You’re riding through Limgrave, probably just trying to find a way toward Stormveil without getting flattened by a Tree Sentinel, and you see him. A tall guy in a weirdly shaped, wide-brimmed hat—the Iron Kasa—standing under a stone archway. He tells you to watch out for the dragon in the lake. He’s blunt. He’s cool. And honestly, Bloody Finger Hunter Yura is probably the first person in the Lands Between who treats you like an actual professional instead of a "maidenless" joke.
Yura isn’t just some random NPC. He’s your introduction to the messy, violent world of PvP lore. Through his eyes, we see what happens when the grace of the Erdtree fades and people start hunting their own kind for sport. It’s dark stuff. But the way his story unfolds—from a mentor figure to a hollowed-out vessel for a literal chaos god—is one of the most gut-wrenching arcs FromSoftware has ever put to paper.
Who Exactly Is Bloody Finger Hunter Yura?
He’s an old man. You can hear it in his voice—that gravelly, weary tone of someone who has spent way too many years cleaning up other people's messes. Yura belongs to a loose faction of hunters who dedicate their lives to putting down "Bloody Fingers." These are Recusants and invaders who serve Mohg, the Lord of Blood, and they spend their time murdering other Tarnished to soak in their blood.
It's a dirty job. Yura doesn't seem to enjoy it, but he’s driven by a very specific, very personal grudge against a particular Bloody Finger named Eleonora.
Most players first meet him near Seaside Ruins. He warns you about Agheel, the dragon nearby. If you manage to kill the dragon, he’s genuinely impressed. He’s one of the few characters who actually shows growth in how he perceives the player character. He doesn't just give you a quest; he fights beside you. When you get invaded by Nerijus near Murkwater Cave, Yura jumps in to save your skin. That’s the moment most players realize this guy is a real one.
The Tragedy of the Academy and the Second Church
The quest takes a turn once you hit Raya Lucaria. You find a red summon sign on the bridge. No dialogue, no preamble—just a call for help. You jump in, and there he is, struggling against another assassin. This is where the cracks start to show. Yura is getting older. He’s slower. After the fight, he’s gasping for breath, leaning on the railing of the bridge. He tells you he’s chasing Eleonora, the "Violet Bloody Finger."
There’s a history there.
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He speaks of her with a mix of regret and terrifying focus. They were close once. Some fans speculate they were lovers; others think it was a master-apprentice relationship gone horribly wrong. Whatever it was, she fell to the allure of the Blood Lord, and Yura took it upon himself to be her executioner.
Eventually, you find him at the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau. It’s a somber scene. He’s dying on the floor. He’s failed. Eleonora has bested him, and he gives you his sword—the Nagakiba—with his final breaths. It’s a long, elegant katana that symbolizes his reach and his burden. He dies thinking he failed. He dies as a human.
Then things get weird.
Shabriri and the Theft of a Corpse
If you’ve played through the Mountaintops of the Giants, you know the absolute shock of seeing Yura standing there in the snow. You think, "Wait, did he survive?"
Nope.
The entity standing there is Shabriri. He’s essentially a demon or a manifestation of the Frenzied Flame. He’s wearing Yura’s skin like a suit. It’s one of the most disrespectful and haunting moments in the game. Shabriri is the "most reviled man in all the Lands Between," and he’s using the face of your dead friend to manipulate you into burning the world down.
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He screams about "May Chaos Take the World!" with a manic energy that is the polar opposite of Yura’s calm, stoic demeanor. It’s a masterclass in voice acting and environmental storytelling. You realize that Yura’s physical journey ended in defeat at the church, but his body was denied peace so it could be used as a mouthpiece for cosmic nihilism.
Why the Nagakiba is a Top-Tier Weapon
We have to talk about the gear. Bloody Finger Hunter Yura carries the Nagakiba, and it is arguably one of the best Dexterity weapons in Elden Ring. Why? The reach. It’s ridiculously long. It allows you to poke enemies from a distance where they can't touch you.
- Weapon Art: It comes with Piercing Fang, which ignores shields. Great for turtles.
- Customization: You can put Unsheathe or Double Slash on it.
- Scaling: It hits an A scaling in Dexterity with a Keen infusion.
If you complete the quest (or just kill Shabriri), you also get the Ronin’s Armor set. It’s high-fashion "Elden Bling" but also has decent resistance stats for its weight class. The Iron Kasa is iconic. It makes you look like a wandering samurai from a Kurosawa film, which fits the lonely, wandering vibe of the questline perfectly.
How to Actually Finish the Quest (Step-by-Step)
Don't mess this up, because it's easy to skip steps if you progress the main boss fights too fast.
- Murkwater Cave: Walk up the river from Agheel Lake. Get invaded by Nerijus. Wait for Yura to spawn and help you. Talk to him further up the river afterward.
- Raya Lucaria: Go to the Main Academy Gate site of grace. Walk past the blue seal (don't interact with it) toward the bridge. Look for a red summon sign on the ground. Help him kill the Ravenmount Assassin.
- Second Church of Marika: Head to Altus Plateau. Yura will be on the ground. Talk to him to get the Nagakiba. Then, Eleonora will invade. Kill her to get the Purifying Crystal Tear (essential for the Mohg boss fight) and her Poleblade.
- Mountaintops of the Giants: Find "Yura" (Shabriri) near the Zamor Ruins grace. You can kill him here to get the Ronin armor set immediately, or you can listen to his pitch for the Frenzied Flame ending.
The Deeper Meaning of the Bloody Fingers
Why does Yura care so much? To understand Yura, you have to understand the philosophy of the Bloody Fingers. In the lore, most Tarnished are following the Two Fingers and the Golden Order. The Bloody Fingers essentially said, "Screw that." They chose to follow the Formless Mother, a god that thrives on wounds and blood.
Yura represents the old guard. He represents the idea that even in a broken world, there should be some kind of code. He hunts the hunters. It’s a thankless job that ultimately costs him his life and his body. When you take up his sword, you’re not just taking a weapon; you’re taking up the mantle of someone who tried to keep the darkness at bay, even though he knew he was probably going to lose.
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Addressing the Shabriri Misconception
A lot of players think they did something wrong when they see Shabriri. They think they missed a way to "save" Yura.
You can't.
Yura’s death at the Second Church of Marika is a fixed point. Even if you never talk to him, his body will still end up possessed by Shabriri in the late game. It’s a reminder that the Lands Between is a place where even your corpse isn't safe. The only way to "honor" him is to defeat Eleonora and perhaps put down the vessel of Shabriri so he can finally rest.
Real-World Inspiration: The Ronin Archetype
Yura is a classic Ronin. In Japanese history, a Ronin was a samurai without a master. They were often viewed with suspicion but also romanticized as protectors of the common folk. Yura fits this perfectly. He doesn't serve a Lord. He doesn't care about becoming Elden Lord. He just wants to stop the bleeding—literally.
His design, particularly the Iron Kasa (hat), is a direct nod to historical traveler headgear and classic Chanbara cinema. It’s why he feels so grounded compared to the literal demigods and space monsters you fight later on. He’s just a man with a very long sword and a very heavy conscience.
Actionable Tips for Your Playthrough
If you're currently in the middle of this quest, here is what you need to do to maximize the rewards:
- Don't kill him early: You might be tempted to kill him in Limgrave for the Nagakiba. Don't. You miss out on the Purifying Crystal Tear, which makes the Mohg, Lord of Blood fight ten times harder because you won't have protection against his "NIHIL" ritual.
- Use the Nagakiba for PvP: If you like invading or being a hunter yourself, the Nagakiba’s reach is your best friend. Pair it with the "Spinning Slash" Ash of War to catch people who try to roll away.
- Listen to Shabriri: Even if you don't want the Frenzied Flame ending, listen to his dialogue. It provides massive context for the "Three Fingers" and why someone might actually choose to burn the world down rather than let the cycle of the Erdtree continue.
- Check the bridge: Many players miss the Raya Lucaria step because the summon sign is small and tucked away. It's on the bridge leading north, past the magical seal.
Bloody Finger Hunter Yura stands as a testament to the best kind of storytelling FromSoftware does—minimalist, tragic, and deeply tied to the player's own journey through the world. By the time you reach the end of the game, his warning about the "path of blood" rings truer than ever.
To properly finish Yura's legacy, head to the Zamor Ruins in the Mountaintops of the Giants. If you've already received the Nagakiba at the Second Church of Marika, you can safely engage the possessed body of Shabriri. Defeating him grants you the full Ronin Set, ensuring Yura's physical presence is finally laid to rest while you carry his armor into the final battles for the Elden Throne. This provides both the best mechanical outcome for your character and the most narrative closure for one of the game's few truly noble souls.