Yoshimo

"When asked about his past, Yoshimo seems disheartened that you are not already acquainted with his reputation. By his own account, he is apparently well known among people in the know, both as a daring rogue and as a dashing man about town. While the story sounds impressive, he seems ungainly for such exploits, possibly a bit more hapless than debonair. He wears it well, however, and perhaps even capitalizes on it. He seems to know that his kind of good-natured humor is well appreciated by most everyone he meets. "

- Character description from the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn computer game.

Yoshimo was a rogueish male human from Kara-Tur. He died in Faerûn after serving Jon Irenicus during the mage's attempt to destroy Suldanessellar with the help of the hidden divine power he brought forth from the souls of Imoen and another Bhaalspawn.

The Game
Yoshimo was a bounty hunter, a rogue specialized in hunting people and setting traps. He had come from Kara-Tur to Amn and ended up working for Irenicus, not knowing what he was getting into but being bound to obey by a geas.

Biography
Yoshimo is first encountered near the beginning of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, on the second level (counting from the "bottom" where the party starts out) of Irenicus's dungeon. He says that he, too, has been imprisoned, but he gives no idea why this might have been done and still has all his equipment on him. These include his personal katana +1 that only he can use. He will seek to accompany the player character, in reality by Irenicus's order. He may certainly become friends with the party along the way, but is nevertheless compelled to obey Irenicus. This will be revealed if he accompanies the party to Spellhold, where he will openly switch sides but also admits that he is only doing so because forced by the geas. After Irenicus is forced to flee, Yoshimo appears to challenge the player character and their party on his own, commanded by Irenicus and again having no choice. In this battle, he has the ability to turn invisible at will. He will ask that, if and when he dies, the player character take his heart to a temple of Ilmater so that his soul may rest in spite of the geas. The Cleric of Ilmater, never being told about the geas, says that he understand the conflict between duty and consciousness, and that: "if there is suffering undeserved, Ilmater will decide." The player never learned what Ilmater decided. If the player leaves Yoshimo in Athkatla before heading for Spellhold, then he will immediately die because of his geas after the player returns from the Underdark. In that case, there's no option of reconciling the thief with Ilmater since Yoshimo drops no heart.

Yoshimo is the purest thief (rogue) NPC in the game, the only one with no other class, although he can't be kept for long. If the party has him when leaving for Spellhold, he will be conveniently replaced by Imoen, but she is not as good a thief. However, some of her thief abilities can be reinforced with a magic ring which can be found in the same area. Being of the bounty hunter thief kit, he specializes in setting more complicated traps than normal thieves can.

Throne of Bhaal
In Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, the player may ask the Spirits of Fate to bring Yoshimo to them, but it's never possible.

Voice Acting
Yoshimo is voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

The Novel
Yoshimo was from Kozakura. After encountering Abdel Adrian, Jaheira, Minsc and Imoen in Irenicus's dungeon, he accompanied them for part of their coming journey, in spite of actually being allied with Irenicus. He had an enchanted sword that Adrian later used to battle Bhaal's avatar (the Ravager) that Irenicus had conjured up to attack Suldanessellar. Yoshimo himself was ripped into shreds by another avatar of Bhaal, the Slayer, who was actually a transformed Imoen.

Novel

 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

Game

 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn