In Rise of the Ronin, you have to manage several types of Bond. Your character has an overall Bond with factions, Bonds with villages, and Bonds with characters you meet throughout your journey who can join you in battle or give you missions.
Bonds offer you a wide range of benefits, especially village Bonds and your character’s faction Bond. As you progress through Rise of the Ronin, these unique opportunities are a great way to receive benefits while you play, and each Bond has a unique approach to progression. It can be confusing, but thankfully, they all combine seamlessly.
How to increase Village Bond in Rise of the Ronin
Every village in Rise of the Ronin has a Bond level. You can complete activities in each region to level up your Bond, improving the livelihood of everyone who lives there. You can see how your Bond improves for the village people as you wander around town, and you get several benefits, like additional equipment and quests.
These activities include dealing with Public Order events, hunting down fugitives, visiting landmarks, taking photographs, activating Veiled Edge Banners, and finding cats. You might not be able to complete everything when you first arrive at these locations, but you can also check the area information menu while viewing the map to see what you still need to do to raise an area’s Bond. When you’re exploring a region you haven’t completed yet, grab every Veiled Edge Banner and complete the other activities, as they tend to reveal the final hidden activities.
How to increase faction Bond in Rise of the Ronin
There are three factional Bonds your character can level up as you progress through Rise of the Ronin: Ronin, Anti-Shogunate, and Pro-Shogunate. The faction you side with more unlocks missions you can complete and determines the type of character Bonds you can unlock, along with offering a variety of unique rewards. If you plan on taking a side in the Anti-Shogunate and Pro-Shogunate story, make sure to level them up by making critical decisions in the story and side quests.
How to increase Character Bonds in Rise of the Ronin
You meet several characters during your travels in Rise of the Ronin. They can aid you in battle and accompany you during specific missions. Many characters you fight alongside have a Bond with you, and there are several ways to increase this Bond, through battle and outside it. For example, when visiting a longhouse or a resting area, these characters sometimes visit you, and you can speak with them. When you do, make sure to respond politely and reasonably to foster a more positive relationship with them.
You won’t have as many character Bonds if you primarily play alongside other players in Rise of the Ronin, and choose to add players to your cooperative mission.
Another good way to boost a character Bond is to give them a gift. This is a great way to slowly but steadily increase your Bond with a character in Rise of the Ronin, especially if you don’t see them often or go out on missions with them.
