Sadanobu Ishikawa
Sensei Ishikawa is a famous archer and one of Jin's allies. He teaches Jin the bow and sends him after Tomoe, the student who now trains Mongol archers. His nine-part storyline, Ishikawa's Tales, starts with The Tale of Sensei Ishikawa in the main story.
- Role
- Companion
- Affiliation
- Clan Nagao (formerly)
Good to know
- Voiced in English by François Chau and in Japanese by Shigeru Chiba.
- Lived as a recluse in Hiyoshi Springs before the invasion.
- Once served Clan Nagao and taught the Way of the Bow to Hironori Nagao.
- Jin is his third student, after Hironori Nagao and Tomoe.
- Fights only with his bow, never with a katana.
- His full name, Sadanobu Ishikawa, appears only in the epilogue, on a scroll naming Jin his student once all his tales are done.
- Mongol archers in his tales fire without warning and shoot faster in later tales.
Who he is
Ishikawa is stubborn, prickly and proud. He contradicts himself when his dignity is at stake and tells Jin not to expect elders to be perfect. He still holds that a true samurai needs restraint. Looking back on his life, he does not regret his fame but wishes he had settled down and raised a family.
How you meet him
Jin meets Ishikawa at Fort Nakayama in The Tale of Sensei Ishikawa. After the fighting there he agrees, reluctantly, to train Jin with the bow. From then on his tales send you across Hiyoshi, Kushi and Otsuna to wreck Tomoe's archer training camps.
His past
Clan Nagao blamed Ishikawa when his first student Hironori used the Way of the Bow to rebel. The clan covered the rebellion up and let Ishikawa resign. Later he took in Tomoe, a gifted peasant, hoping to make her his heir. When he learned she had taught his technique to assassins he tried to kill her. That fight is why he missed the Battle of Komoda Beach.
Ending of his talesSpoilerShow
Tomoe turns up in Kin as a trapper called Matsu and asks for help stopping a Mongol attack on Umugi Cove. After the fight she sails for Kyoto. Ishikawa has her in his sights, reads the note she left him and lets her go. He tells Jin there is nothing left to teach except not to repeat his mistakes.
- The Sensei and the StudentThe Sensei and the Student is Ishikawa Tale 2 of 9, an Act 1 side tale in Hiyoshi. You and Sensei Ishikawa start tracking his former student Tomoe through Mongol archer positions and free some prisoners. It rewards the Charm of Efficiency and 2 Silk.
- The Past Never PassesThe Past Never Passes is Ishikawa Tale 3 of 9, an Act 1 side tale in Hiyoshi. Tomoe's archers have ringed Hiyoshi Springs ahead of a Mongol attack, and you scout the area with Ishikawa and clear bridges along the coast. It rewards the Charm of Precision and 2 Silk.
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 Way of the BowThe Way of the Bow is Ishikawa Tale 4 of 9, the last Act 1 part of his storyline, where you defend Hiyoshi Springs from Tomoe's attack. It is worth doing early because it gives you the Flaming Arrow, plus the Charm of Immunity and the Storming Falcon vanity gear for your half bow.
- Dreams of ConquestDreams of Conquest is Ishikawa Tale 5 of 9 and the first of his Act 2 tales, starting at the Akashima Survivor Camp. You rescue a pinned-down Ishikawa and raid Tomoe's archer training camp for clues. It needs A New Horizon done and rewards the Charm of Precision and 2 Silk.
- The Ghost and the Demon SenseiThe Ghost and the Demon Sensei is Ishikawa Tale 6 of 9, an Act 2 side tale near Kawamata Village in Kushi. Tomoe has framed you and Ishikawa for killing travelers, and you hunt for her Kushi training camp. It rewards the Charm of Swift Return and 2 Silk.
- The Terror of OtsunaThe Terror of Otsuna is Ishikawa Tale 7 of 9, the last of his Act 2 tales, where you hit Tomoe's Otsuna training camp and finally see her face to face. It starts west of Old Toyotama Hills and rewards the Charm of Efficiency and 2 Silk.
Friends in PassingFriends in Passing is Ishikawa Tale 8 of 9, an Act 3 side tale that starts at Jogaku Temple in Kamiagata. While hunting for Tomoe in eastern Jogaku you meet a trapper named Matsu and help her check her traps. It rewards the Charm of Fortune II and the Hidden Serpent half bow dye.- Laid to RestLaid to Rest is Ishikawa Tale 9 of 9, the Act 3 finale of his storyline. You team up with Tomoe and Ishikawa to stop a surprise Mongol attack on Umugi Cove. It rewards the Charm of Precision, the Midnight Shark half bow dye and the Shattered Mask of Tomoe.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Related characters
- Antagonist
Tomoe
Tomoe is Sensei Ishikawa's former student and the main target of Ishikawa's Tales. A brilliant archer, she now trains Mongol bowmen in the Way of the Bow. You chase her camps across Hiyoshi, Kushi and Otsuna with Ishikawa.
- 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 / 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.