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The Shinobi fighting stances inRise of the Roninare both powerful and stylish, even with their innate disadvantage against everything. They may not be as effective in an upfront fight, but once players starthitting their Countersparks, they become extremely effective against all targets.
Among the manycombat styles inRise of the Ronin, only two of them fall under the Shinobi category. One can be obtained fairly early into the game, while the other is reserved for much later.
How to Get The Hayabusa-ryu Style in Rise of the Ronin
Hayabusa-ryu is a direct reference totheNinja Gaidenseries, and it features the iconic Suplex move as one of its Martial Skills. To get it, players need toestablish a Bond with Yasusuke Sawamura. To do so, you need to complete the following steps during Act 1 in Yokohama:
If Yukichi Fukuzawa isn’t present in the Grand Villa for whatever reason, complete the Black Jewel side quest in western Yokohama and get Matthew Perry’s bond to level 2 first.
Ninja Villa Location in Edo
If you want to upgrade the Hayabusa-ryu style, you’ll need todeepen your bond with Sawamura. You can only do this once you reach Edo. Go to the Ninja Villa near thenorthwestern Veiled Edge banner in Kojimachi, then spar with Sawamura in the basement arena until you max his Bond level.
How to Get The Gikei-ryu Style in Rise of the Ronin
Gikei-ryu is a backhand grip style for katanas that features fast and flashy moves. To get it, you need to spare the Red Demon (Naosuke Ii) during the Sakurada Gate Incident missionin the final mission of Act 1. While you can get Gikei-ryu by killing Ii, this will lock you out of mastering the combat style later on.
By sparing the Red Demon, you’ll have a chance to befriend the Blue Demon (Akikatsu Manabe) once you return to Edo in Chapter 3.To befriend him, you’ll need to do The Watchmen side quest. Ally yourself with the Blue Demon, and once he settles in the same Ninja Villa as Sawamura, you’ll be able to spar with him and upgrade Gikei-ryu.
If you spared the Red Demon, you can still get Gikei-ryu early by replaying the mission via the Testament of the Soul.
