Ghostwire: The End of Tokyo Explained (with the Director)

Hannya was drawn to Mari because of her near-limbo state between life and death, a unique position that also grants her the power to stop Hannya’s final ritual of breaking the barrier between worlds. Mari exists in the space between these two worlds and likely harnesses the power of that place.

In her last act, Mari drains what little vitality she has left and hands her over to death for good. But not before she manages to have one last conversation with Akito, in which he admits his guilt for years of neglect of his sister, especially since her parents’ deaths. As we learned from experiencing Akito’s memories during his excursion through the abyss, Akito always buried his feelings and was cold towards his sister, so his selfishness could also drive Mari to despair.

Since her accident, however, Akito has been desperately trying to make amends and save her, despite what we learn is Mari’s reluctance to live. When Akito first arrived at Tokyo Tower, he was even confronted with Mari’s true desires to be allowed to move on and be reunited with her parents, and her frustration at Akito desperately clinging to her in this world.

Akito’s refusal to pass on Mari may prompt thoughts of euthanasia, but Kimura was quick to explain his reasoning:

Even in his final moments, Hannya is a constant source of secrets, never revealing his true name or true colors. We asked Kimura why:

Despite this logical, if ultimately frustrating, answer, Kimura had a justification for the mask and how it reflected the character’s emotions:

Hannya’s strong emotions also play into the overall theme of the story: the stubborn refusal to let go of what is lost. Hannya’s motivations are clear, he is willing to sacrifice our world in order to be reunited with his wife and daughter, his contempt for our present existence even going so far as to disregard their earthly vessels, using these so-called puppets as weapons uses against Akito and KK . Similar to Akito and Mari, Hannya refuses to let go of his emotional ties to the past.

In the final scene of the game, Akito is presented with the figures of his deceased parents, who arrive to collect and reunite Mari. However, they wear unique Japanese face coverings. We asked Kimura if he could explain that to us in more detail.

Akito uses this moment to tell his parents that he never forgot their deaths or moved on, he just buried the pain deep inside. But now that he’s learned from his mistakes, he refuses to keep doing it, even if it makes him weaker. His mother then points him to the literal metaphor of getting up and pushes him down this new path. Akito bids a final goodbye to Mari and promises to have a good and fulfilling life, knowing that she is at peace now.

Similar to Hannya, KK’s true identity is never revealed. But in his final moments, we learn that KK had also held onto a lot of regrets in his life regarding his wife and son.

Earlier, upon confronting Rinko’s ghost in her final moments, we learn that Ghostwire’s many ghosts clung to existence due to outstanding business that needed to be attended to. Rinko had to come to terms with the fact that Erika, her friend and Hannya’s daughter, was sacrificed by her father in a ritual and turned into a monster. But KK not only had to stop Hannya, but also deliver one last message to his wife and son, stating that he had never given up even though Hannya had defeated him in their first encounter. After this message is relayed to Akito, KK’s spirit leaves the country for good. But where do these ghosts go in the world of Ghostwire and do they still exist?

Did we miss something? Are there any open questions? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to IGN for more details on Ghostwire: Tokyo.

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