The Lightning and Thunder quest in Assassin's Creed Shadows is Yasuke’s first playable mission after his reintroduction to the story. His path leads him through a series of intense combat encounters as he fights his way to meet Naoe. This mission serves as a showcase of Yasuke’s raw strength, emphasizing brutal melee combat over stealth. Mastering parries, breaking enemy armor, and using the right abilities will make the fights much easier.
This guide explains how to deal with key enemies throughout the Lightning and Thunder mission in AC Shadows.
Lightning and Thunder (Yasuke) main quest in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Entering the Tenshu - First wave of enemies

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Immediately after the cutscene that reintroduces him, Yasuke faces five enemies. They are ordinary foot soldiers, and a few quick light attacks will kill them in no time. Parrying when the white circle is present is important — doing so will stun enemies and allow for free follow-up attacks.
Once the initial group is cleared, proceed beyond the wooden crates to find another batch of four enemies. As before, light and heavy attacks should suffice. However, if parrying proves difficult, dodging using Circle (on PS5) or B (on Xbox) is an effective fallback option. It's still important to remember that dodging won't put enemies in a vulnerable position like a perfectly-timed parry.
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Confronting Aoki Ujimasa

Moving along, Yasuke comes across even more foes, such as a powerful warrior in the form of Aoki Ujimasa. Unlike the normal troops, Aoki is heavily armored and capable of unleashing unstoppable attacks (signified by a red aura before the attack).
Handling him demands some strategy:
- First, clear out the weaker enemies to accumulate Adrenaline.
- Aoki's armor, with a yellow bar, needs to be shattered prior to being able to inflict real damage on him.
- Some skills, like War Kick, don't work so well on armored targets. Use Power Dash to shatter his defenses instead.
- He will be open to counterattacks if you can dodge at the last moment.
Reaching the Tenshu
After Aoki falls, follow the quest marker up the staircase. At the top, another group of weaker enemies stands in Yasuke’s way. Light and heavy attacks will be enough to handle them. Once cleared, sprint toward the door and smash through it to enter the Tenshu.
Once inside, a cutscene begins where Naoe and Yasuke finally get time to talk, marking the end of the Lightning and Thunder quest in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Check out: Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review: A breath of fresh air, with the scent of the familiar
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