Ghost of Tsushima puts the player at odds with Khotun Khan at the very beginning of the game. Jin and the player see firsthand that this man is willing to do anything to conquer Tsushima and mainland Japan as soon as he dishonorably sets flame to Harunobu Adachi during the initial invasion.
Spoilers ahead for Ghost of Tsushima, so those that haven't quite made it to the "Eternal Blue Sky" main quest may want to turn back now. After Jin's embarassing defeat at Khotun Khan's hands during the prologue, it comes as no surprise that a duel with the leader of the Mongol forces is waiting at the end of the game.
Though Khotun is difficult, understanding his moves and knowing which of Jin's techniques work best against him can make this fight much easier. Players will also have a better time if they've completed many sidequests and unlocked most of the mythic tales techniques.
For the most part, all of Khotun's attacks are unblockable with the exception of one string of light, horizontal attacks. With the unyielding parry technique, some of the other attacks will become parryable, but players still may want to resort to dodging as it is often safer. Khotun has two main combat stances in Ghost of Tsushima's penultimate confrontation, each with a different moveset. When his glaive is by his side, he will either attack with a downward slam, three spinning sweeps, or the light attacks. The dodge roll should make avoiding the first two easy enough so long as the player sees them coming, and the light attacks can be parried to create an opening.
If Khotun switches his grip so that he is instead holding the glaive with only one hand, he is preparing to unleash a swift series of unblockable attacks. Getting the timing for dodging these right can be difficult, so this is where unyielding parry really comes in handy. It is also very difficult to attack the Khan when he is in this stance, so it is best to simply avoid his attacks until he switches back to his initial stance and then put the hurt on when he's vulnerable. That said, this can be difficult even for pro Ghost of Tsushima players.
Though Khotun doesn't leave himself open often, using techniques like the heavenly strike and dance of wrath can help players to capitalize on the moments when he is available for attack. That said, it is wise to leave some resolve for healing, as many of his attacks that seem to leave him open are not safe and will result in the player getting punished with a counterattack. Ultimately, patience is key, and players should use Ghost of Tsushima's charms to prioritize defense over offense in this fight, especially if they're underpowered.
Ghost of Tsushima is available now exclusively for PS4.
