Ghost of Yotei protagonist: What is the controversy?

Following the reveal of Sucker Punch's latest PS5 project, much controversy has begun surrounding the Ghost of Yotei protagonist. The upcoming sequel to 2020's beloved Ghost of Tsushima is set centuries after the adventures of Jin Sakai, and as such, features a new protagonist named Atsu. Unfortunately, her identity as a female warrior has some gamers up in arms.

Honestly, this isn't all too surprising given that the modern "culture war" trend tends to rear its head every time gender or sexual minorities pop up in games or other media. Read on to learn more about the controversy surrounding Atsu, the protagonist of Ghost of Yotei.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinion.

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Why is the Ghost of Yotei protagonist controversial?

Atsu in Ghost of Yotei (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

With Ghost of Tsushima, players were introduced to protagonist Jin Sakai, who fought against the Mongol Invasion of Japan in the year 1274. The hero's calm demeanor and strong personality made him an instant hit among fans, despite the game being a brand-new IP pit against decades of iconic Sony mascots like Kratos (God of War) and Nathan Drake (Uncharted).

Ghost of Yotei, on the other hand, is set in Ezo (or present-day Hokkaido) almost 400 years later. Since it is physically impossible for Jin to return to this new tale, having a new protagonist is a no-brainer. However, the fact that Jin is absent and that a female Ronin will succeed him has not gone down well with some.

Here are just a few examples under Sucker Punch's official announcement post on X criticizing the Ghost of Yotei protagonist:

Moreover, the revelation that the Ghost of Yotei protagonist will be voiced by voice actress Erika Isshi, who happens to be genderfluid, has some gamers riled up:

Such doom and gloom is bizarre since we do not know much about Atsu yet as Sucker Punch has not released many story details. The same fans also cite "historical inaccuracy" due to the Ghost of Yotei protagonist being a woman - which is funny as Japanese history sees "onna-musha" (or quite literally "female warriors") recorded as far back as the early 1180s - which is a century before the events of Ghost of Tsushima.

Some prominent figures include Tomoe Gozen (Battle of Awazu), Hangaku Gozen (Kennin Rebellion), Empress Jingu, and more. As such, any claims that women never fought in battles across Japanese history are unfounded as well. We have already seen similar resistance lately against Concord and some upcoming games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

We reviewed Sony's failed multiplayer shooter Concord, and the game's numerous design and technical issues ensured that character pronouns displayed during the selection screen were hardly the nail in its coffin.

Many have questioned the validity of the Black warrior Yasuke being a samurai in Assassin's Creed Shadows. That said, it is likely that the drama surrounding the Ghost of Yotei protagonist Atsu is from a vocal minority.

Regardless, despite how popular the previous game was and how strong the PlayStation brand is as a whole, Ghost of Yotei is unlikely to fall prey to any potential boycotts or cancel campaigns from gamers.

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Ghost of Yotei launches on the PS5 in 2025.