Ghost of Tsushimaarrived on PlayStation 5 this year, in a bundle that included the brand new Iki Island Expansion. The DLC add-on sees Jin leave Tsushima to pursue his vendetta against the Mongols on neighboring Iki Island. He also finds the time for some ofGhost of Tsushima’s most interesting side-quests, including the challenging Hidden Cove Tournament.
The Hidden Cove Tournament can be found at Fune’s Refuge, but is only available after players have completed themission Jin From Yarikawa. The Tournament itself is divided into four different fights. Once players have defeated the first three challengers, they’ll get a chance to fight the toughest opponent, Sao the Crimson Fisherman.
Updated July 28, 2025, by Hamza Haq:The Hidden Cove Tournament might seem innocuous at first, offering players a mini-game to pass the time while they’re getting ready to take on the big fights like Khotun Khan or the Eagle. However, that is only the surface. After defeating Kai the Raider, who serves as a tutorial for this event, all the rest of the combatants are incredibly difficult in their own ways, but none more than the Crimson Fisherman, Sao, the final opponent in the Hidden Cove Tournament. Defeating him normally requires near-perfect reaction time, skill, and familiarity with all the tools at Jin’s disposal. Here is how to make this duel just a little bit easier.
Sao the Crimson Fisherman’s Opening Moves
As the fourth and finalopponent inGhost of Tsushima’s Hidden Cove Tournament, Sao is a little more tricky to defeat than his colleagues. This is mostly due to his wide-ranging moveset, which incorporates several altered versions of attacks that players will already have faced in the Tournament. Despite this, Sao can still be a fairly predictable fighter if players pay attention to his movements, and is most easily defeated by parries and counterattacks.
Sao likes to open each engagement with a classicGhost of TsushimaHeavy Attackthat sweeps low to the ground before flicking up dirt into the player’s face. This move is heavily telegraphed, and can be avoided with a quick tap of the dodge button. After his opener, Sao might go for a quick follow-up, which can be blocked or parried for a return hit. Alternatively, the Crimson Fisherman will attempt to stun Jin by throwing a bottle of sake, which can be avoided with a rolling dodge. Sao will once again attempt to follow-up with a quick attack that can be blocked or parried.
How to Defeat Sao in Easy/Medium Mode: Jumping Attack Method
The strategy here is simple.Equip the Wind Stance (3rd one), walk up to Sao, and spam Jump attack. Sao has a slow reaction time at this tier of difficulty and will be easy to land hits on using this method.
To ensure success, make sure you’re always close to Sao at all stages of the duel, always within touching distance. This prevents Sao from getting any momentum, and you always remain within range of getting an easy point.
In Lethal Mode, the jumping attack method does not work. Sao starts blocking overheads with nearly 100% accuracy and almost always comes out ahead in exchanges.
Defeat Sao in Hard/Lethal Mode: Surging Strikes Method
Equip theWater Stance(2nd one), and verify you have theSurging Strikesability unlocked. This ability allows Jin to perform 5-6 rapid strikes in quick succession. This is the key to defeating Sao in Lethal difficulty.
When the fight starts, wait for Sao to charge up his unblockable sweeping attack and dodge away. Keep dodging for all of his follow-up attacks (he usually has three or four), and he’ll stop to take a breather.Use Surging Strike on Saoas soon as he stands still for more than a moment; the earlier, the better. If Sao starts an attack and you see a red glint but you haven’t started charging up Surging Strike yet, dodge and reset. However, if you have Surging Strike ready when a red glint appears, follow through. In this case, there is a higher chance of you landing a hit than Sao.
If Sao starts weaving and dodging your wooden Katana during Surging Strikes, keep attacking. He sometimes misses a dodge, which can result in a hit.
Always use the long dodge (double tap) to create distance between yourself and Sao before using Surging Strikes. The charge-up window is an opportunity for Sao to get a quick hit in.
Equipping theCharm of Mizu-no-Kamimakes perfect dodges easier to perform. This effect can trigger during the duel against Sao, allowing Jin to get an easy hit off.
Once players have defeated Sao, they’ll receive the unique rewards of the Hidden Cove Tournament, including a moderate Iki Island Legend increase, 3 Silk,The Hidden Heart sword set, and the Crimson Dye Merchant.
