Was Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Yasuke a Real Samurai?

Now that we have an official title for Assassin’s Creed Shadows and know more about the two main protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe, let’s delve into more of the game’s lore and story. For instance, was Yasuke a real samurai? The franchise has long toyed with real-life people, altering their history to suit the game, so why not this individual, too?

The real-life Yasuke, a man of African origin, served as a samurai under Oda Nobunaga between 1581 and 1582. During the Sengoku period, Yasuke served as a sword-bearer, essentially a samurai, for approximately 15 months until Nobunaga’s passing.

Nobunaga reportedly liked the man after his appearance in Japan, as reports claim he was as “strong as a bull.” Nobunaga would speak with Yasuke often, though his Japanese was lacking, and eventually hired him as a vassal.

In 1582, Nobunaga was betrayed by his vassals, and Yasuke was inevitably disarmed and sent to the cathedral of Padre in India in custody. Following that, it’s unclear precisely what happened to Yasuke.

In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Yasuke plays a significant role in the story. It’s said that he’ll ally with Naoe, a shinobi, to help unify Japan.

Like in real life, Yasuke is a samurai in-game. As such, he’ll play a more action-oriented role in the story and combat, compared to Naoe’s stealth approach to situations.

Of course, nothing is written in stone just yet. We’ll learn more about the game and its story in the coming days!

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We’ll follow the exciting storyline in Assassin’s Creed Shadows as we learn more. For now, check out what else Insider Gaming covers:

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