Rise of the Rōnin Guide | How to Do Bond Mission as Akikatsu Manabe

A guide on how to do bond mission as Akikatsu Manabe in Rise of The Rōnin.

Game Guide by Groot on Aug 21, 2025

Akikatsu Manabe serves as the blue demon antagonist who appears twice throughout Rise of the Rōnin and is responsible for severing your twin's hand.

Despite his antagonistic role, the game allows him to survive and potentially join your cause through specific story choices.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Do Bond Mission as Akikatsu Manabe, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

Character Background

Manabe shows how complicated military relationships can be, where old foes can become friends when things change. He went from being an enemy to a possible friend, which shows how political allegiances changed during this time in history.

Mission Prerequisites

To access Manabe's Bond mission, you must make a critical decision during "The Sakurada Gate Incident" main mission at the end of Chapter 1. You must spare Naosuke Li's life rather than killing him during this encounter.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Do Bond Mission as Akikatsu Manabe, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

If you choose to kill Naosuke Li, Manabe becomes your permanent enemy and his Bond mission The Watchman becomes permanently unavailable. This decision demonstrates how individual choices throughout the story affect long-term relationship possibilities.

Mission Access Recovery

If you originally chose to kill Naosuke Li, the Testament of Souls tool lets you change your mind. This method lets you go back to earlier parts of the story and make different decisions, which opens up storylines that were previously closed.

Bond Mission Details

Sparing Naosuke Li and finishing the main task of "Wildfire" make the Watchman available. This task finds out what drives Manabe and gives you information about what he did in earlier meetings.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Do Bond Mission as Akikatsu Manabe, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

The job helps you figure out what made him act so mean, and it also gives you a chance to make peace, even though you've had problems in the past. This way of writing stories stresses forgiveness and the chance for characters to be made right, even if they did bad things.

Strategic Considerations

Recruiting Manabe as an ally provides tactical advantages due to his combat capabilities and knowledge of enemy operations. His insider perspective on opposing forces can prove valuable for future missions and strategic planning.

Redemption Theme

In Rise of the Rinnin, Manabe's story centers on forgiveness and second chances. Being able to change his loyalties from enemy to friend shows that people can do good things again even after doing bad things to others.

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