Ghost of Yotei’s Origin Story Needs to Side-Step Tsushima’s

Rather than featuring Ghost of Tsushima‘s protagonist, Jin Sakai, once more, Ghost of Yotei will be led by a new character, Atsu, in an attempt made by Sucker Punch to create a full-blown Ghost franchise as opposed to one story. This ultimately shifts the focus from Jin as the Ghost of Tsushima to the idea of the Ghost instead, where anyone can become the legendary figure. In Ghost of Yotei‘s case, that person is Atsu, who has been led to Ezo in a story that takes place 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima.

With Ghost of Yotei introducing a brand-new protagonist, it will presumably be an origin story of sorts for Atsu, just as Ghost of Tsushima was for Jin. In that case, it would arguably be better off not treading the same path that Jin has already walked in order to give players a fresh experience and fulfill Sucker Punch’s goal to see Ghost of Yotei set apart from Ghost of Tsushima.

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Atsu’s Origin Story in Ghost of Yotei Needs to Separate Itself From Jin’s

Jin Sakai Was Shunned for Adopting Dishonorable War Practices

While the overarching conflict of Ghost of Tsushima focuses more on the Mongol invasion of Japan and Jin’s efforts to repel it, a prominent part of the game’s narrative involves the internal conflict that takes place within Jin himself. As a samurai, Jin was expected to follow the samurai code, which sees the warriors engaging in honorable battle and facing their foes directly, as opposed to striking them from behind like a criminal. However, Jin’s desperation to see the Mongols driven from his homeland sees him become the Ghost of Tsushima, a stealthy predator who assassinates his enemies from the shadows before they even know that he is there.

The majority of Jin’s inner moral conflict comes from his uncle, Lord Shimura, who raised Jin from childhood after his father died. Shimura desires Jin to become the honorable samurai he was always meant to be, but Jin quickly realizes he has no choice but to become one with the shadows and gain an advantage, dishonorable as it may be, over his Mongol enemies and free Tsushima Island from their tyranny. Jin’s inner conflict is very clear and present in the earliest chapters of Ghost of Tsushima‘s story, but that conflict is rather quickly placed into the hands of players, who can then decide whether Jin will be an honorable samurai, a dishonorable ghost, or a blend of both.

Atsu Will Need a Different Internal Conflict in Ghost of Yotei

Since Jin’s moral conflict has already been done in Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei will want to avoid the same trope if it hopes to realize its dreams of being a separate experience. With Ghost of Yotei taking place 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, it could mean that enough time has passed for the concept of the Ghost to become more acceptable. As such, it might not make sense anyway for Atsu to struggle with her identity in the same way that Jin did. Instead, based on what has been revealed so far, perhaps Atsu’s internal conflict in Ghost of Yotei could focus on her desire for vengeance instead.

In an interview with the New York Times, Sucker Punch revealed that Ghost of Yotei‘s story is one of “underdog vengeance,” although there are no details yet about what that might entail. Even without details, however, perhaps Atsu’s personal journey could see her conflicted about whether to exact revenge at all, as is the case with protagonists in many other revenge stories. This way, Ghost of Yotei could follow an entirely different origin story than Ghost of Tsushima and develop Atsu’s character in the process. In any case, Ghost of Yotei needs to ensure the identity crisis trope observed by Ghost of Tsushima is laid to rest.

The sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yōtei is a PS5 exclusive scheduled to drop at some point in 2025. Taking place in 1603, the story will feature a new protagonist and a new Japanese region that is far removed from Tsushima’s setting.

Action

Adventure

Open-World

Systems

Released

2025

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment