After arriving in Yokohama in the opening hours of Rise of the Ronin, you’ll find yourself caught in the middle of a war between Pro-Shogunate and Anti-Shogunate forces. One of the first major missions of the game requires you to side with either Katsura or Taka, and this choice will set you down a path with serious implications for the main story.
Rise of the Ronin is set during the Bakumatsu period, a tumultuous time in Japanese history when the country was facing aggressive Westernization spurred by Matthew Perry and the Black Ships. The Emperor was mainly a figurehead while the Shogun — the military leader of Japan — held most of the real governmental power. After some shaky dealings with the West, however, the people of Japan quickly found themselves divided into Pro-Shogunate and Anti-Shogunate factions.
Should You Choose Katsura or Taka in Rise of the Ronin?
The choice between Katsura and Taka is the first Pro or Anti-Shogunate choice that you have to make in Rise of the Ronin. Katsura is the Anti-Shogunate option for this quest, while Taka is the Pro-Shogunate option. All Anti-Shogunate missions and activities in Rise of the Ronin are marked with a green icon, while Pro-Shogunate quests are marked with a purple icon.
In this case, Katsura wants to storm the United States consulate to assassinate Townsend Harris, an American diplomat who is negotiating a treaty that will open up Japan’s borders to foreign trade. Taka, on the other hand, wants to use the battle as a cover so you can sneak in and perform some Pro-Shogun duties for her.
Regardless of how you feel about both options, you should choose the one that’s associated with the story route that you want to take. If you want to bring down the Shogunate and restore power to the Emperor, leading to the real-life Meiji Restoration and government reform, then side with Katsura for this quest. If you want to maintain the status quo, putting down any rebellions before they get too far to ensure the Shogun maintains military power in Japan, then side with Taka.
Of course, not everyone is going to be incredibly invested in the political climate of 19th-century Japan, so if you don’t care about any of that stuff, just choose the people that you want to hang out with the most during the main story. If you want to spend time with Sakamoto Ryoma and the other samurai from his clan, then go the Anti-Shogunate route. If you want to do missions with Taka and team up with the Shinsengumi, then go the Pro-Shogunate route.
You aren’t locked into one route or the other just based on one decision, though, so you’re free to change your mind and even play both sides by choosing different routes for each main story mission. Remember, whenever a choice will affect the Shogunate’s status, you’ll see either a green or purple marker next to your objective. If you want to test out the other version of a mission, you can join another player’s co-op session.
Missions don’t change too drastically early on for either route, but the story will change in major ways down the line after you’ve done enough missions for either side. While you can make multiple choices throughout Rise of the Ronin, which side you take in the Pro-Shogunate and Anti-Shogunate conflict is the main decision you have to make during the main storyline.
