Ghost of Tsushima was praised for its plethora of positives. One of these was the character of Yuna, a headstrong thief who helps the protagonist Jin Sakai on his quest to retake his island from the Mongols. She’s constantly there for him, sticks with him through thick and thin, and is more than capable of handling herself in a fight.
These characteristics are all immediately noticeable. However, Yuna also comes with several aspects that might fly under the radar for players. Some of these are character subtleties only detectable on a closer look. Others may be plot holes that can’t be explained any other way. She even has a few behind-the-scenes details that are worth noting. All in all, what gamers see is not all they get with Yuna.
10 She’s not played by a popular celebrity
As more and more video games go for the realistic approach and strive to be seen as movies, developers often employ live-action actors to voice and/or mo-cap their characters. Many of them even market the game using the celebrity’s face and name recognition. While Ghost of Tsushima does this for some of its cast, Yuna is not one of them.
Yuna is played by Sumalee Montano, who’s lent her voice to countless works over the years. Transformers Prime, Star Wars, Spider-Man, and various DC animated projects are just a few items on her resume. She’s far more prolific in the recording booth than on a screen, though one wouldn’t guess that from how powerful her performance is, both physically and vocally. Mainstream works rarely cast voice actors in central roles, which is a shame since they are just as talented (if not more so) than screen actors. Yuna defying this convention is worth noting.
9 She speaks to Jin like a normal person
Even in a time of crisis where their entire society is threatened, most of Tsushima still treats Jin like royalty. He’s always “Lord Sakai,” “the jito’s nephew,” or some other significant name. One mustn’t forget one’s etiquette, after all.
Yuna is the exception to this, referring to Jin on a first-name basis and addressing him much more casually. Maybe it’s because she’s seen him at his lowest and therefore feels more familiar around him, or it could be due to her subjugated life making her jaded to such authority. Either way, it’s a quirk that becomes more noticeable as Jin interacts with others.
8 She should be thanked for saving Japan
Yuna seems to show more initiative than Jin from the get-go. She concludes that they should fight the Mongols through dishonorable means, she comes up with the Ghost persona, and she feeds the legend by relating his deeds to awestruck onlookers. This arguably makes Yuna more instrumental in Tsushima’s salvation than the titular warrior.
Granted, much of Jin’s struggle is internal, but his character arc still doesn’t have much forward momentum. Players might not even think he was the protagonist if they weren’t controlling the guy.
7 She’s unexpectedly patient with Lord Shimura
For much of the time, Yuna comes across as a no-nonsense individual who’s quick to anger due to past disappointments. This makes it somewhat perplexing that she’s so accepting when it comes to her bargain.
Yuna helps Jin save his uncle in exchange for safe passage out of the island. This sounds simple enough but said uncle constantly holds off delivering on his end. He keeps asking more of Yuna, believing it’s her duty, and she reluctantly goes along with it. Some might say she’s cutting him some slack, others might call it inconsistent characterization for the sake of the plot.
6 She has superhuman strength
After the disastrous beach battle in the prologue, Jin wakes up in Yuna’s hut. She says that she pulled him from the battlefield and has been nursing him back to health. However, this does not explain how she was able to carry a fully-grown, armored man such a long distance. Yuna would theoretically have to do this quickly to avoid the Mongols who would inevitably be lurking about, both on the beach and in the surrounding area.
Yuna may not look like Gina Carano, but she’s apparently a pillar of strength in feudal Japan. This thief missed her calling as a tank.
5 Her relationship with Jin is not romantic
The easy option for a male and female character is to pair them in a romance. Whether it makes sense or not, storytellers often take this predictable route. Few writers these days seem content to have two such characters care for each other as friends or allies.
Fortunately, Yuna’s relationship with Jin falls into this rare group. She and the titular Ghost certainly grow closer as the story progresses, but it never becomes romantic. Rather, they can share a drink and lean on each other for support, bonded through trauma, trials, and tribulations. The fact that Yuna avoids such a trite trope may be overlooked by some, but it cannot be praised enough.
4 She helps Jin through the character arc she already had
In essence, Yuna pushes Jin past his samurai mindset, asserting that the world is more complicated than he has been led to believe. To tackle the bad, one sometimes has to be worse. She constantly rejects his naïve beliefs and urges him toward dishonorable tactics to win.
Yuna learned this years prior. To make a better life for herself and her brother, Yuna unwittingly made a deal with a slave trader, leading to untold traumas for both children. This was instrumental in shaping her as an adult. She is extremely distrustful of others and resorts to whatever dirty trick is necessary to survive. Yuna is the Ghost before the Ghost and a complex mentor figure.
3 She has the worst luck in the world
The sheer amount of torture that Yuna has had to deal with would be comical if it wasn’t so tragic, and it becomes more apparent when looking back at the various side missions. First, she and her brother had to live with an abusive mother. Then, they were kidnapped and sold into slavery, suffering endless pain and humiliation at a prison camp. It’s only after being sold again to another abusive master that she escapes.
Yuna supposedly catches a break when she allies with Jin, but her dream of leaving Tsushima is postponed repeatedly by his stuck-up uncle. Finally, her brother is beheaded by the Mongol leader. It’s like the writers threw every tragic backstory they could think of into one character.
2 She’s secretly the villain
Antagonists generally work to undermine or sabotage the protagonists in some way, making life difficult for the heroes and attempting to get them to compromise their values. It doesn’t take a magnifying glass to spot this pattern in Yuna’s behavior. She tears down Jin’s straight-laced, honorable outlook and teaches him the ways of a covert killer.
Furthermore, Yuna stresses an utter lack of mercy toward one’s opponent. They don’t deserve a fair shake, and they must be taught to fear the Ghost and his wrath. To be fair, Yuna does this for justifiable reasons. However, she’s ultimately responsible for turning Jin into what his peers consider his worst self, making him a fugitive and bringing shame on his family.
1 She contradicts Sucker Punch’s previous work
Yuna is a thief, and she teaches Jin her stealthy ways so that he can come out on top. According to her, the indirect approach is better than the direct approach. While this ultimately works in repelling the Mongols, it’s constantly condemned by those versed in the samurai code. Yuna is not honorable, and her actions should not be praised (necessary as they may be).
This stands in stark contrast to the ideology in Sucker Punch’s earlier series, Sly Cooper. These stylish platformers assert that even thieves have a code of honor, and those who follow it should be admired. The third game is even called Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. It’s interesting, then, that the studio could pull such a 180 when it comes to Yuna (despite including the Assassin as a class in the online mode).
Part of that could be due to the dourer tone of Ghost of Tsushima. However, it doesn’t change the fact that Sucker Punch’s past character was praised for his profession while this new character is spit on for practicing the same craft.
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