Walkthrough - Jade Empire Guide - IGN (2024)

This Walkthrough takes you through every step of Jade Empire, the action-RPG from Bioware, and guides you through the Open Palm path to the good ending.

NOTE: This walkthrough follows the way of the Open Palm to assure you get the "good" ending. We will provide tips along the way for the Closed Fist, and most main quests can be followed the main way from both standpoints. Our character (Shimmering Anyu) was based on the Balanced Female character build, with Legendary Strike and Heavenly Wave as the main styles. We thoroughly recommend using a Balanced character if you cannot make up your mind.

After selecting your character model (we selected Balanced) and placing your ability points into selected slots between Mind, Body, and Spirit, you will be introduced to the game itself. Get ready to embark on an epic journey! Fasten your safety belt, please.

The Beginning

Accept the challenge of the man that is fighting you to get the gist of how to battle in the game. We replied courteously to him, and we suggest you do so, as well. Remember, there is always time to catch up with your naughtiness. After defeating him, go around and speak with Student Lin. Ask her about the ghost activity in town, rolling through all of the questions. Ask her about everyone in the town, as well as herself. Remember that you must find out about everything and everyone in town at the moment. Go sparring with the lass afterwards to gain 40 Experience Points. You will find Smiling Mountain outside of the training grounds, and he is willing to sell you a number of different items that you cannot buy currently, as you do not have any silver. You can fight a very simple opponent, however, and gain some small XP (experience points).

Student Wen is full of knowledge, so ask questions and give your answers accordingly. As stated in the note, we chose to speak kindly to almost all folks in the game. Speak with Gao the Lesser when you get the chance, and see the things he has to say. Afterwards, you can look to the left to find a bookstand for more background information and get XP from it. Check the scroll stand near the entrance of the dojo to gain more XP, and go speak with the Master. After the events unfold, open the chest in the back to receive three Lion Figurines. Place them in order of blue, red, and yellow on the altar to receive XP. Exit the school and head north to find two sparring students. You can fight them together for some XP. Place a piece of silver to get the final piece to the Lion statue puzzle and complete it to receive the Gaze of the Lion. Carry on down the straight path to find Gao the Lesser and Dawn Star.

Speak with Dawn Star to gain her as a follower. Followers expand your range of attacks and you can even switch their support abilities around. Check out the Followers section for more info, although beware of character spoilers as you carry on down the page. Read the scroll for XP, and head up the stairs to find a Spirit Fountain. This will replenish your health and Chi. There is a Focus Shrine near here, as well. Go to Two Rivers afterwards. You must fight two bandits upon entering, and Dawn Star will help you out. This is mind-numbingly easy; simply use Chi power to burst through the enemies' blocks. To Gujin!

Go around the outskirts of town to find Guard Young, who is afraid of fighting. Just beyond him is Gujin's Weapon Shop. You must choose between Fortune's Favorite, a long sword from the Gods, or Golden Star, a lovely staff that was forged from a comet. Both are excellent weapons, although we personally chose the Fortune's Favorite for the excellent outreach. Complete the hidden book set by reading the scroll to your right. Walk to the left some find some bandits and equip your legendary weapon. Take care of them with ease, and head downstairs to find four more enemies. You must carefully block their attacks and counter with precision. Si Pat is guarding the school gate. Begin heading to the beach.

Watch the cut-scene and watch out for the cannonballs while taking out the pirates. Kill two thugs at a time before leaping out of the way of the cannonball. This is the toughest fight yet, as there are many enemies, and those cannonballs can truly be momentum killers. Just pay close attention to your fighting area, and only use the legendary weapon when there are a cluster of enemies near you. When the first batch of bandits run away, another wave soon hits the beach. Although your partner's health is replenished at the time of battle, this will still certainly be a tough battle. Just remember to evade at all costs when you're ganged up on. Remember to group enemies together and evade after Dawn Star reminds you of the incoming cannonball, as this will hit the pirates instead of you.

After the bandit fight, you must battle fallen prey. Be sure to block their projectile attacks, and surely you must follow the counter up with a heavy dose of melee attacks using your primary moves set. This battle is not nearly as hard as the previous two fights. Watch the cut-scene and speak with Dawn Star thoroughly. Go speak with Ni Joh to inform him of his father's passing, and speak with Old Ming regarding practically anything and everything. Mrs. Jong wishes to speak to Dawn Star. Afterwards, go to town to meet Fen Do. Don't buy anything from him, though, as he is a rip-off. Go back and reply to Guard Yung however you see fit.

There is a bamboo cask containing 5 pieces of silver in the farm area with the pigs. Go down the stairs up ahead on the left to find several drunks praising Gao the Lesser. How about we fight, eh? These guys are chumps, as expected, so whip'em good. Afterwards, check the bamboo cask to find 25 pieces of silver. You can speak more with Gujin about certain interesting tidbits. Afterwards, exit to the school and speak with Si Pat to brush up your knowledge of the game. Talk to Kia Min to receive a Sidequest. Rush back to Old Ming to speak to him about the herbs that Kia Min needs. He mentions Red Silk Grass as the cure, and that Fen Do should have some for sale. Purchase some from Fen Do and return to give it to Kia Min. We accepted the payment of 50 silver. After all, it's the honest thing to do. And we wanted our damn money back.

With this done, go to Smiling Mountain and ask him about the special prize. You must fight five students at once, including Kia Min, who is a lot tougher than your average joe. Aim for the lesser enemies at first to eliminate them so that you can go to town on Kia Min without being interrupted. Bring backwards to kick her in the face if she gets too close, and interrupt her Chi moves. Return to Master Li and speak with him. This engages a fight with Gao the Lesser, which you've likely been ready for quite some time. The number one key to defeating Gao the Lesser is by using speedy moves. They deal little damage, but patience is the key. Little by little you can wear Gao the Lesser down, and be sure to go into Focus as he uses Chi attacks. Quickly interrupt them and continue your assault. Get his back against the wall and strike for the victory.

Go speak with Master Li regarding the Spirit Cavern. After all of the conversation, you will enter the Spirit Cavern. You are alone, so be careful. Check the pillar to find the Flawed Warrior Gem. Equip it to increase your Body by 1 point. You must fight three apparitions afterwards. Use your main Martial style to take them out, and be sure to somersault when they get too near. Break the Vase around the corner for 45 silver, and another for 55 silver. Go through the next door and activate an autosave. Go into the next area and watch the cut-scene. Old Master is a lot tougher than your average ghost, hence the autosave. Dodge the projectiles and eliminate his two ghost partners before starting to work on him. The key to defeating Old Master is simply use your basic Martial style, nothing more. He hits incredibly hard, so evade as much as possible and use Focus to drop him with Chi attacks. Watch out for his nasty enfeebling attacks, such as Slow and Frozen.

Once the Old Master has been defeated, you will be treated to a nice cut-scene. You must choose between using Ice magic or Fire magic. The choice is yours, although we chose Dire Flame. It all comes down to preference, really, as both are incredibly useful. Read the scroll here for XP and heal up at the Spirit Font. Open the chest for another Flawed Warrior Gem and Structured Body. Search the Bones for some silver. Enter the portal when ready, and speak with Master Li. You must now find Dawn Star.

You can complete a Sidequest on the beach. Talk to the man that owes several silver to Gao the Greater. You can do one of two things: take the bad path and tell him to kiss off into the air, or insist on giving him the silver. You will gain XP for helping him, keep in mind.

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