Tale.00: Synopsis

Ghost of Tsushima (2020)

In 1274, the Mongol Empire invades Tsushima Island as a stepping stone for its conquest of Japan. Lord Shimura, the Jito of Tsushima, leads a force of just eighty samurai to confront the invaders at Komoda Beach, only to be utterly annihilated by the overwhelming power and cunning strategy of the enemy commander, Khotun Khan. Lord Shimura is captured, and his nephew—Jin Sakai, head of Clan Sakai—is left for dead after suffering grievous wounds. However, Jin miraculously survives thanks to Yuna, a resourceful thief. Driven to rescue his uncle and reclaim his home, Jin is soon forced to face a harsh reality: the honorable, rigid tactics of Bushido cannot defeat a Mongol force defined by ruthless pragmatism. To save his people and liberate Tsushima, Jin embraces dishonorable tactics from the shadows—assassinations, poisons, and ambush weapons. In doing so, he begins his transformation into “The Ghost,” a legendary figure feared by his enemies and revered by the populace.

To rescue Lord Shimura, Jin gathers allies across the island: Lady Masako Adachi, a vengeful warrior seeking justice for her slaughtered clan; Sensei Ishikawa, a master archer hunting his traitorous former student, Tomoe; Yuna, who seeks to free her brother Taka; Norio, a warrior monk torn between faith and defending his temple; and Kenji, an eccentric sake merchant. Together, they launch a counteroffensive against the Mongol forces. Taka, a gifted blacksmith, aids Jin’s fight by crafting stealth gear and a grappling hook. Tragic fate strikes, however, when Taka is brutally executed by Khotun Khan himself—leaving Jin deeply scarred, yet firmer than ever in his resolve.

After reclaiming Castle Kaneda and liberating Lord Shimura, Jin moves to recapture Castle Shimura in central Tsushima. Faced with his uncle’s inflexible tactics, which prioritize samurai honor over the lives of their men in suicidal frontal assaults, Jin sneaks into the enemy camp and uses poison to eliminate the Mongols. Though Castle Shimura is retaken, Lord Shimura fiercely condemns Jin for trampling upon the samurai code. Bound by duty, Shimura reports Jin’s actions to the Kamakura Shogunate and moves to arrest and execute him. Jin escapes imprisonment and travels alone to Port Izumi in the north, only to discover that Khotun Khan has weaponized Jin’s poison against the people of Tsushima. Joining forces with his allies and the populace for a final assault, Jin slays Khotun Khan at the northernmost edge of the island after a ferocious battle.

Although the Mongol threat is repelled, the Shogunate deems the Ghost a dangerous threat to samurai authority and issues a decree for Jin’s execution. The man sent to carry out this order is Lord Shimura—Jin’s uncle, mentor, and father figure. Among the falling crimson leaves of Akashima, the two face each other in a fatal duel, torn between their deep bond and irreconcilable beliefs. After besting Lord Shimura in combat, Jin is faced with an impossible choice: honor his uncle’s request for a warrior’s death by executing him, or walk away, severing all ties to samurai honor to live purely as the Ghost. Whichever path he takes, Jin’s fate as Tsushima’s “Ghost” is irrevocably sealed.

DLC: Iki Island (2021)

In the wake of the battle for Tsushima, Jin encounters an unusual band of Mongol soldiers from nearby Iki Island. These invaders chant eerie songs and use a mysterious brew that drives people mad. Leading them is Ankhsar Khatun, known as “The Eagle”—a shaman and commander of the Mongol Eagle Tribe. Fearing that Iki will become a springboard for a new invasion and that her poison will spread to Tsushima and mainland Japan, Jin sails to Iki Island alone.

Yet, Iki is a land steeped in nightmares for Jin. Years prior, his father, Lord Kazumasa Sakai—feared as “The Butcher of Iki”—led a brutal campaign to pacify the island, only to be slain by local raiders before young Jin’s eyes. Upon infiltrating Iki, Jin is quickly captured by the Eagle and force-fed her mind-shattering poison. Though he manages a narrow escape, the drug takes hold, tormenting him with relentless hallucinations and voices. Jin is haunted by his failure to save his father, his lingering resentment toward Kazumasa’s ruthlessness, and his own guilt over straying from the samurai code as the Ghost.

On an island defined by deep hatred for the samurai, Jin conceals his identity and aligns himself with Fune, the fierce leader of a raider faction. He forms a strong bond with Tenzo, Fune’s loyal lieutenant and a stalwart raider, forging an alliance to resist the Eagle Tribe. However, amidst the conflict, Jin discovers a devastating truth: Tenzo was the very man who struck down Kazumasa Sakai years ago, dealing a crushing blow to Clan Sakai. Confronted by murderous rage and the scars of his past, Jin realizes that vengeance will only perpetuate a cycle of ruin. Accepting the tragic flaws of his father’s legacy, Jin chooses to forgive and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Tenzo to protect the people of Iki.

Joined by the raiders, Jin leads an assault on Fort Sakai, his father’s former stronghold now repurposed as the Eagle’s base. Pushing through agonizing mental torment and surreal hallucinations, Jin confronts his deepest trauma head-on. He realizes that his father’s death was not his fault, and comes to accept Kazumasa as a flawed, human warrior. Breaking free from his inner torment, Jin defeats the Eagle in a desperate duel, liberating Iki from the Mongol threat. Having cast off his father’s shadow and reconciled with his past, Jin achieves true inner growth. Neither samurai nor outlaw, he returns to Tsushima as the true Ghost—a champion bound solely to the protection of his people.