Rise of the Ronin is a new open-world game that sees players take control of a masterless samurai during war-torn 19th-century Japan. Sharing similarities to both Ghost of Tsushima and Sekiro, the game has quickly become one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2024.
While mastering both katana and Western-style matchlock rifles will help increase your survivability, knowing your enemy is just as important. So, here are the three main factions in Rise of the Ronin and where their interests lie.
All factions in Rise of the Ronin
Rise of the Ronin takes place in a very turbulent time.
There are three factions in Rise of the Ronin who are all vying for political power, aiming to capitalize on the turmoil of the Bakumatsu era. The three factions can be found below:
Sabaku (Pro-shogunate)
The Sabaku are strong supporters of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the military government of Japan who rose to power after ending the civil wars of the Sengoku period. However, with the dawn of the Bakumatsu era, the pro-shogunate are losing their grip over Japan.
Sensing both Japan’s inner turmoil from anti-shogunate powers (Tobaku) and Western forces (Obei), the Sabaku aims to maintain its centralized rule and existing political order by any means possible.
Obei (Western forces)
The Obei is made up of Western forces and diplomats.
The Western forces of the Bakumatsu era consists of US, British, and French powers who want to establish trade with Japan, opening the country up and putting an end to the country’s isolationist policies that have kept the island free from outside forces.
Matthew Perry along with Rutherford Alcock, and Jules Brunet are the main figures of the Obei, and they’ll be attempting to influence Japan’s political and economic landscape.
Tobaku (Anti-shogunate)
The Tobaku are the anti-shogunate factions who are made up of diverse groups and individuals united by their opposition to the shogunate’s rule. They wish to restore imperial authority back to Japan, even if it means using Western weapons to their advantage.
In fact, one of Tobaku’s main leaders, Ryoma Sakamoto, is known to incorporate traditional swords and Western-style pistols to eliminate his enemies.
There you have it, that’s everything we know about the three factions in Rise of the Ronin.