How to get the unblockable Heavenly Strike attack in Ghost of Tsushima
Enhance your blade with heaven itself.
To repel the Mongolian invasion depicted in Ghost of Tsushima, protagonist Jin Sakai and his samurai pals need all the strength they can muster. One of the best ways Jin can power-up is by completing Mythic Tales — special side-quests — that reward you with new abilities like the unblockable Heavenly Strike.
Heavenly Strike is likely the first Mythic Tale that you'll encounter in Act 1 of the game. Completing it will earn you the titular unblockable attack, the Heavenly Strike which costs one resolve to perform. We've called the move one of the best things you can learn early in Ghost of Tsushima. Here's how to get it.
What are Mythic Tales and how do you start one?
Mythic Tales are special stories that grapple with Japanese mythology centered around certain objects or abilities. When you complete a Mythic Tale, the focal object or ability will then be incorporated into Jin's arsenal.
The musician Yamato serves as the quest-giver for every Mythic Tale. He'll tell you a story when you see him at different points in Tsushima, and over time he'll introduce more and more for a total of seven. If you hear a peasant mention Yamato's storytelling, that's usually a sign that he has a new tale available, but it's always a good idea to check if you encounter him randomly. Either way, never pass up any tale you encounter, because the rewards are some of the best in the game.
Step 1: Finding Yamato
To start this Mythic Tale, you'll first need to find Yamato in Act 1. He'll be located southwest of Golden Temple right by Brown River Gorge. We've pinned his location on the map below. Listen to his story to begin your quest.
Find Yamato here.
Step 2: Follow the tracks
Follow the wind until you meet a woman. Speak to her to continue the tale. Then head forward and follow some tracks to find a Mongol camp. Kill the Mongols and perform some light investigating.
Step 3: Head to Plum Blossom Shrine
You'll be given the mandate to find the "White-leafed tree." That's located at Plum Blossom Shrine. You can find it at the point on the map below.
The Shrine
Once you're close, just follow the torii gates (the wooden rectangle-shaped gates) to reach the shrine proper. If you have yet to interact with any Shinto shrines, this will be your introduction. You'll receive a Major Charm, granting a small stat boost when equipped. Speak to a nearby woman to continue on your way. From the shrine's peak, you'll be told to find a "white tree grove." This grove can be seen from the shrine. Head down to find a small town and some Mongols. (By now, you should know how Jin handles Mongols.)
With that out of the way, rescue the hostage to get your final objective: finding Shigenori's Rest.
Step 4: Shiganori's Rest
Search the objective-marked area for white-leafed trees and a broken tree that's doubling as a bridge. Once you jaunt over it, you squeeze through some rocks to find Shigenori's rest. There will be many Mongols waiting there for you. Once they're defeated, you'll have one final duel against a Yasuhira Koga. This is going to be a bit different from a normal fight as you won't have access to your items.
Take things slowly, play defensively, and stick to the Stone Stance to emerge victorious. Make sure to dodge the unblockable red attacks and parry the blue-lit ones.
You'll know the fight is over once you're given the option to use the Heavenly Strike attack.
Now you've unlocked the Heavenly Falcon sword kit and a new move.
If you'd like to further increase your strength, try finding Bamboo Strike objectives across Tsushima.
Ghost of Tsushima is now available for PlayStation 4.
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