How Ghost of Yotei Gets History Right

The new trailer for Ghost of Yotei is here and in three minutes, Sucker Punch has managed to tease a ton of cool details from Japanese history. Placed 300 years after the story of Jin and Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei takes us to a time of turmoil in the Hokkaido region, which was known as Ezo in 1603 and not really considered part of Japan. It was the perfect destination for fleeing Ronin and Wokou (aka pirates), who were escaping the newly appointed Tokugawa shogunate. Since the trailer released I’ve been poring over the details it contains, translating the text, brushing up on Japanese history, finding out about the Matsumae clan, and learning all about the indigenous people called Ainu, because I’m incredibly hyped for Ghost of Yotei. Here’s why.

"We are beyond the edge of Japan." 

Let’s talk about that opening quote because knowing a bit of history helps set the stage as to why it’s important. In 1600 the well-known Battle of Sekigahara took place, which was fought and won by famed warrior Tokugawa Ieyasu. Following his victory he hunted down and executed those who stood against him and folded many into his shogunate if they accepted. By 1603 clans like the Takeda clan – who may have their crest or one like it represented in the trailer – would have either joined Tokugawa or been left to their own fate.

In addition to that turmoil, the Matsumae clan was defending the southern region of Ezo from the Ainu. Since Ezo wasn’t really considered part of Japan and the Ainu were local to the area there was friction between the two factions, which came to a head when the Ainu and Matsumae faced off in 1669 during the revolt of Shakushain over control of the land. The Ainu are a very spiritual people believing that everything from flora and fauna to animals had a spirit. In fact they believe they were born from a union of a wolflike creature and a goddess. They also have a ritual involving bears who they consider to be gods, but more on that later.

In 1603 the conflict between the Ainu and Japanese was coming to a bit of a head. The Matsumae clan established a base on Ezo near the southern edge of the island, and would eventually build the Matsumae Castle in 1606. Ezo was seen as an important point of defense from Russia, but it wasn’t until the Castle was built that trade was more well-established with the Ainu in 1606.

Also a fun fact about Mount Yotei. It’s referred to as the female mountain by the Ainu people but let’s not forget about the nearby Mt. Shiribetsu, known as the male mountain is nearby and I believe it’s teased as a location a bit earlier.

"People will come north to disappear. But you… you are hunting."

So how does our new protagonist Atsu fit into all of this? There’s a lot of Wolf iconography in the trailer, which is interesting because the now-extinct Ezo Wolf, also known as the Ezo Okami, are known as a god who had the power to dispel evil. They also symbolize mountain worship, which ties in nicely with Yotei’s setting. Atsu also has Wolf iconography on her hilt, which makes me wonder if she has ties to the Ainu, given their belief that many animals were gods roaming the earth, and the Wolf god's importance I noted earlier is particularly important in Ainu culture.

The Ainu loved animals, but despite this had ceremonies that by modern standards could be seen as somewhat violent. For example, the Ainu believed Bears were gods waiting to be set free, so they would take bear cubs, raise them like they were their own children until they were about two years old, and then sacrifice them and drink their blood in a ritual they believed sent the god back to where they came from. It’s also interesting that Atsu has what appears to be a bearskin cloak for warmth. While this may not have been from the ritual itself, it could have been traded or acquired from the Ainu in some other manner related to the ritual. Sucker Punch has teased an upcoming video about the other animals we can expect in Ghost of Yotei so I’m intrigued to know more about the blood sacrifice… or maybe the Ural Owls of Ezo which would be a bit more my speed.

But beyond the bear cloak, Atsu also has several interesting traits that could paint her as having a Japanese background. Besides her stances, weapons, and attire which we’ll discuss in just a moment, her instrument, the Tsugaru Shamisen, is an interesting choice. The Shamisen was popular in the pleasure districts, highbrow theater, and even with folk music of Japan which have led some fans to wonder if Atsu may use subterfuge as a Geisha in Yotei. Her well-kept nails also lend to this theory as they looked pretty nice for a roaming Ronin who’s just committed a brutal murder. Regardless, the Shamisen is an interesting choice because while it has been depicted as a weapon in some Japanese cinema, chances are it’ll instead be a replacement for Jin's Shakuhachi (flute).

Japanese attire included a ghost mask that had been repaired with a technique known as Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the practice of fixing a break using a lacquer mixed with gold, and it was a very popular repair method of the time. The gold repair hints at the history of the item and was seen as beautiful by collectors. All this makes me wonder what story the mask seen in the trailer is hiding.

That question leaves us wondering how Atsu became a wandering Onna-musha warrior, which were basically the female version of a Ronin. Of course, there have been many well-documented Onna-musha throughout history, as it was common to train women to defend their homes and children during time of unrest. Tomoe Gozen one of the most feared Onna-musha warriors of all time has been well documented, and while she is more of a legend who’s authenticity is debated, there are still plenty of documents about women going to battle in Feudal Japan. I imagine Atsu would be inspired by one of those stories.

For this time period, Yodo-dono stands out to me as she has often been portrayed as fighting against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yodo-dono was a concubine for Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and gave him two children. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, she was very powerful as the mother of Hideyoshi only heir. She declined meetings with the Tokugawa clan. Rebuilt Osaka Castle with a bell that read "Toyotomi's force will rise again" and let's just say that was not received well by Ieyasu. It’s said that she resisted Tokugawa until she met her end in Osaka castle by committing suicide with her son.  She’s an interesting character of the time period, who could make good inspiration for Atsu and has been portrayed many times in Japanese films, but I digress.

The bigger question for Atsu is why is she wanted? The sign we see in the trailer reads: “Wanted List. We have 100 Ryo rewards for this woman's head. There are rumors that she was witnessed on Mount Yoteizan. 28 or 29 years old.” Ryo isn’t the modern currency for Japan, but, let’s just say that’s a large bounty by today's standards.

"Wanted List. We have 100 Ryo rewards for this woman's head. There are rumors that she was witnessed on Mount Yoteizan. 28 or 29 years old."

Why does she have a list of names on her waist? The list reads Demon, Fox, Dragon, Spider, Snake, and Saito. Snake is crossed off with blood near the end of the trailer. Does that mean she has eliminated whomever Snake is? And who sent her and why is she on this quest?

“Still think your the hunter?” is the final quote we hear before Atsu defeats her enemy, and it leaves me wondering… where did she get those toys? Atsu uses the niten'ichi, or two sword style, Miyamoto Musashi popularized and which roughly translates as two heavens as one. It appears that she has a Katana in one hand and a Wakizashi in the other. She also wields an Arquebus Tanegashima rifle with a Serpentine matchlock and is shown with a Kusarigama twirling around the chain. Other weapons spotted in the trailer include the Odachi teaser, indicating there will be even more to master in Ghost of Yotei.

Of course, we have other questions about the game, like if hot springs will make a return, or if the crest that we see slashed will wind up being an homage to the Toyotomi clan that was wiped out. Time will tell. For now, the history, turmoil, and drama surrounding Ezo, the Ainu and the Tokugawa Shogunate has me hyped for Ghost of Yotei. Let’s see what you’ve got, Sucker Punch!

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A special thanks to... IGN Japan & my friend Hanako for helping translate, YouTube reactions from Shohei Kondo | Gaijin Goombah | The Shogunate | Tales of Dawn and Dusk for historical context and details that helped guide my research!