Ghost Of Tsushima 001 / 23 - Characters - Ryuzo - (2023) (2023) Peinture par Leszek Gaczkowski

Painting and illustration from a Polish Artist

Gouache on handmade paper, A4 format, without frame,
This is the first illustration for the popular computer game "Ghost of Tsushima". A unique collection of the artist's interpretations of the game's plot.

Biography
Ryuzo was a childhood friend of Jin Sakai. Though not a nobleman or samurai, he did have some standing growing up as he was friends with a clan leader and was able to invite other clan leaders to watch the duel between himself and Jin. While the two were earnest friends, Ryuzo became bitter after his loss to Jin in Lord Nagao's tournament, both for the lost opportunity to formally raise his status in life and for the ferocity displayed when Jin attacked him during the duel itself. Having lost his chance of becoming a Samurai, he joined the Straw Hats and grew up as a ronin.

Ryuzo leads the Straw Hat Ronin group after their leader's death. The Mongol invasion caused the group to down by half as they suffered from massive losses during the battle and starvation, leading to some members abandoning the group. When he hunts for food in the forest near Kishi Grasslands, he reunites with Jin. Jin asks him to help him rescue Lord Shimura from Castle Kaneda. Ryuzo agrees to join Jin if he helps the Straw Hats raid Fort Ohira for food. While they are unable to find food, they obtain a map of supply routes which contain food and battleplans.

Later on, Ryuzo asks Jin to help rescue his men who are caged near Fort Yatate. After freeing his men, Ryuzo discovers that the Mongols didn't hurt his men; rather, the Mongols had fed them well.[3] Wanting to feed and protect his men, he betrays Jin as he invades Castle Kaneda with his allies and informs him that the Straw Hats now side with the Mongols. Ryuzo and Jin duel each other, with Jin emerging victorious. Despite his betrayal, Jin pleads with Ryuzo, begging him to help save the island of Tsushima. Badly injured and outmatched by his old friend, Ryuzo instead alerts nearby Mongols before escaping the Castle Kaneda.

Khotun Khan, displeased by the loss of Castle Kaneda, takes Ryuzo with him to take Castle Shimura. To atone for his failure, Ryuzo is forced to burn an innocent peasant alive to coerce the castle's defenders to open the gates and breaks down in guilt and tears when the castle does surrender, traumatized by his deed.

As Jin continues to liberate Mongol camps and disrupt Mongol activities throughout the island, Khotun grows impatient with Ryuzo and orders him to kill Jin. However, Ryuzo convinces him to give Jin a second chance,[5] and lures Jin into an ambush so that the Khan can try to convince him to join the Mongols. The Khan fails to convince Jin to surrender, and after Khotun kills Jin's friend Taka for his defiance, Jin escapes, slaughtering Ryuzo's remaining men and swearing revenge on Ryuzo and Khotun.

After Jin infiltrates and poisons the Mongol army during the Siege of Castle Shimura, he enters the inner keep to find and kill Khotun, but encounters Ryuzo instead. When Jin demands to know where the Khan is, Ryuzo explains that the Khan had already left to campaign further north, and made Ryuzo stay behind to collect Jin's head. Ryuzo does not want to fight and asks Jin to lie to his people and tell them that Ryuzo is Jin's spy. Jin, unable to forgive Ryuzo for his betrayal and indirect involvement in Taka's death, demands him to surrender and answer for his crimes, but Ryuzo, knowing that Lord Shimura would execute him on the spot, refuses. The two former friends then engage in a final duel, with Jin besting Ryuzo. Wounded, Ryuzo is barely able to plead with Jin. Unsheathing his tanto, Jin bids farewell to his old friend, before stabbing him in the abdomen, killing Ryuzo and disfiguring and decreasing morale in the Straw Hats.

Thèmes connexes

GouacheGouache On PaperOriginal PaintingRyuzoGhost Of Tsushima