Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice cut content gives context to that moment with Anayama
Anayama's final act had a touching callback most Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice players will never pick up on.
Modder Lance McDonald, whose name should be familiar to FromSoftware fans thanks to his storied history in uncovering cut content, features and stories in the Japanese studio's games, has returned with a fresh look at Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Spoilers to follow.
McDonald previously revealed a cut version of the Dragonrot mechanic that would have involved a specific type of pellet, and some unique dialogue that also ended up on the cutting room floor. In their latest video, McDonald expands on this by visiting a character with a unique interaction to the sickness.
Anayama, the thief-turned-merchant who has his own quest in the final game, can, like all NPCs, be cured if he happens to catch Dragonrot. However, unlike other characters, he does not have a reaction when cured, with no dialogue addressing the events. When Dragonrot Pellets existed in Sekiro, Anayama did have some dialogue when the player decides to give him a pellet.
Anayama's response is very much in-character, refusing to accept the pellet for free, which compels Sekiro to charge him a single Sen for it. There's also an entire conversation that was also cut, which would have played if you decided to visit Anayama after he's been cured.
More interestingly, this one Sen is brought up again towards the end of the game during our final meeting with Anayama. With the Ashina castle in ruins, Anayama offers the player one final item for a single Sen, which is the Promissory Note that applies a discount all shops in the game.
Although this moment in the final game was touching, it would have been enhanced had players knew that one Sen was a callback. You can watch the full video above.