The Best Abilities In Naoe’s Assassin Mastery Path In Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed began in 2007 with Altair, an assassin from the Middle East. Given the order, it made sense and players could easily buy assassins running around The Crusades with white robes. It’s harder to buy the concept of assassins in other entries though like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla which was a game about Vikings.

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At long last, Assassin’s Creed Shadows makes sense from a lore perspective again since ninjas were basically assassins for the shogunate. Naoe plays the ninja in this game while her partner, Yasuke, is a samurai. Naoe has six skill trees, one of them is literally called Assassin, so let’s venture down this deadly path and pick out some key abilities for her to master.

6

Improved Sense

Eagle Vision’s Effects Last Longer

One of the most iconic mechanics in the series is Eagle Vision. Naoe has it and Yasuke lacks the skill but he can still tag enemies in the environment so he isn’t out completely. Eagle Vision comes unlocked when players finally start controlling Naoe and there is one upgrade for it in the Assassin skill tree called Improved Sense.

This will extend how long enemies will appear either yellow or red once they exit Eagle Vision. No matter what, players should tag enemies after spotting them with Eagle Vision which is most useful during castle raids in Assassin’s Creed Shadows as players can see through walls. Even as a trained ninja, Naoe will need every advantage she can get.

5

Shoji Door Assassination

Kill Enemies Through Paper Doors

Players are rarely going to find classic Western-style doors in the game. Instead, most buildings are either barred with heavy planks or have paper doors. It can be satisfying to cut through paper doors in a ninja or samurai game to give players a small sense of destructibility.

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Players who wish to remain more stealthy in Assassin’s Creed Shadows can get the Shoji Door Assassination skill. This will allow players to kill enemies through paper doors which may be even more satisfying than destroying them. It’s easier to see enemies through these classic Japanese doors with Eagle Visions or with the aid of candlelight in darker settings.

4

Double Assassinate

Kill Two Enemies At Once With A Tanto

Double Assassinate has to be one of the most useful skills in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Whether players sneak up behind enemies or attack them from above, players can use a tanto and their hidden blade to kill two enemies at once. This skill is directly above Shoji Door Assassination which is odd considering it’s very hard to pull off a double kill through paper doors.

If players manage to pull off one of those, they will become a legendary ninja. Regardless, players need to boost their Knowledge Points as fast as possible to get to tier level two to get Double Assassinate. This can be done via visiting shrines or practicing Kuji-kiri. It should be noted that there are six Knowledge tiers for every skill tree in the game.

3

Vigor 1

More Vigor, More Chances To Use Abilities

The previous two skills were passive abilities and Vigor 1 is also a passive ability. However, it can aid active skills for different skill trees like Katana. Active skills can be assigned to the face buttons, so on an Xbox Series X controller, it would be X, Y, A, and B.

Like most skills in RPGs, using one will require a cooldown period but it also requires Adrenaline which are diamond-like icons situated by Naoe’s health bar. The more players attack, the more these Adrenaline diamonds will recover. Vigor 1 will boost Naoe’s Adrenaline reserves by one and every tier after that will do the same.

2

Nightcrawler

Do More Damage At Night

Nightcrawler is a passive ability that will aid players under the vale of night. When storming a castle or some other big compound, it’s recommended to go at night with Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It doesn’t really matter with Yasuke as he can destroy anything and anyone without much resistance.

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Nightcrawler will boost night-based damage which applies to head-on attacks or assassination attempts against larger enemies. The attack boost isn’t much but players can stack the effectiveness with other skills. The Katana skill tree, for example, will boost melee damage for all three weapons. So, stacked with Nightcrawler, weapons can potentially be deadliest at night.

1

Executioner

Vulnerable Enemies Take More Damage

Executioner isn’t as cool as it sounds because Naoe isn’t going to produce a giant axe like U.K.-based executioners. It is still useful in this game though. When players break through armor or parry an attack in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, enemies have the chance to be exhausted for a few seconds.

They will be highlighted with a yellow hue, cluing players in that they are now vulnerable and will hence receive more damage. With Executioner, players can more easily break through armor and deal critical blows while enemies are off balance. To bring up the Katana skill tree again, Guard Breaker is an active skill that is almost guaranteed to smash through armor. Players can pair this with Executioner and create a more effective ninja.

Released

March 20, 2025

OpenCritic Rating

Strong