Alright, let’s talk about Ghost of Tsushima and its endings. I remember picking this game up, hearing all the buzz about the samurai action and the beautiful world. Fired it up on my console and just got lost in it for weeks. Riding through the fields, the combat, the whole atmosphere – really pulled me in.
So, I played through the main story, you know, Jin Sakai’s journey from honorable samurai to the Ghost. It was a ride. Lots of tough fights, sneaking around, dealing with the Mongol invasion. Eventually, I got to the very end, the final confrontation. It’s pretty heavy stuff, facing off against Lord Shimura, your own uncle.
The Big Decision Point
After the dust settles from that final fight, you’re left with a real gut-punch decision. Shimura basically tells you the Ghost has to die for honor to be restored, and asks you to kill him like a samurai. This is where things split. You get two options presented right there on screen:
- Spare his life
- Kill him
I sat there for a bit, thinking about Jin’s whole arc. What felt right? It’s a tough call after everything you’ve been through.
So, What Happens?
Turns out, depending on what you pick, you get a slightly different final scene and even a different reward. Here’s what I found out after finishing it myself and then, yeah, okay, I looked up what the other choice did because I was curious.
If you choose to Spare Lord Shimura:
This felt more like sticking to the ‘Ghost’ path for me, rejecting the old samurai code that got Tsushima into trouble in the first place. Jin walks away, accepting his exile and his role as the Ghost, the silent protector. Shimura is left alive, disgraced maybe, but alive. For doing this, you get a unique white color scheme for your Ghost Armor. They call it “Vow of Vengeance”. Jin’s final hideout is also set up at a place called Tradition’s End.
If you choose to Kill Lord Shimura:
This is the ‘honorable’ choice, at least by Shimura’s standards. Jin grants his uncle the warrior’s death he asked for. It’s a somber, respectful moment, but still pretty dark. Jin still becomes the Ghost, hunted by the Shogun, but it feels like he’s carrying a different kind of weight. Choosing this path gets you a red color scheme for the Ghost Armor, called “Righteous Punishment”. Your final hideout location is Dawn Refuge in this case.
So yeah, there aren’t wildly different endings that change the whole world state, like in some RPGs. It’s more about Jin’s final act and how he reconciles, or doesn’t, with the code he left behind. Both paths lead to him becoming the Ghost, forever protecting Tsushima from the shadows. The difference is really in that final moment with Shimura and the cosmetic reward you get. I personally went with sparing him the first time around. Felt more in line with the journey I took Jin on. But both endings definitely wrap things up in a powerful way.
