A complete gameplay guide to every Bamboo Strike in Ghost of Yotei, including the optimal New Game Plus route, rewards, and how to use Spirit gains for high‑difficulty builds.
Bamboo Strikes are one of the most important early and mid‑game activities in Ghost of Yotei, and they get even more valuable once you jump into New Game Plus. Every completed strike permanently increases your maximum Spirit, which fuels your strongest combat tools, evasive maneuvers, and a lot of the endgame buildcrafting.
This guide breaks down every Bamboo Strike by region, gives you a recommended completion route tailored for New Game Plus, and explains how to turn those Spirit upgrades into real power on higher difficulties.
How Bamboo Strikes Work
Each Bamboo Strike is a short timing challenge. You stand before seven bamboo stalks and must input a sequence of buttons quickly enough to slice through all of them in one motion. Fail and you simply restart the attempt. Succeed and you complete the activity on that marker permanently.
The key reward is Spirit. Fill segments on your Spirit gauge by completing multiple strikes, and your maximum capacity increases. You do not gain damage directly from Bamboo Strikes, but more Spirit lets you:
- Chain more Spirit Arts in a single fight.
- Use advanced dodges and counters more freely without going empty.
- Lean into high‑cost stances and weapon abilities that are otherwise risky on higher difficulties.
Because New Game Plus raises enemy health, aggression, and punishment for mistakes, this extra Spirit is worth far more there than in a casual first run.
All Bamboo Strike Locations by Region
Below is a region‑by‑region breakdown using the names and landmarks you will see on your map. If you are on New Game Plus and your map is mostly revealed from your previous save, you can fast travel aggressively. First‑time players can still follow this path in rough order.
Yotei Grasslands
Yotei Grasslands is where you first learn the system and can easily secure your early Spirit upgrades.
Atsu’s Home Bamboo Strike sits just outside Atsu’s homestead, which you visit during the opening chapter. As soon as you have free roam, return there and complete it. The route is straightforward from the main road, and having this early Spirit bump makes the first boss fights less punishing.
Follow the main road west toward the Yotei River. On the northwest bank you will see a small clearing with practice posts and a Bamboo Strike marker. This Yotei River Bamboo Strike is easy to spot from horseback if you trace the shoreline.
From there, ride north along the Napur River. North of Crow’s Nest Watchtower, a small campsite marks the Napur River Bamboo Strike. Since you are already in the area for early side quests and fox shrines, it is efficient to grab this one during your first sweep.
Finally, there is a story‑related Bamboo Strike during the quest Way of the Dual Katana in the southwest Grasslands. You cannot miss this one. You will be prompted to complete it as part of the quest, but it still counts toward the total.
By the time you leave Yotei Grasslands, you should have these four strikes done. That early Spirit pool makes a noticeable difference for aggressive players.
Ishikari Plains
Ishikari Plains introduces more varied terrain and uses Bamboo Strikes to pull you toward key story hubs.
The Matsumae Encampment Bamboo Strike is an unmissable event. During the main story you will reach this fortified camp and be asked to prove your focus in front of the commander. Completing this strike automatically checks it off your list.
To the north lies the Rumoi River strike. Travel toward the northern edge of Ishikari Plains and follow the riverbank until you see prayer flags and training dummies. This Rumoi Bamboo Strike is a good stop while hunting bandit patrols or clearing nearby enemy encampments.
Near the Oni’s Breath Inn is the Urara Bamboo Strike. The inn’s smoke plume is visible from a long distance, and the strike sits on a quiet overlook just a short walk behind the inn. On New Game Plus the inn tends to be surrounded by stronger roaming enemies, so consider clearing the road before engaging with the mini‑game.
Tokachi Range
Tokachi Range is your first real test of navigation. The mountains and branching trails can delay you if you have not unlocked enough fast travel points in your original run.
Start in the northeast, heading for Nikappu’s Fork. This crossroads sits northeast of Moiwa Grotto. The Nikappu’s Fork Bamboo Strike is right off the main path where several roads converge. It is ideal to grab as you push into the deeper mountains for armor and artifact hunts.
Next, ride toward Haranui’s Rest Inn. The Haranui’s Rest Bamboo Strike is beside the inn’s training yard, where traveling warriors duel. You will likely visit this location anyway for side tales, so do not leave without finishing the strike.
The final Tokachi Range Bamboo Strike is tied to the Spider Lily Armor quest. Progress the quest until you reach the remote training garden. The strike is integrated into the narrative and cannot be missed if you complete the armor line. On New Game Plus this quest chain is worth prioritizing since Spider Lily Armor has potent synergy with Spirit‑intensive parries and counters.
Nayoro Wilds
Nayoro Wilds is the one region without any Bamboo Strikes. It can feel strange if you are used to checking every overlook and hot spring, but you are not missing anything here. Treat Nayoro Wilds as a space for gear, story content, and resource farming.
Teshio Ridge
Teshio Ridge sits between the central heartlands and the Oshima coastline. It holds three Bamboo Strikes, and they are a bit more spread out than in earlier areas.
West of the Deserted Village in Sarobestu you will find the first strike. Ride to the ruined houses, then continue past them toward the cliffs. The Sarobestu Bamboo Strike is on a wind‑swept rise, often shrouded in mist. Clear any nearby Mongol patrols before attempting it, especially on higher difficulties where stray arrows can interrupt you.
From there, head to the eastern coastline for the Hakodake Bamboo Strike. This one overlooks the sea and is easy to spot from the main coast road once you have unfogged the map. The area is often home to wandering mini‑bosses in New Game Plus, so consider tackling it right after a successful duel when the area is quiet.
Finally, travel north of Sakuru Woods to find the Sakuru Bamboo Strike. Follow the forest trails until you reach a small shrine on the northern fringe, then look for the bamboo stand nearby. On New Game Plus this is a good moment to detour into the woods and farm predator hides while you are already in the region.
Oshima Coast
Oshima Coast contains two of the most memorable Bamboo Strikes and is usually one of your final stops.
Atago on the north coast houses a unique Bamboo Strike. Here lightning strikes any drawn weapon. To complete the Atago Bamboo Strike you must first throw away all surrounding weapons impaled in the ground. Once they are removed, the lightning calms and you can safely attempt the sequence. This little puzzle is easy to miss if you are sprinting between objective markers, but do not skip it. The Spirit it grants is crucial at this late stage of the game and in New Game Plus.
Matsumae Castle in the south holds the last Bamboo Strike. After you reclaim or infiltrate the castle as part of the main story, explore the training yard and upper terraces. The castle Bamboo Strike typically sits near the edge of the courtyard, framed by banners. Completing this strike often coincides with some of your toughest mid‑to‑late game duels, turning all the Spirit you have gathered into a real payoff.
Recommended Bamboo Strike Route for New Game Plus
On New Game Plus you begin with your previous character’s progression, but the world hits back harder. Enemies chain longer combos, mini‑bosses have thicker health bars, and you will lean on your Spirit‑based tools more often. Instead of randomly chasing icons, treat Bamboo Strikes as an efficient route.
Start by sweeping Yotei Grasslands completely. You know the terrain already, and these four early strikes are quick wins. They give you extra Spirit for the first wave of story missions and unlock enough capacity to spam your favorite opening Spirit Art without fear of running dry.
From there, push through the main story beats that take you into Ishikari Plains and Tokachi Range, but peel off whenever you are within a short ride of a Bamboo Strike. Matsumae Encampment will happen naturally, and both Rumoi and Urara are close to high‑traffic roads. In Tokachi Range, use fast travel to Moiwa Grotto and Haranui’s Rest as anchors, then clean up Nikappu’s Fork and the Spider Lily Armor strike while working through that powerful armor quest.
Once the central regions are done, circle through Teshio Ridge. Fast travel to the Deserted Village first, snag Sarobestu, then ride east to Hakodake along the coast, and finish at Sakuru north of the woods. This route creates a loop that doubles as a resource farming tour for predator skins, flowers, and upgrade materials.
Leave Oshima Coast for last. By then you will have a large Spirit pool, strong gear, and enough damage to handle the tougher roaming samurai and invading forces along the coast. Hit Atago first to secure the unique lightning puzzle strike, then cap your run at Matsumae Castle. Ending here is satisfying and leaves you fully stocked for the hardest New Game Plus encounters.
Bamboo Strike Rewards and Spirit Breakpoints
Every few completed Bamboo Strikes increases your maximum Spirit by a segment. The exact thresholds depend on your difficulty level and selected modifiers, but in practice you will feel several clear breakpoints.
The first breakpoint is when you can trigger your main Spirit Art twice in one extended fight without needing to recharge in between. For example, if you are using a wide‑arc crowd control slash, two uses in one engagement lets you control both the opening rush and the reinforcements.
The second breakpoint is where you can weave defensive Spirit abilities into your offense. Instead of saving every bar for damage, you now have spare capacity for Spirit‑powered dodges, parries, or stance swaps that keep you alive in high‑difficulty duels.
The final meaningful breakpoint arrives when you can frontload damage into tough enemies without completely draining yourself. On New Game Plus, bosses often demand sustained pressure. Extra Spirit from Bamboo Strikes lets you unleash an opening burst, survive the counterattack with defensive maneuvers, then finish the fight with another Spirit Art instead of being forced into a long attrition battle.
If you are pushing into the hardest optional fights and modifiers, completing all Bamboo Strikes is worth it for these breakpoints alone.
How Bamboo Strikes Feed Into Buildcrafting
Spirit is at the heart of Ghost of Yotei’s buildcrafting, which means Bamboo Strikes indirectly shape your entire playstyle. The more Spirit you have, the more extreme you can go with your build choices.
For a Spirit Art spam build, you want to combine high Spirit capacity with gear that accelerates Spirit gain. Charms, armor perks, and weapon inscriptions that refund Spirit on perfect parries, backstabs, or status kills become much more powerful when you have a deep pool to work from. With all Bamboo Strikes completed, you can stay in your powered‑up state for most of a fight.
Defensive specialists benefit too. If you rely on Spirit‑based counters, slow‑motion evades, or stance swaps that chew through your meter, extra Spirit lets you stay reactive longer before needing to go on the offensive to recharge. This is particularly useful on New Game Plus where boss attack patterns are longer and more varied.
Hybrid builds that juggle ranged pressure, stealth, and melee also gain a lot from Bamboo Strikes. Spirit is often the glue that ties a build together, allowing you to spend on a stealth opener, then pivot into a high‑cost stance for the brawl, then close with a powerful finisher. Without extra Spirit, each of those transitions feels like a painful choice; with a full set of Bamboo Strikes, it becomes a fluid sequence.
High‑Difficulty and New Game Plus Tips
On the highest difficulties and in New Game Plus, you are not just collecting Bamboo Strikes for trophies. You are buying room for mistakes and aggression.
Try to complete at least half of the available Bamboo Strikes before taking on any major New Game Plus boss. The added Spirit will let you tank through extended patterns, recover from a missed parry, and still have enough meter for a finisher at the end of the fight.
Treat every Bamboo Strike visit as a mini training session. The rapid input sequences demand focus, and that mindset carries over into the rest of the game. On New Game Plus especially, use the quiet moment at each Bamboo Strike to reset, plan your next route, and adjust your build.
Finally, do not be afraid to respec or adjust your charms once you have completed all Bamboo Strikes. With maximum Spirit, some perks that felt too expensive or awkward early on suddenly become core to your build. Embrace that late‑game freedom and lean into the tools that feel strong and satisfying for your style.
If you follow the route above and integrate Bamboo Strikes into your build planning, Ghost of Yotei’s hardest challenges become a lot more manageable, and New Game Plus turns into a playground for expressive, Spirit‑driven combat.