Key takeaways
- Access Iki becomes available after reaching Act 2 and starting the tale Journey into the Past. Travelling to Iki begins a temporary point of no return, but the mainland becomes available again later.
- The island has several distinct areas Fune’s Refuge is the main raider settlement, while Fort Sakai, Fort Koyasan, Senjo Gorge, Saruiwa and the southern and eastern coasts form separate exploration zones.
- The expansion adds its own activity set nine Animal Sanctuaries, eight Archery Challenges, five Memories of Your Father and three Forgotten Shrines are among the principal Iki-exclusive activities.
- Progression is partly story-gated some routes, camps and activities are inaccessible until Jin has recovered from the Eagle’s poison or completed key main tales.
- The main faction conflict is not simply “samurai versus Mongols” Jin must negotiate with the raiders, who are both resistance fighters and an independent criminal society.
- The island’s rewards are mechanically significant the Sarugami Armour, Sakai Horse Armour, horse-charge improvements and Iki-specific charms can substantially change combat and exploration.
About this guide
Scope: Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island, the story expansion included in the Director’s Cut for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC. It covers the complete playable island map, its named settlements and landmarks, expansion missions, activities, collectibles and progression changes. Spoiler warning: The later sections discuss the Eagle, Jin’s memories of Kazumasa Sakai, the ending of the expansion and post-story state changes.
Overview
Iki Island is a separate open-world region reached during Act 2 of Ghost of Tsushima. It is not an extension of Toyotama or a renamed part of Tsushima. In the game’s continuity, Iki is a neighbouring island with its own raider society, settlements, Mongol occupation, local history and unresolved hostility towards the Sakai clan.
Jin travels there after hearing that Mongol forces have established a presence on the island. The expedition quickly becomes personal: the invading Mongols are led by the Eagle, a shaman whose poison induces vivid visions, while Iki’s raiders remember Jin’s father, Kazumasa Sakai, as the commander responsible for a violent campaign against the island’s people. The expansion therefore combines a military liberation story with a confrontation with Jin’s family history. PlayStation describes it as a new chapter involving new characters, environments, armour, horse equipment, mini-games, techniques, enemies and animals.
Iki is best treated as a self-contained region rather than a short side area. It has a principal settlement, several named strongholds and farms, a large collection of side activities, its own exploration rewards and a separate set of story trophies. Its physical scale is broadly comparable to the first major region of the main game, although the layout is more vertically broken and its story temporarily restricts access to parts of the island.
Overview and boundaries
Iki Island is a single playable map, but it is divided into several practical subareas rather than one uniform landscape. The northern and central parts contain rugged hills, forests, ravines and fortified Mongol positions. The southern coast is more open, with beaches, cliffs, raider memorials and the approach to Fune’s Refuge. The east contains isolated coastal landmarks and the route towards Saruiwa.
The island is not presented as a province with the same formal regional structure as Izuhara, Toyotama and Kamiagata. For guide purposes, the useful hierarchy is:
The real Iki Island lies between Kyushu and Tsushima in the Korea Strait. Historically, Iki was attacked during the Mongol invasions of Japan, including the invasions associated with 1274 and 1281. The game uses that historical setting as a foundation but creates fictional characters, settlements and events for Jin’s story.
Overview and boundaries: steps
- 01Iki Island, the expansion map.
- 02Fune’s Refuge, the main settlement and raider base.
- 03Fort Sakai, a major Mongol-held fortress with a later story role.
- 04Named wilderness and coastal districts, including Buddha’s Footprints, Saruiwa, Senjo Gorge, Sly Hunter’s Forest and the regions around Fort Koyasan.
- 05Small camps, shrines, memorials, farms and mission locations, many of which are not full settlements.
Access and routes
Starting Iki
The expansion becomes available after Jin reaches Act 2. The initiating tale is Journey into the Past, which leads him to investigate reports of Mongol activity on Iki. Once the voyage begins, the early part of the story is deliberately restrictive. Jin cannot immediately explore every area or freely return to Tsushima.
The expansion is playable on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the Director’s Cut. The PC Director’s Cut also includes the Iki expansion and Legends multiplayer, although Legends is a separate mode rather than part of Iki’s single-player geography.
Recommended order
The island is more combat-intensive than much of early Tsushima. Arriving with fully upgraded or nearly upgraded sword stances, several upgraded Ghost weapons and a reliable ranged build is advisable.
Starting Iki: The practical sequence is
- 01Reach Act 2 on Tsushima.
- 02Begin Journey into the Past.
- 03Sail to Iki and investigate the Mongol presence.
- 04Survive the Eagle’s attack and the poison sequence.
- 05Complete the early recovery and escape objectives.
- 06Regain broader access to Iki and eventually reopen travel between the two islands.
Recommended order: A good first-time order is
- 01Complete the opening main tales until the island’s map becomes broadly accessible.
- 02Visit Fune’s Refuge and unlock its services.
- 03Complete nearby Tales of Iki before travelling to the far north.
- 04Do the first few Animal Sanctuaries and Archery Challenges as they appear.
- 05Complete the main story through the liberation of Fort Sakai.
- 06Finish the remaining Tales, Mythic Tale and unwritten tales.
- 07Sweep collectibles and optional activities.
- 08Complete Saruiwa and the final island-specific rewards.
Main subareas and named directory
The following directory separates substantial named places from small landmarks and activities. Names are listed plainly for later linking.
Fune’s Refuge and the southern coast
Fune’s Refuge is the principal settlement of the Iki raiders and the main social hub of the expansion. It is initially a dangerous and improvised base, but it becomes a useful fast-travel and resupply point. Fune’s Refuge contains or later gains several services, including a swordsmith, armorer and bowyer. An interactive map directory also records a Trapper and Merchant at Fort Sakai rather than treating every Iki service as permanently available at Fune’s Refuge.
Named places associated with this part of the island include:
The Hidden Cove Tournament is a combat activity in which Jin faces raider duelists. Completing its bouts contributes to Iki’s optional progression and rewards the player with tournament currency and associated prizes. The tournament is not a normal shop and should not be confused with Fune’s settlement services.
The Raider’s Memorial is both a scenic landmark and the setting for story-associated activity. It is particularly important for archery-related exploration and for one of the island’s more reflective, vision-linked moments.
Fort Sakai and the northern interior
Fort Sakai is one of Iki’s major fortified locations. It is initially occupied by the Eagle’s forces and later becomes central to the liberation story. Its status changes significantly after the relevant main tale, so the fort should be documented in two states:
The named locations most closely associated with the fort and northern interior include:
Fort Koyasan is a separate fortified location and should not be merged with Fort Sakai. The two are distinct enemy and story locations, even though both may be encountered during the campaign’s liberation phase.
Central and eastern wilderness
These areas contain cliffs, forests, caves, animal sanctuaries and routes that often cannot be understood from the road network alone. Guiding Wind targets and golden birds are especially valuable here because several collectibles sit above or below the visible path.
Some names above are activity locations or geographic labels rather than settlements. A named place does not automatically provide a shop, quest giver or fast-travel point.
Fune’s Refuge and the southern coast
Fort Sakai and the northern interior
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Occupied state | hostile Mongol stronghold and story objective. |
| Liberated state | safe-travel location with services and allied presence. |
Fort Sakai and the northern interior
Central and eastern wilderness: Named wilderness and landmark entries include
Residents, characters and factions
Factions
The raiders should not be treated as a conventional samurai faction. Their society is built around survival, piracy, smuggling and local loyalty. Some cooperate with Jin, while others distrust the Sakai name even when they oppose the Mongols.
Story-associated characters
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Jin Sakai | The protagonist. On Iki, he is simultaneously investigating a Mongol operation, confronting his father’s legacy and trying to avoid being consumed by the Eagle’s manipulation. |
| Fune | Leader of the Iki raiders and the central political figure at Fune’s Refuge. She is pragmatic, suspicious of Jin and focused on defeating the Eagle without surrendering raider independence. |
| Tenzo | A raider who discovers Jin and becomes one of his principal companions. His history is closely tied to Kazumasa Sakai and the island’s resentment. |
| The Eagle | The Mongol leader and shaman controlling the island’s occupation. Her poison creates hallucinations and forces Jin to relive traumatic memories. |
| Khunbish | A Mongol commander associated with the occupation and one of the expansion’s major confrontations. |
| Zasho | A raider and recurring participant in Iki’s resistance activity. |
| Kenji | A mainland character who appears in Iki’s story and provides a link to the wider cast of Ghost of Tsushima. |
| Kazumasa Sakai | Jin’s deceased father. He appears through memories and visions rather than as a living resident. |
Factions
| Faction | Role on Iki | Typical presence |
|---|---|---|
| Iki raiders | Local resistance, smugglers and independent warriors | Fune’s Refuge, missions, tournament and liberated areas |
| Eagle’s Mongols | Occupying army and primary enemy force | Forts, camps, patrols and story missions |
| Local villagers | Civilians affected by occupation and raider politics | Farms, houses, rescue encounters and Tales |
| Shaman forces | Mongol specialists supporting the Eagle | Story encounters and advanced enemy groups |
| Wildlife | Environmental hazards and sanctuary subjects | Forests, cliffs and open country |
Settlements, services and facilities
Fune’s Refuge
Fune’s Refuge is the principal service hub. Depending on progression, players can use it for:
Do not assume that every named stall is a functioning shop. Iki includes decorative structures, background huts and non-enterable buildings that reinforce the settlement’s identity but do not necessarily provide a service.
Fort Sakai after liberation
Fort Sakai becomes more useful after its story liberation. It is associated with a Merchant and Trapper in the available map references, making it the principal place to acquire or exchange certain supplies away from Fune’s Refuge.
Hidden Cove Tournament
The tournament is a dedicated activity rather than a permanent commercial service. Jin fights a series of duels under special rules. It is one of the expansion’s main diversions and forms part of the route towards optional rewards.
Enemies and combat changes
Iki introduces several enemy variations and combat pressures. The most important addition is the shaman, whose presence can strengthen nearby Mongol fighters. In a crowded camp, eliminating or interrupting the shaman early is often more important than immediately targeting shielded or armoured enemies.
Iki also places greater emphasis on horse-based combat. The Sakai Horse Armour and related upgrades allow Jin’s horse to participate more directly in breaking enemy formations. The horse charge is particularly useful against groups in open areas, but it is less reliable in narrow ravines and dense settlements.
Practical combat priorities are
- 01Identify shamans and remove them quickly.
- 02Use stance switching rather than relying on one upgraded stance.
- 03Keep resolve available for healing during poison-related or multi-wave encounters.
- 04Use smoke bombs and chain assassinations when a camp allows stealth.
- 05Carry enough arrows and Ghost weapons before entering forts.
- 06Treat mounted combat and horse charges as meaningful tools rather than purely cosmetic features.
Collectibles and optional activities
The counts above are supported by independent collectible guides, though some broader completion guides classify certain hidden altars, vanity items and records differently.
Animal Sanctuaries
Animal Sanctuaries are unique to Iki. Jin uses the flute to calm animals and complete a short musical interaction. The known groupings are:
The nine-sanctuary count is consistently reported by expansion guides. Completing the set contributes to Chiyoko’s Song. The Wind of Harmony exploration technique can track them after it has been purchased in the exploration techniques menu.
Archery Challenges
Archery Challenges require Jin to hit a sequence of lanterns within a time limit. They are found around the island, including near raider and memorial areas. The associated trophy requires bronze or better at all challenges, so merely discovering the locations is not enough.
Memories of Your Father
The five Memories of Your Father are not ordinary records. They are playable recollections tied to Kazumasa Sakai and Iki’s past. They deepen the conflict between Jin’s idealised memory of his father and the islanders’ account of Kazumasa’s campaign.
These memories are best approached after the player understands Tenzo, Fune and the raiders. Completing all five contributes to Elegy for Kazumasa.
Forgotten Shrines
Iki contains three Forgotten Shrines, each built around a themed environmental puzzle. Their rewards include crossover armour appearances associated with other PlayStation properties. The known shrine names are:
Guide references consistently record three Forgotten Shrines, although individual walkthroughs may describe them by visual appearance rather than by their full names.
The puzzles generally require a particular armour set or action. If a shrine appears inactive, check the clue, equip the relevant armour and look for the interaction prompt rather than assuming it is broken or inaccessible.
The principal Iki-exclusive completion categories are
| Activity | Number commonly recorded | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Sanctuaries | 9 | Play music for and interact with deer, cats and monkeys |
| Archery Challenges | 8 | Timed bow challenges; bronze or better is relevant to the associated trophy |
| Memories of Your Father | 5 | Reconstruct Jin’s memories of Kazumasa |
| Forgotten Shrines | 3 | Environmental puzzle shrines with themed rewards |
| Haiku | 3 | Cosmetic headband rewards and reflection scenes |
| Hot Springs | 2 | Increase maximum health |
| Bamboo Strikes | 4 | Increase maximum resolve |
| Shinto Shrine | 1 | Charm reward and traversal challenge |
| Animal Sanctuaries | 9 | Three groups of animals, with three deer, three cats and three monkeys recorded by guide references |
Missions and progression
Main tales
The Iki story is structured around Jin’s arrival, poisoning, recovery, alliance with Fune’s raiders, the assault on the Eagle’s positions and the final confrontation.
Quest naming and ordering can vary in third-party walkthroughs because some combine linked objectives or present the missions by act rather than by journal order. For that reason, use the in-game Tale journal as the authority for the exact sequence.
Mythic Tale
Iki has an additional Mythic Tale, The Legacy of Kazumasa Sakai, associated with the Sakai Horse Armour and the history of Jin’s father. The tale is not simply an equipment fetch quest. It provides essential context for why the raiders regard Kazumasa with anger and why Jin’s arrival is politically dangerous.
Side tales and unwritten tales
The expansion includes ordinary Tales of Iki, character stories and hidden activities that may not appear as large map icons immediately. Some are discovered by speaking to civilians, visiting settlements after story progress or investigating unusual camps and structures.
The completion trophy Common Courtesy is tied to unwritten tales. These are especially easy to overlook because the game may not announce them with the same visibility as standard Tales. A careful sweep of Fune’s Refuge, liberated locations, isolated houses and roadside encounters is recommended.
Main tales: The core progression includes
About this guide
Major spoilers from this point onward.
Story spoilers: lore and progression changesSpoilers
The Eagle’s poison turns Iki into a psychological landscape as well as a physical one. Jin sees fragments of his childhood, memories of Kazumasa and distorted versions of events that expose his uncertainty about his father. These visions are not random decoration: they connect the island’s current rebellion to the unresolved consequences of the Sakai campaign.
The expansion’s central tension is that Jin is trying to save people from the same island whose inhabitants believe his father destroyed their families. Tenzo’s hatred is therefore not an arbitrary betrayal. It is rooted in the violence of Kazumasa’s occupation and in the fact that Jin initially approaches Iki carrying the Sakai name without understanding its full meaning.
After the Eagle’s defeat, Iki’s political situation changes. The Mongol occupation is broken, but the raiders do not become a conventional extension of Jin’s samurai order. Fune and her people retain their own identity. The post-story island is therefore a liberated but still rough frontier rather than a newly formalised province.
Some vision-related moments can be affected by progression. If you want to experience the island’s environmental visions and memory scenes in their intended context, complete the relevant exploration and record activities before finishing the final main tale. The available evidence is stronger for the existence of missable or altered vision states than for a single universally agreed list of every trigger, so those triggers should be treated as progression-sensitive rather than exhaustively documented here.
First visit
- 01Follow the opening story until free exploration begins.
- 02Visit Fune’s Refuge and speak to available residents.
- 03Unlock the nearest Tales of Iki.
- 04Complete one nearby Animal Sanctuary and one Archery Challenge to learn the new activity systems.
- 05Avoid rushing to the farthest fort until Jin’s poison-related restrictions are removed.
Mid-story sweep
- 01Travel north through the interior.
- 02Complete Tales near Fort Sakai and the surrounding forests.
- 03Clear or investigate forts when the story makes them available.
- 04Collect Bamboo Strikes and Hot Springs before difficult story confrontations.
- 05Complete the Legacy of Kazumasa Sakai Mythic Tale when ready for the horse armour reward.
Endgame sweep
- 01Liberate Fort Sakai.
- 02Revisit Fune’s Refuge and other settlements for newly available dialogue.
- 03Finish the Hidden Cove Tournament.
- 04Complete all Animal Sanctuaries.
- 05Complete the five Memories of Your Father.
- 06Solve all three Forgotten Shrines.
- 07Visit Saruiwa and complete its associated challenge.
- 08Check the map and journal for remaining Tales, Archery Challenges and hidden activities.
Sources
- Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut arrives on PS5 and PS4 consoles on August 20 – PlayStation.Blog — blog.playstation.com
- Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island Guide – All Collectibles And Their Locations — gamingbolt.com
- Iki — en.wikipedia.org
- Iki Island, Ghost of Tsushima Map — guides4gamers.com
- Ghost of Tsushima Iki Island - All Animal Sanctuary Locations (Chiyoko's Song Trophy Guide) - YouTube — youtube.com
- Ghost of Tsushima All Collectibles Locations Guide — powerpyx.com