Kuro and the Iron Code (no spoilers?)

[Sauvagess]

So, I've gotten to the castle and met Kuro once more. A little dialogue occured, and I was presented with a choice. Help Kuro, or obey the Iron Code.

The problem I'm having is, when I first started playing this game, my computer was pretty ♥♥♥♥♥♥. I eventually got fed up with the stuttering and hitching even on the lowest settings, so I set the game aside until I could upgrade. Now that I've done that...I...can't quite remember what this is about, and was hoping I'd get filled in along the way.

Can someone tell me what the Iron Code is again? I fear if I do a google search, I'll get spoiled out the ass.

[AlmightyDunkle]

Iron code leads to a quicker ending.
It locks you out of a couple more areas and some really good items.

But you essentially skip multiple boss fights as well.

Iron code is basically "do what papa says"

[Blazing]

You're basically choosing whose side you're on. Either on your "father"'s or Kuro's. Obey the Iron Code means that you obey your father over Kuro.

[(Edgy) Asriel Dreemurr]

Originally posted by AlmightyDunkle:

Iron code leads to a quicker ending.
It locks you out of a couple more areas and some really good items.

But you essentially skip multiple boss fights as well.

Iron code is basically "do what papa says"

Originally posted by Blazing:

You're basically choosing whose side you're on. Either on your "father"'s or Kuro's. Obey the Iron Code means that you obey your father over Kuro.

They’re talking about the first choice prompt after the Genichiro fight, not the one you get from the Great Shinobi.

[(Edgy) Asriel Dreemurr]

The Iron Code are 3 rules a Shinobi is meant to follow.

1. You must follow the instruction of your parent or mentor above all else. In the case of Wolf, this is Owl.

2. You must follow the instruction of your master (Kuro) unless these contradict those of the parent (Owl).

3. If you are defeated and survive, you must take vengeance upon the person who defeated you.

There are two prompts that deal with this in the game.

The first one presented by Kuro is not that important as you are forced to choose “Follow the Iron Code”. Kuro however talks Wolf into helping him immediately after. This is really just there to make the point that you are controlling a pre-established character, and to add weight to the second time this choice pops up. If Wolf was to follow the Iron Code in this instance, this would mean simply protecting Kuro and escorting him out of Ashina, whereas Kuro wants to stay in Ashina and have Wolf go out and find key items in order to remove the Dragon’s Heritage (Kuro’s immortality and ability to grant immortality to others).

The second time, the choice is presented by a different character and is directly asking you to betray Kuro. The choice you make here determines if you will get the “bad ending”, which cuts out a good bit of the game.

[Sauvagess]

Cool. I have to remember that despite asking for no spoilers, people will spoil anyway.

[(Edgy) Asriel Dreemurr]

Originally posted by Sauvagess:

Cool. I have to remember that despite asking for no spoilers, people will spoil anyway.

Unfortunately, people thought you were talking about the later choice that affects the ending.

While I said a lot most of it isn't really spoilery, other than saying the game has multiple endings.

[SmallGespenst]

Originally posted by Sauvagess:

Cool. I have to remember that despite asking for no spoilers, people will spoil anyway.

welcome to steam forums, most people don't read, and a good chunk of the ones that do are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

[Gabito264]

Originally posted by Sauvagess:

Cool. I have to remember that despite asking for no spoilers, people will spoil anyway.

you asked for it.

[DragonZephyr]

Reading back on this i find it frustrating to consider the answers spoilers since they are really useful for others. Thats why these places are called forums since the answers to questions need to be useful for future visits lest it becomes a place where people just ask the same question.
I got the answer i wanted and those answers cannot be given in any other way. The world of spoiler-culture has really gotten out of hand when that is considered a spoiler, it frequently feels like it comes from people that want to weave their own myth about the game and only then share in the consensus afterwards on the story of media but this always creates contradicting voices on benign things in them.
To this day there is a guy in a discord i am in who thinks the skulls next to a bit of lore have any meaning for the gender of the person when the game was top down and those skulls were most likely just made with the first google result for reference. And that is really the *smallest* issue that this creates.
If anyone ever comes back here to read this i do wonder if its really so benefical to stifle discussion or punish people who mention something when they are discussing the thing in question. Sometimes it can be great to be careful with what you say so that people might be suprised at a twist in the story but it feels cheap to rely on only twists to create an engaging story. The "twist" that Outer Wilds has is mentioned in the store description and that did not hold it back from being universally beloved or having its story ruined in a walking sim no less.
Anyway it does suck that due to the soulsian nature it is not entirely obvious that the first time is not really a choice since that is the only time it happens, it does help show the nature of the shinobi code though.

[まほこ]

Originally posted by Gabito264:

Originally posted by Sauvagess:

Cool. I have to remember that despite asking for no spoilers, people will spoil anyway.

you asked for it.

I know this ♥♥♥♥ is from 2019 and we are now in 2025 but god ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ damn
how dumb are you?
" Kuro and the Iron Code (no spoilers?) "