Ghost of Yotei will take place roughly 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima which would suggest that Jin Sakai is no longer in the picture. The announcement trailer introduced a new heroine named Atsu, and some fans have noticed a peculiar detail about the young samurai as she embarks on a journey that one might assume is another quest for vengeance. In the voiceover, Mount Yotei is where people flee to hide and disappear which could be the perfect place for criminals and traitors to hide and for Atsu to hunt.
The teaser trailer was brief and a list with names can be seen dangling from her waist and even on her wrists as she wipes it with blood. Perhaps Atsu is hired by another entity to track down old traitors or clan members from the first game and she will tie up loose ends regardless of where her targets are hiding.
Atsu Is a Determined Samurai Warrior and Hunter in the Ghost of Yotei
The gaming community was blown away after finally seeing what the game developers of Sucker Punch Productions have worked on for the past few years in the recent PlayStation State of Play. Sony Interactive Entertainment gave the fans what they have been waiting for and the company delivered big time after revealing Ghost of Yotei through a brief yet riveting teaser trailer. While the trailer did not give any major details about the plot, the developers confirmed that the game takes place in 1603 which is 329 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima with a new protagonist.
Erika Ishii will be providing the voice and motion capture for Atsu in the highly anticipated sequel, and the actor has made a name for themselves for contributing to a handful of older video games and is more than qualified to be the new lead of the Ghost franchise. The teaser trailer started with a voiceover describing the geographical differences between Yotei and Tsushima citing that this is where people disappear, perhaps it is now a famous watering hole for wanted criminals.
Ghost of Yōtei: a new protagonist, a new story to unfold.
Meet Atsu.#GhostOfYotei pic.twitter.com/EA7BpaswaU
— Sucker Punch Productions (@SuckerPunchProd) September 24, 2024
The ronin tried to taunt Atsu and failed spectacularly and explained that every ronin in the area is now interested in taking her down which would suggest she did something to anger the locals. In the promo art, Atsu can be seen holding onto a long list of Japanese texts which could be the names of her targets. There is no telling who or why Atsu is tracking these people, perhaps these characters have had ties to the original game and Atsu means to tie up loose ends for their family’s past transgressions.
The first game had a similar storyline for Lady Masako as Jin aids her in hunting down the people who betrayed her family amidst the Mongol invasion in exchange for her help in his efforts to liberate their homeland. The game developers also described the narrative of the Ghost of Yotei as the tale of underdog vengeance. Perhaps these targets must have wronged Atsu at one point and she wants to get even by taking their lives as she individually wipes them off her wrists with their blood which is quite menacing.
Some fans speculated that Atsu could be a direct descendant of Jin Sakai. After being branded a traitor for saving his homeland, Jin could have fled to Mount Yotei to avoid further conflict with the other samurai. Atsu could be working her way to live up to her ancestor’s legacy and embody his brutal and bloody methods to exact justice. Ghost of Yotei could be drastically different from Ghost of Tsushima from a narrative perspective letting the players be the hunters rather than the prey in a land full of predators and killers.
Ghost of Yotei Could Showcase Atsu Becoming Fully Undone in Her Quest for Vengeance
Perhaps Atsu decided to take on a career as a bounty hunter instead of being a warrior without a master, or someone could have hired her to hunt these targets and is pulling the strings from behind similar to John Marston’s situation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for holding his family ransom in exchange for his services in Red Dead Redemption. Hopefully, Sucker Punch Productions have written a compelling narrative to understand Atsu’s motives.
The themes of being hunted and revenge are heavily implied in the teaser trailer of the Ghost of Yotei. There must be some personal history between Atsu and her targets and the narrative could follow a similar route to the plot of The Last of Us Part 2 where revenge is all the main characters cared about. There is a possibility that this is a task that was passed down from generation to generation and taking on the mantle of the Ghost.
Sucker Punch Productions took a risky gamble by introducing a new character in a new location and different period. Hopefully, the game developers will somehow bridge the gaps between Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yotei for a linear experience despite the massive gap in time.
Are you excited to learn about Atsu’s list in Ghost of Yotei? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
