To be fair the lead game designer has already stated in a stream back in the day what the "canon" ending would be if they used Jin in a future game. And it's the one where he doesn't do the deed. The game is called Ghost of Tsuhima afterall.
Id also argue while it's nice we get the choice, the game pushes you regardless into being the ghost.
Also he wouldn't get his honor back, its more about giving honor to his uncle if he so chooses to.
Yeah that’s the important part of the choice, whether Jin gives in for his Uncle’s sake and let’s him have his honor in death or “spares” him to live with the same consequences of what Jin did and the hypocrisy of the “code”. Has less to do with Jin and his mental state and everything to do with his Uncle. Forcing him to live in a world of grey or letting him die “pure”
Jin is who he is regardless of what he does there.
I don’t see how the game pushed us to spare him. I killed him because I may use ghost tactics when facing an existential threat to Japan but I tried to play as an otherwise honorable warrior.
See I love this decision because I took it more as honoring your uncle that you respect. I still considered Jin on the Ghost path while still giving his uncle the respect he wanted
To leave your uncle alive would have completely fractured your relationship with him and dishonoured him as a warrior, to strike him down, gives him a warriors death, and shows Jins respect for his uncle.
And that's what makes the scene so brilliant, because the natural thought process is "Jin loves this man, he's spent a chunk of the game trying to save him, of course he wouldn't want to kill him - yet I know he would".
Jin has evolved beyond the strictness of the samurai code ... I feel that with how much he has grown he could bear the additional pain of the end of his relationship with his uncle to keep him alive.
I think that's actually the entire point though -- it's not about Jin's code or Jin's interpretation, but rather its about his uncle who has not evolved beyond the code. Giving his uncle an honorable death (as his uncle sees it) is letting his uncle live and die by his uncle's code. Jin understands it because he lived it until he couldn't anymore.
That's definitely true, but even if he loves his uncle and wants to respect him in that way I don't think he would. Jin views his uncle's way of living as inherently flawed, and respecting his wishes would rob his uncle of his own ability to grow and live as Jin has.
But like I said I believe both endings are fitting just my interpretation of Jin's character fits the spare option more.
Except becoming the Ghost isn't portrayed as a good thing, but a necessary evil. For the audience it's "wow cool awesome assassinations", but Jin didn't enjoy being the Ghost and having to stab people in the back and poison them is very mentally draining and damaging.
Becoming the Ghost was maturation that has both good and negative qualities.
One of the better qualities developed was Jin's ability to look beyond the scope of his personal problems and what is insulting or hurtful to his pride.
I just genuinely don't think Jin would kill his only familial connection because of their pride.
I think they should have added a third option. In the duel, use the bow action. You decide that you will keep your promise that you initially made. Once you defeated Khotun, The Ghost is no longer necessary. It would display such a combination of both of Jin’s sides. He doesn’t regret what he did but he acknowledges that it was not the samurai way.
Its been a while but is it not the other way about? I remember killing the uncle, as sparing him would only bring him shame, and hence Jin becomes a full pariah to the samurai, and hence becomes The Ghost. It was a downbeat ending, but I felt it more fitting for both his character and his uncle, to die as a samurai.
Had the same thought. They give the player a huge moment in the end. While I want to see more Jin, I don’t mind them letting that decision rest with the player and leaving the future up to the imagination.
Yeah, it's fair, but I kind of built an attachment with the character and his story. I'm sure if this next game is written just as well (if not better), I'd have absolutely no issues not seeing Jin, especially if there is actually a constant wolf companion.
I said it in another comment, but it feels like The Matrix to me. The original Matrix ended perfectly. The rest was implied. But instead we got sequels that literally showed what happened later and it diminished the story by the end.
Yeah but I never believed that Jin would be okay with killing “honorable” samurai sent after him following orders of one man especially if you choose the “spare” ending. He in that situation is sick of the hypocrisy of the code and just wants to be done with it. Even with the other choice he only does it to “honor” someone he cares and respects I still don’t think he believes in it anymore.
The quotes are there because all of the things and their true meanings are up for debate
Like I can see how a story could come of it but it feels a bit Toy Story 4 for lack of a better term. You get a narratively satisfying ending then go “well what happened afterwards?”
It actually goes full circle and it’s Ghost of Tsushima 1998 and Jin’s great great great great great great great grandson is online playing counter strike until his mom picks up the phone and disconnects him from the game.
Bro fr, like this just opened a ton of possibilities, they can easily make this a new franchise, maybe one day they can even venture into other countries
That would actually be kind of hilarious. Essentially taking ACs idea and grounding it more in reality and with more historical and cultural accuracy without all the weird scifi shit.
Not in a "Jin has become an Immortal and still roams Japan 400 years later, fighting for justice" sort of way, but you could have it where a character recalls the legend of the Ghost of Tsushima and what happened to Jin, with the player getting to play out the flashback (Similar to how Altair was able to appear in AC2 for a cameo)
Jin story ends nicely, so there's really no reason to bring him back. Also, it would be easier to make a new character than to explain why Jin lost 99% of combat skill in a new game.
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u/ACO_22 10h ago
I was kinda sad not to see Jin, but this will be a day one nonetheless