There’s one question that’s currently bugging many Ghost of Tsushima players. And it has to do with observing leaders.
Basically, gamers get the pop-up telling them how to observe leaders. This usually happens on the Sensei and Student mission. But when players get really close to observing the leader, they no longer get the prompt.
Why can’t I observe leaders in Ghost of Tsushima?
To observe leaders in Ghost of Tsushima, they must be in the midst of their training. This option becomes available only when players successfully remain undetected. However, it’s important to note that not all leaders can be observed.
The best moment to observe leaders in Ghost of Tsushima is when they’re practicing with their weapons.
The main idea is that leaders have to be acting naturally while practicing their swordsmanship.
Ghost of Tsushima allows players to observe certain leaders as part of an objective or quest in order to get a bonus which will come in handy later during the gameplay.
Being able to observe leaders while remaining undetected is of paramount importance during the first act of the game as this allows you to unlock all four stances.
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How do you observe a leader in Ghost of Tsushima?
In Ghost of Tsushima, observing a leader is as simple as pressing the R2 button when you are near them.
Step 1 – Find the leader. They’ll be somewhere training or practicing their sword swings.
Step 2 – Sneak stealthily in their camp. Avoid getting spotted as this will alert the leader.
Step 3 – Remain hidden in the pampas grass while observing the leader. You can also take the high ground to observe the leader.
Step 4 – When prompted, hold down R2. This will double your stance points, and you’ll get even more points after you kill him.
Step 5 – When the right opportunity arises, kill the leader without making too much noise. You don’t want the rest of the camp to suspect you’re there.
Try to observe all the leaders if possible in order to unlock most of the stances by the time you reach Act 2.
The Hornet Stance
One of the quickest ways to observe a leader is to shoot down the hornet’s nest. The leader will get attacked by hornets and will be busy fending off the hornets.
You can then observe that leader for as long as you want, you won’t get attacked.
You can only observe certain leaders
The catch is that some leaders can’t be observed. For instance, you can’t observe the leader near the first inn that you come across.
If you look at that leader, the game will remind you that you can observe leaders. However, you can’t actually observe that particular leader.
This is confusing, to say the least. Well, some game mechanics are really weird.
For instance, some players confirmed they got the observed prompt when fighting a leader face-to-face.
You do need to be really close to a leader to observe them, but getting that prompt right when you’re fighting one it’s annoying.
Of course, you can always choose to kill leaders to earn the next stances, but that will take longer.
Conclusion
To observe Leaders in Ghost of Tsushima, you can only do so when the camp is not alerted in any way. This usually happens when the leader is practicing swings.
You can only observe leaders who are actively engaged in training and practicing their attacks.
Updated in June 2023.