As you begin to pursue the members of the Shinbakufu who killed Naoe’s father inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, you’ll eventually have to attend a tea ceremony, where you’ll be faced with a pivotal choice. Besides Naoe, there are three guests: Otama, Wakasa, and Satoko, all of whom Naoe suspects of being the woman with the golden teppo who participated in her father’s murder. Otama is openly antagonistic, Satoko seems like she would rather be anywhere else, and Wakasa is friendly, though coy.
Through rigid pleasantries and veiled insults,Naoe must deduce which of the three tea ceremony attendees is allied with her father’s killerin order to movethe main quest ofAC Shadowsforward. In the end, this comes down to a decision overwhich of the guests she needs to confront. While she eliminates Satoko out of hand due to her general apathy, she senses that either Wakasa or Otama must know something they’re not letting on. But which one should she press for more information, and what happens when she does?
What Happens If You Confront Otama?
Pros & Cons Of Choosing Otama
Otama is openly antagonistictowards Naoe from the moment they meet, insulting everything from her method of dress to what she perceives as a generally unrefined attitude. Naoe even comments on this - it seems entirely possible that Otama knows exactly who she is, and her rudeness stems from a far deeper, more personal kind of rage. But at the same time, it seems unlikely that anyone involved with the Shinbakufu, an organization that goes to such great lengths to conceal its members' identities, would be so trite and transparent.
If you choose to confront Otama, of course,you’ll very quickly discover that she was the wrong choice. Naoe will chase her down through the streets of Sakai, eventually cornering and assassinating her. On her body, you’ll find a discouraging letter from Otama to none other than Wakasa. In it, she reveals that,while she commissioned a golden teppo like one that Wakasa owns, she never received it- she believes Wakasa kept it from her intentionally. And thus, she could never have been Naoe’s father’s killer.
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Still, Naoe feels no guilt over assassinating Otama. As she says, Otama was clearly corrupt, and a genuinely unpleasant person - she won’t be terribly missed. However, she does regret that her true target, Wakasa, has fled the tea party, and is nowhere to be found. Thankfully,Wakasa revealed the location of her home base - Osaka Castle -during an earlier conversation, so Naoe knows exactly where to find her.
Just don’t expect finding her to be easy. What follows here is a much more traditional assassination: you’ll have to infiltrate the heavily fortified Osaka Castle, find Wakasa with your Eagle Eye, and either engage her in combat directly or stab her in the back. While this sequence is far from the hardeststealth challenge you’ll face inAC Shadows,it is significantly more difficult (and time-consuming) than choosing Wakasawhen you first have the chance.
As far as I can tell,there don’t seem to be any long-term story consequences for confronting Otamaover Wakasa. I haven’t seen Otama’s family come to avenge her, and it’s not like Naoe’s choice to go after her first delays her pursuit of a bigger, more pressing target. Nor is there any difference in rewards, other than whatever paltry loot you might get from Otama’s body. The main difference is that choosing Otama wastes more of your - the player’s - time.
What Happens If You Confront Wakasa?
Pros & Cons Of Going After Wakasa
Naoe is initially reluctant to confront Wakasa because of the kindness and patience she’s shown during the tea ceremony. But it’s always the ones you least suspect -Wakasa is indeed the Golden Teppo, as she’ll reveal shortly (and unknowingly) after taking you back to her rooms in Osaka Castle.
Confronting Wakasa is considered thecanon choice inAC Shadows.
This way,you get to skip past all the guards and the stealth, and get right to your enemy’s location, where she welcomes you as a friend - no subterfuge needed. She’ll give you a little villain monologue, going over some of her activities in the region, until she reveals the not-so-subtly displayed rifle on her wall. In a brilliant moment of retribution, you’ll get the opportunity to interact with the rifle - Naoe will grab it off the wall and point it at Wakasa, who immediately realizes why she’s there.
Should You Kill Or Spare Wakasa?
Pros & Cons Of Letting Wakasa Live
At gunpoint, Wakasa makes Naoe a deal: let her live, and she’ll show Naoe the location of the box that was stolen from her father. Here, you have a choice either tospare Wakasa or kill her immediately, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter. If you choose to kill her, Naoe will aim and shoot instantly, ending the quest and allowing you to move on to the next chapter.
If you do decide to spare her, Wakasa will promise to help you, but only if you let her lead you directly to the location rather than just telling you. She realizes that, if she tells Naoe outright, she has no reason to keep her alive; but at the same time, Naoe realizes that, if she lets Wakasa walk, she’ll just run away as soon as she gets through the door, leaving Naoe deep behind enemy lines. So,even if you choose to spare her, Naoe winds up killing Wakasa anyway, understanding that there’s no other option.
You Should Confront Wakasa
Save Yourself Time & Sanity
In case you haven’t figured it out,confronting Wakasa is the best option inAssassin’s Creed Shadows. It saves you a lot of time and energy, and makes completing this quest much easier. Sure, you’ll miss out on the satisfaction of getting revenge on Otama, but ultimately, it’s an empty victory that leaves another person needlessly dead. Confronting Wakasa first gets the job done quicker, and more cleanly, with no one else involved unnecessarily.
As an extra bonus, the scene you get for immediately confronting Wakasa is far cooler and more meaningful than anything you get by confronting Otama first. If for no other reason than narrative, you should always choose to confront Wakasa inAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
