Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been in a ton of controversies since its announcement. While locking quests behind a day-one-season pass bundle worth $109.99 was one of them, there’s another problem that has taken priority in almost all the discourse surrounding the title.
The existence of the samurai Yasuke in the game, one of the two protagonists of the game that you can play as, has rubbed many the wrong way, being that he is a man of African origin. While it might seem like a forced connection out of context, history says otherwise.
Was Yasuke from Assassin’s Creed Shadows a Samurai in Real Life?
The Yasuke from Shadows is based on a real-life figure in history. What we do know about him is that he was likely a slave but was a free man when he met an Italian Jesuit missionary. A turn of events eventually led him to serve Japanese daimyo (warlord) Oda Nobunaga.
Where things get a little muddied is whether he was simply a retainer or a samurai. People opposing his depiction as a samurai in Shadows claim he was the former, while others claim the latter. However, one X/Twitter user clears up the debate, revealing that the two roles are the same.
"Yasuke was a retainer!!! he wasn't even a samurai!!!"
…sigh
Retainers.
Were.
A kind.
Of Samurai.
Feudal Japanese history is a very specific hyperfixation of mine so lemme explain the, the lore here. 🧵 https://t.co/qB5FoPSI5q— Salamander, The Slayer of Somerton (@Sallymander40k) May 15, 2024
They explain that a ‘retainer’ in that era refers to Kashin, which is a member of a clan’s Kashindan. This is the clan’s standing army, or “the soldiers it keeps on retainer to fight wars at a moment’s notice.”
Being in a clan’s Kashindan meant you were a samurai. During the Sengoku Period, ‘samurai’ was used to refer to anyone who worked as a full-time soldier.
If you were in a clan's Kashindan, you were considered a samurai. Samurai during the Sengoku Period basically just meant anyone who was a full-time soldier. The idea of samurai as being a rigid military caste that you *had* to be born into is an invention of the Edo Period.
— Salamander, The Slayer of Somerton (@Sallymander40k) May 15, 2024
Samurai claims were aristocratic noble families, which meant you had to be born into them to be a member. On the other hand, being a member of a clan’s Kashindan doesn’t automatically mean you’re a member of the clan. However, you could still be a samurai.
Essentially, Yasuke served as Oda Nobunaga’s ‘Kosho’, a young man serving a busho. The user emphasizes that Kosho were considered samurai.
Can the Yasuke Feud Be Laid to Rest?
Interpretations of Yasuke’s history are difficult, as historical documents, letters, and other material around the figure are scarce. Many modern written media around him explicitly refer to him as a samurai, and some historians have also concluded that he was indeed one.
There’s a great Reddit post that does a deep dive (with sources) into his history.
Regardless of what you believe, the Shadows character is ultimately a separate character that only takes inspiration from his real-life counterpart.
People can argue if it’s historically accurate to make him a samurai in the game, but the game did throw out 1:1 historical accuracy long ago when Leonardo da Vinci helped Ezio fly in Assassin’s Creed 2, or when Bayek fought the God Anubis in Origins.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Assassin’s Creed has played fast and loose with history, and it won’t be the last, as games like Assassin’s Creed Hex will also change history to tell the story of the Assassin’s.
Shadows will explore the beautiful lands of central Japan through the eyes of a native and a foreigner. Are you excited for this sequel? Let us know in the comments below!
