Ryuzo
Ryuzo is Jin's childhood friend and the leader of the Straw Hat ronin. After the Mongols nearly wipe out his men, he joins Jin to raid for food and help free Lord Shimura. His friendship with Jin is the heart of The Tale of Ryuzo and several main story tales.
- Role
- Supporting
- Affiliation
- Straw Hats
Good to know
- Voiced in English by Leonard Wu and in Japanese by Yohei Tadano.
- Lost to Jin in a duel at Lord Nagao's tournament, which cost him his chance to become a samurai.
- Took over the Straw Hats after their old leader died at Komoda Beach.
- As children, he and Jin tried to sail to Iki Island.
- He once told young Jin that Shimura would abandon him if he had a son, and Jin ran away.
- His outfit is sold as the Deadly Rival's Attire by Baku the Voiceless in New Game+.
Who he is
Ryuzo wants to lead, not follow, and he cares more about feeding his men than about honour. He admires Jin and resents him at the same time, ever since Jin beat him with real ferocity at the tournament. He is realistic about his own skill and admits Jin is the better swordsman.
Working with Jin
Jin finds him hunting near Kishi Grasslands in Blood on the Grass. Ryuzo will help rescue Shimura, but first Jin must help his starving men hit Fort Ohira for supplies. In The Tale of Ryuzo and The Iron Hook they follow a supply map and free captured Straw Hats near Fort Yatate.
BetrayalSpoilerShow
The Mongols fed his captured men well, and Ryuzo sells out to them. During the assault on Castle Kaneda he turns on Jin, loses a duel and runs. The Khan then makes him burn a peasant alive outside Castle Shimura, which breaks him. He later sets the trap at Fort Koyasan that leads to Taka's death.
EndSpoilerShow
Jin finds him in Castle Shimura's keep after the poisoning. Ryuzo asks Jin to say he was a spy all along, but Jin will not forgive Taka's death. They duel a final time and Jin kills him with his tanto, ending the Straw Hats.
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.- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
Related characters
- Image: Sucker Punch Productions / PlayStationProtagonist
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.
- 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 / 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.
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.