Tale.06: The People of Iki and the Philosophy of the "Raiders" - An Island that Hates Samurai. Another Homeland Where Tsushima's "Honor" Does Not Apply

If the main story of Ghost of Tsushima is a surface narrative depicting “the conflict of a Samurai’s Honor and The Ghost who attempts to save the people by breaking it,” the expansion content Iki Island serves as a hidden narrative—a “mirror”—that illustrates just how much violence and irrationality that “Samurai’s Honor” can inflict upon others. The developers brilliantly constructed a structure where, in the main game, players are intentionally guided to perceive Samurai as heroic and honorable warriors, only to have that illusion completely shattered on the land of Iki.

In Tsushima, Samurai were guardians, revered by the people as honorable beings. However, on Iki, across the sea, Samurai are remembered as invaders and “demons” who carried out indiscriminate slaughter in the name of order. Iki is a lawless land where Tsushima’s public identity (Bushido, order, and hierarchical society) holds absolutely no sway. It is an independent island ruled by pirates and smugglers, having been outside Samurai governance for decades. This report unravels the scars of the gruesome past left by Jin Sakai’s father, Kazumasa Sakai, the unique ethics held by the people and Raiders of Iki, and the moral dilemmas in extreme situations. While logically distinguishing between facts explicitly stated in the game and speculations inferred from historical and philosophical backgrounds, it will multidimensionally discuss the clash between the Samurai’s “Honor” and the Raiders’ “philosophy of survival,” intertwining Shinto and Buddhist views on life and death.

1. The Vengeful Spirit of Kazumasa Sakai — “The Butcher of Iki” and the Violence of Order

When discussing Iki, one cannot avoid the presence of the former head of the Sakai clan, Kazumasa Sakai, who once invaded this island. In Tsushima, Kazumasa was a dignified Samurai and, to Jin Sakai, a strict yet beloved father. However, to the people of Iki, Kazumasa is none other than “The Butcher of Iki,” who mercilessly massacred the populace.

Decades ago, under the righteous cause of bringing order and subjugating pirates and bandits who posed a threat to the mainland and Tsushima, Kazumasa landed on Iki leading an army of Samurai. As a fact explicitly stated in the game, Kazumasa’s subjugation went beyond mere military action and escalated into a gruesome massacre that involved not only Raiders but also non-combatants, women, and children who allegedly harbored them. In the Mythic Tale “The Legacy of Kazumasa Sakai,” there is a depiction where Jin Sakai visits a hideout seeking the Sakai clan’s horse armor, and merely by wearing the “Sakai Clan Armor,” the islanders flee in terror and hide. This vividly illustrates that the fear instilled by Kazumasa is still deeply etched into the minds of the islanders as a profound trauma, even after more than a decade.

As a speculation inferred from historical and psychological backgrounds, this extraordinary cruelty of Kazumasa was not merely the result of military rationality or a sense of duty as a Samurai, but rather the manifestation of his deep sense of loss and sorrow over losing his wife, Chiyoko, erupting as madness on the battlefield. Perhaps Kazumasa could not properly process his grief and converted those emotions into violence under the great cause of “subjugating Raiders.” If the “Honor” embodied by Lord Shimura is a static order that values face and discipline, what Kazumasa enacted on Iki was the construction of a dynamic and oppressive order that forced submission through fear and violence.

Kazumasa’s rampage came to an end with an ambush by Raiders at Senjo Gorge. With his leg broken and surrounded by countless Raiders, Kazumasa called out for help to young Jin Sakai, who was hiding and trembling, but Jin Sakai was too paralyzed by fear to move. Then, Kazumasa was slain by one of the Raiders (who would later be known as Tenzo). For the people of Iki, this event was a liberation from a tyrant, but for Jin Sakai, it marked the beginning of a deep guilt and curse that lasted for over a decade, believing he had left his father to die. On the land of Iki, the “Honor” of the Samurai has completely fallen to the ground due to Kazumasa’s atrocities, and the islanders harbor an intense hatred for Samurai.

2. The Raiders’ Code and Pseudo-Family — Fune and the Community of Outlaws

At first glance, the island of Iki appears to be a chaotic, lawless zone, but there exists a firm set of ethics and codes among them. It is not a vertical, hierarchical morality imposed from the top down like Bushido, but a horizontal, communal “philosophy of survival” meant to endure harsh environments.

Fune, the leader who unites the Raiders of Iki, is a figure who, despite her intense hatred for Samurai, possesses strong maternity and cold-hearted decisiveness, treating her crew as “family.” Her right-hand man, Tenzo, also shows a devoted side, trying to save the people suffering from the poison of The Eagle (Ankhsar Khatun), even while bound by past karmic ties. Despite being anti-social entities like pirates, they share a strong sense of solidarity, willing to risk their lives to protect their own.

Fune’s philosophy is most prominently displayed in the Tale “A Mother’s Law.” As a matter of fact, when Fune’s daughter, Toki, broke her arm at a young age, she became dependent on the medicine (opiates) given to ease the pain, eventually falling into severe drug addiction to the point where she could no longer fulfill her duties as a Raider. To uphold the discipline (code) as a leader and prioritize the survival of the entire crew, Fune made the agonizing decision to banish her beloved daughter from her own ship.

What is considered here is the brilliant contrast between Fune’s decision and Lord Shimura’s decision in the main game. Lord Shimura attempted to execute Jin Sakai, who was like a son to him, in order to uphold “Honor” and loyalty to the Shogun. Fune also cut off her daughter to uphold the “pirates’ code,” but there is no righteous cause or intoxication with self-sacrifice like in Bushido; there is only a blood-spitting, pragmatic decision made for the group to survive. Fune’s choice appears ruthless, but it is filled with the private pain of one who bears the responsibility of maintaining the community. Unlike Lord Shimura, who sacrificed his son for Honor, she harbors a deep parental despair in the shadow of the code.

Furthermore, the Tales “Troubled Waters” and “Bloodletting,” which depict betrayal within the Raiders, also highlight the ethical views of Iki. Sugi’s older brother, Yamaneko, committed the taboo of colluding with the Mongols out of greed and firing Hwacha (weapons) at his fellow people of Iki. Even though he is her blood brother, Sugi does not forgive Yamaneko for betraying the community and selling his soul to the Mongols, choosing the path of striking him down alongside Jin Sakai. Here, too, we can see the harsh code of the Raiders, which values “the survival of the island and comrades” over blood ties.

3. The Boundary Between Madness and Violence — The Shadows of Black Hand Riku and The Eagle

On the lawless island of Iki, there are not only those with communal codes like Fune but also those captivated by pure violence and egoism. Black Hand Riku, who appears in the Mythic Tale “The Legend of Black Hand Riku,” is a heinous pirate who ruled the seas with fear and cruelty.

Black Hand Riku was feared even by his own crew for his cruelty, such as flaying enemies alive or chopping them into pieces to feed to his pet macaques, which eventually led to a mutiny. Driven into a dark cave with “glowing water” while having both eyes blinded, Riku survived in the depths of the darkness, wearing the Sarugami Armor. Unlike Kazumasa Sakai, who committed massacres under the banner of a righteous cause, Riku’s existence is the embodiment of “ultimate egoism,” driven by pure malice and endless desire.

The fact that the Raiders of Iki ultimately rejected excessive violence like Riku’s (by staging a mutiny) and followed a leader with a communal code like Fune is highly significant. This indicates that no matter how lawless an island may be, “chaotic violence” and “absolute egoism that disregards the pain of others” are unsustainable for a group, and some form of social consensus (code) was necessary.

And what is currently eroding the spirit of Iki is The Eagle (Ankhsar Khatun). The shamanic poison she uses causes people to hallucinate, dragging out the “guilt” and “trauma” hidden deep within their minds. The terror of this poison lies not in the hallucinations themselves, but in how it amplifies the “self-loathing and regret that the person unconsciously harbors.” For Jin Sakai, it was the “memory of leaving his father to die,” and for Tenzo, it was his “blood-stained past and sense of powerlessness.” The Eagle’s poison functions as an invisible violence that exposes the inner darkness equally held by humans, whether Samurai or Raiders, and shatters their minds.

3.1 Table 1: Comparison of the Three Philosophical Stances in Iki Island

4. Ethical Breakdown in Extreme Situations — What “The Impact of Loss” Questions

On the island of Iki, there are frequent occurrences that make one painfully realize that the “justice” and “Honor” of the Samurai are completely useless. The prime example of this is the extreme moral dilemma presented in the Tale “The Impact of Loss.”

In this story, one falls into a situation where only one of two hostages captured by the Mongols can be saved: Doshun, a monk who is the spiritual pillar of the village and has knowledge of medicine, or Togo, the husband of a one-armed woman named Hotoke. Due to the positioning of the Mongol soldiers, it is cruelly designed so that if you go to rescue one, the other will be immediately executed.

Here, Jin Sakai (the player) is forced to make an ultimate choice akin to the trolley problem: whether to prioritize the benefit of the community (macro logic) or the happiness of an individual (micro logic).

If the choice is made to save the husband, Togo, Hotoke rejoices at the reunion with her husband and reveals that she is pregnant. However, having lost its leader and medical care, the village’s survivor camp is engulfed in plague and despair, eventually collapsing and turning into ruins. Later, when the player visits the village, they will find Togo, who has fallen ill, lost his wife and child, and sits alone in despair before their graves. As a result of prioritizing individual happiness, the entire community perishes, ultimately driving even the individual who was supposed to be saved to the brink of despair.

On the other hand, if the choice is made to save the monk Doshun, Doshun returns to the village, and through his guidance and treatment, the community survives and prospers. From a utilitarian perspective, this is the “correct” choice. However, the sorrow and despair of Hotoke, who lost her husband, are profound, and she comes to harbor an intense hatred for Jin Sakai. Later, when Jin Sakai calls out to Hotoke walking on the road, she sends hidden Raiders to assassinate Jin Sakai as revenge against the “Samurai who left her husband to die.” As a result of fulfilling the righteous cause of saving the community, the life of one human being is forever destroyed, breeding deep resentment.

The philosophical significance of this quest lies in relentlessly thrusting the reality that “perfect justice does not exist.” In the main story of Tsushima, Jin Sakai was able to save many people by discarding his “Honor.” However, under these circumstances on Iki, whether through Honor or the methods of The Ghost, it is absolutely impossible to save both. Bushido teaches to “kill personal feelings for the greater good,” but Bushido can offer no salvation for the sorrow and hatred of those (like Hotoke) who are cut down by that greater good. The reason the people of Iki hate Samurai is none other than the history of Samurai constantly brandishing such “righteous causes (macro logic)” and callously trampling upon the “personal feelings and lives (micro lives)” of the people.

5. The Inversion of Heroes and the Relativity of Perspectives — Tadayori’s Resentment and the Records of Iki

The reason Iki Island functions as an excellent historical metaphor is that it depicts the “other face” of a figure who has been passed down as an absolute hero in Tsushima. The prime example is the legendary master archer, Tadayori.

In the main story of Tsushima, “The Legend of Tadayori” is glorified as a heroic tale of a great archer who defended Tsushima from foreign enemies (pirates). However, at the “Raider Memorial” located in the southern part of Iki, that historical evaluation is completely inverted. This memorial is a place to mourn the pirates of Iki who were once massacred by Tadayori. The man guarding the memorial intensely hates Tadayori as a “Demon who killed countless brethren.” If Jin Sakai speaks to this man while wearing the “Armor of Tadayori,” the man becomes enraged, views Jin Sakai as the second coming of the Demon, and challenges him to an archery trial. Upon overcoming the trial, the man trembles in fear and comes to fear and revere Jin Sakai.

This episode holds a deep philosophical meaning beyond a mere hidden element. The “guardian of justice” for the people of Tsushima was a “cold-blooded slaughterer” for the people of Iki. History is such that heroes and demons can easily swap places depending on which side one stands to tell the tale. Just as Kazumasa is called “The Butcher of Iki” and Tadayori is feared as a “Demon,” the “Honor” and “justice” upheld by the Samurai are merely justifications for violence from the perspective of those being cut down. As shown in director Akira Kurosawa’s film Rashomon, there is a perspective here that truth is always relative, and there are as many different forms of justice as there are human beings.

Furthermore, the “Records of Iki” and Unwritten Tales scattered across the land of Iki are also important texts that supplement history from the perspective of the common people. Among the records hidden in 25 locations, such as “To the Son of Kazumasa Sakai,” “Praise to You,” and “To My Wife,” are the heartbreaking notes of people terrified by the Mongol invasion and their complex feelings toward the Samurai. Moreover, in the Unwritten Tales, Jin Sakai quietly buries the body of a shipwrecked captain, secretly rescues peasants being drowned in a pond by the Mongols, and protects the beekeeper Hachibee. These nameless actions are not recorded in the journal and earn no one’s praise, but they are the very manifestation of Jin Sakai’s pure spirit of altruism, unbound by the pretexts of “righteous causes” or “Honor.” The process of re-evaluating war not from the perspective of the Samurai as rulers, but from the perspective of the oppressed masses tossed about by the waves of history, is woven into the very exploration of Iki.

6. “May your death benefit all beings” — Shinto-Buddhist Views on Life and Death and the Justification of Slaughter

The narrative and philosophical pinnacle of Iki Island lies in the revelation that the man who killed Kazumasa Sakai was Tenzo, and the subsequent change in their relationship.

To Kazumasa, who was crawling with severe injuries at Senjo Gorge, the young Tenzo threw these words right before bringing down his sword: “May your death benefit all beings.”

These words draw upon the Buddhist concept of “all beings (all living things).” It is a kind of religious justification for slaughter, implying, “Because your very existence is unreasonably causing others to suffer, killing you is an act of mercy to save the world.” Tenzo and the Raiders of Iki attempted to bring peace to the island by striking down Kazumasa, the merciless slaughterer.

However, in a terrifying irony, Kazumasa himself was also carrying out invasions and massacres under the logic that “eradicating the Raiders of Iki is to save all beings of Tsushima and the mainland.” Both the righteous cause of the Samurai and the rebellion of the Raiders ultimately arrive at the self-justifying logic that “eliminating others is for the good of the whole.” These words brilliantly express how war destroys individual ethics and replaces murder with “justice” and “mercy.”

The Eagle’s poison forces Jin Sakai to relive the “guilt of leaving his father to die,” and Tenzo to relive his “past of staining his own hands with blood and the sense of powerlessness fleeing from the Mongols.” Despite being in the position of sworn enemies, the two come to resonate deeply in their souls as “humans trapped by past trauma” through The Eagle’s poison. When Jin Sakai learns that Tenzo is his father’s killer, an intense desire for revenge sprouts within him, and he once turns his blade against him. According to the Samurai code, or general moral sentiments, cutting down Tenzo here would be “filial piety to one’s parent” and “Honor.”

However, after deep conflict, Jin Sakai sheathes his sword. If he were to kill Tenzo here, he would restart the “cycle of violence and revenge” that Kazumasa began, creating a decisive rift with the islanders of Iki. By objectively recognizing the sins committed by his father (massacre under a righteous cause) and overcoming his own personal grudge (private conflict), Jin Sakai is truly liberated from the curse of the past.

7. Beyond Love and Hate — When a Samurai Bows to a Raider

In the “Epilogue: Last Words” after everything is over and The Eagle is defeated at Senjo Gorge, Jin Sakai and Tenzo converse quietly.

Tenzo speaks of his desire to help heal others in order to save the islanders still suffering from the poison, and asks how Jin Sakai broke through the darkness (poison) in his own heart. Depending on the player’s choice, Jin Sakai answers, “I forgave myself” or “I overcame my guilt.” This signifies that he has escaped the curse of the absolute father figure that was Kazumasa, reaching a state of forgiving not only others but also “his past self who did nothing.”

At the end of the conversation, Tenzo overcomes past grudges and bows deeply to Jin Sakai. Here, if the player returns the bow as an in-game action from Jin Sakai, Tenzo is surprised and mutters as if he has seen something unbelievable: “A samurai bowing to a raider, now I’ve seen everything.”

This brief exchange of words is the ultimate fruition of the philosophy reached by Iki Island. A “Samurai” standing at the top of the class system, and a “Raider” positioned at the bottom of society and despised. It is the moment when two entities that should absolutely never cross paths and should kill each other under the logic of Tsushima, understand each other’s sins and pains, and pay respect to one another as fellow human beings. Jin Sakai has completely shed the outer shell of “Honor” and established his ethical view as an individual. It is a beautiful scene where the paradigm of Samurai society collapses, and a new morality arises through the connection between individuals.

Conclusion: The End of Honor and the True Completion of “The Ghost”

For the man named Jin Sakai, the island of Iki was not merely a physical battlefield, but an internal, spiritual one. In the main story of Tsushima, Jin Sakai achieved a parting with the “Honor” preached by Lord Shimura, but that was strongly characterized as a “difference in methodology (tactics)” within the framework of Tsushima. However, on Iki, he was forced to confront the fundamental sins inherent in Bushido itself: its “arrogance,” “relativity,” and “violence toward the weak.”

His father, Kazumasa, committed massacres under the righteous cause of bringing order, and was killed under the phrase “May your death benefit all beings.” Fune, Tenzo, and the Raiders of Iki, while hating the hypocrisy of the Samurai, possessed their own codes and love to fiercely protect their community. As “The Impact of Loss” shows, the harsh real world is overflowing with tragedies that the idealism of the Samurai cannot fully save, and as the legend of Black Hand Riku tells, pure violence ultimately invites self-destruction. The truth of history easily inverts depending on the standpoint of the teller, much like the regrets of the victims hidden behind “The Legend of Tadayori.”

When Jin Sakai interacted with the people of Iki, forgave his father’s killer, Tenzo, and finally bowed to each other, he was completely liberated from the social attribute of being a “Samurai of Tsushima and the head of the Sakai clan.” He became an existence that does not condemn others with righteous causes, but stays close to individual pain and sorrow, protecting the people living in the present even while covered in mud. That is the figure of the “true Ghost” that Jin Sakai, having overcome his trauma on the land of Iki, has reached. Iki, another homeland where the “Honor” of Tsushima holds no sway, was a cruel, and above all, beautiful island of requiem meant to shatter the illusion of the Samurai and resurrect Jin Sakai as a single human being.