Is Ghost of Tsushima Based on True Events?

Is Ghost of Tsushima Based on True Events? Partially, yes.

Developer Sucker Punch Productions knew they wanted to keep some parts of the history accurate when first bringing the game to light. They deviated to make the game more fun, according to studio co-founder Chris Zimmerman. The team decided to keep the background of the Mongol invasion, but change the way the battle had gone. As a result, they created the story of Jin Sakai and Lord Shimura as completely fictional characters in a real-world setting.

Is Ghost of Tsushima Based on True Events?

Ghost of Tsushima is set in the 1200s—in Feudal Era Japan—during the first invasion of the Mongols to the islands in 1274. This backdrop is a true, historical event that took place between 1274 and 1281.

The Mongol forces, headed by Kublai Khan, who rose to the role just over ten years prior, made several unsuccessful attempts to subjugate the Japanese people. Launching from Korea, the island of Tsushima was their first target, alongside Iki Island, before making further landfall in Hakata Bay.

It took less than two weeks for the Mongols to gain complete control of Tsushima. They landed in the northwest and spread south, quickly overwhelming the defending Japanese troops. It's noted that over 80 samurai warriors were present. One, a man called Sukesada, reportedly cut down 25 invaders on his own. Unfortunately, none of the samurai would survive the battle.

From there, the Mongol invaders took Iki Island and landed in Hakata Bay where they were able to reach the settlement of Hakata and burn it to the ground. However, this would be the end of the 1274 invasion, as the Mongols returned to their ships "to rest" and were not seen again until 1281. Japanese historical records say that a great storm appeared and destroyed a massive part of their fleet. Whether the fleet was already heading back to Korea is unknown.

The 1281 invasion would meet a similar fate at the hands of a "kamikaze"—a great tsunami.

At best, Ghost of Tsushima is an impressive feat in historical fiction-based storytelling. Even its title, alone, rings eerily true. Jin Sakai, the last samurai on the island, truly is the "Ghost" of Tsushima.

Ghost of Tsushima is currently available exclusively for the PlayStation 4.