Assassin’s Creed Shadows continues expanding its world with new quests and characters. One standout addition is the “A Critical Encounter” quest, which introduces Rufino—a character who started as part of a Critical Role tabletop one-shot and is now a fully integrated ally in the game. Completing his quest not only adds Rufino to your roster but also brings new challenges, rewards, and story content. Here’s everything you need to know to unlock him.
Who is Rufino and Why is He Important?
Rufino, voiced by Robbie Daymond of Critical Role, is a new recruitable ally. In the story, he teams up with Naoe and Yasuke to expose a Templar conspiracy in Japan. As a companion, he’s particularly useful in combat because:
- He dual-wields a sword and pistol.
- Many of his attacks cause Bleed, a damage-over-time effect that slowly drains enemy health.
Beyond his abilities, Rufino’s questline offers deeper narrative insight into the Templar Order’s activities, making it worthwhile for both lore fans and players focused on powerful allies.
How to Unlock the Critical Encounter Quest
To begin Rufino’s story, you must complete these prerequisites:
- Finish the “Way of the Blacksmith” main quest.
- Unlock Yasuke as a playable character.
Once that’s done, visit your Hideout. A new quest marker appears in the southeast sector. Rufino can be found hiding nearby, either behind bushes or rocks. Speak to him, and you’ll be prompted with a dialogue choice:
- “A friend of Tomiko’s is a friend of ours.”
- “I don’t know about him.”
Either choice leads to the same outcome and doesn’t affect the questline.
The Critical Encounter Quest: Destroying Templar Research
Rufino’s first mission sends you to destroy secret research aboard a ship off Osaka’s coast. You can tackle this mission as either Naoe or Yasuke, but Naoe’s agility and stealth skills make her an excellent choice.
Here’s how to approach the mission:
- Fast travel to Osaka’s synchronization point.
- Swim or use a boat to reach a large ship anchored west of Sakai in the Izumi Settsu region.
- Climb aboard from the rear, which usually has fewer guards.
Pro Tips for Stealth Entry:
- Guards on the ship’s side patrol in predictable loops. If you’re Naoe, hang beneath the rail until the guard turns away, then quickly climb aboard.
- Use tools like Firecrackers or Throwing Dust to distract guards before moving across open decks.
- On the upper deck, guards tend to stand near railings. Approach from low angles and keep to shadows to avoid being spotted.
Once on the ship, you’ll need to destroy three research crates marked with blue dots:
- One crate is on the lower deck.
- Another is inside the main cabin.
- The last is on the upper deck, accessed by a ladder inside the cabin.
You can break these crates using melee attacks or ranged weapons like kunai or shuriken.
Minor Gameplay Details:
- Throwing kunai is quieter than smashing crates with a sword, reducing the chance of attracting extra guards.
- If kunai miss, they can often be retrieved from wooden floors, saving resources for later fights.
Tip: Don’t leave the ship before exploring. There’s a chest upstairs containing the Floral Kusarigama of Tangling, a rare weapon easy to overlook.
Bonus Info: The Floral Kusarigama not only has cosmetic appeal but offers bonus stagger damage and slightly longer reach, making it a great choice for breaking enemy defenses.
Defeating the Contractor
After destroying the crates, head to the ship’s bow, where Rufino is under attack. You’ll face a named enemy called the Contractor and several guards. The Contractor fights more aggressively than regular enemies, using quick strikes and block-breaking attacks. To defeat him:
- Use Yasuke’s heavy strikes to stagger him.
- Or dodge frequently as Naoe, then counterattack during openings.
Pro Tips for the Contractor Fight:
- The Contractor sometimes tries a grab attack if you linger close too long—always backstep after three hits.
- Start the fight with a kunai throw to briefly stagger him, making his first swing slower.
- He has a chance to drop rare materials like black dye used for Hideout customizations.
Defeating the Contractor and speaking to Rufino completes this part of the quest.
Hunting the Hunters: The Seta River Killers
The next mission is “Hunting the Hunters.” Rufino enlists your help to eliminate the Seta River Killers—a group of powerful Templar agents scattered across the region.
The game mentions eight targets in some sources, but reliable info confirms at least six named enemies:
- The Tormentor
- The Exterminator
- The Builder
- The Collector
- The Stalker
- The Trader
These targets can be tackled in any order. Some patrol secluded spots, while others are surrounded by guards, demanding varied strategies. Each assassination provides intelligence that pushes the storyline forward.
Pro Tips for Hunting Targets:
- Many targets stand near interactive objects (like wind chimes or stacked boxes). Use environmental interactions to lure them away from bodyguards for easier stealth kills.
- Rufino’s Bleed effect stacks damage even if the target blocks. It’s great for quickly draining elite enemies’ health.
- The Builder often stands on bamboo scaffolding. Shooting the supports can drop him for heavy damage or even instant elimination.
- The Stalker has higher detection range than regular enemies—approach from rooftops or long grass.
- The Trader carries a pouch of coins that can only be looted if you kill him stealthily without alerting guards.
Man Behind the Curtain: Confronting the Architect
Once the Seta River Killers are eliminated, Rufino decodes the gathered intel, revealing the existence of the Architect—a high-ranking Templar orchestrating the plot. Initially, you’re sent to:
- Okinoshiroishi Island in Lake Biwa, west of the Takeshima Kakeruga.
However, this first location is a trap. New clues redirect you to:
- Kashiwabara Fortress in the Ibu Highlands.
Inside the fortress, you’ll face the Architect, who:
- Delivers fast, unblockable attack chains.
- Requires careful parrying and dodging.
- Can be staggered with powerful attacks from Yasuke or quick strikes from Naoe.
This battle is a significant difficulty spike. Bring rations, ranged weapons, and abilities for crowd control.
Pro Tips for Fighting the Architect:
- The Architect often uses double-feint attacks—he’ll cancel his swing halfway to bait you into dodging too early. Wait for his red flash before reacting.
- Smoke bombs interrupt his combos and let you land a few free hits safely.
- The Architect is slightly more vulnerable to fire-based attacks like fire arrows or bombs.
- During infiltration, stick close to fortress walls. Inside guards have slightly shorter vision cones than outside patrols.
Defeating the Architect triggers a cutscene where Rufino officially joins you as an ally.
Rufino as an Ally and the Rewards
Successfully completing Rufino’s questline grants several rewards:
- Rufino as a summonable ally, with sword-and-pistol combat and Bleed attacks.
- A Critical Role banner for decorating your Hideout.
- A new teppo firearm for Yasuke, adding firepower to his arsenal.
- Experience points, money, and an achievement titled “A Critical Encounter.”
Rufino’s Bleed mechanics make him especially useful against bosses or elite enemies who otherwise have high health pools.
Pro Tips for Using Rufino:
- Rufino’s pistol shots have a cooldown. Pair his attacks with Yasuke’s knockdowns to keep enemies staggered while Rufino recharges.
- Summoning Rufino in stealth missions can accidentally draw enemy attention due to his loud pistol fire—consider holding off until combat starts.
- His Bleed damage is perfect for boss fights or armored foes, slowly draining health even through blocks.
Additional Content in Patch 1.0.6
Rufino’s questline arrived as part of Title Update 1.0.6, released on June 25, 2025. This patch also introduced:
- Nightmare Difficulty, requiring perfect parries for defense and increasing enemy aggression.
- Smarter enemy AI, making stealth more challenging, especially for Naoe.
- A new open-world alert system, where attacking civilians or guards leads to guardians hunting you across the map.
- Bug fixes addressing stuck quests, equipment issues, and various visual glitches.
Bonus Tips:
- Nightmare Difficulty is punishing. Practicing perfect parries against the Contractor is excellent prep without risking full mission failure.
- The Critical Role banner, aside from being cosmetic, boosts Hideout morale slightly, which can improve your resource gathering rates.
- After the questline, Rufino sometimes appears in the Hideout’s training yard for sparring sessions, letting you test his Bleed mechanics in a safe environment.
- If you’re low on health mid-ship, there’s usually a ration crate tucked behind barrels on the lower deck—easy to miss but lifesaving.
Knowing these changes can help you prepare, especially if you plan to replay missions on higher difficulty levels.
The “A Critical Encounter” questline is a strong addition to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It blends narrative depth with intense combat and introduces Rufino as a valuable new ally. His unique fighting style and the story rewards make this questline a must-play for fans. Whether you’re exploring the world’s secrets, hunting the Templars, or collecting new gear, unlocking Rufino adds new layers to your journey in feudal Japan.
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