It's been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for fans of the Shenmue series, currently halfway through its planned 11 episodes. For more than a decade it seemed as though the series would remain forever trapped in a cave deep in the heart of the Guilin mountains.
Fast forward to 2020 and the series is active again. Not only is there a third Shenmue game, but also the prospect of a Shenmue anime for fans to look forward to. Although producers of the anime only plan to cover events from the first two games during the show's debut season, fans will be hoping that subsequent seasons could provide some of the answers that Shenmue 3 failed to deliver.
10 What Happened To Baisha?
In one of the early Kickstarter updates for Shenmue 3, Yu Suzuki told fans that Baisha would "show off what Shenmue 3 is all about." It perhaps came as a surprise then when it was later announced that the area had been cut from the game entirely.
Development updates show that the team began working on Baisha quite early on in the production. With that in mind, it's unclear whether Suzuki plans to reuse the area in a future game or whether it has been scrapped entirely.
9 Who Wrote The Mysterious Poetry Scroll?
In the first Shenmue gane, Ryo finds a poetry scroll hidden in the Hazuki dojo. Guizhang eventually translates the poem and explains that it provides coded instructions for a martial arts move. Unfortunately, only the master who wrote it and his students are able to decipher this code.
As Ryo continues to follow in his father's footsteps as he makes his way across China, it's likely that Ryo will eventually meet the mysterious master who wrote the scroll. Until then, its secrets remain hidden.
8 What Happened To Ziming Hong?
There are many parallels between Ryo and Xiuying's brother, Ziming. Most notably, they both embark upon a quest for vengeance after being orphaned at the hands of the Chi You Men.
Unlike Ryo however, Ziming joins the evil criminal organization in an attempt to learn the identity of his parents' murderer. Despite promising to return home after getting his revenge, Xiuying hasn't seen him since. Where exactly he is and whether or not he'll ever return to his sister still remains a mystery.
7 What Is The Significance Of The Shenmue Tree?
For the series' name to have been derived directly from it, one assumes that the titular tree must hold some significance to Shenmue's story. Other than Shenhua being named after it though— her name means "flower of the Shenmue tree"— very little is known about the tree or why it is important enough to be the basis for the name of the entire series.
What's more, Shenmue 3 introduces some confusion as to whether there could be more than one Shenmue tree. A very similar-looking tree shows up in the Ternary Spring area of Bailu village, which, according to the master who lives there, Ryo's father Iwao used to train under in his youth.
6 What Happened To Ryo's Mother?
For a game that allocates blood types to each of its NPCs, it's a little perplexing that so little information is given about Ryo's mother, an important character. What little players do know about her comes from supplementary materials and a wooden plaque written by Ryo's father during his time in Bailu Village.
The latter reveals that her name is Akane, whilst the former only that she died of a "mysterious illness." Other than that, she remains something of an enigma in the Shenmue story.
5 Who Are The Other Chi You Men Leaders?
Like many elements found throughout the series, the structure of the Chi You Men was inspired by Chinese mythology. The group's leadership mirrors the four mythological creatures that serve as guardians of the four cardinal directions, with a fifth creature that reigns over them.
Lan Di serves as the group's Eastern leader and, in Shenmue 3, Ryo encounters Niao Sun who is in charge of the group's operations in the South. That still leaves two regional leaders who have yet to be introduced, not to mention the person who sits in the shadows pulling all of their strings.
4 What's The Deal With Shenhua's powers?
Shenhua remains one of the most curious characters in the Shenmue world. There are numerous allusions to her supernatural powers throughout the series, seemingly able to converse with nature. Despite the game's plot touching on these powers, their origin remains a mystery.
Things get weirder when looking at old footage from the Sega Saturn build of Shenmue and the ill-fated Shenmue Online, both of which show Shenhua manifesting ki in a similar fashion to the characters in Dragon Ball.
3 What Happened In Mengcun?
Ryo grew up believing that his father was an honorable man. When Lan Di revealed that Iwao had taken the life of a man named Sunming Zhao (Lan Di's father) in Mengcun, Ryo naturally refused to believe it.
In Shenmue 3, Ryo learns that his father and Sunming were actually friends and that they trained together in Bailu. How exactly Sunming died and whether Iwao had anything to do with it still remains unclear though.
2 What Do The Mirrors Actually Do?
Early on in the series, Ryo learns that the mirrors are the key to resurrecting a mythical beast called Chiyou. Upon rescuing Zhu Yuanda from the clutches of the Chi You Men in Shenmue 2, however, Ryo finds out that the mirrors actually function as a map to the treasure of the Qing dynasty.
Although Shenmue 3 provides a little more information about the origin of the mirrors, what they actually do is still not entirely clear. Now that the Chi You Men hold both of them, however, fans shouldn't have to wait too much longer to find out.
1 Will Ryo Get His Revenge?
Throughout his journey, numerous characters have attempted to dissuade Ryo from seeking revenge. In spite of these attempts and his inability to land a single blow on Lan Di during their encounter at the end of Shenmue 3, Ryo seems as determined as ever to avenge his father's death.
Whether Ryo will have what it takes to defeat Lan Di or will instead choose to turn his back on his quest for vengeance still remains to be seen, however. Whether through a fourth Shenmue game or in the upcoming anime, fans will be hoping to find out in the not too distant future.