The black Samurai in Assassin’s Creed Shadows: a summary of the controversy

Ubisoft’s stealth action game series Assassin’s Creed is known for its historical settings. In it, fictional storylines are mixed with historical events. So far, players have been able to sneak and murder as an eponymous assassin in the USA, the Caribbean, Egypt and many European countries.

But until recently, one country was absent from Assassin’s Creed: Japan. Many fans have wanted to roam historical Japan as a Samurai or Ninja since the series began. Ubisoft is now fulfilling this long-standing dream with Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.

But what should really be a reason to celebrate has become the subject of controversy and heated debate online. The reason? A dispute over the historical accuracy of Ubisoft’s trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. Right off the bat, Ubisoft only fanned the flames of controversy with a detailed statement on X, apologising and justifying themselves to their Japanese fans. But instead of calming the waters, the apology triggered another shitstorm.

All in good time, though – why are so many fans reacting this strongly to the new game? And what really lies behind this debate on historical accuracy in a fictional video game?

A black Samurai?

Initial hints of controversy can already be found in the announcement trailer released by Ubisoft on 15 May. It features various cutscenes in which the two main characters of the game are introduced: Shinobi Naoe and Samurai Yasuke.

Many fans are vexed: Yasuke isn’t Japanese. The black Samurai is based on a real historical individual from Mozambique who served under a Japanese prince in the 16th century. A wealth of arguments and ideological viewpoints are quickly mixed up in the discussion surrounding the game. Four lines of argument can be identified across YouTube comments, on Reddit, X and other social media platforms.

Some fans don’t see Yasuke as a problem at all. To them, Assassin’s Creed is a work of fiction that can take as many liberties in its story as it wants.

Other fans are disappointed that after all these years of waiting for a Japanese Assassin’s Creed, only one protagonist is Japanese. Yes, Yasuke is an exciting character to them, but not the classic representation of a traditional Samurai. They think it’s a shame that in a game centred on Japanese history and culture, the focus is on a non-Japanese character.

Another part of the community is concerned about the historical accuracy of the game. Yasuke’s actual status is disputed among historians. Due to limited historical evidence, it’s unclear whether he’d achieved the status of «real» Samurai, «bodyguard» or a simple follower of the prince.

Finally, one particularly loud section sees their greatest fears confirmed by Ubisoft’s decision to choose a black Samurai as a main character. To them, Yasuke is the personification of the dominant «woke agenda» in gaming. In their eyes, Ubisoft only included a black protagonist into the game to collect «DEI» points (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

The debate around Yasuke and historical accuracy is heated. In an interview, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot even brought up threats and personal attacks online directed at the development team and external partners.

Small missteps are brutally attacked

Since the unveiling of the two protagonists, Ubisoft’s communication on the game has been closely monitored by all these camps, and the tiniest missteps are immediately widely discussed. Japanese fans discovered a flag in official artwork for the game that has no place in its historical period.

The flag is a design developed by Japanese reenactment group Sekigahara Teppo-tai, which Ubisoft used without permission. Apart from that, the flag makes no sense in the historical context of the game, the 16th century. It refers to military leaders who only played an important role in later battles.

Fans also criticised a post on X from the official French Assassin’s Creed account. In it, Ubisoft was advertising its stand at the Japan Expo. The pictures showed, among other things, a katana that was actually a replica from the manga One Piece.

Some Japanese fans on social media find Ubisoft’s approach to Japanese history disrespectful. In addition to the portrayal of Yasuke as a «legendary samurai», they criticise other details in the gameplay footage shown at the Summer Game Fest in June. According to them, Ubisoft sometimes uses Chinese instead of Japanese houses, mixes religious elements from Buddhism and Shintoism and makes mistakes with regard to the customs of Samurai.

«For this, we sincerely apologize»

With the exception of Guillemot’s interview, Ubisoft didn’t react to the controversy for a long time. The company broke their silence on 23 July with an official statement on X.

The company wrote: «Since the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, we have received many positive reactions, but also some criticism including from you, our Japanese players. We share your passion for history and deeply respect your care for the historical and cultural integrity of your rich heritage.»

Ubisoft claims it’s invested a lot of time to ensure an «immersive and respectful representation of feudal Japan». Apparently, the team worked extensively with external consultants, historians and Ubisoft Japan to make creative decisions.

Despite these substantial efforts, Ubisoft admits that some elements in its previously released promotional material have caused displeasure among the Japanese community. «For this, we sincerely apologize.» The company also emphasises that game material shown so far is still under development. It says constructive criticism will now be used to further develop the game until its release in November.

The company has also commented on Yasuke. With Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft apparently has never aspired to tell a completely historically accurate story. To them, Yasuke was the perfect character for Shadows thanks to his mysterious and vague history: «While Yasuke is depicted as a Samurai in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, we acknowledge that this is a matter of debate and discussion. We have woven this carefully into our narrative […].»

Finally, Ubisoft has called on the Assassin’s Creed community to discuss respectfully with each other: «We greatly value your feedback and encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts, respectfully.»

The controversy isn’t letting up

Ubisoft’s statement has only made things worse. Within a very short time, the X post went viral and generated millions of views and tens of thousands of heated comments.

No one community member is satisfied. The discussion around historical accuracy has been reignited by Ubisoft’s vague statements. The anti-woke advocates are railing even more against wokeness and DEI, demanding that Yasuke be replaced by a Japanese protagonist. There’s even an online petition campaigning for the game to be cancelled. Yasuke supporters are disappointed that Ubisoft responded to the criticism at all. To them, this will only further legitimise the often racially motivated discussion surrounding Yasuke.

It seems that the controversy will be with us at least until launch on 15 November. So far, the discussion doesn’t seem to have affected the success of the game. According to leaker Tom Henderson, pre-orders for the game are going extremely well – even in Japan.