Norio
Norio is a warrior monk of Cedar Temple who fights with a naginata. Jin frees him from Fort Ito. His nine-part storyline, Norio's Tales, follows his fight to win back his temple in Jogaku and find out what happened to his brother Enjo.
- Role
- Companion
- Affiliation
- Cedar Temple
Good to know
- Voiced in English by Earl T. Kim and in Japanese by Mitsuaki Kanuka.
- His older brother Enjo led Cedar Temple's warrior monks and was called its guardian.
- Captured with the other monks at Akashima and held at Fort Ito.
- Rescued by Jin and Lord Shimura in A New Horizon.
- His friend Hochi is a healer monk you save in his early tales.
- Talks to Jin on first-name terms in English, but calls him Sakai-sama in the Japanese dub.
Who he is
Norio is gentle and kind, and he struggles with guilt for surviving when so many monks died. His tales show a peaceful man pushed hard by grief. Jin keeps urging him forward, and Norio grows into a leader of what is left of the temple's monks.
His tales
Norio's Tales start at Akashima, where you free captured monks and defend the village. They move to Kushi Temple, whose monks refuse to fight until you help them reclaim a stolen Buddha statue. They finish in Jogaku with the assault on Cedar Temple and its aftermath. Norio also joins the fights at Castle Shimura and Fort Kaminodake.
Losses on the waySpoilerShow
Hochi dies protecting Norio when the Mongols attack Akashima. At Cedar Temple, Norio finds Enjo alive but tortured and maimed, and his brother asks him for a mercy killing. Enjo names his torturer, the general Kharchu.
RevengeSpoilerShow
Norio asks Jin to help him attack Kharchu's fort, then goes in alone while Jin sleeps. He burns the fort and burns Kharchu alive, and admits he took joy in it. He later regrets being blinded by hate, and Jin encourages him to lead the Cedar Temple monks in his brother's memory.
- The Last Warrior MonkThe Last Warrior Monk is Norio Tale 1 of 9, the Act 2 side tale that opens his storyline at Akashima Village. You help Norio track down monks the Mongols abducted from the village. It needs A New Horizon done and rewards the Charm of Resistance II and 2 Silk.
- Three Actions, Three IllusionsThree Actions, Three Illusions is Norio Tale 2 of 9, an Act 2 side tale in Akashima where you rescue the healer-monk Hochi from a Mongol camp. It starts at Akashima Village and rewards the Charm of Vitality and 2 Silk.
- Ghosts in the FogGhosts in the Fog is Norio Tale 3 of 9, an Act 2 side tale where you defend Akashima Village from a Mongol counterattack using incense burners as traps. It rewards the Charm of Unyielding II, the Noble Fighter's headband and 2 Silk.
- The Birth of SufferingThe Birth of Suffering is Norio Tale 4 of 9, a short Act 2 side tale where you arrive at Kushi Temple to find it under Mongol attack. It is one straight fight alongside Norio and the temple monks, and it only rewards a minor Legend increase.
- The Blood SutraThe Blood Sutra is Norio Tale 5 of 9, an Act 2 side tale where you search for Kushi Temple's missing abbot. The trail runs from Koshimizu Farmstead to a waterfall. It rewards the Charm of Resistance II and 2 Silk.
- The Cause of SufferingThe Cause of Suffering is Norio Tale 6 of 9, an Act 2 side tale where you recover Kushi Temple's stolen Buddha statue from a Mongol camp. It starts at Kushi Temple and rewards the Charm of Well Being II and 2 Silk.
- The End of SufferingThe End of Suffering is Norio Tale 7 of 9 and the last of his Act 2 tales, where you protect Kushi Temple's monks from another Mongol attack. It rewards the Charm of Fortitude and the Clear Summer Headband.
The Guardian of TsushimaThe Guardian of Tsushima is Norio Tale 8 of 9, an Act 3 side tale in Sago where you help Norio and his monks retake Cedar Temple. It starts east of General Bartu's Camp, needs Wolves at the Gates done, and rewards the Charm of Resistance III and 2 Silk.- This Threefold WorldThis Threefold World is Norio Tale 9 of 9, the Act 3 finale of his storyline, set at Cedar Temple and Guardian's Ridge in Sago. It is the only tale in the game with no combat at all, and it rewards the Charm of Vitality and the Chaos Headband.
A New HorizonA New Horizon is the bridge between Act 1 and Act 2, where Jin and Lord Shimura ride out from Castle Kaneda and plan the push into Toyotama. It hands you three goals for Act 2 and opens the northern region.- The Fate of TsushimaThe Fate of Tsushima is the Act 2 tale that starts the assault on Castle Shimura alongside the shogun's reinforcements under Lord Oga. It is a long tale and a partial point of no return, so wrap up side work before you confirm.
- Eternal Blue SkyEternal Blue Sky is the Act 3 tale where Jin and his allies attack Port Izumi under cover of the storm to take down Khotun Khan. It's the big final battle of the Mongol story, with a multi-phase boss fight against the Khan himself.
Related characters
- Minor
Hochi
Hochi is a healer monk from Cedar Temple and Norio's friend. He led healers to Akashima Village and was captured by the Mongols. You rescue him in Norio's early tales.
- Image: Sucker Punch Productions / PlayStationProtagonist
Jin Sakai
Jin Sakai is the samurai you play in Ghost of Tsushima and the Iki Island expansion. He is Lord Shimura's nephew and the last lord of Clan Sakai. After the Mongol landing he trades the samurai code for stealth and fear, and the people start calling him the Ghost.
Image: Sucker Punch Productions / PlayStationSupportingLord Shimura
Lord Shimura is the jito of Tsushima, the shogun's appointed ruler of the island, and Jin's uncle. He raised Jin as a samurai after Jin's father died. He leads the defence at Komoda Beach and is the man you spend Act 1 trying to rescue. He also has his own Tale of Lord Shimura in the main story.
- Companion
Sadanobu Ishikawa
Sensei Ishikawa is a famous archer and one of Jin's allies. He teaches Jin the bow and sends him after Tomoe, the student who now trains Mongol archers. His nine-part storyline, Ishikawa's Tales, starts with The Tale of Sensei Ishikawa in the main story.