Hey fellow shadow warriors! If you’ve been roaming feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and bumped into The Godai Shinobi quest, you probably already know it’s a real doozy. Five elusive targets, each hiding in a different corner of the map, and some of them can absolutely wreck you if you’re not prepared. I’ve been there — first time I stumbled into the Godai of Water, I thought I’d sneeze and she’d fall over. Nope. I got smoked faster than a campfire in a typhoon. So, let me walk you through exactly how I turned the tables and bagged all five Godai. Grab your tanto and let’s roll.

Kicking Off The Godai Shinobi Quest

There are two ways to get this show on the road. The first one is super straightforward: just mosey on down the road south of Sakamoto, and a prompt will pop up like a surprise ninja. That’s how I triggered it by accident, and boom — first target was already breathing down my neck. The second way is a bit more story-gated. You need to assassinate Akechi Kagemitsu first; once that’s done, an NPC named Shotei will offer you the quest properly. Either way works, but I found the story unlock more satisfying because it gave some context rather than just "hey, kill these randos."

My Godai Hit List and How I Took Them Down

Before you go rushing in, a word to the wise: these targets all share a similar move set, but their environments and little tricks can make each fight feel unique. Also, level matters big time. If you’re under-leveled, you can’t even assassinate some of them outright, which forced me to swap between Naoe and Yasuke more than I’d have liked. Here’s the quick breakdown to keep in your pocket:

Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of each fight, because some of these had me sweating bullets.

Godai of Water — The Wake-Up Call

She’s the one you’ll likely face first if you trigger the quest by exploring. I rolled in as Naoe, feeling all sneaky, and she aggroed instantly. Her attacks aren’t fancy, but she kept breaking my rhythm because I was just a bit under-leveled. Then I remembered: Yasuke is a total beast. I switched to the big guy and turned it into a beatdown. No mercy, just heavy katana slams until she was done. If you’re struggling, don’t be a hero — let Yasuke do the heavy lifting. The loot here was a nice little appetizer: a rare Typhoon Tanto and some Mon for your troubles.

Godai of Fire — Sneaky Snuff Out

This fella is chilling northwest of Mount Hei, right by a fast-travel viewpoint. I fast-traveled up there, dropped down behind him, and held my breath. For once, the stealth gods smiled on me, and I landed a full assassination. That instantly deleted him because I was appropriately leveled. Even if you can’t one-shot him, parrying and stringing combos as Yasuke makes short work of Fire. Honestly, after the Water fight, this one felt like a piece of cake. No special reward dropped, but watching him flop over was reward enough.

Godai of Void — Cave of Confusion

Void is tucked away in a cave northeast of Daikichiji Temple. As soon as you venture inside, a smoke bomb goes off and the guy appears out of nowhere. That caught me off guard the first time — I literally jumped in my chair. The fight itself isn’t too bad; his patterns are repetitive, so I danced around him and poked him down. The real prize here is Call of the Void, a legendary Tanto that looks absolutely sick. Plus 295 Mon, which never hurts.

Godai of Earth — The Tree Drop

This one was my favorite to plan because I love a good environmental assassination. You’ll find him at Otaniinari Shrine, northeast of Kuroda village. There’s a massive fallen tree leaning right over his patrol path. I climbed up, waited for the right moment, and did a textbook air assassination. It took half his health since I wasn’t grossly over-leveled, but from there I just baited his jump attack and wrecked him with combos. The epic Rooted Thrust Tanto and a fat 385 Mon made the trek absolutely worth it.

(No dedicated image for Earth, so just picture me hiding in a tree giggling.)

Godai of Wind — The Final Storm

And then there was Wind. She’s the last one I tracked down, and boy, was she a pain in the backside. Her location is east of Otogi Pass, near the top of the Shimagahara Valley marker. Don’t underestimate her just because her moves look familiar; she hits like a freight train and loves tossing smoke bombs to ruin your lock-on. I tried the straight-up fight a couple of times and got flattened. Then I remembered the golden rule: start with an assassination. I crept up, plunged my blade in, and that instantly leveled the playing field. Even if you can’t outright kill her, taking half her health at the onset makes it so much easier. The loot is what makes this entire quest line a must-do: you get the epic Iron Dispute Tanto, 275 Mon, and a legendary chest nearby holds the level 51 Masked Death Katana. That katana has been glued to my hip ever since — it’s an absolute monster.

Wrapping It Up and That Sweet Final Reward

Once you’ve crossed all five names off your list, head back to Shotei. Have a little chat with him, and the quest closes out. He’ll hand over Soaring Tatsu, a legendary trinket with an Armor Piercing engraving for Tanto Mastery. Yes, you read that right — a legendary trinket that makes you hit even harder with those quick little blades. Combined with the Tanto rewards from the Godai kills, you’ll be a whirlwind of death. It’s the perfect cherry on top of a quest that had me cursing at my screen more than once, but now I look back and grin because it turned me into a much better player. So get out there, hunt those shinobi, and don’t forget to enjoy the journey. Happy assassinating, legends!