Ibuki is one of the allies and romance options available within your adventure in Assassin's Creed Shadows when playing as Yasuke. However, in order to do either, we will need to complete a few quests first.
Ibuki is a good ally to have and also offers Yasuke one of many romance options in the game. Ibuki is also linked to The Ronin trophy, which is required if we want to fully complete the game. To begin to recruit Ibuki, we must, of course, first unlock Yasuke, after which we need to travel to Hijiyama in the Iga region shown below to start the first part of the quest.
To learn where they are and how to get them, follow our steps below.
How to Recruit Ibuki
To begin, we need to find Ibuki and complete the Ambush Interrupted quest. We went over the steps in detail during our The Ronin trophy guide, so here's a TLDR:
- Head to the location shown on the image above and start the Ambush Interrupted quest
- Make sure during the first dialogue section, you select "I have changed" when prompted
- Continue the quest until you speak to Ibuki again after the fight
- You will now get another dialogue prompt where you must select "I would forgive him"
Once this is done, you will get The Ronin trophy and Ibuki will leave us. Before they do, however, they will inform us that we should meet up again in future. We can find Ibuki once again in Hijiyama, shown below.
This is where we get our first chance to begin our romance with Ibuki. We will get a few options, but it's important to take them up on at least one of them to get the final romance option, if you want to.
Once you speak to Ibuki, you will get the next set of dialogue options. If you wish to romance Ibuki, now is a good time to select "I am here to help." Clicking on "Maybe you're overthinking it" will also progress the story.
The task offered by Ibuki is simple. Head inside the nearby castle, fight your way to the end and rescue Kyobei.
Kyobei isn't in a good spot, so you'll need to decide what to do next. To recruit or romance Ibuki, however, we have a crucial option coming up once again.
To recruit or romance Ibuki, you must select "Fight with us, Kyobei," which keeps Ibuki happy and on your side. Now you will have to deal with the person trying to execute Kyobei. It is possible for Kyobei to die in this section; we actually killed him ourselves by mistake. Either way, the quest will progress when you speak to Ibuki. They will then leave the area, where we will need to find them once again.
Next, head over to where Ibuki is waiting and help them deal with issues of their past. We will also get another romance dialogue option here. If you wish to romance Ibuki, you need to select "Your mind works in beautiful ways." If not, then select the other option for "This conversation is over my head." The conversation will continue regardless of which one you select. In the next option, you can select "You don't have to be alone" to get Ibuki to join the League. Selecting the other option will see the pair part ways.
The next final part of the quest is to head back to our Hideout and speak to Ibuki again. The quest Putting Down Roots is the last chance to trigger the romance option if you wish to do so. Talk to Ibuki in the hideout, and they'll say the Hideout needs more colour. You can select "You have lovely eyes." This will trigger the final quest between the pair, which will see Yasuke head off back near the first quest location to gather three flowers.
Head to the location above and pick the three sets of flowers for Ibuki. They are easy to spot, but using the Observe mode can help spot them. Two of the flowers are outside an enemy camp. However, one set is inside. You will need to either run in and grab them or fight the enemies to complete this quest.
Once this is done, head back to the Hideout and speak to Ibuki to end the quest chain. Doing so will give you some XP and a decoration for your Hideout. Selecting the option "I want more than friendship," here will begin the romance cinematic. Selecting "I'm glad we're friends" will skip the romance option. Neither option matters from a gameplay point of view.
Ibuki Ally Abilities
Ibuki is an okay ally to have, as they are purely a fighter; however, they don't offer much outside of just taking an enemy off you. Their passive at the Initiate rank allows them to shatter the armor of a nearby enemy, which can help when fighting larger foes. The rest of their kit is fairly standard, making them a good option for those looking to add an extra body in the fight.
Pro tip: You can upgrade your allies at a Dojo, with level 3 being required for the Veteran rank.
| Rank | Ability | Description |
| Novice | Petals in the Wind | Ibuki joins the fight and deals impact attacks |
| Initiate | Strike of the Ronin | When joining the fight, Ibuki shatters the armor of nearby enemies |
| Veteran | Blade of Fujin | Ibuki will often use Strike of the Ronin while fighting |
FAQ
Do you have to romance Ibuki
No, Ibuki's romance option is entirely up to you. It offers no gameplay changes or any secret trophies.
What is Ibuki's gender
Ibuki is the first non-binary character in AC Shadows. They have a romance option with Yasuke and are referred to with they/pronounce in English-speaking dialogue.
Can Naoe Recruit or romance Ibuki
No, the quests around Ibuki are locked off for Yasuke.
