Guide Intro Briefing: Things to Do Before Great Shinobi Owl Dialogue
Reaching the rooftop of Ashina Castle after collecting the Mortal Blade, Shelter Stone, and Lotus of the Palace marks the most critical narrative pivot in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Standing in the center of the rooftop arena is your adopted father, Great Shinobi Owl. Speaking to him forces a major storyline choice that permanently alters your game path, available bosses, and endings.
What You Should Have Done Before This
- Defeated Genichiro Ashina on Ashina Castle rooftop.
- Retrieved Mortal Blade from Senpou Temple Main Hall.
- Retrieved Lotus of the Palace from Sunken Valley.
- Retrieved Shelter Stone from Mibu Village cave in Ashina Depths.
- Ashina Castle Sculptor's Idols are locked due to Ministry invasion.
Recommended Stats & Loadout
- Attack Power: 7–8 (All story memories consumed).
- Vitality: 17 (7 Prayer Necklaces / 28+ Beads).
- Healing Gourd: 9–10 Charges max.
- Prosthetics: Suzaku's Umbrella, Firecracker, Shuriken.
- Key Skills: Mikiri Counter, Ascending/Descending Carp.
The 4 Ending Paths Unlocked From Here
- Shura Ending Path: Select "Obey Iron Code" (Part 13).
- Immortal Severance Path: Select "Stay Loyal" (Part 14).
- Purification Path: Kuro/Emma eavesdrop & Hirata II (Part 15 & 12).
- Return / Homecoming Path: Divine Child & Viscera (Part 16).
CRITICAL WARNING: Can You Cancel Owl's Dialogue Once Started?
NO — You CANNOT cancel, exit, or back out of Owl's dialogue once initiated!
When you walk up to Great Shinobi Owl on the rooftop and press the interact button to trigger the debriefing cutscene, you are immediately locked in. When the choice menu appears on screen asking you to select between:
- 1. "Obey the Iron Code, Forsake Kuro" (Triggers Shura Ending & Immediate Boss Fight vs Emma & Isshin Ashina).
- 2. "Break the Iron Code, Stay Loyal to Kuro" (Triggers Great Shinobi Owl Boss Fight & Unlocks Path to Fountainhead Palace).
There is NO "back" button, NO cancel option, and NO walking away to think about it. Force-closing the game during this dialogue prompt risks corrupting your save file. You must make your choice right then and there!
Single-Playthrough Save Backup #1 Strategy (All 4 Endings)
If you want to unlock all 4 trophies/achievements and experience all 4 narrative endings in a single playthrough, follow these exact manual save steps BEFORE interacting with Owl:
- Reach Ashina Dojo: Fast travel or climb to the Upper Tower — Ashina Dojo Sculptor's Idol directly below the rooftop.
- Step Onto Roof: Climb through the window and step onto the rooftop. You will see Owl standing in the center of the arena. DO NOT WALK UP TO HIM OR TALK TO HIM YET!
- Exit to Main Menu: Open the pause menu, select Quit Game, and return to the title screen to ensure all current progress is flushed to disk.
- Copy Save Folder: Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to
%APPDATA%\Sekiro\ (typically C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\Sekiro\<SteamID>\). Copy the S0000.sl2 save file onto your Desktop as "Save Backup #1 (Pre-Owl)".
- Execute Shura Ending First: Reopen Sekiro, talk to Owl, choose "Obey the Iron Code", defeat Emma & Isshin Ashina to claim the Shura Ending trophy/achievement.
- Restore Save & Continue Loyal Route: Quit Sekiro, replace the
S0000.sl2 save file with your Desktop backup, launch the game, and choose "Break the Iron Code" to defeat Great Shinobi Owl and continue into Fountainhead Palace!
Dedicated Walkthrough Parts for Every Ending Route & Secret Memory
Follow the step-by-step walkthrough parts below to execute each specific ending path:
Canonical main path. Stay Loyal -> Great Owl -> Fountainhead -> Divine Dragon -> Sword Saint Isshin -> Dragon's Tears only.
View Immortal Severance Part 14
Wolf's Sacrifice path. Kuro/Emma eavesdrop -> Father's Bell Charm -> Owl (Father) -> Aromatic Flower + Dragon's Tears.
View Purification Part 15
Secret True Ending. Divine Child ritual -> Fresh & Dried Serpent Viscera -> Frozen Tears + Dragon's Tears -> Journey West.
View Return Part 16
Father's Bell Charm, Masanaga, Juzou II & Owl (Father) for Prayer Beads #33-34 & Aromatic Flower.
View Hirata II Part 12
1. Stats & Loadout Preparation Before Fighting Owl
Recommended Stats Checklist: Aim for Attack Power 7 to 8, 17 Vitality (7 Prayer Necklaces), and 9 to 10 Healing Gourd Charges.
- Attack Power 7–8: Ensure you have consumed all boss Memories (Gyoubu, Lady Butterfly, Genichiro, Folding Screen Monkeys, Guardian Ape, Illusion Corrupted Monk) at Sculptor Idols.
- Prayer Necklaces (7 Necklaces / 28+ Beads): Hunt down all accessible mini-bosses across Ashina Outskirts, Ashina Castle, Hirata Estate, Senpou Temple, Sunken Valley, and Ashina Depths before triggering the siege. See All 40 Prayer Bead Locations Guide.
- Healing Gourd (9–10 Charges): Collect all 9 Gourd Seeds and deliver them to Emma to reach maximum healing efficiency.
- Key Skills to Unlock: Mikiri Counter, Ascending/Descending Carp, Shinobi Eyes, and Emma's Medicine: Potency.
- Recommended Prosthetic Tools:
- Suzaku's Lotus Umbrella: Completely negates fire and heavy explosive strikes.
- Shinobi Firecracker: Provides 3-second stun windows to re-apply buffs or heal.
- Loaded Shuriken: Interrupts aerial leaps and closes distance with Chasing Slice.
2. Prerequisites for Optional Endings (Purification & Return)
If you choose to stay loyal to Lord Kuro, you can pursue two secret alternate endings (Purification or Return / Dragon's Homecoming) alongside the standard Immortal Severance ending. While you can continue these questlines after defeating Owl, keep in mind their absolute deadline:
The Absolute Deadline: Defeating the Divine Dragon
DO NOT defeat the Divine Dragon in Fountainhead Palace until you have fully acquired the Father's Bell Charm (for Purification) and Frozen Tears (for Return)! Defeating the Divine Dragon triggers the final siege and permanently locks out these NPC questlines.
A. Purification Ending Checklist (Father's Bell Charm)
- Eavesdrop on Kuro: Hide behind the paper wall in Kuro's room (inside Ashina Castle) and eavesdrop until he says "...do what must be done."
- Talk to Emma Upstairs: Speak with Emma at the top of the stairs in Kuro's room, then meet her at the Old Grave Sculptor's Idol.
- Eavesdrop at Dilapidated Temple: Go to Dilapidated Temple, move behind the building, and eavesdrop on Emma and the Sculptor through the hole in the paper wall.
- Receive Father's Bell Charm: Confront Emma inside the temple to receive the Father's Bell Charm, unlocking the Hirata Estate Memory II boss fight against Owl (Father) for 2 extra Prayer Beads (#39 & #40)!
B. Return / Dragon's Homecoming Checklist (Frozen Tears)
- Holy Chapter Infested: Hand the Holy Chapter: Infested (found in Senpou Temple pond or given by Main Hall monk) to the Divine Child of Rejuvenation at the Inner Sanctum.
- Persimmons & Rice: Request Rice from her until she falls ill. Feed her a Persimmon (purchased from Shugendo merchant) to heal her. Receive Rice for Kuro and give it to Lord Kuro.
- Fresh & Dried Serpent Viscera:
- Fresh Serpent Viscera: Use Puppeteer Ninjutsu on the kite monk at Senpou Temple entrance, climb the mountain, and execute a sky plunge Deathblow on the Great Serpent.
- Dried Serpent Viscera: Navigate the Sunken Valley cave, use Puppeteer Ninjutsu on the monkey to distract the Great Serpent, and snatch the Dried Viscera from the shrine.
- Claim Frozen Tears: Hand both Viscera to the Divine Child. Rest at the idol until her doors reopen to receive the Frozen Tears!
3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FAQ: Great Shinobi Owl Dialogue & Choice
Q: What happens if I choose "Obey the Iron Code, Forsake Kuro"?
Choosing this option locks you into the Shura Ending. You immediately fight Emma, the Physician and Isshin Ashina back-to-back on the castle roof. Defeating them ends the campaign immediately, cutting off access to Fountainhead Palace, Fountainhead Prayer Beads, Lapis Lazuli materials, and the Divine Dragon.
Q: What happens if I choose "Break the Iron Code, Stay Loyal to Kuro"?
Choosing this option keeps you on the main canonical storyline. You immediately engage in a boss fight against Great Shinobi Owl on the rooftop. Defeating him rewards the Memory: Great Shinobi Owl and the Aromatic Branch, granting access to the bridal palanquin portal to Fountainhead Palace.
Q: Can I use Thrust Attacks against Great Shinobi Owl?
NO! Owl is a fellow Shinobi master and knows the Mikiri Counter technique. If you attempt a charged thrust attack (holding R1), Owl will stomp your blade into the floor and execute a one-shot Deathblow on Wolf!