Ghost of Yotei – Atsu’s Sword-Drawing Technique is Pretty Awesome and It’s Actually Doable IRL

Ghost of Yotei has had an amazing 2 weeks since launch. It’s a stunning and engaging game, following Atsu’s journey throughout Ezo. One of the highlights of the game is its combat and Atsu’s way with the sword. Usually, Atsu is carrying her Odachi on her back, and the way she draws the sword has her looking like an actual master. But is it a plausible sword drawing technique? Apparently, it is. Here’s what people have to say about it.

Ghost of Yotei Atsu Draws Her Sword Like a Baddie

If you’ve gotten the chance to play Ghost of Yotei, you know Atsu carries an arsenal of weapons on her. From three different swords on her belt and back, to bows and spears, Atsu is a skilled weapons master. However, she always carries her Odachi (a really long sword) on her back. When she draws her Odachi, she unsheaths it, throws it up a little so that she can catch it by the blade, then completes the technique holding it with both hands. It’s a pretty cool-looking technique, and some people have questioned its plausibility, but apparently it’s doable.

What Do People Have to Say About It?

X user ikazombie, questioned whether this sword drawing technique could actually be done in real life. And many people on X, especially martial artists, posted videos of themselves doing it, and judging from the videos, it can definitely be done. X user harima_mekkai filmed herself doing it, and it wasn’t as smooth as Atsu’s movements, but she followed it to a T, and it didn’t look as if she could’ve hurt herself doing it. 

Sucker Punch had members of the Tenshinryu school in Japan do motion capture for all the combat and stances in the game. Here’s the full post from PlayStation Japan’s X account detailing their choreographed battle sequences with real fighting techniques:

We had a sword fight choreographer recreate the battle scenes from *Ghost of Yōtei* in live action