Rise of the Ronin: How to unlock glider

For Rise of the Ronin, Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo conducted extensive research about the Bakumatsu period and gave the player base something other games couldn't: the power of flight. Ronins can glide through the air with the help of a contraption called the Avicula.

One would assume including a glider would be historically inaccurate, but Team Ninja has enough evidence to justify its inclusion, and this is how you can get it.

Disclaimer: This article may contain major spoilers.

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Soaring the skies in Rise of the Ronin

Flying across the map is much more convenient than running on foot or horseback (Image via Koei Tecmo Games)

The glider, better known as the Avicula, can be acquired after completing the The Bridge to Yokohama prologue mission. Note that this item can be missed and will cost you time if you were to backtrack. You can power through to reach this point early in the game and start the Curtain Falls, Curtains Rises quest.

This mission involves you joining forces with another ronin called Royama Sakomoto. Together, you will take on a group of bandits and the head honcho: Gonzo. After defeating Gonzo and his bandits, continue down the path and Royama will bid farewell and tell you he plans to link up soon.

Here, you will be rewarded with the glider. There are a few ways for your character to reach distant areas, but gliding is arguably the most convenient and time-efficient one.

The glider opens up plenty of new opportunities for how you can play this game. This new mechanic can not only help you reach new areas faster but also help you in combat by dropping on an unsuspecting enemy from above.

Being a ronin has a few perks to decrease travel time (Image via Koei Tecmo Games)

While having a glider around is convenient, it isn't perfect. You can't always rely on your glider, especially if you are not standing on an elevated area. There is a certain height requirement before your ronin can deploy their glider, and using it long enough will drain your Ki, the in-game stamina. Gliding from high places with low Ki will likely result in your untimely demise at the hands of gravity.

To use the glider, your ronin must jump off from a high area, double tap the X button on your DualSense controller, and tap it once to close it. If you prefer the traditional keyboard-and-mouse setup on your high-end gaming PC, double tap the space bar to open and tap once to close it. Note that the PC port lets you use various gaming controllers.

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The Glider isn't perfect, but that doesn't mean you can't improve it

The Avicula was way ahead of its time, and not enough research had been conducted, and data to parse were available at the time. The Japanese have always been a leader for technological advancements, and this invention proves their brilliance and genius. Your ronin can make a few adjustments to improve this item through Japanese engineering.

Just because something works doesn't mean it can't be better (Image via Koei Tecmo Games)

To improve your glider, head to Igashichi, and he'll show you his workshop. This is where you will spend most of your money to acquire better items and upgrades for your existing gear. You should have a healthy relationship with Igashichi before he works on whatever you're asking for. If your bond with him is low, it doesn't matter if you can afford it.

The best upgrades you should go for early on are for Assassination, allowing you to glide longer and drop from above, which can be acquired from the quest titled Locating the Camera. If you want to use the glider to reach new areas quicker, go for the fast flight upgrade.

From traversal to combat, Rise of the Ronin players shouldn't miss out on this contraption.

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Rise of the Ronin is now available on PlayStation 5 and PC. For more related articles, check these out:

• How to claim pre-order bonuses in Rise of the Ronin
• 5 things Rise of the Ronin does better than Ghost of Tsushima
• Rise of the Ronin character customization guide