Summary
- Ghost of Yotei's story centers on Atsu seeking revenge on the Yotei Six for raiding her homestead and killing her family.
- The revenge arc in Ghost of Yotei may have complex roots, with hints that Saito's apology implies deeper reasons for the attack.
- Players may question the morality of Atsu's revenge as they uncover potentially justifiable motivations behind the Yotei Six's actions.
Slowly but surely, Ghost of Yotei fans are getting bits and pieces of information about its story, world, and gameplay, though the bulk of it all still remains a mystery. At this point, what is known about Ghost of Yotei's story is that Atsu is on a revenge path in pursuit of a group called the "Yotei Six," who raided her homestead and killed her family. That's about as specific as it gets, though, although Sucker Punch has confirmed that players will get to eliminate each member of the Yotei Six in any order they wish.
On the surface, Ghost of Yotei's revenge arc looks fairly straightforward — the Yotei Six wronged Atsu and her family, leaving her with little choice but to track each member of the group down and exact vengeance upon them in whatever way she deems necessary. However, some clues in Ghost of Yotei's most recent trailer suggest that this revenge story may be more than meets the eye. Granted, most revenge arcs are more complex than they appear, but Ghost of Yotei's may involve something even Atsu may wish to steer clear of in the end.
Ghost of Yotei Continues a Trend The Series Should Eventually Break
Ghost of Yotei's narrative continues a trend that was ignited by its predecessor, and it's one that the next game in the series should steer clear of.
Ghost of Yotei's Revenge Arc May Have Complex Roots
Saito of the 'Yotei Six' Is Reluctant to Kill Atsu During the Raid on Her Homestead
In Ghost of Yotei's most recent trailer, fans were treated to a brief look at the attack on Atsu's homestead and simultaneously introduced to the Yotei Six. The group's leader, Saito, is given special treatment in the trailer and highlighted as the main reason the group attacked the homestead in the first place. In fact, there is a surprising amount of character development for Saito in the trailer alone, despite Ghost of Yotei's October launch date still being months away.
Most revenge arcs are more complex than they appear, but Ghost of Yotei's may involve something even Atsu may wish to steer clear of in the end.
Very briefly, in Ghost of Yotei's release date announcement trailer, Atsu is shown as a young girl surrounded by the flames of her razed homestead, with the Yotei Six standing before her. Saito then kneels down to speak with her and says, "I'm sorry it came to this," and then he proceeds to stab her in the shoulder, seemingly trying not to kill her. She is then shown as an adult, adopting the persona of the Onryo and beginning her search for Saito and the Yotei Six.
Ghost of Yotei's Revenge Arc May Lead to Dark Revelations About Atsu's Family
What complicates things about Ghost of Yotei's revenge arc is Saito's apology. By saying "I'm sorry it came to this," Saito is suggesting a situation that he feels was beyond his control, implying that the decision to set Atsu's homestead ablaze and kill her family was not some random act of violence but was instead deeply rooted in what he considers a justifiable reason. More than likely, that reason could be traced back to some dealings between the Yotei Six and Atsu's family that could challenge hers and the player's perspective on revenge throughout Ghost of Yotei's story.
Saito's commitment to only injure Atsu rather than kill her suggests he never held anything against her, since she was a child who was most likely detached from whatever her family may have been up to behind the scenes.
It could be that Atsu's family wronged Saito and the other members of the Yotei Six, and that is why the group chose to attack her homestead. After all, Saito's apology to Atsu in Ghost of Yotei implies that the attack might have never happened, perhaps if her family had done their part to make amends. It seems very unlikely that the Yotei Six is just a group of bullies or bandits who only care about money. In the end, players could find themselves questioning whether seeing Atsu's revenge through is actually the right thing to do, especially if it is revealed at some point that the actions of the Yotei Six, though they may not be justifiable, are nonetheless understandable from a certain point of view.
Ghost of Yotei
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- 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
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
