3 Japanese myths that should appear in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends
You could fight aliens, an invincible toddler, and somebody drinking tea.
2020's samurai smash hit Ghost of Tsushima opens with the first Mongolian invasion of Japan during the 13th century. The events that follow loosely adapt the real historical conflict in a gamified manner. Developer Sucker Punch is slated to explore even more Japanese history and mythology with Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a co-op expansion set to release this fall.
Rather than adopting a specific time period or event, the expansion will focus on Japanese mythology and presumably Yokai. While Japan has an expansive array of myths and tales, there are three that seem perfectly suited to Ghost of Tsushima's style that we'd love to see represented in the upcoming DLC.
Princess Kaguya from the film.
3. Tale of Princess Kaguya (or Tale of the Bamboo Cutter)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is widely considered to be Japan's oldest tale, first popping up in the 10th century. It has since been adapted countless times in traditional manners such as the Studio Ghibli film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, and in less traditional ways like the manga Kaguya-Sama: Love is War.
The basic premise is that Kaguya is a princess from the moon who is fleeing her family. She's found by a working-class bamboo cutter who takes her back to his village and raises Kaguya as his daughter. Kaguya eventually falls in love with a young commoner in the Bamboo Cutter's village.
Unfortunately, due to her heritage, she's swept away from the village and forced to relocate to the capital. Shortly after that, she's forced to relocate a second time when denizens from the moon descend to Earth to retrieve Kaguya. All the while, Kaguya remains in love with the commoner. Before she leaves, she gifts the commoner a potion for immortality. The story concludes with a bittersweet farewell between Kaguya and the commoner. But were Ghost of Tsushima: Legends to adapt this story, it wouldn't have to end there.
This could easily be adapted as a continuation of the story, allowing the player to travel to the moon to rescue Kaguya from extraterrestrial denizens. The commoner could be an NPC that the player meets or a character the player controls. The reward could be the player receiving a variant on the immortality potion that lets them recover health at a faster rate.
A dall of Kintaro
2. Kintarō, the golden boy
Another popular Japanese tale is Kintarō.
He's a boy with superhuman strength equipped with a massive axe. Kintarō was raised by a mountain witch. He eventually grows up to become an indomitable warrior, leading the Samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu to numerous victories.
It's a vague enough tale that the young boy is represented all over media. Kintarō-inspired characters appear in numerous stories, including the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and One Piece.
Kintarō could easily make an appearance as a boss in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, maybe as the main target behind one of the raids that the game is expected to include, allowing four players to take on the unstoppable foe.
Nurarihyon
1. Nurarihyon and his 100 Yokai
This isn't so much an adaptation of a specific story, but one of a yokai's presence. Nurarihyon is a humble Yokai that came to prominence in the 17th century. Its contemporary nature might disqualify it from being included, but nevertheless, it's a strong possibility — especially when samurai and ninja as they were represented in the game were also far ahead of their time.
Nurarihyon is said to be an old man with an cranium shaped like E.T.'s. He is said to enter people's homes when they're not looking, almost like a Boogeyman. Nurarihyon is often described as "a cross between an old man and a catfish" in appearance. They'll rummage through a household's food and drink their tea as well, making themselves the most "at home" in whatever abode they come across.
While this basic description makes Nurarihyon sound like a harmless, mooching grandpa that might be a bit inappropriate here and there, he's so much more. Despite their appearance, Nurarihyon is said to command every living yokai, leading a group of 100 fearsome monsters that are labeled as their "night parade."
This could be a fantastic final boss for Ghost of Tsushima: Legends' survival mode, or even the main plot hook for a horde mode. The narrative reason for why there are so many yokai in play is built into Nurarihyon's legend, allowing Sucker Punch to add every fearsome foe they can possibly conceive.
Ghost of Tsushima: Legends will be released in September 2020.
