Ghost of Tsushima: Why Kenji Deserved Better | Screen Rant
Kenji is a non-playable character in Ghost of Tsushima, and even though there are three side missions centered around him, it wasn’t enough screen time to do the character justice. Kenji deserved a redeeming arc in Ghost of Tsushima, as he was always shown to be wanting to do the right thing, but he just never got the perfect opportunity.
There are three specific side quests in which Kenji attempts to aid the samurai Jin Sakai as he pushes back against the invading Mongolian army. The missions include: Servant of the People, Nattou and the Snake Seller, and the Delicate Art of Negotiation.
In the first mission, Kenji, a sake seller, will suggest Jin hide inside his sake barrel so that he can easily transport him into enemy territory. In the second mission, Kenji will lead Jin to an abandoned Mongol village where he will help free one of Kenji’s friends. Finally, in The Delicate Art of Negotiation, Jin will provide Kenji protection as he accompanies him to a meeting with the Mongols.
Kenji is something of an anti-hero in Ghost of Tsushima. When players are first introduced to the eccentric character, it’s clear that he’s a shady businessman — after all, he has few qualms about doing business with the Mongols. But Kenji reasons that he has little choice. If he doesn’t provide the Mongols with his services, then it’s his life on the line. What’s more important is that Kenji is always depicted as wanting to do the right thing. He seeks Jin out in order to offer what little help he can give. He may have feared losing his life, but that didn’t stop him from allowing the samurai to hide in one of his sake barrels in order to further the cause of getting Tsushima back from Mongol invaders.
Throughout the entirety of Ghost of Tsushima's story, it seemed as though Kenji was close to getting his redeeming arc, but then the moment never came. Despite Kenji being enthusiastic about wanting to do the right thing and help out, he made more mistakes than progress, like when he led Jin to the abandoned Mongol village under dishonest pretenses and then hid while the samurai warded off the Mongols.
The other main non-playable characters – Sensei Ishikawa, Lady Masako, and Yuna – all have nine missions, which is triple the amount of screen time Kenji got. Allowing Kenji to be featured in more missions not only would’ve extended Ghost of Tsushima's gameplay, which is always a major plus, but it would’ve given the game a chance to bring a bit of finality to Kenji’s story. Players never get a chance to see this character’s progress fully develop, and because of that, his story feels unfinished even when the game ends. Kenji deserved better from his portrayal, and that’s why Ghost of Tsushima failed to do this character justice.