Tracking down every Yokai in Assassin's Creed Shadows can feel a bit like trying to remember the shape of a dream after waking up—the clues are gauzy, the enemies are punishing, and the map is a vast inkblot that rarely gives up its secrets. A player who simply wanders the countryside on horseback might burn hours without so much as a whisper of these supernatural targets. Yet with the right sequence and a little patience, the hunt becomes less of a blindfolded dice roll and more of a slow-burning puzzle, one where each piece locks into place with a satisfying click.
The Yokai quest doesn't simply appear in the journal; it must be unlocked like a door that only swings open after a specific conversation. To begin, a player needs to travel to the Hills of Meeting in the Yamashiro region and locate the Nyoiji Daiji Temple. This temple sits almost exactly at the midpoint between two viewpoints—the Pagoda of the Hills and the Kiyomizudera Pagoda. Once there, a man named Mamushi stands waiting, his cynicism almost entertaining. He flatly states that no Yokai exist, and that the player should return once there are truly no more. Speak with him, and the board changes: six target cards appear, each face blacked out with question marks, like photographs snatched too close to a flame. From this moment, the hunt is officially on.
Here is a piece of advice seasoned players often share: most of these encounters demand the iron presence of Yasuke. A few exceptions exist, but as a rule, the Yokai fights are head-on collisions where stealth is little more than a decorative ribbon. Packing the best available gear and making sure every upgrade slot is filled becomes as important as knowing where to go.
Suika no Bakemono – The Summer Lurker
Suika no Bakemono hides in Izumi Settsu, and on paper it is the lowest-level target. In practice, the fight often hits with the wallop of a collapsing shelf, so approaching with Yasuke and heavy armor is a wise move. Despite the tooltip mentioning summer or fall, seasoned wanderers have spotted Suika in other seasons as well, as if it shrugs off the calendar's rules. Upon defeat, the rewards include 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and an engraving called Damage After Ability.
Taka Nyudo – The Prisoner’s Keeper
Feather-light and deceptive, Taka Nyudo lurks in Tamba—a region whose recommended level is fairly punishing, but Taka himself clocks in at only level 18. This mismatch is where Naoe truly shines. With a single Hidden Blade upgrade and a patient approach, she can assassinate Taka and skip the brawl entirely. The aftermath is a cutscene that feels like a stone dropped into still water: a woman is freed from captivity, and the ripples of that moment will return later. Rewards are 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, the Tail of the Beast (Kanabo), and the Armor Piercing on Afflicted Enemies engraving.
Kappa – The Night Valley Guardian
Kappa is not a roaming creature but a creature of place and time, appearing only when moonlight paints the Yamashiro landscape. The player must head to the Genbu Panorama viewpoint and then look downward toward the Haunted Tatarigami Village. The Kappa waits in the valley below, level 22, and while the fight is manageable, finding it without a guide can be like trying to locate a single thread in a loom that’s been rattling for centuries. The spoils include 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and the Ammo on Headshot engraving.
Daitengu – The Arima Ridge Stalker
Just across the border from Yamashiro, near the Arima Onsen in Harima, Daitengu perches at level 26. His fight is a grinding clash that tests whether a player has been treating the blacksmith and skill trees with the proper respect. If the blade is sharp and the tactics are tight, the battle falls like a tower of cards—but only just. The prize includes 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, Daitengu’s Feather (Katana), and the Damage with Combo Ender engraving.
Oshiroi Baba – The Nocturne Phantom
At level 28, Oshiroi Baba begins to show the real fangs of this quest line. She also answers only to the night, and many a player has spent a frustrating chunk of time simply waiting for the sky to darken. One veteran compared the wait to standing outside a locked shop, watching the hands of a clock refuse to move. When the fight does begin, it’s a brisk, aggressive duel. Rewards: 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and the Adrenaline under Half Health engraving.
Yuki Onna – The Ice Vein Nightmare
If the other Yokai are storms, Yuki Onna is the eye of a blizzard. Level 38 and capable of ending a fight in a single swing, she seems to haunt both the fields at night and a cave during daylight hours. Some have reported a fleeting red assassination prompt, teasing a one-shot that almost never lands unless the player has stacked every possible assassination upgrade—almost like a keyhole that briefly aligns with a distant star. For everyone else, the answer is a fully upgraded Yasuke and a stomach full of focus. The reward set is among the richest: 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and the icy Violet Night katana.
After the final Yokai falls, instinct says to gallop back to Mamushi. But the story has one last ripple. The woman rescued from Taka Nyudo appears, and she is far from grateful. She reveals her name—Ao Andon—and attacks. The fight is nowhere near the razor’s edge of the previous ones; it’s more like a final exhale. Defeating her yields another 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, the Critical Chance with Backstab engraving, and the whimsical Melon Cart cosmetic. It’s a strange reward, maybe even a quiet joke from the developers, but it serves as a token that the yarn has been fully unwound.
For anyone still chasing these supernatural markers, this path transforms the Yokai hunt from a mirage hunt into a measured journey. The map remains huge, the nights still long, but with every name crossed off, the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows feels a little more legible—and a little more human.
This overview is based on quest-structure patterns and player-sourced route optimization documented on GameFAQs, where long-form guides often emphasize unlocking hidden target boards via specific NPC conversations and then tackling bosses in a level-appropriate sequence. Applied to the Yokai hunt in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, that same approach means treating Mamushi’s encounter as the true starting flag, then planning night-only spawns (like Kappa and Oshiroi Baba) around fast-travel viewpoints and time skips so you spend less time wandering and more time progressing through the six-card list efficiently.