Every Assassin's Creed Shadows player eventually finds themselves staring up at a mountain, listening to a group of kids whisper about a crazed warrior. That's your cue for the Kii region's Assassin Outpost – and the nightmare known as the Clifftop Yamabushi. I still remember my first attempt. I sent Naoe sneaking forward, got spotted, and promptly got flattened by a single, massive strike. Back then I didn't know you could skip the entire fight! Even in 2026, this trick remains one of the handiest shortcuts for new players and anyone trying to speed through the main questline without grinding to level 50.

Let's walk through the whole process, from finding the trail to securing the outpost without lifting a blade – and I'll also touch on why you might actually want to fight this guy once you're properly geared.

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📍 Reaching the Mountain Perch

The whole ordeal starts when you pick up the Path of Chosen activity in the western part of Iseji Trails. Fast-travel to the nearest viewpoint and head toward the shoreline. You'll see a small group of children seated by the water, chattering about a "mad Yamabushi" who climbed to the top of the mountain and never came down. Activate the activity, and you're good to go.

From there, the ascent is designed for Naoe. Use your grappling hook to swing between the tree branches near the cliff face. A series of horizontal swings and upward zips will take you into a cavern that cuts through the mountain. Inside, the path is fairly linear – just keep scaling the rock walls and dodging any environmental traps. When you emerge near the summit, the camera pans to a small campsite where a towering enemy sits cross-legged next to a chest. The HUD will tag him as Clifftop Yamabushi, and his health bar will probably look terrifying if you're underleveled.

At this stage, most players assume they have to fight. Get too close as Naoe and the Yamabushi instantly engages, twirling his weapon in a punishing flurry. But here's the secret: the game never actually forces you to defeat him.

💡 The Clever Bypass

This method works in all current versions of AC Shadows (yes, even after the 2025-2026 patches), and it relies on one simple detail – the Clifftop Yamabushi recognizes and respects a samurai.

  • Before stepping foot near the camp, switch to Yasuke . You can do this from the character menu anywhere just outside his detection range.

  • Walk Yasuke slowly toward the campsite. As soon as you're close, the Yamabushi stands up and speaks. Instead of attacking, he acknowledges Yasuke's status and calmly asks him to leave. His stance remains non-aggressive as long as you don't draw a weapon or linger too long directly in his face.

  • Circle around behind him. There's a large, ornate chest sitting right next to the fire. Open it. The moment you loot that chest, the Path of Chosen activity completes, and the quest log updates. Even better – the Yamabushi suddenly loses interest, sits back down, and returns to his dormant state.

  • Once everything settles, put some distance between you and the camp again. Switch back to Naoe, crouch, and move quietly toward the Assassin sigil painted on the rock wall just beside the campsite. Interact with the sigil to finalize the Kii Assassin Outpost quest. No fight, no alarms, and no wasted hours.

I've used this trick on multiple playthroughs, and it never fails. The key is patience when Yasuke's looting – don't touch the other collectibles or try to assassinate anyone, or the Yamabushi will instantly turn hostile, and you'll lose the peaceful route.

⚔️ Optional: Defeating the Clifftop Yamabushi

Now, if you're level 36 or above (or you just really enjoy a good boss fight), there's a strong argument for taking him down.

I recommend engaging with Yasuke. His heavier armor and high posture damage can stonewall the Yamabushi's relentless combos. Equip a weapon with good guard break or a teppo rifle to whittle him down from a safe distance before moving in. If you prefer Naoe, make sure your build includes skills like Shadow Parry and the Kunai Mastery passive; a well-placed kunai flurry can stagger him long enough to land a critical combo.

Defeating the Clifftop Yamabushi rewards you with Lustrous Pearl, a legendary Naginata for Yasuke. Its unique perk is a real game-changer: postured combo enders knock enemies down. In practice, that means every time you string a full heavy combo and break the enemy's posture, they hit the ground, leaving them open for a brutal ground finisher. I've used this weapon in crowd-control scenarios throughout the late game, and it's spectacular against large groups of ronin and the tougher elite guards.

One more tip – if you decide to fight, clear the small rocky area around the camp first. There are sleeping enemies lower down the mountain who can wake up and join the fray if you're not careful. Toss a smoke bomb to isolate the Yamabushi, then go all in.

Final Thoughts

The Kii Assassin Outpost remains one of the most memorable early-game hurdles, but now you know it doesn't have to be a wall. The developers intentionally designed this encounter with a diplomacy-based bypass for those who pay attention to the narrative clues – and it's a brilliant touch that still feels fresh in 2026. Whether you choose to slip past like a shadow or face the warrior head-on, at least now you have all the options laid out clearly. Now get out there, scale that mountain, and claim your outpost. 🗡️

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