How to get the Ryu Hayabusa armor set in Rise of the Ronin

The Ryu Hayabusa armor set in Rise of the Ronin is easily one of the coolest outfits in the game. It may not match the raw power of some of the heavier sets, but its sleek, ninja-inspired design is a direct nod to Team Ninja’s legendary Ninja Gaiden series. If you’ve ever wanted to cut down enemies in true shinobi fashion, this is the armor set to aim for.

That said, getting it isn’t as simple as just finding it in a chest — you’ll need to build a strong bond with the right NPC and prove your worth in combat in Rise of the Ronin.

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A guide to obtain the Ryu Hayabusa armor set in Rise of the Ronin

Complete the "In Search of Knowledge" mission

Before you can even think about earning the Ryu Hayabusa armor set, you need to complete the In Search of Knowledge mission. This is the one that first acquaints you with Yosusuke Sawamura, the shinobi NPC, who dresses in attire that will be remarkably familiar-looking to you — essentially the Ninja Gaiden garb itself.

It's something that you need to do since it opens the way for interaction with Sawamura beyond the questline.

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Find Yosusuke Sawamura’s location

Once the mission in Rise of the Ronin is completed, you’ll need to track down Sawamura. He doesn’t just stand around in plain sight — he’s a shinobi, after all. To find him:

• Go to the Ninja Dojo, which can be reached by a secret door.
• Leap down a hole in the floor and push through a double set of huge doors.
• Inside, there sits Sawamura, waiting in classical ninja style.

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Build your bond with Sawamura

To unlock the armor, you need to raise your Bond Level with Sawamura to Level 4. This can be done in three ways:

1. Talking to him: Simply engaging in conversations and exhausting his dialogue options helps raise your bond slightly.
2. Gifting him items: Sawamura loves imported beer and epic literature. These items have a small heart icon next to them in your inventory, indicating they’re his favorites. Giving them to him will grant a decent bond boost.
3. Training with Him: The fastest way to build your bond is by sparring with Sawamura in the dojo. Defeating him multiple times, and eventually earning a Master Rank, will give the biggest bond increase possible.

Since you can rematch him endlessly, this is by far the quickest way to grind out the required bond level. You’ll also be able to give him more gifts after a bit of time has passed, so switching between training and gifting is the most efficient method.

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Claim the Ryu Hayabusa armor set in Rise of the Ronin

Once you hit Bond level 4, Sawamura will reward you with two things:

• The Hayabusa-ryu Master Martial Arts fighting style, a deadly set of shinobi-inspired moves.
• The full Ryu Hayabusa armor set, which includes the gauntlets, knee pads, headband, and garb.

The Ryu Hayabusa armor set also comes with a Set Bonus, further reinforcing its shinobi effectiveness. If you’re using a single katana, you’ll feel even more like the legendary Ryu Hayabusa himself in Rise of the Ronin.

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