Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is finally here, and players can find a Mythic Tale called The Legend of Black Hand Riku soon after arriving on Iki Island. Like the Mythic Tales from the base game, this quest rewards players with a special set of armor: the Sarugami Armor. This armor set features a unique perk that puts an interesting twist on combat, so players should definitely seek it out when they start the expansion. Here’s how to complete The Legend of Black Hand Riku and get the Sarugami Armor in Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut.
How to Start The Legend of Black Hand Riku
To start The Legend of Black Hand Riku, speak to the Kashira in Fune’s Refuge. This settlement is unlocked very early in the Iki Island storyline, and it can be found on the western coast of the island. When you arrive, he’ll tell you the tale of the legendary pirate Black Hand Riku, who suffered a mutiny at the hands of his crew. Rumor has it that his armor set is hidden away in a cave on Iki Island that can be found by following strange glowing water that appears at night.
Find the Glowing Water on the Northeastern Coast
The glowing water can be found on the northeastern coast of Iki Island. The game only gives you a general area to begin your search, but you’re looking for a mysterious cave on the northeastern tip of the island. The glowing water can be seen along most of the island’s northeastern coast though, so just follow it to the north once you come across it.
The northeastern region of Iki Island has many cliffs and islands, so it’s a bit difficult to traverse. Thankfully, there’s an easy route you can take. Head to the spot pictured on the map above just south of the Thunderhead Cliffs and you’ll find a wooden balcony with a grappling hook swing hanging off a cliff. You can jump down into the pool of water below without taking any damage, putting you just a short distance away from the cave.
If you see monkeys, you’re going in the right direction. Once you arrive at the cave, head inside to continue your search for the Sarugami armor.
Investigate the Cave
The cave is nearly pitch dark, so you’ll need to use Flaming Arrows to light up the path in front of you. There are unlit braziers scattered throughout the cave, and you can ignite them if you shoot them with a Flaming Arrow. There are arrows you can loot throughout the cave, so don’t worry about running out of ammo.
The braziers give off a faint glow in the dark, so you should be able to see them since they stand out against the dark cave interior. You can also aim with a Flaming Arrow equipped to give yourself a makeshift torch. It works great in a pinch.
The cave twists and turns so it’s easy to get lost, but if you ignite every brazier then you should be able to tell where you have and haven’t been before. There are a few chests with materials hidden in the cave too, so keep an eye out for those. Eventually, you’ll come to a door that you can pull down with your grappling hook. Inside, you’ll find Black Hand Riku ready for a duel.
Duel Black Hand Riku
Black Hand Riku is a tough foe armed with aggressive attacks and tricky timing. Before you start the fight, make sure you have a decent armor set with good perks equipped. Using the Sakai Clan Armor is recommended because it applies a major increase to melee damage and a massive increase to health, both of which will help you take down Black Hand Riku.
During the duel, don’t try to dodge anything but his red unblockable attack. Riku attacks with flurries of strikes, so even if you dodge the first hit, he’ll catch you on the follow up swing. Focus on parrying his attacks when you see the white indicator. Also, make sure you’re using Stone Stance as it’s effective against swordsmen.
Black Hand Riku’s trickiest move is his red unblockable attack. It’s a deadly spin that will take a large chunk out of your health bar, so dodge roll away whenever you see the red indicator. Thankfully, it has a slow start up and is telegraphed well in advance, so you should be able to dodge it as long as you’re on the lookout for it.
Once the fight is over, continue forward and escape the cave. You’ll find some Mongols outside, providing you with the perfect opportunity to test out your new armor.
Sarugami Armor
Once Black Hand Riku is slain, you will be rewarded with the Sarugami Armor and Sarugami Helmet. The helmet is just cosmetic like the other headgear in the game, but the armor has great perks.
Wearing the armor disables your regular parry ability. You will only be able to perfect parry when wearing the Sarugami armor. The set also transforms perfect parry into a chain of two attacks, and perfect dodge will do damage to nearby enemies as well.
Perfect dodge and parry windows are increased by a moderate amount while wearing the armor too, so the game will be a bit more lenient with the timings when you wear the armor. You’ll also earn Resolve much faster with the armor equipped. The Sarugami Armor promotes a risky playstyle, but the payoffs are worth it.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut is available now on PS4 and PS5.
