What Ghost of Yotei’s Setting and Year Could Mean for It

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What Ghost of Yotei's Setting and Year Could Mean for It

Key Takeaways

  • The sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, is set in 1603 in Ezo with a new protagonist, Atsu.
  • Atsu travels to Ezo seeking revenge, possibly as a descendant of Jin Sakai, or as an Ainu.
  • Ghost of Yotei’s story focuses on underdog vengeance, set in a time of ronin fleeing oppressive rule.

As a longtime fan of the samurai genre, I am beyond excited about the upcoming sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, titled Ghost of Yotei! The new anthological direction Sucker Punch is taking with this game has me intrigued and eager for more details.

After numerous rumors and leaks, the follow-up to Sucker Punch’s popular game Ghost of Tsushima has officially been unveiled during PlayStation’s latest State of Play broadcast. Although many have anticipated this sequel, its new anthological narrative direction has sparked quite a debate among fans. Known as “Ghost of Yotei,”, the sequel features a new protagonist named Atsu instead of Jin Sakai, who embarks on an original journey in a different region.

Information about the story of the “Ghost of Yotei” is scant, but Sucker Punch has graciously shared details about its time period and setting in the game’s trailer and interviews with various media outlets. With limited details available, we can make educated guesses about where the “Ghost of Yotei” might lead players.

What Ghost of Yotei’s Setting and Period Could Mean for Its Story

Ghost of Yotei Is Set in the Year 1603 in the Land of Ezo, Far Outside Japan’s Rule

Unlike “Ghost of Tsushima,” which is set in 1274 during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, “Ghost of Yotei” unfolds in the year 1603, towards the end of Japan’s Sengoku period and the start of the Edo period – also known as the Tokugawa era. The Edo period saw Japan governed by the Tokugawa shogunate and approximately 300 powerful daimyos (feudal lords) across the country. However, during the initial half-century of Tokugawa rule, sixty-one daimyos forfeited their territories due to failing to meet the shogunate’s expectations, rendering around 150,000 samurai jobless and ronin (masterless samurais).

The game “Ghost of Yotei” is set in the region that is now known as Hokkaido, once called Ezo. From the game’s trailer, it appears that this land serves as a refuge for numerous ronin seeking anonymity. These ronin might be former samurai who found the strict rule of the Tokugawa shogunate unbearable and have chosen Ezo as a place to escape and live autonomously according to their own will.

Sucker Punch Has Confirmed That Atsu Has Traveled to Ezo on a Quest for Revenge

In simpler terms, we know that “Ghost of Yotei” is a tale of an underdog seeking vengeance, featuring Atsu as our protagonist. She embarks on a journey northward beyond Japan, into Ezo, which wasn’t yet under the control of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. This suggests that Atsu may have fled to Ezo to escape the shogunate. However, her quest for vengeance is what propels her towards Ezo, as the person (or people) she intends to punish is (are) her ultimate destination. It’s plausible that Atsu is a descendant of Jin Sakai, given her association with the Ghost and her mission to avenge her family’s dishonored name in Ezo.

In the preview for the game titled “Ghost of Yotei”, Atsu is shown smearing blood onto a scroll, which may contain the names of her intended victims. This suggests that she could indeed be on a mission to eliminate these targets. Interestingly, it appears that the creators of Ghost of Tsushima are not focusing on establishing a direct link between Ghost of Yotei and Ghost of Tsushima, as they seem more interested in developing the Ghost concept further, rather than continuing the story of Jin Sakai, the original Ghost of Tsushima. Additionally, the timeline for Ghost of Yotei is set 300 years after Ghost of Tsushima, making it unlikely that a member of Jin’s family would only now be taking revenge.

A different perspective proposes that the character Atsu may originate from the Ainu, a minority group indigenous to Japan’s islands. During the Edo period, the Ainu experienced a decline in power relative to the Japanese. Consequently, Atsu’s narrative could involve a quest for vengeance against the Japanese. While this idea is less probable than others, it remains speculative until Sucker Punch provides further details about the game in the upcoming months, as they have promised to do so.

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2024-09-30 18:53