Open-world games can have a hard time conveying a story and building a world. Developers need to create everything from scratch in order to truly immerse players. Fortunately, the Assassin's Creed franchise doesn't have to worry about this as much. All the games are set during important historical times, and many of the games' environments are based on real life with a large immersive world. While there are many places in human history that the series can go, the one that players have been calling for years is Japan's history.
The idea of assassins mixed with the culture of ancient Japanese history make for a perfect combination. Now, the Assassin's Creed series is finally going to Japan, with the code name Assassin's Creed: Red being set there. However, franchise should remain in this area since Japan's history is both volatile and rich. While the country's history is filled with many wars, conquest, and other important events, the following moments in history are the best to fit in the Assassin's Creed universe.
5 Invasion Of Tsushima
This moment in history is pretty important for Japan's history, and those who have played Ghost of Tsushima will understand why. Since most of the Assassin's Creed games are about fighting against oppression and giving the people free will, this conflict is perfect. Plus, this whole event happened over a few decades, with the lead-up being the main invasion. This way, developers can make a great arc for the main character much as they did for Bayek in Assassin's Creed: Origins, in having the assassin's main motivation as revenge against the Mongol invaders.
Rather than following the Ghost Of Tsushima narrative of having the player muster an army against the Mongols, players can operate in the gray, with many prominent figures asking them for help. One of the main things about the assassins' enemies, the Templars, is that they can be on both sides of any conflict. This can allow the game to include interesting moral issues come up for the player.
4 Hōgen Rebellion
The Templars in the Assassin's Creed games are primarily in the higher potions than assassins, meaning they're in the government, military, trade, and other important aspects of society. This event in Japanese history is important and can be easily told in an Assassin's Creed narrative. First, the result of this civil war is the creation of the legendary Samurai class. It created the foundation of what Japan would look like for centuries, which is a perfect opportunity for the Templars to inject themselves into the government.
The main goal of the assassin for this time period would be to stop the Templar's influence, and the second would be to help usher in the new era of Japan. On top of that, since this could act as a new chapter in Japanese history with Samurai being introduced, this could come with a new fighting style. The character could use this new style to showcase the Assassin Order is real, making for immersive storytelling.
3 Onin War
Much of Japan's history is littered with civil wars, with one house trying to out-dominate other houses. This was very frequent during the Onin period of Japan. The civil war was about which family member of the retired Shogun should lead the rest of the country. But the complexity of this war was that other houses were also vying for power since there was no main leader for a moment.
Conflicts like the Onin War work great in the Assassin's Creed lore because the character doesn't have to take a side, much like Conner in Assassin's Creed 3 where he didn't fully support America's fight. This story can test the character's loyalty to their own clan because the house could go with an opposing figure that goes against the character's morals. This could make the story emotionally driven, which could render it one of the better stories in an Assassin's Creed game.
2 Invasion Of Korea
While not taking place in Japan, this conflict is still very important to Japanese history. First, rather than the player being a Japanese assassin, they can be a Korean one, and their goal would be to fight against Japan. The period could be told in a very interesting way. Some Koreans and some Japanese military figures could be a part of the Templar order, and those would be the player's targets. This would make for another moral conflict, because the character could be going against their own countrymen, so their development will be based on those feelings and actions.
On top of that, since China was also a part of this conflict, players could also travel to China to try to warn them about the invasion. If this happens, then the game can challenge the best worlds of Assassin's Creed games because players would be seeing two or three separate countries.
1 47 Ronin
This event holds a special place in Japanese history. While it may seem like it is out of a book, the events did happen and showcased the loyalty that the Samurai had to their masters. It centered around a group of Samurais avenging the death of their leader, who was ordered to commit seppuku by one of the court officials. This story is great for an Assassin's Creed narrative to take place. The character doesn't have to be a part of the group; rather, they can prove themselves to the 47. Plus, by their actions, the Order of Assassins can be created.
For a year the 47 Ronin were investigating and figuring out ways to exact their revenge. Gameplay-wise, this can allow mechanics to go back to their original roots, which is something many players are excited about in Assassin's Creed: Mirage. On top of that, since the Templars are the main enemy and this event caused changes in government, this is a great way of bringing in the lore of Assassin's Creed. Not only will the assassin help the Ronin, but they'll also be working towards their own goals: taking out Templar order.