What to know

  • Drinking a sake jar restores “Spirit,” the resource used for healing and special moves.
  • To drink sake, hold Down on the D-pad when you have a jar in inventory.
  • Overusing sake has downsides: visual distortion or haze builds up, and a third drink in succession causes you to vomit (leaving you vulnerable).
  • After drinking, you get an empty jar which you can throw at enemies to break their guard or disrupt attacks.

In Ghost of Yotei, Spirit is a key resource — needed for healing and executing special moves. While you can build Spirit via combat (parries, kills, etc.), drinking sake is your emergency top-up.

But it’s a double-edged sword: drinking too much in short succession leads to visual impairment and a forced “vomit” animation that stalls you.

Thus, using sake is about balance — drink when necessary, but don’t rely on it as a crutch.

How to use sake (step-by-step)

Using sake is more about using sake jars to distract and hurt the enemies. Let's see how you use sake in Ghost of Yotei (more than just a drink):

Step 1

Make sure you have at least one sake jar in your inventory (from looting or buying).

Step 2

During or after combat (or during a lull), hold Down on the D-pad to consume a jar. Observe your Spirit bar — sake restores about 1.5 to 2 Spirit units on average.

Step 3

After drinking, you’ll hold an empty sake jar (or it drops) which you can throw (pressing a button like Square) at enemies to break guard or interrupt attacks.

Where to find or restock sake

  • You’ll find sake jars in enemy camps and scattered across the open world.
  • Merchants, especially in inns or sake houses, sell sake for a moderate price.
  • Loot rewards after clearing areas or missions often include sake jars.

Tips and good practices for using sake

  • Use sake when your Spirit is low and you’re in a relatively safe window (no incoming attacks).
  • Try to rebuild Spirit through combat where possible; use sake as backup.
  • Don’t chain drinks unless absolutely necessary — the risks outweigh the benefits mid-combat.
  • Use the empty jar offensively (throw it) to gain a tactical advantage, especially when low on other options.
  • Monitor the visual haze — when it’s heavy, avoid drinking more until it fades.
  • Keep your sake stock topped up by looting and visiting merchants regularly.

Use sake efficiently

Imagine you’re in a multi-wave fight. You begin with full Spirit, so you rely on parrying and killing to maintain it. Midway, Spirit drops to a dangerous level just as another wave spawns.

You wait for an opening, then drink once to restore. You manage to maintain your Spirit via combat until the next lull, then drink a second time. You never let yourself reach a third consecutive drink. Meanwhile, when opportunities arise, you throw your empty jars at enemies to stagger or interrupt.