Assassin's Creed Shadows is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Quebec, marking the fourteenth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series. Set in late 16th-century Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, the game immerses players in a time of civil unrest and cultural transformation. Players will navigate a richly detailed open world, experiencing the intricate blend of historical events and personal narratives that define this era.
The game world encompasses central Japan, featuring meticulously recreated regions such as Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, and the Iga province. Players can explore historical landmarks, and castles like Takeda and Fukuchiyama, and engage with the cultural nuances of the period, including interactions with Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries. The narrative intertwines personal vendettas with the broader political landscape, offering a multifaceted experience that reflects the complexities of the time.
Lore Overview
Assassin's Creed Shadows is set during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, a transformative era in Japanese history marked by the efforts of warlords to unify the nation. The game begins in 1579, with Oda Nobunaga's rise to power following his decisive victory over the Takeda clan, utilizing advanced warfare tactics involving arquebus firearms. This victory sets the stage for his ambitious campaign to consolidate control over Japan. The influence of Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries, who introduced Christianity and Western technologies such as cannons and firearms, played a significant role in shaping the game's world and its conflicts.
Historical figures appearing in the game include Oda Nobunaga, samurai Yasuke, Fujibayashi Nagato, missionaries Luís Fróis and Alessandro Valignano, as well as renowned figures like Hattori Hanzo, Akechi Mitsuhide, Ise Sadaoki, and tea master Sen no Rikyū. The game also introduces the Shinbakufu, a group of masked samurai with hidden agendas, central to the unfolding conspiracy within the narrative.
Players experience the narrative through the perspectives of two distinct characters:
Fujibayashi Naoe
A fictionalized daughter of shinobi Fujibayashi Nagato from Iga province, Naoe is a kunoichi (female shinobi) embodying stealth, parkour, lethality, and brotherhood. Her clan, the Fujibayashi, was historically a ninja clan, and she uses unique mechanics like a grappling hook and a prone stance. Naoe’s hidden blade, with a swivel mechanism for dual-wielding with a Tanto, is effective in short-range melee, alternating between stealth and combat. Her story involves themes of honoring trust, community importance, and revenge. She is voiced by Masumi Tsunoda, who brings an expressive portrayal of a young shinobi.
Yasuke
Based on the real historical figure Yasuke, an African samurai with limited records, Yasuke offers a narrative of mystery and bridges the Western and Japanese worlds. He is the first main protagonist in the series based on a real person, a notable departure from previous entries where players played scenes with figures like Leonidas in AC Odyssey, but he wasn’t a main protagonist. Yasuke’s gameplay is combat-oriented, with skills in attacking, blocking, and parrying, using weapons like long katana, kanabo, bows, and naginata. His arc involves confronting the demons of his past and finding a new purpose, voiced by Ton***i Chirisa, who portrays quiet strength and relatability in embracing a new culture.
The convergence of Naoe and Yasuke's paths occurred during the Second Tenshō Iga War in 1581, where Nobunaga's campaign targeted the Iga province, known for its skilled shinobi. This conflict serves as a critical juncture in the game, influencing the broader narrative of Japan's unification and the personal arcs of both protagonists.
Factions and Antagonists
Assassin Brotherhood in Japan
The Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins, also known as the Osaka Brotherhood in modern times, has been active since the Sengoku period. The arrival of European Templars in Japan in 1549 prompted the Assassins to establish a presence, with Kotetsu, originally from Japan but part of the Chinese Brotherhood under Shao Jun, playing a role in its formation.
The Shinbakufu
A shadow faction vying for power, not a cult like the Cult of Kosmos or the Order of Ancients from previous games. They use masks from various Japanese spheres (mempo, theater masks) for a mysterious, conflicted visual identity, with motivations and goals revealed in due time.
The Shinbakufu also killed Naoe's father and stole the box he guarded. Though each member has their own motivations, they rally behind the principal cause of keeping their prize—and whatever may be inside.
The Templars
While not explicitly detailed in the provided information, the eternal struggle between the Assassins and Templars is central to the series. The Templars are likely associated with powerful figures in Feudal Japan or other influential lords seeking control, given their desire for peace through control.
WARNING! MASSIVE SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Plot
Act I
In 1581, the Jesuit bodyguard Diogo arrives in Kyoto as part of a delegation negotiating safe passage for missionaries through Japan. Oda Nobunaga agrees to the request but demands that Diogo serve under him as a warrior. Diogo is renamed Yasuke and becomes a samurai in Nobunaga’s service. Six months later, Yasuke accompanies Nobunaga during the brutal assault on Iga province, where the Iga ikki, renowned for their shinobi arts, resist the warlord’s forces.
During the battle, shinobi Fujibayashi Naoe is tasked by her father, Nagato, to retrieve a hidden artifact stored within a kofun. However, before she can complete her mission, a group of masked samurai known as the Shinbakufu steals the artifact and mortally wounds Nagato. With his dying breath, Nagato tells Naoe to “follow the blade.”
After recovering, Naoe seeks assistance from her family friend Tomiko, who provides her a base of operations. Tomiko directs Naoe to Sakai, where she tracks down and eliminates two Shinbakufu members. She then encounters Akechi Mitsuhide, who persuades her to aid in assassinating Nobunaga, whom he claims is the Shinbakufu’s leader. With Mitsuhide’s help, Naoe infiltrates Honnoji Temple and attacks Nobunaga but is intercepted by Yasuke. Before dying by seppuku, Nobunaga refutes Mitsuhide’s claims, leaving Naoe uncertain of the truth and Yasuke a ronin.
Act II
Determined to uncover the Shinbakufu’s true mastermind, Naoe and Yasuke join forces and track down more members of the group. Yasuke reveals that when he slew Iga leader Momochi Sandayu, he too carried a Hidden Blade and instructed Yasuke to aid Naoe if he found her. Although Naoe initially seeks vengeance against Yasuke for Iga’s downfall, she is convinced by her allies to work together.
Their journey leads them to ally with Hattori Hanzo and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hanzo warns Naoe to abandon her search for the stolen artifact, revealing that both her parents, Nagato and Tsuyu, died to protect it. Undeterred, Naoe locates an Assassin hideout in Settsu, uncovering a journal that confirms her mother Tsuyu was part of a Japanese Assassin Brotherhood sanctioned by Emperor Go-Nara to safeguard the Imperial Regalia.
Naoe and Yasuke systematically dismantle the Shinbakufu, eventually reaching Akechi Mitsuhide at Shoryuji Castle. After defeating Mitsuhide, they learn that the Shinbakufu’s true leader is Ashikaga Yoshiaki, who possesses the artifact known as “The Jewel.” Upon confronting Yoshiaki, he offers information in exchange for his life, revealing that an Assassin was last seen in Yamato and that the Templar Duarte de Melo, Yasuke’s target, is in Port Obama. After sparing Yoshiaki, Yasuke remarks that while Nobunaga has cemented his place in history, Yoshiaki will be forgotten.
Act III
Traveling to Yamato, Naoe uncovers the full truth about her mother. Tsuyu and the Assassins were tasked with safeguarding Japan’s three Imperial Regalia. However, the Shinbakufu attacked, stealing two regalia and massacring the Brotherhood. Only Nagato, Tsuyu, and Sandayu survived, with Tsuyu departing to retrieve the stolen relics, never to return. Naoe restores the Jewel to its rightful place, fulfilling her father’s dying wish.
Hattori Hanzo, burdened by guilt, reveals that he betrayed the Assassins out of jealousy over Tsuyu choosing Nagato. He had disclosed the Imperial Regalia’s location to the Shinbakufu. After Naoe defeats him in battle, she convinces him that redemption lies in aiding the Assassins in their search for Tsuyu.
Meanwhile, Yasuke tracks down Duarte de Melo, a Portuguese Templar involved in the slave trade. Upon killing Duarte, Yasuke sets his sights on the Templar Order’s leader in Japan, Nuno Caro. Yasuke learns that Nuno was responsible for the execution of his mother, but an Assassin’s sacrifice allowed Yasuke to escape. Seeking vengeance, Yasuke kills Nuno, who warns that his death will escalate tensions between the Assassins and the Templars. Undeterred, Yasuke continues his search for purpose, embracing his role in the Assassin Brotherhood.
