Ghost of Tsushima horse choice: Which should you pick?

Ghost of Tsushima horse choice - a samurai is riding a horse towards a ravine with purple blossoms on trees nearby

(Image credit: Sony)

Once you make your way through the Ghost of Tsushima tutorial, you'll be given a choice: pick a horse and give it a name. It seems simple enough, but it's always hard to tell if an early game choice will have lasting complications later in the game—that's likely why you're here, after all.

If you haven't started the game yet, but you're currently on the fence about whether to dive into the 2020, samurai-based adventure from Sucker Punch, these system requirements should help you work out if your rig can handle it. Maybe you've already decided and just want some juicy horse info instead. Either way, here's what you need to know about that early-game decision.

Ghost of Tsushima horse choice

Simply put, it doesn't matter which horse you choose from the stable. Aside from their appearance, each horse will behave exactly the same and have no bearing on the story or any outcomes at the end of the game. The same goes for the name—you can pick whichever option you prefer for your companion.

So what horses are there to choose from, and is there a way to unlock more? Absolutely. Here are the default horses you'll need to decide between at the beginning of the game:

Black
White
Dapple

The following horse is only available in New Game+ or if you pre-purchased the game on Steam or Epic:

Black and red

Once you've decided on a horse, you're then given a choice of three names to give to it: Nobu, Sora, or Kage. Like the horse's colour, the name you give them doesn't matter to the rest of the game at all, so feel free to pick the one you like best.

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.