Isshin Ashina | Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Wiki

Isshin Ashina is an NPC in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. For the boss versions of this NPC, see Isshin, the Sword Saint and Isshin Ashina (Boss). For the disguised version of this NPC seen outside Ashina Castle, see Tengu of Ashina.

Isshin Ashina Information

• Location: Isshin Ashina can be found at Ashina Castle
• Progression: Isshin Ashina appears in his watchtower at Ashina Castle after defeating Genichiro Ashina and completing the associated quest for Tengu of Ashina.
• Combat: Players cannot kill Isshin Ashina as an NPC, as Sekiro will automatically sheath his sword when close, although a version of him is fought as a mandatory boss for all endings. 
• Rewards: As the Tengu of Ashina he will give you the Ashina Esoteric Text  and later the Mushin Esoteric Text for completing his tasks.

Associated Quests

• As the Tengu of Ashina, he will ask you to help him kill some "rats" (Assassins) and give you the Rat Description.
• Once you kill the rats up ahead past the next Sculptor's Idol in the right garden-like locale (there are 3) return and he will give you the Ashina Esoteric Text.
• After you beat Genichiro Ashina on top of the castle, Kuro sends you to talk to Isshin Ashina. As soon as you have talked with him, Tengu will move to the Great Serpent Shrine. He will ask if you have mastered any Secret Techniques (i.e., that you have purchased 'ultimate skill' at the end of any skill tree). If you have, he will award you the Mushin Esoteric Text. After this he leaves this area.
• If you progress the story to when the Ashina Castle get's attacked, Tengu leaves and a mini-boss takes his place. If you didn't receive the Mushin Esoteric Text from him before then simply go to Isshin Ashina, in his watchtower room,(most likely after the attack is over) talking to him will yield the same line of dialogue, where he asked if you learned any secret techniques, and if yes he will give you the Mushin Esoteric Text.
• Finally, after obtaining the Divine Dragon's Tears, you can speak to Emma, who will give you the text if have mastered a secret technique.

Dialogue

•  Isshin discusses Genichiro's trainer if you give the Unrefined Sake he hands you back to him.
  • "Are you... Offering me the sake I gave you? Delightful, I'll take it! (Alternatively with different sake: 'Ah, don't mind if I do!') Ahhh... That's the stuff! By the way... How was Genichiro? You two crossed blades, did you not? I see. That? It's a technique belonging to Genichiro's mentor. I'll wager it was quite the sight. Tomoe... There aren't many masters of the sword like her. To see her fight, it's like she is dancing. When you look into her eyes... You feel as if you're being drawn into the depths of the ocean. I was completely taken by her and it almost killed me... I've lived a long life, but that was the closest I've come to death."
• After giving Monkey Booze
  • "Ah, Sekiro! You know me well. Why, if this isn't monkey booze! Hahh! So this is what it's like to breathe fire! Do you know what other name this sake goes by? You don't? They call it Shura's wine. I killed one once, long ago... Shura... Or something very much like it. Those who go on killing will eventually become Shura. They don't even remember why... Simply enraptured... They kill solely for the joy it brings them. I see it in your eyes, too. The shadow of Shura. Give me cause, and I will kill you. It would do you well to remember that."
• After giving Monkey Booze and having rejected the iron code
  • "Ah, Sekiro! You know me well. Why, if this isn't monkey booze! Hahh! So this is what it's like to breathe fire! Do you know what other name this sake goes by? You don't? They call it Shura's wine. I killed one once, long ago... Shura... Or something very much like it. Those who go on killing will eventually become Shura. They don't even remember why... Simply enraptured... They kill solely for the joy it brings them. I saw it in your eyes, too. The shadow of Shura. Or at least, I thought I did. However, it appears I was mistaken. If Shura were to appear, I would have cut it down myself." (laughs)

• After giving Dragonspring Sake
  • "Well Well! If it isn't Dragonspring! You've really done it this time, Sekiro! Buhaah! That hit the spot! Whenever I used to get my hands on Dragonspring...bunch of fools would start coming to me, demanding drinks. Fools who wouldn't let go of their cross-spears while they drank...fools who would steal sake using illusion techniques...fools tinkering with half-finished prosthetics, sake cup in hand. And even...the cunning owl, who despite his size would turn bright red after the first drop! Yes, your father was a fool too."

Lore note: the fools are, in order: Gyoubu, Lady Butterfly, Dogen (Emma's adoptive father and creator of the Shinobi Prosthetic originally fashioned for the Scultptor) and Owl.

• After giving Ashina Sake
  • "Smart thinking my boy! Let me see...That's some good sake! This is how we drank when we won our battles. The people of Ashina, together as one. Oh, the rebellion...we just took back what was stolen from us. Before, this land was...it was a place where we, the Ashina people lived. Where the waters flowed, straight from the source. We were a people who loved our country dearly. And we made good sake to boot! But we were heretics, and we were weak. Naturally, we were overrun. Trampled into submission. For many long, excruciating years...we couldn't even pray at the water from the springs. The way we were then...even good sake couldn't get us truly drunk. Yes...amidst the chaos that was Japan...the endless casualties. The flames of war...we found the perfect opportunity to take back our land. But now...it's a place of death...it's a bitter thing indeed."
• When eavesdropped upon after showing him the Mortal Blade
  
  • "The crimson Mortal Blade...That means the one he has must be...black, then. To abandon oneself in search of strength...How tragic..."

Notes & Tips

• Voiced by: Andre Sogliuzzo (English), Tetsuo Kanao (Japanese).
  • Tetsuo Kanao is also known for voicing Bui in Yu Yu Hakusho, Sekishusai Yagya in Nioh, and Blood Stalk/Evolt in Kamen Rider Build.
• Isshin is the one who gives the main character the nickname "Sekiro", likening the shinobi to a one-armed wolf.  
• If you enter his room before fighting Genichiro, he will be absent and a letter will be found in his place.
• Upon meeting Isshin in Ashina Castle, he reveals that he was actually the Tengu of Ashina in disguise.
  • Tengu's cloak and mask can be found on the floor behind Isshin in his room.
  • Emma telling you how Isshin is always disappearing on her is likely also a reference to his activities as the Tengu.
• Can't catch Dragonrot.
• Isshin is the one who cut off the Sculptor's arm to prevent him from turning into a Shura. 

 Story & Lore

• There seem to be several historical models for Isshin Ashina.
  • The clearest model is the daimyo warlord Moriuji Ashina (1521–1580), although Sekiro uses a slightly different kanji character for Ashina (葦名 in Sekiro versus 蘆名 in history). The meaning of 葦 and 蘆 are the same ("reed").
    
    • In addition to his own clan name, Moriuji's vassals include many clans that also appear in Sekiro. For example, in the real history, the vassal clans of the Ashina clan include Hirata, Yamauchi, Kawarada, Matsumoto, and Saze.
    • Moriuji ruled the sourthern part of Tohoku (the northeastern area of Japan), a snowy region. The areas of Sekiro also have the same feature.
  • Another clear model is the major daimyo warlord Masamune Date (1567–1636), a relative of Moriuji Ashina.
    
    • Like Isshin, Masamune was a one-eyed warlord. Isshin mastered a technique called Dragon Flash. Masamune is often called the One-Eyed Dragon (独眼竜, Dokugan-Ryu).
    • Masataka Oniwa is one of the most trusted generals of Isshin. Likewise, Tsunamoto Oniniwa (1549–1640) is one of those of Masamune.
  • Isshin also shares many features with Tomonori Kitabatake (1528–1576), a powerful daimyo warlord and master swordsman.
    
    • In spite of being a warlord, Isshin is also a master swordsman and called the Sword Saint. Likewise, Lord Tomonori was the greatest student and successor of the Sword Saint Bokuden Tsukahara (1489–1571).
    • Isshin's iconic skill is Ichimonji ("the Shape of One"). Tomonori learned an esoteric skill called Ichi-no-Tachi ("the Blade of One") from his teacher Bokuden.
    • The Province of Ashina (in Sekiro) produced two demonic swords: the Mortal Blade and the Black Mortal Blade. Likewise, Muramasa, one of the greatest Japanese swordsmiths, lived in the Province of Ise (ruled by Tomonori). The swords of Muramasa are considered to be the sharpest blades in Japan. They are often depicted as demonic swords in popular culture.
    • The Ashina clan in Sekiro was once the ruling clan of the Ashina Province. Isshin temporarily restored the power of his clan but he ultimately failed. Likewise, the Kitabatake family was one of the most powerful clans of Japan in the Nanbokucho period (14th century). It effectively ruled the half of Japan when Chikafusa Kitabatake (1293–1354) was the de facto leader of the Sourthern Court. Tomonori also tried to restore the power of his family and was partly successful, but his attempt ultimately failed.
    • The Ashina clan in Sekiro seems to have some connections to the clan of the Fountainhead Palace (Minamoto-no-Miya in the Japanese version) in ancient times. The Kitabatake family belongs to the Minamoto clan.
    • One of the most divine deities (Divine Dragon) exists in Ashina and it is connected to the Ashina clan. Likewise, the Ise Grand Shrine, the highest of all shrines in Japan, is located at the Ise Province ruled by Tomonori. Chikafusa, the ancestor of Tomonori, strongly supported (and was strongly supported by) the Ise Grand Shrine.
    • In spite of his personal prowess, Isshin's army was finally destroyed by the army of the Interior Ministry that developed advanced firearms. Likewise, in spite of being a master swordsman, Tomonori's army was defeated by the army of Nobunaga Oda that developed advanced firearms. In 1576, Tomonori was assassinated by the assassins of the "Interior Ministry" (his rival Nobunaga held the position of the Interior Minister of the Court betweeen 1576–1577).
• Isshin's fighting style is likely based on historical master swordsmen. Among these historical figures, Bokuden and Nobutsuna are considered to be the Sword Saints, while Musashi is the most popular and well-known in popular culture.
  • Bokuden Tsukahara, the founder of Kashima-Shinto style, is the clearest example as he developed an skill called "Ichi-no-tachi" (versus "Ichimonji" for Isshin Ashina) and his student includes the swordsman-warlord Tomonori Kitabatake (see the previous paragraph).
  • The way he is proficient both in the sword and in the cross-shaped spear is an homage to Nobutsuna Kamiizumi, the founder of the Shinkage style. Two of his greatest students are the master swordsman Munetoshi "Sekishusai" Yagyu and the master spearman-monk In'ei. Munetoshi founded the Yagyu-Shinkage style, which heads would serve as the head sword trainers for Tokugawa shoguns. In'ei founded the Hozoin style, the greatest school for the art of the spear, especially for cross-shaped spears.
  • The way he uses two weapons at the same time is an homage to Musashi Miyamoto, the founder of the Niten-Ichi style and the author of the Book of Five Rings. Musashi is also very famous in the Japanese popular culture from the 17th century.
  • The way that he emphasizes mindfulness, or paying attention to the present moment ("hesitation is defeat"), is an homage to Munenori Yagyu, the first son of Munetoshi and the author of Hereditary Book on the Art of War. Under the influence of the Zen monk Takuan, Munenori attained enlightenment that the swordsmanship and the Zen are one and the same. Like the Zen Buddhism, if one mastered swordsmanship, his moves are natural, spontaneous, and completely free from hesitation and attachments.
  • The way that he uses weapons well even when he is one-eyed is an homage to Mitsuyoshi "Jubei" Yagyu, a son of Munenori, who has been depicted as a one-eyed swordsman in popular culture. Researchers however think this depiction is unhistorical and Mitsuyoshi actually had both eyes.