Since being handpicked by Nobunaga himself at the start of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Yasuke has taken the teachings of his sensei, the sword-master Nobutsuna, to heart, learning the ways of the samurai and becoming a formidable warrior in the process.
However, to prove his worth as the greatest of all of Nobutsuna’s many legendary students, Yasuke must find them in their scattered hiding places across Japan and duel them in their respective disciplines.
Whether it’s the spear-like naginata, the uncompromising kanabo, a new-fangled invention like the teppo, the graceful bow and arrow, or a samurai’s signature weapon, the long-bladed katana, Yasuke must show he has mastered each marital art to truly know that he’s the best.
To help you claim that glory for yourself, here’s where to find all of Nobutsuna’s students and defeat them in a duel.
Where to find Nobutsuna
In the outskirts of Azuchi, Nobutsuna’s House is outside of the castle walls, on the edge of town, near the Kakurega.
You find him tending his bonsai in his yard, and after a brief conversation he asks Yasuke to open the scroll he gave to him many months ago and look for the legendary students across Japan.
Depending on where you are in Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ main story, Nobutsuna’s students occupy a range of levels, but the highest is 37. Given the great rewards you get from completing this list of targets, you can argue that you should either finish it as soon as possible or wait so the items you receive aren’t underlevelled for the late game, depending on how many upgrade materials and gold you have stashed away.
Nobutsuna’s Students locations
Below we’ve embedded an interactive map showing the locations of all of Nobutsuna’s Students, before discussing how to defeat them all in a duel in the rest of the page:
On this page:
Marume Nagayoshi
Marume is in Omi and you track him down by finding his duel notices.
Travel to Azuchi in Omi and go to the western part of the city, outside of the castle walls. Near the ornament vendor as you approach the harbor, you will see people discussing the notices next to the bridge.
On the other side of the bridge, to the right of the trade harbor, you find Marume on the beach.
Talk to him there and challenge him to a duel. Relay your master’s teaching by saying that you need to respond, not react, but either way he accepts. This is probably the most straightforward of all of the fights in the entire quest, and you can brute force your way through by spamming your abilities.
When you defeat him, you get the Heartseeker amulet and the +15% to stats with only a Kanabo equipped engraving.
Asari Nobutane
Next, in the southern region of Kii, you search for Asari Nobutane. After defeating the easiest of Nobutsuna’s Student’s, Asari Nobutane is by far the most difficult.
To learn more about his location, speak to the Teppo Merchant in Negoroji. You find the merchant to the south of town, just next to the bridge across the river. Step in to defend him against the aggressive duelists and you’ll have your location: a bamboo grove nearby.
Head north into town and you find the bamboo grove next to the Kakurega. Speak to Asari there and challenge him to a duel. However, rather than a traditional sword battle, this takes place as a sniper duel, teppo-against-teppo.
It’s a difficult and annoying fight since he targets the explosive barrels around the grove rather than you and chucks explosive grenades which, surely, negate the whole point of the gun-to-gun duel if you’re just allowed to use whatever extras you like.
Either way, turn his trick against him and make sure to shoot the red jars at his feet rather than him while you can. Be aware, he can also still shoot you while throwing a smoke bomb to teleport to another part of the arena (even though he’s visibly not pointing his gun at you).
The best way I found to tackle this fight is to constantly sprint around at medium range, that way he seemed reluctant to reach for the ridiculous grenades and missed most of his shots. Then, when you get in close, he seems to get baited into trying to grab you. As he follows you run towards the red jars and shoot them out from under his feet. This way they do a lot of damage and he’s not dealing damage to you in response.
If you run out of teppo shots, there are refill boxes all around the arena.
Once you’ve emerged victorious from the sweatiest fight in the whole game, you get the Dark Burst Teppo, which shoots multiple bullets with one shot, and its unique engraving.
Hozoin In’ei
Your next target is Hozoin In’ei in Yamato, where you get the quest Bandit Attack to learn his location.
To track down the travellers you need to aid, you get the following three clues:
- They are in Yamato
- They are in southeastern Asuka Rocks Basin
- They are being ambushed up on a mountain
You find the civilians just to the west of Ryumongadake Vista, just north of the river that flows through the middle of Yamato.
Join their fight against the bandits and you’re given Hozoin’s location, just to the east at Choanji Yakushido.
Speak to him and buckle up for a Kanabo battle, which, if you’ve unlocked pretty much any of the abilities on the skill tree, is easy to force your way through. On his defeat, Hozoin gives you the Phantom Fist Kanabo and the Faster charged posture engraving.
Nagano Saemon
Next on your list is the northern province of Wakasa. You’re given a quest to aid an ashigaru soldier with the following clues:
- He is in Wakasa
- He is in northwestern Sotomo Gate
- He is at a beach near the northern bay
Sotomo Gate is the northernmost part of Wakasa, near the port city of Tsuruga. Up and to the left of the city, on the peninsula that goes out into the sea, you find wounded soldiers writhing in the sand. Speak to the dying man and he tells you of an archer to the northwest – Nobutsuna’s legendary student.
Continue further towards the edge of the peninsula along the beach and you’ll reach Sotomo Cove. Examine the body in the middle of the cove and Saemon will reveal himself.
What follows is a similar sniper duel as with the Teppo, only much, much easier since Saemon cheats not nearly as much. He teleports around the arena and looses some barrages of arrows, but the trick is to look for the second puff of smoke to track down his position, then loose an arrow before he can get off an attack. However, be ready to dodge as soon as you’ve let go of your own attack; just like the Teppo master, Saemon can also fire arrows while he’s visibly staggering or throwing a smoke bomb.
When he teleports close in to you, don’t bother with a kick, he completely tanks it. Also, this protracted archery battle is a good opportunity to go for the Adventurer trophy and hit him with an arrow to the knee.
For winning the duel you get the Bloody Rain Bow and Arrows on Dead Body engraving.
Yagyu Munetoshi
That’s it for Nobutsuna’s students who’re attached to quests, and you just have to find the rest from the clues you’re given. For Munetoshi, you’re working with the following information:
- He is in Yamato
- He is north of Takatori
- He is praying atop Mount Miwa
Takatori is right in the middle of Yamato province and Mount Miwa is in the viewpoint just to the north of where it says Takatori on the map. The most convenient way there is the Uda Town Kakurega just to the northeast.
Just at the top of the mountain path you find Munetoshi. Speak to him and with some coaxing he agrees to duel you.
While this is a relatively straightforward fight, he’s still a formidable opponent. All of his attacks are red unblockables, reflecting his exemplary technique. If you’re struggling, you can use the Protector Armor which lets you parry red attacks.
When you win, you get the Rat Tail Finisher Amulet which gives +1% adrenaline gain for each point in Naginata, as well as its unique engraving. Hungry for a renewed purpose, Munetoshi also joins your crew as a scout.
Yuki no Kata
Finally, your next target is out west and you’re given the following three clues:
- The warrior is in Harima
- They are in northwestern Kakogawa Estuary
- They are at Ishnohoden Shrine
Kakogawa Estuary is in the south of Harima and Ishnohoden Shrine is to the southeast of Himeji.
As you approach the shrine you see an armor-clad samurai injured on the ground. Hold the interact button to revive him, then ask him what’s the matter. He says that he was defeated by another student who waits to duel you nearby.
Enter the arena in front of you and you come face-to-face with Yuki no Kata. If you’ve seen any samurai movies or Shogun, you’ll know that female retainers were often trained to use the naginata to deadly effect and Yuki is no exception.
She has a huge armoured health bar and uses the long reach of her weapon to full advantage, including the same jumping ability you have access to against you. To whittle down her life bar, spam your own abilities and build up adrenaline where possible, but this fight is more a question of stamina than difficulty. Keep your and don’t overcommit, otherwise she can rush down your health bar quickly.
When you win, you get the Celestial Blade Naginata, which has the incredible auto-parry on block engraving.
The Sword Master
Finally, return to the outskirts of Azuchi to take your sensei up on his offer to share a cup of sake.
Then, for your final challenge, you must show true loyalty and defeat Nobutsuna’s long-time rival, Sanada Masatoyo.
He also lives in the same province, with the following guidance given:
- He is in Omi
- He is in northwestern Suzuka Foothills
- His estate is near a swamp
While an estate near a swamp doesn’t sound that nice, Sanada Estate is lovely but likely located in an area you’ve not ridden through.
To find Sanada, you need to ride north from Azuchi towards Nagahama, then about half way up on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, you find your target. The Sanada Estate is just to the northwest of where you see Suzuka Foothills on the map.
When you arrive, dismount, approach the door and open it. After the cutscene, engage in the ultimate duel. Sanada’s bleed-based attacks with powerful unblockable strikes are strong, but easy enough to avoid. Without the aid of an armor health bar, Sanada is a squishy target who’s no match for repeated abilities.
As you claim victory, Yasuke reflects on his master’s teachings and takes the Crimson’s Edge katana for himself, as well as the instant kill from bleed engraving.
This sword makes getting one of the trickier-seeming trophies on the list trivial, and is easily one of the more unique and powerful weapons you can find throughout your adventure. Carry it well into your next battle and write the legacy of Nobtsuna’s greatest student!
For more Assassin’s Creed Shadows action, check out our other walkthrough guides as well as our pages on the Iron Hand Guild locations, the Godai Shinobi, and Yamabushi Imposters locations.