Assassin's Creed Shadows: How to complete Topple the Traitor main quest

The Topple the Traitor mission in Assassin's Creed Shadows is the last major push before the credits roll, and it’s all about hunting down Akechi Mitsuhide once and for all. This main quest picks up right after The Peasant Who Would Be King, and it doesn’t waste any time throwing you into the action. It kicks off in Yamashiro, and from the get-go, it’s structured around a high-stakes showdown, character switching, and a boss fight that hits harder than most.

Here's everything you need to finish Topple the Traitor in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

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Topple the Traitor main quest walkthrough in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Topple the Traitor whereabouts in Assassin's Creed Shadows (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

Head to Hideyoshi's camp to get things rolling

To begin Topple the Traitor in Assassin's Creed Shadows, head down the river near Oyamazaki Village and meet up with Hideyoshi. After a brief conversation, you'll be given a prompt:

• Let’s go.
• We need more time.

If you want to proceed, choose "Let’s go" — the mission won’t continue otherwise.

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Pick your fighter: Yasuke or Naoe

Taking down enemies (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

Right after the cutscene, you’ll choose whether to start the assault as Naoe or Yasuke. If you’re aiming for a faster clear and don’t feel like sneaking around too much, go with Yasuke. He’s built for direct combat and makes pushing through the first wave of enemies easier.

As Yasuke, it's an all-out fight to the castle gates — just keep going and push through anyone who gets in your way. If you choose Naoe, you'll need to turn left, stay close to the outer wall, and make use of the grappling hook to traverse rooftops without getting swamped.

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Get into the castle and break through the door

The grappling hook is your best friend (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

The goal is easy - get to the big castle tower where Mitsuhide is hiding out. After entering the castle, head south and look down. You'll see an open window, so take your grappling hook to the roof, drop into the window, and walk down the next set of stairs with the ladder to progress in the game.

If you are attempting this with Yasuke and encounter the locked door before the tower, charge into the door to break it. Naoe can just climb up and get around it.

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Horse chase sequence begins

After a cutscene, you switch perspectives again. Now you’re Naoe chasing Mitsuhide on horseback. Your only job here is to stay close. You can fire projectiles while riding, but they won’t hit Mitsuhide — so don’t waste your time trying. Eventually, he stops running at the dock near Oyamazaki Village, which is when the real fight begins.

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Boss fight: Akechi Mitsuhide’s final stand

Dual with Akechi Mitsuhide in Topple the Traitor (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

This fight isn't that easy, as Mitsuhide mixes cheap tricks with heavy damage. His go-to combo is kicking up dirt or sand into your face, followed by a two-handed charged swing that’s slow but deadly. If both land, you're almost ensured to go down in one hit.

There’s a catch — if he deflects your attack with a flashy counter, don’t stick around. Dodge out immediately, or you’ll eat a punishing heavy strike. The smart play is to keep moving sideways to avoid the sand kick, which only works when you’re right in front of him.

Break the armor and switch to Naoe

Once you wear him down enough, his armor breaks — and Naoe takes over. If Yasuke dies before this happens, you’ll get booted back to when Mitsuhide started running, so be cautious.

In this second phase, Mitsuhide becomes much quicker. His combos speed up, and while Naoe can keep pace, getting caught even once can mean game over. You must keep dodging, time your counters well, and play it safe.

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Choose how it ends

Take Akechi Mitsuhide into the shadows (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming // Ubisoft)

After the final blow, you’ll be given a choice: decide who kills Mitsuhide. It’s purely story-based and doesn’t affect your progression or rewards, but it’s a fitting end depending on how you’ve played the two characters in Topple the Traitor main quest.

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Rewards

Completing Topple the Traitor in Assassin's Creed Shadows rewards you with:

• Dragon Edge (Legendary Katana)
• Larger impact on Dodge attack Engraving
• 255 Mon
• 1000 EXP

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Check out: Assassin's Creed Shadows: How to complete Wolves and Foxes main quest