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Rise of the Roninis set during the end of the Edo period, telling the story of the conflict between one of the last Shogun, and the Choshu clan that stood against him. To tie it all together comes the protagonist, a customizable character that is able to help each faction with their goals.
While the story of each group is set in stone (they did exist in real life, after all), what happens to the protagonist isn’t, and it leaves us with quite a few questions. Not to mention all the changes made to the time period, which may not be many, but aren’t fully addressed either.
6What Was The Dream All About?
There Isn’t Any Magic In The Game
When you begin the game, you get to customize your protagonist and their Blade Twin. You are both then sent on a missionto assassinate Commodore Matthew Perry, and while the mission seems easy enough, you’re both quickly dealt with by a masked samurai, your Twin seemingly perishing at the hands of the Blue Demon.
Five years pass, and since all that was found of their Twin was their scarf, the protagonist keeps working for the Veiled Edge like usual. That is, until a fateful dream where they see that their Blade Twin is alive, putting the plot into motion.
That dream is never properly explained, nor is the near-mystical connection the protagonist has with their Blade Twin. We are left wondering if it was just coincidence, or if Blade Twins can sense each other when they are near one another.
5Were The Blue Demon And The Blade Smith Connected?
They Seem Of Similar Skill And Age
The Blade Smith is your mentor within the Veiled Edge, someone that, long ago, also had a Blade Twin. After you duel her (so you’re able to leave the clan), she reveals with her last breath that she, like you, lost her Blade Twin long ago.
Meanwhile, the Blue Demon is anold samurai of exceptional skill, who knows very well the way the Veiled Edge works, particularly the part where one Twin is meant to sacrifice themselves for the other. He also doesn’t finish your Twin off, instead giving them a new reason to fight.
Considering their age and knowledge, it is likely that the Blue Demon is the long-lost Blade Twin of the Blade Smith. While you can’t reunite them (since Blade Smith always dies), you can at least interact with the Blue Demon at the later stages of the game, learning his advanced skills as a plus.
4Where Did The Technology For The Demon Claw Come From?
Seems A Bit Advanced For The Time
Samurais and prosthetic arms seem to be a match made in heaven, showing up not only in Rise of the Ronin, but also in other games like Sekiro. However, in Rise, you are not the one with the special arm, instead, your Blade Twin earns it on their trip to America.
Said arm, nicknamed the Demon Claw, is the most advanced piece of technology you’ll find in the game, everything else not even coming close. Sinceother technological advancementsare things that you’d find in that era (like canons and cameras), the Demon Claw remains a mystery as to how it came to be.
They Seemed Quite Bloodthirsty Until Now
After yourfinal duel with your Blade Twin, you’re given the choice to slay or spare them. Assuming you choose to spare their lives, you help them come to terms with how the country has changed, and how that could be a change for the better.
Your Blade Twin takes this surprisingly well, leaving their katana behind, making it clear they will not lead a life of violence anymore. We can only wonder if they can achieve such a thing, since murder was all they knew ever since they were little, and they still have the Demon Claw, a mighty weapon in its own right.
2Will The Protagonist Settle In Japan?
They Will Need A Career Change
The end of the Edo period also marks the end of the samurai, at least for how they were known up until that point. The protagonist fights alongside a lot of people to earn the coming peace, but this new world that is forming might not have room for them.
It stands to reason that Rise of the Ronin ends once all the conflicts have been resolved, but it leaves us wondering about the Protagonist’s future. Will they manage to find happiness alongside our chosen bonds, or do they leave with their Twin to spend their days outside of Japan?
1Will There Be A Rise Of The Ronin 2?
With How Things End It Seems Unlikely
Usually, when a game does well enough, a sequel is basically guaranteed. And while Rise of the Ronin is certainly did well, the way things end in the game makes it difficult for a new entry in the series to happen: no more samurai means no more ronin.
Of course, sequels don’t really need to adhere to any sort of rules, so we might still get a Rise of the Ronin 2, but set in the past. Or we might even go forward in time, evolving the gunplay aspect of the game, and picking up our katana-wielding antics in places other than Japan.
