One of the most difficult moments in Sekiro involves a choice: Help Kuro or obey the Iron Code. It’s not clear what you should pick, especially as one outright says that it involves protecting Kuro, despite going against his wishes. Below, we’ll explain what happens if you choose either option, and whether there’s one choice in particularly out of helping Kuro/The Divine Heir or obeying the Iron Code that makes sense in the long run. Spoilers, however, will be at a minimum unless marked in bold.
Help Kuro or Obey the Iron Code | What should I choose?
Not long after defeating Genichiro Asina for the first time, you’re presented with a decision: Help Kuro or, if you wish, Obey the Iron Code. The caveat being, as the game tells you, you’ll also protect Kuro if you choose to maintain the Iron Code’s way of life.
Plot twist: you can only properly choose one. The game will nope out if you select “help Kuro,” instead instructing you to pick the latter option. Weirdly, that option will actually see you helping Kuro, with the One-Armed Wolf reneging on his Iron Code. Strange.
How to protect Kuro in Sekiro
Now this is a major spoiler and one that arrives much later in the game, albeit at a similar juncture with very similar options. Owl will ask you whether you want to “Obey the Iron Code, Forsake Kuro” or “Break the Iron Code, Stay Loyal to Kuro.” Choose the second of those, staying loyal to the Divine Heir, and you’ll be funnelled down the path that sees you properly protecting Kuro, which is nice.
Does it matter whether you help Kuro or Obey the Iron Code?
In the first instance, where Kuro asks you to help, no. Sekiro will pull a Telltale-style switcheroo on you, where you can only select one option anyway, and it all leads to the same point. Selecting either option here won’t affect any endings, nor will it affect any other aspect of the game.
Sekiro Soulslikes
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and the Best of the Soulslikes
It's always exciting to see a new genre emerge. You get that original hit game, the follow-ups and the attempts by other developers to recapture the magic. With the release of Sekiro, let's look back at the landscape of Souslikes so far. -
Demon's Souls
The original that kicked it all off (unless you count King's Field), Demon's Souls went under the radar on the PlayStation 3. Originally, gamers didn't know what to make of it, but anyone who stuck with it got an amazing experience that was unlike anything on the market. -
Dark Souls
By the time a new generation rolled around, From Software had moved from demons to darkness. The Dark Souls trilogy cemented the genre tropes, proving to achieve the popularity that their previous title had only hinted at. Far more than a cult success, these games proved to be influential even outside the genre. -
Bloodborne
Once things started taking off, original Demon's Souls publisher Sony had to get back in the action. Teaming with From, the result was Bloodborne. Taking things was from medieval castles and including firearms for the first time, this was the first hint that this formula was flexible. -
Lords of the Fallen
Developed by Deck13 Interactive and CI Games, Lords of the Fallen takes things in a more Norse direction. Using hammers and axes, you must fight towering gods and demons. After this game's success, the two developers split, with CI working on an upcoming sequel to this Viking Soulslike. -
Nioh
Team Ninja tried their hands at Souslikes with Nioh, a game where you control an Irish Samurai and fight yokai. The game was announced back in 2004 as Oni and changed hands multiple times before release. Originally another PlayStation 4 exclusive for the genre, the game has since come to PC with all its DLC bundled in. -
The Surge
Deck13 took what they learned from Lords of the Fallen and took the Soulslike genre into the future. The Surge has you stomping around in a mech suit fighting uncontrollable robots. Once you destroy an enemy, you can scrap their parts and convert them into weapons for you to use. A sequel is currently set to release in 2o19. -
Ashen
Developed by A44, Ashen puts players into a world without light. Each character is a muted faceless person, adding to the downtrodden vibe of the entire experience. While combat is inspired by Dark Souls, the game also features open-world exploration and novel passive multiplayer encounters. -
Immortal: Unchained
Going even more Norse than Lords of the Fallen, Immortal: Unchained finds you battling the monsters of Ragnarok. Instead of swords and spears, your character uses a mix of technologically advanced firearms to take down each and every mysterious foe. More fast-paced than other soulslikes, you'll need to duck and weave to stay alive. -
Death's Gambit
Pitched as a merger of Souslike and Castlevania, Death's Gambit is also one of the first games to take these concepts into the second dimension. You can choose from seven playable classes as you seek immortality in this labyrinth of death. -
Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption
What if you didn't have to explore a Soulslike? What if you just fought a collection of out of control boss monsters? Then, you'd have Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption. In this game, you start at your strongest and level down as you progress, adding to the challenge.
