Ghost of Yotei collectible guide: all items and rewards

Ghost of Yotei fills the island of Ezo with dozens of collectible types, and knowing what each one grants can save you hours of aimless wandering. This Ghost of Yotei collectible guide breaks down every major collectible category, what reward each one provides, and where to focus your time for the biggest stat gains. Because the game tracks all of these toward 100% completion, understanding the full scope before you start hunting makes a real difference.

The collectible system in Ghost of Yotei builds on the foundation from Ghost of Tsushima but adapts it to the new Ezo setting. According to the official PlayStation activities page, the full list includes sumi-e paintings, fox dens and Inari Shrines, hot springs, bamboo strikes, Pillars of the Fallen, shrines, wolf dens, records, banners, and artifacts. Each type feeds into a different progression system, so you cannot ignore one category without sacrificing a specific stat or cosmetic.

Ghost of Yotei Collectible Types and Their Rewards

Every collectible category in Ghost of Yotei serves a distinct purpose, and knowing the reward structure helps you prioritize which ones to chase first. The game groups these into three broad buckets: stat-boosting collectibles, cosmetic unlocks, and completion-tracked items that mostly feed your overall percentage. Understanding this split matters because some collectibles directly increase your combat effectiveness while others only matter for fashion or bragging rights.

The stat-boosting categories deserve your attention first because they make the rest of the game easier. Hot springs permanently increase your max Health, bamboo strikes permanently increase your max Spirit, and fox dens that lead to Inari Shrines grant Charms that provide passive combat bonuses. These three categories alone can transform a difficult boss fight into a manageable encounter, which is why most experienced players recommend hunting them early.

The cosmetic and lore categories still matter for completionists, but they do not affect your character's power. Banners, records, and artifacts are scattered across all regions of Ezo, and while they do not grant stat bonuses, they do count toward your overall completion percentage. If you are chasing the platinum trophy or simply want to see everything the game has to offer, you will need to track these down eventually.

Sumi-e Paintings and Vanity Gear

Sumi-e paintings replace the haiku system from Ghost of Tsushima, adapting the tradition to the Ezo setting. When you find a designated painting spot, you compose a scene by adjusting the frame and brush strokes, then receive a piece of Vanity Gear as a reward. These cosmetics range from headbands and masks to dye colors for your armor, and each painting location offers a unique item you cannot get anywhere else.

The painting mechanic itself is straightforward: you position the camera to match the suggested composition, then confirm your brushwork. There is no fail state, so you can take your time adjusting the frame. The real challenge is simply finding all the spots, since some are tucked away on cliff edges or behind waterfalls. If you want the complete list of painting locations and the gear each one unlocks, the vanity locations guide covers every spot in detail.

Fox Dens, Inari Shrines, and Charms

Fox dens work similarly to the system in Ghost of Tsushima, but with a few twists. When you find a fox den, you follow the fox to a nearby Inari Shrine, where you pray and receive a Charm. These charms provide passive bonuses such as increased damage resistance, faster resolve gain, or improved stealth detection windows. Because charms slot into your loadout and can be swapped freely, collecting more of them gives you greater flexibility when building for specific encounters.

The fox-following mechanic itself is worth noting: the fox will pause and look back at you, guiding you along the correct path. You cannot get lost, but you do need to stay close enough that the fox keeps moving. Some dens are located in remote areas that require the grappling hook to reach, so you may need to progress the story before you can access every shrine. The Inari shrine guide provides a full breakdown of every den location and the charm each one grants.

Ghost of Yotei Banner Locations and Region Breakdown

Banners represent one of the largest collectible categories in Ghost of Yotei, with dozens scattered across the four main regions of Ezo. Unlike some collectibles that grant immediate stat boosts, banners primarily serve as completion-tracked items that unlock clan cosmetics and dye colors for your armor. Each region has its own set of banners, and finding them all requires thorough exploration of every camp, castle, and outpost.

The banner locations in Ghost of Yotei tend to cluster around enemy-controlled areas rather than open wilderness. You will commonly find them mounted on poles in the center of camps, hanging inside castle walls, or placed near supply caches in outposts. Because these areas are guarded, you will often need to clear the enemies first or use stealth to grab the banner and escape without triggering a full alert.

The distribution is not even across regions, which means some areas require significantly more effort per banner. The Kamiagata Mountains and Mount Yotei Slopes have fewer banners overall, but each one takes longer to reach because of vertical traversal and tougher enemy placements. If you are trying to complete the Ghost of Yotei all banners checklist, expect to spend the most time in the Toyotama Highlands, where the density is highest.

Using the Guiding Wind for Banner Hunting

The Guiding Wind mechanic returns in Ghost of Yotei and serves as your primary tool for locating banners and other collectibles. When you activate the wind, it directs you toward the nearest undiscovered collectible of your chosen type. This makes systematic hunting much easier, but there is a catch: the wind only points to one collectible at a time, so you must travel to each location before the next one appears on your radar.

For banner hunting specifically, the wind works best when you combine it with region-by-region sweeps. Pick one region, activate the wind for banners, and methodically clear every marker before moving to the next area. This approach prevents you from crisscrossing the map and wasting travel time. Players who report the fastest completion times all use this regional sweep strategy rather than chasing markers randomly.

Ghost of Yotei Record Locations and Lore Collecting

Records in Ghost of Yotei function as the game's primary lore collectible, filling in background details about the world, its factions, and the events leading up to the story. Each record is a written document you can read from your menu, and together they paint a richer picture of Ezo's history. While records do not grant stat bonuses, they do count toward completion and many players find them essential for understanding the narrative context.

The Ghost of Yotei record locations are spread across all regions, often placed in buildings, watchtowers, and other indoor spaces. Unlike banners that sit in open areas, records tend to be tucked inside structures, which means you need to explore interiors rather than just scanning open ground. Some records are easy to miss because they sit on tables or shelves that blend into the environment, so using the Guiding Wind is strongly recommended.

The lore depth in these records is substantial, and players who read them report a much stronger connection to the world. The game's writers clearly invested effort into making each record feel like a genuine piece of in-world documentation rather than filler text. If you enjoy narrative depth, collecting all records is one of the most rewarding completion activities in the game.

Artifact Locations and Their Connection to Combat

Artifacts represent a separate collectible category that overlaps with the game's combat systems. These items are often found near Pillars of the Fallen, which are memorial markers dedicated to fallen warriors. When you interact with a Pillar of the Fallen, you receive a Sword Kit that changes the visual appearance of your katana. Artifacts, by contrast, are smaller items that provide lore context about the warriors and events commemorated at these sites.

The Ghost of Yotei artifact locations frequently sit within sight of the pillars themselves, but some are hidden in nearby caves or behind breakable walls. You will need the grappling hook to reach several of them, and a few require you to solve a small environmental puzzle. Because artifacts and pillars often appear together, you can efficiently clear both categories in a single visit to each location.

Completion Strategy and Efficient Collectible Routes

Planning your collectible hunting route in advance saves significant time, and the game provides several tools to make the process smoother. The Guiding Wind works for every collectible type, but you need to select which type you want to track from the menu. Additionally, the map reveals collectible icons as you explore, so climbing watchtowers and vantage points to reveal the surrounding area should be your first step in any new region.

The most efficient approach is to complete the story first, then return for collectibles in New Game Plus or post-game. Many collectibles sit in areas that are locked behind story progression, and some require tools like the grappling hook that you only unlock later. By finishing the main campaign first, you ensure that every collectible is accessible and you have all the traversal tools needed to reach them.

Recommended Order for Collectible Hunting

Start with the stat-boosting collectibles before anything else, since they make the rest of your hunting easier. Hot springs and bamboo strikes should be your absolute priority because they permanently increase max Health and max Spirit respectively. A character with maximum Health and Spirit can survive significantly more mistakes in combat, which matters when you are exploring dangerous areas filled with enemies.

After maxing your stats, move on to fox dens and Inari Shrines to expand your charm collection. Charms provide the most versatile power increase in the game, and having a full roster lets you adapt your build to any situation. Finally, tackle the cosmetic and lore categories at your own pace, since they do not affect gameplay.

• Hot Springs first: permanent Health increases make everything safer

• Bamboo Strikes second: permanent Spirit increases enable more special moves

• Fox Dens third: charms expand your build options significantly

• Shrines fourth: major charms offer the strongest passive bonuses

• Banners, Records, Artifacts last: cosmetic and lore value only

Tracking Your Progress and Avoiding Missed Items

Ghost of Yotei tracks your collectible progress in the journal menu, showing how many items you have found in each category and region. This tracking is essential because it tells you exactly where you still have gaps. If a region shows 14 out of 18 banners, you know there are four remaining in that area, and the Guiding Wind will point you to the nearest one.

One common mistake players make is assuming that collectibles are missable if you progress too far in the story. According to community reports, no collectibles in Ghost of Yotei are permanently missable, so you can always return to clear any that you skipped. This is a significant quality-of-life improvement over some other open-world games, and it means you never need to restart a playthrough for fear of missing a single item.

Advanced Collectible Tips and Hidden Mechanics

Beyond the basic collectible types, Ghost of Yotei includes several hidden mechanics that can accelerate your completion efforts. The wolf dens, for example, function similarly to fox dens but reward wolf-themed cosmetics instead of charms. These are worth tracking if you want the full cosmetic set, though they do not affect your combat stats.

Another advanced tip involves the zeni hajiki gambling minigame, which appears at certain locations and lets you wager currency for rewards. While not a collectible in the traditional sense, zeni hajiki locations are tracked on the map and count toward completion. The same applies to shamisen songs, which you can learn at specific spots and play for NPCs. These minigame locations add variety to the collectible hunt and break up the monotony of pure exploration.

Using the Map and Fast Travel Efficiently

Fast travel in Ghost of Yotei is unlocked by discovering vantage points and watchtowers, so your first priority in each region should be climbing these structures. Each vantage point reveals a significant portion of the map and marks nearby collectibles, making subsequent hunting much faster. The game also lets you fast travel directly to most collectible locations once you have discovered them, which cuts down on travel time dramatically.

When planning a hunting session, group nearby collectibles together rather than chasing single items across the map. The Guiding Wind points you to the nearest undiscovered item of your chosen type, but you can also visually scan the revealed map for clusters of icons. Clearing these clusters in one trip is far more efficient than making multiple passes through the same region.

New Game Plus and Collectible Carryover

For players planning a second playthrough, it is important to know that collectibles carry over into New Game Plus. This means you do not need to recollect everything on your second run, which is a welcome change for completionists. However, some collectibles have New Game Plus exclusive variants, so you may still have new items to find even if you cleared everything in your first playthrough.

The New Game Plus guide covers what carries over and what resets in detail, including which collectibles have exclusive NG+ versions. If you are planning a second run specifically for completion purposes, checking that guide before you start will save you from missing anything.

Community-Reported Tips for Tough Locations

Players have reported several tricks for the hardest collectible locations in Ghost of Yotei. For banners placed in heavily guarded camps, using stealth to grab the banner and immediately fast-travel away works reliably, since the game does not require you to clear the camp first. For artifacts hidden behind breakable walls, listen for the distinct sound the wall makes when you stand near it, which indicates a destructible surface.

The Mount Yotei Slopes present the biggest challenge because of vertical traversal. Several collectibles sit on narrow ledges that require precise grappling hook timing, and falling means climbing back up from the bottom. Players recommend saving before attempting these jumps and using photo mode to scout the route before committing to the climb. These small tricks can save you from repeated falls and frustrating retries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best order to collect items in Ghost of Yotei?

Prioritize hot springs and bamboo strikes first because they permanently increase max Health and Spirit. Next, complete fox dens and shrines to expand your charm collection, since charms provide the most versatile combat bonuses. Save banners, records, and artifacts for last because they only affect cosmetics and completion percentage.

Are any Ghost of Yotei collectibles missable?

No, according to community testing, every collectible in Ghost of Yotei remains accessible after the story ends. You can always return to any region to clear missed items, and nothing is locked behind a point of no return. This makes completion much less stressful than in some other open-world games.

How do I reveal collectibles on the map?

Climb watchtowers and vantage points to reveal the surrounding area, which marks nearby collectibles on your map. You can also use the Guiding Wind to point toward the nearest undiscovered item of a selected type. Both tools work together for efficient hunting.

Do collectibles carry over into New Game Plus?

Yes, all standard collectibles carry over into New Game Plus, so you do not need to recollect them. However, some New Game Plus exclusive collectible variants exist, so completionists may still have new items to find in their second playthrough.

What is the total number of collectibles in Ghost of Yotei?

Ghost of Yotei tracks over 150 collectibles total: roughly 60 banners, 40 records, 25 artifacts, plus paintings, fox dens, hot springs, and bamboo strikes. Every category feeds 100% completion, with sumi-e paintings earning Vanity Gear and onsen boosting max Health, so prioritize by reward tier.