The Tea Ceremony walkthrough - Assassin's Creed Shadows
All correct answers, and whether to confront Otama or Wakasa
Should you confront Otama or Wakasa in "The Tea Ceremony" quest in Assassin's Creed Shadows? Naoe's overarching objective in Assassin's Creed Shadows is to assassinate all of the Onryo - the group of masked evildoers at large in Sengoku-era Japan. One of the earliest Onryo assassination missions targets the Golden Teppo - the masked woman who shot Naoe during that fateful night outside Katano Castle. The quest to track down the Golden Teppo's true identity is called "The Tea Ceremony" - and it's one of the most interesting and in-depth quests in the game.
During this quest, you must maintain your secret identity by learning and perfectly performing all the expected customs and etiquette of the tea ceremony, while simultaneously trying to figure out which of the three women around you is your true target. It's a questline with several important choices, which can lead you to two different endings to The Tea Ceremony.
In our Tea Ceremony walkthrough, we'll walk you through the entirety of this confusing quest, answering important questions including which way you should turn the bowl during the ceremony, and whether to confront Otama or Wakasa at the end of the questline.
In this guide:
- The Tea Ceremony walkthrough: All correct answers
- Dress For Success: Red or Black Kosode?
- The Perfect Gift: Teapot, Jar, or Ladle?
- Conversation with Wakasa: Correct answers
- Should you bow head, halfway, or deeply?
- Which way should you turn the bowl?
- Should you confront Otama or Wakasa?
The Tea Ceremony walkthrough: All correct answers
There are six dialogue choices which determine the outcome of The Tea Ceremony quest. All the other dialogue choices in the questline are flavour and will not have any bearing on your task to hunt down the Golden Teppo. At a glance, here are the correct answers to these important choices during the Tea Ceremony:
- When introduced to Wakasa: Pick whichever name you gave to Imai Sokun.
- When Wakasa asks if you've heard of her: Pick "I'm new to Sakai".
- When Wakasa asks where you're from: Pick "I didn't say where I was from".
- At the start of the Tea Ceremony: Pick "Bow halfway".
- During the Tea Ceremony: Pick "Turn bowl right twice".
- After the Tea Ceremony: Pick "Confront Wakasa".
These six choices determine how easy it is for you to assassinate the Golden Teppo. If you do everything correctly, then the assassination is carried out during a simple cutscene. If not, then you'll need to track down the Golden Teppo and assassinate her inside Osaka Castle while she's surrounded by enemies, making Naoe's task considerably more challenging.
You're allowed to get one wrong answer before you confront Wakasa, but if you get two or more answers wrong during the Tea Ceremony or the conversation beforehand, then no matter who you confront, you'll be given the more challenging outcome of having to track down the Golden Teppo inside Osaka Castle.
Below I'll walk you through several key points and decisions in the leadup to this questline and the Tea Ceremony itself, so that you know exactly what to do at each stage of the quest.
Dress For Success: Red or Black Kosode?
Before the Tea Ceremony begins, you need to complete the miniquest: "Dress For Success". At the end of this quest, you're asked whether you'd like a red kosode or black kosode for the Tea Ceremony.
It does not matter whether you pick the red or black dress; the only difference is some minor dialogue changes in your first conversation with Wakasa. If you choose red, then Wakasa will gently suggest that you should put more effort into your kosode. If you choose black, then she'll compliment you on your choice.
Regardless of your choice, you can carry out the rest of the quest without any meaningful consequences. And in case you're wondering - whichever kosode colour you pick, Otama will still give you the exact same slight about your lack of fashion sense.
Expand to see the exact dialogue changes...
| Red Kosode: | Black Kosode: |
|---|---|
| Wakasa: [sighs] From one climber to another? It is worth the extra effort for a better kosode. Naoe: There was a shortage of silk. Wakasa: Still, you must find a way. You don't settle in Sakai, you make your claim. | Wakasa: What a beautiful kosode! I love the trim. You wouldn't mind if I steal it from you? |
The Perfect Gift: Teapot, Jar, or Ladle?
The other quest you must complete to prepare for the Tea Ceremony is "The Perfect Gift", during which a tea master teaches you basic etiquette for the ceremony. At the end of this quest, Master Sen no Rikyu will offer you a choice of three gifts to present to Imai Sokyu at the end of the Tea Ceremony:
- Gold-trimmed Teapot
- Tea-leaf Jar
- Bamboo Ladle
It doesn't matter which gift you choose - Master Imai Sokyu will be pleased regardless. Interestingly, while the dialogue for presenting the Tea-leaf Jar and Bamboo Ladle are almost identical, the dialogue for the Teapot differs from the rest. If you choose the Teapot, then Naoe will apologise that the Jar is not up to the standard of the other women's gifts, to which Sokyu will respond that it's in fact a rare and thoughtful gift. Otama will scathingly suggest that the gold trim clashes with its simple elegance, but Wakasa defends your choice of gift.
Regardless, your choice of gift has no bearing on the outcome of the Tea Ceremony quest and your task to assassinate the Golden Teppo.
Expand to see the exact dialogue changes...
| Teapot: | Jar: | Ladle: |
|---|---|---|
| Naoe: My gift can't compare to these treasures. Why would a tea master need another pot? Imai Sokyu: That is a Yixing pot. Very hard to come by. A thoughtful gift. Otama: Don't you think the gold clashes with its simple elegance? Wakasa: Not me. | Naoe: Master Sokyu, please accept this humble gift. Imai Sokyu: The leaf-jar Komatsushima. From Lord Nobunaga's personal collection. How did you come to possess it? Naoe: I got it through Master Rikyu. I'm sorry to have caused offense. Imai Sokyu: I see. That explains much. You gave no offense. I shall repay Master Rikyu for this act of generosity. | Naoe: Master Sokyu, please accept this humble gift. Imai Sokyu: I recognize that ladle. It's a Shutoku, from Lord Nobunaga's personal collection. Naoe: I got it through Master Rikyu. I'm sorry to have caused offense. Imai Sokyu: I see. That explains much. You gave no offense. I shall repay Master Rikyu for this act of generosity. |
Conversation with Wakasa: Correct answers
Just before the Tea Ceremony begins, you'll have the chance to speak with each of the women who could potentially be the Golden Teppo. You have several dialogue choices during each conversation, but the only ones which matter in any way are during your conversation with Wakasa. Feel free to answer how you like with the other two.
When you first greet Wakasa, you need to introduce yourself with the same name that you gave Imai Sokun during the previous main quest, "Searching Sakai". You're free to pick any of the three names: Shizuka, Sanuki, or Shigure. It doesn't matter which you pick, as long as you remember it, and choose the same answer when introducing yourself to Wakasa.
Shortly into the conversation, Wakasa will introduce herself with the line: "[chuckles] I mean no disrespect. I am Wakasa. You may have heard of me?". The correct choice is to respond with "I'm new to Sakai". If you do this, Wakasa will repond positively to your truthfulness. If you pick the other option - "Of course I know you" - then Wakasa will easily catch you in the lie.
The final important moment in your conversation with Wakasa is when she asks: "Where did you say you were from?". The correct answer here is "I didn't say where I was from". Wakasa will appreciate your answer, which is a great deal better than the alternative. If you lie and choose "I'm from Nagasaki", then Wakasa will again see right through you by testing your Portuguese.
Remember - you're allowed to get one of the key choices wrong during this questline, but if you get more than one of them wrong then it will prevent you from taking the easy route at the end of The Tea Ceremony quest.
Should you bow head, halfway, or deeply?
After speaking with the three women, the Tea Ceremony itself will begin. Your first test is how to bow to the host, Master Imai Sokyu. You can choose:
- [Bow head]
- [Bow halfway] (CORRECT ANSWER)
- [Bow deeply]
The correct answer is to bow halfway, as this is part of the etiquette that Master Sen no Rikyu taught Naoe during "The Perfect Gift" quest. As he explained during this quest, "the half-bow puts us on equal standing", which is an important aspect of the ceremony. If you bow halfway, Imai Sokyu will smile at you; if you choose either of the other options, he will shake his head and glare at the misstep.
Which way should you turn the bowl?
During the Tea Ceremony, each guest must drink from the bowl, turning it beforehand so that the pattern on the bowl faces outward towards the rest of the group. This was also explained by Master Sen no Rikyu during "The Perfect Gift" quest - but when the time comes, the phrasing of the choices is extremely ambiguous, and leaves you wondering what exactly is the correct choice.
When it comes to turning the bowl, your choices are:
- [Turn bowl left twice]
- [Turn bowl right twice] (CORRECT ANSWER)
- [Do not turn bowl]
The correct answer is to turn the bowl right twice, as this is the option which will show the pattern on the bowl to the rest of the group. It's very confusingly phrased though; the options ought to have been whether to turn the bowl clockwise or counter-clockwise. You can see Wakasa very deliberately turn the bowl clockwise beforehand, so this phrasing would make the answer much clearer.
Should you confront Otama or Wakasa?
The final - and most important - choice in The Tea Ceremony quest is whether to confront Otama or Wakasa in the garden after the ceremony is finished. This is the moment where you must use the clues you've gained during the quest to figure out the identity of the Golden Teppo who shot Naoe at the beginning of the game.
The correct answer is to confront Wakasa. She is the true Golden Teppo. If you confront Wakasa, then she'll approach you in the garden and begin another conversation. This conversation can go one of two directions, depending on whether you kept your secret identity hidden or not by guessing the correct answers previously in the quest.
What were the clues?...
As Naoe said, Lady Satoko really doesn't seem like the type to be the Golden Teppo, so that leaves Otama or Wakasa. While Otama is a nasty piece of work, she seems rather more of a straightforward materialistic high society enjoyer. Wakasa, on the other hand, makes it clear that she is highly ambitious and has big plans for the future of Sakai. The gift she presents to Imai Sokyu is also telling: a dagger, with connections to the previous Shogun.
What's more - if you choose to lie about your background to Wakasa earlier, she'll start speaking Portuguese. Yes, this technically is an incorrect choice, but it can also lead you straight to Wakasa if you recall that the Golden Teppo cursed in Portuguese when Naoe's father appeared just after she shot Naoe.
Weighed against this is the red herring of Otama calling you "a cat with a silver coin", which happens to be exactly the phrase that the Golden Teppo used after shooting Naoe earlier in the game. This is the part that's most likely to misdirect you towards incorrectly confronting Otama instead of Wakasa.
If you made just one mistake or none at all, then Wakasa will invite you back to her home, giving you a chance to easily assassinate her. If you made two or more mistakes previously in the quest, then Wakasa will tell you that she recognises you, and warn you to leave Sakai while you still can. She'll then disappear, and you'll be placed back into the open world in order to track her down in Osaka Castle.
If you choose incorrectly and confront Otama, then Naoe will follow Otama as she leaves. You must then chase down Otama and assassinate her. Once you've killed her, you'll be able to read a letter on her person to Wakasa, which makes it clear that Wakasa was the true Golden Teppo all along. The silver lining is that the letter also confirms Otama was corrupt to the core, so killing her is no great loss to humanity. You're then left with no choice but to track down Wakasa inside Osaka Castle.
Easy Ending: Follow Wakasa to her home
If you make all the correct choices in the Tea Ceremony quest, then Wakasa will not recognise you, and invite you back to her home. You're then free to move around her home while Wakasa continues to talk about her past. Head around to the other side of the wall nearest Wakasa, and you'll find her Golden Teppo mounted on the wall. Interact with it to trigger a cutscene where Naoe picks up the Teppo and drops the act at last.
Faced with her own Teppo, Wakasa will finally recognise Naoe, and start to calmly bargain for her life. You then have one more dialogue choice to make:
- "Give me the box."
- "I want revenge."
It doesn't matter which choice you pick in the end - either of them will result in Naoe killing Wakasa with a single shot to the head. If you choose to demand the box, then Wakasa will say she knows where it is, but refuses to tell you, instead asking you to let her take you to it. Naoe, wisely, refuses on your behalf and shoots her.
If you choose "I want revenge", then Naoe will tell Wakasa that she wants her to feel the pain Naoe felt when her father was slain by the Onryo. Wakasa will say that there's little hope of this, seeing as there's no love lost between Wakasa and her own father. She then tries to bargain with Naoe one more time, but Naoe refuses and shoots her.
Expand to see the exact dialogue changes...
| "Give me the box." | "I want revenge." |
|---|---|
| Naoe: I want the box you took from me that night. Wakasa: Ah, the box. Well, it isn't here, but I can take you to it. Naoe: No, you'll tell me where it is. Wakasa: I do that, you'll have no reason to let me live. Naoe: So, you won't tell me where it is? Wakasa: No. Naoe: Then you're of no use to me at all. [Shoots] | Naoe: I want you to feel the pain I've felt. The loss. You took my father from me. Wakasa: Hm. My father sold me to pirates for a bag of rice. Killing him would be a mercy. Naoe: So you're saying you have nothing to lose? What about all this? Wakasa: You can have it all. I started with nothing. I can do it again. Naoe: There is nothing here that I want. Wakasa: You must want something. Naoe: I want my father back. [Shoots] |
Hard Ending: Assassinate Wakasa in Osaka Castle
You will reach the hard ending to The Tea Ceremony quest either by confronting Otama or by making one too many mistakes during the ceremony itself. Either way, you'll be forced to journey to Osaka Castle in order to assassinate Wakasa. This is still a fairly straightforward mission, with all the same dangers of any well-defended samurai-infested Castle you can encounter in the open world throughout the game.
Wakasa herself can be found on the edge of a large rooftop, shouting orders down to her soldiers below. It's easy enough to sneak up behind her and assassinate her with a single attack, but be wary of the lone soldier on the roof with her. If Wakasa notices you, then she'll fight with both her teppo and her katana, staying on the rooftop where possible.
Once you kill her, a short cutscene will trigger showing Naoe picking up her Golden Teppo and snapping it in half, before resolving to find the horseman - the seeming leader of the Onryo - who she assumes has the missing box.
That wraps up the entirety of "The Tea Ceremony" quest, one of my personal favourites in Assassin's Creed Shadows. If you want a glimmer of something slightly more lighthearted than this intense assassination mission, then check out our guide to all the Assassin's Creed Shadows romance options. You can also consult our handy primers on how to use Scouts, all the Allies in AC Shadows, all the Viewpoint locations, and how to reach Cat Island!