Ghost of Yotei walkthrough: How to complete Poison and Lies quest (The Kitsune)

The Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei marks a major turning point in the story, where Atsu is in search of the Kitsune. This is where players begin to uncover the hidden truths the protagonist has been searching for throughout her journey.

The Kitsune is one of the elusive members of Yotei Six, who assisted Lord Saito in hanging Atsu’s mother, Yone, in front of her. After interrogating many individuals, Atsu and Oyuki finally discover the Kitsune’s secret toxin-harvesting location.

During the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei, you will face waves of enemies and solve a variety of puzzles to advance Atsu’s quest for vengeance. In the end, a climactic duel with the Kitsune awaits, revealing hidden truths that have long been buried.

This article explains how to complete the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei.

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Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei: Walkthrough

You can trigger the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei after completing The Way of the Shamisen.

Once Atsu discovers the area where the Kitsune gathers ingredients for his toxins, she meets Oyuki on the northern side of the Red Crane Inn. When you reach the location, you will find Oyuki inspecting the Matsumae camp from the top of a mountain. Approach her and speak to start the Poison and Lies quest.

Reach the fence in the Matsumae camp

Atsu waits while Oyuki distracts the guard during Poison and Lies in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

After the initial dialogue, follow Oyuki to enter the Matsumae camp. When you reach the fence, Oyuki will ask Atsu to wait while she distracts the guard.

Once Oyuki distracts the guard and he leaves, you will have a chance to slip through the gap in the bamboo fence. Continue along the path until you arrive at a tree with a statue of three foxes in front of it and an open pedestal beneath.

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Pedestal Under the Tree Puzzle in Poison and Lies

This is another puzzle that you need to solve to progress through the forest. You will find three more fox statues at the edge of that area. Two of these statues are lying down, while one is looking upward.

Solve the Pedestal Under the Tree Puzzle in Poison and Lies (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

Here are the steps to solve the puzzle:

• Use the burning torch from the stove.
• Light the lantern next to the left fox statue that is lying down.
• Light the lantern next to the right fox statue that is looking upward.
• Light the lanterns next to the two fox statues that are lying down, located beside the statue that is looking upward.

Once you solve the puzzle, Oyuki will tell Atsu that something has changed with the pedestal.

You can examine the pedestal by pressing the R2 button. This will trigger a cutscene showing Atsu placing the Kitsune puzzle box, which fits perfectly into the pedestal. This, interestingly, opens the way forward into the forest. Proceed through the forest until you come across a wooden bridge.

Light the lanterns correctly to find a way through the forest (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

There, you will encounter three ambushing Nine Tails enemies, which you can easily take down. Once the area is secure, you will find another puzzle that needs to be solved to proceed.

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Rotating fox statue puzzle in the Poison and Lies quest

As you approach the bridge, you will find three rotating fox statues on pedestals, each indicating a different way to solve the puzzle. The extreme left statue is lying down, the middle one is sitting, and the right one is raising its right paw. You need to find out some clues to determine the correct directions for each statue.

Rotating Fox statues puzzle in the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

Here’s an easy way to solve the rotating fox statue puzzle:

• The sitting fox must move "AWAY."
• The fox raising its right paw must move "LEFT."
• The lying down fox must move "RIGHT."

As you can see in the image above, you will need to position the statues in a similar way to unlock the hidden path through the forest.

As you move slowly through that path, you will spot a larger fox statue. Oyuki will warn you about traps at the entrance, and you will need to find a way to bypass the traps to continue.

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Bypass the pit traps

After Oyuki finishes her dialogue, follow her path to see which route she takes to bypass the pit traps safely. In this way, you will arrive at an area where you find another fox statue holding a lantern. At this point, Atsu will ask Oyuki what they should do after defeating the Kitsune.

Carefully Bypass the Pit Traps (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

In response, Oyuki suggests that if Atsu wishes to join her, they should play music together as they journey onward. Following this conversation, you will be given two choices to decide:

• More trouble than music
• I can’t

You can choose either option; it won't affect the quest. Follow Oyuki to reach a large door with two blue lanterns on either side. Here, you need to solve a puzzle to open the door.

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Solve the blue lantern door puzzle in the Poison and Lies quest

As you come close to the gate, you will notice four fox statues, with two placed on stone pedestals and two on wooden pedestals. Here’s how to solve the puzzle:

• Step 1: Pick up the fox statue from the left side wooden pedestal by pressing R2.
• Step 2: Place it on the ground somewhere near the gate.
• Step 3: Pick up the fox statue from the right side wooden pedestal by pressing R2.
• Step 4: Place that statue on the pedestal you just emptied.
• Step 5: Pick up the fox statue from the ground and place it on the wooden pedestal on the right side.

Blue Lantern door puzzle in the Poison and Lies from Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

Basically, you need to interchange the positions of the wooden pedestal statues. This will unlock the door automatically, revealing a huge cave.

Head inside the cave and progress until you reach the end, where you will find a bamboo gate blocking your path. You can use grappling ropes to open this gate and access the other section of the forest.

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Defeat Nine Tails enemies

When you come out of the cave, and on the way, you will again encounter some ambushed Nine Tails enemies. Defeat them all and continue on the path, where you will face more such foes.

A still of Nine Tails enemies from the Poison and Lies quest (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

After securing the area, you will reach another bamboo gate. Interact with the fox statue beside that gate to open it. Continue moving along the path until you find more Pit Traps. However, this time, Atsu will lead the way, telling Oyuki, “You’re not the only one with a light step.”

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Bypass pit traps

To bypass the pit traps ahead and continue the journey, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Walk around the big fox statue on the left side.
• Step 2: Then, move around the stone on the right side.

First, take the left path, then the right path around the stone to bypass traps in the Poison and Lies quest (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

This way, you can easily bypass the traps and reach the entrance of a small cave. Head into the cave and keep going until you notice a small, broken wooden bridge. Cross that bridge carefully to make your way on the other side.

There, you will find another large gate with blue lanterns on either side. This time, instead of solving a puzzle, you need to find another way to get inside.

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Find a way to reach the other side

Oyuki will ask Atsu to give her a boost to a ledge on the right side of the door. Press R2 to boost Oyuki up to the top. Once she is up, she will extend her hand to help you climb the ledge. As you reach the top, you will find bamboo bushes in front of you.

Give a boost to Oyuki to reach the top (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

Use your sword to cut through them, which reveals a small passage between two rocks. Press R2 to squeeze through that gap, and you will discover more bamboo to cut down.

After a while, you will spot the Kitsune's toxin harvesting site. Use your spyglass to inspect the area and know more about the toxin cultivation from Oyuki.

Atsu finally spots the Kitsune at the end of the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

You will be guided by a small circle indicating where to inspect. You can inspect the area by pressing R2. After a while, you will notice the Kitsune, who is standing too far from Atsu’s location.

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An intense fight with Nine Tails enemies

Prepare yourself for an intense bout as you drop the rocky slope. You will see the Matsumae Clan already engaged in a fight with the shinobi. Help them by taking down the Nine Tails enemies. Keep pushing forward through the battle until you reach the building along the fiery path where the Kitsune appeared earlier.

Engage in a fight with the Nine Tails members (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

The building will be on fire, and as you step inside, a cut scene will trigger, revealing that the Kitsune recognizes Atsu and asks her why she is following him. Atsu will respond, mentioning what he did to her mother and family.

After the intense dialogue, a duel will trigger between Atsu and the Kitsune.

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The Poison and Lies quest culminates in a fight with the Kitsune

A still of the fight against Kitsune from the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

This will be a tough battle. The Kitsune has a wide range of deadly moves, and one of the trickiest is a rapid swing with the kusarigama. This strike comes in quickly and can easily catch you off guard, so be prepared to hold L1 to block as soon as the fight begins.

Dodge the Kitsune’s attacks, and when he finishes his moves, strike rapidly to reduce his health.

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Poison and Lies quest climax

Continue this technique: block his strikes, then counterattack when he is off guard. Play from a distance to dodge his fast attacks.

After a while, another cutscene will trigger, showing Atsu experiencing blurry visions and beginning to lose consciousness. She will soon realize that she’s been poisoned by the Kitsune, causing her to drop to her knees.

Atsu is about to lose consciousness from the effects of the Kitsune’s poison during the end fight in the Poison and Lies quest (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

Just as the Kitsune is ready to deliver the final blow, Oyuki will arrive and attack him, causing his weapon to fall to the ground. Atsu will then hallucinate her old memories of her family being attacked by the Yotei Six, leading to a shift in the cutscene.

Atsu will now become conscious and walk with the help of Oyuki. She will ask about the Kitsune, and Oyuki will tell her that he has fled.

Atsu hallucinates her memories at the end of the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

At this moment, Atsu will experience another hallucination and recall the Kitsune's words during the fight: "Anyone can wear a mask. Did you think I was the first Kitsune? If only you knew the truth."

In Atsu’s blurry vision, she will again see Oyuki as the Kitsune, in black with a white mask. She will also envision the night of the burning ginkgo tree, when her mother was about to die.

The scene will then reveal that the Kitsune saved Atsu, despite Lord Saito’s order.

Atsu is shown hallucinating a haunting memory where the Kitsune helps Lord Saito hang her mother (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

Lastly, when Atsu and Oyuki sit by a campfire, Atsu will understand the truth. She will ask Oyuki, "You fight like a Shinobi. Carry the antidote to their poison. And your voice. How could I forget your voice?"

The scene reveals that Oyuki was the Kitsune who helped Lord Saito hang Atsu's mother at the end of the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sucker Punch || YouTube@Gamerack)

This particular scene from the Poison and Lies quest confirms that Oyuki was, at that time, the Kitsune who was present when her family was attacked. However, Oyuki will try to convince Atsu that she saved her and is not a threat.

Before leaving the area, Oyuki will leave a note asking Atsu to meet her at a location. This concludes the Poison and Lies quest in Ghost of Yotei.