Assassin’s Creed Shadows puts many tough moral choices in front of you throughout the storyline, and one of the earliest ones comes during the “Heads Will Roll” quest. When presented with the choice between Mitsumune’s thirst for justice and Yaya’s plea for mercy, which path should you take? While this decision doesn’t drastically affect the game, it does impact your relationship with Yaya, affecting her recruitment as an ally later on. So, should you side with Mitsumune or Yaya in AC Shadows? Let’s break it down.
After fighting hard in Amagasaki Castle and assassinating Wada Koretake, Naoe finds herself in another conflict between two key characters: Mitsumune, a warrior driven by vengeance due to a loss from Nobunaga’s forces, wants to execute Koretake’s remaining soldiers. On the other end is Yaya, a peaceful monk who believes in forgiveness and insists that further killing is not justice – forgiveness is always the best choice in her book.
At this moment, the game gives you two dialogue options to make a choice:
- “Justice must be served” (Siding with Mitsumune)
- “Killing them isn’t justice” (Siding with Yaya)
Both of these choices carry different consequences, and the major one is Yaya’s attitude toward Naoe. So, here’s everything you need to know about what making these choices means, and should you lean towards killing or be a forgiver.
What Happens If You Side with Mitsumune? (Justice Must Be Served)
If you decide to back Mitsumune and go with the “Justice must be served” option, his men waste no time executing the captured soldiers, delivering the brutal retribution he believes they deserve. Mitsumune, still fueled by rage and loss, sees this as the only way to bring balance, and Naoe’s support solidifies her as someone who understands his way of thinking.
However, Yaya is completely disgusted by this decision. She storms off, very disappointed in Naoe for choosing vengeance over mercy. She believes that if Japan is ever going to heal from its continuous cycles of violence, people need to learn to forgive—even those who have committed atrocities. But in this moment, her words fall on deaf ears.
From a playthrough perspective, siding with Mitsumune doesn’t give you any instant rewards or punishments, but instead makes recruiting Yaya a lot harder when the time arrives later on. You’ll still take on the Stray Dogs quest, which is a good chance to win her over, but because she has witnessed Naoe who prefers bloodshed, convincing her will not be easy or even impossible. You’ll need to make all the right dialogue choices in that quest to mend your relationship.
Despite being the more aggressive and violent choice, it’s also the canon decision in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft seems to lean toward Mitsumune’s path being the one that aligns with the main story. But since the Shadows is all about letting you create your own story, it’s up to you whether you want to follow that path or forge your own.
What Happens If You Side with Yaya? (Killing Them Isn’t Justice)
If you choose to say “Killing them isn’t justice“, the executions still happen—Mitsumune’s men don’t exactly care what you think. They still execute the soldiers anyway, so your choice doesn’t stop the bloodshed, but it does change how people consider Naoe. But Yaya will be happy with your decision, seeing Naoe as someone who values peace. In this way, recruiting her later in the Stray Dogs quest is easy.
Mitsumune, however, will still be angry and leave anyway. He doesn’t care for mercy or diplomacy, he only wants to see justice served his way. He leaves burning with anger and doesn’t view Naoe as an ally anymore. That said, this choice doesn’t ruin your relationship with him permanently, since Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t seem to focus heavily on faction-based consequences.
This choice is better to pick Yaya as a reliable ally. During the Stray Dogs quest, she’ll be much more open to hearing you out. Since she’s a valuable companion in battle, this choice is the smarter long-term play. Even though this isn’t the canon choice, it does let you define Naoe as someone who sees the bigger picture beyond personal revenge. Roleplaying as a more diplomatic or forward-thinking assassin, siding with Yaya makes more sense for your version of the story. Plus, even though the soldiers die no matter what, at least you didn’t openly support their execution, and it doesn’t make you a bad person.
Should You Side with Mitsumune or Yaya in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Your decision does impact how Yaya sees you, and that could make a difference in your journey. Siding with Yaya is a recommended choice by considering the bigger picture. Since Yaya is a strong ally with useful abilities, having her on your side can give you an advantage in future missions. Further, it aligns Naoe with a more measured, thoughtful approach to justice rather than outright vengeance.
Unless you love to play as a more ruthless, justice-driven assassin, allowing Mitsumune to kill is the more natural choice. His viewpoint reflects the brutal reality of war—those who have done harm must pay the price. If your Naoe doesn’t have time for mercy and believes in swift, decisive action, then “Justice must be served” fits that narrative. Remember, taking this path will make befriending Yaya tough, so you’ll have to put more effort into getting back on her good side later. You don’t get any special rewards by siding with Mitsumune and even lose the special help for the next game, so it doesn’t make any sense to go this way.
