Complete guide to finding all secrets, Elite Squads, Oboro Relics, and the Ankou Rift in The Mountain stage
Understanding The Mountain’s Structure and Preparation


Shinobi Art of Vengeance organizes its campaign into distinct zones, with the second zone featuring both Lantern Festival and The Mountain stages. While you can tackle these in either sequence, experienced players strongly recommend completing Lantern Festival first. This strategic approach provides access to the crucial Cannon Punch ability, which becomes essential for unlocking numerous secrets, locating Oboro Relics, and accessing hidden areas throughout The Mountain.
Many players attempt The Mountain without proper preparation, leading to frustration and multiple return trips. The stage’s vertical design and complex platforming sequences demand specific movement abilities that you’ll acquire progressively. Understanding when to progress forward versus when to backtrack for collectibles can save you significant time and effort.
I successfully unlocked most of The Mountain’s content during my initial playthrough, but strategic planning is essential to minimize return visits. The timing of your revisit depends heavily on which abilities you prioritize acquiring first. Below you’ll find comprehensive guidance for every major discovery available in this challenging stage.
Locating All Three Elite Squads
The Elite Squad encounters in The Mountain stage reward you with a valuable Lab Key, one of six required to unlock a significant endgame secret. Fortunately, all three squads are accessible during your first playthrough if you know where to look. Their locations are reasonably straightforward, though one requires specific equipment.
Pro Tip: Elite Squads typically feature mixed enemy compositions with both melee and ranged attackers. Prioritize eliminating ranged units first to create safer engagement spaces. Using area-of-effect Ninpo can quickly thin their numbers before focusing on remaining threats.
Essential Equipment and Ninpo Upgrades
The Mountain introduces several crucial movement and combat enhancements that dramatically expand your navigational capabilities. Acquiring these should be prioritized to access the stage’s full content.
Advanced Strategy: The Ninpo Master Amulet puzzle requires precise timing and spatial awareness. Practice Sword Dive canceling to maintain better control during the descent phases. Many players fail this section by rushing – instead, methodically plan each movement before execution.
Collecting All Five Oboro Relics
With strategic backtracking, all five Oboro Relics within The Mountain become obtainable during your initial playthrough. However, most players will need to return later for at least one relic after acquiring additional movement capabilities.
Navigation Tip: The relic hunt requires meticulous exploration and often demands returning to previously visited areas with new abilities. Create mental markers for locations you cannot yet access, and systematically revisit them after obtaining crucial movement upgrades like the Ninja Hooks or enhanced dash abilities.
Conquering the Challenging Ankou Rift
Once you’ve acquired both Ninja Claws and Ninja Hook in Shinobi Art of Vengeance, venture into the Mountain Peak, retrieve the final Oboro Relic mentioned previously, and re-ascend the white wall that provided access to it. Slide down the subsequent slope and execute an air dash/double jump combination to reach a white wall leading upward.
Reach the summit and proceed left, where you’ll encounter a ceiling featuring a white surface. Utilize this to reach the next platform after eliminating all spawning enemies. Exercise caution around lightning-generating foes, as they possess dangerous area-of-effect attacks. Once cleared, use the upper platform to access the left white wall and continue climbing.
Execute a double jump to the ceiling’s white wall to proceed toward the Ankou Rift in The Mountain stage. Drop and air dash to the following platform, slide down the incline, and again air dash to a white wall. You’ll observe several cubic platforms. Position yourself on one and employ the Ninja Hook to grapple to another attachment point in the upper left region. The Ankou Rift awaits in this elevated position.
This particular Ankou Rift ranks among the most demanding challenges in Shinobi Art of Vengeance. It necessitates complete mastery of Ninja Claws mechanics to navigate a sequence of mobile platforms while avoiding laser obstacles. Maintaining elevation is crucial – descending too low often proves fatal. Flawless air dashes, precise double jumps, and expert Ninja Claw application are essential for success. While some players consider returning later with the glider accessory, this isn’t strictly necessary with proper technique execution.
Advanced Technique: Master the ‘wall kick cancel’ technique by quickly jumping off walls to maintain momentum. For laser avoidance, time your dashes to pass through gaps during their oscillation patterns. Practice the entire sequence in segments rather than attempting the complete run immediately.
Shinobi Art of Vengeance represents SEGA’s newest action-platformer entry, scheduled for release on August 29, 2025, across PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One platforms. For additional game insights, consult our comprehensive review coverage.
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