Ghost of Yotei Takes a Page Out of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s Book With This Boss

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Ghost of Yotei could easily be one of my favorite games this year. Atsu’s intense adventure delivers a remarkably rewarding combat system. With a new selection of weapons, a completely different world, and better graphics, Ghost of Yotei isn’t just a good follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima; it’s a significant improvement.

With so many great games released this year, it was hard to predict how Ghost of Yotei would perform. While it probably won’t win Game of the Year, it definitely deserves to be nominated. Besides capturing the feeling of Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei has echoes of other popular games from the last ten years. Atsu’s story of revenge feels similar to Ellie’s journey in The Last of Us Part 2, and the music, with its western influences, occasionally brought Red Dead Redemption 2 to mind. Even with these similarities, Ghost of Yotei is a unique experience, though one particular moment unexpectedly reminded me of Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Ghost of Yotei’s Takezo the Unrivaled Boss Fight Gives Hollow Knight: Silksong a Run For Its Money

A Side Boss That Had Me Rethinking My Life Choices

The surprising thing about Takezo the Unrivaled is that his quest becomes available quite early on, leading you to believe he’ll be an easy opponent. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Takezo is actually designed to be one of the most difficult fights in the whole game, but Ghost of Yotei doesn’t initially hint at this. It’s a clever trick by Sucker Punch to keep players guessing, and it definitely made me reconsider my skills!

Before challenging Takezo the Unrivaled, this side quest asks players to defeat five Ronin – followers of the powerful Takezo – who also want to be the one to defeat him. After beating these Ronin, Atsu will be able to meet and spar with Takezo, learning the Dual Katanas Spirit Attack. Following this, Atsu needs to climb to the peak of Mount Yotei, where Takezo will put her through a tough training session.

Defeating the five Ronin rewards Atsu with Minor Charms.

Takezo the Unrivaled Shows No Mercy

Without significant upgrades to Atsu, beating Takezo the Unrivaled is incredibly difficult. Even a single hit on Atsu can defeat her. Many of his attacks demand perfect timing, because the opportunities to block or parry are very brief. It’s a frustrating experience that makes you pause and question your strategy. It brought back memories of my first encounter with a Valkyrie in God of War, where Kratos was quickly overwhelmed and defeated.

Playing this reminded me a lot of my first encounter with the Skull Ant in Silksong. I didn’t realize then that getting the Swift Step ability would make that fight so much easier. Even with an improved Atsu, though, Takezo the Unrivaled remains a tough opponent.

Save Takezo the Unrivaled for the End

The side quest becomes available quite early, so you might be tempted to fight Takezo right away, but I promise it’s better to wait. Once Atsu gets much better at fighting and has more abilities, the battle with Takezo will be satisfying without being frustrating. Ghost of Yotei offers lots of great combat, so it’s probably best to save Takezo for one of the final fights.

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2025-10-05 00:05