Jin Sakai - Becoming Tsushima's Biggest Traitor

From fallen samurai to the ghost and legend of the island of Tsushima Jin Sakai throws away his entire family legacy and redefines honor in order to save the people of Tsushima anyway he can. Even if that means being branded an outlaw and a traitor in the eyes of the shogun.
0:00 - intro
4:01- Code of the Samurai & Jin's early struggles
20:50 - The Ghost is no longer for Yuna to blame
27:46- Jin sees flaws in Shimura’s honor and accepts being a traitor (the Ghost)
39:15- Jin & Shimura must walk separate paths
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[@tigrexkiller1548]

"I have no honour, but I will not kill my family" I couldn't help but feel this was a direct jab at Lord Shimura. Lord Shimura keeps going on and on about what honour is and should be, but in the end he would kill his nephew, his self chosen son, to keep his honour for the shogun. This, I think, is why Jin calls him out for being a slave to his honour.

[@CynicGTA]

Itd be quite interesting to disagreement between these two are brought back in the next game (if there is one). I doubt this final saying to Shimura would have a lasting impact but it would be great to see him reflect on it somehow. Possibly triggering the same thing Jin had gone through questioning himself and what he believed in

[@Saber23]

It depends what you value most and what you perceive to be the more honourable thing to do, you can’t be a “slave” to a concept

[@ntfoperative9432]

@@Saber23you can if you let it control your life. I have a code of honor, but I don’t let it rigidly control my life. I recognize there are times it will have to be bent or even broken. Shimura didn’t recognize that, he was going to follow his code to the letter, even if that meant killing his adoptive son

[@Saber23]

@@ntfoperative9432 the whole point is it controlling your life you idiot 🤣 if the rules you’ve set are meant to be broken in difficult times then they were never there to begin with, you don’t have a code of honour you just want to FEEL honourable when your life is easy

[@Saber23]

@@ntfoperative9432 the whole point is it controlling your life you idiot 🤣 if the rules you’ve set are meant to be broken in difficult times then they were never there to begin with, you don’t have a code of honour you just want to FEEL honourable when your life is easy

[@Nuclear_Control]

"I trained you to fight with honor!" *"Honor died on the beach"*

[@samfire3067]

Banzai

[@TheScottman]

When homie got set on fire I felt this right away lol

[@wyslanniknewworldorder9525]

Zuko cries in the corner.

[@jtf-peacekeepers]

Lord Shimura: You have no honor. Jin Sakai: And you're a slave to it! My favorite quote from the game.

[@theundisputed3671]

I would’ve liked for Shimura to say back to Jin, “Better than to live without it”. I think that would’ve been good.

[@chaseskinner98]

Man it is a very memorable line, great writing

[@user-ep1ej6gn4l]

Yes. A quote where it has a word slave in it is your favourite. convenient.

[@blueassassinsyt1859]

@@user-ep1ej6gn4lso?

[@ashenking5013]

You can never win cleanly when your enemy fights dirty

[@yjiokhi4479]

This is war. There is no honour in death.

[@imperialhistorian4201]

Aaand that's how war crimes happen.

[@ChrisBear1989]

Thats how atrocities start. Both the Uncle and Jin could of done things differently.

[@Agent-57]

The game wasn't making that point. Both Jin and Shimura are too deep at one end. Jin creating that poison messed up big time. And Shimura being too frontal about his attacks also got men killed. If Shimura had listened to him, and instead of using poison, Jin just helped all the samurai to get into the fort without alerting the guards, not only they would have won the fort but the poison wouldn't spread across Tsushima.

[@bigdot2355]

@@imperialhistorian4201 never misplace playing tactically for playing unethically and brutality with honour

[@ntfoperative9432]

You know what I just realized. The guiding wind is implied to be Kazumasa, from the cutscene. The first thing Kazumasa led Jin to was Yuna. From the very beginning Kazumasa was giving Jin his blessing to continue on this path

[@anonomit8229]

Yes, same with the yellow birds that guide you to places of interest being Jin’s mother. The yellow songbirds were said to be her favorite birds.

[@Ootazfromda03]

Yep, even Yuriko (Sakai Clans Caretaker) said Kazumasa would’ve approved of the Ghost. And yk that Lord Shimura really does not like the ghost Persona Jin has dawned. N according to Yuriko, Kazumasa said that Shimura is too damn Rigid.

[@shuriken2505]

also in the ghost stance, the wind points to the nearest enemy

[@Kervin.duant123]

@@Ootazfromda03even in the dlc it’s shown that kazumasa wasn’t exactly an honourable guy himself considering he was known as a butcher, in my eyes jin and his father basically ended up as the same person just with different targets and enemies

[@ThatRandomDude204]

@@Kervin.duant123 Not just the DLC in the base game Yuriko talks about how they were attacked by Bandits once and Kazumasa flew into such a rage that he chased after them on foot and came back completely covered in blood

[@joeclaridy]

It's funny that Lord Shimura wanted to mold him into his image. Conversely Kazumasa, Jins father, didn't quite see things the way Lord Shimura did and saw the futility of clinging on to honor. His father openly mocked the actions of Lord Shimura after a hard won battle on Iki Island. He told Jin: "Let the Shimuras of the world keep records and manage councils..We are the lightning in the storm...The avalanche that topples a mountain." Kazumasa was a very pragmatic man and after the death of his wife he took seven year old Jin onto the battlefield and raised a samurai instead of raising a son. On Iki he earned the title Butcher and was scorned by other samurai clans for his brutal tactics. To me Jin is more like his father than his uncle.

[@leodesalis5915]

I completely agree. I think that's why for shimura it was important for jin to accept the shimura name and be adopted as his son. Shimura saw kazumasa's legacy in jin. The legacy of the butcher and that's why it hurt him so much when jin strayed from shimuras stricter version of the code and more towards kazumasas "whatever ensures victory" style of fighting, jin was showing him he was kazumasas son not shimuras. It adds a certain nature vs nurture layer to the story as well. Will jin follow the footsteps of his father, who saw him as more of a soldier or the man who truly raised him as a son. This game is so full of symbolism and metaphor, it's masterful.

[@nickwong2525]

Yuriko, the caretaker of Jin and served under Kazumasa also said that Kazumasa would approve the actions of The Ghost.

[@joeclaridy]

@@leodesalis5915 Shimura vex's me. He would preach honor but allow Kazumasa to run rampant as long as it achieves the desired results. In the second part of the game, he tells Jin that he needs to protect the ship leaving the harbor claiming he too has unsavory allies. To me Shimura knows the flaws of the samurai system but does nothing about while chastising Jin for actually doing something. To me, which I could be wrong, Jin and Kazamusa is what Shimura would be if he wasn't chained down so much.

[@joeclaridy]

@@nickwong2525 among other things. She did take care of his father after Jin's mother died.

[@agentnukaz1715]

I think the shogun branded Jin a traitor becuase he was fearful of Jin.

[@lucasvincent3021]

Jin wasn’t a traitor to Tsushima, he was a traitor to the samurai code of honor. He gave up everything he knew and loved, he sacrificed his way of life and his family in order to save his people

[@tomokisakurai3997]

Yeah, he practically gave everything to save Tsushima

[@user-ip1jq9qy6u]

Hero for the people, traitor for the establishment/government

[@snowfoot9854]

Ghost of tsushima will remain as one of the best games when it comes to storytelling and symbolism.

[@CynicGTA]

Just patiently waiting for the next game to be announced

[@ll4m4k1n9]

​@@CynicGTAit has been confirmed that got2 is in the works

[@user-og6sg2qi7y]

I think that rdr2 is good to

[@presi08AMA]

@@user-og6sg2qi7yrdr 2 and ghost of tsushima are my 2 favorites, rdr 2 would be alot better if I had it on pc and could change arthur to my online character

[@kinghashbrown7998]

@@ll4m4k1n9 confirmed by who?

[@cullubbowzer8095]

One thing you didn’t mention that by the time the assault on Castle Shimura happened, Jin had already exploded. Taka’s murder at the hands of the Khan was his breaking point and the first time he fully let go of his emotions (the scream immediately after Taka’s death). Jin also went on a murder spree, killing all the remaining Straw Hats and at that point, Jin fully understood everything wrong with Shimura’s samurai code.

[@logeyperogi1805]

Simply put, Shimura’s samurai code wasn’t there to protect or serve the people, it was there to put the samurai on a pillar, to make them look high and mighty Jin was the only person who understood what it truly meant to serve his people as a leader To Shimura, it was to lead a charge and obtain victory by the means he deemed acceptable, so long as it didn’t cost him his honour To Jin, being a leader meant to lead a charge and obtain victory, using whatever methods he must to save the lives of those he swore to protect It made Jin brutal, merciless, cold and cruel, but to his people, he showed kindness, care, warmth and compassion Shimura threw away lives to uphold his honour, Jin threw away honour to save lives That’s the difference between them

[@devonharvey8414]

@@logeyperogi1805well said

[@joy211191]

The irony was that Shimura was always talking about "Honour" yet he asks Jin to do the dishonorable thing of blaming everything on Yuna. Which is actually dishonorable in real sense.

[@johnynoway9127]

its only dishonorable if it isnt pointed at you directly lol

[@kanekikingstorm2113]

Willful blindness. He saw these changes only occur in Jin after yuna came into the picture.

[@Jagger-Tyr_13]

For real. Fuck Shimura. Fuck anyone who'd rather throw his own men at the enemy to die when there's a simple way around it. Honor just means "do what I say when I say it because those are the rules that some guy made up," yet it rarely actually means trying to save as many lives as you can. If the Mongols came to take lives, then take theirs. Theirs no dishonor in saving people. There is dishonor in using your people as canon fodder just because "that's the way its always been done".

[@Jagger-Tyr_13]

​@kanekikingstorm2113 just like Shimura, you too are hopelessly stupid. Sure, point the finger at the people who saved more lives and actually gave a fuck about their people and hated tonsee them used as fodder.

[@diegonunez3492]

it was the one time he was willing to break his idea of honor, to save jin, though obviously later he was willing to kill jin to perserve his honor in public

[@kizunadragon9]

Fallout said it best: "You're a hero.. and you have to leave"

[@canadianidiot1220]

“ask the dead if honor matters... Their silence is your answer.” -Javik, Mass effect 3

[@ethannot-apastafarian4123]

This is kind of like Batman’s No Killing dilemma, except Jin ultimately goes against the code to do the right thing

[@gaudiestivy4297]

Which is why Batman's code is so flawed; it costs lives everytime Batman doesn't kill the big bad

[@garrisonjones1827]

⁠@@gaudiestivy4297 I think his rigid code is so that he doesn’t go full Punisher on all of Gotham’s villains. Some heroes who can rationalize their actions/make compromises, Batman’s psyche is so broken that it’s all or nothing for him

[@BlackMarvel25]

Exactly. It's exactly the batman code failing and being forced to admit that it's not going to work. Because Batman is willing to let millions of people die for his own code which is truly the most selfish thing I've ever seen. It's narcissistic in the worst case.

[@chriscolombie4135]

@@garrisonjones1827true Batman strives to embody the symbol of fear but also justice and unfortunately justice is blind, he is breaking the law to impose what he believes true justice is but unfortunately stepping all the way might be more efficient but I believe Bruce no kill rule is a good thing , never crossing the line never making excuses or there will be no restrain as time goes on , it starts with justifying the murder of his greatest foes and slowly goes down to the murder of small crooks that could’ve been redeemed, the issue with Batman is on the front of Bruce Wayne he should make sure that all those criminals stay behind bars or in the case of joker be given the death sentence at some point, he has zero obligation to judge who gets to live or not if he was it wouldn’t be justice anymore

[@chriscolombie4135]

@@BlackMarvel25it truly depends on the writer, but let me play devils advocate, if Batman starts to kill his enemies while holding all the anger he holds , one slip up and he might kill somebody that could’ve been redeemed because yes killing most of his rogues would create a better gotham I suppose but then what comes after?, what if he kills a crook who could’ve been changed who’s crimes weren’t that deep, murder is a very serious matter and Batman restraining himself from doing that is not narcissistic it’s at its core justice, who is he to judge who gets to live, will he truly be able to stop when he starts killing and if he slips up and kill somebody that might be innocent but took the wrong path will he still be a hero?, the biggest issue with his rogues is the fact that Bruce doesn’t try to build a plan on the legal front for them to face by law the death penalty, allowing joker to live depending on the timeline can be very stupid and indeed narcissistic but the whole point of what Batman fears was in injustice where the justice league decided to embody the law and twist instead of true blind justice.

[@DragonGaming-nc3uv]

“A code must be determined by the individual. This is what I’ve decided” -Wolf

[@dylanram4653]

frommmmm

[@hanselverta7171]

Sekiro shadows die twice i think

[@logeyperogi1805]

If honour would cost everything you swore to protect, then it simply isn’t worth it End of discussion Honour is about what you swear your life to, it’s upholding a vow Lord Shimura swore a vow to fight fairly, and serve the shogun, he’d do whatever it took to do those things But Jin swore to protect his people In that sense, Jin never sacrificed his honour, in fact one could argue he was just as honourable as Shimura

[@patrickjordan5459]

I think the opening cutscene is also a good reflection of the over arching theme. Right away, Lord Adachi tries to fight the mongol leader with honor one on one and is brutally murdered. Shows us from the beginning that traditional methods and honor will not be enough to defeat the mongols.

[@TheACTIONZ]

Also the mongols tradition and culture is way different from the Japanese. They don't care about your titles, or what you relatives are, but you as a warrior. Khotun deemed this disrespectful, which is why he killed him, that was also to taunt the samurai. That's also why khotun accepts a duel with jin after him killing all of his men, showing that he is a powerful warrior

[@rarescevei8268]

​@@TheACTIONZAdachi was apparently the most skilled swordsman of the Samurai, so if Kothun actually duelled him, he would have lost and no more invasion.

[@Historyfan476AD]

The Bridge with the explosives where not actually Samurai sent first, but mostly just peasant foot soldiers and none Samurai, Shimura was using the people of Yarikawa and the common folk as human first wave cannon fodder.

[@TheACTIONZ]

Funny how they were considered the best swordsman of Tsushima. But yeah they are just peasants in this point of the game

[@Historyfan476AD]

@@TheACTIONZ Likely their trained soldiers were and their noble clan was. One of the legendary moves comes from their clan.

[@cabnbeeschurgr6440]

I doubt shimura would go that far to throw actual untrained people at the fortress. I will concede that killing two birds with one stone by putting yarikawa samurai on the frontline is something he'd totally do

[@Historyfan476AD]

@@cabnbeeschurgr6440 They ain't untrained, more like just the local troops and militia groups.

[@DarkSeraph95]

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the greatest games ever made. It was robbed of the GoTY

[@gaudiestivy4297]

1000% tlou2 is a disgrace and shame to the tlou franchise story wise

[@sugoi9680]

Who cares. We know its the best.

[@winstonrhock9021]

@@sugoi9680This. Just like anything else in life outside of sports. The best isn’t always recognized. Easily my favorite game of all time and I’ve been gaming since the original Nintendo days. Very few games that I will play again after beating, and I’ve must of played at least 6 play throughs of ghost already and still not done lol

[@sugoi9680]

@@winstonrhock9021 Dawg even in Sports you have fake champions like Tyson Fury

[@robert23456789]

Yet good thing this game made it clear the game awards are bullshit

[@cykablyat3680]

bro, lethal dificulty reflects this aspect of the story perfectly, you die in 1 or 2 shots and fighting more than 2 3 enemies is basically suicide if you do it the honorable way, i liled fighting enemies head on on medium and hard, but once i got to lethal, damn, after dying so many times i was forced to use the smoke bombs, a loth of stealth and pretty much all of my ghost weapons in combat

[@rikacomedyletsplays2581]

Game makes it clear. Playing fair is thrown out the window when they cover fields in burnt corpses

[@TheACTIONZ]

Skill issue, but I get your point

[@cykablyat3680]

@@TheACTIONZ it is a skill issue but its immersion breaking, thankfully its been patched now, woth the last update on pc the bosses die way faster wich makes it more fair

[@sageviper2981]

Another thing to mention is that even without the flashbacks while doing assassinations or poisoning he’ll say something along the lines of “it’s what needs to be done”. I’ve had him say that in main missions and outside in the open world.

[@foff1356]

Jin even comments about rolling after a big fall if you do it for the first time.

[@cykablyat3680]

yeah especially if you use poison, gotta gice it to the devs, the poisoning animations are incredible, seeing the enemy writhe in pain for a few second and finally dying makes me want to use it way less,

[@wintersong2266]

Lord Shimura was extremely lucky that Jin was so competent. Because anytime he commanded a mission in the main campaign his "plan" of charging straight at enemies with no soldiers to back him up other than Jin and no strategy whatsoever, would have ended in utter failure with anyone else. He was an extremely poor leader with the most competent soldier to make up for his utter lack of strategy.

[@tonybippitykaye]

I personally found that sparing Lord Shimura is the canon ending myself. Jin at this point had fully accepted his role as The Ghost, putting aside his code of honor he has been raised upon and embracing the tactics, while brutal and dishonorable, succeeded in driving away the Mongols. Killing Shimura and giving him an honorable death feels like it would’ve gone against everything Jin stood for: using his methods for the enemy, never the innocent people of Tsushima, hence why his line of “I have no honor…but I will not kill my family” hits so hard.

[@FateXO]

i strongly disagree

[@williamfranklin860]

It is a slap in Shimura's face to not give him his desired death. It is the only way for Shimura and Jin to part on good terms, given their culture and beliefs. By not killing Shimura, Jin is basically giving him the finger.

[@Superfoodcookie]

Nope killing his was the true action of what jin would have done for him. He owed it to his uncle for his death to be clean. It completes his story with his uncle. If he let him go all he did was just cause the uncle now to kill himself and feel dishonored for living for the rest of his life unless he takes his own life.

[@GoofiestAmbatukam]

There is no canon ending

[@loganharvill5394]

I always thought that Jin was doing the much more honorable thing by not allowing yuna to take the fall for his crime

[@Tama-zephyrwindlass]

Jin broke laws that were meant to be broken

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

This game and RDR2 are masterpieces that restore faith in what heights of emotionally investing story that games can truly reach.

[@CynicGTA]

The endings to both are just something else. I hope they make a second one

[@kjdee140]

@@CynicGTA They just have to avoid Sweet Baby Inc.

[@presi08AMA]

i already said it but yeah those 2 are my favorite games

[@KyoshinRed]

​@@kjdee140what is sweet baby inc? I heard the name being brought up with assassins creed shadows drama

[@heavycloud6173]

​@@KyoshinRedthey're a consultant firm for games that shoehorn in LGBT and diversity in games, most of the time in games that it doesn't make sense to have. Like angrboda in god of war being black. They also strong arm stories when they think it doesn't do enough for inclusivity.

[@T.Toney89]

I absolutely loved this game and the DLC expansion.

[@CynicGTA]

I still have to play the expansion. I think ima do all the side quests and clear the island before i do though. Im getting sucked back into it

[@ntfoperative9432]

“May your death benefit all beings”

[@ivansleepy4722]

@@ntfoperative9432 don't wanna spoil it to Cynic, but "that moment" was raw

[@afriendlycadian9857]

The dlc was good however the audio bug still being there is ridiculous ruined so many scenes for me

[@coenisgreat]

@@afriendlycadian9857it has now been fixed

[@nidhoggr8193]

Something I like about the story is that we never actually see the shogun. In my opinion it plays into the games themes of loyalty and dogma. We are sworn to a man who never shows up and when he does do something he simply sends more warriors who almost Immediately die or became hostile towards you and those you fight for. The hypocrisy to demand so much respect yet not really helping at all. Look at the story. There are only two battles where the samurai do something for the good of tsushima. The first battle of Komoda Beach and the last battle in the north. The reason I don't include the battle to take back Lord Shimura's fortress is because the samurai don't really help all that much. They help in the first assault then Jin takes the actual fortress himself. And then they stay there awaiting orders from the shogun. In The last battle in the North it is Jin that has to convince his unckle to attack. From what we've seen of the shogun, he wouldn't like this at all. And after the battle the samurai stay in there fortress. The Mongols were still on the island and were still killing people. Then they demand obedience from the people they have not proven themselves to. A cool detail is that when Lord Shimura asks Jin to say their tenants, the first thing to be said is "loyalty to our lord". Then it's followed by honor. Then Lord Shimura even acknowledges that honor has to mean something. So Jin says that to him it means protecting people. Lord Shimura never gives his opinion on honor. He simply repeats the tenants. He premots loyalty to a Man who is never shown and preachs control when he doesn't seem to control himself, the shogun controls him. It shows how dogmatic the samurai are. It's not that there code itself is bad, it's the dogma that comes with it that cripples them. Jin by his nature at the start of the game show that he cares more about the people of tsushima than any other samurai in the game. Even the samurai who you recruit as allies show a cruel disregard towards the people of the island. Best example I have is that when the Mongols are about to attack a town Ishikawa who lives right next to the town is ready to use it as a distraction to go after his traitorous student. Jin calls him out and talks him out of it but my point still stands. I also like how Jin doesn't seem to hate the samurai. He understands that the samurai can be a good thing. I think that in the second game it would be interesting to see Jin actually have to deal with samurai more. They are trying to kill him and control the island. What happens if the people don't like that the shogun is trying to kill there saver. After all it wasn't the shoguns samurai that saved them. It was the Ghost. Their samurai died on the beaches of Komoda, yet now they have to show theses new samurai respect. Thats like if someone broke into my house and my neighbor come and saves me by shooting the guy then the police show up and try to kill my neighbor because he shot someone. Then expect me to thank them later. Sorry for the rant. Have some snacks. 🍪🍩🍦🍫🍬🍭🍰🍡🥮

[@chinikery2590]

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[@standardaussie]

Who else thought, "I don't remember seeing that face in rdr2?" And clicked anyway after realising it probably wasn't going to be what you thought ?

[@CynicGTA]

😂 cant blame you. I hope it didn’t totally disappoint that it wasnt RDR2

[@standardaussie]

@@CynicGTA ha, na mate. I Don't mind any content as long as it's interesting. Just felt silly and knew someone else would have.

[@PizzaRoll-SuckMyPole]

@@standardaussiewas it bcuz of the font of the text in the thumbnail? 😂

[@standardaussie]

@@PizzaRoll-SuckMyPole yeah that, the fact it was recommended on the back of an rdr2 vid, being put up next to a rdr2 vid, the fact I had to make a quick choice as I hate KZbin telling me what to watch next (auto select/play) and the little other info available in the thumbnail. But in short, yeah

[@chrisdiokno5600]

What's interesting is, when you look deeper, both in history, and in the game, the various other lords seem to not mind using underhanded tactics themselves, even Jin's father, however those like Lord Shimura seem to be some of the few outliers.

[@knightingale9833]

And all the while, the Samurai code depicted in the game is a few hundred years ahead of its time and even then its depiction is a little over the top, Jin never would have been chastised for simply using the element of surprise (Pearl Harbor, anyone? Yes, the Japanese military still exhalted the same code).

[@damiennormand7437]

I saw a video where someone who follows the bushido teachings said its not dishonorable to fight a dishonorable enemy with their tactics

[@ntfoperative9432]

Well they never claimed they were trying to be historically accurate. They wanted it to feel like medieval Japan, but their primary goal was to tell a story, and make a love letter to old samurai films, especially the works of Kurosawa

[@vagabond4576]

@@damiennormand7437 There was a video of a Japanese Historian and the director of the game interview. The historian has said there was arguments among Samurais on how such customs were like. That is probably one of the many many reasons Samurai lords have fought amongst each other.

[@cykablyat3680]

the samurai code has loopholes just like any code, no country or society will be willing to meet its end just because of a set of rules

[@benjaminparent4115]

I mean you don't even have to look that far into the future, Oda Nobunaga one of the three unificator of japan, Became a famous damyo in historical Japan, after executing a massive ambush against his enemy at the battle of Okehazama. He won with only 3000 soldier against 25 000, by tricking his enemy into thinking his army was elsewhere, and charging their camp while they were unarmored and celebrating a recent victory. One of the interesting thing to note is that well the proper Bushido only started developping during the late 16th century the same century when that battle took place. the term itself was only coined around 1616. And the code itself was only formalized during the Edo period under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Samurai code existed before that, but they were different, they started as treaty on training, and war, then started including more and more things about the samurai place in society and morality. This ultimately culminated into the Bushido, which was itself revised multiple times to fit the ideology and need of their times. The modern Bushido itself is different from the proto-Bushido of late 16th century. For exemple during the late 16th century and early 17th century, many text put an emphasis on samurai serving multiple lord during their liefetime, or even winning at all cost. which is at odd with our modern interpretation of the Bushido.

[@BlackMarvel25]

This is a great breakdown. One of the best PS games of all time. This is one of those "in a dirty war nobody comes out clean" stories. Theres just no way anyone feels good about anything once the dust clears from the war.

[@Apocryptoz]

5:50 You can actually “repair” the armor! If you complete the 8th Masako Tale “The Conspirator” you’ll unlock the Seasons of War armor dye for the Samurai Clan Armor which is the same armor he wore at Komoda Beach

[@dustinwashburn1283]

One of the beautiful things about this game, is how it makes you question what is truly honorable.

[@jamiedavies3810]

I think Jin is one of my favorite protagonists in recent memory. Holding true to the samurai code, only to evolve as the story goes on is so impactful. He eventually understands that Japan's enemies won't fight with honor, so why should he? He's right in what he says to his uncle about being a slave to honor.

[@makaioprescott5436]

After beating the game twice, understanding more of the lore, storytelling, character arcs. Listening to Miracle of Sound's, When Honor Dies hits way different.

[@Impolitespoon18]

I also believe the biggest reason he decided to not give up this tactic of defeating his enemies, was because of Taka’s death 30:43

[@logeyperogi1805]

Taka’s death broke him Jin could MAYBE turn back, become an “honourable” samurai again But once Khotun killed Taka so mercilessly, and threatened to kill more people, just to convince Jin to surrender, there was no more turning back, no going back to the samurai way I’d say Jin’s one line was a bit untrue Honour didn’t die on the beach, that’s where it was wounded and tested Honour died with Taka

[@azuredeath]

Honor died on the beach is correct. But Jin’s restraint and control of his emotions died with Taka. Shimura always warned Jin not to be controlled by emotion.

[@TheACTIONZ]

​@@azuredeathHe says that while he bitch slaps jin to the face, controlled by emotion lol.

[@azuredeath]

@@TheACTIONZ Which is why he has the look of regret afterward. Shimura specifically said not to kill in anger in that flashback.

[@obsidion_sings]

almost cried at the end of the vid. You did such a beautiful job going into detail the fall of Jins honor, his relationship with Lord Shimura, who he was as a person, and the rise of his new identity. Im very passionate about this game and im so so glad i stumbled upon your video

[@gelsboy0369]

I will always pick the wnding where Jin kills Shimura. To me, it feels like Jin's last moment of "true honor" by honoring the rules of the duel but also his uncles' wish. While Shimura was a slave to his honor, and Jin wasn't bound by sternly following the Samurai "code" he wanted to honor and make his uncle proud, by accepting the fact that he had to kill shimura. While i do get why people dont kill Shimura, since Jin is no longer an honorable samurai but a "do whatever it takes" warrior, i dont deel like it's the better ending. Even the game knows that killing Shimura is objectively the best ending since you get the ghost armor that better fits the title of Ghost. It's still kinda sad since Jin has no more blood family.

[@jahzelortiz1123]

I always interpreted the ending where you dont kill Shimura not as Jin not having anymore honor and not honoring his uncle, but more as a “dude, all this stuff of honor is pointless. There’s no need to kill someone you love just because of some code of honor.” Showing it’s proof that Jin’s new way of living and thinking, isnt needlessly killing those he cares about, including his uncle. It’s all about saving his people.

[@vagabond4576]

There is no honor in being stupid. Its a man made custom just like Sepuku or Harakiri. Samurai witnessed this act and thought it was the coolest thing and started a stupid trend. Same difference.

[@sugoi9680]

When you choose to spare Shimura he says I have no honor. He highlights the fact that he is no longer Samurai (recognized by the Shogun) so he doesn't have to play by their rules anymore and throws it back in their face just like the Shogun wanted. It doesn't make sense to kill him except some form of twisted euthanasia. But most of the choices in this game had no impact so if you're forced to become the Ghost I don't get why you wouldn't let Shimura live.

[@presi08AMA]

im good i like jins black ghost armor set alot more, especially when you find the black dye shopkeeper so unc gets to live

[@logeyperogi1805]

True There are arguments either way for both to be good AND bad endings Because Spare Shimura: Pro: Jin has changed, he cannot bring himself to kill his uncle even if it means upholding honour, because he’s learned that honour doesn’t, SHOULDN’T mean more than life Con: It once again dishonours both him, AND his uncle, they must both live on in shame Kill Shimura: Pro: Jin gives his uncle one last moment with his adopted son, one final honourable action, it upholds Shimura’s honour, and lets him rest easy to know his son isn’t ENTIRELY without honour Con: It shows that Jin, to some extent, can still value honour over a life, which is a problem

[@abiwhipkey324]

Ive always loved Suckerpunch since the Sly Cooper days. They just dont miss

[@tylermcgahey9903]

They need to make another one of the best series of my childhood

[@Philliwolf5]

The funny thing is, to me, Lord Shimura would mosy likely die regardless of what you choose. According to Samurai custom, I feel like Lord Shimura would have been ordered to commit seppuku for his failure to kill Jin. The shogunate doled out death orders quite regularly, especially if an individual disgraced himself, his clan, or the shogun himself.

[@EruEdnew]

Saving and depending people who cannot defend themselves are Jin’s definition of honor. Even Lord Shimura acknowledges that Jin is kind hearted because of that. And by that same principle Jin bend the code of honor to follow his own definition of honor.

[@TheWeirdWritter]

I sometimes remember how honor is put into so much of Japanese history and it’s what they lived by. You die for your nation, surrender isn’t an option, and you must respect tradition. I don’t feel to mention world war 2 but that was the main motive for soldiers. Seeing all the lives lost I feel a reference to that, honor is a huge cost to make even for millions of lives.

[@eliseu_player3838]

Man, i rarely comment on any videos but i have to say that i really like the facto that you are convering other games and other characters besides the ones from Rdr. I really like your videos and its cool to see its expanded to other games :)

[@CynicGTA]

Thank you its humbling to read you saying this. It really means a lot. We’ll see how far i go into what games. There’s definitely more beyond just RDR thats for sure.

[@SCLocken]

A very telling line comes after the first part of the attack on Castle Shimura. Ishikawa tells him that he's no longer abiding by "his Uncle's" honor code. I like this implication that there are likely many, including samurai, who don't follow that line of thinking. The devs likely did a lot of reading on the subject, and understand that this honor system is not all encompassing for all samurai in both history and the game.

[@bhuwanshah3215]

1:30-1:47 Oh my god you are so right about the overshadowing thing. I feel the same. The game is appreciated a lot for its stunning visuals and slick gameplay but what made me play again and again and again was the story and story telling of it. I have played games before of heroes. I always felt badass when I played those games, never really felt the cost it has on one until I played Ghost of Tushima.

[@ironblue4593]

Awesome video, glad you cover other games as well

[@Dalocklear73]

Great video! Really enjoyed this one bro

[@CynicGTA]

Glad you enjoyed

[@aurthurpendragon1015]

It's funny that Lord Shimura, the man of honor, wanted Jin to falsely blame Yuna for the Ghost. Blaming someone else for you rown actions, (especially the poison aspect), is one of the most dishonorable things you can do.

[@ryan1000011]

this is the great hypocrisy of the samuri code of honer, during the sengoku period it was the landed samuri who were often backstabbing each other, however during tokugawa's darkest ponit when really he should have been betrayed and died, it was his ninja who stayed and did what needed to be done

[@ianmaluk1]

If the canonical ending is Jin sparing Shimura, then Jin has killed him either way. Failure in such a task of apprhending a traitor basically ensures that Shimura has to commit seppuku to preserve what honour he has left.

[@eldenlion5850]

This story is a great at teaching you to never assume your opponent won't fight dirty.

[@Darthornot]

thank you for covering another amazing game

[@CynicGTA]

Im glad you enjoyed it. Ghost of Tsushima is probably my favorite “sony exclusive”. I may do a few more videos on the game👀

[@Darthornot]

@@CynicGTAhave you considered doing the last of us or have you already

[@CynicGTA]

Ya know ive been very heavily considering covering both. I love those games and the individual stories there is to tell from one character to another

[@Tabby3456]

"You have no honor." "Sorry?" "You have no hono-" "No, I heard you; its just that you talk of honor when you would charge a base head on when you fully know that the Mongols will kill captives if they have any feeling that they are under attack"

[@rikacomedyletsplays2581]

Literally 90% of the mongol base raids where stop these morons from killing hostages

[@gethinfiltrator6700]

I like the quote from Ishikawa "War's cant be won with just weapons(tools)". Shimura's honor makes him a tool.

[@pseudophi]

Great video man! I just finished Ghost of Tsushima, gonna do NG+, but damn. This game is the best game I've played since RDR2 hands down one of the best stories in a game I've played ever before. The game mechanics and tempo of the gameplay scales perfectly with the story, and it's polished and smooth combat mechanics makes it a dream to play. Yuriko quest & The Ghost of Yarikawa both touched me deeply in different ways. The entire mission sequence they made for the siege of Yarikawa was so good. I will never forget fighting through Mongol hordes who broke through the main gate, pushing towards the inner gate, and seeing the people outside the main keep being slaughtered by mongols, before taking on General Temuge and inspiring everyone in Yarikawa to give chase and slaughter the remaining Mongols. DAMN what a great mission.

[@semilianooo]

29:58 I love how bloody Jin is in this scene, just love it

[@TradePrinceNodnarb]

Gotta say the ending where you give Shimura the death he wants is my favorite outcome. It gives him some peace knowing Jin had honor under it all and he may one day see him again in the afterlife

[@monochrome2838]

I enjoyed my playthrough a lot. I started out doing nothing but fighting enemies head on, and found that by the end, I was taking out entire mongol strongholds without being seen.

[@machineferret3359]

I cried man that ending was the best video game ending in such a long time

[@lilstrats944]

This video is awesome. I’ve just completed Act II. Everything is broken. I can watch this until it reaches that point. It’s hard to continue but I feel like this video will make it easier.

[@newchangeunlisted_viewer5594]

One of the best games i have ever played, and that is no exaggeration. I remember on the last part, googling for an hour before picking my ending I think i just wanted the cooler armor

[@white0thunderwhite0thunder71]

And so the old proverb is proven right once more: No good deed goes unpunished.

[@richardjamesIII]

Rarely does a game have so many moving parts that all work towards a cohesive story and play experience. I've been more invested in this game than most others I've ever played.

[@TheTimbs_]

Only because he abandoned the honor code to win the war.

[@Kindless_NightcoreYT]

Love your videos

[@CynicGTA]

Yoooo, i can’t believe i missed this! Thank you so much! I’m just happy to see you’re watching and enjoying this videos. But this…thank you so much

[@NattyNuke]

One thing I kind of disliked about this game, despite loving it immensely; I felt like it forced me to be “dishonorable.” I wanted to play with honour, I almost never used the “underhanded” tactics unless I was forced to, yet I was still forced into the role of being dishonorable.

[@William-Howe]

it would have been cool if they had alternate scenes and endings based on your actions

[@samuraistabber]

You either die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain.

[@alexanderlucard4810]

To quote javik from mass effect 3 "Stand amongst the ashes of a trillion dead souls, and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer."

[@jordeus8822]

‘You have no honor.’ ‘And you are a slave to it!’

[@CB-THE-OG]

I never got around to playing this game when it originally came out but I would absolutely play this game if I get the chance

[@CynicGTA]

Definitely recommend it. Its on sale on PlayStation pretty often. But with it coming to pc, id personally recommend it there if you have the hardware. But thats just me because im looking forward to the higher fps. Either way, beautiful game with a very interesting story

[@L22426]

Can’t lie I want a dlc where Jin never turns his back on the code and then he dies upholding the code leaving Tsushima to get taken over by the mongols

[@s-man9528]

Great watch the whole thing

[@mikeheiser3728]

In my first playthrough (still havent beaten it a second time even tho i love the game lol) I killed uncle because it was what he said he wanted. I guess I as the player didn’t consider what Jin would want at that moment. I love the detail of how he walks away without having even sheathed his sword. His fight will never end.

[@lilstrats944]

First flashback happened to me in the open world but the second one happened when I was using berserk poison to save Yuriko in the cemetery.

[@leonarduskrisna4588]

Shimura Save His Honour by Sacrifice his People Sakai Save His People By Sacrifice His Honour

[@adamlauer1096]

Oh shit im pumped for this

[@fredricklee6989]

When they lit homie on fire.....fuck the rules

[@Ray_Shabaz]

The thing is, Jin Sakai did what Lord Shimura did. Jin didn't like how his uncle would send a lot of fighters to the battlefield to die, but yet when Jin became The Ghost, people who either wanted to be like or fighting for The Ghost would also die as well. So I see both Lord Shimira and Lord Sakai as traitors of the samurai code and Tsushima

[@NarrowSpark96]

38:00 The Mongols do poison a well in the first act, so technically the Mongols were already using poison. That said, I think the Mongols probably would have done so anyways. We've seen they aren't against massacre and setting people on fire. Jin was probably only the catalyst since the island offered increasingly more resistance.

[@Demonicwolf3000]

Anyone that saw the ending of this game, had tears in their eyes.

[@hylianbatman3153]

The ending broke me. Openly wept during the credits. This needs to be a series or a movie

[@daniel_of_jersey4775]

You know theyre making a movie right?

[@Willzb-xk4ew]

He didnt betray tsushima, he found a new form of honour in becoming the ghost

[@ryanabreu1999]

Face them, like a warrior. *Jin drenched in blood* "B..but uncle it's all I understand."

[@afriendlycadian9857]

This made me think of the hospitaller from kingdom of heaven and what he says aswell as king baldwin

[@Rowan1976]

One of the greatest games of all time.

[@jarnom85]

Truly one of the best games of decade so far. I ended up doing first "White" ending, killin Shimura. Then i did "Dark" ending, leaving Shimura alive (ending color by armor you get after), i agree that Dark ending is the correct one to take, fully embraces Ghost and what Jin has become.

[@MrHoll87]

I didn't know that the chosen ending talked about here is the canonical ending. I always assumed the other was canon. The dialogue with Yuna after the end even implies the other ending is canon. But I'm glad this ending IS the canon, it makes the most sense with Jin's character development. If Jin had chosen the other route, it would have completely undermined his entire philosophy at that point. Great game, great video.

[@gamerdosze]

they already stated that the sequel will be jin gonna save his uncle once again which is being held by shogunate on the main land

[@themoongateofficial]

I killed shimura in the end because nobody crosses blades with the ghost and lives to tell , aside from lady masako

[@tikkidaddy]

It is the "Eastern" to RDR2 as a "Western"

[@jcage1022]

No, because "Western" in that instance refers to a film genre. There's no such thing as an "Eastern" genre.

[@themoongateofficial]

@@jcage1022there is now, it’s ghost of Tsushima 💪🏿💪🏿

[@williamfranklin860]

@@jcage1022 Yes there are. Jidaigeki, chanbara, Taiga Drama, etc.... I am reading so many comments from people who don't know what they are talking about.

[@spuppet4582]

"The Shogun will demand a head" all I need to know that whatever choice I make in the end, The Shimura will be no more.

[@G4meb0y19]

Reminds a lot of the phoenix jin had a good life but then it was destroyed so he rose from the ashes of battle and burned his way to the khan

[@thedanbot85]

12:16 ah yes, her tuition and wit. I can't wait to see how her student loan debt helps us in the end!

[@catalindale7296]

I believe the whole story is about person who believes what honer is and person lost almost every thing and found what true honer is and that person is jin

[@ViperPilot16]

37:59: It would not suprise me if the Shogun saw The Ghost as a 2nd rebellion. The Ghost does not fight in face to face battles. The legend currently is confined on Tsushima, but the word will eventually reach the mainland. The Ghost has no borders, allies from every walk of life. Currently a single enemy (the Mongols), but how does the Shogun know for certain it will stay that way? Jin is right to do what he does, but so is Shimura and the Shogun.

[@williamfranklin860]

This. If Jin can rid Tsushima of the Mongol Horde invasion force, he could most certainly assassinate the Shogun, family members, and his hatamotos.

[@panicc580]

to forsake one’s morals and way of life takes the utmost strength. had jin not, tsushima would have fallen. if anyone should question their way of life and stubbornness, it should be the samurai way that nearly led to their fall

[@KratosisGod]

Ironically if Jin never became the ghost even the mainland would've been overtaken by the mongols so he's actually a hero but its because of his heroism that the shogun brands him a traitor kinda like fallout 1 where the reward for your heroism is also exile.

[@nickwong2525]

Not just that, the Shogun's pride as well, because the people were looking towards The Ghost as their hope against the Mongols, instead of the Shogun.

[@waltvonkeisel5610]

You know, the funny thing is the real life Samurai Code was rather....dubious at best and often depended on the individual samurai or clan on how it was interpreted. Many samurai historically have been documented of doing many types of atrocities, be it during the Sengoku Jidai, the Imjin War, or other conflicts, they had no problem butchering or razing entire settlements when it came to war, so I am not sure why Shimura was soo shocked at what Jin did all things considered. Especially when much of these atrocities were condoned and encouraged by the Daimyo and Shogun, on top of the fact they frequently backstabbed each other and made use of Shinobi to assassinate each other, who ironically were actually more loyal to their lords than actual samurai.

[@gaudiestivy4297]

Jin did the right thing anybody could've done in his position, and was branded a traitor for it

[@vmaninc.761]

He and Miyamoto Musashi have a lot in common when it comes to going against samurai tradition; That's definitely someone he should come across and learn from in the sequal, The video game was awesome through-and-through one of the best I've seen and played thus far, (next to red dead redemption 2) keep up the good work sucker punch; As far as the character of jin sakai goes I do not consider him a hypocrite or a tratior to honor at all, He continued to show himself to be the most honorable, more so than his uncle due to the fact that he valued innocent lives more than the need to appease the rigid dogma of the bushido code for the sake of his uncle and the shogun, they were facing an enemy that was using their code against them to take over the land and the people and jin saw no other choice but to break away from that in order for his people and his country to survive the murderous onslaught of the mongols, Thus it forced him down a path that he was Initially resistant to but ultimately embraced for the good of everyone Which in turn has made him a beloved living legend among his people as well as tsushima's very own japanese zorro, He may have sacrificed and lost everything because of the harsh choices he was forced to make, but he also gained a whole lot more from his willingness to sacrifice and lose everything for the greater good of all and he for a video game character has my utmost respect for that. His uncle however is the villain of his own story because he was willing to sacrifice an innocent woman like jin's friend yuna to the shogun and blame the poisoning of the mongols on her; something a man of honor should never do, so I personally don't care about lord shimura's pain, he deserves it and what better way for him to suffer more than to be spared and live with the humiliation of having his own nephew and "son" go on to become a better person and greater legend than him, the shogun and the entire class of the samurai. LONG LIVE THE GHOST!!! 🔥💯😉😁👍

[@bluewolf5521]

If this gets a sequel I don't know if I would prefer it to take place in a different country, or in Japan after samurai hunting Jin drives him away from Tsushima to mainland Japan. Either one will be fun there's more story potential with him going to mainland, meeting old friends like Tomoe, and the like.

[@brennanhughes976]

I got the flashbacks during random open world events and that made it so much better! Great story, can’t wait for the second one!