Unwavering Hope is a Myth side quest in Nioh 3 found in the Sagano region of Heian. It tasks you with helping a ghost find his lover, Tsubaki, who disappeared during a pestilence. The quest ends with a choice — spare or kill a Yokai — and feeds into the "Answering to the People" trophy, which requires completing every Myth in the game. None of the Myths are missable, so you can pick this one up at any point while exploring Sagano.
Quick answer: The rewards for Unwavering Hope are the same regardless of whether you spare or kill Tsubaki. You receive Ninja's Locks and Sasayuki either way, with only a small bonus of coins and an elixir for choosing to kill her.
How to unlock and start Unwavering Hope
Travel to the Horiike of Arashiyama Shrine, which sits roughly in the middle of Sagano. From the shrine, look east, and you'll spot a spirit standing on top of an icy hill. There's no direct path up to it from the shrine's position, so you need to take a roundabout route.
Step 1: Head southwest from the shrine, then follow the path south toward Nishiichi. An enemy camp blocks the way — clearing it out is optional but worth doing for extra loot.
Step 2: Continue until you see mermaids fighting bandits. Look to the left to find a temple partially submerged in water. Jump onto the roof tiles and cross to the other side to reach a Spirit Vein.
Step 3: The Spirit Vein takes you up to a Lesser Crucible. Defeat the waves of enemies that spawn and destroy the Crucible to open the path forward. Walk straight ahead from there to reach the ghost who initiates the quest.
Finding Tsubaki in Sagano
The ghost explains that he died from pestilence and wants you to locate his lover, Tsubaki. A small search area appears on your map, positioned to the west of where you received the quest.
Step 1: Head to the marked area. A Yamainu patrols the vicinity, so deal with it first. Then search the nearby corpse for clues about Tsubaki's whereabouts.
Step 2: Move northeast to investigate a village. Several enemies guard the area, and you'll find additional corpses to examine. Searching them updates the quest with more information, and the spirit suggests Tsubaki may have gone to a nearby temple.
Step 3: Travel northwest to the temple. When you arrive, you'll find a bloody scene, and a boss fight against Tsurara-onna begins immediately.
Spare or kill Tsubaki — what happens with each choice
After defeating Tsurara-onna, the ghost appears and insists that Tsubaki must have had a reason for the violence. The game presents you with a binary choice: let the Yokai live or finish her off.
If you spare her, the spirit simply thanks you for showing mercy. The quest ends peacefully.
If you kill her, you learn that Tsubaki was still trying to find medicine to cure the pestilence. The ghost acknowledges that she would have continued killing people if left alive. You also receive a small bonus of coins and an elixir on top of the standard rewards.
The core quest rewards — Ninja's Locks and Sasayuki — do not change based on your decision. Ninja's Locks are used to unlock Ninjutsu martial arts, making them a valuable pickup regardless of your build. The choice is essentially a narrative one, with only a trivial material difference for those who choose violence.
Unwavering Hope rewards and exploration progress
| Reward | Details |
|---|---|
| Ninja's Locks | Key item for unlocking Ninjutsu abilities |
| Sasayuki | Weapon reward granted on quest completion |
| Coins + Elixir | Small bonus, only if you kill Tsubaki |
| Exploration level | Increases Sagano's exploration progress, revealing more collectibles on the map |
Completing Unwavering Hope also counts toward the Answering to the People trophy, which tracks every Myth finished across all regions. Since no Myths in Nioh 3 can be permanently missed, you don't need to worry about tackling them in a specific order — but clearing the Lesser Crucible during this quest opens up additional paths in Sagano that make further exploration easier.