The Twisted Tree is a side assassination questline in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that has you hunt seven members of the Takahashi family across Kyoto, ending with the family head, Takahashi Inoshichi. Two of the siblings, Ichi-Hime and Goro, can be spared, and player guides report that the item rewards are the same whether you spare or kill them.
Below we cover how the questline starts, where every target is, how the spare choices work, the order that saves you a hard fight, and the reward for finishing. One note on sourcing: Ubisoft has officially confirmed the Twisted Tree family and Takahashi Shiro’s hideout, but it has not published a walkthrough, so target locations and item names come from player guides and are attributed as such.
How the Twisted Tree Questline Starts
The Takahashi family appears as its own group on the Objective Board, the menu that tracks every assassination target. Player guides report that the board fills in as you pick up discarded letters and clues around Kyoto, either while exploring the city or through related side quests, so the targets reveal themselves gradually rather than all at once.
Since Title Update 1.0.2, holding the Start button on controller in-game opens the Objective Board directly, which is the quickest way to check which Takahashi leads you still need. If a target’s location is vague, deploying scouts over the search area pins them down.
All Seven Takahashi Targets and Where They Are
Locations below follow player guides for the current build; the in-game board is the final word if anything differs.
| Target | Location (per player guides) | Can be spared |
|---|---|---|
| Takahashi Ichi-Hime | Umenomiya Shrine, western Kyoto | Yes |
| Takahashi Goro | Shokokuji Pagoda, northern Kyoto | Yes |
| Takahashi Shiro | Nijo Palace | No |
| Takahashi Taro | Asukai clan domain | No |
| Takahashi Saburo | Asukai clan domain | No |
| Takahashi Jiro | Southern Kyoto, near a temple | No |
| Takahashi Inoshichi (head) | Secret garden west of Honnoji Temple, southern Kyoto | No |
Shiro is the one Ubisoft has shown officially: its gameplay overview describes him as a Twisted Tree family member holed up in Nijo Palace, with Naoe taking the night approach and Yasuke going in by day. Expect a heavily guarded compound either way.
The Spare Choices: What They Actually Change
Some early guides claimed mercy paid out extra. Current player reports say otherwise: Ichi-Hime and Goro give the same rewards whether you spare or kill them, so the choice is narrative rather than mechanical. Reported rewards:
- Ichi-Hime: Daydreamer’s Grip (an uncommon bow) and the rare engraving Adrenaline on Affected Enemies.
- Goro: Raijin’s Refusal (an uncommon teppo) and the rare engraving Damage After Headshot.
Each is also reported to give XP and Mastery Points. Ubisoft confirms that eliminating targets is one of the ways to earn Mastery Points, so the questline is worth doing for progression even if you skip the gear.
If you play with Canon Mode turned on, one of the options Ubisoft lists in its PC and console features Q and A, the game automatically selects narrative decisions for the canon story, so turn it off if you want to make choices like this yourself.
Kill Order and Takahashi Inoshichi
Do Inoshichi last. Player guides report that eliminating the family head early automatically spares the two spareable siblings and sends the four remaining hostile siblings after you together. Taking the six siblings first keeps every fight one at a time.
Where: a secret garden just west of Honnoji Temple in southern Kyoto. Player guides describe gaps in the surrounding walls that let you slip in, and Inoshichi sitting in a room at the centre of the garden.
How: stealth is the easy route. Naoe can come in through a wall gap, move around the guards and assassinate him in his room. Going in loud as Yasuke works too, but the guards turn it into a much longer fight. Our character switching guide covers swapping to Naoe before you travel.
The Reward for Finishing
Per player guides, eliminating Inoshichi to complete the questline gives XP, the legendary amulet Kitsune’s Trickery and the legendary engraving Health for Samurai Mastery. The amulet is reported to add health per Samurai mastery point on top of its base stats, which makes it a long-term item for a Yasuke build that invests in his Samurai tree rather than a short-lived upgrade.
Replaying It in New Game+
Ubisoft says New Game+ resets story and objective board progression while keeping your level and gear. That means the Takahashi targets come back on a second playthrough, and you can make the other choice on Ichi-Hime and Goro. Our full Assassin’s Creed Shadows guides hub covers the rest of the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Twisted Tree targets are there? Seven members of the Takahashi family, all in Kyoto, with Takahashi Inoshichi as the head of the family.
Who can you spare in the Twisted Tree questline? Ichi-Hime and Goro. Player reports say the rewards are the same whether you spare or kill them.
Where is Takahashi Inoshichi? Per player guides, in a secret garden just west of Honnoji Temple in southern Kyoto.
Should you kill Inoshichi first? No. Player guides report that killing him early sends the remaining hostile siblings after you at once, so leave him for last.
What do you get for completing the Twisted Tree? Player guides list the legendary amulet Kitsune’s Trickery and the legendary engraving Health for Samurai Mastery, plus XP.