Taka is the best blacksmith on the Island. You dream it... Taka can make it.
― Yuna
Taka is a supporting character in Ghost of Tsushima. He is a blacksmith and the brother of Yuna. He is voiced by Eddie Shin (English) and Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese).
Biography[]
Taka and his older sister Yuna were born as peasants in Yarikawa. Their mother was an abusive drunk, and Yuna constantly filled the role as Taka's protector from both physical and psychological harm. The breaking point came when Taka was six: after their mother broke his arm, Yuna took Taka and ran away.
Things turn even more bitter however, after Yuna naively accepted the help of a figure known as Black Wolf, who in reality was a slave trader and even a sexual abuser who preys on children; Yuna and Taka were drugged, taken advantage of, and later sold to the cruel Mamushi brothers who mistreat them further until they managed to escape with the help of another survivor named Ichi. Unfortunately, Ichi failed to make it out with the two, making her forever resentful towards Yuna who both promised their freedom and had a chance of fighting back her captors. Yuna and Taka presumably live a nomadic life around Tsushima since then until the Mongol invaders came.
Sometime after the Battle of Komoda Beach, Taka is captured by the Mongols and taken to Azamo Bay, where he is forced to work as a blacksmith for the invaders. His work comes to an end when another blacksmith claims Taka's work is low-quality. Since they won't feed two blacksmiths, the slaver in charge of the camp decides to kill Taka. The slaver is killed by Yuna, who had recruited samurai Jin Sakai and their old friend Kenji to help her sneak inside the port. After reuniting with his sister, Taka escapes the port with the others. Jin asks Taka to forge him a special grapple hook that can help him infiltrate Castle Kaneda, where his uncle, Lord Shimura, is being held captive. Eager to repay Jin for saving him, Taka and Yuna temporarily separate from Jin as they head to Komatsu Forge to start working on the grapple hook. When Jin later catches us up to them, they discover the town is under Mongol control. leading to Yuna and Jin to drive off the Mongol forces. After the battle, Taka remarks he'd never seen any samurai fight the way Jin has before, with Yuna making up a legend to the people based on Jin, calling him the Ghost.
Following the Battle of Castle Kaneda, Shimura is freed from Mongol custody, leading Jin to ask his permission for Taka and Yuna to leave the island. However, Shimura remarks on Yuna's usefulness as an ally and instead, has her stay on the island to continue assisting the war effort, much to her disappointment and irritation with the Samurai. Jin later meets with Taka and Yuna outside of Yarikawa Stronghold, where the Mongols haved the Yarikawa clan surrounded in a siege. Wanting to recruit Shimura's old enemies against the Mongols, Taka and Yuna sneak inside the town with Jin through an old passageway the siblings used when they were children. The trio managed to get inside, but fail to persuade the Yaraikawa leader Ujimasa, who believes the Mongols will move on from his clan, that they cannot outlast a siege.
Yuna and Jin decide to try and help repelling the Mongols by finding and bringing Yarikawa's best archers to the stronghold, and Taka, who wishes to become more involved in fighting the Mongols despite being inept at combat, asks to come with them. While Yuna is concerned by her brother's growing fearlessness, she and Jin reluctantly allow it. After reminiscing about their childhood and having to save Taka from a bear ambush, the trio locate the archers and set an ambush for the arriving Mongols, during Taka directly aids in the fighting, to Yuna's concern. The following night, the Mongols attack Yarikawa. In the ensuing battle, the Yaraikawa clan are victorious after Jin kills one of Khotun's best generals, Temuge, and the Mongols are successfully routed. Yuna, Jin and Taka convince the Yarikawa clan to stand together and aid Shimura in the fight against the Mongols.
Eventually, once Shimura has built up enough forces to siege Castle Shimura, he finally gives permission for Yuna and Taka to leave Tsushima and begin their new lives. Informed by Shimura that the Mongols under Straw Hat traitor Ryuzo are preparing to flank their forces from behind, Jin asks Yuna and Taka to join him to Fort Koyasan to kill Ryuzo. While Taka is eager to help, Yuna refuses to let him and wants simply to leave the island with her brother. Jin reluctantly agrees, bidding farewell to Taka and Yuna.
Unfortunately, later that night, Taka, wishing to help Jin, leaves a note to Yuna, informing her his desire to help, and runs off to assist Jin. He finds Jin scouting out the Fort atop a nearby cliff and recalls how Jin said in Yarikawa that to save their home against the Mongols, they must work together. Jin allows Taka to act as a distraction to the Mongols, driving some of them away as Jin sneaks inside the fort before riding back to camp. However, when Jin does not return, Taka realizes something has gone wrong. He heads back to the Fort in an attempt to help him, but is captured and tied to a pole next to Jin.
As Taka and Jin struggle to get free, Khotun Khan, the leader of the Mongol forces, approaches them. He offers Jin amnesty if he surrenders and convinces his people to join the Mongols, but Jin refuses. Angered, Khotun unties Taka and hands him a katana, ordering him to kill Jin in exchange for his freedom. Despite Jin urging him to try and run, Taka instead attempts to strike at the Khan, but Khotun easily subdues the blacksmith. Taka asks Jin to "Tell Yuna-" before Khotun beheads him mid-sentence, much to the anger and horror of Jin.
The next morning, Jin manages to escape from the Mongols with a grief-stricken Yuna. After retrieving Taka's body, they honor Taka's legacy with a grave built for him with his headband atop it. Yuna admits to Jin that she now has nothing to live for, as she spent her entire life trying to protect her brother and failing, except to help him fight the Mongols and exact revenge for Taka. Taka's death inspires Jin and Yuna to defeat the Mongols, with Jin eventually avenging Taka's death by beheading Khotun Khan in a final battle.
Legacy[]
It still hurts...Thinking about Taka... the smell of smoke in his hair, His quiet laugh. The hell he'd give me for drinking too much. My whole life, he was a part of me. And...And now...
I'm alone.
― Yuna
Taka's legacy takes the form of Jin's most formidable attire; the Ghost Armor, which enhances the attributes of the Ghost, making him far harder to detect and striking fear into the hearts of his enemies; this armor helps Jin break into the main keep of the heavily guarded Shimura Castle, allowing him to gather his uncle's samurai forces by his side and save Tsushima. Taka serves as an example of the Ghost's impact on the people of Tsushima; he is hopeful that with the Ghost, it is possible to drive out the Mongols. Khotun Khan intends for Taka's death to break the spirit of the Ghost, and by extension the will to act of the people of Tsushima; however Taka, emboldened to attack the Khan at the cost of his life, instead serves as a martyr for the hope of the people to rise against the invasion, which in turn steels Jin's resolve to defeat the Mongols.
Interestingly, when Khotun Khan killed Taka, he in turn seals his own fate; if not for his death, both Taka and Yuna would've most likely escaped Tsushima for mainland Japan, and without Yuna's help perhaps Jin would've never survived being shot by the poisoned arrow in Kamiagata, thus allowing the Khan's invasion to succeed and potentially resulting in the domination of all of Japan. Furthermore, Taka's death as a result of Ryuzo's betrayal served as increased motivation for Jin to finally kill his best friend, even as he begged forgiveness and asked to join the fight against the Khan. Taka's death also acted as the catalyst behind Jin and Yuna's unbridled fury against the remaining members of the Straw Hats, which propelled the two to completely wipe out all of Ryuzo's men, serving as a massive blow towards the Mongol forces as the ronin were some of the most skilled fighters in Tsushima.
Personality[]
Despite his difficult upbringing, Taka was incredibly kind, gentle, and somewhat naive.
Taka was a skilled blacksmith, creating both Jin's grappling hook and Ghost Armor.
Tales[]
- "The Broken Blacksmith"
- "The Iron Hook"
- "The Walls of Yarikawa"
- "The Coward of Yarikawa"
- "The Ghost of Yarikawa"
- "A Reckoning in Blood"
Trivia[]
- The word 'Taka' is Japanese for Hawk.
- Bowing at his grave produces a visual effect, as well as counting towards the "Honor the Unseen" Trophy.
Gallery[]
