Highlights
- Assassin's Creed Red may feature two playable characters, one samurai and one shinobi, in its narrative set in feudal Japan.
- One of the potential protagonists, based on a real historical figure, could be Yasuke, an African man who served as a prominent samurai in Oda Nobunaga's service.
- Including Yasuke as a playable character would be a significant departure for the series, as it typically features prominent historical figures in supporting roles, making Assassin's Creed Red even more unique and intriguing.
A recent leak points to the identity of one of the Assassin's Creed Codename Red protagonists, who is ostensibly based on a real historical figure. Very little has been revealed about Ubisoft's long-awaited take on a Japan-based Assassin's Creed game, although several rumors have emerged about Assassin's Creed Red's story and gameplay.
Although Assassin's Creed games are, in many ways, defined by their adherence to specific historical periods, the series' protagonists and the stories they embark upon are almost completely fictional, although real historical figures do often appear. With Assassin's Creed Red taking place in feudal Japan, a setting fans have been asking the series to visit for years, many have speculated as to which historical figures and events will feature in the game's narrative. Earlier this year, a writer for Ubisoft updated his LinkedIn banner with an image of a female character who many have assumed to be the Assassin's Creed Red protagonist, but leaks and speculation have also led to the belief that the game will feature two different playable characters, one who is a Samurai, and one who is a Shinobi.
New Leaks Point to Real Historical Figure Yasuke as the Other Playable AC Red Protagonist
According to a recent report from Insider Gaming, the Samurai protagonist of Assassin's Creed Red could be Yasuke, an African man who found himself in the service of Oda Nobunaga, a prominent Samurai. Concrete facts about Yasuke's life are sparse and often disputed, but he was a real person and is often thought of as the first non-Japanese Samurai in recorded history. In the same report, Insider Gaming states that Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Red is a former slave who has been rescued following a deadly attack on his ship.
If Yasuke really is the other Assassin's Creed Red protagonist, he represents a major step for the series. As previously mentioned, Assassin's Creed has always included prominent historical figures, but none have ever been the protagonist. With so much of Yasuke's story being a mystery, it should allow for Ubisoft to take enough creative liberties to make him a viable player-character; there's a good chance he won't be too constrained by real-world facts.
Yasuke has been the subject of fascination for quite some time now; a few years ago, Netflix released the anime Yasuke, starring Lakeith Stanfield as the titular character, and Yasuke even appears in Nioh. Fans have been waiting a long time for an Assassin's Creed game in Japan, and infusing a bit of extra historical detail to the game in the form of Yasuke could make Assassin's Creed Codename Red even more unique and worth checking out.
