How to Defeat The Spirit of Yarikawa in Ghost of Tsushima
Yarikawa has some interesting local legends to discover. It's time for some detective work.
Ghost of Tsushima’s Mythic Tales pave the way for very interesting stories – and truly spectacular boss fights. Many of the game’s most challenging bosses are hidden behind a layer of storytelling that lends a lot of insight into their motivations – and the value of their gear or abilities.
It is up to Jin to go after these legends of the island and track down what made them rise to prominence to use against the Mongols. The Spirit of Yarikawa is one such legend and holds valuable knowledge about sword art from the Yarikawa Rebellion.
But finding the Spirit of Yarikawa is easier said than done.
One Ghost Chases Another
Jin first hears of the Spirit of Yarikawa from the musician Yamato when he first begins to explore Toyotama in the game’s second act. He informs Jin of a vengeful spirit on the loose in Old Yarikawa, telling Jin to find plumes of white smoke at shrines where the locals make offerings to the spirit.
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Turns out that those shrines carry more than offerings. They also come with requests to the spirit to get rid of individuals who are suspected of collaborating with the Mongols. Jin must find several of these shrines, tracking down the scrolls to their intended targets to uncover clues about the Spirit.
Each clue points to a misguided yet noble warrior who seems blinded by a thirst for vengeance. After a few narrow misses, Jin finally finds an altar to the Spirit in the Garden of the Gods, a picturesque location for their final duel. She is revealed to be a woman from Yarikawa with a keen blade and a sharp tongue for samurai.
A thrilling encounter stands between Jin and the Dance of Wrath, a new Weapon Technique.
How to Defeat The Spirit of Yarikawa in Ghost of Tsushima
To begin with, equipping armor that boosts melee defense or damage can be very helpful. The Spirit of Yarikawa hits fast and hard, with chains of unblockable attacks mixed in with regular strikes and slashes. It can be a good idea to be able to tank a few hits in this fight without being down.
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Like the battle for the Heavenly Strike, this encounter is designed for Jin to be on the defensive, carefully studying his enemy for their attack patterns while dodging or parrying as necessary. Pay special attention to when the Spirit sheathes her sword as she then launches into three unblockable slash attacks that Jin must dodge one after the other.
If you can react quickly enough, you could interrupt this attack with a stagger while the Spirit has her sword in its sheath. Only attempt this if you are confident of interrupting the combo attack to offset the risk of high damage if you were to fail.
Other than these attacks, The Spirit attacks just like any other swordsman in the game who Jin has to fight one-on-one. Being careful with attacks while maintaining a constant stream of parries will eventually wear her down enough for Jin to land a few hits of his own.
When her health is low enough, Jin finally learns the technique and is prompted to use it on her. Press L1 and R1 together to perform the Dance of Wrath and bring some old samurai justice to the Spirit of Yarikawa. You are rewarded with a Sword Kit, XP and a moderate Legend increase in addition to the technique.
With the Dance of Wrath under your belt, perhaps a combat-focused set of armor could be your next goal. Our Ghost of Tsushima guides have a lot of ground for you to cover – and cool gear and skills to pick up along the way!
