Atsu ( Ghost of Yōtei )

Atsu is one of the two main protagonists (alongside Jubei Kitamori) and the playable character of Ghost of Yōtei. The game follows her and her brother's story, as they avenge the deaths of their parents at the hands of a band of outlaws called the Yōtei Six, who seek to establish a dictatorship in her home region of Ezo.

She is portrayed and motion-captured by Erika Ishii (English), and voiced by Ai Farouz (Japanese).

Personality :

Spoiler Alert - Do Not Read Further If You Do Not Want Spoilers -

At first glance, Atsu appears to be a cold, bitter, and sarcastic lone wolf, bent on death. Suffering from both survivor's guilt and possible post-traumatic stress disorder, she also displays deep guilt over accidentally leading Lord Saito to her family as a child, resulting in their deaths. She is sometimes plagued with hallucinations, generally when stressed out or just when emotional. Even after Hanbei, an old friend of her parents, tried to make her understand that she was just a young girl, unaware of what was about to happen and therefore blameless, this guilt persisted. It was only after she was reunited with her brother that this feeling started to fade. Even then, she was initially hesitant to collaborate with him, convinced that after sixteen years, they no longer knew each other. Indeed, when Jubei tried to convince her to collaborate with him to kill the Oni, she initially refused, fearing that her brother would be disappointed by what she had become.

Despite her initial coldness, she is perfectly capable of mercy and charity, showing a sisterly bond with the young Taro (in whom she possibly sees her younger self's own trials) and always allowing surrendering enemies to leave. She is also acutely aware of her faults, easily seeing them in her niece, with said girl actually being identical to her younger self, both physically and mentally, much to Atsu's shock. That shock later turns to horror when the girl starts to follow the same path as her, with Atsu actually attempting to stop her.

During her journey, she gradually begins to change, her death-seeking tendencies gradually being replaced by doubt. Whenever someone asks her what she will do after her revenge, she either evades the question or is simply unable to answer.

Atsu is also puzzled by her Onryō's persona (and the stories her mother once read to her about them), expressing her concern to her brother because, as she herself puts it, she does not understand why the oppressed had to wait until they were dead before seeking revenge. She is also troubled after seeing people building shrines and leaving offerings to her, only accepting them after Taro explains the reason.

Her greatest flaw is also the source of her ghostly personality: her grudge against the Yotei Six. A grudge so absurd that the moment she confronts one of her targets, she becomes literally obsessed with killing them at all costs and by any means necessary. In this state, even Jubei can neither calm nor convince her (and even points out that he doesn't even recognize her as his sister in this state), and she is even willing to give up helping those who need it most, even among her own flesh and blood. Besides Oyuki and Jubei, at least six other people- allies, bounties' targets, and casual encounters- try to divert her from her revenge, to no avail. It is only after nearly losing what remains of her family and seeing her niece follow the same path as her that Atsu finally understands how much her revenge deprives her without giving anything in return and is finally able to free herself from it. Before that, her hatred faded once, causing her to spare and then befriend Oyuki after dueling her and seeing how sincere the kunoichi was about her regret and desire to help her.

Atsu's nickname, Sitturaynu, given to her by Huci of the Ainu, literally means "she who loses herself in her hunt." This nickname is appropriate, as Atsu is virtually blind to what she still has and could still obtain, choosing to lose herself in her revenge. Thus, this is yet another attempt to divert her from her revenge, an attempt that is unfortunately misunderstood. She is also compared to Pikatakamuy, the kamuy of tempests, whose dances are so beautiful that mortals cannot see them, hidden behind powerful winds. Winds that sow such destruction around her that the other kamuy end up punishing her.

Another one of her flaws (though normal for her way of life) is the fact that she rarely does anything for free, always asking for monetary compensation (or any kind of compensation) for her help, though she can sometimes decide to refuse payment if something goes wrong during her task.

At the end of her journey, Atsu had become a loving and caring aunt, peacefully raising her niece in the old family home, finally free from the hatred that had consumed her for so long.

Skills -

Weapons Master -

In-game, Atsu is a skilled, lethal combatant. Over the course of the game, she acquires new edged weapons (such as a second katana, the yari, the kusarigama, and the odachi), and quickly learns to use them effectively in combat. The player can switch between weapons to counter the weapons equipped by Atsu's enemies.

• Single Katana: Effective against other single sword users.
• Dual Katana: Effective against enemies wielding polearms.
• Yari: Effective against enemies wielding kusarigama, or dual-wielding kama (sickles).
• Kusarigama: Effective against enemies carrying shields.
• Odachi: Effective against brutes (larger-than-normal enemies).

Atsu is self-taught and has a brutal, effective style of combat which emphasizes mobility, parrying, and taking the initiative against enemies. To master her other weapons, Atsu seeks out instructors in each region to teach her skills and forms which she can use to great effect in combat.

When engaging enemies, Atsu has the option to engage in a "standoff", similar to Jin. Using the technique of iaijutsu, Atsu can kill enemies in a single stroke by drawing her sword at the right moment. She can also take down multiple enemies rushing her with follow-up slashes, or by drawing her tanzutsu (matchlock pistol).

Expert Sharpshooter -

Atsu also uses a variety of ranged weapons to take down enemies from a distance. She gains early access to the hankyu and yumi bows, which can launch a variety of arrows, and acquires a tanegashima (matchlock musket) in the late game, which is lethal against most foes. Atsu can enter a period of "concentration", slowing down time temporarily to allow better accuracy.

Expert Horse Rider -

Atsu has a deep bond with her horse, which serves as her main mode of transportation. She can also charge through enemy lines with her horse, knocking them back or trampling them to death. Unlike in Ghost of Tsushima, Atsu does not need to equip her horse with armor to charge through enemies, and this ability is unlocked through the main story.

Shinobi Tactics -

Atsu carries a large arsenal of throwables and quickfire weapons, which she can use to gain advantages in combat. From bombs to kunai, Atsu has many options to deal direct damage to enemies, break their guard to render them vulnerable to attack, or obscure herself to reposition and continue her assault. In Teshio Ridge, Atsu undergoes training with Oyuki in reconnaissance, allowing her to detect enemies' locations simply by listening out for them.

Atsu is also skilled at assassination and stealth, able to take down multiple enemies in quick succession undetected. She can use her surroundings and grappling hook to avoid detection before going in for the kill.

Improvised Weaponry -

Unlike Jin Sakai (from the previous Ghost game), Atsu is not bound by the samurai code, and has the option to fight dirty when in open combat. Atsu can pick up empty sake jars and use them as distractions or to stun enemies so she can rush in to attack them. Atsu can also pick up dropped bladed weapons and hurl them at enemies, dealing heavy damage to them.

Spirit/Onryō Abilities -

As an "onryō" (according to rumors among the inhabitants of Ezo, and her adversaries), Atsu is relentless in her pursuit of her enemies. She has access to a unique resource called "Spirit", represented in yellow circles on the player's HUD. Besides using Spirit to heal her injuries, she can use the following abilities, which require Spirit or killing enemies without taking damage to execute:

• Onryō's Will: If Atsu falls in battle, she can use two Spirit Orbs to revive herself with a chunk of her health. She is seen doing this in the game's prologue, after sustaining a serious injury from the Snake.
• Dance of Wrath: Atsu can dash up to three times, delivering powerful slashes on enemies that disarm them, break their guard, and leave them vulnerable. This ability costs three Spirit Orbs to use.
• Onryō's Howl: When activated, the screen turns sepia, and Atsu terrifies her opponents, causing them to flinch and cease attacking. The enemy closest to Atsu will become terrified and will drop their weapon while cowering from Atsu. Atsu can kill this enemy without any retaliation. This ability requires at least five consecutive kills to use.
• Ghost Stance: Returning from the previous installment, Atsu unlocks the Ghost Stance in the mid-game while going after the Dragon and the Spider. When activated, Atsu switches to her dual katana, the screen turns black and white, and her opponents flinch and stop attacking. Atsu can then kill the next three opponents she chooses to attack, without any retaliation. This ability requires at least seven consecutive kills to use.

Trivia -

• Atsu's name is written with the kanji 篤, which means "fervent", "kind" or "deliberate".
• Atsu is apparently a terrible cook, no matter what the player does during cooking sequences. Her culinary incompetence is acknowledged by everyone who tastes her dishes, with the exception of Ginji (who admits to being almost taste blind, except for tea and sweets) and Taro (who recounts being forced to eat much worse food when he was starving).
• Atsu confides in Takahashi-sensei that she hates persimmons. On the other hand, she enjoys salmon and mushrooms. She also enjoys sake and smoking a kiseru, although she is nowhere near as addicted to it as the Snake.

Where is Atsu when she becomes naked, and how does it happen?

Also, how does Atsu react to her sudden, unexpected, and hopefully extended period of time stuck in a state of embarrassing nudity?