If you’ve spent any amount of time roaming the snow-dusted, pine-lined valleys of Ghost of Yotei’s Hokkaido map, you’ve probably stumbled across a handful of the unmarked, charming little secrets Sucker Punch tucked into every corner of the world. From hidden hot springs to tiny shrines left by local villagers, the game rewards curious players who stray off the main quest path. But few hidden details have sparked as much community chatter as the ghost of yotei ass, a silly, surprisingly well-hidden easter egg that nods to a years-old fan meme from the Ghost of Tsushima era. I’ve logged 120+ hours in the game since launch, found 92% of its hidden collectibles, and spent three full evenings tracking this specific easter egg down after seeing viral clips of it pop up on TikTok. This guide breaks down exactly how to find it, what it references, and why it’s worth the 10-minute detour even if you’re rushing through the main story.
What Is the Ghost of Yotei Ass Easter Egg, Exactly?
For anyone who hasn’t seen the scattered clips online, the ghost of yotei ass is a small, hand-carved wooden statue of a donkey tucked into an unmarked cave in the game’s northern mountain region. It doesn’t tie into any main or side quests, and you won’t get any quest prompts leading you to it. When you approach the statue, a short, 10-second cutscene plays where your main character chuckles softly, and you unlock a rare “Donkey Wave” emote for use in photo mode. The easter egg is only accessible after you complete the first two main story acts, so don’t waste time searching for it before you unlock the northern Frost Clan territory.
A lot of players initially write it off as a hoax, because there’s no mention of it in any official patch notes or developer previews. It’s 100% fan service, made specifically for people who played the first Ghost of Tsushima and followed the game’s community content back in 2020. The statue even has a tiny handwritten note tucked under its base that you can read if you interact with it twice, which is a sweet little nod to the meme that inspired it. I didn’t even notice the note my first time visiting, so make sure you tap the interact button a second time to read it.
Step-by-Step Directions to Locate the Secret
Tracking the easter egg down is pretty straightforward once you know where to look, but there are a few pre-requisites you need to check off before you head out. If you don’t have these items unlocked, you won’t be able to access the cave at all:
- Fire arrow upgrade unlocked from the blacksmith in the main coastal village (regular arrows won’t work on the ice blocking the entrance)
- At least 50% stamina to climb the icy slope leading to the cave entrance (you can upgrade stamina by collecting wild pine sprouts scattered across the map)
- Completed the "Frost Clan Rescue" main quest to unlock the northern mountain fast travel points
When you see a massive cedar tree half-buried in snow on your left, climb over it and you’ll spot the cave entrance a few meters up the slope. The entrance is almost entirely hidden by icicles, and you’ll hear a faint donkey bray as soon as you get within 20 meters of it, which is how you know you’re in the right spot. Shoot one fire arrow at the icicles to melt them, then walk into the cave. The statue is on a stone altar at the very back, next to a stack of half-empty sake bottles and a small offering of wild berries. Interact with it once to trigger the cutscene and unlock the emote, then interact again to read the dev note.
The Lore and Meme Backstory Behind the Easter Egg
This easter egg didn’t come out of nowhere, and if you were part of the Ghost of Tsushima community when the first game launched, you’ll immediately recognize the reference. Back in 2020, a Reddit user posted a 15-second clip of Jin, the main character of Tsushima, staring at a random donkey standing in a field outside a small village. The post was titled “ghost of tsushima ass” and it blew up overnight, racking up 22 million views across Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter. The meme became so big that even Sucker Punch’s dev team and the voice actor for Jin commented on it, saying it was one of their favorite fan creations from the game’s launch window.
This easter egg is a direct reference to that 2020 viral Ghost of Tsushima meme, and the note tucked under the statue even says “For the rider who always stops to pet the donkeys” as a nod to all the players who spent hours messing with open world animals instead of completing main quests. The devs didn’t announce the easter egg ahead of time, which is why it took almost two weeks for players to find it after the game launched. I actually went back and found the original Reddit post that started the whole trend, and the original poster commented on a thread about the Yotei easter egg saying they cried when they saw the reference, which is such a cool full-circle moment for the community.
Beyond the meme reference, there’s also a small lore scroll tucked in an alcove to the left of the altar that tells a short, funny story about a local Hokkaido farmer who carved the statue to scare wolves away from his donkey herd. The scroll says the statue worked a little too well, and the villagers started leaving offerings at it because they thought it was a protective spirit. It’s a tiny little detail that most players will miss, but it adds a nice bit of in-world context to the silly meme reference.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Searching
I’ve seen dozens of players post on the game’s Discord server saying they can’t find the easter egg, and 90% of the time they’re making one of a few simple, avoidable mistakes. First, don’t go looking for the cave on the southern half of the map. A lot of bad guides online say it’s near the starting village, but that’s completely false, it’s only in the northern Frost Clan region. If you don't see a fox near the entrance, you're at the wrong spot — there are three small caves along that frozen river, and only the correct one has a white fox sitting outside the entrance when you approach.
Second, don’t try to search for it during a blizzard. The game’s dynamic weather system will cover the cave entrance entirely in deep snow during blizzards, so you won’t be able to see it even if you’re standing right on top of it. Only search during clear weather days, which you can trigger by resting at a nearby hot spring until the storm passes. I wasted 45 minutes wandering around the river during a blizzard my first time searching, so don’t make that same mistake.
Third, don’t leave the cave right after you unlock the emote. The small alcove to the left of the altar has that lore scroll I mentioned earlier, and there’s also a hidden chest tucked behind the statue that has a rare fox fur cloak crafting material you can’t get anywhere else in the game. Most players grab the emote and leave immediately, so they miss out on that free crafting item. The cloak you can make with that fur has a 30% cold resistance buff, which is super helpful for exploring the highest mountain peaks in the region.
At the end of the day, the ghost of yotei ass isn’t the most important secret in Ghost of Yotei, and you don’t need to find it to beat the main story or 100% the game’s collectible list. But it’s exactly the kind of small, thoughtful detail that makes Sucker Punch’s open worlds feel so warm and lived-in, even when you’re wandering through a frozen, snow-covered mountain valley. If you’re tired of clearing bandit camps and running main quest errands, take 10 minutes to track it down. You’ll get a silly laugh, a new emote for photo mode, and a rare crafting material that makes exploring the rest of the northern region way easier.