In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, for the first time in the franchise’s history, one of its playable protagonists is based on a real life figure: Yasuke, a samurai of African origin. Assassin’s Creed games have always walked a fine line between historical accuracy and historical fantasy. They have to if they’re going to create a grand thread over the course of human history where Leonardo da Vinci and Blackbeard helped the Assassins while FDR, Stalin, and Churchill were Templar agents throughout WWII.
While the similarities between the real-life Yasuke and the game’s version of him basically end with his race and his service to the Great Unifier of Japan’s Azuchi-Momoyama period, the character in the game has a rich backstory, life, and gameplay.
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Who is Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
When we first meet the samurai-to-be, he is enslaved by Portuguese traders who call him Diogo. They have come to Oda Nobunaga to seek his allyship, but instead, Nobunaga’s primary interest is in Yasuke. He’s not just a towering human being with great strength but also a man with a pure heart and a sense of dedication and loyalty unmatched by most Japanese and foreigners alike.
He becomes indebted to Nobunaga for his freedom but even more so for his guidance and friendship, which help shape him into a powerful and noble samurai. His past is shadowed by tragedy and mystery, but the qualities that make him who he is are always within Yasuke. His time with Nobunaga and others, like his sensei Kamiizumi Nobutsuna and Nobunaga’s sister, Lady Oichi, build upon a strong foundation until Yasuke becomes an unstoppable force of might and love in equal measure.
When Yasuke meets the other playable protagonist, Naoe, and joins her ikki, Naoe’s family becomes his family, and her fight becomes his. He continues to have his vengeance to seek and his paths to grow down, but together, they learn the power of loyalty, forgiveness, and grace. The man’s heart is indeed as big as his muscles.
How do you play as Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
After a few hours of initial gameplay, players can instantly switch between Yasuke and Naoe through the pause menu. During certain missions, the game will prompt players to choose which character to proceed as. Selecting him affects the gameplay but does not affect the story.
Yasuke is a combat-forward character. He has much more health and stronger attacks than Naoe. For players who prefer a faster-paced experience or who would rather hack and slash their way through the game instead of stealthing it, Yasuke is the character to favor. He has three primary weapon types to choose from: long katana, naginata, and kanabo.
Long katana is the samurai’s standard weapon. It’s his fastest and most versatile with a medium range. The naginata is a longer weapon that reaches further and has a bigger attack radius for hitting multiple enemies at once. And lastly, the kanabo is a large club-like weapon with a short range but delivers considerable damage per second. Yasuke also has access to two types of ranged weapons: a bow and arrow and a teppo. The bow and arrow require no reloading and can be used more quietly, while the teppo is a firearm introduced to Japan by Europeans that offers bigger damage but requires reloading between every shot.
No matter how you choose to play as Yasuke, enjoy his great strength of body and of character. He is unique as an Assassin’s Creed protagonist for his origins, his gameplay style, and his lovable temperament.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
