Naoe’s story in Assassin’s Creed Shadows brings her face-to-face with Hattori Hanzo several times, but the final encounter is the most confrontational. As a legendary samurai of Japanese history, Hattori Hanzo is most famous for the skill and relentlessness that earned him the nickname Oni Hanzo. In-game, however, Naoe comes to learn that Hanzo has a darker role in her past, and while he seeks reconciliation, she has the motivation necessary to consider attacking and killing the samurai.

This article contains spoilers for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

In the final quest required to achieve Naoe’s ending, Hanzo reveals that he betrayed the Kakubishiba ikki out of bitterness that Naoe’s mother was living a happy life with a man who wasn’t him. He asks her to join him in a quest to find her mother, who may still be alive, but Naoe doesn’t have to immediately accept his offer of a partnership. Instead, she’s presented with the option to forgive Hanzo or attack him, and choosing the latter will lead to a duel between the shinobi and the samurai of legend.

What Happens If You Forgive Hattori Hanzo

Reconciliation Over Revenge

If Naoe forgives Hanzo, she forcefully calms herself before questioning Hanzo further about the possibility of finding her mother. She ultimately agrees to set aside her vengeance, citing Junjiro (though not by name) as the inspiration for her decision to stay her hand. Hanzo starts to cite a variation of the classic Assassin mantra to move in the dark to serve the light, which Naoe finishes.

Naoe tells Hanzo to leave and promises to await his message. As he departs, Hanzo declares that Ieyasu (the future shogun of Japan, whom the real Hattori Hanzo was protecting through a perilous journey in Iga at this point in history) was right, and that Naoe is the future of Japan. Naoe smiles as he departs.

What Happens If You Attack Hattori Hanzo

A Climactic Fight That Doesn’t Change Much

Choosing to Attack Hanzo doesn’t actually trigger an immediate confrontation, as Assassin’s Creed Shadows provides one extra chance to step away. After selecting Attack, Naoe will declare “Enough!” before asserting that she wants justice. Hanzo acknowledges that he may deserve death, but argues that it shouldn’t be Naoe who kills him and that it shouldn’t come before they find her mother.

The game then offers a second, more fatalistic prompt, with the option to Forgive Hanzo or Kill him. Forgiving Hanzo sets things back on track for the same sequence of events as picking the merciful option to begin with would have. Selecting Kill Hanzo follows through with the original intent to attack Hanzo, triggering a duel between the two characters that will play out as a gameplay sequence. Despite the choice, however, Naoe won’t end up killing Hanzo after winning the fight. Instead, she’ll back away and retract her hidden blade.

A bloodied Hanzo gets to his feet and prepares to leave, but Naoe stops him and offers her forgiveness before demanding he return to the Kakushiba ikki group to prove his intent before they search for her mother. Hanzo promises to come whenever she should call. He then leaves, ultimately working back around to the same resolution but with a more somber tone.

You Should Forgive Hattori Hanzo In Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Fighting Hanzo Has No Benefits

Looking only at the basic mechanical outcome, forgiving Hattori Hanzo in Assassin’s Creed Shadows makes the most sense. Fighting him doesn’t unlock any additional rewards, and between his use of smoke bombs and some fast attacks, he’s certainly more of a challenge for Naoe than any duel Yasuke is likely to get into.

Regardless of which choice you make, the credits will roll afterward if you’ve already finished the Shinbakufu and Yasuke’s individual story.

That being said, if you’re finishing up Naoe’s story last and want a more climactic finale, fighting him adds an exciting gameplay sequence and makes for a more memorable scene overall. There’s nothing to lose here, and a major reward that Hanzo sends to Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ epilogue will arrive regardless. It’s also the Canon Mode outcome for those who disable choices altogether.

Whatever you choose, Naoe doesn’t actually kill one of Japan’s most legendary samurai, so there isn’t much to worry about. Fighting Hanzo is the most exciting choice, forgiving him is the most logical one in terms of in-game benefits (or the lack thereof), and either one could make sense for roleplay. When in doubt, though, just forgive Hattori Hanzo in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.