Ghost of Yotei: How to find Takezo the Unrivaled?

Takezo the Unrivaled is an enemy in Ghost of Yotei that you'll hear about very early on, in the game’s first region. His quest spans the entire game; you can finish it fairly early, but it culminates in the toughest duel in all of Ghost of Yotei. On this page of the guide, we explain how to find Takezo the Unrivaled and the rewards you'll earn for completing his quest.

• How do you start the Takezo the Unrivaled quest?
• When should you fight the Takezo the Unrivaled?
• How to defeat Takezo atop Mount Yotei?

How do you start the Takezo the Unrivaled quest?

The Takezo the Unrivaled quest starts when you discover one of the five duelist trees. Two are in the Yotei Grasslands, and three are in the Tokachi Range. Beneath each tree, a Disciple of Takezo awaits and, after a brief conversation, will challenge you to a duel. Defeating the first disciple kicks off the quest - you’ll automatically learn Takezo’s backstory and the locations of the remaining trees. To continue the quest, you have to complete all five duels.

Here are their locations:

When should you fight the Takezo the Unrivaled?

After defeating all of Takezo’s disciples, the master himself will come to you and challenge you to a duel at the southern edge of the Yotei Grasslands. You can head to him and start the duel - we recommend doing it as soon as you can. The fight with Takezo isn’t overly difficult, though it has two phases. In the first phase, Takezo wields two katanas (wield a single katana). In the second phase, he switches to an oar (use dual katanas). After the second phase, Atsu will learn a special move, the Takezo Dual Slash. Use it to finish the fight - it’s your reward for completing the quest.

How to defeat Takezo atop Mount Yotei?

Though you've earned your reward, the quest is not over yet. Takezo still lives and there is one more thing to be done - climb to the top of Mount Yotei and face him in a second duel, to the death. This final duel should be saved for the very end of the game. The rewards are purely cosmetic, and Takezo will be much stronger this time - he’s likely the toughest opponent in the entire game. You’ll also face two limitations during the fight:

1. Takezo will only fight you if you equip the five charms dropped by his apprentices (all bear Takezo’s name). This means your build for the fight is pre-set, and you’ll have just one slot for a charm of your choice.
2. During the fight, a blizzard will start, gradually lowering your maximum health. You can lessen the blizzard’s effects by equipping fully upgraded Taro's Armor or using the Blizzard Charm, which you get during the Kitsune storyline at the Teshio Ridge.

Takezo's combos are long and lightning-fast. He often alternates between blue and red attacks mid-combo, requiring you to react instantly with parries or dodges. His most dangerous move is the golden disarming attack - it’s so fast you can’t react to it unless you know it's coming. He has two disarms - the first comes at the end of a long string of blue attacks, right after a horizontal spinning strike. The second appears immediately after a single spinning red dash slash with both swords at once. Takezo doesn’t always end these combos with disarms, but stay alert and be ready with a Focus Attack - once you master the timing, these moments will be your best opportunities to deal damage.

Defeating Takezo rewards you with his Gilded Dawn and Gilded Night weapon kits.

See also:

1. Game guide
2. How to use the grappling hook?
3. How to change the time of day?

Ghost of Yotei

October 2, 2025

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