Yasuke’s Long Katana Skill Tree allows players to mold him into a classic samurai from Feudal Japan. So, let’s explore it in detail.

When we think about samurai or Japanese culture, the first thing that comes to mind is the classic katana. It is a traditional Japanese sword that prioritizes precision and finesse over force. Since Yasuke is the Samurai character in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the developers decided to give him his own Katana Skill Tree. However, Nobunaga’s trusted swordbearer does not have the standard version of the Japanese blade; instead, he holds a Long Katana, befitting his massive physique.
If you want to build him around this iconic weapon, you might find this article helpful, because in this guide, we will take a deep dive into Yasuke’s Katana Skill Tree in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Yasuke’s Long Katana Skill Tree in Assassin’s Creed Shadows Explained
Yasuke has a total of six different Mastery Trees, five for his weapons and one for his techniques. Each tree presents a choice to the player and gives them full control of our brute samurai’s progression. However, today, we will be only talking about Yasuke’s Long Katana Skill Tree.
It has six different tiers, with a mix of global passive, weapon active, and weapon passive abilities. Furthermore, you will find many standalone abilities as well as ones that are connected in each of the tiers. So without further delay, let’s dive in.
Yasuke’s Knowledge Rank 1 Skills for The Long Katana

The first tier in Yasuke’s Katana Skill Tree holds three abilities. So, naturally, all of these skills will be the base upon which you build your samurai combat style. In the following list you will find more information regarding it:
Ability Name | Function | Stages | Type |
Sheathed Attack | Hold LB/L1 and press R1/RB or R2/RT to sheath the Katana and launch a stronger strike that can break the target’s guard | Only one stage | Long Katana Passive |
Power Dash | Dash to a single enemy, dealing 70% ability damage, then move behind them to make them Vulnerable | Only one Stage | Long Katana Active |
Riposte | Release LB/L1 right after blocking a hit to perform an immediate Riposte | Only one stage | Long Katana Passive |
Yasuke’s Knowledge Rank 2 Skills for The Long Katana

Rank 2 in Yasuke’s Katana Skill Tree has only two abilities in it. In addition to that, this tier, along with Rank 6, hosts the lowest number of abilities in the entire Long Katana Mastery Tab. However, that does not mean that these skills can be taken lightly or players can skip them. Because one of them is a Global Passive and the other one has a branch that leads to the upper tiers. So, here are the abilities in Rank 2:
Ability Name | Function | Stages | Type | Branches From |
Combat Expert | Increase Damage with Melee Weapons by 9% | Three Stages | Global Passive | No previous branches |
Energizing Defense | Riposte now restores 5% Health. Increase Riposte damage by 40% | Two Stages | Long Katana Passive | Riposte in Rank 1 |
Yasuke’s Knowledge Rank 3 Skills for The Long Katana

Yasuke’s Long Katana’s third tier features three abilities, similar to Rank 1. Moreover, it has two standalone and one ability connected to a branch. Let us now take a look at it to gain a better understanding:
Ability Name | Function | Stages | Type | Branches From |
Adrenaline Builder | Increase Adrenaline Gain by 15% | Three stages | Global Passive | No previous branches |
Sheathed Posture | Sheathed Attack can now become a Posture Attack by holding R1/RB or R2/RT. Increase Sheathed Attack damage by 20% | Two stages | Long Katana Passive | Sheathed Attack in Rank 1 |
Payback | Deal 3 powerful strikes to a single enemy, each dealing 49% ability damage and restoring 10% Health | Only one stage | Long Katana Active | No previous branches |
Yasuke’s Knowledge Rank 4 for the Long Katana

Knowledge Rank 4 in Yasuke’s Long Katana Skill Tree is placed on the higher tiers. So, it would be safe to assume that from this point onward players will encounter much stronger and potentially game-changing abilities. With that said, here are all of the abilities in the fourth tier of the Long Katana:
Ability Name | Function | Stages | Type | Branches From |
Samurai Showdown | Taunt up to 3 different enemies and attack them, dealing 15% ability damage to each | Only one stage | Long Katana Active | No previous branches |
Armor Avoidance | Power Dash now has 100% Armor Piercing Increase Power Dash by 40% | Two stages | Long Katana Passive | Power Dash in Rank 1 |
Overrun | Increase Payback damage by 1% per 1% Health missing. Increase Payback damage by 40% | Two Stages | Long Katana Passive | Payback in Rank 3 |
Defensive Strike | Riposte now has a 100% Critical Chance when performed against a Flurry Attack. Increase Riposte Damage by 60% | Two Stages | Long Katana Passive | Energizing Defense in Rank 2 |
Yasuke’s Knowledge Rank 5 for the Long Katana

Rank 5 in Yasuke’s Long Katana Skill Tree includes four abilities similar to its predecessor. It is the second-highest tier in the Mastery Tree. But most of the abilities in it have branches. So players cannot skip other Ranks and unlock the fifth tier directly. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at all of the abilities in the fifth tier:
Ability Name | Function | Stages | Type | Branches From |
Melee Weapon Armor Damage | Increase Armor Damage with Melee Weapons by 3% | Three stages | Global Passive | No previous branches |
Adrenaline Boost | Sheathed Attack generates 50% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit | Two stages | Long Katana Passive | Sheathed Posture in Rank 3 |
Shatter | Increase Samurai Showdown Armor Damage by 50% | Two stages | Long Katana Passive | Samurai Showdown in Rank 4 |
Unstoppable | Payback can no longer be blocked or parried | Two stages | Long Katana Passive | Overrun in Rank 4 |
Yasuke’s Knowledge Rank 6 for the Long Katana

The sixth tier is the last and final rank in Yasuke’s Long Katana Skill Tree. It has a total of only two abilities. However, many players might find those to be the strongest skills in this guide. So, let’s take a comprehensive look at our final Rank:
Ability Name | Function | Stages | Type | Branches From |
Call of Honor | Samurai Showdown can now taunt up to 4 different enemies | Two stages | Long Katana Passive | Shatter in Rank 5 |
Chained Power Dash | Power Dash can now be chained a second time | Two stages | Long Katana Passive | Armor Avoidance in Rank 4 |
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