CHARACTER DESIGN: CREATING RYUZO

Gain insights into Naomi’s concept art process for developing a key figure from Ghost of Tsushima

In Ghost of Tsushima, Naomi was involved in the design of Ryuzo, the protagonist Jin’s best friend and member of the Straw Hats. “Ryuzo is driven, snarky and has a dark sense of humour,” says Naomi. “Many of his actions and where his story goes are dictated by the fact that while he grew up alongside Jin, he was of a lower class and one way to seem powerful is to become leader of the mercenary Straw Hat ronin.” Here she walks through her character design process

1 ARMOUR AMBITIONS

“Because Ryuzo grew up with Jin, he’s very familiar with the honourable Samurai and their armour. I felt it was important to include a strong tie to the Samurai armour he may have coveted by including a traditional armour chainmail sleeve (kote) on his right arm. It’s a clear call to what may have been his aspirations, while a toned-down colour helps it blend with the rest of the look.”

2 CLOAK STATEMENT

The straw cape was a must in order to define Ryuzo as a Ronin, and set him apart from his Samurai best friend. “It’s off-kilter and a bit messy – sort of like Ryuzo,” says Naomi. “There’s no functional reason for the orange bits or why it’s split in two. Sometimes something just needs to look cool!”

3 BACK TO NATURE

“Ryuzo carved his own sword sheath. On it is a running fox, which represents his free spirit and cunning. Other elements like the straw and a woodthemed hand guard (tsuba) tie to his humble beginnings among nature.”

4 STRONG SILHOUETTE

“Much like the straw cape and hakama pants, this hat is a must for the iconic Ronin silhouette,” says Naomi. “The design needed to be large enough to conceal his face, while still showing enough to make sense in cut scenes when Ryuzo is speaking with Jin.”