Insider Gaming has learned that the Assassin’s Creed Red Samurai will be based on the real-life African Samurai called Yasuke.
While Yasuke’s story is pitched mostly in fiction, he was historically a real person that existed, which makes him the first Assassin’s Creed protagonist to fit that description.
Theories of Yasuke being featured in Assassin’s Creed Red first appeared following our exclusive report earlier this year, which confirmed that the game will have two playable characters. Speaking with sources, Insider Gaming understands that the male character is certainly Yasuke, but his story has been rewritten to align with the game’s story and direction.
Earlier this year, Twitter user j0nathan revealed some details on the female protagonist named “Naoe” who is on a quest for revenge following the death of her father. Insider Gaming can corroborate this information, with Naoe’s full name currently being called Naoe Fujibayashi – The daughter of the legendary real-life Fujibayashi Nagato, who is considered to be one of the three greatest Iga jōnin.
In October 2023, the first image of Naoe leaked online via the LinkedIn profile of Senior Writer Pierre Boudreau.
Similar to Naoe, Yasuke’s story starts off with tragedy and unlike his real-life story, his story has been rewritten. In Assassin’s Creed Red, Yasuke was a slave traveling on a slave ship when it was attacked and everyone was killed, including his lover, but he survived. Yasuke was then rescued and brought to Japan, where he learned the way of the samurai under Nobunaga’s service.
It’s understood that at the beginning of the game, Naoe and Yasuke are fierce enemies, but later become allies on their desire for Japan’s unification.
Insider Gaming understands that the other historical characters to make their appearance in Assassin’s Creed Red include; Fujibayashi Nagato (Naoe’s father), Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, Hattori Hanzo (returning character), Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Kōdai-in (Hideyoshi’s wife), Oichi, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Akechi Kagemitsu, and more.
It’s currently unclear if Ubisoft will call Yasuke by his real-life name or not by final release.
For more from Insider Gaming, check out the news that Blizzard is looking for more independence with its games.
Technically Jack the Ripper is the first protagonist (villain but you do play as him) based on a real person.
He was not real there has been no proof of his existence it was mostly folklore
Yup
He is mentioned in many texts, including a diary from fellow samurai Matsudaira Ietada, he was also recorded as being by Nobunaga as he died
Doesn’t mean that he was a samurai, he was a slave who carried swords.
He was real and there is nothing you can do about it to change that historical fact, ma’am.
He was real and was only recorded because of his background. Yasuke has no accomplishment. He did nothing for Japanese history.
So many more legendary historical figures are in that era and not playing one of them is disappointing to me.
And we have Yasuke…
Oda Nobunaga, one of the most documented people in the history of Japan, had an African retainer called Yasuke. How absurd to call that into question.
Yasuke was a nobody, he did nothing for Japanese History. He doesn’t deserves in anyway to be a main character of a game about Unifying Japan. Pandering and cultural appropriation to its finest.
As a side character, in sides quest, no problem.
But the main male samurai should be Japanese.
Yasuke was a nobody by history standards. He did nothing for Japanese history.
Playing him before any actual legendary historical figures of that time is pandering to it’s finest.
Bro, none of the games are based on real people.
I was not expecting this but cool as hell none the less!
Yusuke is mostly folklore. The real problem is that he was a Samurai and then later on, a Ronin. He was the complete opposite of an assassin.
Yasuke is a historical fact. Take your whiteknight hopes and go cry in a corner bigot.
Ubisoft virtue signaling yet again. Lol, won’t be getting alot of fans hard earned money on pandering this time… FACTS
?
Cringey white boy.
How is he gonna hide in plain sight? He sticks out like a sore thumb. I was looking at AC Red, thinking I could finally play a snake-eyes type character(from G.I.Joe), but no it has to be Yasuke. I mean it would be cool to interact and work alongside him, but playing as him? How are you gonna be an assassin when you can’t blend in. It’s just silly. Well if they can somehow make it work then I’ll accept it, like making him wear a mask when carrying out an Assassin’s work so that they can’t easily figure out it was him when he walks around as a civilian. His story is interesting and worth exploring so let’s wait and see if Ubisoft screws up royally this time.
Yasuke is not really interesting especially because he has no accomplishment. He should not be a main character of a game about unifying Japan.
He is no way near the legendary of the historical figures of that time like Hattori Hanzo, Date Masamune, Sanada Yukimura or Miyamoto Musashi.
100% will not play. Pandering of the highest level.