Black Night Kubo location and how to spawn him

Black Night Kubo is a one-on-one bounty duel found at a circular duel ring in the Sentinel Forest area of Teshio Ridge. Start by grabbing his bounty at the Red Crane Inn so you can turn it in afterward.

Kubo only appears if you interact with the woodblocks beside the straw mat in the ring while wearing black armor. Any set works as long as the dye is black (for example, Nine-Tail Armor in the “Eyes in Smoke” color). The ring is easier to spot at dusk, but the time of day doesn’t gate the fight.

Route: Leave the Red Crane Inn and head toward Sentinel Forest. Look for a bamboo-lined opening that leads into a snow-dusted clearing with lamp posts. In the center, you’ll find a straw mat/woodblocks and a body. Stand next to the mat, confirm your armor is black, then interact with the woodblocks to call Kubo.

Tip: After the duel begins, you can switch back to your preferred non-black armor if you want; the spawn check only happens before the challenge.

Summarized checklist (from poster to payout)

Step Action
1 Accept the bounty at the Red Crane Inn.
2 Equip a black armor set or apply a black dye.
3 Travel to the duel ring in Sentinel Forest (Teshio Ridge).
4 At the straw mat and woodblocks, confirm you’re still in black armor.
5 Interact with the woodblocks to trigger the duel. Optional: switch armor after the fight starts.
6 Defeat Kubo, then loot the body for the mask and coins.
7 Return to Kojiro the Bounty Broker at the inn to complete and get paid.
Slot Pick Reason
Primary weapon Katana or dual katanas Fast parry counters and reliable stagger buildup.
Secondary option Kusarigama (situational) Useful if Kubo pulls a shield; it can break his guard and force a reset.
Quickfire/throwables Bombs, smoke, or other interrupts Breaks his flow and opens stagger windows.
Armor Any black-dyed set (e.g., Nine-Tail “Eyes in Smoke”) Required to spawn the duel at the ring.
Skills Perfect parry, parry interrupt, stagger boosters Expands your openings and speeds posture breaks.
Consumables Healing and spirit/ki recovery items Stabilizes momentum after trades or missed parries.

Fight plan: parry rhythm, stagger management, clean finishes

Open with patience. Take a step or two into the ring and let Kubo make the first move. His attacks are deliberate and well telegraphed, so you gain more by reacting than by rushing.

  • Parry late: watch his shoulder and elbow lift, then press your parry at the last beat before impact (L1/LB or your parry key). A late parry feeds your spirit and accelerates stagger.
  • Standard punish loop: parry → heavy strike to chunk posture → quick light hit → reset your guard. Repeat to fill his stagger meter at a steady pace.
  • Un-parryable tells: if you see a red glint or a multi-hit chain with awkward timing, dodge sideways toward his flank instead of backpedaling. A short sidestep into a light poke catches his recovery.
  • Shield phase (if it happens): swap to the kusarigama to strip his shield quickly, then return to your main weapon for parry/counter pressure.
  • Capitalize on stagger: when his posture breaks or he reels, spend your heaviest finisher or a special, then back out. Overcommitting after a big hit is the most common way to eat a counter.
Tip: If you lose composure or eat a heavy hit, create space first, then heal. Re-enter the parry loop only after you’ve reset spacing; aggression without posture control usually loses the trade.

Rewards and completion

Item Details
Coins ~750 for the bounty payout (on turn-in).
Mask Black Night Kubo’s Mask (cosmetic) from his body at the ring.
Completion Pick up the mask at the arena, then talk to Kojiro at the inn to finalize the bounty.

If Kubo doesn’t appear, you’re almost always dealing with a color check. Put on a black-dyed armor before touching the woodblocks, confirm the interaction point is the straw mat/woodblocks next to the body, and try again. Visibility of the ring improves at dusk, but the duel is available at any time of day.

Once you internalize Kubo’s slow wind-ups and stick to the late-parry cadence, the duel becomes a clean, controlled posture break. Collect the mask, cash in with Kojiro, and move on to the next bounty.