Assassin’s Creed Shadows lets you pursue romance as both Naoe and Yasuke during your adventures in Japan. While these romantic relationships don’t significantly impact the main storyline, they add personal depth to your character’s journeys. This guide covers every romance option available and how to successfully pursue each relationship.
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How Does Assassin’s Creed Shadow Romance Work?
Romance in Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows a simple system. During conversations with potential love interests, you will notice some dialog options have a heart icon next to them. These flirty responses help build romantic connections with the characters.
As you progress through their questlines and consistently choose these heart-marked options, you will eventually encounter a special dialog choice marked with a Cupid heart. Selecting this option triggers an intimate scene between your character and their love interest. These scenes are tasteful rather than explicit, focusing on the emotional connection between the characters.
All Romance Options and How to Unlock Relationships for Naoe
Naoe, the female shinobi protagonist, has three romance options:
How to Romance Gennojo
Gennojo is a charismatic thief you meet early in the story. Despite his rough exterior, he harbors a tragic past and seeks vengeance. To romance Gennojo, you should follow these steps:
| Quest or Event | Location | Dialogue Choice or Details |
|---|---|---|
| Missing Missive | – | Complete Missing Missive quest in the main story where you first meet him. |
| Lost Honor | – | After finishing Lost Honor, find Gennojo in Yamashiro to start the Sake and Swords quest. |
| Sake and Swords | Yamashiro | • Choose “Depends what you’re offering” when talking with him. • Select “Show me, thief” at the end of the conversation. |
| Honor Among Thieves | Kyoto | Choose “I’m keeping it, then” during the final conversation. |
| Stolen Hearts | NW of Hills of Meeting, Kyoto | • Select “I’m here for you” when you first talk to him. • Choose “I’d like to embrace you” when prompted to trigger the romance scene. |
How to Romance Katsuhime
Katsuhime is a skilled teppo-wielding shinobi from another clan who shares Naoe’s strong personality. To romance Katsuhime:
| Quest or Event | Location | Dialogue Choice or Details |
|---|---|---|
| Showdown in Sakamoto | Naginata target storyline | • Meet her during Showdown in Sakamoto quest. • Choose “I like your teppo” when talking to her. |
| Letter from Katsuhime | The Shimmering Fields, Omi | • Find Katsuhime in The Shimmering Fields to start the quest. • Select “It offers time with me” when inviting her to join the league. |
| The Tales of Genin | Wakasa | • Complete the Tales of Genin quest. • Choose “I do enjoy your company” during your final conversation. |
| Diary of Lady Rokkaku | Starts in Ado River Valley | • Do the Diary of Lady Rokkaku quest. • Select “Yes. Join us” to recruit her as a companion. |
| The Jounin Pillow Book | Near Jogu Shrine, Wakasa | • Find Katsuhime near Jogu Shrine in Wakasa to start The Jounin Pillow Book quest. • Choose “Let’s find out” to express your feelings. • Select “Yes. Forever” to confirm the relationship. |
How to Romance Koshiro
Koshiro is a character you meet during the main story too in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. To romance him, you have to do these:
| Quest or Event | Location | Dialogue Choice or Details |
|---|---|---|
| Genzaburo’s Soldiers | Kitano Village | After meeting Koshiro in the main story, return to Kitano Village to start Genzaburo’s Soldiers quest. |
| The Leaf Turns | – | Complete the quest to unlock The Leaf Turns quest. |
| Retrieve Toolbox | Part of “The Leaf Turns” | Help Koshiro retrieve his toolbox. |
| Lover’s Lake Scene | Koshiro takes Naoe there | When he takes Naoe to Lover’s Lake, select the “Like me” dialog option to trigger the romantic scene. |
All Romance Options and How to Unlock Relationships for Yasuke
Yasuke, the samurai protagonist, has four romance options in Assassin’s Creed Shadows:
How to Romance Lady Oichi
Lady Oichi is the sister of daimyo Oda Nobunaga. This relationship creates a forbidden love dynamic across social boundaries in the game. If you want to romance Lady Oichi, you can follow these steps:
| Quest or Event | Location | Dialogue Choice |
|---|---|---|
| An Education | – | During the flashback mission An Education, choose “Some company might be nice” when talking to her. |
| The Wheel Unmasked | – | In this quest, choose to spare the Mourner. |
| The Wheel Turns | Hideout and Cat Island, Lake Biwa | • Start The Wheel Turns quest by reading Lady Oichi’s letter at your hideout. • Meet her at Cat Island in Lake Biwa. • When dealing with her daughters and a dog, either option works. • Select “Let’s enjoy the moment” when you talk to her to trigger the romance scene. |
How to Romance Hori Hidemasa
Hori Hidemasa can be found in the Otsu area of Omi. If you want to romance Hori Hidemasa, follow this simple guide:
| Quest or Event | Location | Dialogue Choice or Details |
|---|---|---|
| The Betrayers | Otsu, Omi | • Speak with him to start The Betrayers side quest. • Track down and deal with all of Nobunaga’s betrayers. • When completing the quest, choose “Meeting you was my reward” to trigger the romantic moment. |
How to Romance Ibuki
Ibuki is a ronin you can meet after progressing through part of the main story. To romance Ibuki:
| Quest or Event | Location | Dialogue Choice or Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ambush Interrupted | Hijiyama, Iga | • Find the Ambush Interrupted side quest in the Hijiyama area of Iga. • Complete this quest and the following Ibuki missions. |
| Putting Down Roots | – | In the Putting Down Roots side quest, choose “I want more than friendship” to initiate the romance. |
How to Romance Rin
Rin’s romance requires patience as it spans across multiple seasons. Here are the steps you need to do:
| Quest or Event | Location | Dialogue Choice |
|---|---|---|
| Arrow Strike | Gobo area, Kii | • Complete the Arrow Strike side quest by speaking with Yasha in the Gobo area on Kii’s southern coast. • Wait for another season change. |
| War Horse | – | • Complete this War Horse quest. • Wait for another season change. |
| Ride into Town | – | • Start Ride into Town, the final Rin-related quest. • If you’ve been flirting with Rin throughout these quests, select “I would like to kiss you” when prompted to trigger the romantic scene. |
Can You Romance Multiple Characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Yes! You can pursue all romance options in a single playthrough without any negative consequences. There’s no jealousy or competition between love interests, and romancing multiple characters won’t lock you out of any content. This applies to both protagonists, though Yasuke has more romance options than Naoe. The romance system works the same whether you have Canon Mode enabled or not.
Also Read:
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Things You Need to Know Before Playing
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows: All Allies and How to Recruit Them
- 12 Important Early-Game Things to Do in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Unlike some RPGs, romance in Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t provide gameplay advantages, special items, or abilities. The main benefit is experiencing additional character development and emotional storytelling. The game doesn’t feature ongoing relationships after the initial romantic scene, so don’t expect dates or relationship management mechanics. Each romance is essentially a self-contained story that adds depth to your character’s journey.
