Ghost of Tsushima is the last major PlayStation 4 exclusive and it wowed gamers with its beautiful graphics and fun swordplay. The story picks up after Tsushima is invaded by the Mongols and only a few samurai remain. Jin Sakai must build an army and fight against the Mongols to retake his home. He will meet several individuals throughout his journey and be reunited with some old friends.
Several characters in Ghost of Tsushima are driven by one dominant emotion, which also pushes their individual storylines forward. Side content usually revolves around the specific story of different individuals apart from the main campaign. This is where characters shine and their personalities are fleshed out. Some spoilers will follow.
10 Best: Jin
Some people may think Jin is a boring protagonist with a flat personality but Jin does have immense emotional depth. He is constantly in battle with tradition and who he wants to be. The voice actor portrays his emotionless personality well, which was ingrained into him as a Samurai. Whenever his emotions let go, it’s incredibly impactful and a representation of his inner turmoil. Jin wants to save his island and he’ll do anything it takes, even if it betrays his own values. It’s fun to watch him transform into a Batman-like character who strikes from the shadows and elicits fear from his enemies.
9 Worst: Shimura
Shimura is the definition of a flat character. He’s not willing to see things from Jin’s point of view and constantly drives home the Samurai tradition. Jin’s mentor and father figure always faces situations head-on and disapproves of deceiving or stealthy tactics. His character is a commentary on the full commitment of tradition and the values of the samurai. It goes too far, though, making his character boring and impervious to change. He was going to march a group of samurai into battle, fully knowing they wouldn’t survive. Jin saved them by sneaking into the camp and taking out Mongols from the shadows. After we saw Shimura’s disgust, it was difficult to like him.
8 Best: Yuna
Yuna is the seed for Jin’s transformation into the ghost. She saves him after the failed Samurai defense against the Mongols and she was a strong component of the rebellion. Most of the game’s emotion comes from Yuna as we watch her grow from a selfish individual to someone who will do anything to help Jin. At the beginning, she was honed in on saving herself and her family but she later sees the importance of helping the island as a whole. Yuna also leads to some of the more impactful dialogue such as her conversation with Jin before a big battle. She is the heart of this game.
7 Worst: Khotan Khan
Meet the stereotypical villain architect: Khotan Khan. He is a ruthless invader that fights with unfair and gruesome tactics. The perfect person to beat the honorable Samurai. Khotan Khan does some evil things that make you hate him and justifies Jin’s transformation. Other than that, he has no qualities that make him an in-depth villain. Sucker Punch wanted him to fulfill the evildoer role and he does just that. Honestly, it’s welcoming after the emotional rollercoaster of The Last Of Us Part 2.
6 Best: Taka
Yuna’s brother, Taka, is one of the sweetest, most determined characters in the whole game. He was a major help to Jin’s cause by making him a grappling hook to scale Castle Kaneda. Yuna sheltered Taka for the benefit of his protection, but Taka, though scared to fight, only wanted to help.
When Yuna devised a plan for her and her brother to escape to the mainland, he gives that up to help Jin. He goes against his own protection and his fears to help a friend he respects. His death by the hands of Khotan Khan solidifies that he was more of a friend to Jin then Ryuzo, but more on that later. This death was one of the most emotional parts of the game due to Taka’s great sacrifice for Jin.
5 Worst: Masako
Masako is a deeply flawed character that has every reason to be fueled by rage. She is the only surviving member of her household and is fueled by revenge for her family. Her blind rage gets tiresome after a while, her storylines cover the same things over and over again, and she blindly kills a bunch of people and Jin has to calm her down. The protagonist always has to do all the work because everyone is too afraid of Masako to give up any information. One time she makes the stupid decision to duel Jin even though Jin has been nothing but a good friend. Masako is one dimensional and at the center of a poor revenge story.
4 Best: Kenji
Ghost of Tsushima is filled with straight-laced, stern, and sad individuals, which makes Kenji a welcome addition to the cast. Kenji is the one source of humor for this depressing game. He is a mischievous merchant who wants to do the right thing but keeps on messing up. He’ll persuade Jin into helping him but there is always a catch. In his first mission, everyone is mad at Kenji for selling saké to the Mongols but the merchant has a plan. Jin will hide inside the cart of sake and infiltrate a Mongol camp like a Trojan horse. Kenji is a recipe for an entertaining time, but we don’t get to see him too often.
3 Worst: Ishikawa
Ishikawa is like a grumpy grandma. He is mean to everyone and he is a big fan of lying. He pushes his prized pupil, Tomoe, away and convinces Jin to help him hunt her down. Throughout the whole game, Ishikawa is hell-bent on killing Tomoe even though he drove her to betray him. Much like Masako, a large part of the dialogue is about Jin trying to convince Ishikawa not to kill his old pupil. It gets old after a while. Tomoe is a much more likable character, especially when we find out she was going to double-cross the Mongols. Another frustrating thing about Ishikawa is that he constantly needs to be saved, which undermines his title of sensei.
2 Best: Norio
Norio is a warrior monk that is introduced halfway through the game. He is a kind and warm-hearted individual that is haunted by the Mongol’s invasion. Norio spends the majority of the game defending and liberating temples from the Mongols.
The monk’s compassion resonates through his friendship with Jin but he also struggles with revenge. We finally see Norio break after the Mongols kill his friend. He goes on a rampage, burning Mongol’s alive and destroying their camp. It’s interesting to see a character battle and understand the repercussions of revenge instead of being totally consumed by it.
1 Worst: Ryuzo
Ryuzo was Jin’s best friend growing up but grew distant when he became a Samurai. The swordsman joined and led the Ronin Straw Hats, a group that Jin hopes to recruit for his fight against the Mongols. At first, Ryuzo agrees to help but quickly betrays his life long friend. The Mongols tempt the starving straw hats into helping them with the promise of food. Ryuzo’s whole life was centered around jealousy and resentment for Jin so his betrayal is understandable. It was disappointing though to see Jin offer nothing but kindness to Ryuzo, until the betrayal, and see Ryuzo join the Mongols. Jin’s squad and the Samurai could surely help feed the Straw Hats and put him on the path of Samurai but he had too much pride to ask.
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