Unlike Ghost of Tsushima, which has two endings, Ghost of Yotei features one absolute ending. However, the story can get tedious to understand if you weren’t paying attention throughout. Ghost of Yotei is a through-and-through story of revenge where Atsu goes out to find the killers of her family, going by the name Yotei Six.
Apart from the main story, dozens of side missions give further insight into Atsu’s full story. Since there is a lot of cover, we’ve done our best to explain the events that unfold later in the game. Furthermore, we’ve also covered some hidden details that long-term fans would appreciate.
Why Does Lord Saito Kill Atsu’s Family?
Lord Saito is the big bad wolf in the story of Ghost of Yotei; however, he, too, is a victim of revenge. In the past, Saito felt betrayed by Atsu’s father, Master Kengo. Here’s the full content of what Lord Saito’s missive contained:
Master Kengo was an unmatched swordsmith, but more than that, he was my friend. Kengo was the first to welcome me home after years of being a hostage. He forged the very sword I am using to defend Ezo. So when he deserted me as my wife and children were starving… and convinced so many others to leave… I took no pleasure in the Night of the Burning Tree, but I don’t lose sleep over it.
Originally, Master Kengo was Saito’s swordsmith, whom he held dear to him. Saito even cherished their friendship because Kengo welcomed him back after being held hostage. Furthermore, Kengo is the very person who forged his katana to defend Ezo.
However, the friendship turned bitter as Saito believed Kengo had to be held responsible because he deserted him, his daughter, and his wife. On the contrary, Atsu’s father left Saito’s side because of his actions. But it’s only a misunderstanding, and neither was wrong on their side.
Since Saito held Master Kengo close to him, the deep betrayal led to the actions of him killing Kengo’s family. Saito even apologizes to Atsu while stabbing her shoulder because she unwantingly got involved in the feud.
In the Lord Saito Missive on betrayal, it is revealed that Saito doesn’t take pleasure from his actions during the Night of the Burning Tree (the night Atsu’s family died). But again, Saito doesn’t feel bad enough to lose sleep over it, because he only avenged his family’s slow and painful passing.
How Did Atsu Find Out Jubei Survived the Night of the Burning Tree?
During the Oni storyline, Atsu allies with Lord Kitamori of the Matsumae clan. While they both strive towards one goal, both of them sit at camp to take rest and strategise their next move. While sitting, Lord Kitamori realises the hilt of Atsu’s katana, which of a wolf. Upon noticing, Lord Kitamori asks Atsu, she got that sword.
Atsu doesn’t answer him straight away about her past, and lies that she got that from a dead man. Lord Kitamori did understand it was a lie, and then confronted Atsu to not lie to him. However, Atsu didn’t lie exactly because she does say that it belonged to her father, who’s now dead.
Lord Kitamori then calls out to Atsu and asks why she didn’t realise that her own brother was standing right in front of him. After knowing the truth, Atsu gets a bit overwhelmed because she couldn’t believe Jubei was alive. However, when Atsu calls Lord Kitamori, “Jubei,” he instantly falters, crying in disbelief that it’s actually Atsu.
Apparently, both Atsu and Jubei came to the assumption that both of them died during the Night of the Burning Tree. Eventually, Atsu asked Jubei how he ended up surviving such a fateful night. This is what he answered:
A samurai found me and nursed me back to health. Atsu, I thought you were dead. If I had known you had survived, I… It took weeks just to gain the strength to walk again. And then… I couldn’t go back. I have never been back. But we are together now.
After the events of the Night of the Burning Tree, Jubei was rescued by a samurai (Matsumae clan) and nursed back to health. It took weeks for him to recover his strength and walk again. So, when Atsu waited for days for her brother to return, the two were unable to unite because of his health.
Furthermore, they weren’t able to meet before because Jubei didn’t have the courage to go back to their old house due to the horrors. Despite past resentments, Jubei felt happy that Atsu and him are reunited again. After that, they continued to chat about what had happened after the dark event in their lives.
Why Does Lord Saito Spare Kiku’s Life Despite Capturing Her?
During the story, it is revealed that Kiku is the daughter of Jubei, and Lord Saito holds her as a hostage to fight Atsu alone. Once Jubei, Oyuki, and Atsu reach Saito, they find Lord Saito playing a game with Kiku, and confronting that he used to play it when his children were young.
I used to play something similar with my children when they were young, and I thought they would outlive me. All my children are gone now.
It becomes more apparent that Lord Saito doesn’t mean harm to Kiku because she reminded him of the life he threw away. However, vengeance runs through him still. Lord Saito eventually agrees to let go of Kiku after Jubei and Oyuki allow Atsu to fight him in a duel.
Atsu does ask whether it was worth it for Lord Saito to kill her family and lose his living kin. However, Lord Saito’s soul doesn’t get moved; instead, he exclaims, “Your father betrayed me. Creatures such as you and I cannot resist the call of revenge.” Thus begins the final boss fight.
Does Lord Saito Die at the End of Ghost of Yotei?
Yes, Lord Saito dies at the end of Ghost of Yotei. After a hard battle, Atsu almost loses to Lord Saito during the final battle; however, Jubei comes in as backup, stating they’ll protect this family. It’s made clear that regret lies in both Jubei and Atsu as they weren’t able to protect their parents.
In the heroic moment, Jubei shows his pride as a samurai, a brother, and a father to protect the one he loves. However, soon after, Saito manages to lethally stab Jubei. On seeing that, Atsu gets enraged and jumps that Saito with a sword and stabbing him to pin him against the very tree where Atsu was left for dead during the Night of the Burning Tree.
During this moment, Lord Saito, during his last breath, announces that Atsu is alone. Despite facing the heavy loss of losing her brother, she replies to Lord Saito that Kiku is still there and she won’t be alone.
Does the Cycle of Revenge End With Atsu?
The entire story of Ghost of Yotei is about the cycle of revenge. It all started with Lord Saito feeling betrayed by Master Kengo, which led to a new cycle of hatred as he killed him. The desire for revenge against the deceased family members drove both Lord Saito and Astu.
However, this is where the contrast lies. Lord Saito held on to his anger and didn’t look at what he had, even after losing her daughter and wife. While Atsu had just lost her brother after the final confrontation, she decided to look at Kiku and promised that she wouldn’t be alone.
For a long time, Atsu has been driven to find Lord Saito and avenge her family because the perpetrator lived. This leads to the unending pursuit from a very young age. However, Kiku, who just lost her father, won’t feel the urge for revenge because her father’s killer has been dealt with.
During the epilogue, Kiku and Oyuki are shown spending time while Atsu places a yellow flower on her brother’s grave. At this moment, Atsu is reached by the wolf that has been aiding her journey for a long time. Atsu then continues to pet it, saying that her hunt is over. During his cinematic yet sad moment, the wolf turns away then goes while whimpering.
In a way, it shows that Kiku has given up on being a lone wolf because she has people around her. During the ending scene, Atsu looks at her new family and delivers a smile, showing that the cycle of revenge has ended.
That was everything you needed to know to understand the ending of Ghost of Yotei. Did you like the ending, or did you find Ghost of Tsushima better? Share with us in the comments.
