Summary
- Despite the initial controversy around Yasuke, he’s proving to be an incredibly popular character among Assassin’s Creed fans.
- While not everyone is sold on his brutish gameplay, others love bursting through doors and carving up enemies like butter.
- But even those unhappy with how he plays, and how “OP” he is, admit to enjoying his story and character, with one fan even putting him on the same pedestal as the three-time BAFTA-nominated Bayek.
Yasuke came under a lot of scrutiny after the dual protagonists of Assassin’s Creed Shadows were revealed. Many were upset at the notion of playing a Black man in Feudal Japan, while others — offended on behalf of Japan — disputed his status as a samurai. But now that the game is out, what do people think of the first-ever historical protagonist in the series?
“I like Yasuke as a character so far!” u/OnlyNorth2882 commented on an r/assassinscreed post asking that exact question. “I’m interested in learning more about him. I love the difference in playing him vs Naoe.”
“I really love him, actually,” u/Amunds3n said. “I thought he was going to be by far my [least] played of the pair, but after doing the first [two] missions for him, without saying any spoilers, I was floored by how awesome those missions were. Fleshed out so much of his character for me. We really have a super sick Shinobi Ninja and the classic honorable Samurai. I could not be happier.”
I think the foreigner in an unknown land was a good approach. I like how some of the citizen[s] respond to seeing an over 6 foot tall dude walking around — u/FUNKYTravisP.
“He’s an absolute beast in combat, and he is easy to like as a character,” u/ProjectNo4090 added. “It’s a shame his skin color is getting so much attention because I think he could easily be ranked alongside Bayek as a series protagonist.”
“He is the man, who only want[s] to find [his] way [in] life, and in the end he love[s] this country and will protect people in it until [he] die[s],” u/EnvironmentalCrew533 said. “For those who finished the game in [canon] mode, I love Yasuke so much”.
“I Play Assassin’s Creed To Be An Assassin”: Not Everyone Is Hooked On His Gameplay
While most enjoy Yasuke as a character, with him quickly becoming a new fan-favourite, not everyone is as hooked on how he plays. Naoe represents the more agile assassins of old, being fairly weak in head-on combat while excelling in stealth, whereas Yasuke is more akin to the newer RPG protagonists, a hulking brute who can tear through camps without breaking a sweat.
Since a lot of fans have been calling on Ubisoft to return the series to its roots, Naoe is unsurprisingly proving the more popular pick between the two; “I unlocked him and then went straight back to Naoe,” u/Medievalswordmaster said. “I play Assassin’s Creed to be an assassin. I much prefer Naoe’s movement and gameplay.”
“He plays his own game, he’s easy mode, way [too] OP,” u/chessking7543 argued. “Don’t get me wrong, feels good to plow through people, but come on man, I shouldn’t be able to close my eyes and still not die.”
“He’s the most out of place thing in the game for me,” u/Ifitbleedz said. “I think the idea of Yasuke is cool. But my god dude he just sticks out like a sore thumb in an AC game. There’s countless sync point[s] that I have to switch characters to get to, even doing that little dog quest at the beginning when you have to crawl under a house and grab a key, had to switch characters to get the damn key”.
Granted, for every commenter complaining that Yasuke is too overpowered and brutish for a series like Assassin’s Creed, you’ll find another enjoying the sheer power on offer as he bursts through a door and carves up his enemies.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Released
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March 20, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
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Ubisoft Quebec