- Japanese historian Yuichi Goza has commented on Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
- He believes Yasuke was more of a bodyguard than a proper samurai.
- The historian also states that Yasuke’s depiction as a samurai representative is disrespectful to samurai culture.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has constantly sparked debates around Ubisoft’s approach to Japanese culture and tradition. The depiction of Yasuke as a samurai is still up for debate, and the team has even had to come forward with an official clarification on the matter.
While various historians have constantly argued against Yasuke being a samurai, Yuichi Goza offered a different response. He believes Yasuke was more of a bodyguard for Oda Nobunaga and that his depiction as a samurai representative is not a great decision.
Why it matters: The controversy around Assassin’s Creed Shadows is seemingly never-ending, with new thoughts and impressions frequently adding to the discussion.
Speaking to The Sankei Shimbun, Japanese historian Goza admitted that much of Yasuke’s life has gone unrecorded.
The historian pointed out that one record of Oda Nobunaga’s life states that he gave Yasuke a sword. This would basically confirm Yasuke’s status as a samurai, but Goza argues that this event only appears in one of the many stories about Oda Nobunaga.
He also argues that Yasuke may have been treated as a samurai formally. This would entail the historical figure wearing a sword and appearing as a samurai in front of the public. However, if a war broke out, Yasuke would not be expected to fight on the battlefield.
According to Yuichi Goza, Oda Nobunaga used Yasuke to attract attention toward himself and show off his power. However, the historian does not believe that this makes the figure a samurai in the traditional sense.
He was not the samurai Westerners imagine him to be.
-Yuichi Goza
The historian then commented on Ubisoft’s overall depiction of Japan with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. He also addressed the petition calling for the game to be cancelled, stating that it’s understandable why so many are upset with Ubisoft’s decisions.
If Yasuke is made to be a representative of the samurai, it would be like taking something away from Japanese samurai culture.
Yuichi Goza believes it would have been better to feature Yasuke alongside a traditional Japanese samurai if this was the route Ubisoft intended to take. Instead, the studio pairs the samurai with Naoe, a character who fills the role of the traditional assassin archetype.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently scheduled for a November release. As the launch draws closer, Ubisoft expects massive success despite all the controversies.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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