Highlights

  • Assassin's Creed Red may feature two playable characters based on real historical figures - a first for the franchise.
  • Players may control Naoe Fujibayashi, daughter of legendary ninja Fujibayashi Nagato, seeking revenge for her father's death.
  • Breaking tradition, Assassin's Creed Red could introduce protagonists based on real people, adding a unique twist to the series.

Assassin's Creed Red is quite possibly the most anticipated Assassin's Creed title to date, as it will reportedly take players to feudal Japan, a setting many fans have been requesting the franchise visit for years. There is no shortage of games being set in feudal Japan as of late, with Ghost of Tsushima and now Rise of the Ronin joining the ranks. Even so, an Assassin's Creed game set in the popular period will be unique to the series that has visited some otherwise notable eras. Most of Assassin's Creed Red's story and development has been shrouded in mystery, as mere rumors have taken the place of any official confirmations made by Ubisoft. These rumors and reported leaks include the game's protagonists, which may be nothing short of a game-changer for the Assassin's Creed franchise.

If the rumors are true, then Assassin's Creed Red's protagonists will be unlike any protagonists the series has seen thus far. Every Assassin's Creed title to date has featured an original fictional protagonist that was created specifically for the games they are featured in, like Ezio Auditore in the Assassin's Creed 2 trilogy and Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. However, that may not be the case in Assassin's Creed Red. Specifically, Assassin's Creed Red may very well be the first game in the series to feature characters based on real-life historical people.

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Assassin's Creed Red May Feature Two Protagonists Based on Historical People

Assassin's Creed Red Will Reportedly Feature Two Playable Characters

One particularly significant rumor about Assassin's Creed Red is that it will feature two playable characters. It wouldn't be the first game in the series to do this, as Assassin's Creed Syndicate allowed players to control twins Jacob and Evie Frye. Still, two playable characters in an Assassin's Creed game is an extremely rare occurrence, as Syndicate is the only other game to have featured this. If these rumors are true, it's unclear whether players will be able to swap between the two characters seamlessly, but it can likely be expected.

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Assassin's Creed Red's Playable Characters Are Rumored to Be Based on Real People

The biggest news concerning Assassin's Creed Red's protagonists is that they will be based on real historical people. At least, one protagonist will reportedly be based on a real person, whereas the other will be another historical figure's daughter, who is not yet confirmed to have been a real person. The protagonist that will take after a historical figure is rumored to be based on Yasuke, a real-life African Samurai from the 16th century, who is now even featured in the Netflix anime series Yasuke.

The other playable protagonist is reportedly Naoe Fujibayashi, who, although not based on a historical figure herself, plays the daughter of a major figure from feudal Japan's history, Fujibayashi Nagato.

Fujibayashi Nagato is one of the most famous ninjas of feudal Japan. As a ninja jonin and a leader of the Iga ninjas during the 16th century, he played a major part in ensuring ninja lore and techniques would never die. Fujibayashi Nagato is so famous, in fact, that Fortnite player Ninja named himself because of the legendary ninja. Naoe Fujibayashi is the character players will reportedly control in Assassin's Creed Red, however, and plays the role of Nagato's daughter. The story is rumored to follow the passing of Fujibayashi Nagato, as Naoe's path is apparently paved with revenge for her father's death.

If these rumors are true, then Assassin's Creed Red will be breaking a major franchise tradition by basing its protagonists on real people. The Assassin's Creed series is known for featuring plenty of historical side characters but never has one of its protagonists been based on a real person. It will be interesting to see how this chapter of the Assassin's Creed series plays out if this is true.