Rise of the Rōnin Guide | How to Unlock Isami Kondo as Ally

A guide on how to unlock Isami Kondo as Ally in Rise of the Rōnin.

Game Guide by Groot on Aug 17, 2025

Isami Kondo serves as the head of the Shinsengumi and represents one of the most historically significant allies you can recruit in Rise of the Rōnin. His availability comes through completing a major story mission that advances the narrative into its later phases.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Unlock Isami Kondo as Ally, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

Kondo offers critical hit enhancement capabilities and leads the Shinsengumi recruitment sequence that provides access to multiple related allies.

How to Unlock Isami Kondo

To unlock Isami Kondo as your ally, you must complete the ronin mission "The Shogun's Journey to Kyoto." This mission represents a significant story milestone that advances the narrative and introduces multiple new allies simultaneously.

The "The Shogun's Journey to Kyoto" mission becomes available through main story progression and involves traveling to the ancient capital city. This mission includes various combat encounters, political developments, and story sequences that affect the overall narrative direction.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Unlock Isami Kondo as Ally, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

During this mission, you will encounter the Shinsengumi organization and its leadership, including Kondo himself. The mission explores the political tensions and military conflicts that define this period of Japanese history.

The mission has many goals and challenges that must be met in order to be successful. These include fighting different opponents and figuring out how to handle tricky political situations that require making smart decisions.

Successfully completing all objectives within "The Shogun's Journey to Kyoto" mission will make Kondo available as a permanent ally, along with other Shinsengumi members who also become recruitable through the same mission completion.

Combat Abilities and Equipment

Isami Kondo fights exclusively with an odachi as his primary weapon, specializing in the long-reach techniques and powerful strikes that this weapon type provides. His odachi proficiency demonstrates the martial training expected of the Shinsengumi commander.

He has no secondary weapon, focusing entirely on maximizing his effectiveness with the odachi and developing mastery over the techniques available to this weapon specialization. This focused approach reflects traditional samurai weapon dedication.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Unlock Isami Kondo as Ally, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

His blessing ability is called "Wolf of Mibu," which increases damage dealt to enemies when using critical hit techniques during combat encounters. This enhancement rewards precise timing and tactical positioning that creates opportunities for devastating strikes.

The focus on critical hits makes his blessing especially useful in tough battles where doing as much damage as possible is key to winning, especially against enemies with a lot of health or armor.

Bond Level Rewards and Combat Training

When you reach maximum bond level with Isami Kondo, he provides specialized training in odachi combat techniques. He teaches you the Tennen Rishin Ryu combat style for your odachi, which comes from the Te skill tree and represents the actual historical fighting style of the Shinsengumi.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Unlock Isami Kondo as Ally, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

The Tennen Rishin Ryu style of fighting emphasizes the odachi's length and cutting power through a variety of attacking and defense moves. These skills are based on the past martial arts that the Shinsengumi group used.

When your link level reaches its highest, Kondo gives you two skill points that you can use to improve your character's powers in different areas of the game.

Rise of the Rōnin, Rise of the Rōnin Guide, How to Unlock Isami Kondo as Ally, PS5, Gameplay, Screenshot, NoobFeed

Because Kondo increases critical hit damage, teaches historical combat, is an expert with odachi weapons, and gives skill point awards, it's useful for players who want to experience real historical fighting methods while also making critical hits more powerful.

His blessing works best when paired with those of other Shinsengumi friends. This is because they work together in a way that is similar to how this famous police force fought during one of Japan's most troubled times in history.

Also, check our Rise of the Rōnin Review and other guides below: