
The Noble	Ukita Naoie	Himeji Castle
The Mourner / The Wheel	Lady Oichi	Hogonji Temple
The Naginata	Akechi Kagemitsu	Sakamoto Castle
The Wise	Joken Hokkyo	Kofukiji Temple
The Fox	Takeda Motaki	Samurai Yashiki District
The Two-Faced	Akechi Mitsuhide	Oyamazaki Village
The Horseman	Ashikaga Yoshiaki	Kuramadera Temple

Feel free to kill all the targets before completing both Naoe and Yasuke’s quests, as the ending won’t trigger until those have finished.

Unlocking the hidden epilogue

The epilogue plays out after the credits have rolled, but you can lay the groundwork for it before this. Essentially, you’ll need to work through Junjiro’s quests and then complete the final one for Tomiko, while completing certain tasks within them.

Here are the quests and tasks you’ll need to complete to unlock the hidden ending:

• Raise a Cup – Meet at the campfire within the hideout.
• Eyes on the Future – Find the Tanuki for Junjiro.
• A Different Kind of Samurai – Perform the kata for Junjiro while playing as Yasuke.
• Soup for Sorin – Help Junjiro find ingredients for soup.
• The Pilgrimage – Speak to Sorin.
• Leaving a Mark – Find Junjiro’s banner located in the hideout.
• Out of the Shadows – Speak with Tomiko and the others in the hideout.

The epilogue will also unlock Naoe’s Master Assassin gear, which makes her even more deadly when stealth-killing enemies. It also signifies the beginning of the Assassin’s Brotherhood in Japan.

Best ending explained

In many ways, the best ending in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is just the start of the story, as the upcoming DLC will keep it going. Both Yasuke and Naoe have achieved their revenge, but in killing the members of the Shinbakufu, they’ve caught the attention of the Templar Order – who Yasuke has also declared war on.

Having Naoe forgive Hanzo will see both her and Yasuke welcomed into the ranks of the Assassin Brotherhood, with Hanzo sending her a Grand Master’s hood in the epilogue. Naoe always had a connection to the Assassins, and Yasuke’s past was also tied up with them, leading him to seek the truth about the mysterious group.

Now, the pair and their allies know the Templars are coming for them and the First Civilization artifacts they hold, but they have time to build their resistance and rally Japan against the inevitable attack.