Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is a game that earns its subtitle with an expansive map of a vast archipelago for players to forge their epic journey across Ancient Greece. Once players have unlocked their ship, there are a plethora of side quests and rare items to find on the clustered islands surrounding the mainland. The Obsidian Islands in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is found in the southeast of Hydrea, and players are recommended to visit them around level 18. Here Kassandra, or Alexios, can compete in the Battle of One Hundred Hands Tournament. During their journey through the Obsidian islands, players can find unique items, recruitable lieutenants for their ship, and even a potential romance.
Updated on June 16, 2023, by Michael Llewellyn: The Origins Trilogy, which features Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, are vast open-world games hiding secrets, side quests, and lore consisting of historical and mythological information to help build the complex and stunning worlds these games are created around. The upcoming Assassin's Creed: Mirage promises to take the series back to its roots, keeping most of the action in the confines of densely packed cities. However, Mirage will likely be just as vast, but even that will struggle to measure up to the massive Assassin's Creed Odyssey. One of the best side stories takes place on the Obsidian Islands, where Alexios or Kassandra will take part in a battle royale using the help of a warrior called Roxana. This list is updated to include the location of the Obsidian Islands in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Locating The Obsidian Islands
Once Alexios or Kassandra has reached the mission Call to Arms, they must locate the Obsidian Islands. After the quest becomes available, the protagonists can create a marker on their map and head to the Aegean Sea. The Greek Islands in the region are called Hydrea and Melos and were known for their exportation of Obsidian glass. They are located in the southernmost area of the map and directly East of Lakonia.
By the time the player makes their way over to the Aegean Sea, they should be at a significant level to fight back and win. It is recommended to be at least a level 18. However, given how Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is structured, it is almost impossible not to get side-tracked and be more than sufficient for the mission.
Treasures To Find On The Obsidian Islands
Loot treasures are some of the most common collectibles in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Glowing chests are found throughout every corner of Ancient Greece and often contain unique items.
There are nine loot treasures for players to locate on the Obsidian Islands. All the treasures are hidden on Melos. The scouting eagle is needed to pinpoint and mark the precise location of each treasure chest.
- Four treasures are under guard within the Trypiti fort.
- Three treasures are located in the Leader's House.
- The remaining two are inside Melos Port.
Entering The Tournament
Players will be initially drawn to the Obsidian Islands by a quest called Call to Arms. This quest takes the Eagle Bearer to Melos, where they can compete in the legendary Battle of One Hundred Hands.
To enter this tournament, players will either need to:
- Convince Roxana - a certified Champion of the Tournament - to vouch for them.
- Or pay Drakios a fee of 4500 drachmae.
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is a game filled with branching paths and side quests, some of which are harder to find than others. Players should avoid paying the drachmae on the first playthrough, as doing this will cause the player to miss a recruitable lieutenant, among other rewards.
Training With Roxana
After speaking to Drakios, players can choose to sail to Hydrea, where they will earn Roxana's patronage for the tournament by training with her. This training will require the player to complete three challenges that are attainable with a sufficiently leveled-up character in AC Odyssey:
Sparring
In a sparring match with Roxana, use a combination of Hero Strikes and the Sparta Kick to knock the shield out of her hand. Roxana is a level 20, but her attacks lack power and speed. Use the dodge mechanic in addition to the power attacks. The EXP gained from this quest in AC Odyssey is 9070.
Archery
In Archery practice, Alexios or Kassandra must kill eight escaped wolves. Use the Multi-shot ability to kill eight wolves and impress Roxanna. The wolves can be killed with melee attacks, but the Multi-shot attacks will take them out efficiently. The EXP gained from this quest in AC Odyssey is 9300.
The Race
In an on-foot race, the protagonist must beat Roxanna to the top of the mountain. The protagonist cannot use a horse, but the mission is achievable, but with perks like Slow Time, the protagonists can outrun Roxana with the speed of Hermes. Enable the guided mode and follow the track to win the race. The trickiest part of this mission is when the two reach the construction site. It is full of obstacles, ramps, and poles to leap. The EXP gained from this quest in AC Odyssey is 9300.
An Optional Romance
The last test Roxana gives the player is a footrace to the top of a hill. Thankfully, it is not vital to win the race, and Roxana will help the player enter the tournament even if they fail to beat her to the top.
After the race, a cutscene will begin, and players will get the option to romance Roxana should they wish to. There are better romance options in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, as the missions and character development are lacking compared to the better opportunities in the game. However, they are worthwhile and add even more content and story to a vast open-world RPG.
The Battle Of One Hundred Hands
After completing their training, the player can return to Melos and enter the tournament on Obsidian Island by speaking to Drakios.
- Before entering the arena, use the blacksmith to upgrade weapons and armor before beginning the fight.
After talking to Drakios, the player will be locked into a long fight against multiple enemies. Using second wind is good for getting health back and surviving long enough to win. Players will also want to overpower their attack and use hero strikes to kill the other champions as quickly and efficiently as possible.
There Can Only Be One Champion
After the arena battle, only the Eagle Bearer and Roxana will remain. Drakios will then take the two remaining champions to Typhon's Revenge for a fight to the death, insisting there can be only one champion.
Players are free to make their own choice. However, they must understand that sparing Roxana will make her available to recruit as a legendary lieutenant. As well as helping in the subsequent fight against Drakios, Roxana offers extra javelin damage and a speed boost when drifting in the ship.
A Trap Laid By The Kosmos Cult
After the player has killed - or spared Roxana - it is revealed that the entire tournament was organized as a trap laid by the Kosmos cult to capture the Eagle Bearer. This will lead to the quest's conclusion, where players must fight and kill Drakios. It is recommended that the player spare Roxana as she will help weaken the Obsidian Island's cultists.
This fight is not demanding as long as the player remembers to run away when Drakios creates a cloud of smoke; this move makes him impossible to see and allows him to surprise the player with a dangerous attack. Killing Drakios will conclude the Legend No More quest and reward the player with a large sum of drachmae and powerful weapons.
- EXP Awarded is 3000.
The Ainigmata Ostraka In The Leader House
After completing the main questline for the Obsidian Islands, players may want to turn their attention to hidden collectibles. The Ainigmata Ostraka are riddles hidden throughout the world that reveal the location of special weapons and items.
After clearing out the leader's house in the northern region of Melos, players will find an Ainigmata Ostraka called Upon Typhon's Crown. This riddle leads the player to the island Typhon's Revenge, located northeast of Melos. To find the item, players must climb the volcano on this island and stand by the lava flows. While not the most beautiful area in the game, it makes for a spectacular sight. The player will find a helmet that adds +8 percent heavy weapon damage. It is located near the rim of the volcano.
A Great Place To Create Opportunities
Many quests in Assassin's Creed Odyssey will continue throughout the game as players search for hidden items and valuables in the vast map of Odyssey. One such recurring collectible is the Polemarch seals, which can be given to Demosthenes in Athens as part of the side quest called Creating Opportunities.
Players can find a Polemarch in Trypiti Fort on Melos. These warriors are identified by their ornate helmets and the crown symbol above their level. Once players have collected three seals, they can return to Athens, collect their reward, and progress to their next quest, which will require more Polemarch seals to complete.
Leaders And Mercenaries
There are five mercenaries players will encounter on the Obsidian Islands. Mercenaries in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey can be killed or recruited as lieutenants for the player's ship. The easiest way to hire mercenaries is to use Sparta Kick when their health is low to knock them out without killing them.
To begin the conquest battle for the islands, players must also kill the leader Itylor, Ruler of the Pits, who can be found in the Trypiti fort. Killing this leader and the mercenaries should not be difficult if the player is at the right level or has been lucky enough to find an overpowered weapon.
A Special Achievement For Exploring All Of The Islands
As well as rooting out the agents of the Kosmos cult and battling mythological monsters, there are numerous other side quests in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey that players can participate in.
Players must visit the Pephka, Obsidian, and Abantis islands and complete 20 sidequests between all three to earn the Island Hopper achievement, All the quests for the Battle of One Hundred Hands count towards this achievement, and any other missions signified by black diamonds with yellow exclamation points.
Defeating The Obsidian Island Cultists
The Kosmos Cult replaces the Templars from previous games as the story's primary antagonists. Throughout Odyssey, players will find clues to help them identify and eventually defeat the cult leaders individually. There are 6 Kosmos Cult Leaders to defeat that have to be defeated in order:
- The Mytilenian Shark
- Asterion
- Sokos
- The Octopus
- Melanthos
- The Hydra
The protagonist needs to Weaken the Obsidian Islands by killing the Cultist.
The Cultist for the Obsidian Islands is called Sokos, and players will first learn of him after killing The Mytilenian Shark and Asterion. Players must eliminate the island's leader and initiate the conquest battle to track him down.
During the ensuing naval skirmish, Sokos will appear, and the player will be able to fight him. Sparing Roxana and recruiting her as a lieutenant will help massively with this fight, as she will increase the damage dealt by Javelins and give the ship a boost in speed when drifting. Be careful not to accidentally attack the protagonist's allies, as they will turn on Alexios/Kassandra making the battle more difficult.
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, and Luna.