Ghost of Yotei Protagonist Didn't Come Out of Nowhere. Historian Points to Intriguing Context of Sucker Punch Studio's New Game
Ghost of Yotei hides many secrets, but the very first information may explain a lot, including the main character.
The announcement of the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima has stirred up a lot of emotions, although not all fans are pleased with the departure of the current protagonist. However, it appears that the Sucker Punch team has already provided some clues about the potential storyline for Ghost of Yotei, and the selection of a female protagonist isn't random.
The editors of Automaton noticed the post of Itsuji Tangiku, a Japanese historian, who pointed out to some interesting information. A researcher specializing in the culture and language of the Ainu (an ethnic group of Japanese inhabitants living mainly in Hokkaido) is delighted that GoY is set in Hokkaido in 1603. According to him, "this cannot be a coincidence" because it perfectly aligns the game with the concept of the "Ghost."
Ghost of sheep-hoof mountain
This latter idea is intended to be crucial for the Ghost of Tsushima sequel. The Sucker Punch team highlighted that the studio has departed from Jin Sakai's story and the titular island, and instead concentrated on the concept of the "Ghost," somewhat returning from the dead.
Tangiku points out that the mountain in the title of the new game is a "ghost toponym" (via Automaton). Yotei is a relatively new name, unknown in 1603. During that time, the mountain (or more accurately, a dormant volcano) was known as Machineshiri, as named by the Ainu people. Only the Japanese called it Shiribeshi Yama, with the kanji notation read as "Koho Yotei-Zan" (literally "sheep-hoof mountain"). Later it was shortened to just Yotei-Zan.
Satire of Japanese colonialism?
Using the contemporary name of the mountain is rather hard to consider a strange decision. However, Tangiku suggests a possible connection of this with the game's story. Although the plot of Ghost of Yotei remains unknown (apart from what the trailer revealed), according to the researcher, an important clue is the setting: the year 1603.
It's hard to expect the game to carry on the storylines from Ghost of Tsushima, even without the devs' mentioned statement. The action of both games is separated by 329 years, and in the 17th century, Japan didn't have to worry about Mongol invasions anymore.
However, Tangiku points out that in 1604 (a year after the start of the GoY story) an important event took place: after Tokugawa's victory in the Battle of Sekigahara, the Japanese Matsumae clan gained exclusivity in trade with the Ainu. For them, who so far have had an advantage over their neighbors in the so-called Koshamain no tatakai war (1457-1551), it was the beginning of the end of their rule in Hokkaido. 200 years later, the region was transformed into a fish farm, which began the Japanese colonization of the island.
Interestingly, the name Shiribeshi Yama existed much earlier. It's unclear whether the mention from 659 actually referred to the same mountain as in modern times. Nonetheless, later, in the Meiji era, just such an interpretation was adopted. Tangiku interprets this as a possible satire of Japanese colonialism.
Female mountain personified
The context presented by Tangiku already allows for speculation about the plot of Ghost of Yotei. Perhaps the conflict between the Japanese and the Ainu will be the key theme?
On a side note, the name of the titular mountain may also explain… the female protagonist. Machineshiri in Ainu language translates to "female mountain." Thus, Atsu could be seen as a personification of Mount Yotei, much like Jin Sakai was associated with the storm in Ghost of Tsushima. For instance, his weapon is referred to as "The Storm of Clan Sakai." Let's add that, as some fans claim, this would be the first main character representing the Ainu.
Clearly, Sucker Punch studio put a lot of thought into which direction to take their samurai series. We will discover if the second game will be as successful as the Tsushima episode after the release of Ghost of Yotei on PlayStation 5 in 2025.
