Yasuke, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Dark Samurai, Explained

Ubisoft officially revealed Shadows of Assassin’s Creed on May 15, and like that of 2015 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate before it, it will feature not one but two playable characters. One is an original character named Naoe, a ninja who wields the Hidden Blade weapon synonymous with Assassin’s Creed series. The other is Yasuke, a samurai based on the historical figure of the same name. Assassin’s Creed tends to play with historical events and integrate his own version of it into the overall story of the series, so Yasuke’s story will likely play out differently when Shadows will launch on November 15. But you might be wondering who this guy is and how Assassin’s Creed could insert it into his alternate history. Let’s review what we know.

Yasuke lived in Japan in the 16th century and is considered the first African to appear in Japan’s historical records. His story has been adapted into books, manga and even an alternate history Netflix anime featuring sorry to disturb you And Knives out actor LaKeith Stanfield. Fictional versions of Yasuke have also appeared in video games like Nioh and the Samurai warriors franchise.

Although some details of Yasuke’s life are disputed by historians, the commonly accepted story is that he arrived in Japan as the bodyguard of the Italian Jesuit Alessandro Valignano in 1579, before serving the Japanese feudal lord Oda Nobunaga. The nature of his service is a matter of debate for those who have studied Yasuke, with some claim he was a slave. Thomas Lockley, co-author of African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior of Feudal Japansaid Time that he assumes that Yasuke was a “free actor” who was probably enslaved as a child and taken from Africa, but had perhaps been freed by the time he met Valignano and that he was an active mercenary.

Ubisoft’s marketing describes Yasuke as a samurai, but it’s unclear how comprehensive that label is. Shadows‘ tackle historical fiction. While Yasuke’s version seen in Shadows clearly wears armor and uses Japanese swords commonly associated with samurai, the nickname samurai encompasses both a profession and a social caste which became more codified in the 1600s after Yasuke’s last known recording. According to Lockley, the concept of samurai was fluid in Yasuke’s time, and if you took up arms in the service of a lord, you could take his name. So at the moment, it’s unclear how much Ubisoft is playing with the story with Yasuke’s samurai status.

Yasuke served Nobunaga from 1581 to 1582, and his service ended after Nobunaga was betrayed by his general, Akechi Mitsuhide. Nobunaga performed seppuku, a ritual suicide considered a means of preserving one’s honor in the event of defeat. Lockley describes it as his “last victory” and says that Yasuke will join Oda Nabutada, Nobunaga’s son, who also fought Akechi’s men the next day and performed seppuku. Lockley says the last known recording of Yasuke is of his escort to a Jesuit mission by Akechi’s troops.

According to Shadows” Associate narrative director Brooke Davis, the team uses what is known about Yasuke and fills in the blanks with its own story. Davis describes the team’s version of Yasuke as a “thoughtful, level-headed head” compared to Naoe , who is more passionate and fiery The two are meant to contrast in both personality and playstyle, since Naoe will focus on stealth as a ninja, while Yasuke will be a more action-oriented fighter. using samurai skills.

Yasuke differs from the previous one Assassin’s Creed protagonists in that he is the first character based on a specific historical figure. The most of Assassin’s CreedThe heroes of were original characters striving to remain invisible and bring history out of the shadows, providing a clear explanation of why there are few historical records about them. They still maintain this in Shadows, of course, since Naoe is an original character from the Assassin faction. But Yasuke’s known history is another aspect of the series’ storytelling that will be interesting to see unfold when Shadows comes to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 15.