The Accuracy of Ghost of Tsushima

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the last couple of days devoting your entire life to Sucker Punch’s new hit PS4 exclusive: Ghost of Tsushima. If you’re even more like me, you’ve also had a thought stuck in the back of your head: ‘I know that there were several actual invasions of Japan by various Mongol groups, but how much of what I’m experiencing right now is real?’

Well, even if you haven’t thought of anything like that, I have, and I want to give you the lowdown on the Ghost of Tsushima and some light Japanese History. Fair warning, though: There will be spoilers ahead. I would not wish spoilers for this stellar title onto even my greatest foe. If you have any plans to play this game, I would strongly advise you to stop right here, go buy it, play it, and then come back. You’ve been warned.

So, the Ghost of Tsushima follows the story of Jin Sakai and his separation from the Samurai Honor Code as he develops increasingly unique tactics to defeat Mongol invaders led by Khotun Khan. Along the way, he meets a great cast of characters, be they the mercenary group known as the Straw Hat Ronin, the slippery thief Yuna, the strong warrior Lady Masako, the traveling musician Yamato, or even Sensei Ishikawa, the master archer.

Jin’s fall from honor, despite his ultimate success in driving away the Mongols and preventing the invasion of the Japanese mainland, is a harrowing tale of success at any cost and the ways War changes people. But exactly what parts are real, and what parts did Sucker Punch create to give us this incredible tale? Well, I’ve done some research.

One thing I want to get out of the way: Tsushima is a real place. Locations you find, like Yarikawa, Kaneda Castle, or Komoda Beach, can be visited in the real world (Ideally after the Pandemic). The Island was attacked multiple times by Mongol Invaders because of its prime location between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The losses they felt in the late 13th Century were painfully real.

The Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281 both hit the island particularly hard and are not a topic to discuss lightly. Rather, they should be discussed with reverence and respect. In an interview with Game Informer, Sucker Punch Director Nate Fox said:

“We’re trying hard to transport people to 1274 Japan. We’re inspired by history, but we’re not building it back stone by stone. We’re not trying to rebuild Tsushima island. Our protagonist is a work of fiction. We actually thought about using some historical figures, and we asked some people who are more culturally aware than us and they said that it would be insensitive, so we didn’t do it.”

The first thing I want to tackle is our titular main character: Jin Sakai, the Ghost of Tsushima. There is a historic Sakai Samurai clan, but there are no accounts of the Sakai clan having a presence on the island of Tsushima.

Despite this, there may be a point of reality here. Allegedly, during the first Mongol invasion of Tsushima on Komodahama Beach, a Samurai known as Sukesada defeated 25 Mongols before he was killed by three arrows. If you’ve played Ghost of Tsushima, you might remember the beginning, where Jin and Lord Shimura battle the Mongol Invaders on Komoda Beach, where Jin is ultimately defeated by two arrows in his back before passing out.

Another aspect of Ghost of Tsushima which can be connected to reality is the Island’s shady past. During the Feudal Period, Japanese Pirates, known as Wokou, made the Island one of their major bases, along with other nearby islands.

While the island was not exactly the den of pirates and thieves that Lord Shimura claims it was before the Samurai arrived to pacify it, its location between Japan and the Korean Peninsula made it a prime location for trade between Korea and Japan, which led to the rise in piracy on these waters. Korean kingdoms even went as far a few times as to create trade agreements with the Wokou.

One final thing I want to talk about is the Samurai Code, which is such a focal point of Jin’s personal conflict and the conflict Jin has with Lord Shimura and the Shogun. The most commonly known Samurai Honor Code is Bushido (“The Way of the Warrior), which is a general catch-all term for Honor amongst warriors such as Samurai.

The term Bushido, however, does not appear in literature until nearly three hundred years following Ghost of Tsushima’s setting. Despite this, the ideals that the code embodies have existed across time. In the 13th Century, the time that Ghost of Tsushima takes place, Hojo Shigetoki wrote, "When one is serving officially or in the master's court, he should not think of a hundred or a thousand people, but should consider only the importance of the master."

With Shigetoki’s words in mind, look at the story of Ghost of Tsushima. While Shimura acts as Jin’s father figure following his father’s death during the Yarikawa Rebellion, Shimura is also, effectively, Jin’s master. Shimura is the Jito of Tsushima, which means he controls the land and taxation for the Shogunate. Jin, despite being his family member, is a Samurai. As a Samurai of Tsushima, Shimura is his master.

If a Samurai, as Jin does at the end of Act II, defies his master, he is explicitly defying the one person who determines their fate. Jin’s open defiance of Shimura and disregard for what Shimura identifies as Honorable means his life is effectively forfeit. This is only made worse when Jin escapes from imprisonment in Castle Shimura.

Effectively speaking, at the time that Jin became the Ghost of Tsushima, there was no clear definition of a Samurai Code, especially as we know it today. Despite this, Jin was meant to, above all else, obey the orders given to him by Lord Shimura. When he defied his uncle, Jin defied his Samurai master, and in doing so, he abandoned all sense of honor and justice he may have had.

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