Building relationships is a significant part of most action/adventure games, especially the open-world epics we’re accustomed to now. However,Rise Of The Ronintakes relationship building to an entirely new level. You won’t just form bonds with people. Instead, you’ll form bonds with people, land regions, and Japan’s warring political factions.

Bonds are everything in Rise Of The Ronin. They’re your key to learning new skills and gaining exclusive items. Furthermore, the bonds you choose to build will significantly impact the course of the story. So, what are the various types of bonds in Rise Of The Ronin, and how can you raise them? We broke it all down for you.

The Ronin Bonds page displays the protagonist’s current Ronin Bond level and the bonuses awarded at the subsequent Ronin Bond level in Rise Of The Ronin.

What Are Bonds?

Bondsare therelationships you form with communities, people, and factions. Deepening bonds imparts blessings that impact gameplay. These blessings include store discounts, exclusive items, combat styles, and more.

What Are Ronin Bonds?

All of your bonds contribute to a stat calledRonin Bonds. Ronin Bondsmeasures your influence and directly impacts the story. Every new Ronin Bond level rewards special items, status titles, and gestures.

Since Ronin Bonds depend on area, personal, and faction bonds, it’s imperative to learn how to raise these three specific bond types.

A map of Honmuko displays your bond level with the region, a list of collectibles to find, and important locations of Honmuko in Rise Of The Ronin.

How Can I View My Bonds?

You can view your bonds via theBondmenu. Follow the steps below.

What Are Area Bonds?

Area Bondsare bondsformed within the community of a specific region. As your Area Bond with a region increases,vital locations will reveal themselveson your map. These locations include where to find Treasure Chests, Veiled Edge Banners, Fugitives, and more. Area Bonds represent your knowledge of and relationship with a specific area.

Another boon of raising your Area Bond is thestore discounts you’ll receive throughout the area’s shops. These discounts are essential, especially when stocking up for a difficult mission.

The surroundings of Yamate become calmer and sunnier after its public order gets restored in Rise Of The Ronin.

How To Raise Area Bonds

You’ll raise your Area Bond with a region by performing services for the community. The following actions will significantly increase this bond:

What Are Personal Bonds?

Personal Bondsare the bonds youform with Rise Of The Ronin’s cast of characters. Raising these bonds will reward youBond Bonusesand allow you to recruit certain characters on missions. Raising a bond with a playable character will also allow you tolearn their Combat Style.

The game’s story is another factor influenced by Personal Bonds. you may unlock conversations with characters that reveal new information. Plus, building a Personal Bond with one character can directly affect your bond with another (this is known as anInfluential Bond).

The protagonist forms one of their first bonds with the eccentric ronin, Ryoma Sakamoto, in Rise Of The Ronin.

Level 4

Fated

Some characters you’ll interact with may findFavourin you. Favour is a level ofromantic bondthat can lead to an intimate relationship initiated by aVeiled Vow.

How To Raise Personal Bonds

you’re able to raise your Personal Bond with another character by investing in their personal lives and interests. Here are some examples:

What Are Faction Bonds?

One of the driving conflicts in Rise Of The Ronin is the clashing interests ofloyalists to the shogunate and its adoption of Western imperialism (pro-shogunate)andrebels who wish to see a Japan that more accurately represents its people (anti-shogunate).

Faction Bondsare therelationships you’ll form with either pro or anti-shogunate factions. Your first encounter with factions will occur after Ryoma introduces you to Genzui, Kogoro, and Shinsaku. This meeting will prompt a decision to join one of two dueling missions: assassinate or protect an American diplomat.

The Pro-Shogunate Bond Page displays your current Faction Bond level, characters associated with the Pro-Shogunate Faction, and bonuses rewarded at the subsequent Faction Bond level in Rise Of The Ronin.

Raising Faction Bonds has two significant outcomes. First, increasing your bond with either faction will grant youdiscounts at markets controlled by that faction. Second, and more importantly,the Faction Bonds you build directly impact Rise Of The Ronin’s story.

How To Raise Faction Bonds

You’ll raise Faction Bonds bycompleting missions for the anti-shogunate or pro-shogunate faction.Anti-shogunatemissions aremarked greenon your map, whilepro-shogunatemissions aremarked purple.

you may also raise Faction Bonds by raising your Personal Bonds with characters in the same faction. For instance, raising your Personal Bond with Kogoro will increase your anti-shogunate Faction Bond, and raising your Personal Bond with Taka will increase your pro-shogunate Faction Bond.

The protagonist aims a headshot at a US soldier during an assassination at the US Consulate in Rise Of The Ronin.