Ghost of Yotei received the seal of approval from one of the former heads of Sony Interactive Entertainment amidst the hate and backlash.

Ghost of Yotei was recently revealed during the latest PlayStation State of Play, and the gaming community has mixed feelings about the idea of playing as a female samurai in the highly-anticipated sequel. Jin Sakai has been the leading man of the Ghost franchise; however, the game developers of Sucker Punch Productions saw the opportunity to go beyond the conflicts on the island of Tsushima and expand the franchise even further with a new protagonist in Atsu.

The gaming community is not fully on board about playing as a female samurai which is silly nowadays. Image Credit: Sucker Punch Productions

The official announcement trailer revealed that this game will be taking place roughly 300 years after the events of Ghost of Tsushima and it is more than guaranteed that Jin is no longer in the picture. The developers saw the opportunity for the Ghost moniker to be a mantle that can be passed down to generations and this new tale of Atsu could be just as good, if not better than the first installment once fans gave it a chance.

The Lead of the Ghost of Yotei Found an Ally From an Old Friend of Sony and PlayStation

Former Sony exec does not see the need to criticize a video game because of the protagonist’s gender. Image Credit: Sucker Punch Productions

The game developers of Sucker Punch Productions saw the potential to expand the Ghost franchise into something larger and rather than making a direct sequel that takes place after the events of Ghost of Tsushima, the team opted to go 300 years into the future with the Ghost of Yotei. The developers found Atsu in Erika Ishii and the actor has been in a handful of other video game projects in the past few years and has made a name for themselves.

While it is sad to see Daisuke Tsuji’s Jin Sakai return as the main character in The Ghost of Yotei, some fans are quite vocal about it and are already targeting the new lead for the dumbest reasons imaginable. Some fans can’t wrap their heads around the possibility of a strong female protagonist and Shawn Layden has had enough of listening to the same ridiculous discussion. The gaming community has grown accustomed to the idea that only strong and buff men can be the leads of a popular and growing franchise refusing to believe women can be seen as equals.

Some fans may have forgotten that Yuna, a female thief, saved Jin from dying on the beach of Komoda during the opening battle of Ghost of Tsushima. If Yuna had not risked her neck for Jin after the initial siege of the Mongol invaders, Jin would have suffered the same fate as the other samurai. Yuna was the person who encouraged Jin to take on the role of the Ghost which gave the people of Tsushima hope. While details about the new protagonist are vague, one can assume Atsu has what it takes to live up to Jin’s legacy as the Ghost of Yotei.

There is a strong possibility that Atsu could be a direct descendant of Jin Sakai. The ending of first game ended on a bitter note after Lord Shimura was forced to bring the Ghost who also happens to be his nephew and only family left to the shogun or kill him to avoid inspiring the people to take matters into their own hands and disobey the samurai rule. Players can either choose to kill and honor Shimura’s wish for an honorable death or spare Lord Shimura but the outcome will be the same as Jin will be branded a fugitive and an enemy of Japan. Perhaps Jin fled north to Yotei where he fled and started a family.

Ghost of Yotei Is Not the Only Video Game That Triggered the Gaming Community

Atsu can be just as cool as Jin Sakai once the gaming community gives her a chance. Image Credit: Sucker Punch Productions

Other iconic first-party video game franchises under the PlayStation Studios banner like The Last of Us and Horizon have been constantly bombarded by hate comments and derogatory language by the minority who fail to accept strong characters. Laura Bailey’s Abby had a terrible experience after leaks have surfaced of her character’s actions and fans did not bother separating the actor from the character. Erika Ishii is vocal, highly strung, and will likely face the same hurdles.

Heroines are nothing new; however, some fans are tired of seeing male leads be overshadowed or outright replaced by other female characters. This is evident in the recent projects from the Marvel Cinematic Universe which is a different conversation entirely, and it also applies to major video game franchises like Ghost of Yotei. Jin Sakai is not the focal point of the Ghost franchise, and his heroic actions could inspire generations of newer legends to take on the role of the Ghost.

Erika Ishii has a lot to live up to, especially after the great and endearing performance Daisuke Tsuji has provided in Ghost of Tsushima. The developers of Sucker Punch Productions wouldn’t entrust this role to Ishii if they had reservations about her acting chops nor would Ishii take on the role if the script wasn’t polished or will tell a great story.

Sucker Punch Productions likely anticipated this kind of hateful language from other players and will take the high road with Ishii to ignore them and use this as motivation. Atsu is not Jin Sakai and she doesn’t need to be to escape his looming shadow.

What are your thoughts about a female protagonist in The Ghost of Yotei? Let us know in the comments section below!