Historian Believes AC Shadows Takes Away From Japanese Samurai Culture

Expert Verified By

"Yasuke Was Not The Samurai Westerners Imagine"

Story Highlight
  • 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.

Assassin's Creed Shadows
Yasuke’s Inclusion Has Been Controversial Since Day One

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.

Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Expected To Be A Huge Release Despite The Controversies

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.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Black Ops 7 Beta Struggles on Steam – Player Count Nearly 5x Lower Than Battlefield 6 Beta

According to SteamDB, Black Ops 7 beta player count only topped at about 100K players, compared to Battlefield 6 beta's over 500K.

Activision Claims 97% Of Black Ops 7 Cheaters Are Banned Within 30 Minutes

97% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 cheaters were banned within 30 minutes of signing in, while only 1% made it into the game.

Silent Hill 3 Remake Reportedly Coming in 2028 as Bloober Team Works on Resident Evil-Inspired New IP

Bloober Team is rumored to be working on a Silent Hill 3 remake and a new Resident Evil-inspired IP, with releases expected in 2026 and 2028.

Battlefield 6: EA Promises 120 FPS Performance on Consoles and Free DLC Support

Battlefield 6 to support 120FPS, and alongside, EA to give out a free DLC titled 'Covert Operations' during Season 1.

Microsoft Reportedly Scrapped Its Xbox Handheld After AMD’s Shocking Demands

A new report reveals that the first-party Xbox handheld was cancelled because AMD demanded 10 million sales to develop a custom SoC.