Ghost of Tsushima: The Ghost of Yarikawa
Ghost of Tsushima's The Ghost of Yarikawa is a major quest in Act 2 and the continuation of The Coward of Yarikawa. In this quest, Jin, Yuna, Taka, and the people of Yarikawa Stronghold defend their home from the onslaught of the Mongol siege.
This quest culminates in the duel between Jin and General Temuge of the Mongol army, leading to the unlocking of two crucial game mechanics in the game:
- Slaughter mechanic
- Ghost Stance
Yarikawa Stronghold is under Mongol siege. Yuna, Taka, and I managed to find their missing archers and helped them return home.
Now it's time we break the Mongol siege.
Rewards:
- Major Legend Increase
Speak with Taka
After finishing The Coward of Yarikawa, you will find yourself back inside Yarikawa Stronghold. You will see Daikoku training new recruits that will defend the stronghold.
Daikoku: Lord Sakai!
Jin: How are the new recruits, Daikoku?
Daikoku: Their spirits have lifted. They know the Ghost is with us.
Move a few steps forward, and you will find Taka standing next to more recruits.
Taka: Lord Sakai, you're back!
Jin: Taka. Yarikawa has a fighting chance because of our efforts. You should be proud.
Taka: I am, my lord. But the Mongols are growing restless outside.
Jin: We showed them Yarikawa won't surrender. Now they want payback.
Taka: Will they attack tonight?
Jin: Unlikely. They'll give us a sleepless night, then attack tomorrow. When we're exhausted. Get some rest while you can.
Taka: I almost forgot. Yuna is in the keep. She wants you to meet her there.
Jin: Thank you, Taka.
Meet Yuna at the top of the steward’s keep
After talking to Taka, go to the highest tower in the stronghold to speak to Yuna.
At the entrance to the tower, you will meet Ujimasa.
Ujimasa: Lord Sakai.
Jin: Preparations for the town's defenses are going well.
Ujimasa: Daikoku tells me this is the Ghost's doing. Thank you. But it won't change what I think of your uncle.
Jin: That's not my goal. The samurai were wiped out. We need you.
Ujimasa: You need bodies to throw at the Mongols.
Jin: Yarikawa's people are known for their courage and skill. We need that more than anything.
Ujimasa: I'll consider it.
Use the ladders and keep on ascending until you reach the top. There you will find Yuna in a better mood, compared to last time.
Jin: You're awake, too.
Yuna: They killed the samurai. What chance do a bunch of farmers have?
Jin: We have to try.
Yuna: I think you need this more than me.
A cutscene will follow and both Jin and Yuna drinks to lessen their anxiety for the coming battle.
Yuna: Kenji spent the rest of the day wearing one sandal.
Jin: This is terrible.
Yuna: My mother loved it. Used to drink it like water. She'd get so mad when she ran out. Yelled at us... "Where's my tea?"
Jin: Sounds like a demanding woman.
Yuna: She broke Taka's arm when she was six. I took him away. Ran as far from her as we could get. We heard they found her a month later. Facedown in the street.
Jin: You were brave to protect your brother. Sometimes... our only choice is to walk away from everything we know.
Follow Yuna
The next day, as expected, the Mongols have started their attack on the stronghold.
Jin: Yuna...!
Yuna: Jin! This is it.
Jin: To the gates! (Grunt)
Yuna: Whatever happens... we don't retreat...
Reach the main gate
You will find Taka waiting outside as you exit the tower.
Taka: Jin! Yuna! The Mongols -
Jin: Let's go! How close?
Taka: They're at the main gates. If they get through -
Yuna: We'll stop them.
Peasant: There he is! The Ghost!
Peasant: The Ghost! Save us!
Jin: Taka! Gather everyone who can't fight and get them to the keep.
Taka: Everyone! Take shelter in the keep! Quickly!
Peasant: They're at the gates! They're attacking!
Yuna: They'll breach the gate.
Defend the main gate
It's time to fight the Mongols and defend the main gate.
Jin: Stand your ground! Every Mongol who sets foot inside our walls will die. Don't let them past you!
Daikoku: Archers! Cut them down!
Samurai: For Yarikawa! For the Ghost!
Samurai: Don't let them past!
Defend the northern gate
Once the enemies in the main gate are mostly defeated, it's time to defend the other gate.
Yuna: Jin! They're breaking through the other gate!
Jin: Warriors of Yarikawa! Hold this position! Yuna, with me!
A few enemies will be at the main gate, but most of the action will now be on the other gate.
Jin: Drive them back! Hold this gate!
Peasant: The Ghost!
Samurai: Hold the gate! Drive them back!
Yuna: More! Charging the bridge!
Jin: Keep them out of the city! Archers! Hold them back!
After defeating most of the Mongols, there will be a cutscene and the remaining enemies will all run out of the stronghold.
Yuna: They're falling back.
Jin: We barely damaged them. What are they up to?
Yuna: Trying to lure us out?
Jin: No... Hold them off as long as you can. Then fall back to the keep. I'll deal with the siege weapons.
Yuna: I should come with you -
Jin: No! Taka needs you!
Reach the Mongol siege weapons
Just before the cutscene ends, one of the catapults of the siege weapons will land next to you.
It's time to disable these ranged weapons. First, you have to reach the cliff where they are located. This is the same cliff that you passed through in the quest The Walls of Yarikawa. All you had to do is climb it again.
You will be meeting a lot of Mongol enemies on your way to this cliff. However, you can all ignore them. Just focus on reaching the cliff.
Jin: Have to break through the Mongol line... Destroy those siege weapons. Burn the siege engines.
Once you have climbed the cliff, focus on eliminating all the Mongols there. You can easily disable the catapults afterward.
Return to Yarikawa Stronghold
After disabling the catapults, you will find out that the stronghold has been breached and the Mongols were able to get inside.
Jin: They broke through the walls. But we can still drive them out. Won't be easy to get back to the stronghold.
You can use the same path that you used to go to the cliff. And like earlier, you can ignore all the enemies outside the stronghold. Just get back inside.
Reach the steward’s keep
While approaching the steward's keep, you will hear General Temuge giving a speech.
General Temuge: I gave you a choice. You chose death!
Jin: Damn. That's the general, Temuge. Sounds like he's near the Keep.
General Temuge: Yarikawa... will burn!
Upon reaching the Keep's gate, you will find out that it's locked. To have it opened, you must defeat the Mongols near the gate.
Duel with General Temuge
After clearing the area of Mongol enemies, you will be able to open the gate. A cutscene will follow showing General Temuge waiting for your duel.
Jin: Temuge! Face me!
General Temuge: The Ghost! Khotun will reward me for your head.
Jin: I am Jin Sakai! And I have killed like you all across our island.
General Temuge: Your blood will soakd the island!
Jin: Careful, Temuge! You can't get Khotun's reward if you're dead.
General Temuge: A lucky blow! You won't get another!
Jin: You have killed men in many countries, Temuge. But here... you die.
Slaughter Mechanic Unlocked
This fight with General Temuge will unlock a new exciting game mechanic for you, the action called slaughter.
The slaughter mechanic enables you to kill the leader of a Mongol camp or territory in one strike. This action is typically shown as a decapitation, where you cut-off the head of the leader.
Because of this fight with General Temuge, you have the chance to slaughter the leaders of Mongol camps.
To do this successfully, you have to do a sneak attack on the leader. The trigger for Slaughter will show up if the target is truly a leader.
The attack that you will do then will be a head-cut.
And the enemy's head will surely fall off.
Ghost Stance Unlocked
In addition to unlocked the Slaughter mechanic, you also unlock a new combat mechanic called Ghost Stance.
To enter the Ghost Stance, either Slaughter Mongol leaders from stealth or kill enough enemies without taking damage. You can activate it by pressing L3 and R3 at the same time.
What is Ghost Stance?
When you activate the ghost stance, all enemies that are nearby will become helpless. They will not be able to attack you nor escape. They will be defenseless and will definitely die in two strikes.
By default, you will be able to kill a maximum of three enemies while in ghost stance. With the help of an armor set that you will acquire in the future, this count will increase.
You can observe that the game appears in grayscale while in ghost stance. However, when you actually attack, the full screen will appear in a shade of red.
Jin: Invaders! Look at your general! Run! Or this will be your fate.
Drive the Mongols from Yarikawa Stronghold
After the Mongols witness the Ghost slaughter General Temuge, they will all panic and run out of the keep. It's time to finish the battle.
By fighting the enemies, you will be able to enter the ghost stance again once you have filled the meter. Ensure that you do not take damage though as that will reset the meter.
Jin: People of Yarikawa! Hunt every Mongol to the last man! Spare no one! Keep after them! No mercy!
Samurai: Kill them all!
Jin: Cut them down!
Samura: Take their heads!
Peasant: For the Ghost!
Jin: Everyone to the gate! Push through!
Samurai: For the Ghost!
Jin: Push them back!
Peasant: Cut them down!
Samurai: The Ghost!
Jin: Run, cowards!
Keep pushing the Mongols away from the stronghold and finally when you have reached the outer gates, you will get a cutscene.
The battle is over.
Taka: Yuna.
Jin: We saved your town. Now, we help Lord Shimura save our island.
Peasant: We are not soldiers!
Jin: Who killed these Mongols? Who stood against their siege? Who saved Yarikawa?
Taka: We did.
Yuna: You can't just stay here and wait for the Mongols to try again.
Jin: You say you are not soldiers... you are warriors. We can defeat the invaders... and save our home. But only if we stand together.
With the support of Yarikawa secured, Jin has completed his main objective.
Jin: It's done. Yarikawa will join our fight. But I have other duties before we can retake Lord Shimura's castle.
And with that, you have completed The Ghost of Yarikawa major quest.
Khotun Khan and Ryuzo
At the end of Act 1, we learned that Ryuzo has joined forces with Khotun Khan and helped him enter Castle Shimura.
The death of General Temuge has reached Khotun Khan and this time, he approaches Ryuzo to eliminate Jin.
Khotun Khan: Your friend defeated one of my best generals. My men have started to believe he's invincible. You will prove them wrong.
Ryuzo: I don't care about the reward for Jin's head.
Khotun Khan: Have you stopped caring for your loyal Straw Hats?
Ryuzo: Jin is the best swordsman on the island. My men can't kill him -
Khotun Khan: There are many ways to eliminate a foe. Find another.
Ryuzo: What if... we didn't have to kill him?
The Next Quest
If you would like to continue with the next major quest, let's proceed with Ghosts from the Past.
