The samurai epic game from Sucker Punch proudly displays its homages to Akira Kurosawa films, but One Piece references. The story of Ghost of Tsushima is somber in tone, grounded in its use of real-world history and authentic feudal samurai-era culture to immerse players in its world. The decades-long story of One Piece is every bit as epic, but it leans more into humor and over-the-top superhuman abilities. Despite the tonal differences, Ghost of Tsushima’s mercenary group, the Straw Hat Ronin, reminded some players of One Piece’s Straw Hat Pirates, and the connection goes well beyond the shared name.
As Ghost of Tsushima has become one of the premier examples of PlayStation exclusives coming to PS Plus, more players have been able to experience the saga of Jin Sakai, but most gamers have dismissed the Straw Hat connection as a coincidence. Avid fans who read closely into the game’s dialogue have discovered that the One Piece homage was likely intended by Sucker Punch, though it is subtle enough that many may have missed the Easter eggs in the game’s script. The Straw Hats also tie in with one of the game’s most emotional confrontations, making them much more than a winking reference to a popular manga and anime series.
When Jin first meets the Straw Hats, led by his childhood friend and sparring partner Ryuzo, the group is trying to subsist in the midst of Tsushima Island’s invasion by Mongolian military forces. While Jin is concerned with retaking the island, the Straw Hats are only concerned with survival. As is often the case for Luffy and his pirate crew in One Piece, the Straw Hat Ronin of Ghosts of Tsushima are literally starving when Jin initially encounters them. About half of the game’s players beat the main story, ranking Ghost of Tsushima’s completion rates among the highest for PlayStation titles. This means many gamers experienced the main story quest called “The Tale of Ryuzo,” but fewer players caught the deep-cut reference to a specific One Piece story arc.
A Ghost Of Tsushima Mission Directly References One Piece's Drum Island Arc
In the Straw Hat-oriented quest, Ryuzo agrees to help Jin rescue his uncle, Lord Shimura, from Kotun Khan, on the condition that Jin helps recover food for the starving mercenary group. As Jin and Ryuzo discuss their plans to steal food from the enemy-occupied Fort Ohira, Ryuzo sardonically comments that “There’s a better chance of seeing cherry blossoms in winter than getting that food.” This dialogue appears to be a direct reference to One Piece’s Drum Island arc from the early 2000s. The Drum Island story introduced Straw Hat crewmember Tony Tony Chopper, a sentient reindeer medical doctor who learned the healing arts from Dr. Hiriluk.
Chopper is among One Piece's most beloved characters, and his origin story contained both tragedy and triumphs of the human spirit. The JRPG One Piece Odyssey does not include Jinbei as a playable character, but Chopper is confirmed on the roster. To bring hope to the people of Drum Kingdom, Chopper’s mentor Hiriluk used his dying moments to inspire the citizens who lived under the tyranny of the cruel king Wapol. After Wapol’s defeat at the hands of the Straw Hat pirates, Dr. Kureha, Chopper’s second instructor and parent figure, released an alchemical dust into the sky that Hiriluk had been working to develop before his death. This chemical turned the snow of Drum Island pink, giving the miraculous appearance of cherry blossoms falling in winter.
Other references help the notion that Ghost of Tsushima’s Straw Hats are an intentional homage to One Piece. In the side mission “A Final Request,” the Straw Hats have raided a village, and an injured peasant woman begs Jin to save her kidnapped husband Oda. The author and illustrator of the One Piece manga is Eiichiro Oda, suggesting another direct connection by Sucker Punch. Additionally, the Japanese-language voice track of Ghost of Tsushima featured One Piece voice actor Kauzya Nakai as Jin, who also portrays the pirate swordsman Zoro in the One Piece anime series. Ghost of Tsushima seems to have acknowledged the modern Japanese pop culture hit, as some fans connect the dots to confirm the Straw Hat Ronin serving as a reminder of Luffy and his crew seems to have been Sucker Punch’s intention.
