Ghost Of Yotei’s Star Is A Deadly Force Of Feminine Nature

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I came to Sensei Takahashi hoping to learn how to wield the yari, but instead we’re sitting by the ocean, on the edge of a cliff, painting sumi-e. Ghost of Tsushima offers several chances to step away from fighting ronin and try this East Asian painting style, but this is the first time it’s been included as part of the main character Atsu’s training.

It all fits together nicely. Sucker Punch’s long-awaited follow-up to 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima centers around a female warrior seeking vengeance. Between intense combat sequences, Atsu mirrors many of the actions of the first game’s hero, Jin Sakai. She finds peace through meditation at hot springs, pays respects to gods at shrines, tracks wildlife to discover new locations, and frees animals held captive.

However, Atsu has an even deeper connection to nature than Jin. Her love of the arts, combined with her relentless and fierce determination, results in Ghost of Yotei being a powerfully beautiful representation of feminine strength. It’s a divine take on the power of femininity.

The warrior woman

Astu, a complex young woman brought to life by Erika Ishii’s compelling performance, is driven by a strong desire for revenge. She firmly believes those responsible for her family’s death must pay, and she’s unwavering in this conviction. However, beneath her tough exterior lies a vulnerability she actively tries to conceal. When strangers approach her campfire, her first instinct is to reach for her katana. She only relaxes and shows kindness if they are clearly in need of help, share a love for the shamisen (Japanese string instrument), or are members of the Ainu (the indigenous people of Hokkaido).

That barrier exists to keep her safe, naturally. In 1600s Japan, women were expected to be obedient to the men in their lives – their husbands and other male figures. Women generally couldn’t travel by themselves. However, women from working-class families *were* expected to work, either with their husbands or, in cities, as hostesses at sake shops or as domestic servants. Atsu doesn’t have a husband, and she’s spent most of her life learning to fight and traveling to earn a living. Therefore, meeting anyone new often leads to questions and disbelief.

“No way,” a settler retorts, spitting on the ground when his companion suggests paying Atsu to join them for safety. He adds, “She’s a woman.”

The story goes beyond simply being unbelievable; there’s a constant danger of violence. A woman Atsu meets shares how she disguised herself as a man for years, even enduring a painful branding in silence to protect her true identity. There’s also a scene where Atsu unexpectedly enters a samurai leader’s private room and finds him unclothed and anticipating a sex worker. Later, she blends into the background of a sake house simply because she’s (unwillingly) wearing a kimono. While playing zeni hajiki (a game based on the children’s game ohajiki), her opponent tells Atsu about a quiet, unassuming woman who once won a lot of money from the men in his gambling den by taking advantage of their underestimation. We eventually discover that woman was Atsu’s mother.

Even when not directly driving the plot or creating problems, Atsu’s identity as a woman is always felt, like a delicate, almost invisible layer over everything. Will the men nearby attempt to harm her, or will they try to trade with her? Will the ruthless ruler accept the gift she offers, or will he imprison her and inflict suffering that only women experience?

Ecofeminists highlight the issues that occur when we link women and nature, only to then control and oppress both. In a region of Yotei, a dangerous leader called the Oni commands the Oni Raiders, who use fire to burn farms and devastate the land, leaving dark marks across vast areas. If a woman attempts to flee their captivity, these raiders will kill her and display her body as a grim warning to anyone who might try to rebel.

As a fan, I really feel like Atsu just *gets* these people. She sees right through them, and honestly, it’s terrifying. It’s not just about her being in danger, though – she understands they’re a threat to everything in Yotei, even the smallest, most defenseless things. It’s like she’s protecting not just people, but the whole land itself. It’s a powerful moment to see her recognize that.

A force of nature

Atsu is most exposed to danger when she’s near the creatures of Yotei and while exploring its forests, plains, and mountaintops-precisely because this is where she feels most at home and safe. It’s in these places that she often pauses to use her sumi-e tools and paint scenes of waves hitting the cliffs, or bows respectfully before a small wooden sign, hoping to be surrounded by Japanese fireflies, or plays her shamisen while riding Shimaki, her horse.

She has an almost magical gift for understanding and connecting with the natural world-she can calm frightened horses and guide them home, follow a fox on a whim and stumble upon amazing sights, and even call a wolf to her with the music of her shamisen. Atsu is truly a powerful presence, like a force of nature herself: a woman who always seems to have the wind at her back, and who can command wolves, their fangs bared, to defend her. She’s not someone to be trifled with.

When Atsu goes to relax in a hot spring, she’s frequently accompanied by animal companions – often a large, white deer or a group of playful foxes. She actually *prefers* these animal friends to people who are similar to her. “I sometimes long for someone to talk to,” Atsu explains, while immersed in the pale blue water, “but then people start talking-and talking, and talking-and that reminds me why I enjoy being alone.”

For Atsu, conversations with people frequently lead to them facing the blade of her katana. “I don’t hurt kids or animals,” Atsu explains. However, she *does* target those who harm animals, sometimes even with those animals standing right beside her. She embodies the fury of nature itself, her sword cutting through defenses as sharply as the frigid winds on Mount Yotei.

While some might see Yotei as continuing the spiritual ideas from Tsushima – a traditional Japanese belief system that finds gods in nature – Atsu’s connection to the natural world is actually much more profound than Jin’s. And when you consider the stories about Yotei claiming she’s an onryō (a restless spirit who can’t find peace until they get revenge), Atsu’s link to nature becomes even more powerful.

She’s able to tap into a powerful, otherworldly feminine energy, unleashing an Onryō Shout that frightens the men before her into obedience-she brings her arms close to her body, as if gathering strength from the surrounding air, then releases a terrifying scream that causes the ground to tremble, crushes nearby plants, and forces men to kneel.

Atsu is a powerful and unstoppable character, dedicated to defending the natural world. In Ghost of Yotei, we witness her harnessing its strength to deliver justice to those who have harmed people, animals, and the land itself – those who prioritize destruction over growth. She’s incredibly compelling, making it easy to become immersed in the game and eager to complete just one more side quest, whether it’s eliminating wolf trappers or scaling a cliff to pay respects at a sacred shrine. She’s a fierce guardian of nature-a divinely dangerous woman-and we are simply assisting her in her mission.

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2025-10-03 19:42