Image: Sucker Punch Productions / PlayStationOfficial screenshot from Sucker Punch Productions / PlayStation.
Jin Sakai
Jin Sakai is the samurai you play in Ghost of Tsushima and the Iki Island expansion. He is Lord Shimura's nephew and the last lord of Clan Sakai. After the Mongol landing he trades the samurai code for stealth and fear, and the people start calling him the Ghost.
- Role
- Protagonist
- Affiliation
- Clan Sakai
Good to know
- Voiced in English by Daisuke Tsuji, who also did the motion capture. Kazuya Nakai is his Japanese voice.
- Grew up in Omi Village in Toyotama, the home of Clan Sakai.
- His mother saw a fox chasing fireflies the day he was born, so she named the kami Inari his guardian.
- Raised by his father Kazumasa, then trained by his uncle Lord Shimura after Kazumasa died.
- Beat his childhood friend Ryuzo in Lord Nagao's tournament around 1272.
- Fights in four stances (Stone, Water, Wind and Moon) and later unlocks the Ghost Stance.
- Ghost Stance needs seven kills without taking damage, or six in the Ghost Armor and five once it is fully upgraded.
- Can read Chinese, because he studied Sun Tzu's Art of War as a boy.
Who he is
Jin is a calm, reserved samurai who keeps his feelings in check, the way Shimura taught him. He is polite to peasants, thanks the people who help him and has a dry sense of humour. Locals call him Lord Sakai. He grew up climbing trees around Omi Village, with Ryuzo as his friend and the servant Yuriko caring for him.
How he plays
You choose how Jin fights in every encounter. The samurai side gives you standoffs, arrow deflection and the four stances. The Ghost side gives you kunai, smoke bombs, black powder bombs, sticky bombs and later the blowgun. The grappling hook from Taka opens up climbing routes. Mythic Tales teach special attacks, and finishing tasks raises the Legend of the Ghost until you reach the top title, Ghost of Tsushima.
His road through the story
Jin survives Komoda Beach, fails his first rescue of Shimura at Castle Kaneda. He then gathers allies across the island: Yuna, Taka, Kenji, Masako, Ishikawa, Norio and Ryuzo's Straw Hats. Each new tactic he learns pulls him further from the code his uncle values. The Iki Island expansion sends him to the island where his father died, chasing a Mongol shaman called the Eagle.
Turning into the GhostSpoilerShow
Khotun Khan throws Jin off the bridge at Castle Kaneda, and Yuna saves him again. At Komatsu Forge, Yuna tells the villagers he is a vengeful ghost, and the name sticks. After Taka is executed at Fort Koyasan, Jin poisons the Mongol garrison of Castle Shimura and kills Ryuzo. Shimura has him arrested for it, and Jin escapes to finish the Khan at Port Izumi.
Ending and Iki IslandSpoilerShow
The shogun dissolves Clan Sakai, brands Jin a traitor and orders Shimura to kill him. Jin wins the duel at his father's grave, then chooses to give his uncle a warrior's death or spare him. On Iki he learns that the raider Tenzo struck down his father, and he forgives him after killing the Eagle.
Journey into the PastJourney into the Past is the first tale of the Iki Island expansion. It starts at Drowned Man's Shore in Toyotama, where a new Mongol tribe has driven the villagers mad, and ends with Jin sailing to Iki. Finish your Tsushima business first, as you're stuck on Iki for a while.- PrologueThe Prologue is the opening tale of Ghost of Tsushima, set during the Mongol landing at Komoda Beach in 1274. It teaches stealth, sword combat and horse riding, introduces Yuna, and sends you on your first attempt to save Lord Shimura.
- The Warrior's CodeThe Warrior's Code is the first tale of Act 1, where Jin and Yuna raid a Mongol prison camp looking for her brother Taka. It is the stealth tutorial: you learn Assassination and Focused Hearing and get the Sakai Tanto.
- The Tale of Sensei IshikawaThe Tale of Sensei Ishikawa is the Act 1 story tale where you recruit the archery master Ishikawa. It gives you your first bow, the Half Bow, and opens the Ishikawa side storyline as Ishikawa Tale 1 of 9.
- The Tale of Lady MasakoThe Tale of Lady Masako is the Act 1 story tale where you recruit Masako Adachi after her clan is wiped out. It rewards the Samurai Clan Armor and is also Masako Tale 1 of 9, opening her side storyline.
- The Broken BlacksmithThe Broken Blacksmith is the Act 1 tale where you sneak into walled Azamo Bay to free Yuna's brother Taka, the best smith on Tsushima. It introduces Kenji the sake seller and is a stealth tale from start to finish.
- Blood on the GrassBlood on the Grass is the Act 1 tale where Jin looks for the Straw Hat Ronin and reunites with his childhood friend Ryuzo. It rewards the Ronin Attire and leads straight into The Tale of Ryuzo.
- Massacre at Kidafure VillageMassacre at Kidafure Village is the seventh Iki story tale, built around a ruined raider village on Iki. The raiders use the overgrown site to bait the Eagle Tribe into a big battle, and the place holds a dark secret from Jin's family past.
- The Tale of RyuzoThe Tale of Ryuzo is the Act 1 tale where Jin helps Ryuzo's Straw Hats find food, starting with a raid on Fort Ohira and ending on Mongol ships offshore. Finishing it secures the Straw Hats for the rescue of Lord Shimura.
- Hammer and ForgeHammer and Forge is the Act 1 tale where you retake Komatsu Forge so Taka can build a tool to climb Castle Kaneda. You rescue his assistant Yukio and the town's hostages, then defend the forge against a Mongol warlord.
- The Blessing of DeathThe Blessing of Death is the climax of the Iki Island story: you hunt the Eagle through Senjo Gorge with Tenzo and Fune and face her in a duel. Free every Iki base first if you want the Mask of the Eagle.
- Epilogue: Last WordsEpilogue: Last Words is the final tale of the Iki Island story, a short talk with Tenzo and Fune back at Fune's Refuge. It wraps up Jin's arc on Iki and points you to Fune's follow-up side tale, A Mother's Law.
- The Iron HookThe Iron Hook is the Act 1 tale where Taka finishes your grappling hook and you test it on Fort Yatate while freeing captured Straw Hats. It is the tale that unlocks the Grapple hook for climbing.
- Shadow of the SamuraiShadow of the Samurai is the final tale of Act 1: the assault on Castle Kaneda to rescue Lord Shimura. You climb in as the Ghost, open the gates for your allies and fight up to the keep, including a duel along the way.
- A New HorizonA New Horizon is the bridge between Act 1 and Act 2, where Jin and Lord Shimura ride out from Castle Kaneda and plan the push into Toyotama. It hands you three goals for Act 2 and opens the northern region.
- A Message in FireA Message in Fire is the Act 2 tale where you recruit the pirate Goro to slip a plea for reinforcements past the Mongol fleet. It ends with you on a captured hwacha, shelling ships so Goro's boat can get away.
- The Walls of YarikawaThe Walls of Yarikawa is the first of three Act 2 tales about winning over Clan Yarikawa. With Yuna and Taka you sneak past the Mongol siege camp through a secret entrance under a waterfall to reach the stronghold's steward.
- The Coward of YarikawaThe Coward of Yarikawa is the Act 2 tale where you search the ruins for Yarikawa's missing archers to prove yourself to the steward. It ends with an explosive ambush on a Mongol convoy that thins out the siege force.
- The Ghost of YarikawaThe Ghost of Yarikawa is the Act 2 tale where the Mongols storm Yarikawa Stronghold and you lead its defense against General Temuge. Beating him unlocks the Ghost Stance, one of Jin's strongest techniques.
- Ghosts from the PastGhosts from the Past is the Act 2 tale where Jin goes home to Omi Village to recover his father's armor. You reunite with the caretaker Yuriko, and she helps you make the Blowgun and its Poison Darts.
- A Reckoning in BloodA Reckoning in Blood is the Act 2 tale where Jin raids Fort Koyasan to settle things with Ryuzo before the attack on Castle Shimura. It is one of the darkest tales in the story, so finish any prep you want first.
- The Fate of TsushimaThe Fate of Tsushima is the Act 2 tale that starts the assault on Castle Shimura alongside the shogun's reinforcements under Lord Oga. It is a long tale and a partial point of no return, so wrap up side work before you confirm.
- From the DarknessFrom the Darkness is the last tale of Act 2, where Jin goes against his uncle's orders and sneaks into Castle Shimura to poison the Mongols. It gives you the Ghost Armor and ends with the story moving north to Kamiagata.
- Honor and AshHonor and Ash is the opening tale of Act 3, where Jin escapes Castle Shimura unarmed and rides into the snowy north of Kamiagata to find Yuna. It ends with a hostage rescue at Jogaku Temple, which becomes your new base.
- Wolves at the GatesWolves at the Gates is the Act 3 tale where you team up with Yuna's hunter contacts to take Fort Kaminodake and reopen the roads into Toyotama. Finishing it lifts the travel lock from The Fate of Tsushima.
- A Gathering StormA Gathering Storm is a short Act 3 stealth tale where Jin scouts the Khan's stronghold at Port Izumi from Jogaku Lighthouse. Being seen fails it, so come in with poison and a quiet build.
- Heart of the JitoHeart of the Jito is the Act 3 tale where Jin slips into Castle Shimura unseen to leave his uncle a letter asking him to join the final battle. It is a strict no-detection tale, and you also choose a new horse.
- Eternal Blue SkyEternal Blue Sky is the Act 3 tale where Jin and his allies attack Port Izumi under cover of the storm to take down Khotun Khan. It's the big final battle of the Mongol story, with a multi-phase boss fight against the Khan himself.
- The Tale of Lord ShimuraThe Tale of Lord Shimura closes out Jin's Journey: a last ride with your uncle by Omi Lake that ends in a duel and a choice. What you choose decides the Ghost Armor dye you get and where Jin's new home is.
- The Legacy of Kazumasa SakaiThe Legacy of Kazumasa Sakai is an Iki Island Mythic Tale about the lost armour of Jin's father's horse. It starts at a survivor camp near Zasho Bay and rewards the Sakai Horse Armor, which makes your mounted charges far deadlier.
Related characters
- Companion
Yuna
Yuna is a thief from Yarikawa and Jin's closest ally in Ghost of Tsushima. She pulls him off Komoda Beach, teaches him to fight from the shadows and coins the name Ghost. She also has her own four-part storyline, Yuna's Tales, about the slavers who stole her childhood.
Image: Sucker Punch Productions / PlayStationSupportingLord Shimura
Lord Shimura is the jito of Tsushima, the shogun's appointed ruler of the island, and Jin's uncle. He raised Jin as a samurai after Jin's father died. He leads the defence at Komoda Beach and is the man you spend Act 1 trying to rescue. He also has his own Tale of Lord Shimura in the main story.
- Companion
Taka
Taka is Yuna's younger brother and a gifted blacksmith. Jin and Yuna rescue him from Azamo Bay, and he forges the grappling hook that gets Jin into Castle Kaneda. He is gentle and not much of a fighter, but he wants badly to help the Ghost.
Image: Sucker Punch Productions / PlayStationAntagonistKhotun Khan
Khotun Khan is the Mongol general who leads the invasion of Tsushima and the main villain of Ghost of Tsushima. He studied Japanese language and customs before landing, and he uses the samurai code against the island's defenders. You chase him from Komoda Beach to the north of the island.