Ghost Of Yotei Reveals Jin Sakai’s Fate 329 Years After Ghost Of Tsushima

Ghost of Yotei is very much a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, but the two stories have almost no tangible connection to one another. Sucker Punch Productions’ latest is set in Ezo (modern day Hokkaido), hundreds of miles from the eponymous island of its predecessor, and 329 years later. Atsu’s gorgeous and bloody journey is steeped in the region’s myths, however, and the Ghost left quite a legacy. Late in Ghost of Yotei, you can learn of Jin Sakai’s fate.

[Warning: Major spoilers for Ghost of Yotei.]

Ghost of Tsushima tells an alternate, fictitious history of the first Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274. It largely revolves around Jin eschewing his samurai traditions to become a shinobi, forgoing the honorable combat that the samurai class adheres to, adopting assassination, subterfuge, and terror out of necessity in defending his home. Jin becomes known as the Ghost, striking fear into the Mongol invaders. Over three centuries later, Atsu fosters a similar persona as the Onryō, but the Ghost of Tsushima hasn’t been entirely forgotten.

The Ghost Of Tsushima’s Legend Survived Over Three Centuries

The First Shinobi

Ghost of Yotei takes place in 1603, the first year of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Part of Atsu’s backstory is her participation in the Battle of Sekigahara three years earlier, which resulted in the Tokugawa clan gaining predominant control of the Japanese islands. Ezo, however, is still relatively lawless in Ghost of Yotei‘s depiction. Under the Shogun’s orders, clan Matsumae (a real clan that helped pacify Ezo for the Shogunate) is attempting to break the influence of the Yotei Six (a fictional band of de facto rulers).

While hunting the Kitsune in Teshio Ridge, you can actually find a passing mention of the events of Ghost of Tsushima. Dojun, the person currently assuming the Kitsune identity, wrote a letter to Lord Saito about “the first shinobi” using wolfsbane to rebuff a Mongol invasion, but never sent it. Here is the full transcript of the letter:

“My Lord,

I promise your patience will be rewarded. Centuries ago, a Mongol invasion was stopped on Tsushima island. The Shogun would have you believe the samurai were responsible, but we know how they lie. It was the work of a single man – the first shinobi – and his use of wolfsbane.

Soon, this power will be yours. I simply need more time.

Ever your faithful servant, Dojun”

The Kitsune is Saito’s spymaster and leader of the Nine Tails, a shinobi outfit that follows in the tradition of the Ghost – even though none are nearly as competent as Jin. The note refers to a specific incident in Ghost of Tsushima, when Jin was attempting to capture the Mongol-controlled Castle Shimura, his uncle’s seat. Rather than lose samurai lives by storming the castle, Jin sneaks in and poisons the Mongols, an act that horrifies his ever-honorable uncle. Jin’s influence on Ezo isn’t entirely so distant, though.

Jin Sakai Fled Tsushima & Died In Ezo

The Storm Blade

Later in Ghost of Yotei, when you’ve tracked the Saito brothers to Oshima Coast, Atsu catches wind of a legendary katana called the Storm Blade. Investigating the myth will lead you to the southwesternmost corner of Ghost of Yotei‘s map. To anyone who’s played Ghost of Tsushima, it will be immediately obvious what you’re uncovering. The symbol of clan Sakai, two mountains inside a ring, can be seen all over the ravine you traverse while searching for the Storm Blade.

You even find Jin’s final haiku:

Eventually, Atsu comes across a location called the Home of the First Shinobi. With Dojun’s letter in mind, it’s beyond a doubt that Atsu discovers the derelict home of Jin Sakai, abandoned for roughly 300 years. Behind the house, overlooking the ocean and underneath a tree bent by the wind, is a grave bearing the Sakai symbol. It’s called the Grave of the Warrior of Storm.

Atsu finds Jin’s katana, granting you a new weapon kit, and learns the Dance of Wrath, a technique mastered by Jin in Ghost of Tsushima which, in Ghost of Yotei, is a more potent version of Atsu’s disarming Onyrō’s Strike. Claiming the Storm Blade, Atsu returns to Ugestsu the Storyteller, whose memory is jogged by the relic.

Legend has it, a samurai forsook his code to defend his home, but was ostracized for his actions. Despite being a hero to many, he was not welcome under restored samurai rule, and was eventually forced to leave. According to the tale, the shinobi left his home island and eventually settled in Ezo, where he spent his final days.

Jin’s story, and why he’s posthumously called the Warrior of the Storm, is partly a personification of the real first Mongol invasion of Japan, which was rebuffed by a violent storm that supposedly sunk hundreds of Mongol ships after only a day of fighting. In the fictional history of Sucker Punch’s Ghost games, Jin becomes an important figure, even if his name is lost to time.

Yotei touches on many of Tsushima‘s themes, including the autocratic tendencies of the samurai class, even if the Matsumae are depicted as a much better alternative to the Yotei Six. Jin’s work clearly wasn’t done by the time he settled in Ezo, as evidenced by his house being filled with rotting weapons and armor. The Ghost of Tsushima’s legacy has an immense impact on Ghost of Yotei, even though the sequel’s actual events are well removed from its predecessor’s and Jin is never mentioned by name.

Released

October 2, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol

Developer(s)

Sucker Punch

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op