The Kitsune Quest in Ghost of Yotei: Step-by-step Guide

What to know

• The Kitsune arc is a multi-mission main tale that mixes escort fights, stealth, and fox-statue puzzles.
• Most progression hinges on reading environmental clues like statue poses, lantern markers, and scroll ciphers.
• Puzzle patterns often repeat—rotating statues, lighting specific lanterns, or matching symbols—so save before puzzles.
• Completing Teshio Ridge’s Nine Tails Puzzle Boxes unlocks a trophy and valuable gear.

The Kitsune questline in Ghost of Yōtei unfolds across six connected missions, each weaving together story, combat, and puzzle-solving. This walkthrough breaks down every objective, puzzle, and encounter so you can complete the arc smoothly and collect all rewards along the way.

Kitsune quest overview

Let's go through each step for Kitsune quest, following the subquestline:

Subquest 1: Spirits of Teshio Ridge (Starting Chapter)

Escort stranded merchants through a mist-covered ridge filled with ambushes and weather hazards. Discover the first fox carvings hinting at Kitsune’s presence while learning key stealth and defense mechanics.

Step 1

Meet Huci, the ferrywoman, at the camp northeast of the Yōtei Grasslands, near the upper Tokachi Range. Ask her to ferry you into the Nayoro or Teshio region.

Step 2

Disembark at the North Ferry and ride north. A commotion among merchants near Teshio Ridge will start the mission.

Step 3

Escort the group through ambushes on the ridge.

Use high ground for advantage and focus on hostile scouts first. Changing weather may reduce visibility, so time your attacks carefully.

Step 4

Once the merchants are safe, you will come face to face with Kitsune. After the cut scene, set up a camp and continue to the next quest marker.

Tips:

• Save before the escort to avoid replaying ambushes.
• Completing this mission unlocks Teshio Ridge side content and additional exploration areas.

Step 5

On your way to Red Crane Inn, meet Taro and set up camp with him. You can get charms, armor, and craft ammo here.

Reach the Red Crane Inn to start the next sub-quest.

Step 6

Start at the Red Crane Inn and talk to Oyuki, who reveals new details about the Kitsune and the Nine Tails group.

Step 7

Meet Matsumae's men and gamble in Zeni Hajiki.

Step 8

Meet Fujita upstairs in the inn. When you try to leave the Inn, the Shamisen song from Oyuki will stop you and scene cuts to Atsu's mother's memory. You will find yourself in a fight with Matsumae army.

Step 9

Follow Oyuki outside and reveal the Blood on the Snow sub-quest.

Subquest 2: Blood on the Snow

Investigate Nine Tails rumors around snow-buried villages. Decode clues from lantern patterns, carvings, and whispered dialogue to trace the Kitsune’s path while balancing stealth, intuition, and sudden combat sequences.

Step 1

Start at the Red Crane Inn and talk to Oyuki, who reveals new details about the Kitsune and the Nine Tails group. Offer to help her and follow her

Step 2

Speak with Oyuki and lure the nine tails.

Step 3

After spotting the nine tails, follow them.

Step 4

Stealth through enemy patrols and prepare for fighting nine tails before reaching Oyuki.

Step 5

Travel to the Nine Tails location. Find the hideout gate puzzle.

Light only the lanterns marked with fox icons or those that match the statue poses seen earlier. Incorrect lanterns can trigger ambushes or reset the puzzle.

Step 6

Once the correct lanterns are lit, a hidden passage opens toward the Nine Tails hideout.

Crawl through there and find a way towards the Nine tail's hideout main entrance, where you will fight enemies.

Step 7

Open the main entrance to the hideout by placing the correct statues on the pedestal.

Step 8

Grapple and climb through cliffs to find the Nine Tails' hideout. Prepare for a fight sequence here.

Step 9

You will meet Nine tails, fight and defeat them. Enter the building to find a cipher. Make a copy of that cipher.

Step 10

Carry on forward into the hideout and find the fox statues puzzle. Here, you need to direct the statues in the following manner:

From left to right, have the statues facing right, forward, backward, and left.

Step 11

In the middle of the upper building is a set of gear, the Nine Tail Armor, Nine Tail Acolyte Mask, and Nine Tail Acolyte Headband. Interact with the armor display to equip them automatically.

Step 12

Approach the rotating door behind the armor display and interact with the symbol to leave the building. And return to Red Crane Inn.

Subquest 3: The Way of the Shamisen

Infiltrate the dye master’s hideout through secret tunnels, solving emotion-based fox statue puzzles while uncovering Nine Tails’ coded messages. Introduces rope traversal, stealth kills, and the Shamisen cipher challenge.

Step 1

Proceed through the sub-quest “The Way of the Shamisen.” Oyuki will guide you through this sensei tale.

Step 2

Talk to Oyuki and overhear Matsumae and Fujita's conversation about the cipher and Nine Tail's Hideout.

Step 3

Follow Oyuki through Teshio River and reach the Nakajima Sake House in Sarobetsu Forest.

Step 4

Meet chosuke and find out about Nine Tails cipher. Chosuke will tell you that the symbol was on a dye house.

Step 5

Follow his directions and with Oyuki to find the Black Dye House in Sarobetsu Forest.

Step 6

To find a way forward, you need to place statues on the pedestals:

1. Locate the two fox statues on the left side of the building.
2. Take the statue that is facing right and place it on the right pedestal. (See images below.)
3. Take the statue that is facing left and place it on the left pedestal.
4. The foxes should be facing away from the blue symbol in the middle.
5. The foxes should be facing towards the corners of the room.

Step 7

Now turn the lids in the middle of the room so that:

• Left Lid: Turn the lid on the left so its arrow is pointing left, matching the direction the left fox statue is facing. (Do check the image below.)
• Right Lid: Turn the lid on the right so its arrow is pointing right, matching the direction the right fox statue is facing.

Then, finally go through the middle tunnel to find the black dye merchant's family in hostage cells.

Step 8

Rescue dye merchant's family then continue exploring the caves.

Step 9

Find the hidden location of the Nine Tails cells. Free other hostages and reach the central building.

Step 10

At the locked gate, rotate the statues in this order:

• Proud (standing): don’t move
• Joyful (looking up): rotate right
• Angry (crouched): rotate right
• Sad (sitting): rotate left

Solving this unlocks the next chamber.

Step 11

Take the Kitsune puzzle box and return to Oyuki

Subquest 4: Poison and Lies

Uncover a Matsumae Clan poison-harvesting plot beneath twisted forests. Solve fire-lighting and statue-rotation puzzles to purify toxic grounds while facing ambushes amid dangerous terrain and spreading corruption.

Step 1

Meet Oyuki at the harvesting site northeast of the Red Crane Inn.

Survey the Matsumae Clan troops to find a stealth route inside. And trigger the beginning of Poison and Lies sub-quest.

Step 2

At the tree shrine puzzle, light fires only under the statuettes that match the ones near the tree base. Lighting the wrong ones spawns enemies.

Step 3

Place the Kitsune Puzzle Box on the pedestal under the tree

Step 4

Venture into the forest further and fight Nine Tails guards.

Step 5

To find a way through the forest, solve the Fox statue puzzle.

• Left fox facing towards right
• 2nd from left facing towards back
• Right fox facing towards left.

Step 6

Avoid pit traps by reading the stone markers that indicate safe paths. Dash through poisonous fields if needed, focusing on reaching the main building rather than defeating every enemy.

Step 7

Swap two fox statues from their positions here. This will open the door.

Inside, you will find a slim way through the stones that send you deeper into forest.

Step 8

Venture further into the forest with Oyuki. Defeat all nine tails that come your way.

Step 9

You will find a locked door. Find a way to boost Oyuki to reach the other side.

Step 10

Scan the camp from afar, spot Kitsune and jump into the battlefield.

Step 11

Duel with Kitsune. Cutscene to Atsu's memories where you hug your mother.

Find yourself with Oyuki in present time.

Step 12

Oyuki takes you to safety, then parts ways with you. End of Poison and Lies sub-quest.

Subquest 5: The Tale of Kitsune

Confront Oyuki in an emotional graveyard duel to reveal the truth behind her Kitsune ties. Master dodge timing, endure toxin events, and unlock powerful new stealth and sensory abilities.

Step 1

Meet Oyuki at the Old Graveyard southeast of the previous quest’s area. Dialogue triggers the duel.

Step 2

During the duel, watch for Oyuki’s Kusarigama red-glint attacks—these are unblockable. Dodge and counterattack rather than parry.

Step 3

Defeat Oyuki to trigger a cutscene revealing key story information and unlocking new tools such as Listen and Smoke Bombs. Tale of Kitsune begins here.

Step 4

Follow Oyuki. Listen to the forest and animals.

Step 5

Return to the hut and follow the incense.

Step 6

Tend to the graves.

Step 7

After briefly returning to the hut, Oyuki heads outside. Follow Oyuki outside again.

Step 8

Practice the smoke bomb and listening techniques.

Step 9

Follow Oyuki into Sakuru Woods' Abandoned Village.

Step 10

Defeat the nine tails at their hut. Follow Oyuki, back to the old graveyard.

Step 11

Light up the braziers at the old graveyard.

Step 12

Duel with Oyuki under the influence of toxins.

Step 13

When you wake up and Oyuki is in the yard. Meet her and compose a song of the three prompts you see. You get the "Woman Behind the Mask" trophy here.

• One of the tree
• One of the grave
• One of the brazier

Step 14

This marks the end of the Tale of Kitsune. Reach Red Crane Inn for the next mission.

Subquest 6: The Kitsune's Fate (Final Chapter)

Solve the Waterfall Shrine’s final brazier puzzle, break the Nine Tails’ defenses, and face a cinematic final battle. Concludes the Kitsune saga with major rewards and lore revelations.

Step 1

Gather clues at the Red Crane Inn, then travel to the waterfall shrine marked on your map.

Step 2

Meet Oyuki inside and find corpses hanging.

Step 3

See the clues around the inn and find a Nine Tails graffiti.

Step 4

Meet the stable boy upstairs for clues. This marks the beginning of the final sub-quest in the Kitsune's Fate.

Step 5

Follow Oyuki to the Two Brother's campsite to the Teshio River Nine Tails hideout in the middle of frozen waterfall.

Step 6

Follow Oyuki to find a bamboo door, unlock it with grapple hook and enter inside to find a locked door.

Step 7

Solve the Nine Tails Waterfall Door puzzle by lighting specific braziers or orienting statues according to symbols collected earlier.

• Light the two lanterns to the left and right of the locked door by pressing R2.
• Turn the lanterns into position:Right lantern → face rightLeft lantern → face left
• The statues will keep spinning at first — wait for Oyuki to arrive and help.
• Once Oyuki assists, turn the left statue to face left again.
• The door will open.

Step 8

Follow Oyuki until she stops you at a fox statue.

Step 9

Here you have two options:

1. Go behind the statue on your left.
2. Pass through the rotating door.
3. This path will lead you up to a ledge overlooking the ambush point.
4. Use R3 to see all of the waiting Nine Tails below.

Alternative Head-on Path

1. Skip going through the rotating door.
2. Rush into the room to engage the enemies directly.

Step 10

Clear out the camp and then meet Oyuki in the middle of the cave.

Step 11

Find a way forward. Boost Oyuki and then use the ladder Oyuki has directed you to climb up.

Step 12

On entering the door, you will find the forward symbol, climb up from here.

Step 13

Keep walking until you find a way into forest and then the Nine Tails hideout.

Be prepared for outlwas and guards for fights until you get to the hideout.

Step 14

Find the door to the Nine Tails Hideout.

Enter and fight and defeat all the Nine Tails.

Step 15

Finally, make your way to the Kitsune arena, where you have the final showdown.

Step 16

The final confrontation concludes the Kitsune storyline. After the last cutscene, collect rewards like Kitsune’s Mask, armor pieces, and consumables.

Main puzzle solutions for quick reference

Rewards, collectibles, and trophies

Tips to avoid traps or softlocks

• Save before every major puzzle; incorrect actions can cause resets or trigger traps.
• Take photos or notes of ciphers and scrolls—these match statue directions later.
• Stealth sections can often be bypassed with Smoke Bombs and patience.
• Collect all Puzzle Boxes as you progress—they contribute to a key trophy.

Kitsune quest completes, what's next?

Completing the Kitsune storyline marks a major turning point in Ghost of Yotei. From this point, your journey moves from uncovering the Kitsune’s mystery to mastering the power left behind — balancing stealth mastery with spiritual strength. New trials, hidden duels, and lore-rich side content open up, setting the stage for the game’s mid-to-late narrative arc.