When Ubisoft dropped Assassin’s Creed Shadows back in 2025, I thought I’d be the stoic ninja slicing through feudal Japan with quiet dignity. Instead, I found myself frantically googling whether my flirty dialogue choices would make a certain sake-loving thief blow himself up. Ah, RPGs. You never truly know someone until you’ve decided whether to embrace their past or literally embrace them.

Gennojo is that guy – the rakish, perpetually intoxicated rogue who first swaggers into Naoe’s life during the main story quest "The Fool." He’s a thief, a charmer, and, if you’re not careful, a pile of ash. I’m speaking from experience. My first playthrough? I picked the wrong option and watched him turn into a fireball. Not exactly the romantic ending I was hoping for.

So, for all you hopeless romantics and completionists out there in 2026, let me break down how to successfully recruit Gennojo into the League AND potentially make him Naoe’s amorous ally – without any explosive mishaps. And yes, I’ve learned my lessons the hard way, so you don’t have to.

The Fork in the Road: Ally vs. Lover

First things first: every conversation with Gennojo that offers a dialogue choice with a ❤️ symbol is a chance to steer the relationship toward romance. No heart? Neutral. That’s the golden rule. But here’s the kicker – even if you skip all the romantic options, you can still recruit him as an ally. The worst outcome is him blowing himself to smithereens. More on that disaster later.

Let’s walk through the quests where your silver tongue (or lack thereof) decides his fate.

1. Lost Honor

After you defeat the Shinbakufu member Ise Sadaoki, you’ll have a heart-to-heart with Gennojo. He’s questioning his whole life purpose, and you get two options:

• "You might be right." ← This feeds his ego AND counts toward the romance track. Choose this if you want to see where the sparks fly.

• "You are misguided." ← Plays it cool, keeps him as a potential friend-zoned recruit.

I picked "You might be right" because, well, I’m a sucker for a brooding man with a drink problem. Spoiler: it worked.

2. Sake and Swords

You’ll find Gennojo near Ogura Pond in Yamashiro, drunk and making a scene. Think of him as that one uncle at a wedding. Here, you’ve got three choices:

• "You’re putting everyone in danger." → Scolding him. Slightly emasculating, but still leads to recruitment.

• "I’m not interested." → Cold. Efficient. Ally-only path.

• "Depends on what you’re offering." → Hello, flirtations! This one pushes the romance meter forward.

Clearly, I went with option three. I mean, if a charming thief in feudal Japan offers you a drink, you at least hear him out.

3. Honor Among Thieves (The Scroll Heist)

Gennojo asks you to steal a scroll from the Kubo Sama Old Residence. Once you hand it over, he pitches the kind of pickup line you’d expect from someone who just watched you commit grand larceny. Your response:

• "This is serious." → All business. Ally track.

• "I’m keeping it, then." → Teasing him back. Romance track intensifies.

I picked the latter because I wanted to see if Naoe could out-sass a thief. She did, and I got butterflies for both of them.

4. Stolen Hearts – The Make-or-Flirt Moment

After Gennojo gets himself captured (naturally), you rescue him and find him wounded near the Hills of Meeting. This is where it gets juicy. You can say:

• "You should embrace your past." → Deep, therapeutic, but shuts down romance.

• "I’d like to embrace you." → Direct. Bold. Instantly triggers a cutscene where Naoe and Gennojo start making out like the world is about to end.

Guess which one I chose. That’s right – I’m not made of stone. If you’ve been following the romance track, this is the moment where it all clicks. Choose wisely, because if you pick the past-embracing option now, you’ll never get the smooch.

5. Godless Harvest – Please Don’t Let Him Explode

This is the final quest, and it’s where my first playthrough went up in literal flames. After a boss fight with Tatsugoro, a furious Gennojo grabs a fistful of explosives, ready to blow up a rice shed (and himself). Your options:

• Stop Gennojo – You physically intervene.

• Soothe Gennojo – You talk him down with those sweet, sweet words.

• Do nothing – ☠️ He blows himself up. Quest over. Romance or recruitment permanently ruined. #RIP

Do NOT choose "Do nothing." I repeat: DO NOTHING = DEAD THIEF. The other two options both lead to him joining the League, so your romance track stays intact as long as you didn’t let him embrace death over honor.

Cheat Sheet for Busy Assassins

I’ve summarized the optimal choices below. Bookmark this, because the game won’t hold your hand (or his).

What’s the Point of All This?

Aside from a surprisingly heartfelt love story, recruiting Gennojo gives Naoe a useful ally who can swipe enemy supplies and create distractions. Plus, you get to see a softer side of a character who originally seemed like just another scruffy NPC. And if you’re playing in 2026, you’ve probably already 100%-ed everything else, so why not add a handsome, tipsy shinobi to your collection?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to start my fourth playthrough – this time with Yasuke, who sadly can’t romance anyone with a drinking problem. But hey, at least I know precisely which dialogue choices not to make. 🍶💋",

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