Needless to say, Ghost of Tsushima duels are like a breath of fresh air on a hot day. In our playthrough, we only found some bosses difficult to beat, which is this article’s focus. We’ve highlighted the boss fights that are the most challenging for Jin Sakai despite his god-level parrying skills. We also included tips on how players can beat them. One-versus-one fights like this are sublime because you can now pick on something your own size.
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General Temuge
General Temuge is the toughest soldier in Khoutan Khan’s army because he uses both a shield and sword. Jin, due to his past as a samurai, favours a katana and tanto for assassinations – He doesn’t use a shield. But due to the Water Stance, there’s no need for one. Instead, all you have to do is dodge. Dodge what?
- His flaming sword strikes and his unblockable shield bashes.
He’s a terrifying opponent because of his huge health and stamina bars. So, breaking his spirit and stance to deliver a mortal blow is one of the most satisfying kills in the game. To crown your efforts, you’ll be given the Ghost Stance after killing Temuge.
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Yasuhira Koga
Beating Yasuhira in mortal combat is a sweet experience because he’s a traitor, having sided with the Mongols upon seeing their war tactics and experience. In short, he’s a coward that the game tasks players with defeating. Once you enter the fray with Koga, you’ll soon recognise why the Mongols kept him around. Players will encounter Yasuhira early in the game in the first Mystic Tale which is the reason why he’s a difficult adversary. Having the bare minimum health and armor to defeat him makes pulling a comeback when you’re at death’s door even sweeter.
Nevertheless, this is the first boss battle that teaches you one thing;
- Always observe the enemy’s movesets before attacking with all your might.
- This way, you can defeat Koga at his own game – Clairvoyance.
This boss battle is memorable because Yasuhira prefers to sidestep your slashes because he’s quick with his foot. Having quick feet lets him attack when your guard is down and eat through your health like a pen through wet paper. You can cheese the fight by postponing the fight until you’ve upgraded your armor and health.
Kojiro
Kojiro’s greatest strength is high health and stamina bar making him hard to stagger. He’s a terrific boss to fight because you only get to beat him after you’ve eliminated the five Straw Hat Ronins. Kojiro is a sadistic bastard that should be put down because he brags about the number of kills under his name. Despite his resolve not to die, you can make short work of this boss battle by being aggressive. His attacks have a great range so even when you think you’ve dodged all his strikes, you’ll soon discover otherwise.
Parrying will also help players win this fight because it leaves Kojiro open to your attacks. But of course, being the swift swordsman he is, you’ll need some quick fingers. While the fight itself is terrific because of the amount of work required to beat the Straw Hat Ronin’s, your rewards are underwhelming. Players will be awarded Kojiro’s Armor which underperforms despite all the bloodshed you put into getting it.
Ryuzo
Ryuzo is Jin’s childhood friend who reneged and sided with the Mongols because of his men. In other words, he’s a traitor but he does show some regret at his actions. Still, his loyalty to his men is rock solid so he comes at you with the intent to kill. But unlike all the other bosses you’ve encountered so far, his attacks are unpredictable.
So parrying his blows is difficult. Instead, what you want do is:
- Dodge his attacks glowing in red and get as far away from him as possible.
- Cure yourself when you clash swords.
- Heavy attacks will get through his defence when he’s speaking.
The Eagle
The Eagle is introduced alongside the Iki Island DLC. To Mongolians, she’s known as Ankhsar Khatun and she’s a worthy foe because she’s splendid with a spear and sword. To keep up with her wide variety of attacks, Jin has to constantly switch stances which isn’t an easy feat.
It’s one of those fights where we recommend you save your resolve for healing Jin, rather than performing special attacks. This is because her combos will deplete most of your character’s health in mere seconds. More so her annoying spin attacks which she performs with the spear. Since she’s as nimble as Jin, our advice is simple.
- Parry more to create openings in her defence for some heavy attacks.
Khoutan Khan
Khoutan Khan is the final boss of the main campaign and beating him is an excellent climax to Jin’s story. Khoutan prefers a polearm which is unlike any other weapon players have faced so far in the game. But the reason why he’s a deadly fighter is because he’s faster than you think he is.
Large muscles for bashing brains and the explosive speed to whack his opponents in quick succession is an excellent mix. It means you shouldn’t be on the receiving end of his combos because he can flatten Jin’s health with just a few hits. Nevertheless Khoutan is still a tank and he’s not as nimble as smaller adversaries you’ve faced before. This means he can soak up hits and attack with a staff which is hard to dodge, by the way. How to beat him?
- Always parry his blockable attacks because you’ll be able to sneak in some critical hits.
- Heal yourself whenever you clash (Sword-to-Polearm).
- Interrupt his speeches with heavy attacks.
Lord Shimura
Lord Shimura’s fight hits the hardest because he trained Jin from the start right until he became a master swordsman. The best one the Shimura clan has known! But because Jin is now a Ronin, one, whose head is wanted on a spike by the Feudal Lord, this is anything but a happy reunion. Players get to battle Jin’s old uncle in the epilogue of the game.
Despite his old age, the experienced Samurai is quite agile and nimble throwing out stabs and slashes with ease. It makes us wonder how the fight would go if he was in his prime. Like many other boss fights, you can only weaken his stance by parrying his blows. This fight is hard because nobody wants to beat Jin’s uncle – Not after all he has given. So, like before;
- Just heal whenever he’s talking or during any clash of swords.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who’s the Hardest to Duel in Ghost of Tsushima?
The hardest duel in Ghost of Tsushima has to be the Eagle. There’s a reason why she’s a conqueror and leader of a large Mongolian battalion. That’s because of her fighting skills and ruthless mentality which she shares with her soldiers. But the Eagle’s combination of a spear and sword is the reason why she’s so fierce. You won’t really know which weapon one she’ll attack with until it’s too late.
Can You Beat the Ghost of Tsushima without Being Dishonourable?
No, you can’t beat Ghost of Tsushima without being dishonourable. Jin Sakai will be forced to deal with the Mongols using methods that the Samurais frown upon. Also, the video games don’t feature any moral gauge or reputation system, so you’re free to deal with enemies however you want.
Who’s the Hero Jin Sakai in the Real World?
The actor who played Jin Sakai is Daisuke Tsuji, a Kuwaiti-born American who is also known for his performance in the TV series, The Man in the High Castle. Jin Sakai is a fictional character but his skills, life, struggles, and success are mirrored by warriors of the time when the Mongols invaded Tsushima.