Rise of the Ronin Bond Missions: Everything You Need To Know

In Rise of the Ronin, bond missions allow you to deepen your connections with key allies and uncover more of their personal stories. Completing Bond Missions is key to unlocking the Friendly Neighborhood Ronin trophy and strengthening your relationships. Let’s dive into what Bond Missions are and how to unlock them all.

What Are Bond Missions?

Bond Missions are special side quests that become available as you grow closer to certain NPCs in the game world. By helping allies with personal tasks and objectives, you increase your bond level, unlocking new missions and story insights.

As your bond deepens, you’ll learn more about each character’s motivations, struggles and role in the turbulent Bakumatsu period. Bond levels max out at 5, with the highest opening up optional romance opportunities.

Each NPC has 1-5 unique Bond Missions tied to their personal storyline. Completing all 58 scattered across the three chapters is required for the coveted Friendly Neighborhood Ronin platinum trophy.

The Bond Missions

Completing all 58 of these side quests is required for the Friendly Neighborhood Ronin platinum trophy. Let’s take a look at every single bond mission and how to unlock each one.

Ryoma Sakamoto Bond Missions

• The Men from Tosa – Unlocks after the “Follow Your Blade Twin” mission
• The Two Apprentices – Unlocks after “Those Who Gather at Edo”
• A House Divided – Will Unlock after “Reinventing the Shogunate”
• The Ties that Bind – Will Unlock “Fate of the Vanquished” 
• Crossroads of Dawn – Unlocks after “Wildfire”

Shinsaku Takasugi Bond Missions

• Try Your Luck – Unlocks after “Follow Your Blade Twin”
• Something to Believe In – Unlocks after “The China Town Kiheitai”
• Where There’s a Will – Unlocks during “Parting Ways” after siding with Anti-Shogunate
• The Spice of Life – Unlocks after “The Feud in Aburanokoji”

Genzui Kusaka Bond Missions

• The Way of the Warrior – Unlocks after “Follow Your Blade Twin”
• Terms of the Deal – Unlocks after “Take Back Hongakuji Temple” 
• At the End of the Charge – Unlocks after “The Physician’s Request”
• A Fresh Start – Unlocks after “At the End of the Charge” and reaching bond level 3

Kogoro Katsura Bond Missions

• The Seed of Doubt – Unlocks after “The Plot to Assassinate Harris”
• A Fragile Alliance – Unlocks after “Burgeoning Betrayal”

Toshimichi Okubo Bond Mission

• Old Friends – Unlocks after “Those Who Gather at Edo”

Kaishu Katsu Bond Missions  

• The Pillar of Edo – Unlocks after “A Show for the Shogun” and reaching bond level 2
• Building a Nation – Unlocks after “Wildfire”

Yukichi Fukuzawa Bond Missions

• In Search of New Knowledge – Unlocks after “Cultural Exchange”
• In Search of New Discoveries – Unlocks after Ine’s “Fruit from Distant Shores”

Akikatsu Manabe Bond Mission

• The Watchman – Will Unlock after not killing Naosuke Li in “The Sakurada Gate Incident” and completing “Wildfire”

Igashichi Iizuka Bond Missions

• A Lucky Find Put to Use – Give him 1 Foreign Book
• Chopped Liver – Unlocks after “Cultural Exchange”
• A New Lease on Life – Unlocks after “Chopped Liver” and reaching bond level 3

Felix Beato Bond Mission

• Joined Visions – Unlocks after “The Chivalry of the Damned”

Marcus Samuel Bond Mission

• The Black Jewel – Will Unlock after “Follow Your Twin Blade”

Robert Fortune Bond Mission  

• A Prize Beyond Reach – Unlocks after Ine’s “Fruit from Distant Shores”

Taka Murayama Bond Missions

• Encroaching Shadows – Unlocks after “Hidden Motives”
• A Light in the Darkness – Unlocks during “Those Who Gather at Edo”

Hirobumi Ito and Aritomo Yamagata Bond Missions

• Strength in Softness – Will Unlock after “A Show for the Shogun”
• A Vow of Steel – Will Unlock after “Wildfire”

Yoshinobu Tokugawa Bond Missions

• Twilight Raid – Will Unlock after “A Show for the Shogun”
• Midnight Revenge – Unlocks after “Fate of the Vanquished” and reaching bond level 2
• Dawn Revolt – Unlocks after “Midnight Revenge” and reaching bond level 3

Isami Kondo Bond Missions

• The Wolves of Mibu – Unlocks after “Fate of the Vanquished”
• Mibu Rivalry – Unlocks after “The Feud in Aburanokoji” and reaching bond level 2  

Toshizo Hijikata Bond Mission

• For the Sake of a Friend – Unlocks after “Wildfire”

Ernest Satow Bond Missions

• A Priceless Treasure – Unlocks after “Wildfire” 
• The Beauty of Friendship – Unlocks after “A Priceless Treasure”

Eiichi Shibusawa Bond Missions

• Something to Show the World – Will Unlock after talking to Katsu in “Looking Ahead”
• Samurai Spirit, Merchant Mind – Will Unlock after “Something to Show the World”

Soji Okita Bond Missions 

• The Supreme Swordsman – Unlocks after “Fate of the Vanquished” after “The Ikeda Inn Incident”
• A Moment of Brilliance – Unlocks after “The Feud in Aburanokoji”

Hajime Saito Bond Mission

• Loyalty to a Friend – Unlocks after Hijikata’s “For the Sake of a Friend”

Nobutomo Odani Bond Missions

• The Three Blades of the Era – Unlocks after “Deadly Blade, Demon Belle”
• The Sword Saint – Unlocks after “The Three Blades of the Era”  

Princess Atsuko Bond Missions

• Ideals and Reality – Unlocks after “Reinventing the Shogunate”
• The Road to Resolution – Unlocks after “Patriots’ Reward”

Ine Kusumoto Bond Missions

• Fruit from Distant Shores – Will Unlock after “It Hurts to Be Good”
• Ine’s Worries – Unlocks after “Fruit from Distant Shores”
• Cultivating the Cure – Unlocks after “Ine’s Worries” and reaching bond level 3

Sana Chiba Bond Missions  

• Turmoil of the Heart – Unlocks after “Deadly Blade, Demon Belle”
• A Tempest Calmed – Unlocks after “Patriots’ Reward”

Matthew Perry Bond Missions

• Peace Negotiations – Unlocks after “The Black Jewel” (Marcus Samuel’s)
• Test of Friendship – Unlocks after “Peace Negotiations”

Fumi Sugi Bond Mission

• Last Wishes – Unlocks after “Fate of the Vanquished” and reaching bond level 2

Gonzo Bond Mission

• The Bad Bunch – Will Unlock after starting “Follow Your Blade Twin” 

Alexandria Moreau Bond Mission

• An Intoxicating Flower – Unlocks after “Fruit from Distant Shores” and obtaining a Morning Glory flower

While a lengthy commitment, taking the time to complete an NPC’s entire bond mission chain provides fantastic narrative rewards. You’ll uncover deeper insights into their beliefs, relationships, and stake in the turbulent Bakumatsu era of Japanese history. It’s well worth the effort for collectors aiming for the Friendly Neighborhood Ronin platinum.

Tracking Your Progress

As you complete Main Missions and Bond Missions, keeping track of what’s left can get confusing between all the story branches and NPC requirements.

The easiest way is to systematically clear each NPC’s personal missions using the Bond menu filters. Highlight an ally, press Triangle to view details, then select Related Mission to instantly pull up their next quest.

If a Mission still appears locked, odds are you need to increase your bond level by giving gifts and replaying missions together. Once you’ve maxed bonds, any stragglers likely require using Mission Replay to revisit pivotal choices.

With careful planning and thorough exploration, you’ll be well on your way to the Friendly Neighborhood Ronin platinum by experiencing rise stories Rise of the Ronin has to offer!